ENGAGED?...ALREADY?!

Yes it's true! I have been to see the midwife again today for a check up & she has confirmed that the baby's head has become engaged (ie. right down in my pelvis). I am very excited! The baby's body is also in a perfect birthing position - with it's spine running down the front of my tummy. It can quite happily stay in that position for a few weeks though, but we won't think like that!
The first part of it's journey into the world has begun & I am chuffed to bits!

As I am now 37 weeks, I only have 3 weeks left to go (or 21 days for the impatient!), but if it's anything like it's big sister- who was 8 days late - we could be waiting a bit longer. Lets just say he/she will arrive anytime between now & 1st Feb. Lets hope it's sooner rather than later for Christian's sake!

THINGS IT'S BEST NOT TO DO WHEN...

....your husband has gone out, there's a cake in the oven & your daughter is playing downstairs.

1. Have a bath.
Yesterday, Christian had gone out for a couple of hours, Alice was busy playing & I'd just put our chocolate fruitcake in the oven (for 1 & 3/4 hours). "Oh I know I'll just have a quick bath" thought I. Why I don't know, I never have a bath. I hurled my massive body (size 14 on a good day then add on 36 weeks pregnant!) into the bath, a bit of a tight squeeze but never mind. Then as I lay on the bottom of the bath washing my hair, I thought of 2 very important points:
a) Oops, I'm not supposed to lay flat, it cuts off the blood supply to the baby &
b) how the f*#k am I going to get up again!

After a good 5 mins of very unattractive thrashing around, I got out! Christian came home sometime later & found the whole "turtle stuck on it's back" incident highly amusing. What a silly girl I am, needless to say, I've had a shower this morning!

Anyway, must go, Mum's coming for Christmas Eve dinner tonight & there's lots to do. Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to everyone & keep your fingers crossed that the baby hangs on until 1st January at least.

WHAT'S GOING WRONG!

I have just spent the past couple of hours very festively baking very yummy cinnamoney, treacley spiced biscuits & stained glass window tree decoration cookies - Yes I know my "Mum of the Year" trophy will be here shortly! So why is it that Alice (3 year old independent woman!) will only eat crappy Sainsburys 12 for 99p fairy cakes? My biscuits are really good!

CHRISTMAS DO'S ARE LIKE BUSES......

......you seem to stay in for ages then you get 3 do's in 1 week!
Last night was the first, I went to Rowleys in Baslow with Dianne (my mother-in-law - sod Les Dawson we get on very well indeed!) to a Christmas Cookery Club demonstration. It was really good, we watched the chef (Rupert Rowley, head chef at Fischers in Baslow & partner in Rowleys Restaurant) prepare a festive menu, then we went upstairs to the restaurant and ate it!

The Menu:
Egg nog (or lemonade for pregnant people!).
Hot smoked salmon fillet on a potato pancake with white wine sauce.
Ballontine of pheasant, partridge & pigeon with fondant potato & creamed cabbage.
Cranberry & caramelised chestnut Bakewell tart with Christmas pudding ice-cream.
Coffee, mince pies & chocolates.

Very delicious!

We had the meal upstairs on mixed tables, there were 6 on ours. Unfortunately headed by a Peak District toff, you know the type "I bought a new mobile phone so the wife bought a house in London, larf larf snort"! as though she's frivolously bought chocolate biscuits instead of plain! Oh yes, he was very rich and was right about everything. I am definitely having a boy - he's never wrong you know! Funny that, people have been sexing this baby for 4 months now & no one has actually said "I'm usually wrong about these things, but you're having a girl"!

Anyway, he made for amusing conversation and we had a good night all in all. Thank you to David (my father-in-law) who's treat it was.
Next stop - girlie's night out on Thursday - we're off into town in the Briddon Party Bus!

I'M HAVING A GOOD DAY

You know when everything is going your way, not major things, just little things - today is one of those days. I woke up feeling good this morning even thought it was 6:30 on a winters morning. Christian & I have swapped cars until I have the baby, although I love my little Peugeot 206, it is little & I can't get in & out of it too well at the moment - stomach:steering wheel problems! Christian was not looking forward to his 1st day of driving with his knees by his ears, so that was nice for me!

Then whilst getting Alice dressed for school, I noticed her body was covered in spots - chicken pox at last - hooray! We've been wanting her to catch it for a while, just so it gets it out of the way for her whilst she's young - it can be nasty the later you catch it. She is very well though, in fact she's even more impish than usual!

Then we went to Matalan, yes I know it's horrible - Christian says why pay to go to the zoo when you can go to Matalan for free!- but it's the only place that sell lovely soft sports type bras for my massive pregnant wabbers, 38DD so far - I thank you! Anyway I found a tenner on the floor, so I bought my 2 bras & still made £2 change!

We got home literally seconds before a big rain storm, which drenched one of our neighbours! Oh what a good day - I wonder what's next.....