Charlotte's First Swimming Lesson

Harry's First Birthday

My nephew Harry turned one on 16th November. He is such a funny little boy... So much fun... I can't believe it has been a year since we were all at the hospital meeting him for the first time when he was only 2 hours old. He is very close to walking as he took a couple of steps today on our deck... Almost got it on camera but he sat down before I could press the record button.

Welcome Grace Anne Riches

Our good friends Jess and Caleb welcomed their second child, Grace Anne into the world on Friday 16th November (My nephew Harry's Birthday) at 1.23pm (Canadian Time). She weighed 7lbs 2 ozs and is 19 inches long. Mother and baby are doing well. We wish them all the best!

40 Weeks...

Well 40 weeks has been and gone with no signs of impending labour. I have another OB appointment tomorrow so will see how things have progressed.

39 Weeks...

My sister Melissa came over to take some pictures of me and my belly on Monday... (see attached picture) They really turned out great. I'll be getting some enlarged so that I can get it framed and put it on the wall in bub's room.

I had my 39 week OB appointment yesterday and was happy to find out that bub is now engaged and I am 1 1/2 to 2cm dialated. The OB has booked me in to the hospital Wednesday evening next week to start the induction process. This will be done by using prostaglandin gel to soften the cervix and hopefully start labour. If this is not successful then I will be given a drip of syntocinon. Hopfully bub decides to come naturally but if not then we will definitely have a baby by end of next week. It is really hard to believe that after 9 months of waiting we will finally get to meet our baby girl face to face.

Popp Jnr's development at 39 weeks... The average baby is about 20.5 inches / 51 centimetres long from head to toe and weighs approximately 7.5 pounds / 3.4 kilograms at birth, but anywhere between 5 pounds 11.5 ounces and 8 pounds 5.75 ounces / 2.5 and 3.8 kilograms is a healthy range for newborns. Amniotic fluid, once clear, is now pale and milky from bub's shedding vernix caseosa. The outer layers of skin are also sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

38 Weeks...

Bub is still not engaged. My OB has said that if she hasn't engaged by 40 weeks then there might be a possibility of a scheduled c-section. I am really hoping not to go down this avenue but of course bub's health is what is important so I will do whatever my OB suggests. Other than that she is still growing and moving around.

Popp Jnr's development at 38 weeks... Babies at week 39 weigh about 6.8 to 7 pounds / 3 to 3.2 kilograms and continue to build the fat stores that will help regulate body temperature after birth. Bub's organ systems are fully developed and in place, but the lungs will be last to reach maturity.

37 Weeks...

Popp Jnr's development at 37 weeks... This week, most of the downy coating of lanugo is shed and the vernix caseosa -- the cheese-like coating that covers bub in the womb and protects her developing skin -- starts to disappear, though some may remain at birth. Bub weighs close to 6.5 pounds / 2.8 kilograms and may be about 20 inches / 50 centimetres long from head to toe. Many babies now have a full head of hair, with locks maybe around one inch / 2.5 centimetres long.

I am now considered full term which means that it is quite safe for bub to be born from now on, however I still think I will be overdue. I am still feeling pretty good so not overly anxious to have bub come any time soon. I am having the capsule fitted into the car tomorrow morning which is the last of the important things that needed to be done befor her arrival.

I attended a breastfeeding course on Saturday which was worth going to, however I also think that no amount of reading or watching videos will fully prepare you for the foreign act of breastfeeding. It's definitly an art that will take a lot of patience, practice and faith in my own abilities.

36 Weeks + 2 days...

Popp Jnr's development at 36 weeks... Bub is still gaining weight -- about an ounce/ 28 grams a day. She weighs nearly 6 pounds/ 2.7 kilograms and is 19 inches/ 45 centimetres long from head to toe.

Saw my OB yesterday. I am now on weekly visits. I asked him what size he thought bub might be at birth and he guesstimated about 7 1/2 pounds. Sounds good to me. We got to see bub on the ultrasound again and she is still head down (but not engaged) and in an anterior position. She is also still moving pretty frequently.

I am now officially on maternity leave. I had a nice morning tea with my colleagues at Queensland Health on Friday. They are all such lovely people. At the moment I just feel like I'm on holidays. That mentality will change I am sure once I get closer to my due date.

35 Weeks... & Baby Shower

I had a lovely day today at my baby shower. There were about 16 people including myself. We played a couple of games which were quite amusing. The first one everyone had to cut off a piece of string guesstimating how big my belly was (actual width will not be disclosed!). Some people (including my own mother) went a little crazy with the string and decided that I was about the width of a baby elephant. My sister Kelly was the closest but seeing as she was helping me host it she passed on the honour to my Auntie Anne who came a close second. We then played a game where you had to draw a baby on a paper plate while it was on your head. They were then passed around and given a score out of 5 (five being the highest). My sister Melissa won as she got extra points for writing her name as well (also while on her head). This game received quite a few laughs.

After the games I then opened the presents which I have to say was quite overwhelming. I got so many wonderful things. Our little princess is definitely already unbelievably spoilt.

Thanks to everyone for making my day super special. Also a special thanks to those who helped organise, set up & clean up. I really had a magnificent day. To view pictures click on the following link.

http://www.flickr.com/gp/93935021@N00/5DLEG6

Popp Jnr's development at 35 weeks... Bub now weighs about 5.25 pounds/ 2.4 kilograms and measures approximately 18 inches/ 45 centimetres from head to toe. This week, bub is now sporting fingernails and has a fully developed pair of kidneys. Her liver can also process some waste products. There's much less amniotic fluid and much more baby in my uterus, which has expanded to a thousand times its original size.

34 Weeks...

Popp Jnr's development at 34 weeks... Bub now weighs more than 4.7 pounds / 2.2 kilograms and is 18 inches / over 45 centimetres from top to toe. She's filling out and getting rounder -- she'll need her fat layers later to regulate her body temperature. At 35 weeks her hearing is fully developed so I will try and increase the amount of times I play music to her.

I went to my first Yoga class last Thursday and found it to be more of a low impact aerobics session for pregnant women. I will be going to five more of these sessions so hopefully I'll get more out of them.

33 Weeks + 2 days...

Popp Jnr's development at 33 weeks... Bub's skull bones are still pliable and aren't completely joined, making it easier to exit from the birth canal. But the bones in the rest of her body are hardening. Her skin is also gradually becoming less red and wrinkled. She now weighs about 4.2 pounds / 2 kilograms and measures approximately 17 inches/ 44 centimetres from head to toe.

We started our antenatal classes last Tuesday. They run every Tuesday for four weeks. Last week it was all about the stages of labour and labour positions. They also showed us a video that wasn't as graffic as I thought it would be but still put everything into perspective. Tonight we talked about pain relief and the unforseen situations that can arise when in labour eg; c-sections. The next two weeks will be about "post-baby" ie, how to put a nappy (diaper) on and swaddling techniques. I am going to have to rummage through the boxes of dolls at my parents house because we need a pretend baby to practice on.

I have also booked myself into "Yoga Baby" every Thursday for six weeks. My sister Kelly did it when she was pregnant with Harry and she said it was helpful during labour. I'm doing the "Active Birth Yoga" class in which we practice yoga postures and breathing exercises that prepare us for the birth. The classes also explore topics that will increase the potential of achieving an Active Birth. Kelly has said to be prepared for a bit of a "tree hugging" experience so it will be interesting.

I now only have 2 1/2 weeks left of work and I am looking forward to it. I am getting really uncomfortable sitting at the desk all day especially when bub decides to sit right under my rib cage.

32 Weeks...

Jeff, Tracy and I did a tour of the maternity ward at the Northwest Private Hospital yesterday. It is really nice and the staff seem really friendly. It was a bit of a reality check as we had look in the 'birthing' room as they now have to call it. Up until now I have been pretty okay with the thought of giving birth. It's now only hit me that she has to come out somehow and it is going to involve a significant amount of pain. Saying that, I am confident that I will be able to handle it but it's still a little unnerving.

Antental classes start on Tuesday so I'm looking forward to that. I also have my next OB appointment on Wednesday and am interested to see what position she's in as she was head down at our 30 week appointment and has been pretty active over the last couple of weeks. I have been experiencing 'braxton hicks' contractions since I was about 30 weeks. Sometimes I feel severe pressure in my pelvic area, other times I get a sharp pain that can tend to take my breath away.

Popp Jnr's development at 32 weeks... Bub now weighs approximately 3.75 pounds/ 1.7 kilograms and is about 17 inches / 42 centimetres long from head to toe. Although her lungs won't be fully developed until just before birth, she is inhaling amniotic fluid to exercise her lungs and practise breathing. I'm probably gaining a pound/ 450 grams a week (not too keen on testing that theory out), largely because bub is likely to gain more than half her birthweight during the seven weeks before delivery.

31 Weeks...

I didn't get around to taking my picture this week. Doh!! I had my appointment with the midwife last Thursday. My glucose test came back negative, which means I don't have and won't contract gestational diabetes which is a huge relief. I was also told at my 28 week OB appointment that bub was breech but was thankfully "head down" at my 30 week midwife appointment (which explains the summersaulting she was doing over the past two weeks!) This doesn't necessarily mean she'll stay that way seeing as I have another 9 weeks to go, but as she runs out of room it will be a lot harder for her to change position. She is still pretty active so we'll see what position she's in at my appointment next week.

Popp Jnr's development at 31 weeks... Bub's arms, legs and body continue to fill out -- and they are finally proportional in size to her head. She weighs about 3.3 pounds/1.5 kilograms and looks more like a newborn. She measures about 16 inches/ 41 centimetres from crown to toe. Believe it or not, she still has plenty of growing to do. She will gain at least two more pounds/900 grams before delivery.

30 Weeks...

Popp Jnr's development at 30 weeks... Bub's lungs and digestive tract are almost fully developed and she now has eyebrows and eyelashes. This week she continues to open and shut her eyes. Around a litre of amniotic fluid now surrounds bub but that volume decreases as she gets bigger and has less room in my uterus. She measures about 15.7 inches/ 40 centimetres from crown to toe.

29 Weeks...

Popp Jnr's development at 29 weeks... Bub's brain is growing rapidly, and the head is getting longer to accommodate it. Nearly all babies react to sound by 30 weeks. Bub's nutritional needs reach their peak during the third trimester. She now weighs around 2.5 pounds / 1.1 kilograms and measures about 15 inches / 38 centimetres from head to toe.

We celebrated Father's Day on Sunday at mum and dad's house. We got dad a 4 Wheel Drive Low Range Sand Driving Course. He has been itching to take their new Nissan Xtrail out and was very excited to receive his present.

Harry was baptised last weekend (26/8) so I am now officially a Godmother. (All this responsibility is starting to make me feel woozy :) The service was lovely and Harry performed brilliantly.

Third Trimester

Popp Jnr's development at 28 weeks... Bub can now open her eyes and will turn her head towards the source of any continuous bright light. Her fingernails are budding, and fat layers are beginning to form as she gets ready for life outside the womb. By this week, bub weighs nearly 2.3 pounds/ a little over 1 kilograms and may measure 14.8 inches/ 38 centimetres from top to toe.

It is exhilarating to finally be in the third trimester. The first 28 weeks have gone by so fast and I'm sure the next 8 weeks will go by even faster (I am told the last four weeks are the slowest!). As I sit quietly and feel and see bub's movements I wonder what she looks like. Will she have my hair, Jeff's nose and my mouth? Who's personality is she going to have or will she have a bit of both of us? Even though I have really enjoyed this pregnancy I am so excited to meet her albeit a little scared about the prospect of having a totally dependent person to be entirely responsible for. Well for the next 18 years anyway!

27 Weeks + 2 Days...

Popp Jnr's development at 27 weeks... Now that I am approaching the final stage of pregnancy -- my third trimester -- bub is really starting to grow and fill the available space in my uterus. She can now open and close her eyes, sleeps and wakes at regular intervals, and may suck a finger or thumb. Bub now weighs nearly 2 pounds/ 875 grams and measures 14.5 inches/ 36.6 centimetres from head to toe.

I had my glucose test done yesterday which tests for gestational diabetes. It involves drinking a bottle of fizzy lemonade type liquid, waiting an hour and then having a blood test. I will get the results when I see my OB next Tuesday. Other than that I am still feeling fine, albeit sometimes a tad uncomfortable. I'm trying not to complain because I know it is only going to get worse over the next 13 weeks

Bub has been pretty active and is constantly keeping me entertained with her movements.

26 Weeks...

I now have just under 100 days to go until bub is due. Time has actually gone quite fast. Being pregnant has been such a fascinating experience. Everyday I wake up and the first thing I do is touch my belly to see if she is awake or not. I love feeling her move and seeing the movements on my belly.

I spent most of Saturday cleaning out the two spare rooms so that I can get the nursery ready. It was a big job but I'm glad that it is done because the bigger I get the less I will be able to do physically. We recevied the bassinett last week and it is really cute. I will be getting the cot in the next couple of weeks and I am really excited to see what it will look like.

Popp Jnr's Development at 26 weeks... Bub now measures about 36cm long with her feet extended. She weighs a little more than 1.6 pounds/ 760 grams. Her eyes begin to open around now. Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the nerve pathways to the ears are complete. She also continues to take small breaths and although she's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when she is born.

25 Weeks...

Popp Jnr's Development at 25 weeks... Bub is beginning to make some breathing movements, though there's no air in her lungs as yet. But her senses are developing fast. Bub now weighs nearly 1.5 pounds / 660 grams and is approximately 13.5 inches/ 35 centimetres long from crown to heel.

I have lately been kept captivated by staring at my stomach watching it move as bub kicks me or repositions herself. It is quite entertaining. I also had my 4th OB appointment last week and bub is growing and very healthy with a strong heartbeat of 140bpm.

24 Weeks...

I have been finding it difficult to go on short walks with the dogs without developing a sharp pain in my side. I am also feeling very tight around my belly area, especially after a meal. Bub's movements have slowed down significantly compared to the last two weeks which I am sure is because she is now starting to run out of room. She still gives me a good kick every now and again though

I ordered the cot (cribb) for the nursery on Saturday and it will be available in about three weeks. I am really looking forward to putting her room together. I also ordered the stroller (pram) which I will probably pick up in a couple of weeks.

Popp Jnr's Development at 24 weeks... Bub is growing steadily, gaining about 99g since last week. Though she still has little body fat and her skin is thin and fragile, she's now well-proportioned. Her brain is growing rapidly, and she is starting to fill the space in my uterus. She may also be developing a weakness for sweets as her taste buds are now forming. Bub weighs more than 1.3 pounds/ 600 grams. From crown to heel she could measure 11.8 inches / 30 centimetres.

23 Weeks...

Popp Jnr's Development at 23 weeks... Bub now weighs a little over one pound/ 500 grams and measures about 11.4 inches/ 29 centimetres from crown to heel. Her hearing is well established and she can make out a distorted version of my voice, the beating of my heart and stomach rumblings. Loud noises often heard in utero, such as the barking of our dogs or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother bub when she hears them outside the womb. In addition to advances in her hearing, her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing.

On Sunday I was so very touched when my sister Kelly bestowed upon me the honour of being my nephew Harry's Godmother. I hope that I am able to fulfil this role and offer guidence to Harry if and when he needs it.

22 Weeks...

Bubs has been moving around like crazy this past week. Sometime she kicks or punches so hard it can actually be uncomfortable. I haven't noticed any sort of pattern to her movements yet. Apparently she is supposed to have awake times and sleep times, but it just seems like she is active all day and night. It worries me that this may continue after she is born and I'm going to be one of those mums who are in a constant state of zombie-ness.

These past couple of days I have found that I lose my balance very easily and I get a really bad stitch in my side when walking to work from the train station or walking the dogs. Apparently I am already walking like a pregnant women. Not sure how I feel about that seeing as I still have another 4 months to go. I think I am getting to the point where I will soon need to take my belly ring out as it is starting to get irritated. Bummer! I was hoping to keep it in for as long as possible but my stomach has seriously morphed into a major baby belly. So much so that I am now being offered a seat in the train. Granted only one person has done that so far and she was roughly about the same age as me but it was still a nice gesture. It's funny though how guilty and embarrassed I felt about about being offered a seat by someone who was about the same age as me.

I bought some earphones on the weekend and Jeff is going to find me some classical music to play to the baby. It'll give her something else to do in there other than listening to my digestive system all day. Must get boring after a while. I might even throw in some Madonna or Billy Joel so I can get her used to my taste of music so that there won't be any arguments in the car when she's older.

Popp Jnr's Development at 22 weeks... Bub now looks like a miniature newborn. Her lips are becoming more distinct and her eyes have developed; though the iris still lacks pigment, her eyebrows and eyelids are in place. Her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily and the first signs of teeth are showing beneath the gum line. Bub now weighs almost one pound / 430 grams, and measures nearly 11 inches/ just over 27 centimetres long from crown to heel.

21 Weeks...

Jeff felt bub move for the first time a week ago. He loves it and is always touching my belly waiting for her to do something. I have found that she reacts mostly when I have something hot to drink or something spicy. I know what I’ll be having for breakfast, lunch and dinner when I get closer to the due date. Nothing much has changed with me except my belly is getting bigger. I am still tired and get exhausted very easily especially when walking the dogs. It freaks me out though in the morning when I haven't felt her move. I just have to remind myself that she is probably sleeping. It is so reassuring when I finally do feel little movements in my belly.

We had our 3rd OB appointment on Monday morning and bub is progressing nicely. She didn’t play hide and seek this time and the OB found her heartbeat fairly quickly (145bpm). I always think it sounds like a galloping horse. I had some conflicting due dates when we went for the 19 week scan but my OB has said that I am definitely due on the 18th November. Which means that I have 3 months 1 week and one day left of work. Not that I’m counting.

Popp Jnr’s Development at 21 weeks… She now weighs about three-quarters of a pound/ 360 grams and is approximately 10.5 inches/ 27 centimetres long from crown to heel. Her eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed and the fingernails cover the fingertips.

Our deck is almost finished. It now has a roof and we are able sit out on it and enjoy the weather (Even though it is the middle of winter it is still quite pleasant). My dad, sister and nephew Harry came over for a couple of hours on Sunday. Harry is now 8 months old and has started to army crawl across the floor. He also has two bottom teeth. The dogs had a taste of what it will be like to share floor space with a baby. Ruby just loved Harry and she kept going over to him wagging her little bum and giving Harry kisses. Winston was a little more apprehensive. I have come to realise that I am going to have my hands full once this baby comes home.

2007 Mapleton Scrapbooking Weekend

Last weekend I attended my third annual Mapleton Scrapbooking Weekend. This time both my sisters joined us which was a lot of fun. Kelly is doing her son Harry’s scrapbook and Melissa is doing her annual girl’s pampering weekend scrapbook. My mum is doing a scrapbook for the UK trip she and my dad did last year. Seeing as I finished my wedding album at the last scrapbooking weekend I decided to start a scrapbook of the Contiki Tour of California I did 7 years ago. This will keep me busy until the next annual scrapbooking weekend when I will start on our baby girl’s scrapbook. So fun!! (How many more times I can say scrapbook??)











Ruby wanted to come to Mapleton with me











The Scrapbooking Gurus

I also came home on Sunday to find that the roof had been installed on our deck, Jeff and our builder Ben installed a new 'old' stove to replace the pain-in-the-#$@% stove that came with the house when we bought it (see http://thepopps.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-is-where-you-hang-your-hat-and.html) and Carolyn had painted our bathroom. I think I should go away more often.

In better late than never news… my good friend Rosemary welcomed Paige Elyse Graham into the world on 26 April, 2007 in Toronto, Ontario. She weighed 6 pound 14 ounces. She is now two months old. We have scheduled a playdate with our girls sometime in the next couple of years.

20 Weeks...

Popp Jnr's Development at 20 weeks... Bub is putting on weight now and has turned into a slippery little thing -- a greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats the entire body to protect the skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. Some babies are still covered with this whitish goo when they're born.

• She is about 6.46 inches/ 16.4cm and weighs around 10.58 ounces/ 300g .

• The rapid growth stage is about over. While things have slowed down, this next stage is vital to survival.
• Her legs are reaching their relative size.

• Immunities are being transferred from me to bub now. These immune cells will protect her from viruses I've already had for up to six months after birth!
• Bub may startle in reaction to loud sounds. Amazingly, she can actually hear noises outside of the womb. Familiar voices, music, and sounds that bub becomes accustomed to during her development stages often are calming after birth.
• Her uterus is starting to develop and she has approximately six million eggs in her ovaries. About one million will remain at birth.

It's a GIRL!!

We went for our 19 week scan yesterday and found out we are expecting a girl. I am so excited. We were both so sure we were going to have a boy . These are a few of the 3D pictures that were taken. Jeff thinks she has his nose and my mouth.

It looks like she will be a thumb sucker as she was also sucking her thumb when we had our 12 week scan done. I am now looking forward to buying lots of girly things for her nursery.

19 Weeks...

I started feeling the baby move on Friday and he/she has become super active since then. Usually only in the morning and afternoon. I can only really describe the feeling as having a muscle spasm and once I realised what it was I couldn't stop smiling. It is the weirdest but most wonderful feeling.

Popp Jnr's Development at 19 Weeks... This is a crucial time for the baby's sensory development which takes place in specialised areas of the brain. Bub now measures around 6 inches/ 15 centimetres long from crown to rump and weighs about 9 ounces/ 240 grams. He/She has started to swallow amniotic fluid, and his/her kidneys continue to make urine. Hair on the scalp is sprouting. Sensory development reaches its peak this week. The nerve cells serving each of the senses -- taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch -- are now developing in their specialised areas of the brain

In other news... My friend Jessica went for her scan last Saturday and their baby decided to be coy and had its legs firmly closed. So they are still in the dark as to what sex their baby is, although she has a feeling it will be a girl. Our scan is tomorrow so I am really hoping bub cooperates. Only time will tell!

18 Weeks...

...on our almost finished deck...

Popp Jnr's Development at 18 weeks... This week, I officially begin my fifth month of pregnancy. Bub is approximately 6 inches/ 14.2 centimetres long from crown to rump and weighs about 7 ounces/ 190 grams. His/Her chest moves up and down to mimic breathing but he/she's not taking in air, only amniotic fluid. Bub can both feel and hear, however at the moment, all he/she can hear is my heartbeat and the flow of my digestive system but soon he'll/she'll be able to detect noise outside the womb and identify my voice. I guess that means I need to A) stop listening to my music really loud in the car and B) stop singing really badly.

Second Trimester

I am now two weeks into my second trimester and I am no longer feeling sick, but am constantly exhausted. We went for our second OB appointment on Tuesday to see how bub was doing. Our OB said that everything is progressing nicely. Bub gave me a bit of a scare though when we couldn’t find his/her heartbeat. But the OB found it eventually beating away at 140bpm. Phew!! This kid is giving me grey hairs already.

Popp Jnr's Development at 16 weeks... Bub is currently about the size of an avocado (about 5 inches / 11.6 centimetres long from crown to rump and weighing approximately 4 ounces / 100 grams).

I am already starting to ‘show’ and have broken out some of my maternity gear already. Not sure what that means for me later down the track but trying not to think about it. In my first scan I was semi-diagnosed with a posterior placenta which means that it is at the back instead of the front. I have heard that women with posterior placentas often feel the baby move earlier than women with anterior placentas but I haven’t felt anything significant as yet. My OB said that a 12 week scan can’t accurately determine where the placenta is going to be situated but we will have a better idea when we go for our 19 week scan.

We are going for our 19 week scan on the 25th June to find out the sex of the baby. Can’t wait. I’ve heard from a number of people that babies can tend to be a little shy and refuse to show their ‘bits’. Hope this isn’t the case for us. I am generally a pretty patient person but I can’t wait until November to find out what we’re having.

I finally broke the news to my colleagues at work. Since I am on a temporary contract until end of July I was worried that I wouldn’t get anymore temp work which would mean that I wouldn’t be eligible for paid maternity leave (12 weeks full pay or 24 weeks half pay) but they have assured me that they will keep me in a job until I am ready to leave which will probably be 19 October

On other news, two of my Canadian friends Jessica & Kate are both expecting baby #2. Jessica is due on 11th November (a week before me) and Kate is due sometime in the middle of January. Both are finding out the sex of their babies as well.

Well that’s about all my news.

Take care

Thought you would like to know...

Thought you would like to know that Jeff and I are adding a new addition to our family (and no it's not a dog or a cat or any other animal). We are expecting our first child on the 18th November which makes me currently 12 1/2 weeks. We will be finding out the sex of the baby when we go for our 19 week scan at the end of June. I had mild to moderate 'all day' sickness from about 8 weeks to 10 weeks. I seem to over the worst now. The baby is now almost 7cm long and is healthy.

We are both very excited and look forward to meeting our little creation. I will be updating you all on the baby's progress with pictures of my growing belly.

Hawaii and other things

We had the girls’ weekend at Caloundra from 16th to 19th March. It was a really nice weekend as always. We had dinner out a couple of times and went to the beach. I travelled back to Brisbane on Saturday for my Softball Grandfinal. Jeff, my Dad and my Poppie watched me play. After a very hot and competitive two hour game we WON!!!! We couldn’t believe it. It was such a fantastic feeling. I drove back to Caloundra after the game and celebrated with everyone there.

We arrived back from Hawaii on the 8th April. The first couple of days before the rest of the clan arrived were spent at the Marriott Resort. We had a nice hotel room that overlooked the pool and the ocean. We were able to watch whales splashing around in the ocean from our balcony. I got a chance to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where we hiked for approximately three hours to visit the Thurston Lava Tube and the Kilauea Iki Crater (a dormant volcano). It was pretty impressive. The hike was approximately 6.44km (4 miles) through a native rainforest and across the crater floor which was 3.9km (2.4 miles). The last time Kilauea Iki erupted was 1959 and it was still steaming. A little unnerving but I handled it. Unfortunately none of us got a chance to see fresh lava as the direction of the flows change everyday. But it was still pretty cool.

We did a lot of snorkelling, lounging on the beach and shopping. I bought an underwater camera for the snorkelling and got a few pictures of turtles and fish. I discovered that it’s not easy to take pictures through a camera that’s in a thick plastic waterproof case when you have goggles on. The weather was perfect everyday. Jeff was able to play a couple of games of golf. We drove to Hilo which is on the other side of the Island and visited the Japanese Gardens, Rainbow Falls and a local market. I found that the east and west coasts were completely different. The west coast is primarily a tourist spot; lots of resorts, cruise ships and souvenir shops. It is also mostly made up of volcanic rock. The east coast is more populated by the locals and is much prettier.

We all had our own condos which were only a couple of minutes drive from each other. Jeff, his parents and I stayed in a condo village called Mauna Loa Village by the Sea. His sisters and their partner/friend stayed in another condo in a different resort as did his Aunt, Uncle and cousins. Jeff’s cousin, Laura got engaged to her now fiancé Scott while we were there. They will probably wait about a year and a half to get married so hopefully we will be able to go.

It looks like Jeff’s parents will be coming to visit us around this time next year. It will be good to finally show them where we live.

I think that’s about all. Hope all is well with everybody.

Take care.

Hawaii 2007

My Hawaii pictures are now up on the web. Just click on the link on the right hand side. I will be posting an update soon.

Update

It has been awhile since I have written a lengthy account of what we have been up to. So here it is.

Jeff’s little sister Carolyn has been with us now for just over three weeks. She has already mastered navigating her way around Brisbane. She started her Law Degree at the University of Queensland a couple of weeks ago and is enjoying it. The university is about a 1/2 hour car ride from our house but takes a little longer on public transport. It looks like she will be here for two years or more. It has been really nice having her around.

My current job with the Workforce Planning & Coordination Branch (WPCB) with Queensland Health is finishing on the 15th March. However I have been lucky enough to score another temporary role with Allied Health Workforce Advice & Coordination which is a unit under the WPCB so I will already know everybody. This contract is until 1st June but I am currently applying to some permanent positions within the Queensland Government.

Next weekend I will be in Caloundra for the annual girls’ weekend away. This consists of my mum and sisters, my Nan, my Aunts, and an assortment of cousins etc. I haven’t been to the beach for about a year which is really sad considering it is only 1 hour away. Oh well. Jeff and I will then be off to Hawaii for our bi-annual rendezvous with his family. This year we are holidaying on Kona Island (The Big Island) for 2 ½ weeks. I am REALLY looking forward to it. I just need to buy myself a new bathing suit and I’m ready to go.

My sister Melissa and her partner Mike have bought a new house together in Bardon. This is about 15 – 20 mins from our house which is better then the 30 – 45 mins it used to take us to get to her old house. They also bought a holiday unit at Sunshine Beach which is about 2 hours north.

This Saturday I am playing in our Softball Semi-Finals. If we win we will be going on to the Grand Finals. Will let you know how that goes.

Jeff and I celebrated our 4th Wedding Anniversary on 17th February. We went out for dinner and then went to the movies to see “The Good Shepherd”. Absolutely one of the most boring movies I have ever seen, which was really unfortunate because it had a stellar cast (Angelina Jolie, Matt Damon, Robert DiNero, Alec Baldwin).

Anyway, I think that is about all I have to tell you.

Take care

Harry Thornton - 3 Months

This is my beautiful little nephew, Harry. He is really starting to show a personality.

Ireland Riley

Apologies for the tardiness of this blog. I have been meaning to post it for ages. Our good friends Kate & Andrew's daughter celebrated her 2nd birthday on the 5th February (As did Andrew. Well he celebrated his 29th but you know what I mean). We still haven't had the chance to meet her yet, but I have enjoyed watching her grow up on Kate & Andrew's blog. She looks like a really fun-loving little girl.

Australia vs. England

Jeff and I saw our first live cricket game last Friday (19th January) with a bunch of his hockey friends. The game is about as boring as watching paint dry but the crowd around us made it far more interesting. Not sure if I will go to another game anytime soon, but for a first time it was pretty fun. The game started around 12.15pm which, in the middle of our summer day, was extremely hot and it didn't help that we were in the eastern stand which is in the sun for most of the day. England was all out for 155 by almost 5pm. It was all over by about 9pm when Australia beat England by 4 wickets and 156 runs. Don't understand what I'm talking about? Well neither did I until last week.

Australia fielding



















England all out for 155