Mama's unwell

That's me again. Down with sore throat and feeling feverish and weak since yesterday. The last time I managed to keep it from getting worse with rest and warm water. This time I guess I was a little lax. Woke up this morning feeling none the better. This means we are unable to keep our appointment for lunch at Jane's place which I was so looking forward to. Also, Ro has had to do all the flat hunting this weekend on his own. We need to move to a bigger place before bubs and my mummy arrive cos the current 1br is just enough for our needs. The thought of moving at this stage is unsettling no doubt, but it needs to be undertaken. Our hope is we dont have to move very far so that I get to keep the same hospital at least. We will know by next week.

I had another GTT this week and fortunately dint get a headache like the last time. Had also carried along some reading material so the two hours passed before I knew it. Coming up next week is the second midwife visit and the start of our antenatal classes.

I have noticed an increase in appetite lately. Earlier I needed Ro to polish off the leftovers. These days I am restraining him from another helping so that I can help myself instead :) Bubs' movements also have become much stronger. I can now feel them like kicks. Some movements are like waves like she is gently turning inside. Some are like rapid regular beatings like she is knocking against the walls :) We have even felt her head at times (at least that's what we think it is - smooth and hard). When we feel around for her however she immediately changes positions. My abdomen also assumes different shapes now based on how she has positioned herself inside. Being able to watch the movements on the surface is always pleasing and amusing.

I read that the baby assumes the birth position (head down) sometime towards the 36th week. Was wondering if they remain in that upside down position for the next 3-4 weeks until birth. That must feel strange!! Also the normal position for them to be born is facing backwards i.e. towards the mother's backbone.

No doubt the pregnancy is teaching me a lot of interesting things.

More news and celebration

Jimit's wife is expecting and due around the same time as me!! And Soumya got married yesterday and will be moving to Bangalore in a few months time.

I'm at 28 weeks and officially into the third trimester now. Foetal development facts:

Your baby now weighs nearly 2 pounds/ 875 grams and measures 14.5 inches/ 36.6 centimetres from heel to toe. Her eyes open and close, she sleeps and wakes at regular intervals and she may suck a finger or thumb.

Some experts believe that babies begin to dream by the 28th week. What do they dream about? No one knows for certain but the brain is active this week as well. The characteristic grooves on the brain's surface start to appear and more brain tissue develops.

Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of the hiccups, which are common this week and throughout the pregnancy. Your baby has them but is breathing in amniotic fluid rather than air. A paper bag can't cure her hiccups, obviously, but an episode usually lasts only momentarily. The sensation for you may be strange but not unpleasant.

Since your uterus is now up near your rib cage, you may now find yourself short of breath if you haven't already. Starting now and continuing through the last three months of pregnancy, you may be plagued by leg cramps, haemorrhoids, varicose veins and an itchy abdomen (tell me about that!!).

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

Yes, that's poor me! With my penchant for ignoring hubby-dearest's well meaning advice, this was an accident waiting to happen.

I always use one of our metal dining chairs to climb on, to get to all the beyond-reach places. Ro has told me several times that he dint think the chair was suited to carry one's entire weight standing up. Ho hum! My logic was - if it could take my weight sitting down it could do it standing up. And besides its metal after all! Aren't those things supposed to be sturdier than plastic? So it happened that when I needed something to stand on to reach above the wardrobe in yet another sorting exercise I went for the dining chair again.

To cut a long story short, Humpty was up there reaching to spread a cover over the top when suddenly the seat of the chair gave way - just like that, without warning! And down came Humpty with chair and cover and all.

Now normally a small accident like this wouldn't worry me much, it would actually amuse me. (Do you see the humour in silly accidents like this?) But now, being responsible for bubs' safety and not just mine is so much more frightening.

Hubby dearest heard the sound of the fall and rushed from the living room. I was trembling after the incident and was glad it happened when he was around.

It's funny how accidents happen in a matter of seconds, but in retrospect one tends to remember them like a slow-motion shot from a film. I remember now, falling face down towards the floor and just thinking one thought - "Am I gonna bump my tummy?" And lying there on my fours waiting for Rohan to pick me up just one thought again - "I dint bump my tummy. I dint break anything."

To count my blessings:
1. I happened to turn towards the right when I fell which means I had clear ground in front of me. If I had fallen in any other direction - to the front was the wardrobe, to the right was the wall & window and behind me was the bed!
2. The carpetted floor cushioned the fall of the chair and mine so that it seemed like a slow and gentle fall rather than a crashing one.
3. I landed on my fours, knees first - which werent hurt beyond minor bruises because of the carpet again.
4. I dint hit my tummy on my way down. Praise God!

To count our losses:
1. We are left with just one dining chair for the 2-seater table which means Ro and I cant eat together at the table any more until we replace the chair :(
2. Since we sat at these same chairs while using the laptop together that also is an activity which will be restricted from now on.
3. Not to mention the cost of replacing the chair altogether!!

Ro has been very understanding throughout. Not getting upset with me for ignoring his advice. Not getting upset for the damage and the resultant charges. In fact, even feeling a little guilty at letting me take up this work.

To conclude however it has been reassuring to feel bubs move around after the accident. I no longer mind the sleepless nights due to her constant kicking!!

100 days to go

Today its exactly 100 days to Feb 8th, which is my due date as per ME :) My midwife put it down as 10th Feb on my last visit and I'm certain she's got it wrong. I've checked online calculators all of which indicate that I am right. So I'm sticking with 8th Feb!!

I've got a list of probable names for bubs. Nothing which makes me go - "Yes, THAT's it!" yet. I think I'll make up my mind once I've seen her. You know, its as though her "personality" would tell me what she should be called :)

Got some great news yesterday - Shanta is pg as well, due in early June.

Had my first midwife visit at the GP today. BP is normal - 100/60, the same as last time. Weight is 60kgs, just a kg and a half since the last measurement. Totally I've gained 4 kgs. It may seem a little less but as the midwife said and from reports I've read, the weight gained is not indicative of the health of the baby. A normal gain is around 10-15 kgs during the course of the 9 months, most of which is in the last trimester. I still have a couple of weeks to go before I enter that phase.

I met this silly lady at the surgery today who kept insisting on telling me and everyone around how tiny she thought I was at 26 weeks. She seemed to think she was much larger at 25 weeks and was worried that she would have a difficult labour with a large baby. Well lady, I wonder how u missed noticing that u are larger than me all over and not just around the belly! Anyway not that she had me worried but just embarrassed.

My fundal height, which is the length measured from the top of the pubic bone to the top of the uterus, is 27cms. The fundal height normally matches the foetus' gestational age, within 1 - 3 cms. I am at 25wks and 5 days today so that seems normal, if a bit large. Measuring the fundal height is an indicator of proper fetal growth and amniotic fluid development. My midwife told me she would be focussing on this measurement more than the weight gain to check on my progress.

We heard the foetal heart beat again today. And felt around for foetal movements. The dip stick test for the urine was normal so no culture test is recommended. She has asked me to continue drinking lots of water. Iron supplements she does not recommend insisting that my Hb of 12.1 is a very good count. I discussed about the jittery baby condition in India due to lack of Calcium and she left it up to me to decide. Said she hasnt come across or even heard of this condition here.

Overall I came away satisfied with the visit. The midwife seem genuinely interested in handling the pregnancy as a normal physical condition and not as an illness requiring treatment and supplements all the time. All the same, she was sympathetic to my concerns of ethnic and cultural differences which necessitates some intervention. I guess we need to check with an Indian gynaec after all just to put our worries to rest. Meanwhile I will continue to ensure a balanced diet.

I wanted to sneak in a bit about our weekend away but this post seems to be getting too long already. More on that in the next post then.

The odds are better

I've completed 29 revolutions around the sun yesterday. That's nearly 3 decades and almost half my life!! Been a good ride so far, hmm, good and getting better.

Somehow I've always liked the odd birthdays more than the even ones. For example, dont u think 29 sounds better than 28 and 31 better than 30? Well except perhaps sweet-16 and officially-an-adult-18 :)

Our angel completed 23 weeks today and here's some cool foetal development facts:
Your baby 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 your voice, the beating of your heart and your stomach rumblings. Loud noises often heard in utero, such as the barking of a dog next door or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother your child when she hears them outside the womb.

Bump is growing each day and I wish I could put up a latest picture soon.

The miracle of birth

This post is to record all the amazing things I've learnt as a result of this pregnancy. Things about my body, about the baby, about the MIRACLE of bringing a new life into this world. Some facts are medical, some are not, some are brow-raising, some are mundane. But I've recorded them for posterity anyway. I hope u enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed learning about them.

Note: This is in no specific order and may appear random at times. That's because I'll just be putting them down as they occur to me. Isnt that the whole point of having a blog? :)

• It is believed (I dont know if this is a medical fact) that a pregnancy changes a woman's immune system so that the body does not reject the baby as a foreign object (which it is, as it is composed of half the partner's genes). This may be why pregnant women are more prone to infections and are advised to avoid someone having the sniffles :)
• The digestive system and processes in pregnant women slow down inorder to absorb the maximum possible nutrients from the food that the mother consumes. This is why pregnant women typically have digestive ailments.
• The amniotic fluid in which the baby floats is responsible for carrying nutrients to it and the waste products away. This is circulated every 30 mins and hence it is very important to keep up the fluid intake (especially water) during the course of the pregnancy.
• The internal body temperature is a couple of degrees higher for pregnant women. They are therefore advised to avoid hot baths, hot showers and over-exercising to prevent the baby from over-heating which can be harmful.
• Vitamin C boosts the body's absorption of Iron, while Calcium hinders the absorption of Iron.
• The baby is called an embryo from conception to 8 weeks. From the 9th week onwards it is called a foetus. At 24 weeks the baby is considered 'viable', which means it has a good chance of surviving outside the uterus if it is born.
• At about five months of gestation the baby is covered by downy hair called lanugo which is fine, soft and usually unpigmented. The hair supposedly insulates the baby in absence of fat and is usually shed before birth.
• Babies at birth are covered with a white cheesy substance called vernix. Vernix is composed of sebum (oil of the skin) and cells that have sloughed off the foetus's skin. Vernix comes from the latin word for 'varnish' and performs the same function for the baby, i.e. protecting its skin from the amniotic fluid.

Disclaimer: I do not vouch for the complete medical authenticity of the facts on this post.

It's a GIRL !!!!

:) I've ALWAYS wanted to make that announcement, and since we know already I dint want to wait until Feb. I realise I've been referring to 'her' in all my posts but we got the definite confirmation only at the scan last week (5th Oct).

This was our second and last scan and, like everyone told me, the last time we get to see bubs this way - the beating heart and all. I did think the first scan was more exciting cos we dint know what to expect and we could see all of her in one screen. She also had a whole lot of space to move around and made these big movements. This time however we saw her in parts and though we could make out she was moving around it wasnt as big as last time. But the motions I feel inside me now more than make up for all that loss of excitement at the scan. Now even Rohan's been able to sense them several times :) The results of the scan are that all is normal and she's growing in there just fine, praise God.

I set off the smoke alarm the other day at home, no, not a fire in the kitchen, just a "smoking" egg strata. At first I just couldn't place where that LOUD beep beep was coming from. I thought I'd set something off in the oven by turning it off all of a sudden. I thought the oven was gonna explode or something (jeez!). When I finally figured the source I panicked at the thought of not being able to shut down the sound in time and having my front door broken down by security staff or worse, firefighters!! Nothing all that dramatic happened, and I managed to shut it off by pushing my fingers into all possible buttons on the alarm. So much for a relaxing snack!!

My second test's come out normal (what's going on here?) so I dont need to start on any antibiotics, which is a relief.

Nothing else has been happening except that the days are getting shorter here and I'm already dreading December :(

Anthropomorphism

I came across the word while searching for synonyms of 'personification' during yet another hunt for a good title. I struggled with 'Sporty Potatoes', 'Vegetables with Character' and a few others before I gave up and settled for this. No idea where I'm going with this? Make a trip down a supermarket aisle and you'll know.

Can you guess who is 'A great all-rounder with fantastic versatality'. No, not Kapil Dev, not even Wasim Akram. Its a humble British White Potato. Not kidding, that's how the description on the label reads :)

Supermarkets in UK are getting real innovative with their product differentiation. The first time I came here I was surprised to find so many varieties of fruits and vegetables. I mean, how many kinds of tomatoes, potatoes and onions do u get in India? An onion is just an onion there!

So it goes with eggs. Do u know what free range eggs are? Well as per TESCO's label again these are - Fresh eggs laid by hens with FREEDOM TO ROAM OUTDOORS during the day. The emphasis is their's not mine :)

So these days this is how I amuse myself.

This week hasn't been good - have been going thru a low, physically and emotionally, for no reason in particular. I have noticed that these ups and downs have been striking me fairly regularly so I just put it down to hormones now. I'm learning to accept it rather than fight it. Makes it that much easier to deal with.

News this week is that my test results are in and all is normal with the blood tests although haemoglobin has fallen a point since March (12.1 now). Other tests revealed a UTI and I have been asked to repeat the test before I'm put onto antibiotics. I dint want to have to take any medication during my pg. I know we're prescribed safe drugs and all but still. Awaiting the second test results which going by history will not be very soon. Incidentally I wouldnt have known abt the UTI but for my persistence in being told the results right away rather than wait for the appointment next week. And this after everyone insisting that IF there were something abnormal THEY would get in touch with you. Do you think after this I'd recommend the NHS to anybody? Never.

Rashmi's had a baby girl. I got to know just today though the baby arrived on Sept 8. She sent across some pictures and methinks the angel has her mom's sexy pout. Told her as much :)

Made some interesting black eyed beans curry today and have decided to post links to my favorite recipes on my blog. That way its not a trouble to remember.

A suitable title

I've almost been putting off posting a new entry for want of a good title. Can't believe its been over 2 weeks since my last post. Decided today to go ahead with a new entry with a working title (it's good that this website lets u edit ur posts at a later time).

2 weeks is a long time and so much has happened that I need to pause and recollect.

I dont want to get into my NHS experiences because I know I'd just start ranting. Oh well! My blood test results 'may' have come in but they wont tell me over the phone, they wont even confirm if I would get it if I visit the hospital. They ask me to call my 'assigned' midwife whose cell phone is conviniently switched off and she doesnt bother responding to texts. I wonder how I'd reach her when I get into labour?! At this rate I'll be getting test results after I've had the baby!!

Fiona visited from India and it was great catching up with her over lunch. Isn't it always great meeting up old friends? There's so much comfort in familiarity.

It's baby time among my friends and cousins. Chandu just had her second one, a boy again. Anu had hers on 9th. Anupama has probably gone into labour as well since she's been absent from orkut and email for a while now. Rashmi will be giving baby news in another couple of weeks time, then its Ashwini in Dec, myself and Juju (competing for whose comes first) in Feb followed by Preeti soon after. Whew! Is there anyone else out there? Its great sharing notes with all of them.

I've begun to feel definite baby movements now. Earlier they were so feeble and infrequent that I cudnt be sure. Now I can even predict the times when she's active. As per foetal development facts she should be soon having patterns of waking and sleeping which I would be able to identify :) The other day while lying on my side I felt a discomfort and some faint rumblings inside. This continued for some time. All of a sudden I felt simultaneous jolts on both sides and the discomfort vanished. I like to think bubs did a somersault in there and got herself out of a difficult position :) The little thing cant even open her eyes yet. Can u imagine what it must feel like?! A baby IS a miracle!!

I've had the most amazing week on orkut lately. I've managed to get in touch with so many of my school friends. I left school 13 years ago and most of these girls I havent had any news of since then. Remembering blunders and hilarious incidents, finding out what they have been upto, whom they married, how many kids they have and sharing pictures with them has been a most wonderful thing to do. School days really count as my best days.

We've been having a glorious summer here this year. This weeks been almost like an Indian summer - crisp sunlight and bright, hot days.

And yes, something else to feel good about. I've managed to get some kind of a morning schedule also in place now. Ro has been carrying lunch to office for the past three days for which I would like to congratulate myself. Pray I can continue with this. Housework gets done without really piling up until its a chore (well, expect for the ironing I guess). But we're getting better and that's what counts, doesn't it?

About my appearance - bump is growing each day and Ro can never stop being amazed at the size. Bubs is already getting more attention from the man of the house, wonder what it'll be like when she arrives. I feel I resemble a kangaroo these days - small chest and big belly, but it isnt something I mind at all. Would u? :)

Four months today

I've completed four months today and got Ro to take a picture to commemorate the event :) Also to capture the now-so-evident bump! Over the past couple of weeks I've had more than one person taking a second look, guessing, congratulating, some even outright asking - hey, are u ??

Yesterday, yes Sunday, we had our first (finally) antenatal appointment. I assume they are running the clinic on Sunday to clear the backlog. It was convinient however for us since Ro could attend w/o havin to miss office.

The appointment lasted over an hour with general social and medical history being recorded. I got to be weighed - 58.5kgs, that's 2kgs since the start of the pg. Good to know that :) Also, got to hear bubs heartbeat, not a thud-thud sound we normally associate it with, but more a whush-whush kinda beat :) Nice to know its ticking alright in there. EDD is also now re-calculated at 10th Feb 2007.

I've got a blood test coming up this week and owing to diabetes running in the family got to do that annoying fasting sugar test. Got to report at the hospital at 0845 hours!! At that hour on usual mornings I'm sipping bed tea made by loving hubby. Perhaps this could be an occasion to discipline my mornings. I've kinda got the night time routine in place - shower at 10.30 followed by milk, bible-reading, prayers and bed soon after.

Past 2 days I've been surfing food blogs, there are some real kitchen geniuses out there. Trying to convince myself cooking is an acquired skill, my earlier theory used to be that one is born a good cook (but those were the days I thot I was one those natural ones!)

Check out one of my favorites - Spicehut - with links to other food blogs as well.

Against all odds

Week ending 26th August was a long weekend and Ro and I decided to put to good use at least 2 of those three holidays. An overnight trip was out of question due to lack of advance planning. So I decided we would go to Leeds Castle - just a hour's journey from London, the websites promised!



After a whole lot of surfing and info-sorting on Friday, I decided on our schedule for the next day and kept reminding Ro to get to bed early. Inspite of getting a little delayed we managed to reach Victoria with tickets in hand at 11:00 (for a 11:18 train). Then onwards started our adventure. Read on to find out what transpired next..

We were informed that due to ongoing engineering work there was no direct train to Bearsted (the station for Leeds Castle) and were advised to change trains inorder to get there. Fair enough, we thought, the same tickets are still valid. We got onto a train which got us to Swanley - as deserted a station if any. Ro commented even Tiruvalla is more crowded! We had a half hour's wait here until the next train. We had our lunch soon as we got onto the next train - sumptuous sandwiches from Waitrose. No sooner had we finished lunch and were enjoying the scenic surroundings than we were interrupted by an announcement. Owing to a major gas leak at the station we were heading for, all train services were terminating at the next station!!!

We were already beginning to feel that this was not going to be a good day. At the station we were given no definite information on when the services would start again. There we 3 choices - head back to London, wait it out or take a bus. We were not guaranteed a refund on our tickets since the leak was beyond the control of the railway. Ro and I decided to wait for a while to see if the situation improved. After an hour we decided to take a bus (an additional 8 pounds!). The bus got us just one station short of Bearsted. We trekked a short distance to the railway station and got onto a train again (fortunately our original tickets are valid on the train journeys). We managed to reach Bearsted just in time for the last coach to Leeds Castle!

I dont know about Rohan but by this time I was quite tired due to the innumerable journey changes and waits. After having left at 9.30am, we reached Leeds only by 2.30 - 5 hours instead of the promised 1! The Castle of course was worth the effort aptly called the 'loveliest castle in the world' (not that I've seen many). After the view of the castle we had an hour to kill so Ro and I spent it wandering the grounds and gardens around. Nearing the end of the hour I suddenly jumped up realising we hadnt visited the aviary and maze - a significant section of the castle!! It was too late to make the visit and I was dead tired by then. I felt a lil foolish at not having remembered inspite of my meticulous notes-making the previous day. But well, we were happy anyway at having made the trip 'against all odds'.

We returned in 3 short journey changes, as against the 7 changes we had to make on our onward journey. No pics to post yet since we are still on the film camera. Despite everything it would remain a memorable trip for us.

Another week gone by

Fetal development facts at 15 weeks-
Starting this week, any stomach rumblings you feel may be your baby trying out some acrobatics, since she can now move all her limbs. She's also becoming sensitive to light. If you shine a torch at your tummy, she's likely to move away from the beam.

That's really wow!

I've been more out and about this week. Starting with lunch and church on Sunday, christianity explored on Tuesday (huge terrible mix-up with Rohan!!!) and the mom's bible study (where urs truly played host for the first time) on Thursday. Its been an active week, yet, I need to force myself to get out for walks. Come winter and I would be loath to do it anyway. Best to make it a habit now.

Just found out - At fifteen weeks I'm officially into the second trimester. Yippee!!

Midland mainline to Luton

On Saturday we visited our ex-Sonata friends at Luton. This was a long delayed trip, mainly because of my health during the last 3 months. Mohan had given an excellent recommendation of the Midland mainline over the First Connect trains. So I was determined to make it in time for the infrequent Midland trains.

As it turned out, we were delayed by rains and laziness and only managed the 12.30 instead of the intended 11.30. The journey was however very short, Luton was the first stop just 25 minutes away. The train, as promised, was very clean and the wet weather added a touch of romance to the scenic landscape. Rohan and I realised what we have been missing by not having travelled outside London and decidedly instantly to make the most of the coming months (before baby arrives).

It was a wonderful afternoon. It was great catching up and reminiscing about Sonata days. Food was in the form of a good authentic Indian lunch followed by tea at Satish's and snacks and sweets at Aurosish's place.

Families all

The above picture sums up the group - except for the photographer Kamakshya - the bachelor excluded from the family picture ;). Mummy Bini is proudly displaying a tummy, well ok, its not so evident in the above picture but I hope you can tell its not flat anymore :) That's a 14 week tummy!

Just a poem

Leisure

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this is if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

William Henry Davies

Growing bump

I've begun to show now.. at least I'd like to think that's baby and not tummy :) Getting pregnant is good.. no more trying to suck tummy in while wearing tight clothes :) I'm actually blowing my stomach out these days :)

I need to get new clothes .. cant get into any of my trousers anymore. I've been wearing the same skirt for 2 weeks now (eeks!). Begining to show also means we need to buy that digicam soon, which means I need to finish my research soon. Have dropped the idea of a d-SLR, too much investment in the long term. Am looking at the so-called 'SLR-like' models. So far I like the Canon S2 IS but am still looking.

Have decided to cook just once a day - in the morning. Trying to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner separately just tires and frustrates me. Also if you are cooking all the while you dont have much of an appetite left. Ro says he's been advising me about doing it this way all along.. from experience we know it takes me a few knocks on the head (more if the idea is Rohan's) to accept a suggestion. But, we're learning quick, aren't we? :)

Have started announcing the news of the baby to all now and the past week have been basking in the good wishes. I remember being similarly excited about my friends' pregnancies :)

Smitha visited with Ammini on Monday. It was a rainy morning but she managed to get here albeit later than agreed. She prepared lunch and tried to prepare cutlets for me :) I had a nice time. Guess she was worried that Ammini was messing the place up but I find the kid simply adorable.

I'm waiting to feel bub move. Somedays I'm just lying in bed with my hand held against my tummy, imagining movements :)

Awesome ..

This has got to be the most amazing experience in anybody's life - watching ur baby inside you. I can close my eyes now and recollect those few minutes of absolute wonder and pure joy! At first the technician pointed out the position of the baby, the head, the body, the umbilical cord (which I mistook for the arm) and the legs. And then bubs turned and we saw her face! Our bubs looking at us :)

She is very active, swimming around and moving a lot during those few minutes - looks like she takes to the water better than both her parents :)

We saw the tiny arms; a clear impression of the left palm at one point; the tiny heart beating oh so rapidly; the spine - so clear; the brain; the head and the eyes - still looking quite "ET" :)

At one point bubs even waved at us. The technician said it looked like a salute, I thought she was just saying hello :)

Bubs measures 6.43 cm from crown (top of the head) to rump (tailbone). The length, called the crown-rump-length CRL is what is used to determine the age of the baby. In our case thats 12w 6d as of today which ties exactly with the LMP date.

We just got 2 pictures for keepsake, I wish we could have the video. The next scan's only in Oct and that's oh so far away. I do want to see her again soon :)

All behind me now ??

It's been a great last week, looks like the nausea is finally behind me now. Have been able to tell everyone I meet how well I've been feeling this week. No wed sickness as well! I've actually taken to doing more of housework and cooking. Pray this stays.

Excited about the upcoming dating scan. Ro and I have decided to find out the sex if its possible this early - which is what adds to the excitement. Unfortunately we dont know yet if Ro can make it (due to training at work), but Smitha (bless her) has offered to accompany me.

I've registered with a few local UK based pregnancy sites and am reassured to see most of the other women are facing the same frustrations with NHS as I am. Also watched this terrifying video (warning, some may find it gruesome) of the final stages of labour. Couldn't bear to sit thru it the first time. Ro was damn thrilled, said it was like watching an alien (!!) being delivered. He was shocked at how big the opening would have to get. Thank you for the concern, hubby. I hope you'll be as thrilled watching the *alien* u spawned arrive.

Have been trying to upload the below image for the whole of last week but maintenance/upgrade work with the blogger site kept me from it. That's what bubs looks like at 11 weeks. Cute, eh?

I have an eventful week to look forward to - summer fellowship at the barge on tues, the scan on wed and bible study with the moms on thurs. No prizes for guessing which is most eagerly awaited :)

Wednesday evening sickness

Rohan says I should coin a new term for what it seems I suffer from - "wednesday evening sickness". This is the third (perhaps fourth) Wed in a row that I get sick after feeling relatively well the rest of the week. And it strikes me just around lunch time lasting until its bed time. I tell him its the baby announcing completion of another week. With thursday being the bible study day the wed sickness is rather inconvinient, but I'm not complaining. One day a week is preferable to perrenial sickness.

I dint make it for the bible study this week but could not miss lunch with Smitha on any account. She made some lovely appam and egg curry (mallu ishtyle). And later 'parippu' vadas in the evening. At that moment I really wished mom were here feeding me like this.

Ro's volunteering to help out in the kitchen more these days. And surprise surprise is also learning to cook!! (Amma should hear of this). He was surprised to know that rice is so easy to prepare :) The downside is that he'll know how little effort it actually takes to put a meal together and I cant pretend anymore :(

Last Sunday (16th July) was picnic in the park for the barge family. We were promised that the food will be sumptous and were not disappointed. I really enjoyed the vegetarian fare - the hummus was out of this world. The juggling act by Chris (ably assisted by Marcus's kid) was the highlight of the day.

Today the estate agents are coming over for a house check. I spent the morning cleaning up - an activity usually reserved for once a week.

I'm starting to have more faith in the NHS now. We got the letter of appointment for my first ultrasound (w/o a call or reminder from me). Its on a 'wednesday' unfortunately, 2 weeks from now. Excited!

A new start

After much deliberation have decided to start afresh instead of continuing on my aborted attempt at blogging on msn. For one - the msn service was trying too hard to be everything at once. The day I want so much information on one page I'll start my own web site, thank you. Blogger also seemed to be the majority choice amongst friends and acquaintances. So here I am again, with a renewed attempt at serious blogging.

The other decision I've made is to make all blog entries live/online. I dont think posting earlier drafted and edited entries is the right way. Having broadband now also takes away the cost implications of dial up.

So, what has happened this week? Yes, the highlight - I'm 10 weeks into motherhood right now. That's 2 mnths+ already! Time sure flies. Had been for my first mom's bible study session yesterday, only, we had a picnic at the park instead, on account of one of the mom's leaving for Australia. Many thanks to Ruth for introducing me to the group. I do appreciate that I'm the youngest 'mom' around. Most are with toddlers and some are second even third time mothers. But I think I can learn a lot being around those more experienced ones. Especially away from home and family these interactions are really going to be beneficial.

Being around mothers and kids also scares me - does being a mother come naturally to one? I'm really awkward around babies and kids. Will I overcome that once I have one of my own? Do books tell u all the right things to do? How do u handle kids that refuse to eat? Do you be stern and and inflexible or do u cajole them into listening to you. Oh, that impressionable age - I dont want to get it (any of it) wrong!

Was nauseated the day before at night time, perfect to ruin one's sleep. I should be getting over it soon I think although Ruth made a sensible observation the other day - If you are sick you should be happy because that means everything is alright.

Dropped in at Smita's place for lunch, after calling in at the last minute. She's so accomodating.