Pink or blue????

So, had 20 week scan today. Baby appears to be healthy which is great. I guess you never know for sure until they arrive, but at least nothing untoward was spotted. Was relieved, as having turned down the screening tests for Downs etc (because I'd keep Baby, no matter what and didn't see the point of getting panicky over the tests) I was inevitably a bit nervous that the scan would pick something up and without blood tests to consult, it might have a been a bit of a worry. Anyway, nothing like that happened, thank God.

Remarkable thing though - hospital has changed it's policy on telling parents the gender of Baby. This put us on the spot momentarily. We both knew that we want to know this time round, but having assumed hospital wouldn't tell, we were planning a private scan in the Easter hols. Anyway, suddenly the info was here....if we dared take it!!!

They stress that scans are not 100% accurate anyway.

So we said, 'Yes, please tell us'. So now we know........

Will I reveal the answer in the blog? More than likely yes, but have a few close friends and family I really should tell first before announcing it to Blogland.

So tune in at a later date to find out more....!!

What's in a name?

With yet another week gone by in which I have done absolutely no exercise, it has struck me that people will have a view of me, due to my username, which isn't strictly accurate.

So, let me explain.....

Around Easter 2007 I took up running in an effort to be able to eat as much chocolate as I wanted without any c0nsequences to my waistline. The once-a-week jog quickly became something a little more frequent and before long I was going out 3 times a week. Not running marathons, of course - 20 minutes seemed enough effort!

Then with a need to have a goal, I signed up for a Race for Life which was great and boosted my motivation levels.
A 10k in aid of Cancer Research that October and then I was starting to think big!!

I had a great plan that during 2008 I would run 2 half-marathons - one in Nottingham in September and another in London in October. I signed up and paid for both races (yes, it's amazing - people actually pay to put themselves through that kind of thing!)

I managed to increase my training bit by bit, joined a running club so I could run with a group once a week to help get me out of the house when the sofa and telly seemed too tempting and although it was never going to be easy, I was fairly sure I could manage it. Needing a username for something at the time - a running route website I think - I named myself 'halfmarathongirl'.

Anyway, about 2 weeks before the Nottingham race - disaster! An injury to my foot - plantar fasciitis (not sure how you spell it.) This meant that walking was painful, never mind running, and the recovery period of about 8 weeks ruled me out of both races.

I had just got back into the running when I discovered I was pregnant and suddenly my motivation was gone.

But the username lives on, as a reminder to myself that I have a goal yet to be completed, and I'm already starting to look forward to running after the baby is born to shift the baby weight.

Luckily Lent started today and I have decided to give up chocolate (again....this is what I do every year, apart from the one in which I was already on such a strict diet that I had nothing left to give up, so gave up Coronation Street instead!). Oh yes, the running may have stopped but the chocolate eating was progressing extremely well so it's time to call a halt.

Could do with some chocolate now but will be strong. Children have decided to give up playing with their DS and still carry on eating chocolate. Don't think there was ever any hope of my finding solidarity in the family on this one!!

Mud, glorious mud!

8 year old loves football - watching it, playing it and talking about it. In this, he is very much like Husband (though Husband no longer plays).

6 year old shares my views on matter:
'It's just not important, Mummy.' Quite.

Anyway, 8 year old spent two happy hours playing footie with cubs and scouts today. Trail of mud in house as it was caked on his legs and socks. I have dealt with bath and washing machine is currently dealing with kit. I haven't gone near his boots though. Am hoping Husband's love of football will see him clear to tackle the boot cleaning duties!

Having said that, Husband currently cooking fab-smelling curry from scratch. Don't think I'm in a position to complain if he doesn't get to the boots today. Me? I've managed to clean the bath as my sole contribution to housework etc today.

Have also bought a couple of pairs of maternity jeans as the normal ones I'm wearing are trying to cut me in half. About time I gave in to the forgiving nature of elastic waistbands!!

Tea - best drink of the day?

Just a quick post tonight as have spent ages reading other blogs and totally forgot to get round to writing my own.

Good day at work involving 3 meetings, each taking place in the canteen for some reason. Upside was drank lots of tea; downside was this meant I was in the canteen without a coat when the fire alarm went off and we were evacuated outside - cold and desperately needing the loo.

That will teach me!

The secret's out!!

So, I'm back. Haven't been anywhere but was finding it tricky to get an opportunity to write given that Husband still didn't know about the blog and has habit of appearing behind me when I'm on the computer to find out what I'm up to. Not in a controlling way, but in a 'Wow - I didn't know you could do that' kind of way. This is because his internet use is restricited to checking the best price on domestic appliances on the Which? website.

Anyway, I was reading some other blogs just now and he appeared. Blogging is so alien that he seems genuinely interested in what it's all about, so I showed him a blog and showed how I could post a comment. Clicking on someone else's username took me to their profile, which prompted the question, 'Do you have a profile?'. Yes, I replied and took him to my pages.

Think he's surpirsed that people write about such ordinary stuff but at least the secret's out and I'm free to blog without worry.

The first two days of half-term have been lovely - no packed lunches to make and no real time pressures at all. Back to work for Wedneday and Thursday and then off again Friday. Boys have time with husband plus a playdate at a friend's and a trip to cinema with Grandma to look forward to.

Dutiful trip to dentist today. Apparently I have two extra bits of bone in my mouth that no one has mentioned for the last 37 years!! Also 6 year old has a 'tooth structure' growing behind his top two teeth. Not an actual tooth but a 'tooth structure' which is in effect an extra tooth-thing. Felt a bit silly when the dentist mentioned it as I haven't noticed at all, 6 year old hasn't said anything and yet it must have been there for ages. May explain his reluctance to eat apples properly, though one would think an extra tooth would make it easier!!!

The best laid plans......

As I write this I should in fact be at my running club. Not running, you understand, but dropping in for a diet coke and a chat with the runners. They're a great bunch of people and to be honest I've dropped off the face of the earth and reckon I should put in an appearance to explain where I've gone.

Of course better people than me run right through their pregnancies but if my only motivation is not to put on weight - and let's face it, that's not a battle I can win in my current state - then I haven't the will power to don tracksuit and trainers and brave the elements.

As it happens, was totally disorganised getting children ready for bed, then took ages washing up, so now it feels a bit too late to go out (and I've been wearing pyjamas since about 6pm so one wonders how much I actually wanted to go out in the first place!). Oh well, there's always next week.

Went for an ante-natal checkup at the GP surgery today. Thank goodness he didn't want to weigh me!!

Heard baby's heartbeat for the first time which was lovely. There's an Old Wives' Tale (I love those!!) which says that if the heart rate is under 140 it's a boy and over 140 it's a girl. It was 132, so it looks like we could be heading for boy Number 3. Of course, it could be a load of rubbish, but time will tell.....!!

Mother - know thy place......

My boys have developed a lovely habit of when saying 'Goodbye' to me, always saying, 'I love you Mummy. You're the best Mummy in the world!'

This morning however, my 6 year old added a bit....

'You're the best Mummy in the world....so far.'

I explained that I will be the only Mummy he's going to have, to which he replied with only the logic and honesty a child can muster,

'Yes, but there are other Mummies in the world and I haven't met them all yet so, you're the best Mummy in the world so far.'

There was pretty much nothing I could say to that!!