Another week closer...

9 weeks to go now, before this bump becomes a real baby on the outside world. Gone will be the protection of my elastic tum and constant lull of my heartbeat, and our baby will be thrust into the centre of our lives. Am hoping that I can opt for a no-visiting clause if I have to stay in hospital and even at home for a few days. Certain friends will be excluded from this, but family, I am hoping will keep their distance!

Sounds truly awful, I know, but they exhaust me at the best of times, and with a newborn in the house, I feel strongly that it should be just the four of us adjusting to life as a bigger family, now swamped with cooing visitors, smelling of perfume/cosmetics/smoke etc - our newborn will be preciously clean and new, and will not need any additional scents, thank you very much.

Aside from this thought, we have had a busy week: hubby has bought a market stall, done his first market, made a profit, and made himself happy that he can do the self-employment route. He is still wobbly some days, but then we've had a HUGE lifestyle change - it will take some time getting used to it.

I have a sinus infection which is driving me crazy, with pain and aching on my face. I have had it since falling pregnant, but it has gradually worsened. I even went to the GP last week, and got some antibiotics. I have not taken them however - the ingredients horrified me:

Gelatin (great for veggies), E110 Sunset yellow, E122 Carmoisine, E133 Brilliant blue, Methylparaben and Propylparaben. Oh, and amoxicillin.

Why the chuff a simple antibiotic should be stuffed full of shite I do not know. Especially when the colours have been pushed for a voluntary ban in the UK, have already been banned in several countries outright, and have been linked to behavioural problems in children - no wonder parents report their children turning loopy after doses of the vile and evil Calpol - it is jam-packed full of vileness, yet parents all over the land regularly feed it to their children without a concern.

My lovely herbalist friend has prescribed me a medicine that seems to be shifting things.

How do strict vegetarians go on with most capsule medications containing gelatin? Pah...

Strange old week...

This week has been rather turbulent, yet the outcome has left us quite relieved and unusually happy.

DH was made redundant. Quite a shock really, and with second baby arriving in less than 10 weeks, you would think we would be in a bit more of a flap than we are.

Truthfully though, this will be the change in our lives that we have been looking for for so long.

DH will become self-employed, with a variety of ideas and tricks popping up at every conversation - he is mucho resourceful, hardworking and have-a-go, that I am positive this will be his 'thing' and that he will thrive from it. Also, the phone has not stopped ringing with people thinking of him, offering him jobs/help etc.

This redundancy lark also fits in better with our home-education/downshifting philosophy, and increasing family time together. We're not materialistic so possessions that many people crave, don't bother us at all. As long as we can pay the mortgage, it's all good baby.

I also managed to get to the WI this week - the talk was on Retailing in a Recession, by a store manager from Sainsbury's. Quite enlightening, although I think he felt a bit pressured when the Q and A session began. Talking to a bunch of mostly-farmers and keen green recyclers, throw in a few concerned animal welfare hecklers and a lost-for-words man you will find.

Questions like: Do you inject water into your chicken fillets?; What are your recycling policies if we decided to unload all of the ridiculous packaging after purchase at the tills?; Why don't you support local farmers more? generated a lovely reaction from the flustered manager, who will be sure never to give a talk to a WI ever again. Most amusing.

I do rather detest supermarket ethos, but unfortunately, due to the crap-all local shopping ethos (large farming community = import vegetables from Egypt) we do use them. We went today, and I spent the entire shopping expedition waddling behind the trolley, contracting constantly and feeling like baby was about to fall out of my pelvis.

Supper at the WI was an interesting time too; each person had a plate of sandwiches - ham, beef, salmon, tuna, egg and cheese, with a sausage roll and half a sausage. "Looks lovely!", I exclaimed, "but where is the vegetarian option please?"

A look of horror from the three-foot lady behind the tea bar. "Vege what? Well 'ere you go - have a salmon butty."

ME: "Ok, but salmon is fish. I don't eat meat or fish."

YODA: "Oh. Well yer can 'ave a sausage roll then."

ME: "Right. But again, sausage is meat and I don't eat meat."

ANOTHER HELPFUL LADY: "Ooooh give her an egg one then."

YODA: "Naw, she doesn't eat owt wi' animals in it so she can't eat egg or cheese."

Ok, now I am tired, 30 weeks pregnant and getting a little pissed that nobody seems to comprehend what the chuff a vegetarian actually is. Oh, and I'm a tad hormonal too.

ME: "Look, I eat cheese and eggs - I'm not a bloody vegan, so can you just give me a cheese sandwich and a cake and I'll be fine."

A deathly silence crept across the kitchen. People just don't mess with pregnant ladies who look like they may burst at any point.

Then I realised that I was in the middle of a small country village, where most of the inhabitants are raging carnivores, very countrified and perhaps didn't really know what a vegetarian was.

Off now to plant some more veg now I have finished my mini rant...

Ostara weekend

Pixie waiting in a friend's garden to do an egg hunt

A feather from one of the chooks that we think is shaped like a fish!

My little bunny baby with furry ears!

Mmmm. Sunday brunch pancakes in the garden!

Daddy helping Pixie collect eggs.

Ostara blessings to you all xxx

Bump's new cloak of many colours!

Here are the first wool stashes that have arrived from those gorgeous Mammas from the GP forum:

A burnt orange Merino wool from Shell, a lime green Mirasol wool and ladybird for Pixie from Becks, some amazing dark green handspun wool from the clever Emily's Mum and lovely blue and white wool from Jo. Big hugs ladies - so very much appreciated xxxx

Now, on to starting the blanket!

This is the other blanket I am making from Sirdar Snuggly magic wool. Supposedly gender-neutral, but learning a bit more on the girly side of things: