Huge egg!

This is the monster that one of our girls laid....

(the egg, not the apple)

and this is what we got from inside.

What a whopper!

Sunshine has been lovely, if not a little too hot for my largeness. 4 weeks and counting down - Branston Pickles (Braxton Hicks) have been worse than my early stage labour last time. Having to stop and breathe through the bad ones. It's all good though :)

Heat and little girls do not mix so well after a while - tiredness becomes uncontrollable naughties and tears. Lots of cuddles alternated with shouting today. Poor monkey was asleep before she lay down tonight.

Our two new girls: Chocolate (Mark 2) and Matilda...

Crap picture but the little buggers kept skipping off.

More makings and a new staple diet...

My first crochet item that came from a pattern I managed to read ALL BY MYSELF! Well, with a little help from Mr Google, a variety of odd sorts from YouTube and several hours of unpicking, foul language and chocolate. For those who know me, 'special' cannot even describe how my mind works re knitting and crochet patterns, so I actually feel like I have graduated and got my degree all over again.

I didn't photograph t'other side as it was about 1 inch too short and I had to do some adding on stitches but they went the upwards instead of across...anyhooooo, wonky or not, I bloody love 'em!

I am now officially the size of a small mammal. I cannot get out of bed in the night to pee unassisted - my pelvis crunches and moans under the extreme pressure of carrying THE HULK in my belly! There is not an ounce of weight anywhere except my bump (Mount Vesuvius) which makes me look slightly more bizarre than usual.

5 weeks to go and sooooo counting down. I am exhausted and cannot be arsed with anything or anyone. Poor Pixie is getting used to me being a sofa wallower, and is taking advantage of resident slob mummy for story time and spelling practice 5 hours a day cos she knows I can't get up and do much else!

She has enjoyed pottering in the garden this last few days, with her long floaty dresses, polka dot wellies, floppy straw hat and flower Dame Edna sunnies. She looks like someone circa 1960s from Woodstock. Totally bloody gorgeous though :)

And hubby, well, he is hitting every local market stall and is known as The Sweetie Man - he is really enjoying it, although tiring, working for himself seems to be suiting very well.

I am practically living on the below...

I sooooo don't want any other food and am having a ton of these every day, for most meals. And chocolate too, but mainly cereal. Baby doesn't want anything else, it would appear :(

A lovely little gift for Pixie from Sarah - thank you! xx

Jewellery finished...

Here is the finished commissioned set I made...

Amethyst, rose quartz, kunzite amethyst, vintage pearls, mauve bicones, silver and mauve glass rocaille beads, on .925 sterling silver mounts and fastenings.

And two mobile phone charms for my shop... one is in olive green crackled glass with an olive fresh water pearl, on sterling silver...

and the other is kunzite amethyst, mauve glass bicone and regular amethyst on sterling silver


Bread's on the go, cookie tray bake waiting to go in and I need a rest!

One blanket done!

The not-so-gender-neutral blanket is now completed! At chuffin' last! The man (or lady) hours that I have put into it have worn me down, but can't wait to wash it and make it all ready for new baby. I took this piccie just before finishing off the edging.

The second GP wool donation blanket is well under way now too...

A piccie of her Ladyship digging in the garden. With a lovely blue linen dress on, concealed by a hot pink mac (which I detest!), spotty dotty wellies and positioned comfortably on...an antique rocking chair! She declared that it was more comfy and she "didn't fancy kneeling down because it was a bit soggy".

I've also learned that I am starting to dislike labels. As in 'what type of parent are you?' I am what I am (there's a song there...): I don't need a label or to belong to feel like I'm doing it right. Everyone has their own merits and should never be made to feel a lesser person for their shortfalls. And life isn't all happy, peaceful living: at times it really is quite shit. But that's ok. Because that's half the challenge. Climbing out of the shit and carrying on up the hill.

Makings and bakings

Some scrummy ciabatta loaf - we made cheesy garlic bread with this.

Two handbag charms: the pink one for a gift and the green one for my shop. Both from reclaimed sterling silver (actually a Tiffany bracelet that I broke down. I know, I know, total sacrilege to those die-hard Tiffany fans. But hey, I play with jewellery ;) ) Sterling silver findings, Czech and crackle glass and some lampwork beads in there.

And one nursing rocking chair from Freecycle. The lady we got it from said that it used to belong to her grandmother so I'm guessing it's over 80-years-old. Hubby has beeswaxed the wood, but it needs a stain to revive it. The upholstery needs a steam clean I think, but it is so comfy. Might have to fight the Pixie for the privilege to sit in in though!

Almost finished one blanket so hopefully get a piccie up of that once I have done the edging.

Made a lovely traybake of cookies too: leftover Green and Black's Ginger choccie chopped into a wholemeal, oat and raisin base into thick slices. Y-uuuum! Not much left though.

I am a whale!

No camera again :(

Me and my lovely girl were in the tub last night. "Mummy, where has your 'looly' (lady parts) gone?"

"Well they're still there darling. Why?"

"Oh, it look like a great big dolphin!"

Ok. Thanks. Almost 33 weeks pregnant and my fears are confirmed: I am on my way to looking like a whale!

I love the innocence of children's comments!