Been very busy, work is taking up lots of my time and we spent last weekend doing loads of annoying jobs that have been building up - the house looks good though. Lots of visitors and visiting this weekend to look forward to, as well as a nice four day week next week.

Baby making has commenced - and in the back of my mind, I'm already doing what I promised I would never do - convincing myself that it's already happened. My boobs are a bit tingly (I'm not yet three weeks through my cycle) and last night I had the "stretching" feeling in my abdomen that I remember from the early days of pregnancy. In reality, it's probably nothing, and the gherkins I had on yesterdays lunch sandwich, but in the back of my mind, I know I'm searching for signs - I'm tired (what's new!) and having vivid dreams (also usual/possibly gherkin orientated) - I hope that I'm not getting obsessed. I just have such a strong feeling that it's going to happen, and sometimes I am overwhelmed with these strong feelings that really are right. Plus Mike is very keen on the quiet now, so extra reasons to get on with it. To have a baby in 2007 would be great timing for lots of reasons, so some of my feeling could be wishful thinking.

I do still have those stretchy feelings and tingly boobs though.

Having a Lazy Morning

It's the last day of the school holidays today - I'm still in bed (it's 10.30) M and A are downstairs and I feel completely vindicated in that as I have got up with A every weekend since I can remember - usually I am awake, so it doesn't really bother me, but today, I needed some extra kip.

Easter has passed nicely - we went to a wedding on Thursday, and then over to my Mum and sisters until Saturday, then spent Saturday afternoon and evening with friends and thier kids (A stayed up till 9.30 - in his pjs watching DVDs, but, gosh I felt like a terrible mother!!)

Yesterday was a bit of a non-day. I haven't really done much schoolwork over the holidays, so got stuck in to some of that in the afternoon, and cooked a roast duck dinner for us. I read the nvs on the duck packaging and was HORRIFIED at the calorific and sat fat values - I worked out that if you had 250g, you would end up having something like 22 WW points of duck!!!! So, once it was cooked, I took all the skin and fat off it, which left it much better in the cals and sat fat dept, - in Tesco you can buy Healthy Living duck pieces which are fatless and skinless and are 2 points per 100g, so that's what I had. I'm sure it's not exactly the same, but it's much better than it was - I'm never buying that again!!! Made dry roast potatoes and loads of veg to go with it and it was yummy. I invented a hot cross bun bread and butter pudding with HL hot cross buns and ambrosia custard and it was LOVELY!!! In fact I just had to put the left overs in the bin to prevent me from scoffing them for my breakfast.

I really need to get on the dieting bandwaggon again - I did really well until Thursday last week, and then the weekend was a bit of a disaster, but to get on track for this here babymaking, I could do with another stone off, but being back to work will help.

Really making an effort to be positive about going back to work - last year, I made real efforts not to get involved in politics in the workplace, but this year, I've slipped a bit. I need to concentrate more on just getting on with stuff and not bitching - i can be a terrible bitch. Usually I am careful, and I don't especially do it at work, but because I do to M, my mum, myself, I feel like I do it all the time. I think the spring will help, the dark winter can be so depressing. I have bigger fish to fry than work anyway!!

Right, must get out of bed! Thanks to all the lovely ladies who commented on my post below, it really makes a difference to me!

Something Big

I haven't written about this yet, as I have been trying to compose my thoughts, but last weekend, we went to our friend's wedding, and meandered into the place the wedding was at (we weren't invited until the cake cutting at 5pm) for lunch. Anyhow, we had a lovely meal in a little Italian restaurant, and while we were talking, the omnipresent subject of whether or not our family is complete came up, as it is often wont to do. I told M that really, if he's adamant that we're not having any more, then he should go and have the snip, as I can't bear condoms (and without going into too much detail, they don't do much for him either), anyway, the upshot of it was, that M was feeling really in a quandry about it all.

I had to be very careful about what I say. I want this so much, I needed to make sure that I didn't get either overexcited or overemotional about it. So we had a really rational conversation, addressing his fears and anxieties, the pros and cons, talking about the positive and negative effects on A, whether M could feel the same about another child, money, practicalities...

We have decided that after my next period, we are going to try for another baby. We'll give it until Christmas and then review!!!

I can't stop thinking about it, although I am trying to be calm about it all. I am five years older than I was last time, although I feel that that would be negated by the five stone less that I weigh. I think that a 5-6 year age gap suits us all - we won't have two babies at the same time, A can feel really involved, I will have lots of time for the baby while he is at school, A can understand. I had some trouble conceiving A, because I had a hormone imbalance, but medication sorted that out. I was under a consultant regarding that until last year, where all my tests showed that the imbalance was resolved, and I was discharged, although I can go back anytime, so I think I'll give it until August before I go to the GP - I would rather be very natural and laid back about it and not make anyone anxious. I have ordered some ovulation tests off ebay though - they are really expensive at the chemist, so for next month I'll see what these ones are like.

I don't want to turn this blog into a "trying to conceive" record, and if I can't I'm pretty relaxed about it all, as I am already the proud owner of the Finest Child Ever Born - but it's the biggest thing in my life at the moment, and I'm simmering under with it all.

Blimey!!!!

It's been quiet for a while... I think I'll meme

4 jobs I’ve always wanted to do:
Backing singer for someone relatively famous - go on tour, wear nice clothes, have lots of people cheering and clapping, but not be the person with all the pressure on them
Housewife
Magazine beauty write (and product tester, natch)
Teacher (and I am one)

4 movies I have never seen in their entirety:

As y'all know, I don't really do movies, I don't think I've ever watched Finding Nemo all the way through, as I am usually on laptop/reading/ironing/whatever when it is on

4 household items I could not go without:
Dishwasher
Freezer
Shower
I suppose the toilet, as really, who would want to..?

4 foods I really, really hate:
Liver
Walnuts
Butterbeans
um...I think there might only be three. And I wonder why I am on Weightwatchers

4 things I’m enjoying about where I am and what I’m doing right now:
I have a glass of wine
My leek, haddock and mushroom risotto is ready
Alfie's had a great day, and is fast asleep
My kitchen is clean and tidy

4 most wonderful places I have been:
Hugging Alfie
Florence, Italy
Barcelona, Spain
Malmaison Hotel, Manchester


4 favourite books/fairy tales/poems from my childhood:
The Magic Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton
Famous Five - as above
A Book about Henry VIII and his six wives that I was obsessed with, aged about 6
Little House on the Prairie books

4 songs I could listen to over and over:
Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack
Yes - McAlmont and Butler
Groovejet- Spiller
In these Shoes - Kirsty McColl

4 reasons why I blog:
As a record of my life
Because I like memes
One day I may be interesting
I like diaries