Countdown!

Dear Family and Friends,

This will no doubt be my last blog before the new addition to our family appears! I am in Week 38, approaching week 39 of this pregnancy now and so almost there.

It's been such a busy time during this pregnancy, moving house just before, taking on extra responsibility at work and also working on a merger since January with a Melbourne based organisation - not to mention the everyday life in between!

I finished work last Friday and it was a very nice last day, lunch, gifts and drinks with my colleagues. I tidied my office, cleaned my desk, emptied my drawers of any food and gave my mug a good clean - all those little things that have to be done when you're vacating for a while!

Since I've been on maternity leave - one business day as of today, I have already managed to lose my brain down the nearest drain. I locked my handbag containing my car keys and everything else in the car without meaning to after I'd been grocery shopping today so that was not a good start. Failing to be able to reverse charge call a mobile or be able to recall anybody's phone number (the downside of mobile phones and speed dials) I had to go to the police station where the kind policeman let me call Iain who came, like a lovely white knight, to rescue me from my predicament.

In return, I drove him back to work and dropped him off as he is hosting a dinner for his board members tonight at one of Adelaide's more upmarket restaurants so can now get a taxi home and have a few fine glasses of wine. Let's hope the rest of my maternity leave goes more smoothly!

I managed to fit in a trip to Melbourne at the end of June for work and it allowed me to catch up with Nicole and Katina and see Nicole's lovely little boys again which was super, albeit a flying visit. I don't recommend flying through turbulence when you're 8 months pregnant, it's not comfortable!

Iain went on a trip to Melbourne the other weekend for a long time planned footy weekend with his friend Sam. A busy weekend, they managed to fit in 2 games and plenty of eating and drinking!

No more trips for a while now for either of us. But we do have a special visitor arriving on Saturday. My mum will be arriving for a few weeks to help out and meet the new baby. We are all very excited about her coming and Amelia has been promised a trip to Zoo with Grandma which she is really looking forward to.

Amelia has been talking about the new baby a lot and she seems to understand a great deal about what's going on. I'm sure it won't be smooth sailing but we hope we've done lots to prepare her for this big change in her life.

At the moment she is enjoying a 2 week visit at childcare from Mitchell the Lizard. The centre is able to borrow certain animals and reptiles from an organisation, a bit like an animal library service and Mitchell the Lizard is the current visitor. Apparently Amelia likes to read to him and help him do jigsaws which is her passion at the moment.

We are having some beautiful days of sunshine at the moment at the Hills but it's still cold enough to enjoy our open fire on weekends and a sneaky hot chocolate from time to time.

As we move into Spring, the Hills are coming alive again with vivid yellow wattle trees in flower, blossom in all different shades and daffodils. We must make a time to get to the Botanic Gardens while Mum is here and see the colours.

We have been working on the garden and learning about gardening. We've pruned all our roses, sprayed the fruit trees and tidied up the pine needles. There's still lots to do but I am reading gardening magazines avidly and working out what we need to do. We still have to tackle the big vegetable garden at the back but one step at a time!

We're sure that both Mum and Sylvia and Ken when they are here will have some great tips and help for us.

I'm just about ready to get to that hospital now, even my maternity clothes are getting tight, I reckon it's time! Mum is hoping I hold out until she gets here, I think I can manage that :-)

We'll see! Just hoping this baby doesn't make a very late appearance, I'd quite like my body back now thanks very much!

Lots of love to you all

Caroline, Iain, Amelia and rather large bump xxx

Our Wattle tree in flower - aren't they glorious?

Amelia and James hanging out

A cuddle for Uncle James

Building a "very very big tower"


Reading Scaredy Squirrel to her doll - Lindsey, Iain's sister sent us a couple of Scaredy Squirrel books, they are by a Canadian author and they are super. Very funny.

And here we are having our sneaky hot chocolate on Saturday. Amelia is especially happy because she got to have marshmallows