All moved in…18 weeks

We moved house over the weekend. Yay!

It was stressful, but it was made easier by the fact that we had lots of lovely friends and family to help us do it. Made all the difference, I tell ya.

Seeing as I hate mess and clutter, I then spent the next two days trying to get the new place in order. I’m pleased to say that 80% of the house is unpacked and I will do the rest (mainly non-urgent stuff) over the next couple of weeks.

This week’s main highlight (other than moving) has been feeling the baby move a lot more. Last week I wasn’t so sure, but this week because of the sheer frequency of it, I know it’s the baby and I love it!

This Saturday Afam and I are speaking at a seminar about finding your spouse. We’re doing it alongside an older couple and are providing the ‘young person’ perspective. To prepare we thought a lot about the barriers to why people don’t get married and things you can be doing to prepare. A lot of it is real basic stuff and next week I will do a post on what we talked about in more detail.

Enjoy this week’s update!

17 weeks and feeling good!

So life has been busy.

In between the usual work, church and the general day to day, we have now started packing up our flat in preparation for our move at the weekend. I’m so excited and look forward to getting everything across and settling into our new home. God has really been good to us in how he orchestrated this move, finding the house, working everything out. Seriously if you’re about to embark on something big (or small) commit it to God and ask for His help, because what he delivers far outweighs whatever would could do ourselves!

Pregnancy is going well. I am feeling great most days now and starting to grow more. We reach the halfway mark on September 1st and will also get the opportunity to find out the sex at our next scan. Time is moving so quickly!

I was recently thinking about my circle of friends and realised that I know someone who is due to give birth every month from now until February 2012. God is good and I wish all my friends smooth deliveries.

Motherhood is definitely playing on my mind. What will life be like when the little one comes, how will our lives change, what sort of mother will I be, how will our marriage change?

So far, being pregnant has had a real positive effect on our marriage. Afam can’t wait to be a father and is 100% involved. He comes to all the appointments and has all these great pregnancy apps on his smartphone, which he uses to constantly update me on what the baby is doing or things I should be focusing on. It’s wonderful to have such a supportive and involved partner.

My week 17 update is below, feel free to check it out…

In the coming weeks I am looking to pick up a couple of parenting books and would appreciate some recommendations.

Have you read any good pregnancy/parenting books? Which ones would you recommend?

Pray for Peace

I don’t often write about current affairs here on this blog, but with the situation going on in the UK right now, it is hard to stay silent. Our country looks like a war zone.

It is so sad watching the events that have been happening in London and across the rest of the country. Teenagers and children as young as eight throwing bricks, setting fire to cars and buildings, looting. Youths attacking the police, vandalising shops, destroying businesses, destroying people’s livelihood.

It is so mindless and so not necessary. Do they not know that violence achieves nothing!

We need to pray…

Pray for those who have lost their homes.

Pray for those who have lost their businesses.

Pray for our leaders to make the right decisions.

Pray that the violence will stop.

Pray for peace.

Solitary happiness

So we had our 16 week check up today, which went fine. I have a rather ‘normal’ pregnancy in as much as that everything is as it should be, my stats are fine, the baby is good and my symptoms seem to be in line with the norm, none of which I am complaining about.

Afam and I have started to come to the realisation that while our healthcare professionals are good, they don’t share the same level of excitement we do regarding our baby. We could happily talk for hours on end about symptoms, what size the baby is, how our lives will change upon arrival…but you go for your appointments and they are very sterile. Not rude or anything, but just sterile. Maybe they’ve seen it all before and I’m like the 25th pregnant woman they’ve seen that day. However you expect something, a little bit of excitement.

I remember when we went to the doctor to get our pregnancy confirmed, the nurse was so clinical, no congratulations, no enthusiasm etc. The irony was that it was someone I know, so I thought it would be different. But we got nothing.

Maybe that’s how people are these days.

Anywhoo, you can’t beat grandmothers who are excited at every little pregnancy detail  you tell them.

Have a great weekend!

Image {source}

Blank Canvas

I love Supernanny, mainly because I often watch in amazement how rude and unruly some children can be. Spitting, swearing, even hitting their parents and some of them aren’t yet 5 years old…scary!

The parents sit there wailing, ‘How have they got like this?’. Watching the show you can easily find your answer.

Every child starts off the same, a blank canvas. As a parent you play a pivotal role in shaping your children, influencing their behaviour and teaching them right from wrong, therefore you have to take a certain level of responsibility for how they turn out.

I pray that God gives us the grace to raise this child the right way, His way. Providing the right nurture, love and support so that he becomes the person God wants him to be.

Pregnancy Week 15 Vlog Update

This week’s video diary. Find out why I had to visit the hospital this week.

Ironically following today’s earlier post, today has been my first day of ‘normal’.

Feeling good today – no nausea!!!

Timing is everything

Morning sickness.

I don’t know why they call it that.

Mornings are fine for me, then midday hits and nausea knocks me right out until it’s time to go to bed and start the day again. It can be frustrating but I’m learning to work with my body and aim to get most things done in the morning. Just one of my lovely pregnancy symptoms!

Unfortunately seeing as I have tended to write blog posts in the evening, I’ve just not had the energy, hence the lack of posts of late! I do aim to maintain my weekly video diaries so please feel to check those out, if don’t see any action on here.

This past week has been ok-ish, it ended in a visit to A&E as I haven’t been too well (more on this in my week 15 update, which I will upload tonight), but thank God all is fine, baby is fine and I’m doing much better.

Bump is starting to form and be more noticeable, which I am liking. I’m starting to cross over from the ‘eaten too much’ look to ‘I’m having a baby’ look. My husband is loving the pregnant me and people tell me that I’m glowing. I definitely look better than I feel and I’m taking it all one day at a time.

Can you believe it is August, how fast is this year going! This time last year we were arriving back in the UK after a fantastic time in Nigeria. I was just about to start a new job and hubby and I had one month to find a new home. It was a hectic month, but God helped us through.

Looking forward to seeing what this August holds!

Have a blessed week!

(image source – where I would like to be right about now!)