Getting a bit ahead of ourselves...

Ah, maternity leave... time to relax, rest, play with adorable new daughter... I even get time to read the paper for a change!

yeah, right.

I have been reading the paper, but only because we've been on Miranda's tour of her extended family for the past week, ending up at my parents' house where Granny fussed over our Cheeseling so obsessively that I was barely allowed to hold her all week. So I actually had both hands free for the paper.

I am sure there are numerous articles like this, especially in the Guardian or the Independent, but this one caught my eye:
The nursery that teaches its pupils to boldly go - Education News, Education - The Independent

Like, OH MY GOD, a nursery school that lets kids make mudpies and play with snails in a garden? Quelle horreur! How maverick! Little Tarquin might even get dirty! Whatever next? Children cycling to school by themselves? Shock! Horror! Report those parents immediately!
Ahem.
Does beg the question, if a nursery that allows children to play outdoors is so shocking it warrants an article in a national newspaper, what the hell actually happens in a "normal" nursery?
I admit naivety here, I have no idea what modern nurseries are like. I hear good things about Surestart and so on, but I don't know what kids actually get to do in those environments. I remember going to "playschool" around aged 3 or 4. I went to one in Tenterden for a while up until I complained about having to stand behind desks in order to sing hymns. Mum didn't realise how religious the place was and I was soon removed. By the time my brother reached playschool age, Mum was running her own playgroup which involved making jelly, (that being all I remember).

I am hoping Miri will not have to go to nursery. I hate the idea of putting her in childcare or nursery too young, I just don't think it's right for baby or for Mummy. And hopefully by the time she is 3 or 4, it would be nice to be living in another country where kids are still encouraged to play and be kids - and not have to start school at four and a half.  However, at the moment, we can't afford for me not to work; I don't have the liberty to be a stay-at-home Mum after my maternity leave runs out, and after I finish uni, Miranda will be 9 months old and I will have to find a job. This is extremely depressing. Especially when further on in the same newspaper, there is this:
Nearly 70 graduates for every job vacancy - Education News, Education - The Independent

So, feeling quite hopeless and depressed about it all now!

False Alarms

It's all kicking off!!

Or maybe it isn't.

I don't know!!

This is maddening.
I was woken up at 4am (a recurring theme at the moment) yesterday by EXTREME PAIN. Everything ached, I could barely move but whichever way I lay, I couldn't get comfy. Not nice. More worryingly, even though I did finally get back to sleep, the pain was still there when I eventually heaved myself out of bed. My whole bump had gone tense and rock hard, and I also couldn't feel Little Cheese moving about much. Usually she starts moving about to say byebye to Dad when Carl heads off to work in the mornings. Altogether, I got Worried. I rang the midwife, and she said she couldn't do anything without seeing me, so I had to head off to hospital since there was no one else free down at the clinic. After an enormous wait, I got prodded about a bit, and then had a CTG - erm, cardiotocograph monitoring. Basically hooked up the Very Important Machine That Goes BING! that measures mine and the baby's heart beats. Cheese's heartbeat was good - strong and pretty steady at about 150bmp. All perfectly healthy.
Turns out, the pain and aches appear to be because Cheese has now "engaged" - her head was burying into the birth canal, which causes a lot of pressure on delicate bits. Tensing up is not uncommon either, especially since this is my first and I haven't really been stretched like this before! (and obviously I had such strong muscly abs to start with. Ahem.) Finally, and most reassuringly, it was only because I was so tense that I couldn't feel her moving.
This morning I felt a lot better, not so tense, but as soon as I got up I suddenly felt sick and had to go throw up in the loo. Lovely. I also got a 'show' - which is a.) disgusting b) not a good idea to explain on a public blog and c) has Scary Significance. The midwife told me to come back into hospital this morning for the same thing again - another CTG, so I toddled off, still aching but nothing like as bad as yesterday. Cheese was far more awake today, I could feel her moving, and her heart rate made a much more wiggly line this time. All fine, anyway. I am just being paranoid.
The fact that I had a show, however, is far more scary/exciting because it can imply that Cheese Is Imminent, especially when she's already engaged and I am aching. The hospital confirmed this, saying I should feel free to come back as soon as something dramatic happened. It could now be DAYS, not weeks away.  EEEEEEK!!! I don't know, I really don't. I was honestly assuming she'd be late. I'll be 37 weeks at the weekend, so it doesn't even count as premature now. I toddled off to see the Chapmen by the seaside this afternoon, despite hospital trip  and nothing remotely exciting happened. I am feeling better - which is good - but I am not feeling anything out of the ordinary now. She's having a lie-in!

In case she does make an early appearence, thanks to wonderfully talented friends and family, we finally have the Cheese Room finished and fully furnished. It's AWESOME!!

The Sheffield Tram-Cot designed and built by my DIY-ing Dad. We love it!

 The Tram Map Blanket as embroidered by Mum (Halfway to Meadowhell?)

The truly amazing quilt designed and handstitched by the fabulous Julie

Mum has also knitted a mini Vampire cape and outfit (including tiny Cowboy boots just like mine!) for Cheese's First Whitby Goth Weekend in October

Suddenly the whole room seems so much smaller!!

Now of course, I am even more impatient than ever!!! More soon - I hope!