Christmas around the world

In the US our relatives have probably not been long up. In Birmingham and Yorkshire they are probably well into Christmas lunch. In New Zealand, its been over for some time. In Cambridge, we are, well, not doing much, but waiting the arrival of a different baby still. Its all a bit odd.

Theory and practice

My theory was that having gone on leave from work I would still be doing a couple of hours a day, because there were unfinished ends I felt I should tie up but hadn't had time and felt bad about this. The practice so far is that I just can't be bothered! I guess that my change if the bump makes me wait beyond the due date. What will my excuse be then? Right now it is that I have some pastry to roll out.

Advent calendar sessions again

The idea behind the bump's advent calendar was to tell it part of the Christmas story as we opened the windows but (a) not all the pictures are helpful - where did the lantern or sheepdog come into it? and (b) the parents-to-be are not that good at remembering details or even the words to Christmas carols that the pictures suggest to us. So, finally, I have tracked down some CDs of Christmas music/carols to play in lieu of mother only remembering the odd line here and there. Hope they are worth it.

Pregnancy musings (6)

Last weekend my sister and her brood of four came over from Birmingham for a viewing of the bump (we had not seen them since announcing bump to the world). My brother-in-law commented that I "carried it all on the front" (I had not been aware there was another option), whilst my youngest England-based nephew said "I don't mean to be rude, but are you pregnant or have you already had the baby?" (which confused me somewhat, sitting there as I was doing a rather good impression of Obelix). And bump is definitely growing apace: my stomach has started emitting noises from somewhere I was sure I had left my lungs, and my lung capacity has definitely reduced again. Bump's new rule (and it has been issued with many) is to stay put for at least another two weeks and to be at least 5lb in weight (otherwise it will be "Destination: plastic-box land" and neither mother nor child are likely to like that).

Pregnancy musings (5)

As a PhD student I took over three years to formulate an answer to a question no-one else was really interested in. I don't feel this equips me to come to a snap decision about whether to have the swine-flu vaccine. I'm trained to want to sift lots of evidence about (frankly) unimportant questions, not respond quickly to important questions without sufficient evidence. Feel I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't.

Pregnancy musings (4): Bonfire Night

Again with the slightly premature post, but again we'll be away for Bonfire Night.

For some weeks now the boy and I have been reading the bump a bedtime (or in its case a wake-up time) story from the Teddy Robinson books. These are childhood favourites of mine, and generally appreciated by the boy also, even if he isn't so sure about Teddy R's penchant for his best purple dress, or the propensity to dress up in a tutu and do generally girly things. If you are unfamiliar with Teddy R you can read a favourable review here, or here. But we did get a scare the other night: the story (one I definitely don't recall from childhood) was 'Teddy Robinson and Guy Fawkes' (or as it was read out by the boy, 'Teddy Robinson and the Hate Crime'), and it was essentially a deeply disturbing conversation between a Guy, who was really looking forward to being burnt, and TR. As some of my Teddy R books lack substantial quantities of their page edges (I used to tear them off and chew them), we're wondering if the bump will notice if we rip this particular story out. Its a hard thing for bibliophiles to consider, but, gosh, if you'd read the story you might appreciate where we are coming from.

Pregnancy musings (3)

Having suffered two weeks of his mother sitting in a silent archive, dull for mother and child, it must be time to start the 'musical education' of said child. Or at least give him something to listen to. So today's playlist starts with 'Bat Out of Hell III'. We'll have to come up with something as a nice counterpoint to this for later in the day.

Pregnancy musings (2)

Just wondering how large you have to get before someone offers you their seat on public transport rather than clocking your bump and then looking at the floor? What fun a one and a half - two hour commute across London into the archive that was last week: that's that long one way. (So looking forward to doing it again this week). And a similar question about individuals with no pool ettiquette: how long before they think 'Hmm, that lady is a wide load, perhaps I'll give her a little extra space?' I'm hoping, mainly for my opinion of my fellow countrymen, that as I increase further, offers of seats will occur. But for the pool sharks, I fear there is no hope.

Pregnancy musings (1)

Now at twenty-four weeks plus, my main thoughts (other than panic, worry and stress) have revolved around why it is apparently impossible to purchase maternity clothes in England, other than online. In a moderate sized town (Cambridge) one is told, I'm sorry but only our major stores carry maternity clothes - shop online. In a much bigger town, and more a city in the modern sense (Newcastle-upon-Tyne), one finds again the injunction to shop online, although one can of course go to Dotty P's which, allegedly, has a maternity 'range'. Having last shopped in 'Dorothy Perkin's' over twenty years ago, I was less than keen to grace its doors. But in one trots, and, yes, the maternity 'range' appears to be aimed at the average age of the Dotty P customer. Does this tell us something about teenage pregnancy rates in Britain? Some relief was found in Birmingham, thankfully, but not as much as you'd think. And Marks and Spencer was particularly disappointing and awful. So I suspect that those pregnant ladies who don't have access to the internet are forced to have recourse to the leggings and a baggy t-shirt option, suggested to me by a sales person in a Newcastle store, 'hen'. Fine for at home, but if you need something smart for work? Oeuf, c'est terrible.