Day 1 of Leave

Friday was the drawing to the end of a chapter of my life -work- that started perhaps eighteen years ago. The only other break from work I've taken was living in Lithuania January-June 2004.

I've been asked how I'm going to spend these few weeks, what things I have planned. Without much trouble I can see my time cut out for me:

• Sleep. My slumps have been around 9am and 1pm. Balanced lately by the hour of energy sometime between 2-4am. 
• Walking. Want to keep mobile!
• Swimming. Everyone recommends swimming for pregnancy! I haven't done this yet but my plan is to go to Footscray or Altona to paddle in the slow lane and let the little one and my body get the weightlessness benefits. 
• More Mama Shanti yoga. Hopefully will get in three classes. 
• Hospital appointments. These now are every week, on Wednesday afternoons, with the Cosmos midwives. 
• Celebrate our eight (!) year anniversary. 

And then there's the technical, or nesting, or practical stuff:

• Pack the bag
• Organise nappies
• Buy a bedside light
• Organise bottles
• Organise breast pump
• The big job - washing and organising all the tiny clothes, perhaps more broadly known as 'setting up nursery'. Hoping to have a mother-friend come to sit with me for this.   

The party aftermath is captured by the card spread. I love noting the themes of cards. From top left are the birds and elephants... through to baby photos... flowers and wreaths... some pop-out cards and then the bottom row are the homemade cards.  Reading through these is an incredibly warming and eventually overwhelming experience. 

Love parade