Walking in my hood

XXV Maybe Baby(moon)

I feel like posting a photo reel from the past week and lots of happiness moments. But some things need their own post. Like Lyttleton.

Happy happy near Arthur's Pass after dinner on Day 1

This holiday was booked long ago, as a return to the ice for Charlie, with an ice-climbing course booked in. Then he broke his shoulder. So the flights were moved to some random date in the future. Which came about and we still had no real replacement holiday in mind. And I'm pregnant so a big hike was not an option.

As Charlie is pursuing bouldering, we found the week nicely alternated between climbing days and touring/walking days. Perfect weather helps.

Christchurch > Cass Bay > Castle Hill > Arthur's Pass > Mayfield > Queenstown > Glenorchy > Kinloch > Moke Lake > Queenstown > Geraldine > Governor's Bay > Lyttleton > Christchurch

XX4 South Island

Week 24 and day 1 of a long-awaited holiday in New Zealand.

Stretched out in a simple cottage high above Cass Bay on the Banks Peninsula. Below us a fascinating bay with muddy winding street, kayaks racked up and amazing rocks above. Big rain this week and earthquakes prior have blocked roads, gouged retaining walls and left gaping holes in the eateries of nearby Lyttleton. We love it here.

Something lovely in the post

Special delivery. Love and thanks. 

XX3 Cosmos

Name preference: Willow
Best activity: Running for the train and making it.
Adventure dreaming: Singapore
Random worry: Ingesting black mould
Reading: Consolations of the Forest

After the hospital appointment last week I did a lot of googling of 'cosmos' which was mentioned by the midwife (super chipper, Melissa or Michelle, perhaps). I found out it was a study completed by La Trobe Uni into models of midwifery care that reduce Caesarean rates. Though there was nothing online about the adoption of the model of care at the Royal Women's, it sounded good! A small team of four midwives gets assigned to you; you meet all of them; one will be your lead; you will likely have them at your birth; you get a special number to call that goes direct to this team; call them day or night, they are dedicated to you and will know who you are so you don't need to re-present yourself. Your partner can stay with you at the hospital, but you must leave after 24 hours. 

Bustling to a massage, I got the call to say I was in the cosmos program; I was surprised just how delighted I was. It means for sure I'm low-risk as that's a condition of entry. It makes me feel better about going to the hospital. I'm excited to meet them. 

Following the massage, for which the set-up was quite hilarious: a mountain of pillows on the table, to cradle my tummy, I was taking the seven flights downstairs and bumped into a nun I see around occasionally. She is a beatific creature, dispensing warm greetings as though I'm a treasured friend. This time she says "How are you - oh! How are BOTH of you?"

Can't do anything right

ADHD linked to use of paracetamol during pregnancy http://ab.co/1hkXZa3 #abcnews

XXII first hospital appointment

Yes, same outfit as Monday.. 

Exactly 22 weeks and all my dates correct and confirmed. We spent four hours yesterday afternoon at the Royal Women's, having a 50 minute appointment with a chipper and young midwife and about 15 minutes with a doctor. In between we watched all the other pregnant women and their families, and the screens which showed breastfeeding instructional videos. 

Big rain yesterday and we watched with frustration as our new gutters failed in multiple places. We realise they are purely ornamental. 

Went for another 3km run, that makes seven runs in the past month, all about 19 minutes. It feels hard and good, which is usually how running feels to me!

Name preference: Indi

Best activity: Watching grass grow in the backyard (see left side of pic above)

Adventure dreaming: Tomorrow to Grampians. 

Random worry: I want my child to be perfect (not so random)

Reading: A list of great reads from JCW for my year ahead

XXI rocking

Saw Eddie Vedder last night. Was all about the ukulele. Set list. I wonder what the little one made of it all. There was some very pregnant ladies in the foyer after so that made me feel relieved. 

A dear friend, EJW, is getting married next month and I was thinking of love lyrics for her ceremony and came up with the following.

"Longing To Belong"

I'm falling harder than I've
ever fell before
I'm falling fast while hoping
I'll land in your arms
'cause all my time is spent here
longing to belong
to you

I dream of circles perfect
eyes within your face
my heart's an open wound that
only you'd replace
and though the moon is rising
can't put your picture down
love can be frightening when you fall 

And when the time is right, I
hope that you'll respond
like when the wind gets tired
the ocean becomes calm
I may be dreaming but I'm
longing to belong
to you

Matching white t-shirts and black shorts/pants at the Junction Hotel for pre-gig dinner. 

XXI maternity fashion

Best activity: taking my shoes off at work
Adventure dreaming: holiday shacks on NZ south island east coast
Random worry: going to loud concerts will harm my baby
Reading: forum threads about four wheel driving while pregnant or with babies

 

The daily fashion crises and the weekly weight gain (250gms!) got to me. The recommendation from trusted sources was Topshop Maternity. Charlie refused to join me on the mission to Knifepoint, but he missed out. As well as some larger undies, I got sorted with some 'skinny leg' black pants that I can imagine wearing every day.

 

The Topshop experience took place 20 minutes to closing on a sunny Sunday afternoon and rather quickly after entering the shop, I was somehow assigned a personal stylist. She trailed me around and set me up in a huge special change room. She said I had the glow.

 

I bought a dress and top as well and may begin a fashion diary as getting out of the house and feeling presentable feel like something worth celebrating. 

 

Featuring: famous Topshop maternity pant + non-maternity blue top + Christmas gift necklace + visible bump

XXI from the mountain top

Listening to soft rain on the tent. Late morning and crows calling. I'm so cosy and the air is fresh and grass-sweet. I can just see the single summit tree through the fog. I'm lying on my left, feeling my heart beat. This place always welcomes us home.

 

Three cars have crawled past. I greeted the first but didn't bother after. Just now I heard a thud. Series of thuds. The little tent, my resting body, are right by the track. Six horses were stepping past. I greeted the riders in their driz-a-bones and broad hats.

 

Mt Stirling

XXI Valentine's Dream

In my dream there was a small baby in grey pants with white dots and press studs. It was telling me it needed new pants. I wasn't organised. It was a mundane moment, soft and normal.

XXI alive and kicking

I'm both sentimental and forgetful. This week a year ago things were very different and I'm reflecting on a very big year behind - setting aside the year ahead! A decade ago we were in Daukšos Gatvė and hosted a fabulous party with all manner of unknown new friends and warm wine, Outkast blaring and new lovers around. 

Feeling rounded though well. Yoga is harder. Sleeping still good. I think the weight I've added is about right though I feel weaker which is frustrating.

XX and Westside Times

Sunrise run and I had to stop to capture the vista. Every time I go down to the waterfront I love it again and more. 

Saturday night we jumped out of the heat haze and got a train cityward, but got off at Yarraville to look at movie times. We'd just missed a block starting so wandered to a lil Japanese place for dinner. It had a sushi train that had novelty boats. Japanese seems like a good option for me as they have lots of vege friendly options and small dishes so I can eat the right amount. If only alcohol free Asahi existed.

We had 30+ minutes to wait for next train so decided to walk. It was a long hot and sometimes weird walk as we tramped through Yarraville and Spotswood along roads where the only pedestrians were rats. 

We resolved to watch Con Air if we ever made it home. 

 

XX

19 weeks and feeling it

Lovely busy times with beach, river, visits, breezes and goodness. Friday we used our patio for BBQ and relaxed together before hosting. Early start for a kayaking lesson and accidental swim... Then to the coast where I should have taken photos of the beach/house to share how beautiful and relaxing it was.

Some anxieties with bodily conditions. I booked into the Doc after being told by another soon-to-be-mother that I had somehow missed getting lots of the checkups and info she already had. Silly.

Name preference: Della
Best activity: Legs up wall or sunset stroll
Adventure dreaming: Mt Speculation
Random worry: Varicose veins
Reading: Job applications, the 52 project, blogs about varicose veins.

At home, ready for work. Last time I can fit into blue suit (until...). 

19 weeks and the scan

Cool change gently flowed through last night, it's short-lived but still welcome. Had my first visit to Williamstown beach just before the heat broke. After work, home to change, then to beach and in water in ten minutes. Just the right amount of time to cool off and paddle and after we got out, the breeze shifted and clouds pulled around the sun.

Williamstown beach as the cool change approached. 

Today is scan day and maybe sex reveal day. I'm very glad that we're not hung up on boy/girl, one thing not to worry about. The first scan, some seven weeks ago, took place when I was very sick and I'd just got back from Indonesia. It was so wonderful to see the little one move around and actually confirm I was pregnant.

18 weeks and a run around Princes Park

Eighteen weeks is nearly half-way. There's certainly evidence of a new shape in my mid-section. Not time yet for a complete wardrobe change.

I'm feeling very optimistic and well and grateful for all my blessings. Weather is lovely and I'm back to the gym. Last night I headed up Swanston to meet AJM for a run around Princes Park, something we used to do years ago together. The sun was hot, the track flat and boring, the company great and the pace slow. Perfect.

17 weeks and Warburton

Seventeen weeks pregnant and a lovely summer weekend full of activities, friends and eucalyptus smells.

After a week of back to work and 40+ heat, Friday night was greeted with joy as the temperature plummeted from 4:30pm. The forecast winds kept us at home Friday night so we packed the car early Saturday and headed to meet our fellow cycling buddies for an eggy breakfast at APTE (which appears to have changed hands...).

Our weekend plan included a ride up Mt Donna Buang, camping at Warburton Caravan Park, then rock climbing at Ben Cairn. Three different groups of friends and three activities around the Yarra River up in the ranges.

Thanks Roxanne Silk for the photo of me winding up to (halfway-point of) Donna Buang. A great day-trip destination for a walk, ride or just fresh air.

Little India

Indo 2011

My 9-5 job is to advocate for Asian language and culture literacy in the school system. Makes sense then, to learn an Asian language, right? I have a patchy track record of languages (shh, don't tell my boss), studying French through high school, hating it, learning Portuguese when I was with Rui, then Arabic and Lithuanian in Vilnius. Oh, and an afternoon learning Korean in Seoul.
So I'm fluent in nothing but Strayn. Charlie studied a year of Indonesian at high school and seems to remember a great deal. So we studied a short course and enjoyed it immensely. Totally inspired. And very much supported by my colleague, the Indonesian Advisor. This week I'm due to start Indonesian Elementary II and in four weeks I'm gonna head to Sulawesi and get some immersion as I cycle around.
I started my cycling training with a lap of Studley Park this morning, hands frozen, eyes squinted in the bright 7am sunshine. Felt like a slug on a tractor but the tour has me riding 60kms every morning so I'll need to keep it up. Four weeks.