Christmas and New Year festivities

Since I last updated the blog, Christmas and New Year's Eve have come and gone, both of which were very enjoyable although a bit knackering. So I will try and recap as best I can the last 2 weeks or so.

Had my last official day at work on Dec 17th when I packed up my office and handed in my key (someone is going to be using it while I am on maternity leave), although I still have bits and pieces to finish off including proof reading a copy of the book before the new baby arrives. Helena the mid wife visited on the 19th just to check over and again all well, blood pressure nice and low.

On the 19th evening, Ardha baby sat Vincent while Pete and I went to Warwick Arts Centre to see a play called 'Trevor Goose and his dark night of lights' by the company of a couple we know from NCT. It was really funny and we really enjoyed what could be our last night out together for some considerable time!

Was getting increasingly tired and spent most of Saturday 20th in bed, particularly as I seemed to have developed a horrible coldy/coughy thing which by the way is still lingering. Then on Sunday, Max and Emma came for lunch. It was great to see them. In the evening (from 5pm) we went to Chris and Nicole's for a viewing of Bob the Builder's Christmas special, It's a Wonderful Life and Scrooged, just to get us in the Christmas spirit.

Dad arrived on the Monday which meant that Christmas was really beginning! Vincent was very glad to see Grandad (DadDad as he says). The next two days were filled with shopping really and then on Christmas Eve we went over the Maggie and Bill's for a party. Pete and I ducked out at about 11pm leaving Dad to wend his drunken way home with the equally drunk Linda and Dave!

Christmas morning I was up earlier then Vincent at about 7am, and then we all (including Pete) went to 9am Christmas Day mass. Just time after that for a bacon and/or egg sandwich and then over to Linda and Dave's for drinks and nibbles. Vincent fell asleep on their rug so I came back at about 1 pm to get dinner on the go leaving Pete and Dad there until Vincent woke up.

I was quite pleased how well dinner preparations went and we were sitting down by 330pm. I made crab cakes for starter, nut roast for me, and perfect (I am told) roast beef, lots of lovely veggies and trimmings, and then we finished off with a homemade Christmas pudding from Linda (which Vincent had 2 portions of!).
!).

Then we cleared up and then could open presents!! Vincent hasn't really grasped the concept of Christmas but did enjoy opening his presents (although did just go back to playing with his old toys again! He really loves an Iggle Piggle toy that Dave got him-you should see how excited he is when he hears Macca Pacca or the Ninky Nonk sounds!
Pete got a remote control helicopter from his brother which Vincent seems scared of (it flies around the room and is a bit odd to see I guess), as he is of a remote control K-9 Pete also got!! There seems to be a theme with Pete's presents this year!

I then had a bit of a kip and about 930pm we went over the Linda and Dave's again for Secret Santa and more drinks coming back home about 1am. A very good day. When we got home, Dad decided to open the lovely port he brought from Porto and we all had a glass. Dad swore he didn't drink very much Christmas day, but the next day when we were sitting having dinner with everyone, he said at the end 'shall I open my port now?' and couldn't remember at all having opened it the day before.... hmmmmm!!

I cooked gammon in coca cola in the morning which we had for lunch along with other left over meats (and nut roast) with Janet and Pat and Dave who arrived about 1ish.!

Then it was more present opening before Stephen and Lauren arrived about 6pm which led to more present opening... oh it's a hard life! More food and then Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (the first television we had watched all Christmas). Stephen and Lauren stayed until the Monday which was great. Not sure we were great hosts though as I wasn't up to much! We walked into town and met them at a pub for lunch on the Sunday but apart from that just hung about the house.

On Monday night Gennie and Matt came around and we had a takeaway curry and watched Christmas specials we had recorded(including Doctor Who, Royle Family).

On Tuesday morning Helena visited with Sue who will be the second mid wife when I finally go into labour. It was nice to meet her and know who is going to be around on the big day. All is well with the baby and me. She has moved over from the right to the left and is a little more engaged than the last visit so all seems to be progressing as it should be (I think she has moved back to the right again since then but still firmly head down which is all we have to be concerned about!) Apparently there is still lots of nice room for her in there to move about.

Pete had to do a bit of work on New Year's Eve (in the day!) and Dad looked after Vincent so I had a really long lie in until about 2pm!! This meant I was able to stay up very late that night at the theatre. It was a really good evening (no entertainment, just about 70 odd people -all company or club members so good company, a quiz-which we won!- and disco music (provided by Pete and Olivia on the lap top).








I did quite bit of dancing and we didn't leave until 330am!


Vincent raced around for ages and then crashed out on a pillow under a blanket about 11pm!It was good knowing I could just walk the 5 minutes home if I needed to but actually I felt fine.

January 1st was a bit of a wash out as it normally is being absolutely knackered /hung over and then Dad left on Jan 2nd so the Christmas festivities are truly over now, and we are just in the waiting game for the baby to arrive. Most things are prepared now: we had a practice run with the birth pool and all of the preparation of the nursery is done. I think she will be overdue now: Pete guesses by about a week, but we shall see. As of today I am 39 +2 so less than a week until due date and it's funny to think that Vincent was already born by now. Apart from being absolutely knackered and capable of sleeping all day if I am able, apart from that I feel fine, and certainly have no signs of impending labour, except some Braxton Hicks-but then what would I know!