would you like ice with that?

smashing the ice

playing with their minds

Today is the first day of Spring and the sun is out! Walking to work this morning I spotted some buds on the bare trees - you can imagine my delight. It's been bitterly cold here again this week, around 3 or 4 degrees most days and snowing. Not enough snow to hold on much after early morning though but we do live in Central London.

The baby is kicking so much now and I absolutely love it! Everynow and then I'll have a huge beaming smile on my face while I'm talking to someone or at work and they'll just stop and say "The baby is kicking isn't it?" I can't help it! It's such an incredible experience!

I've worked out a good trick though for keeping the kids at work quiet. If they're too rowdy I tell them that I've just got the baby to sleep and they'll wake it up if they're not quiet. They actually have a lot of respect for the fact that I'm pregnant and they calm down immediately .... well for two or three minutes anyway! The game will soon be up though when they click and ask me exactly how I have just got the baby to sleep.

a spot of wildlife in the heart of the city

I took this photo walking through St James Park on a chilly Winter's day.

24 weeks

the first belly shot!

a splash of colour

Our new dividing wall, separating the bedroom from the lounge.

a new couch, tv and bedroom wall

After sitting on cushions on the floor for almost a year it was so nice to have a couch, and a necessity now that getting up from the floor is becoming more and more difficult for me.

the bathroom 

through to the bathroom 

our bedroom

Our bedroom, freshly painted wardrobe, wall and door
to the bathroom.

a bold move

Although we loved the bare floorboards we had a deep black stain in mind and so a little hestitantly at first we began to stain the boards. We had to move everything we could out of the boat to do this and luckily a friend on the marina allowed us to store everything in her boat and gave us a place to stay for the five or so days it took to do each coat and allow it to dry.

sanding back the boards

Our floorboards went down in just days before our first guests in June and we were unable to stain the floorboards in time. Months later in August we set out on the laborious task of sanding the boards back ready to stain them.

nearly there

We seem to have blitzed the boat in the last few weeks on weekends, evenings and during my week off and so this morning I took a few shots. I also found a few shots from August last year which we hadn't posted yet so you will be able to see some of the background work before you see the boat as it is today. Still not entirely finished, but getting so close now.

gone to the dogs!

Last night Woz and I had another experience we never thought we'd have. It was the 20th anniversary for the company that Woz works for and in honour of the occasion, his boss shouted the office a night out at 'the dogs'. Something I have to say I had no interest in doing but after Woz's failed attempts to convince his boss that a trip on the Eurostar to Paris for dinner would be better we all headed off last night to the Greyhound racing. We had a huge long table which faced the track and from there we were served a three course meal and as many drinks as we dared to have at any office party. Woz and I decided that since we weren't paying for the night we'd throw a fiver down on a few races, betting a pound at a time - daring I know! We ended up losing most of our bets but on one we made £5.55 which meant that we'd made back our £5 and came out on top. After such reckless risk taking we decided to leave it there. We showed them! Out of the twenty or so of us there we were the only ones who left with more money than what we came with, even if it was only 55p!

time for another update ....

We have had a great start to the year with a visit from my brother Tim. He stayed with us for about a week and although we weren't able to take any time off work I managed to squeeze in an extra day by scheduling my 20 week ultrasound in while Tim was here so the three of us were able to go together. Tim and I were then able to spend the day together.

My plan was to show him a little of London that day but most of it was spent catching up over a very long coffee and then a brief walk and then a long lunch! It snowed on our way home which was lovely. The first this winter for London, and although it only lasted about half an hour it was magical just the same and great that Tim could be here to see it. It was great to see him and much easier to say goodbye this time knowing that it will only be a matter of weeks until we'll be in Australia.

Woz and I have been continuing working on the finishing touches on the boat and it is starting to feel much more like a home. It's been such a long time. I have a week off next week (half term holidays) so I'm hoping to do quite a bit of painting.

I'm in such an exciting stage of my pregnancy. I'm still feeling really good although beginning to get a little more tired than I have been and the baby is really moving around a lot. Woz can now feel the baby kicking too and see my skin move around as the baby kicks which is lots of fun. We don't watch TV anymore, we just watch my belly. We're such proud parents already!

Our scan went really well and so we don't need to have another for the duration of my pregnancy. I have to admit I had heard quite a lot of negative comments about the National Health Service here but I've had nothing but brilliant service. I have a lovely midwife who puts up with all of my questions and I feel really calm and relaxed about the whole experience so far ( I know I'm not even close to the scary bit yet!).

At this stage my job finishes up at Easter but hopefully my contract will be extended for at least a few weeks after that. I'm really confident I'll be able to work as a freelance interpreter after I have the baby and am looking into it now and making some contacts. The only unknown is how early I'll want to go back to work.

Woz is still enjoying his job and has been asked to take on another railway station (while still managing his current project). His boss seems to have a lot of confidence in his ability to coordinate projects which is very encouraging to him.

It's still been very cold here but the days are getting longer and we live in hope of the warmth of Summer returning!

an icy morn

We've had some very grey days lately but this weekend brought the sun. We woke up in the morning to find that part of the canal had iced over and took this shot of the seaguls literally walking on water.

boy's toy

and now for the good bit ...

I'm pregnant! Hopefully by now we've managed to let everyone know that should know, but if by chance you're only finding out now we're very sorry! Woz and I are absolutely rapt (for the Londoners that means we're very excited!) and can't wait to become parents. Although I'm not exactly looking forward to the hours just before it happens! I'm due the 13th of June.

I've been very fortunate, only sick for the first three months and really I think I got off pretty easily compared to some. As for cravings, just oranges, Apeltise, post-mix coke and pink lady apples so with any luck I'll be able to keep the weight off. Oh, and I do have rampant craving for tomato sauce which in itself isn't too bad, but the hot chips that go with it aren't the best.

I already have a decent belly which is growing by the day. I promise to take some photos soon so you can see just how it's developing. But I also promise not to bore you with too many details!

Here's our first snap shot.

looking back

Well, there you have it. Finally up to date with all our happenings from 2005 and we're ready to start the new year. Although I've only just updated the blog now, I have backdated the last few entries rather than write them retrospectively as I was taking notes while we were away, and thought it would be better to keep them in 2005. Hope you enjoy reading them. Sorry if I've bored you to tears! You know the drill, start at the bottom and work your way up. It starts at December 21st.

new years eve

Last night Woz and I decided we would have a late dinner out and then head our way to the main square in Copenhagen to see the new year in with thousands of others and a spectacular firework display. But, after a beautiful dinner, walking home we passed the square, and narrowly avoided injury as thousands of drunk revelers had already begun to welcome the new year in by firing off copious amounts of fireworks at 30 degree angles across the square. After about ten minutes we decided we valued our limbs too much and decided that losing an eye to a firecracker was not our idea of a good night out and so opted for a night in. Thankfully, our hotel room was on the fifth floor and so we had a view of the fireworks (the ones that made it into the nightsky) from over the roof tops. We're getting old aren't we?