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Induce

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of induce:

  /ɪnˈdus, -ˈdyus/
–verb (used with object), -duced, -duc⋅ing.

1. to lead or move by persuasion or influence, as to some action or state of mind: to induce a person to buy a raffle ticket.
2. to bring about, produce, or cause: That medicine will induce sleep.
3. Physics. to produce (an electric current) by induction.
4. Logic. to assert or establish (a proposition about a class of phenomena) on the basis of observations on a number of particular facts.
5. Genetics. to increase expression of (a gene) by inactivating a negative control system or activating a positive control system; derepress.
6. Biochemistry. to stimulate the synthesis of (a protein, esp. an enzyme) by increasing gene transcription.

Origin:
1325–75; ME < L indūcere to lead or bring in, introduce, equiv. to in- in- 2 + dūcere to lead; cf. adduce, deduce, reduce

Related forms:
in⋅duc⋅i⋅ble, adjective

Synonyms:
1. actuate, prompt, incite, urge, spur. See persuade.

Antonyms:
1. dissuade.

Anyhow, we're going to to one of those to bring the unborn into the world sometime between now and Christmas - we are hoping for closer to the now part of that statement and as far from the Christmas part as possible, but it appears that what I want and what I get aren't always in synch these days.

So anyway - see you all on the other side of that "bump".

Tick tick tick...

• Sleep in? Tick (5.15 folks - yay)
• Breakfast? Tick
• Swim in the ocean? Tick
• Coffee while V surfed? Tick
• Spoke to all female members of immediate family? Tick
• Vacuumed? Tick
• Lunch? Tick
• Made nectarine upside-down cake? Tick
• Ate some? Tick (mmmmmmm)
• Tried to nap? Tick
• Fail? Tick
• Cut out bassinette sheets? Tick
• Blogged? Tick

To do:

• Sew bassinette sheets
• Have afternoon tea with brother and his family
• Write Christmas cards
• Wash windows
• Have a baby

Wonder if the list will be completed today?

From Paradise's most pregnant woman...

This is starting to mess with my mind.

We were discussing the philosphy of it on the way in to town today. I was a little blue this morning, having a lovely mental beat up about what I have done, should have done, could have done, should be doing, etc, etc - about this baby transitioning from unborn status.

On top of that is the tick-tick-tick of worries that maybe this baby wants to stay put for a reason - and please, never go into an overly pregnant woman's worry sector because it is a dark and horrible place.

V is scoring an A+ on sensitive guy at the moment, and after an hour or so forbearance took me out of the house for a drive to collect the booty from the raffle.

I came back in a better frame of mind (and a few bargains from a few op shops - cheap therapy) - still haven't silenced those insideous little voices, but at least they are back in some context.

Anyhow - you didn't get full-term photos because - well, because you didn't - so here is one








and here are 41week 2day photos...








Can hardly tell I am pregnant, can you?







Oh - that...

Amongst things that don't bring on labour

###DISCLAIMER###
Debby - you may go straight to the comments section and talk about Copenhagen. I really don't think it is in your best interests to read this one. It involves a word starting with the letter S and is something you really don't want to read about.

---

Today, Nana (my mother), who has been with us for a week to look after 'Salina should I have the unborn whilst school was still in, packed up and took 'Salina out to Granite Glen. She will return when the baby is born.

This means tonight is the first - and possibly the last - child-free evening for some weeks.

You know what this means?

Curry...

---

V and I were in the kitchen, preparing for our feast.

I had cubed and salted eggplant and chopped many vegetables. V was doing the same with pork.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Eddie go past. I automatically checked his bowl and added some dried.

Some 5 minutes later, our early chores in the kitchen completed, we moved into the living room.

---

Suddenly V turned around and told me to get out of the house!!

What he had seen and I had not was Eddie was playing in the living room with his latest toy - obviously all the craze at the moment - a baby brown snake...#

---

While there may have been a nanosecond of two of indecision about me leaving my mate in the path of danger and endorsing a policy contrary to my feminist leanings*, common sense prevailed and continuation of species was ensured. I fled downstairs and out to the front of the house, so I could remotely monitor the battle between freaked out husband, snake and cat.

---

I could hear V. There was the occasional utterance of a colour phrase or two regarding the stupidity of ginger cats, placement and awkwardness of furniture and piles of "stuff" in the living room and advice to the reptile.

Then there was a long silence.

"Honey" I piteously wabled, mentally working out what I should do in regards to all number of catostrophic possibilites.

A pregnant pause.

"Honey" a little bit louder.

Finally I hear a drawer and the reassuring snap-snap of the tongs - long-handled tongs, I would have surmised based on the tonal quality fear-factor inherent in the situation.

V came to the window and explained the situation and momentarily bemoaned the lack of following through an earlier idea of actually acquiring the local snake-catchers' numbers, all the while checking over his left shoulder for the baby brown to stir from behind a large desk.

Mid-sentence, he swivelled and was gone from view.

---

Eddie appeared around the side of the house, cool as a cucumber. He came and rubbed against my legs like it was perfectly normal for the two of us to be sharing the front yard of an early evening.

A strange hissing sound came from the house. I contemplated whether snakes really did hiss as per the cartoons - all snakes in my history have not, but that is not conclusive proof.

Then again came the hissing, and it was definitely not of the herpetic variety. A strange smell accompanied the sound.

Then there was banging, then there was banging and hissing, then there was banging and hissing and snap-snapping.

Eddie completely ignores this and attempts to lay a whole heap of love on me.

---

A finale then silence.

Emerging on the balcony was a victorious V, tongs aloft with the snake. As he came downstairs and across to where the snake was disposed of, Eddie attempted to walk off as if there was nothing at all concerning in this scenario.

I grabbed the felonious feline and carried him upstairs, ready to rouse as soon as I had him safely locked within.

---

I quickly cooked up the base ingredients of the curry and then added the magic Hot Singapore Curry Sauce and covered the curry to cook through.

---

Dinner was delicious, the cat is completely freaked out, for some reason imagining the snake is still in the house.

# It was not the same type or types previously seen.

* I saw a tea-towel in a dollar shop today. It would have been worth a blog and may be in the future, but the short version is it was branded "Feminist Tea-Towel" and wasn't. V got the full version of the vent...

Oh - and the hissing - Fast Knockdown apparently is an inspirational choice for snake-bamboozling.

Stress-free

You know, up until a week ago, I was completely unphased by this whole "you are going to have a baby" thing. It was going to happen, I was zen.

Then (a) people suddenly felt they had to ask ALL THE TIME when I was due, whether I was over it etc, etc (b) I had an appointment on due date and they said the ominous "you see the doctors next week if you haven't gone to see the next plan" and (c) I really thought something was happening - and then it wasn't...

That made me all antsy and want it to happen, and want it to happen RIGHT NOW - and lord, if b1tchy and grouchy was a precursor to labour, then we would be talking babies and not lack thereof.

It all came to a head this morning, and I had a little meltdown with V. Its amazing what a good cry will do. We are back to zen - I think it is the best approach.

I hate it when people get to me... Especially when they really don't mean to be getting to me at all, just being polite.

Still in one piece

Yes, here, still "intact".

My new deadline is 4.15 this afternoon - that gives me a chance to see 'Salina after school, V to finish work YET STILL gives me an out to not go to the school concert.

Yes, I want to see my daughter perform.

However, performing a routine where they all wear black, have one glove on and to a song and performer that I really never could "get" - I start to quibble.

Watch 9 performances of varying age groups to the same performer who, frankly, doesn't have a great deal of differential in the material on offer? Teetering on the "do I have to whine".

All of the above and present a speech in my official role as head honcho of P and C?

Well, if they are of the calibre of speeches I have been pondering for the last hour or so, I am sure the 150 odd families who can be bothered to attend a school concert but cannot be bothered to be interested in anything to do with the P and C except whinge about what they don't do would wish for me to be anywhere but also.

It appears I may be getting grumpy.

Not into overtime - yet

Got a shock yesterday, finding out TODAY is actually the due date for the unborn. I had been working on the premise that I still had a day - or two - up my sleeve.

Not that it makes a huge difference - it is not here, but it is a day closer.

Having got my head around the fact that there WILL BE a baby here, I am okay with that set of facts.

In fact, I think it would be cool if it decided to start around 11.45 this morning - that would kybosh any further P&C official activities for the year yet allow me to rush through all those Christmas gifts that I have not yet bought (which is approximately the total amount of Christmas gifts I have to get this year less 2).

However, if baby comes through on that order, I am scared for my future. I would not know what to do with such a compliant child!!

If not, I have until next Tuesday to talk sternly - otherwise the doctors are threatening to do the talking for me, and I really don't want that.

So anyway, you will be kept updated.

Bathing - the adventure of a 39 week 2 day pregnant woman on a Friday night.

There was nothing on the tv, and after a harsh morning cleaning (the tuckshop) and the overwhelming (olfactory) urge to bathe, a decision that the black hole in entertainment between 'Salina's bedtime and Outrageous Fortune coming back onto Free-to-Air television in Australia (to see what that may mean to me, I have a thing for Outrageous) (oh, and if I were in Auckland I would definitely do this) would be best filled by running the tub and submerging.

So the bath was filled (yoga positioning required. Lean forward and gently toward the taps, hoping desparately that the centre of gravity would remain in the legs section of the torso and not suddenly tip into the leaning bit - gravity truly sucks sometimes), using the occasional dabble of the right foot for temperature control. There is a conscious thought process on the advisability of adjusting the temperature too finely, as the above step of balance is to be taken seriously with every nudge of the taps.

Getting in to the bath is itself convoluted and requiring several steps.

First, ensure that you are far enough from the plug end to allow room for the eventual placement of legs after lowering - this also means not so close to the slopey (sp?) end of the bath that the tailbone may impact above the bend.

Once correct positioning has been reached, attempt a squat - as you pass the point where your knees may get close to collapse, take the weight off one leg and try to extend it forward WHILE balancing on the other and extending your arms to catch the side of the bath. Continue the downward trajectory until such time as gravity takes over and you plummet.

The "getting into the bath" stage should take place when the water level is not going to be too adversely affected by the Archimedes principle under pressure.

Once in the bath, you are able to use your right foot to adjust the water temperature and turn off the water once the plumb line has been reached. This is a good thing, as there is a very non-pregnant chance in Hades that you would be able to reach down to your ankles and adjust manually.

Now the bath has been run and horizontalish as been achieved, soaking, reading and wallowing may be contemplated. Ignore the water temperature, as once the water is off there is no factor that can be influenced in that matter until removal of body from the bath. Therefore it is adviseable to stay in the water until 7 minutes before unbearable to take full advantage of all the effort that has led to this point.

Once upon a non-pregnant time, the deadline used to be 2 minutes to allow for 2 minutes ablutions before arising, effortlessly and Venus-like, from the waters.

At 39 weeks 2 days pregnant, washing is not the mindless activity that thence it was. You will need all of the 4.5 minutes you allocate for this task just to attempt to reach all frontiers with soap - rinsing is somewhat easier, as you can throw water in the general direction.

With the last 2.5 minutes, exit strategies must be used.

First, sit up.

(ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha)

Please use whatever handholds the bath offers to achieve this - there is no pride available in this step.

Next, cross legs - again with the yoga, I know, but it is a step that is required when your ankles have no flex left and you have to get to vertical somehow.

Now, grasping the end of the bath, try to twist your legs around to one side of your body, hopefully ending up with both of them facing the same way and in correct order. You may need to rock a bit to achieve this, as momentum can be your friend but can also get you stuck if your timing is off.

With both legs to the side (left is my preference) you then need to attempt to raise your torso enough to get said legs to a position approximating beneath you.

Now, lean forward to place your palms on the bottom of the bath and raise yourself onto all-fours. Move through whatever tortures are required to get to Downward Dog and, using the sides of the bath, bathroom fittings and whatever furnishings within reach until vertical is achieved.

Congratulations!!

Still here...

So here is the 39 week picture...

The bump probably didn't appreciate the steam burn I gave it last night (note to self - time and motion strategies must be employed in the kitchen with proper workplace health and safety regulations... or don't try to hold a vege steamer under one arm against the bump when bending down to get some tongs out of drawer).

I was at the school most of the day yesterday (and the day before) - my hips have started to mention that it might not be the best idea to stand up for most of it.

After today and tomorrow, that is IT for the volunteering at the school. I am meant to be at the official graduation of the Year 7 class on Tuesday and the Concert is on Wednesday where I am meant to do a speech, but that is surely incentive enough to contemplate having the baby earlier than the end of term! Lesson for young players - find a post to hide behind when you go to P&C AGM meetings...

Late last week, 'Salina got to go to the disco at school. It was meant to be crazy hair day, but she has been blessed with a mother who completely forgot the "can I have some pipecleaners for my hair" request within seconds and so had to go the putting curlers in her hair.

I don't think it turned out too bad in the end - although she has been blessed with genetically straight hair that will fall into dead straight within minutes of being curled, so I don't know how "crazy" it was!!


V had a shocker yesterday - he didn't go to work as concrete was being poured on site, so he decided to be Mr Handyman. Its not a natural role for him, but he is stoic about undertaking such when he sets his mind to it (and has done all of the research and has the right tools).

First he decided to do the yard - snakes are turning up a bit too regularly in the cat's playtime regime. He and the whippersnipper had 10 minutes of joy together - and then the whippersnipper decided that a main part would just fall off.

So he then decided to concentrate on the plumbing. He had to dig down to the water mains, as the council apparently feel that 20cm of mud is ideal for covering such things. The second tap he went to fix the washers on decided that rather than unscrew where the screw bit was, it would far rather snap at the connection to the post - and do so right through the tap, indicating the tap was actually weaker than the screws holding it on (and indeed weaker than the thread)...

After a trip into town for another whippersnipper, new fittings and advice from the plumbing shop, he returned, fixed that and moved onto the upstairs taps. The kitchen washers are apparently very safe - behind the tiles and a good few inches behind the wall. There were 10 minutes there where I had to cover my ears.

He turned the water back on and all worked wonderfully well - except for the new fitting on the busted tap, which blew off immediately - and every time he tried for the next hour.

Luckily it eventually worked AND the new whippersnipper did enough jungle clearing out the back for him to be able to feel that some of his efforts weren't for nought.

'Salina and he did the Christmas tree last night (I have a "not until December" rule imposed in this house and I AM the Christmas dictator) and balance was restored in the universe.

And finally, Eddie has done nothing untoward since the last snake - probably because someone left him this comfy laundry basket to sleep in.

Of course, it is now alternately bucketing down and threatening to bucket down here which may kybosh swimming at school and therefore impact on the smooth running of our Pizza Day for the kids (we were going to have it so well organised, with only 1/2 the school there at a time... Wet day rules = ratty kids...) Rain also means that V won't be working today, so I might gently nudge the vacuum cleaner into his line of sight.

Baby is far better off in utero for another day or so (if it listens to its mother). We have organised for 'Salina (well, 'Salina and her friend have organised) a sleepover on Saturday night and then Mum is here from Sunday, so as long as I get my Christmas shopping squared away we are almost organised to have another child!!!

Guess What?

On the weekend we:

• got our new washing machine!!!
• 'Salina's team won 12-1 in softball
• went swimming at the beach
• came home to a present from Eddie
• ate well
• and didn't have a baby
  

I have nearly finished all work projects (and associated bookwork) so I am about to inform my boss I am going on maternity leave - I believe there is some nesting to do.

27ish weeks

Very, very, very, very, very slack, I know.

Didn't even get here on the right day for a weekly photo update.

Am meant to be slowing down and "nesting" aren't I?

Just that every day seems to fill up with those "few little things to do" and once I do those few little things, I hardly have time to contemplate my nest.

Today we are doing another push on painting 'Salina's room, buying (and hopefully receiving delivery of) a new washing machine, getting the baby's carseat installed, trying to fix a few little "improvements" on my last big worky thing (and being on call for their meeting if they need any questions answered), trying to fix a nasty gordonian knot in one of my last little worky things and trying to finish my other last little worky thing... Its a good thing that I have 28 up to 27 days (perhaps) to fit all that other nest stuff in, eh?

Anyhow - photo and sign out...

36 weeks - that is still a month to go!!!

Firstly - a big HOO-BLODDY-RAY I have finished the project that has been my life for the last few weeks!!

Only got a few tiny tasks to tie up before I am officially on maternity leave (ha ha ha ha ha - self-employed = doing sweet fa and getting paid accordingly) - and then I plan to:

• Rip up the carpet in 'Salina's room (which has been cleared of clutter in anticipation of this move for a few weeks now...)
• Paint and recarpet 'Salina's room (well - supervise V and 'Salina doing so)
• Rearrange furniture throughout the house so the office becomes the bedroom, the bedroom becomes the nursery and the spare room becomes the office (see above)
• Get carseats installed in the vehicles
• Clean the house, room by room (so that I can leave it another year - I am a blitz cleaner, not a housekeeper)
• Organise Christmas for the family
• Work out what I need for baby that may be missing from what I got
• Get fit (ha ha ha ha ha)
• Get my head around the fact that I am going to have a baby
• Pack a hospital bag
• Nest
• Rest

So you see, I am going to need all of that month.

You can hardly tell this is a pregnant woman, can you?

Still, very hard to get past me in a narrow corridor if I haven't lined up quite right.

The most agonising part of the whole body change thing I am going through.. (oh, and I did book a wax for next week so the fat legs above the cankles can shimmer instead of stun)

The one I prepared earlier...

This whinge is brought to you by the letter I

You would think, after a near all-nighter the other night and brain-drain yesterday, when I flaked in bed at 9.40pm last night, I would stay there, wouldn't you?

I mean, it is what NORMAL people do, isn't it?

But no, insomnia came along and whispered to me at 10.00pm. Yes, so tired I dropped off and got a whole 20 MINUTES before I woke!!

By 10.30, I gave up. The good news is that I got a heap of housework done and caught up on a taped show that otherwise would have been buried before watching.

I didn't turn on the 'puter, because I knew that my brain wasn't quite up to logicking and therefore worktime would be wasted.

I got back to bed at 12 - but not before accidentally leaving a window open to allow Eddie to sneak out.

That would mean that my Eddie alarm-clock had been deactivated for the morning, but unfortunately couldn't turn off the old sun one, which is now set for 1/4 to 5...

So today - I am still on this last job... It should be rolled so quickly, but then one little problem emerges and it can take hours to pinpoint.

I do have high hopes of finishing today - although of course I have to go out twice for school things and V is home, which is NOT conducive to coding (love him dearly, don't need someone to offer me a rub or cuppa while trying to figure loops and breakpoints).

Then all I have to do is rearrange the house, clean, get Christmas gifts, install car seats, finalise stuff for end of year at school, pack a bag and get my head around having another child - after that, the baby is allowed out but NOT BEFORE.

Might even try and squeeze in that whole get fit, get beautiful and organise world peace while I am at it!!!

(Speaking of which - BB sent me a pic of the well-turned ankle - see end of post...)

I think it has turned - kicks are in different part, but still fairly transverse. I caved and bought a few mangoes yesterday (still cannot justify to my inner miser the $2.50 price tag) and am going to dole judiciously. V doesn't like them - unfortunately I taught 'Salina good taste and so will have to share a little.

(Oh - and the greatest pain of pregnancy is the complete lack of footwear available in my cupboard that offer anything in the way of style - actually, that is a general problem but can blame it on pregnancy - gotta get the mileage.)

35 weeks

Well, it was during the week, but I have been flat out here - hopefully finishing up the last big work project today, and tidying up the littlies early next week.

I will despair of the lack of income (like it was rolling in) but perhaps those "nesting" things you are meant to do - like pack a bag for hospital and setting up space for the new baby - will float to the surface. Otherwise we'll just have to roll with it, I suppose.

It seems all I have done is apologise for not going round and visiting all my Bloggies throughout this pregnancy, but I really hope to do a bit of that with the nesting.

Sweet dreams, hey?

Anyhow - latest bump shot and will (hopefully) be a more wordy (and nesty) blogger next week...



(oh - and I do have a top to my head, just that 'Salina was more concerned about not getting a red hand on the photo - something that happens with movement and a slow shutter speed - than framing)

Turtles, tourism exhibits and tummy

On Sunday, we went for a walk down to Paradise* centre as there was a gathering called "Joggers for Loggers" - not about timber, as one might imagine, but Loggerhead Turtles, one of the turtle breeds that chose a beach just up the coast for laying eggs (and therefore hatching).

There could even be a few under the water in this picture!

Of course, the term "Fun Run" is a bit of an oxymoron as far as I am concerned, and so we were more going for "fun swim" and "fun catch up with girlfriends" reasons than the free grub if you got all sweaty over the 8km on offer!!

Paradise* is a fairly elderly beach village (well, elderly in local terms which is fairly recent in other parts of the world), and still has some of the origial beach dwellings along the esplanade. While this wall is not a true "Kanaka Wall", it emulates the style found throughout the area.

"The Kanaka Wall is a well-preserved piece of history. Kanakas were Melanesians from the South Pacific Islands who were indentured to work in Queensland cane fields during the period from 1879 to 1904. Part of their work was to clear volcanic rocks to allow cultivation of fields. The rocks were packed together to form fences and these could be seen all over the district."

What the above fails to mention is "indentured" actually means a form of slavery - one of the nastiest pieces of local history is that of blackbirding, where many were stolen from Pacific Islands and brought to the region for cane cutting and land clearing purposes.

Of course, Paradise*, like many other beachside sleepy-towns, is growing more and more of these things as it uproots the old fibro shacks and grow with fertilising words such as "luxury" and "resort". If you want a few hundred apartments for your investment portfolio, I could even do a whole post on the "For Sale" signs.

This is the hustling centre of tourist activity of Paradise*. The Ice Cream options are fantastic at the Scoopery, not our favourite Fish and Chips outlet (but apparently does a roaring trade in excellent Pizzas) and a rather swish cafe - there is more activity around the corner, but I don't have a camera that takes shots around corners!!

This part of the beach has been developed beautifully for tourists, with shady picnic spots, a fantastic Turtle Park and a pedestrian/cycle path that goes for about 10km (part of the day was the opening of the new section that goes right around to Mon Repos). This is the boardwalk section.

Notice in the background the volcanic rock walls used to create beautiful safe swimming spots.

While there were organised Turtle Sculpting activities further along the beach, 'Salina (nor her friend, Mad') is not really a follower of organised activities (especially when there is some serious splashing or sandcastle building on offer).

I sat in the shade and dozed built my own air-castles while these two frolicked.

On our walk home, I contemplated showing you just how suburban Paradise* can be, but I could find no outstanding examples of mundane - those that fit were not really something I felt the requirement to photograph, and those I felt worthwhile of photographing would not have been an average enough representation. So instead I give you a street I walked.

I was knackered by the end of that morning.


Of course, this is what I was lugging around.

* Please note, Paradise is the term I use for this blog. My town isn't really called Paradise. No, really, it isn't!

Mad cats and pregnant women get up in the pre-dawn light

Doesn't have quite the same ring to it as the original that I have modified to suit current conditions.

Poor Eddie is crossing his legs and climbing the walls because I am the sort of horrible cat owner that follows the "while the sky is dark the cat is in" rule. He does have kitty litter and the birds need to waken before I let the domestic tiger out. I think he might be getting a little slow for the birds, but its not something I am going to test.

Unfortunately, its not the cat who woke me. I don't know what time it was I actually awakened, but my mind started immediately to gnaw away on worries a week away and worked its way back until I threw my (metaphorical) hands in the air and cried "enough".

I would like to blame baby, but although I feel it a fair thing to throw aches, twinges, farts and forgetfulness into baby's lap, it probably isn't justified to give it the full responsibility of this morning - given that I have struggled with insomnia for years.

Anyhow - the baby update is STILL lying sideways, more a scrabbler than a kicker and getting darned heavy whichever way I lie in bed.

Not much to add - one upside to insomnia is all the extra hours to dedicate to making a to-do list, so I am off to concoct one SO MUCH BETTER than yesterday's.

Cue photos from last week for the curious.

News from a sn0thead

Apologies for the language folks, but it is me to a T this week - sore throat on Saturday night blown into a fully-fledged lurgy-filled ball of sunshine.

I am sorry I haven't been around others places or even on here to update you - it would have just been part 3 (and maybe 4, 5 and 6) of the previous laments and as I am chronically sick of my own whining, didn't really see the point of extending my personal cloud of doom over the net. Especially when there are others who have far more important things to contemplate right now.

Monday I had a Glucose Tolerance Test in the morning so I could get back in time for 'Salina's violin performance in the Talent Quest (and yes, we need violins for this ongoing saga)..

However, going in to have the Glucose Tolerance Test meant that I missed the school assembly - which would have told me of a change of times for 'Salina's violin performance to the earlier lunch - which of course I missed at I was having a (all sing with me) Glucose Tolerance Test.

Apparently she did quite well - got a 10/10 from one of the judges (and an 8 and a 7) but missed the final by 1 point. This is slightly disappointing, but a relief in one way as it is one less trip to school this week for me (I have been up there 5 times so far this week and will be up there for an hour this morning - where is the "hide from volunteering" door?).

A lot of people have a problem with the Glucose Tolerance Test. The drink has actually improved in the last 10 years, and the drinking the liquid was no problem (and hey, it is halal, kosher AND gluten free!).

The sitting for an hour in an overcrowded 1970s waiting room trying not to cough or sneeze too much, however, was excrutiating. The pathology lab at the hospital shares a waiting room with the dental clinic, and both have reputations for not running to schedule and grumpy patrons. When I say "1970s waiting room" I am not, by the way, referring to a funky retro feel, rather a funky never updated feel. I think the one magazine available to the masses was a little more recent.

As I give blood (when not pregnant) I have no problems being pinned by needles.

Tuesday 'Salina got her stitches removed without a whimper and now has a very neat scar that will no doubt add to her allure.

Wednesday I got the results, and it turns out I am amazingly tolerant - far moreso than the nurse who had the joy of administering an anti-D injection. I am not sure if she had a case of the hump-day blues or it was a bit of an inconvenience, but I got the feeling it was more painful for her to give than it was for me to receive.

Yesterday I was "kokos bez glave", working at home and at school with about equal amounts to show for it at the end of the day - and today I shall be a little the same.

It is break up day today, so the last ever day of Term 3 of Grade 5 for 'Salina. The holidays are 2 weeks long, and until Wednesday they were going to be a great deal of running around with work and family and trying to fit in a day or two of leisure for her, however one work thing changed and now it will be a slightly more relaxed amount of running around with family and work and trying to fit in a day or three of leisure for her.

I am hoping with the whole "holiday" thing, my health and disposition will improve and I will be back on form. Gotta reach for the stars.

There is an ad on here at the moment, advertising "Sleptember" - I am thinking they have a point!!

Have a great Friday, all!!

Birth Choices

100 days to go - not that anyone is counting of course.

And I am going to do something I very, very rarely (never) do, and that is have a rant.

See, when I first got pregnant 10 years ago, I had no idea what to expect and what to do in terms of the whole bureaucracy of birth.

Heck, I didn't even have a GP. But I was in the State Capital, and therefore should have access to all options I could poke a stick at - shouldn't I?

Well, according to the doctor I went to see, not really. Mainly because we had "left it so late" (procrastination has a way of catching up with you) and partly because "she didn't believe in a few options" and so wouldn't discuss them with us - so she gave us two options.

• Public - therefore a team of midwives, the obstetrician on call if we needed one and a few days at the local Mater hospital;
• or Private, therefore one obstetrician the whole way through including birth at whatever local Private hospital the obstetrician was attached to.

Being the crunchy granola hippie I was, I really wanted the third option - home birth - but that was the option she didn't believe in, and all the calls to anyone who might have half an idea of what I was supposed to do that I made were not returned.

I also had a passing fancy to a fourth option - but I would have had to book in the day I ovulated to contemplate a Birthing Centre at the time.

As we had "left it so late" we were limited to our choice of obstetrician as well - but in the long run that was fine, as K was an amazing straight-talking lady who, had I known her manner I would have picked her anyway with a choice.

This time around, I wanted to have all my options available - only to be met with a rude shock (and no, I didn't leave it so late to tell the doctor this time).

My choice of obstetrician, were I to go private was 1. He is a lovely man with very reasonable prices - unfortunately there are about 3 times as many prices as there were last time around!!

My choice of hospital, whether I go private or not, is 1. The local Private Hospital no longer does Maternity. And the local Birthing Centre would be back in the State Capital.

If I were to even contemplate homebirth, the nearest midwife who offers such a service is over 200km away.

Still - I am very lucky - my cousins and SIL all have to travel at least 300km just to get to a hospital that will do maternity at all, without the consideration of obstetrician appointments and the headache of who is going to look after other children were there to be any issues. (I am doubly lucky because my Mum said yes to coming to look after 'Salina should the baby arrive before the school holidays - and she is only 200km away).

Wonder why induction rates are on the rise? I would say more to do with having to juggle childcare than women wanting to timetable their lives.

Anyhow, due to one very steep obstetrician bill coinciding with a few unpaid invoices from my business AND the fact that we made a considered decision that so long as the dugout team is supportive, it doesn't really matter who catches the baby - we will be in the same facility as the private obstetrician AND I am the most hale bloddy pregnant woman around, we are going the public option this time around - but I still have private cover up my sleeve should it be required.

However - it appears that even if I were to be so close to the centre of power as to have all birth options open to me, the bureaucrats in Canberra are moving so that no woman will have the choice to Homebirth come next year even if there were a qualified midwife.

The way it works is this - the government have finally allowed medical indemnity insurance to midwives - which should be met with a resounding cheer, should it not?

We-ell, it seems that they have tied this new legislation to a codicil that they are allowed to do so as long as they don't practice homebirthing - all join with me and say "what the"?

Oh yes, and if you are stupid enough to homebirth without a valid "but the ambulance didn't collect/I forgot to go to hospital/oh, is this a baby" excuse and you DO homebirth - you can be fined.

Now, I am pretty bemused that I will never get to have the full on home birth experience - but I have plenty of good excuses.

Not letting anyone in Australia have a Homebirth because of politics sort of pisses me off.

And you all know, very little does that for me.

Here is a YouTube of the one politician that has spoken out on it in parliament:


And yes, for all you furriners, that is the conservative side of politics telling the radicals to give more choice and get with the program - who'd a thunk?

In some things, I don't want Australia to lead the way...

I went shopping...

Did you ever play that game on long car trips?

It was a standard of our infrequent (although more frequent as siblings and I grew up, required schooling, dentists etc) trips to the big smoke with long sections of non-radio responsive road and a lack of cohesiveness in the music tastes of the prisoners of the car.

I went shopping and I bought...

My mother and I once got to 118 items between Biloela and Rockhampton on the way to an exam for a scholarship. (I don't know whether it was because of this practice OR the fact my mother insisted on my wearing stockings OR the nearly 3rd degree sunburn on the back of my legs due to an inadvised bicycle ride with slatherings of sunscreen on all extremities except this part of my anatomy the day before OR because I was a smarty-pants, but I somehow made the grade)

'Salina and I have never yet been close to this record, but it does kill the many sections of non-radio responsive road (especially with my radio) that we travel between here and the few far-flung destinations we get to these days.

I am not good at the real sort of shopping. I am getting pretty good at groceries - although it is the fact that there is food at the end of the job that helps me along.

I suck lemons at clothes or accessories. I have already lamented my lack of ability in regard to bras, shoes (in two parts) and, of late, maternity wear.

Recently, I did the maths on the impending addition to the famile de Paradise, and five months, broken down, is getting eek-worthy.

A few weeks ago, I scored an excellent pram (although I have faith that one day I will track down my lent out wonder-pram from the last child) for only $25, so really that solves transport (and at a pinch, sleeping) arrangements.

However, until today that was the sum total of worldly goods to welcome the unborn.

Today I have now solved another area of needs (well a small part of it) with a dozen nappies. Oh yes, now the bottom will be covered - for at least a day - upon entry into the world...

So - give my your list of needs for a newborn. Its been a while, and I was a pretty crunchy granola minimalist Summer mother last time around - I probably will be this time too, but what could you JUST NOT LIVE WITHOUT?