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Hello darkness my old friend
May. 9th, 2011 07:51 amGood morning, fiends.
Monday morning and I've been up since the lark again... and I'm not even going to work! 'Tis insania, I tell you.
I think I gave myself ache-related insomnia through overdoing the DIY yesterday. But at least there is a feeling of progress. Our newly plastered spare room has finally been painted and just needs another coat before we can put everything back in there. (Ugh - is there any job more horrid and arm-ache-inducing than painting ceilings? I hope I never have to paint a ceiling again). Afterwards there is a ton of woodwork to be painted and the hallway walls, but I'm debating whether to get someone in to do the hallway, now that I am so thoroughly bovine.
We've also finally made some progress on prep for Ruprecht and have purchased a microscopic crib. At least now if he decides to make an early appearance he'll have somewhere to sleep (though, obviously, Harriet believes this to be her bed). We bought it second-hand from a lady in Richmond who'd only managed to use it for 2 months due to having a giant baby. (Please god, do NOT let me have a giant baby). She was a very lovely German lady, but G and I still had a lot of trouble not sniggering when she kept saying "Alles klar".
Monday morning and I've been up since the lark again... and I'm not even going to work! 'Tis insania, I tell you.
I think I gave myself ache-related insomnia through overdoing the DIY yesterday. But at least there is a feeling of progress. Our newly plastered spare room has finally been painted and just needs another coat before we can put everything back in there. (Ugh - is there any job more horrid and arm-ache-inducing than painting ceilings? I hope I never have to paint a ceiling again). Afterwards there is a ton of woodwork to be painted and the hallway walls, but I'm debating whether to get someone in to do the hallway, now that I am so thoroughly bovine.
We've also finally made some progress on prep for Ruprecht and have purchased a microscopic crib. At least now if he decides to make an early appearance he'll have somewhere to sleep (though, obviously, Harriet believes this to be her bed). We bought it second-hand from a lady in Richmond who'd only managed to use it for 2 months due to having a giant baby. (Please god, do NOT let me have a giant baby). She was a very lovely German lady, but G and I still had a lot of trouble not sniggering when she kept saying "Alles klar".
Anyway it's a very sweet little thing with a canopy and one side that comes off. The theory is that it attaches to the side of our bed and I can feed him at night without having to get up... at least for the first few months anyway. (Once he gets too big for it we'll get him a proper cot and the spare room will become his bedroom).
Those who know me might be somewhat astounded by my newfound stinginess when purchasing baby stuff. It's funny how different it is to buying for someone else's baby... (or shinies for oneself, come to think of it). When G and I were buying stuff for Helena it was all "ooh, lets get the best one in the shop" and now we're buying for Ruprecht it's all "Jeez, I'm not paying that! Get it second hand".
Those who know me might be somewhat astounded by my newfound stinginess when purchasing baby stuff. It's funny how different it is to buying for someone else's baby... (or shinies for oneself, come to think of it). When G and I were buying stuff for Helena it was all "ooh, lets get the best one in the shop" and now we're buying for Ruprecht it's all "Jeez, I'm not paying that! Get it second hand".
The problem is not so much that we can't afford it as that the price of baby stuff OFFENDS me to the core. How can such horrible, plasticky tat have the audacity to be so expensive? And why does it all have to be so huge? Plus I hate the way shops try to guilt you into buying so much stuff that you don't really need... or spending a fortune on inflated versions of things with spurious extra safety features. (I'm like some frightful old harridan wandering around Mothercare saying "nobody needed those when I was a kid".)
To some extent you just have to swallow it for mundane essentials like car seats and prams... but at least with clothes and fripperies you can let your inner Scrooge run free. (Jo Maman Bebe, you do indeed have some lovely things. But do I really want to pay you £20 for a single babygro that will be covered in sick and last 3 weeks, when I can get a 3-pack of Primarni's finest for £7?) To be honest, I'd far rather channel money towards his future education than fritter it all on surfaces for baby sick that he won't ever remember. Having said that, I suspect his new bedroom might become frippery central... this being the fun bit, after all. (If I have time, I'm thinking of making a mobile out of small knitted dangley animals).
Anyway, he's due to be prodded by another midwife this afternoon and I'll hopefully find out if he's making the right progress. It may be my imagination, but I think he might have suddenly dropped a few inches, as my bump feels lower and heavier than it was and I have started to walk like a duck with a limp. Also G and I must really try and settle on a proper name for him soon. (What will be v. weird indeed is if he turns out to be a surprise girl after all this time expecting a boy).
In the meantime... it's G's birthday in ten days and we need to plan a nice meal out somewhere. But where? Perhaps it is time to revisit the Glasshouse in Kew...
Well I hope you lot are surviving Monday morning and have good weeks ahead of you. (Anyone feeling jealous of my time off might feel better if I tell you it has been nothing but hard slog so far!)
