the final countdown

With about a week left to go, I've started reflecting more and more on this pregnancy. It's almost over. What a weird feeling: excitement, of course, mixed with reservations about how ready I really am to be a full-on mum. People keep telling me that the last month or so you just want the baby out, but to be honest, as elated as I am about finally meeting him, I've really enjoyed the process and am almost loathe to let him go.

Of course, there are a few things that I won't be sorry to give up. Here are some of them:

- Swollen feet
- dwindling energy - feeling wiped after our less-than-3K morning stroll, which used to be a 4K brisk walk and was once an almost 10K jog
- People I don't know assuming that, because there's a baby in my belly it's now in the public domain and there for the rubbing or patting
- This irritating ear thing that's happened almost daily since the first trimester, where everything sounds echoey and hollow and I can hear myself breathe really loudly until I start yawning and yawning which eventually cures it for a while, but everyone thinks I'm showing signs of visible boredom or sleepiness, which I'm not - I just want to hear properly!

Things I will miss:
- Despite the belly-patting irritation, the attention I get everywhere I go has been quite pleasant
- Feeling Baby Pear Tree move inside me - even when he practices his drop kicks and roundhouses, or uses my insides as his own personal trampoline, which I swear he was doing last night.
- When I eat too much at dinner now, I don't have to worry about trying to suck my gut in. No one can tell the difference now, anyway. I'll really miss that!

a very very very fine house

It was a big day for us. A tremendously big day. After months of ogling a new development of townhouses a couple of blocks from where we live, Kyle and I made a financial commitment to one of them this afternoon.

This summer, we will move into Parkside Villas, bordering Ben Lee Park.

Our first house. Our first own house.

They're not yet finished being built, but we're hoping they'll be done in time for our influx of friends this summer. They're scheduled to be done mid to end of July and it would be just perfect if we could put everyone up in their own room (there are three!) and have three bathrooms (one bath and two showers) at their disposal.

Here are some pics:



This is a shot from the park, looking at the place. Ours, in the second row, is obscured by a tree - but don't worry, there's lots more pictures with a more clear view.




Kyle, proud new homeowner, in front of our place. Our unit is the one directly to the left of his head.




A close-up shot of the new digs.




The view from our bedroom window (minus ugly blue skip and scaffolding cross bar)

So that's it. Guess I'm going to have to start focussing some positive energy on this backwards town, because it looks like I'm in it for the long run!