Yesterday we went to a local-ish park and spent the whole sfternoon climbing huge hills, playing ball games and racing around the play park. I managed to keep up although my legs are a bit sore today. We managed to get a good sleep last night though so I'm sure that has helped because yesterday I was exhausted and dreading today because Nigel is out gardening the country club all day and I wanted to make sure thechildren didn't get too bored. So far I've suceeded we've been tremendously busy making masks, making plasticine jungel animals, making spinners and we've begun a rain chart monitoring how many days of rain we'll have over the next 2 weeks. I felt this was apropriate after all of the floods up and down the country. (we're so lucky not to have flooded!)

Today I have felt good. Not so much as a twinge in my back although I have eaten my way through the contents of the fridge! I'm always hungry lately! Must be another growth spirt!!!!! This is me and the children at the park yesterday. Don't I look huge! How much bigger will I get???? ;o)

Even my maternity clothes don't fit well anymore!

After breakfast this morning I went back to bed for half an hour to catch up on some lost sleep. When I woke up I started sorting out the washing. When I finally got dressed at about 10:15am I noticed that my belly seemed a different shape and that I felt different too. I felt around my tummy and discovered that the baby seems to have dropped. The top of my belly feels empty and flatter which has given my lungs more room which is why I've had a more productive cough this morning. I'm grateful for that because I've had the rotten cough and cold the children have got over the last couple of days and it's hard to have a decent cough when you are heavily pregnant. Also The bottom of my tummy is very hard and full. At the moment it is hard to tell which way round the baby is but then it doesn't matter ATM. For the last couple of days I have been expecting something to happen. I have been feeling more focused on the birth and the baby has been in my thoughts a lot. I am really getting excited now, I don't really feel nervous at all!

Lately a lot of all of our energy has been going into helping HRH. His skin and cough have been improving since we have been giving hi red clover blend and following the instructions in the new booklet we have. His therapist Lin has made us a new cream to try and some aromatherapy oils to burn to help his cough. So far so good. His skin on the whole is miles better ATM but he is still suffering with sore fingers and heels. I'm sure this is a good sign as we've been told many times that eczema often goes to the extremities before going completely so we are staying hopeful.

Of course in try fashion we are constantly trying to catch up on sleep. I am feeling tired today but on the whole things haven't been too bad. Nigel is being offered work left, right and centre and also if we can get enough sponsors we are hoping he will be able to do the HET training in August. Fingers crossed about tat because believe it would really help Nigel to build his self confidence up again.

I feel that my womb has now reached my diaphram and the baby is beginning to run out of room. It seems to have settled on the right side with it's feet across as though it is sitting down. I feel regular movements and the baby still gets hic-ups but the movements are definitely not as frantic than they were. the baby seems to be gaining control of it's limbs. The movements are more deliberate now. For example. Nigel enjoys putting his head on my tummy to see if he can hear the babies heartbeat, and when he does this the baby will kick his head! Also it responds to the children all of the time. Especially Luna, but it obviously recognises all of them! I am taking a phytobiosphysics remedy called female repro, I am finding this is helping to balance my hormones and give me more energy although I haven't done my yoga for ages.

I had a midwife appointment on Friday 6th at 9am. I agreed to having the blood tests in the end because like Nigel said I'll only draw attention to myself by refusing it. I had to take a couple of Arnicas afterwards though because I don't know whether it was because I was more reluctant that unusual but she really hurt my arm this time.
Other than that everything went well. HRH really seemed to need the reassurance that the baby was ok as it seemed he had been worrying about it for a while! He mentioned it on Thursday night before bed and it made us realise how much he worries but doesn't tell us. Nigel said something about when the baby is born and HRH replied with 'Well, of course that is if the baby survives!' Angel answered first and told him there is nothing to worry about because I feel it move all of the time but he didn't seem very reassured. It is for this reason that we decided to invite the children to be at the birth. We had discussed this before but we finally decided it would be a good idea and would reassure everyone but especially HRH that pregnancy and birth are usually perfectly safe.

I have been finding it very difficult to sleep lately because I've been getting restless legs and it is beginning to drive me mad. I find it ironic that at 2pm every afternoon I could sleep for England but the moment I lie in bed and try to relax I feel twitchy and dreadful! Still perhaps it ill pass, fingers crossed!

I recently noticed that I am no longer producing milk from my left breast and only occasionally from my right breast. Luna still enjoys suckling to sleep each night and I don't mind either. I know it is common for milk to stop during pregnancy but I can't help worrying that the reason I don't have milk ATM is due to the fibroadonomas in my left breast as they are quite large and there are quite a few of them also I find it uncomfortable to latch Luna on properly and it is often uncomfortable while she suckles. I really need to do something about this I must look into this again. I have been trying to meditate regularly but so far it hasn't had much effect!

Well, I'll be 28 weeks on Wednesday, and I can't believe how time flies when you're having fun! I'm really enjoying being pregnant at the moment. I have plenty of energy and we've had a really wet rainy June which has been quite merciful as I haven't been feeling sweaty and uncomfortable, (much!). The baby is becoming slightly less active which I suppose is due to lack of space. I certainly am huge. My Dad commented that he'd been telling people I only had about 5 or 6 weeks left because I'm so massive! Nigel thinks this is probably due to loosing a baby which sort of feels as though I've been pregnant for ever!
Despite my size I have felt very comfortable, however, this morning I think the baby was leaning all of its weight onto my intestines as I was in lots of pain until Nigel felt my tummy to find the position of the baby and inadvertently moved the baby over which eased the discomfort considerable. Nigel isn't as squeamish as me and so is good at that sort of thing.

With regards to the birth and the midwifery issues I think the more we read the better we feel. We are still on course for an unassisted delivery, however, I think suddenly dropping out of all of the midwifery services would probably arouse too much suspicion. I don't want Nigel to be arrested after the birth because it could be considered endangering our lives to not phone the midwife, which actually happened to a friend of ours! The book we're reading together, 'The power of Pleasurable Childbirth' is great and Nigel found the 'Unassisted birth' website which is really fantastic. I am sure that in the event of another child (not that I'm planning or anything!), we wouldn't bother with any midwifery services at all but for now we'll play it by ear!
I'm feeling really happy and privileged ATM and hope the feeling lasts.

The baby has hiccups a lot! Sometimes as much as 6 times a day. I am even woken up during the night by the hiccups! Bless, it's just like when I was having Angel, (except I'm much bigger!)