i've been nesting...

this whole maternity leave thing is all that it's cracked up to be and more! in the past few days I have been that productive, in terms of getting things ticked off my list of things to do...

electricians in to fix up dodgy electrics job? check.
carpenter in to install skirting and architraves? check.
wardrobe guys in for measure and quote? check.
flannelette wraps/bunny rugs made? check.
dog booked in for wee holiday at the resort while floors are sanded and polished? check.
kinderkot sourced for a very special visit this week? check.

Not too bad an effort for one and a half days of maternity leave.... Anything else I need to add to my list????
xo

your time, love and hugs are the best gifts

So many of you have been asking what you can get us for our soon to arrive addition to the family... really, all we want is your time, love and hugs!

But here is a wee list of things we don't have on our wish list (so please don't get us any of these!).

• Jolly Jumper (encourages toe walking)
• Baby walker (just don't like them... not very safe)
• Sheepskin (give my allergies to lanolin, and Paul's allergies too, probably not a very good idea)
• Cot bumpers, pillows or quilts (sids risk) --- quilts for bub to play on the floor are terrific, just not for bed

Thanks again everyone, and really, all we want as a gift is time with you!
xo

gut and butt 31.5 weeks

gut and butt 31.5 weeks, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

ha! just posting this photo cause I can.... makes me giggle...
getting closer... (and BIGGER!)
xo

the boys have it.... and a new rule

Hello!
Well... it seems the boys have it, with an overwhelming majority of you saying it's a boy! Some of you have admitted to just plucking a guess out of the air, some of you are hedging your bets and using the two guess rule to your advantage, and some of you are using highly technical reasoning, such as how much orange juice I have been drinking, if my belly looks like a basketball or a watermelon, if I am craving sweet or savoury foods... etc...

None of you have mentioned hiccoughs, but this baby has hiccoughs throughout the day, for at least ten to fifteen minutes each time. Not long now til we find out for sure!

Oh! and there's a new rule... if you don't nominate a time of delivery, I will assume you mean midday. If you haven't nominated a time and don't like the idea of being put down for midday, you will need to leave a comment and let me know when you think bub will be making her/his appearance.

A belly update for those of you still keen for updates...

Chat soon, xo

Oh! and a very big congrats to the lovely Cat who has just added another little one to her family. Welcome to the outside world little kitten xo

guessing comp update

Hi all

So here is the latest update on the guesses so far... only a few weeks of guessing to go, so if you want to change your guess (or sit on the fence like Grandpa to be) then now is the time! Looks like we are pretty evenly split between a boy and a girl at this stage... interesting!

Thanks to each of you for playing along.

Hannah xo

a cheeky hint perhaps???

fruit loops originally uploaded by thomas hawk

Mum's diet can determine baby's sex
From: Agence France-Presse
April 23, 2008

OYSTERS may excite the libido, but there is nothing like a hearty breakfast laced with sugar to boost a woman's chances of conceiving a son, according to a new study.

Likewise, a low-energy diet that skimps on calories, minerals and nutrients is more likely to yield a female of the human species, says the study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Britain's de facto academy of sciences.

Fiona Mathews of the University of Exeter in Britain and colleagues wanted to find out if a woman's diet had an impact on the sex of her offspring.

Click here to read the full article on the website

This may help some of you out in the gender stakes... xo

View from the top 28.5 weeks

view from the top 28.5 weeks, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

No chance of seeing my toes at this point!!! I promise, it is not a basketball up my tshirt!

This is yet another shot of me in my favourite http://www.discobelly.etsy.com/ tshirt.

Now, as there has been some confusion about how to play the guessing game, here are the easy steps:

1. go to http://pugandpickles.blogspot.com/2008/04/hello-and-baby-in-making-guessing-game.html
2. go to the bottom of all of my chatter, and you will see the word COMMENTS (with a number next to it).
3. click on the work COMMENTS, and then a new screen will open up with a blank box on the right for you to fill in your guess....then follow the instructions, and.... you're done!

You can also comment on any of the other posts in the same way, so if some of my chatter interests you, or if you have some thoughts about a photo you have seen, whatever... feel free to drop me a comment! (For those of you not into "internerding" as much, leaving a comment is sometimes referred to as "de-lurking").

Hope everyone else is well and happy, chat soon,
xo