Ante-Natal Group

The dinner with James and Rachel went really well. So much so, we invited them over to ours last Wednesday. We traded their spaghetti [correctly predicted as the dish of the day beforehand] for our BBQ. James and Rachel are now on tender hooks (not because I may have undercooked the chicken) as they are due to deliver tomorrow, with an inducement deadline of Monday the 18th.

We’re still meeting up with the other Fat Ladies each Thursday at the pub to share experiences and anxieties. The numbers are dwindling each week as girths increase and higher levels of discomfort kick in. The number of partners drinking alcohol is also dropping off as more and more approach the “drop everything and drive me to the hospital” four weeks to go stage.

The record heat and humidity levels have been causing Vic some aggravation, but we managed to escape for a few days with a weekend up in Carlisle at my in-laws. The North West was a good 10 degrees cooler and lacked the steam room air quality. We managed two nights of quality sleep. Sweet. And the dog was fine.

Took the tour at Wallingford’s community hospital. It was so much better than the JR: Natural light, friendly midwife, fresh and soothing paint, intimate and informal. The venue has been selected.

Our baby wardrobe is busting out. We’ve received so many great gifts from people that our new arrival will be able to wear three or four different outfits every day of her first three months. Bring on the sick! She’s going to look a million dollars when she accompanies me to all those Magic tournaments.

Five weeks and counting.



The Football Season Starts

The new football season seems to start earlier and earlier each year. It shouldn’t start in the middle of a high summer heat wave, or the summer cricket Test Series, but it has. If you put a quid on Oxford United winning each of their matches 1-0, you’d probably end up quids in by the end of the season. Promotion? Probably a better chance than last year, but not as strong as the bookies seem to think.