Pregnancy update

Well, it has been requested so here it is. All those who are fed up hearing about it or are just not interested I apologise.

I am now 27 weeks and 4 days pregant and very excited. It is truely amazing the whole process of a baby developing inside and how they communicate without words. The whole moving around thing after meals and the waking up between 9.30 pm and 11pm as if to say, 'pay me some attention... I am in here you know!'
We were back at the midwife last week for check ups and again got to hear the heart beat. It is truely amazing and something that really does make you realise a baby is growing and developing daily and that we hope to be parents in less than 13 weeks time!

The practicalities continue. The cot is built, we now have sheets for it, the pram is built and stored away, friends and family have donated and bought us clothes and bits and pieces, so really we are just waiting to the big day.

We talk about being prepared however the antenatal classes haven't begun yet, so we are not sure how to be prepared, however fear factors as well as sheer delight and excitement share parts of our brain and discussion daily.

Apart from all that I am well and healthy, just the normal complaints, I get a sore back, especially in the evenings, and my lowest rib on the left side is sore most of the time. The midwife tells me it is to do with the release of a chemical called relaxin (yes it does what it sounds like) it relaxes muscles etc so my ribs are now more floatier than usual hence the botttom one jutting out and being painful. The leg cramps continue through the night with me hopping and dancing to a range of different beats in the dark as I try to sort my leg muscles out!
My little sister is still struggling with a twisted pelvis so her back pain is greater. We both say if this is as bad as our pregnancies get, we are very fortunate mums to be!

So the update on the baby and the pregancy, all is well, Jamie and I count our blessings every day and pray that not only will he/she be happy and healthy but will grow up to love God and people.

13 weeks and counting, but so far no stretch marks to count!



On a different note it was my parents 30th wedding anniversary this weekend. It was a joy to celebrate with friends and family and to see them so much in love and so happy. Jamie and I are blessed with parents who love each other deeply and who love us deeply - something we sometimes forget or take for granted! It was a great but tiring weekend, eating and celebrating in Patterson style. (Jamie as usual had to fight to be heard amongst all the Patterson women!)
So that is us all up to date. Baby is well, JA is well (and expanding) and Jamie continues to run in the rain and hail, sun and wind and seems to be gettting fitter and faster!


Oh... don't tell me how much we look alike or how much I have grown. I had all that from the aunts and uncles at the weekend! ( but it is pretty freaky how alike we are!)

Another week zooms by

Well, I did promise I would write at least every week, however this week just seems to have sped away at a pace of light years with not a lot happening.

I have been on courses on how to improve children's writing to level 5. Shouldn't it be how to encourage children to write imaginatively and creatively and not just to pass a test at the end of Key Stage 2?
I have been to visit a neighbouring school to share experiences and knowledge on how to improve the standards in Mathematics in our schools.
I have been to a staff meeting about improving map skills and hygiene in food technology.
I have been in reviews about special educational needs kids and how if I fill out more forms the government will give school more money so that we can deal we their complex learning needs.

Oh and I have taught my 35 Year 6 darlings that sugar dissolves quicker in hot water as the higher the temperature of the water, the more energy it contains therefore the solid will dissolve faster! ( What is the point? I hear some of you say) TO PASS THE KEYSTAGE 2 TEST, SILLY!

But don't worry, tomorrow I am doing sensible things like hockey, drugs education, probability and writing in simple and complex sentences, using a variety of connectives and punctuation.

Well, I am off now to get my lessons ready, hopefully this week will not fly by so quickly and hopefully I will have something more interesting to blog about by the weekend!

All change

This week saw the last of my parents evenings for a least a year. It felt quite weird as I still feel that I have so much time to go at work, but with the school timetable it was my last official meeting with my parents, (I have been seeing the same ones for the last 2 years as I have the same class again.)
It is also kind of strange as for the next few years at least, I will never do parents evening on my own as I hope and plan to job share and work part time. As you all know I am a bit of a control freak and I am not sure how sharing a class, classroom etc is going to work out, but I am getting used to the idea, I hope I am a good team player and I work well with whoever the person is going to be.
It is so far away in the future, (April 26th 2007 to be exact, as I had to fill my return to work form in, before I left!!)

Well, it is all change for me at work and at home. Yesterday the cot arrived and the study no longer exists. It now shares a room with Jamie's music stuff and the sofa bed. Nothing stays the same forever and we are so excited about this baby. He/she moves around a lot and is really starting to make an appearance, ( my body is expanding!!)

This blog, I seem to remember was not to be a baby diary, but I know for a lot of our friends, everything is changing for them and that there are lots of changes in the near and distant future for you all.

This week, I hope all the changes are pleasant and comfortable as well as welcomed as I/we are enjoying ours!

A visit to the capital

Well, this weekend was our third in a row away from home. ( Willow, our poor cat will eventually forgive us!)
Paris, York for a Christening and this weekend a visit to London with Eif and Esther to see Mary Poppins. What an amazing show and she really flew ( ok on wires but you couldn't tell!)
I am sure I could feel Jaime and Eifion's feet tapping beside me and Esther and I were definitely humming along in places.
We also had a chance to visit the Natural History museum. What a remarkable building! It was great. We did the shuffle, as it was so packed, past the dinosaur exhibition, we visited the Human body section and the Earth Sciences part about volcanoes and extreme weather. (that was 3 1/2 hours worth) We really enjoyed it and would love to visit soon.
Just a question. Has anyone seen the film 'one of our dinosaurs is missing' with Peter Ustinov? Jaime and I think it was filmed there. Any opinions out there?

What a great weekend, We squeezed in lots of good time with our friends before they leave for Australia in 5 weeks!!!!! We are now back in Manchester for the next 2 and then off to Belfast for my parents 30th wedding anniversary party. This bobbing around will have to be reduced soon, but for now we are having a great time seeing friends and family.
Jon and Roz, watch out we hope to visit at Easter!!!