Well here we are, 5 days after the due date, and still no baby!
He/she seems happy to take their time.

Actually, Karin was remarking the other day about how damaging the concept of a due date can be - in our modern world where we're used to things happening at the prescribed day/time, it's easy to forget that your "due date" is more a tentative "average due date" and the actual birth can be 2 weeks either side!

Having said that, Karin has been experiencing a lot of stronger Braxton Hicks contractions the last day, which seem to be getting more and more regular... so maybe baby is finally on the way!

Still I know that you're all eagerly awaiting the start, and you've paid all this money and the main act still has yet to come on stage.
So I'm going to have to try and distract you for a while with some light entertainment.

Saturday
It's a long weekend this weekend (second May Bank Holiday) which is great, apart from the fact that the weather is supposed to be miserable.
Still, today doesn't look too bad.
So I made the 10 min walk up to the hill behind the village to get some photos of the village in which we live (mainly for my mother, but feel free to look at them, y'all...). I just wish it were a sunny day, as the view is lovely with the sun starting to set, as it provides a lovely glow. Still, gotta take what I can get!


This is a view of the village from the hill behind it (Click to enlarge)
(Rach: this is where I was whilst talking to you on the phone)


The local kids play ground (Click to enlarge)


Looking down the main street (Click to enlarge)


The village hall (Click to enlarge)


The local shop (Click to enlarge)


A view down the street behind our house (Click to enlarge)


The top of our street (Click to enlarge)


The other end of the terrace we're in (Click to enlarge)

That afternoon, we followed the advice of Karin's father, and went on a lovely long walk (it's supposed to help stimulate labour).
We went to another village about 30mins drive away - I've never spent much time in the county of Surrey, but it really is a most agreeable place (yes, I've been watching a bit too much Pride and Prejudice I feel).

This is an amazing field of barley we found - hard to see but there were
these amazing patterns as different clumps moved in different directions (Click to enlarge)


Baby cow!  (Click to enlarge)


Me and cows and cheesy-grin (Click to enlarge)

(Yes yes I know, there are no photos of Karin - I did take a lot of them, but she wasn't happy with me putting them on the blog - sorry!!)

Afterwards we had a nice dinner in a village pub, watching all the locals arrive for a 50th birthday party, wearing some quite strange fancy dress (including one odd toothless local drunk guy who was trying to sell me some weed in the bathroom, and was convinced that I had a tongue piercing. Surreal much?!).

Sunday
On Sunday the weather was a bit worse, so we thought we'd try and venture to the shops in Kingston upon Thames (which is where the local John Lewis is - I know, a bit posh, but we wanted a decent desk fan for the birth).

Although only a 40 min drive away, it still felt a bit daring leaving the house this close to the birth! Still, we were short of items that will be needed for the birth, and it wouldn't be the wisest thing to let Karin go by herself.

Afterwards we went wild... and went to a *movie*! Oh I say. Talk about pushing the boat out.
Wow, even *I'm* boring myself now.
Ho hum.
I get paid by the word, you see.

Monday
Today. A thoroughly miserable day - heavy rain and wind.
Karin has spent all day (so far) in bed in her pajamas reading. And I'm so glad! It can be very difficult to get her to take any time to relax, but I think it's exactly what she (and baby) need, so I've been pottering round the house, making lunch, getting the shopping in, etc etc.

It looks like I'm nursing my inner female, as I spent 2 hours watching the (superior) BBC adap of Pride and Prejudice - I have fond memories of watching it at home in NZ with my mother, but not sure if those memories are entirely accurate.

One other series I've been watching is Brideshead Revisited - I remember it being a family event to watch it when it came out in the early 80's, and remember loving the theme tune, so it's very exciting to be able to watch it now.
I can't believe they're making a film of it - how can they do the book justice in a 3 hour film?

It's interesting having this extra time before baby arrives - it gives me a chance to reflect on what the coming months will hold. I'm very excited, of course, but also slightly apprehensive (as to be expected). Other parents talk about what a momentous event having kids is: we've had this constant companion with us for 9 months, with it's own definite personality, and I can't wait to meet him/her.

One of the things that it truly brings home to you is that your parents went through all of this - as a child, you think of your parents as knowing everything, and yet you realise that they were in the same boat that we're in now - and you also realise the sacrifices people make in order to have children. So Mum, I have a much better appreciation of what you went through and I'm sure this appreciation will get stronger and stronger as we experience having a child. Anyway, just wanted to say a big Thank You to my mum for the sacrifices she went through (and a post-humous thanks to my Dad).

One of the other things I did today was to get the lounge ready for the birth - which pretty much means a waterproof cover over the rug, and a nice soft area in front of the pool.
Carrie asked for some photos - so here they are!
  
Pics of the lounge area

Rightio, that's enough waffling on for now.
I'll go make a nice up of tea for Karin, and then order up a nice sizzling hot curry for her (apparently another way to bring on labour).

Fingers crossed everyone!