22 Oct 2010 pushing nineteen weeks

We-ell, I'm nearly halfway there, though if they set me birth date a fortnight earlier than my due date, which they did last time, I only have nineteen weeks to go, so either way I am half way, yes?
I am still feeling sick through out the day, and my back aches almost all the time, though sometimes I hardly notice it, while other times I am heading for the painkillers! I don't seem to have grown any rounder recently, but I have noticed my body has gottten softer, like, um, more jiggly bits, you know? This is rather disconserting, as I was really looking forward to wearing shorts this summer, and now I don't know if I have the guts, because I am so concious of how my thighs wobble as I walk. Even though, its probably only me who sees it, but really, its my opinion that matters most, isn't it? Hmmm, methinks I must be very vain!
I have been feeling baby move since last week, but will not admit to anything officially because every one knows you can't feel the baby before 18 weeks, right? Right? Right! But its quite an active bub, though I don't spend as much time trying to feel it move as I have done in the other pregnancies, as there has been so much other stuff going on, but I am aware of it.
My first hospital appointment is next week, and then I shall be told when my 20 week ultra sound shall be, and we shall see if we can see what this baby will be, but I may or may not share, because I have always liked to hold this secret close to my heart as long as possible.
The children are looking after me, and it is so sweet! The other day I was walking Hadassah to Granny's house, and Malachi was conserned about who was going to look after me while I was away! He was going to voice some serious opposition till I assured him as soon as I got to Granny's house I would sit and have a drink, and Granny would look after me! And Hadassah is always quick to notice if the nausia or pain is worse than usual, and urges me to sit down. And Phebe tries to help by giving me lots of cuddles, which doesn't always help, much, but the feeling behind it tickles me to death!
Michael is also keeping a close eye one me, but things have gotten busier around here, so he has less time. Like Sunday is still church, so that will take up all morning, and sometimes early arvo, Monday morning is swimming lessons for the older two while Phebe and I nick off to Granny's for some quality time, and then Monday arvo is Malachi's Basket ball lesson (which he adores!), and the Thursday night from 6pm is Bible Study, so I'll stay home with the children while Michael goes to that, and then Friday night at the same time is Soup Kitchen, and the same thing again, I'll stay with the children and Michael goes to help with that, but aside from Monday, everything is flexible, so if I take a turn for the worse, or when its time for me to go to hospital, Michael can still be there for me.
My gardens are all looking much healthier, even though the warm weather is still extreemly fickle. The flowers are out and fighting for survival with Hadassah and Phebe picking them by the handfuls to give to me! The vege patch is growing bigger, and my little nursery is growing too. When its sunny outside Michael and I will take our breakfast drinks outside and lounge in the comfy chairs on the patio and  soak up the morning sun for as long as we can, till either Granny phones up, the children over run us, or we run out of drink.
Michael and I are almost finished the Supervisors Course we are doing to legally qualify us to supervise our children doing their schoolwork at home. I shall look forward to it being done, not because it is hard, but because it is hard to make time for, and the extra thing needing to be done in a busy day will not be missed, let me tell you! I really hope I can be organised enough to start Malachi on his PACE's early in the year, say late January, early February at the most!
Oh yeah, and Michael will be pulling down the dividing fence between us and out neighbour, Cliff, as soon as Cliff gives him the thumbs up. We have saved enough money from the tax money to replace the poor excuse for a fence we had, and have Cliffs friends put the new one up, but we've had to wait, because Cliff is nintey or so, and he had some sort of operation a couple of weeks ago, and we have been waiting for him to recover sufficiantly to over see the project. Not that Michael needs over seeing, but because that is what Cliff wanted to do, but trying to catch Cliff at home at the moment is challenging, at best!