Pregnancy Week 36

Parkes' scan took place on Monday at QEQM. The kidney problem hasn't got any worse which is grand news however the baby's position is still breach. This means we are going back to the hospital on Friday to see if a specialist can 'massage' the baby into a head-down position. Failing this it looks like Parkes will be offered a caesarean section. All will be revealed on Friday I guess!

Meanwhile back on the ranch we are awaiting the carpet to be fitted in the baby's room. Parkes got her preggo bags packed last night as there is a tiny possibility that the massage could trigger labour (crikey chief!). I will be inhaling my own gas and air.

Parkes, Jason, Michael and Shelley. We spent a lovely weekend with these guys. Although the weather was a little bogus we still managed to put it about on Thanet's beaches. Parkes cooked a lovely lasagne which was particularly crispy on top - just like my good self.

Young Michael charging along Kingsgate beach. The sea is one big puddle.

Strings showing Ramsgate how to jitter-bug in the amusement arcarde.

Weekend

This weekend Parkes and I will be entertaining Shelley and Jason (and little Mikey) who I have not seen since my 30th birthday bash over 5 years ago. It should be good - my 30th seems such a looong time ago. We will also be avidly watching the coverage of the Glastonbury festival. I have always wanted to go but I'm deterred by the possibility of a mudbath. Looks like this years festival could turn out that way!

Pregnancy Week 35

Parkes is getting unbelievably round. She is still sleeping well and getting around. This Monday coming we have a scan at Margate hospital to check upon the child and it's kidneys. The scan should show up his/her position in the womb as it does seem to be in a very weird position. However he/she is quite lively so hopefully everything should be okay.

The nursery room is now completely decorated and we now await the laying of the carpet (cue a folk song). The baby monitors are in and working - they tell us the temperature of the room but this doesn't seem to have moved from around 25 degrees since we bought them. Crappy things.

This is Parkes' penultimate week at work. I think she is just about ready to knock it on the head as it is all a bit physically tiring now. Just wait until she sees all of the jobs I have got lined up for her at home!!!

Parkes and I took a walk on Sunday evening in Eastcliff. The atmosphere was muggy and intense but the air and sea were very still. It was almost like a violent storm was approaching from afar bringing with it apocalyptic doom.

In the picture you can see a bloke on the beach who has just let his dog poo and not cleared it up. Maybe he thought "Well, we're all gonna die in this coming storm - one little dog turd won't matter".

Margate Refuse and Recycling Centre (Tip). Parkes and I venture here once a week for recycling fun and games. If you are a single gentleman or lady it is the ideal place to find your future wife/husband.

Boobs, belly and bottom. The life of a pregnant woman. The Cream Egg is near bursting.

Pregnancy Week 34

The baby is still in the same position as last week - it seems like it is stuck fast head-up and feet-down. His/her bedroom was painted last weekend and now all that needs to be done is to gloss paint the rail and skirting boards.

Parkes is still in fabulous shape - basically she is the same shape as she was before the pregnancy but with a massive Cream Egg-shaped bulge on her front. However she is very uncomfortable and is looking forward to the end of the road. We have been watching the Living TV channel as this has lots of giving birth stuff on it. Some of it makes you wince.

This weekend I will be looking at buying a baby monitor. These days you can buy ones with night-vision cameras, temperature displays and loads more. They also have good ranges on them allowing you maybe to venture into the back garden and still monitor your baby. How super! I will able to water my potatoes whilst listening to my snoring child.

Deano Decorating Ltd paid a visit to our house last weekend to decorate our dining room and lounge. He performed admirably and both rooms now look fantastic thanks to his efforts. This is a piccie on Dean demonstrating the roller technique.

Just because you are decorating doesn't mean you have to stop rocking! Whilst Dean decorated downstairs I painted the baby room upstairs a nice green colour.

Nutbush

What have the towns of Nutbush and Ramsgate got in common? The answer is absolutely nothing. However I would like to change this fact and have the town of Ramsgate twinned with Nutbush, Tennessee. Currently Ramsgate is twinned with the following towns;

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (France)
Chimay (Belgium)
Frederikssund (Denmark)

Additionally I would like Ramsgate to be twinned with the following places;

Nutbush, Tennessee (US)
Malibou, California (US)
Wyre Piddle, Worcs (England)

Hopefully this will raise the profile of Ramsgate to stratospheric levels.

I always thought that Helen Daniels (Neighbours on TV) was talking about a fictitious place when she banged on about the Bungle Bungles. But no! And it also isn't a place where furry bears like to hang out. This is what the Bungle Bungles really looks like. You can find the region somewhere in Australia. It looks pretty dry and dusty to me and no pubs in the vicinity.

Pregnancy Week 33

The baby is currently sitting head-up in the womb facing Parkes' spine and kicking her major organs. Parkes has mentioned this position is uncomfortable however the baby doesn't want to move. Something has got to give.

We went to an 'active birth workshop' on Saturday at Newlands School in Ramsgate. It was very informative and we also had an insight into modern-day cloth nappies (terries for those of you over a certain age). They look superb and apparently are alot easier to use and maintain than the old terries. Apparently 8 million disposable nappies in the UK are thrown into the rubbish each day - that's alot of nappies in land-fill sites. Maybe it is time to take the plunge and try cloth nappies. I am wearing one as I speak.

On Saturday night whilst waiting for the varnish on our floors to dry I ventured out to the Monty. Andy was serving Top Dog stout and this gem from the Burton Bridge Brewery. A real hoppy little number best served with Scampi Fries.

On our way to a Silk family 40th birthday party Parkes and I stopped off in The Rose of England pub in Ramsgate. We were delighted to find that they were serving up Crouch Vale's Amarillo ale for two pounds a pint! It is a delicious pint at a price not to be sniffed at.

Chicken Poo

Our next door neighbours have decided to cover their front and back gardens with chicken poo. I am told this is some kind of compost and helps you cultivate enormous marrows and the like. However it bloody stinks and is not very neighbourly. Maybe I should put some poo on my front and back garden in a tit-for-tat move. But where can you get poo at this hour of the day?