1st day of maternity leave!

Well I never ever thought I would actually be able to say "I'm on maternity leave" but it has finally come around! I was so excited not to have to get up to go to work this morning. Mind you I woke at 6:30 so not an ideal sleep in for my first official day of mat leave (esp after I didn't actually get to sleep til after 3:00). But I can have a nanna nap if I choose to!

I'll be 36 weeks tomorrow, so she is due to arrive in around four weeks. I feel very blessed that I get paid maternity leave. I feel very happy right now.

I am finding it hard to do much relaxing though. I've made a list of things I want to get done before bubs arrives and I just want to get everything crossed off ASAP. Most are chores around the house, like cleaning the windows inside and out, making curtains for the nursery cleaning out cupboards and scrubbing floors that have been left too long between washes. Housework hasn't been my No 1 priority over the last 8 months and it shows! My gorgeous DH is pretty good, he'll run the vacuum around and cook meals, but he doesn't often think to clean the bathrooms or wipe out the fridge or dust, or those kind of things. So catch up time! I'm really looking forward to having a sparkling clean house in a few weeks time (gonna take it slow!). Apart from that, planning to catch up with friends for leisurely lunches, have my cut and foils, animals to the vets for their now overdue shots, a stroll or two along the beach and hopefully a bit of lazing around reading time. I could get used to this!

Next appointment is Friday with the obstetrician. Really looking forward to a quick scan to make sure she is still cooking nicely and growing well. Then I'm onto weekly visits, alternating with the midwives, so I'll get my scan fix every 2 weeks instead of monthly. Not that there will be many more I suppose since I'm due in a month. Still feeling pretty good, except sleeping has become a bit of a non-event some nights. My hips, partcularly my right one, have become quite achey and they are worst when I am lying down. I am also like a bit of a stranded whale in bed, it takes a lot of effort and some considerable pain to roll over. DH has a quiet giggle at my expense, but you have to keep your sense of humour about it! We've finished our antenatal classes now. I still have the breastfeeding class next week. We're also going to calmbirth classes this Sunday and next, both full days. I'm hoping they will really help ease my anxiety about the upcoming birth. DH is worried it's going to be too much "hippie shit" as he puts it. But I'll try anything that might help me manage the pain and stress thanks!