Update on family life.

We've managed to keep ourselves quite busy the last week or so. In preparation for the baby we are changing the upstairs office into a nursery, and the downstairs spare room into an office. But the downstairs room (our old home education study room) was a tip. The 14 year old wallpaper was peeling and just disgusting, so we decided to strip it and give it a lick of paint. So Dan spent a day stripping wallpaper, and another day painting the room magnolia. If our wireless internet connection ever arrives (we've been waiting 2 months for it now) we will be able to move the computer into the new office and start work preparing the baby's new room.

In an attempt to get me to believe we are really having another baby, Dan sent me off to Ikea to buy a cot. Barney and I spent many hours in Ikea (our first ever visit there) and came home with a new cot, mattress, duvet, sheets and blankets for the baby. It was good for Barney to help in choosing these things. It's helped him to feel a part of the whole 'baby thing'. I let him chose the baby's first teddy bear, which he will bring to the hospital as a gift when baby is born. He chose a HUGE green crocodile. He is sleeping with it until he baby is born, just to take care of it. After we paid for it and he carried it to the car he said "Mummy, I hope the baby doesn't die when it's born, now that I've bought it such a lovely present".

The doctor has started me on medication to lower my blood pressure, which is working fabulously. Apparently I am taking an extremely low dose, but it has worked effectively to lower my BP to around the 75 mark, instead of over 100. She was delighted with the results. On Monday of next week we have our big 22 week pregnancy scan at the hospital. When I was pregnant with Barney the big kids came to see the scan. This time the whole family will be trudging along to Craigavon Hospital to see how the youngest member of the family is getting on. These days baby is starting to kick very strongly. Dan felt his first kick with his hand on my tummy this week.

We have been dog sitting my sisters dog Leila for the past few weeks while she is on holiday in Australia. Leila has proved to be a big hit with the kids, and she's been spoilt rotten. Between sleeping on peoples beds and getting up to 10 walks a day, I don't think she'll ever want to go home!