Murray - for some reason I missed your post about 2 pages ago.... I know what you mean... the hard uterus thing.... mine has changed now... and it seems like my whole abdomen is hard. But constipation and full bladder arghh. You had me nodding with agreement about not being able to bend etc. I have worked out this method of putting on my undies that basically looks a lot like fly fishing... I just keep going til I snag a leg - much easier than trying to bend. LOL. Maybe you could get the oldies to try that? And about the lounge thing.....I think Tegam mentioned it.... sooooooo true. even with a pillow behind my back I look like a turtle stuck on their back, except I have a short neck..... I also found I became LOT more comfortable once bubs turned from being breech to head down. I still reckon I look fat and not preggers, but DH and Obs have been saying for ages I look preggers. Sorry that you're getting fat comments - just blow them a raspberry.

Audax - lovely to hear you are glowing..... even in trackie dacks ....I have been getting that comment for ages... and finally I am starting to feel like I am. How cool. I am at the stage where I want to get to 40 weeks, as I really want to experience every aspect of this pregnancy. But 17 Sept would be ok To be honest I would be happy with any day in September.

HPL - Audrey is on my list of names... how cool. DH says he has no idea and likes all of my ideas. So that's something...

Angel - enjoy the camping.... hopefully its relaxing.

Tegam - I am with you... just about anything can make me cry at the mo .... including the tantrum throwing little tyke I saw today... or weirdly, DH took me out to watch some out rigger canoe racing and I just cried and cried. Not sobs, but I couldn't stop the tears. We just agreed to try and ignore them in the hope they would go away.... they did eventually. Which ad did it for you?

Ferrals - it is so good to see you in here.....

Sunshine - well done! It will be hard coming up to your angel versary..... just go with the flow on the day.

AFM - we've got the car seats now. we splurged and bought two - one for each car. but it was kind of cool to be buying two, as we would have bought two for the twins, and it was a tangible connection to their pregnancy and this pregnancy. ended up getting the safe and sound compaq - it rated most highly on the choice and CREP report ( available from NRMA and RACV web sites) and DH was determined to get this one. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of some, and the little one might grow out of it a little sooner than some of the larger ones... but that's a problem that's at least another 2 years away.

The other really poignant thing was doing a tour of the birthing suites at the hossy during the antenatal classes. I was worried I would get upset. But the group was shown one suite and then was open to us to look at another one. The other two were in use! DH and I waited til the group had moved on, then went into the birthing suite where we met our wee Amelia. Instead of being gutted, I just felt a sense of peace and serenity and contentment - almost nostalgia. DH said the same. A long way from being nervous about even going into the hossy or past the the outside doors to the birthing suites.

Oh the other thing? DH said he almost cried during the birth video ( it was more a montage set to some earthy new world music and about two shots of birth itself, most of it was just the woman in the first stage of labour) as once the baby was born the mother had a particular smile on her face, and DH said he said that's what he remembers most about after Amelia was born, the particular look/smile on my face. Who would think I could have smiled at a time like that? But our wee little girl was just so beautiful and precious and ours, and I felt so blessed, even in that moment to have the privilege of sharing my life with her. Hard to explain really. I certainly didn't expect those feelings. Glad I did though.

Anyway, I am off to read that article and see if it brings a tear to my eye. Take care girls, and thanks for listening. I appreciate it.

Although interestingly, my memory of the room was a bit different to the reality. Guess my focus was somewhere else that day? It was ever so cool to hear the lusty wail of a newborn from one of the other suites. I have to say the joy of that sound brings tears to my eyes. It was interesting though, there was a lot of fidgetting from the group when we were in the birthing suite - not sure if it was anxiety or tiredness. But then again, the topic of the evening had been labour, so maybe people were just overwhelmed.