Aloha again and Festive Greetings to you all! We hope 2011 brings you and your loved ones much peace, love and happiness!
I’ve been waking up around 4am most mornings- we go to bed pretty early so it’s not too terrible, but I find I am so uncomfortable in bed now so the sleep is mostly restless. I guess it’s all in preparation for those night feeds. 32 weeks and 6 days today, and I really feel like I have no more room for Faeryn to grow- surely my insides will start to ooze out of my belly button? It certainly feels like things are backing up in my body, there is a constant presence of bile in the back of my throat (hope that’s not TMI?). I guess it’s time to take another look at the Ayurvedic diet in pregnancy and eliminate more food. I haven’t had a banana in a long time and rarely eat capsicum now. I think I need to stop drinking fruit juice, but at the moment I feel like I get a lot of energy from that kind of syrup.
Anyway- the catch-up. After Ozora and Hungary, Bo and I had a short and sweet trip to Croatia. Our friends, Danijel and Inas, were visiting Danijel’s relatives with their daughter Violetta, so we arranged to meet up with them for a few days. Russell and Alanna were also there. Bo and I had probably the earliest flight out which I’d ever been on (check-in opening at 4am), and once arriving in Split we then had a long bus journey to Zadar and Vir. We all stayed together at a family friend of Danijel’s so it was a fairly stress-less trip. Each day we went down to the ocean for a swim and spent most of the day sitting in the shade, eating, chatting, relaxing and enjoying interacting with Violetta. I had an essay due the following Monday so I got in some study time too.
In early September I had my last assignment with Guardian Angels. I forgot to mention this experience- at the end of July I signed up to look after dogs in our home whilst their owners were on holidays. A far from lucrative employment at £7 per day, but everyone knows how much I love being around dogs. We looked after two very cute Terriers first of all, Betty and Ronnie, two dogs who had no idea how to walk on the lead. As they are quite small it didn’t take much effort to keep then under control, and thus I’m now a fan of the wee breeds!
When we came back from Ozora we looked after Nutley, the dopey Chocolate Labrador who had a fetish for humping his bed. As long as it wasn’t our leg, we didn’t find this troubling at all.
Our third assignment was with a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel named Cheerful. She is a pretty dippy dog, only really interested in affection and dozing, rather skittish on the lead. I would never own this breed as she proved to be a horrendous snorer- despite being upstairs and leaving Cheerful downstairs, we could still hear her. She was with us for nearly an entire week and we were quite pleased to hand her back to her owner.
Lastly, on Bodra’s birthday I was gifted Tuckers, a German Short Hair Pointer. The most intelligent dog I have ever had the pleasure of walking. I had him off the leash pretty quickly and he didn’t stray from me, bringing the stick back instantly. Quite a slinky breed- despite his size he would curl up so small on the couch (yes, it didn’t take long for him to crush my pack-leader mode with his gooey eyes and earnestness). I was quite amused when he surprised me by nonchalantly getting up onto my lap when I was sitting at the dining table studying (no food involved). Just why he thought there was enough room for him there, I’ll never know! I was a little bit disconcerted as there’s a baby in my belly, but there didn’t appear to be any problem. I’d be very keen to get a dog of his breed one day- it’s so fulfilling when you can really develop a dog to flawlessly interact with you.
For Bodra’s 31st birthday Paul took him to a Football game at Wembley- England v Bulgaria. They had quite poor luck as they missed the first goal whilst sorting out their tickets, and then when the end of the game drew near they decided to leave- just as their backs were turned they missed the second goal.
Bodra: Missing the first goal was the most disappointing as it was right in front of where our seats were. Actually we saw the second goal, but it was in the second half and right down the other end of the field. With about 5 minutes left we decided to get a head start on the crowd and leave for the station. In the time it took us to get outside England scored twice more to win 4-0. It was still fun though and neat to soak up the atmosphere at Webley.
The following night we went into London to experience the unique restaurant Inamo. It was quite a cool, interactive environment as you could order your meal independently using a digital display on your table surface. Service was relatively quick. I was keen to try out some of the fish dishes- being pregnant I thought it would be worthwhile to see how that sat with me. Unfortunately it seemed like their fish wasn’t fresh, so instead I tried an eel dish. I’ve never had eel before and although it wasn’t memorably tasty, I wouldn’t be opposed to trying it again. I picked a few other tastes off our friends’ plates- pork spare rib, duck, scallop and calamari. Everything sat relatively well but I am not inclined to make a meal out of any of them. Sweetcorn cakes with sweet chilli sauce all the way!
The following morning we went to an interactive sculptural exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre- the Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto’s installation called “The Edges of the World”. Neto uses stretchy, transparent fabric, laser-cut wood and corten steel. The installations covered the whole floor and the three outdoor terraces. We walked through tunnels, climbed platforms to see other views, and took our shoes off to experience the texture of his world. It was a refreshing experience in art, as we could participate with the tactile work and feel truly immersed in this artist’s creation.
In early autumn, Dewi took me out to Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, which is a posh outlet shopping village. Our first stop was in Petit Bateau where I bought our first clothes for Faeryn. Dewi also picked up a present for her friend. We discovered some stunning scents- Ellenisia and Malabah- in Penhaligon’s Perfumerie, which has been around since 1870.
Bodra travelled to Springfield in Oregon, USA and Copenhagen in September. I kept myself busy with study and preparing for Faeryn’s arrival. We bought a travel system early on, then a cot and mattress. I’ve been able to pick up loads of clothes and a few other pieces from the Reading Freegle website, a community specific mail-list which you join through Yahoo Groups. You get emails describing different things people are offering for collection or things people want. Some people have been so generous as to drop the items off to our home, we’ve been quite spoilt!
When Bodra returned from his business trip to Springfield, he and Paul went on a Spy experience in Milton Keynes. They learnt how to fight using everyday items as well as weapons like sniper rifles, and had a go at throwing an axe.
Bodra: The Spy Academy experience was Paul’s birthday present. It was an enjoyable day without ever being truly exciting. We spent a few hours working our way through a number of circuits. First up was gun drawing. We ran through quick draw techniques and stances, then finished with a quick draw competition which I won! We then worked our way through some unarmed combat and gadgets display. Then we got on the (air)gun firing. We quickly worked out where our strengths lay. Paul proved to be a pretty good sniper, while I don’t think I hit the target once. Close quarters combat seems to be where I excelled, although in the game of laser tag I was one of only 2 players to actually get eliminated (to be fair though I was responsible for eliminating the other).
I submitted my final assignment for my Open University course in early October and a few weeks ago received the result- hooray I passed! I’ve signed up to do two more courses, through a different facility though. Now I’m doing distance learning through the British School of Yoga, but they aren’t yoga courses! Instead I’ll be learning about Psychotherapy and Creative Writing. I can go at my own pace which I thought would be good except I’ve had the course materials since the end of October and haven’t started yet! But admittedly there’s been a lot going on here with the pregnancy and then the festive season.
I went for my last Ultrasound in early October, Bodra was able to go with me and it was quite an emotional experience. Hearing Faeryn’s heart beat and seeing that she was growing as expected, we felt huge relief. Faeryn had her legs crossed for a lot of the scan, but we were content to just watch her moving her arms and trying to puzzle out the various organs the sonographer showed us. We had a trainee sonographer who was quite chatty and enthusiastic. After a while her supervisor entered the room and asked us if we wanted to know the gender- Bodra was quick off the mark to confirm that we did and the trainee responded without any hesitation that we were having a girl. The supervisor said she was 98% sure. So, yay for pretty things and knowing her name already!
Bodra and I headed into London after the scan, sharing the sensation of having our feet nibbled upon with Kim and Ez, at Aqua Sheko- a fish spa. The teeny Garra Rufa fish actually just suck on your skin which acts to buff away all the dead skin cells, so we had lovely soft feet after the treatment… which we then ruined by tramping around London trying to find dinner. The Zilli Green and Korean we were after proved to be very popular that night, so we relented for our old faithful Hare Krsna fare at Govinda’s in Soho.
We met Lauren and Adam the following day, in Primrose Hill near Camden, for a gourmet vegetarian lunch at Manna to celebrate Lauren’s belated birthday. This is apparently the UK’s oldest vegetarian restaurant, being around since 1967. We all had really delicious meals- I went for the traditional bangers and mash (organic fennel and pumpkin seed sausages on a bed of parsnip & carrot mash served with cavalo nero on a red wine, leek & thyme jus), Bodra tried the vegan Mexican-styled dish with cashew nut cheese.
Autumn brought a few visitors to the Swift abode- Russell and Alanna came out for the night and we enjoyed some Japanese Sushi and Thai for dinner. Luke, Lauren’s brother, began his voyage to the UK in late October and in the middle of November he came to stay with us along with his girlfriend Lou. It was lovely having the extra company. Lou kept herself pretty busy by going into London most afternoons on catering assignments, and they soon found a shared flat in Wembley.
We saw Shapeshifter at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire at the end of October which was great fun. It was a little bit tricky being in the crowded environment but we managed to find a safe space to dance. The following morning we met up with Nik and Dawn for breakfast at their apartment which is situated across from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. We then had a walk along the Thames and through the Borough markets with Paul and Rachael.
Bodra: Shapeshifter was cool. The limited space though made me really appreciate what we get when we party outdoors where there is space for everyone. Was good to have a dance with Jasmin although her movement was somewhat limited due to the baby bump.
In early November we were meant to see Rodrigo y Gabriela with Kim and Ez at SheBu, but alas I was struck with the flu. I managed to get to the O2 Brixton Academy to see the Deftones in the middle of November, with Paul keeping me company as Bodra was away on a business trip in Helsinki.
Bodra got his dance on a few days later as he went to see Prometheus with Ez and Kim while I stayed at their flat. Bodra: Prometheus was great. He has been one of my favourite musicians for sometime now and he did not disappoint. The location was pretty sweet too. It was billed as a warehouse party but it was actually located in a carpark under a railway bridge. They had 3 zones each contained within an arch of the bridge and thus keeping the sounds insulated. It also worked really well to keep us somewhat warm despite the cold night. The following day we went to the Natural History Museum to see the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, which wasn’t as impressive as the previous exhibit but there were still a few stunning pictures to admire. I was particularly drawn to the black and white photograph “Storm gathering” by Antonio Busiello which depicts Giraffes on an African plain with a backdrop of threatening clouds. Bodra and I picked up a jigsaw puzzle of Maurizio Biancarelli photograph of the Veliki Prstvaci waterfalls in Croatia, and we spent our 5th anniversary putting the pieces together.
After the exhibition we then found a pub to watch the rugby and have some dinner. Bo and I then left Kim and Ezra to see the Hang Drummer, Manu Delago, performing with Taalis Timeline- a percussionist and an Indian singer and violinist. It was quite a unique event as it was at the Ritzy, a bar at the top of a cinema in Brixton. It was a great opportunity to see Manu in action. Our first exposure to him was from the track “Nothing is Something Worth Doing” on the latest Shpongle album “Ineffable Mysteries from Shpongleland”. Manu is certainly talented at playing the Hang Drum and only a small amount of his skill is captured in the Shpongle track.
The Sagittarians’- Carolyn, Alanna, Ezra and Rachael- all had their birthdays at the end of November and beginning of December. We met up with Ezra and his many friends at the Drunken Monkey for Chinese and drinks. For Rachael’s birthday the ladies joined her at the London Coliseum to watch the Nutcracker, and then we joined the boys for dinner at an Italian restaurant. Rachael and Paul shared the amazing news that, after two weeks of coming off the pill, Rachael is now pregnant! We also have a few other friends making families- Liz and Dan (25 weeks and 1 day today), Jo and Chris with their second (26 weeks and four days now) and also David and Olga with their second. A couple friends from my Ayurveda Retreat days are also in the baby-making way: Petra gave birth to her second daughter Poppy in the middle of November, and Sally is expecting twins late May early June.
Bo and I actually had a tree for Christmas this festive season- it was artificial with attached lights. We only had a few proper Christmas decorations so we were a bit creative with adding objects we found around the house- we had a tree pixie and butterfly to adorn the top of the tree! The weekend before Christmas we had lots of snow which caused a fair bit of chaos for London and travellers.
Bodra’s Uncle Daniel and his daughter Sara joined us for Christmas lunch- we made a vegie soup and fresh rolls. It was lovely having family to share some of the day with us, we even managed to get outside for a walk around the neighbourhood which was especially nice as the sun came out!
To celebrate New Year, Bo and I drove to Walbury Hill, near Hungerford, using my phone as a SatNav which was really neat. The roads out there became increasingly skinny and neglected, lots of old woods and forests, extensive brick walls running alongside the road. Not the kind of roads where you would want to meet oncoming traffic, but the nice thing about travelling at night is that you can see the headlights of approaching cars well ahead of time. However, we didn’t meet any others on the road- even the M4 was relatively bare!
We climbed the hill which is meant to be the highest point of elevation in Berkshire- 297 metres above sea level. It was a bit steep in the dark and we used my phone as a torch to try to work out where we were going. For part of the walk it felt like we were climbing across the hairy back of a gigantic slumbering monster. We could see a lot of the countryside before us, and we got there just as fireworks started to burst. I lay down the travel rug, then Bo and I set about lighting the Sky Lanterns Kim and Ez had gifted us the Christmas before. It took a while to work out the technique for lighting them but we soon enough had one shooting into the atmosphere, our first one set free just before midnight. We were quite impressed so immediately got stuck into lighting a second one. Definitely a great way to say goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011, but by the time we got to the third one our lighter ran out- d’oh!
Across the countryside we recognised that a few others had the same idea as us, with a dozen or so Sky Lanterns dotting the sky-scape. But we were the only ones doing it from our hill, which we had mostly to ourselves, just a father and son passed by and shouted their New Year greetings. We had a thermos of chai-choc-malt but as it was a bit cold we headed back to the car- a bit trickier trying to work your way down as you can’t see the line of the hill as clearly as when you go up. We shared a cup of brew then headed back onto the road, discovering that my phone had 15% battery left. Just enough to get us back into familiar territory. Bodra got us safely back home with no dramas, and I was in bed before 2am.
I managed to sleep all the way through until 8:30am, possibly because I’ve relocated to the spare room so I now have a bed all to myself. :-)
Yesterday Bodra and I took advantage of the car again and went to Warburg Nature Reserve in near Henley-on-Thames. We followed the Wildlife Walk, but as it is winter there wasn’t much wildlife on display. We found the Jacob Sheep which is probably the most handsome breed of sheep I have ever seen; they were happily munching the ground. Bodra spotted some deer in the woods too- they were quite small and very quick to nimbly leap back into hiding. We took my new lens out for a play which was good fun. I look forward to sunnier days when there is more to see in nature.
Bodra is now in Knutsford on a business trip, and he’ll also go to Northampton on Thursday. We have our first Ante-natal class that night, with a second one in a fortnight’s time. Next week Bodra will be in Lithuania for work and then hopefully he won’t be on anymore business trips.
I’m starting to feel a little bit stressed with my burgeoning belly and our closing proximity to the due date- Feb 25! We have the cot and change table set up in our room now and most baby items collected. I still need to work out my birth plan and I’m just getting back into doing yoga every day. I’ve gained so much weight so I’m concerned that maybe she’ll be quite big, or I’ll have a huge task in trying to get the weight off afterwards. I’ve had to take my wedding ring off as it’s too tight now. It’s quite challenging to stay active through winter and yoga isn’t really for weight-loss. I imagine once Faeryn has arrived I’ll be going for lots of walks, making use of the Travel System.
Faeryn will be born in the Year of the Rabbit. ”People born in the Year of the Rabbit are articulate, talented, and ambitious. They are virtuous, reserved, and have excellent taste. Rabbit people are admired, trusted, and are often financially lucky. They are fond of gossip but are tactful and generally kind. Rabbit people seldom lose their temper. They are clever at business and being conscientious, never back out of a contract. They would make good gamblers for they have the uncanny gift of choosing the right thing. However, they seldom gamble, as they are conservative and wise. They are most compatible with those born in the years of the Sheep, Pig, and Dog.” Woohoo! Bo and I are Sheep! Carolyn is the year of the Dog and Noa is the year of the pig…
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