With the countdown to Oz now at just 3 more sleeps I am more excited than ever, unfortunately it also put me in the sad category as I wont be reunited with my whole family (it’s been too long). Tom and Fern are still at Big White in Canada living it up and wont be back in Oz until Christmas.
I miss my brothers, soon to be Uncles…so weird but very exciting. If they are half as good as Uncles as they are as Brothers we have one very lucky little Stone (pebble as mum would say).

Getting back to Sunday. JC slept in while I went on a morning walk, we then enjoyed coffee and croissants in bed while watching the Aussie news online. Sometimes I feel Ive been away to long, I just love listening to the lingo.
Afterwards we went to Ho’okipa, there were crowds BBQing anticipating the footy action, but the beach and surf was almost empty compared to most weekends. I found a comfy spot on the beach by a few familiar faces and JC went surfing.

We went by Mike’s house to catch the end of the game which wasn’t very interesting at all, I still prefer Rugby League. On our way home we decided to top off the day with a walk in the Olinda Woods, it was freezing as we walked through the tall trees above the clouds but very refreshing.

The baby is kicking every day, mostly early morning and late afternoon. I still feel fantastic, I just love being pregnant and love being married to Jason more and more every day, our relationship just keeps blossoming and my smile just gets bigger by the day!

This time next week we will be at the airport ready to go!

Half way there, 20 weeks!
In the book ” What to expect when your expecting” they stage pregnancy in Luna months. I’m trying to go by 4 week months so it’s the real deal (40 weeks) but it feels so much more fun being “in the fifth month” for like 4 weeks (18-21 weeks). Complicated shit eh?

Today was our doctors appointment, I’d been looking forward to it since I left the practice 4 weeks ago!
It was SO AMAZING!! I’ll say it every time, but this visit really was the cherry on top of the cake. Dr. Berry was in high spirits as he was last visit as Jason and I eagerly awaited seeing our baby on the ultrasound screen.
My uterus measured 19cm and total weight gain since the beginning of pregnancy was 8 pounds, all the blood tests I had done came back negative, all super! The heart beat was 150, loud and clear, then he goobed my tummy up with more lube gel and we saw the little heart beating right before our eyes!! We got a good look at ALMOST everything, no we didn’t crack and find out it’s sex!

It was moving about waving it’s little arm at us, putting it behind it’s head (chillin out). We saw the umbilical cord and where it attached to it’s tummy, it’s perfect spine, neck and skull still forming, it’s little bladder, femur and it’s bum was the cutest thing ever! After the goo was wiped off Jason put his hand on my tummy and felt the baby kick for the first time so he was stoked!

We are over the moon and still so amazed by this creation, 5 more months till dirty nappies!

I am growing more and more by the day and absolutely love it!
So far my pregnancy has been nothing short of wonderful, other than the tiredness in the early months I feel fantastic! I’ve been able to eat everything, nothing smells weird, I’m happier and even more tolerable! It seems my hormones adjust well to pregnancy, I’m even more in love with Jason (if that is possible), work is fantastic, I don’t have a sore back or boobs. There is nothing to complain about, we are (mother and child) happy little vegimites! Which could also be due to the fact that we go Down Under in 12 days!!!

Yesterday was like the 4th beautiful day in a row so I decided to get some sun at the beach.
I went and bought a beach chair to make my visit a bit more comfortable, the last couple of days I was a bit restless.
So I had my lunch, my chair a book and excitement for the beautiful day. Tina and Mia joined me a little later, it is so nice to be back relaxing at the beach it really rejuvenates me.

So I was just kick’n back in my new chair with my hands resting on my tummy chatting with Tina, all of a sudden I felt something and swore my fingers moved! Again, to the left of my belly button…Tina saw the reaction in my face “did it kick?” she said. I thought it was to early to kick (19 weeks) obviously not, Tina shuffled over and put her hand on my tummy. Just as she did it made the biggest kick and her eyes lit up. Again on my left side, boom! My eyes filled with water and my smile was ear to ear, it was the best feeling! I called Jason right away, now I can’t wait for him to feel it.

Jason spent the day with the boys and didn’t come home till late after Poker night. I spent the rest of the afternoon with Tina and Mia and went to Bill and Emmanuelle’s house for a Sushi dinner which was amazing!

AND yesterday was Australia Day in OZ, how wise was our baby to get excited on such a great day! (it’s defiantly going to be born a proud half Aussie!)

Ha ha.

Early this morning I decided it was a perfect day to take my mate Mary to one of my newest favorite getaways, The Lavender Farm in Kula. We drove up the windy road admiring the lush grassy hills and Mt Healakala with a perfect blue sky backdrop. As we got higher the center of the island shrunk, it’s a nothing short of spectacular view.

I was starving (go figure?) so we stopped off at La Provence Cafe for a latte and vegie quiche. It’s so beautifully over grown and looks like it belongs in a quaint little French village. We arrived at the Lavender Farm just before the clouds rolled in just to remind us that we were pretty high up where the weather changes it’s mind by the minute.

I feel like I’ve aged 40 years, I love the peace and quite (and scones) of the Lavender Farm. Mary and I sat at a little stone table and chatted while looking down on the shape of Maui, later we walked the little paths lined with Lavender bushes and native plants.

Is it OLD to love Lavender?

I’ve been a bit slack about dumping the photos from my camera lately.
The sushi photos are from Emmanuelle’s Birthday on Jan 4th, she is the wife of Bill (Tina’s business partner). George (the cook from work) and Bill spent hours rolling and cutting to prepare for the extravaganza…it was delicious!
Windsurfing shots are of Jason (killing it) at Ho’okipa, just one of the days. He’s been getting wet more often which is great, I love to watch him sail!
The other shots are just me being or at least trying to be artsy, at least I have a go eh?

To change the subject.
It all used to be about going out, getting drunk, hangovers and stuff hay. Well now it seems “all about the baby” as Pascal would say in his sarcastic French whine. But really it is.
I just wanted to note that I have had a really itchy neck on and off over the last few weeks. I remember Mum saying she got itchy legs being pregnant with me and she still to this day has. I really hope my neck calms down, I wont itch it like crazy but it has gotten to become a real pain (in the neck!). Just thought I’d share!

I’m going to go for it and say that I felt our baby for the first time at the shower!
People have described the feeling to be like tiny butterflies, I have had this feeling before but as it turned out it was just gas…not today though! Butterflies but no gas… it must like chocolate cake and champagne, or not!

These photos are from this evening after dinner (it makes a difference) it’s true I’m growing!
I’m officially 4 months tomorrow but I am also working all day so have already decided I will have no time to do anything other than fall into bed once I’m done at work, so now is journal entry time!

Jason and I are both doing great, he’s busy with work during the week and “video game/ mate time” on the weekends (only when I’m at work though, otherwise we indulge in each others company) I’ve actually been busier than usual at work which I am accepting open heartedly, at least before we leave on our adventure. It’s nice to have the extra bling bling and it’s especially fine to be there while the weather is misbehaving!