Halfway through pregnancy!

So here's baby number 2 at 19 weeks. Love that little face! Im half way. Hurray!

I haven't been on my blog in so long. I haven't stitched in months. I gotta apologise to Kathy and Suzanne who im supposed to be SAL'ing with but life has just got in the way. Im really sorry ladies. Im hoping my stitching mojo will return one day soon!

Pregnancy + fulltime work + toddler = exhausting. I get up at 6.30am, i get home about 6pm. Im in bed by 8.30pm. Thankfully there is light at the end of the tunnel though! I get to cut down my work hours from the end of July and i leave on 30th September. More hurrays!!

So there's my update! Im hoping to be back around more when life gets a little less busier.

Away for a week

Tomorrow we are off to Center Parcs in the Lake Distrcit for a week and i can't wait! This is our accommodation.The last few months have been hard going with the pregnancy and work stress and getting our place up for sale so a break from the everyday norm is just what we need! We're hoping to do lots of biking and swimming amongst many other activities. Caleb's going to love it. Im looking forward to quiet evenings watching films, reading and stitching (no wine unfortunately). I wanna finish that birth sampler for my nephew.

Beautiful days....

So, who watched the Royal Wedding? I have to say, i loved it. What a beautiful couple. What a fab day to be British. I know a lot of anti-monarchists but as a History graduate - i love the monarchy. The century-old traditions, the pomp and circumstance. My highlights were seeing the dress, the balcony scene, the view of all the people down The Mall (i love London) and then when they drove to Clarence House together in the Aston Martin, what a lovely modern twist!

I celebrated by having some friends round for a Royal Wedding tea party. There were also 4 toddlers and a newborn baby so we didn't get much peace to watch, but it was good fun. I even got the Denby teaseat out which i havent used since i got it as a wedding gift over 7 years ago lol I watched the ceremony again at night in peace and quiet when it was just me and a cup of tea!

So, what else has been happening?? We had a lovely Easter weekend last week. We finally bought a bike trailer for Caleb and got to use it last weekend. He loved it. We're hoping to go out again today seeing as another sunny weekend is forecast (yeah!)

On Easter Sunday we had a bbq after church, then we made our hard boiled eggs, decorated them in 30seconds and had good fun rolling them down the hill to see who's would smash up first. Im not sure who/if anyone else does this?? We always did it as kids. I (think) it's to symbolise the rolling away of the tomb? Anyway, the dog got mine lol

Thank-you for all the congrats on my pregnancy. I have good days and bad days. I havent stitched at all, it makes me feel really nauseous but i remember that from last time and it did pass. I havent been sick yet today so maybe things are turning round....it is only 8.20am though lol

Happy Bank Holiday Weekend (boy do i appreciate these now im working fulltime)!!!

Baby number 2

My excuse for being such a bad stitcher/blogger/emailer/sal partner!! Baby number 2 due 25th October!

So this, on top of working full-time has just about annihilated any life i had for the time being! Im 13 weeks now so hopefully energy levels will pick and nausea and morning sickness will go soon....ppllleeaassee!

Look at that wee arm up in the air! I love how he/she gave us a little wave whilst we were having the scan. Amazing.

So, its Easter weekend which means time off work!!! Yeah! Then next weekend is the Royal wedding so more time off work. It is the best feeling. Some quality time with Caleb is definitely in order. Happy Easter all! We sure are celebrating the joy of new life here in the Thomas household :-)

Work sucks

Well.......i got the job. So i really should be thankful for that, yes? Im not. They refused my part-time request and i get the job only if i work full-time. Which i don't want to do, but i have to. If i don't i would effectively be resigning and would get no redundancy and wouldn't be able to get benefits in the immediate future. It makes me sick because i feel like they've tied my hands and i've been left with no choice. In this economic climate and the sector i work in, who is going to say no to a job?? I could be out of work for months/years. I love my job and im good at it, i just dont want to do it full-time.

BUT.....i really need to be grateful. A lot of people have been made redundant through this merger and will now really struggle to make ends meet. I did really well to be offered a position, it was a very competitive process. My boy loves his childcare. My part-time request will be looked at again in 3-6months. SO....this is a short-term situation and i need to accept that, deal with it and be thankful for what i have in life.

For my SAL partners

I've started 2 new pieces recently which i'm stitching alongside some stitching buddies. CCN's snowflake serenade with Kathy and CHS Alphabet Sampler with Suzanne. This is a picture for them to show that i am stitching along!

Kathy - i told you my progress has been slow. I will be stitching on it more today!

Suzanne - i made quite a good start this weekend. More than i thought i would manage anyway! Its fun to SAL with you ladies, i really need that kind of motivation!

CHS Alphabet Blocks is huge!! We are aiming for a block a month so that will make for a finish in May 2013 LOL I hope i keep up! I am stitching mine on one BIG piece of linen, because i have no imagination. Suzanne is making a book! So impressive!

No news on the job front. I felt my interview went well which is all i could hope for. Normally i am a disaster in interviews but this one was good (in my opinion). As i've previously written though, it may be the hours that'll be my downfall. Its a full-time job and i only want it part-time so that could lose me it. Then i will be made redundant. I will probably hear today......eeeeek!

Hello Spring

It was a beautiful sunny spring morning when we got up 4 hours ago but now it's looking a bit grey....aaah scotland ;-) I stitched this little pincushion for my Spring exchange partner over at the Friendly stitchers yahoo group. Its a Lizzie Kate freebie, there's just pink flowery fabric on the back, i didnt take a picture of that.

Havent blogged in a while, i nearly forgot my password to sign in here. Im fine, just shattered and got a lot on.....a looming redundancy etc etc Our charity is merging with 2 others and i think there's about 40 people for 18 jobs. Its crap. Plus they havent offered any part-time posts so im kinda screwed. I had to apply for a full-time one (because if you didnt apply it would be assumed you were resigning and then there would be no redundancy money) and i will request part-time hours at the interview. Its been a long screwed up process with some shocking things happening along the way. So my interview is on Wednesday but from the way things have been so far i get the feeling its all pre-decided anyway. Its all so unjust.

On a more positive note, i had such a great 30th birthday party! There were about 100 folk there and i loved it.....so many people made an effort to be there flying in from all over the UK and it meant a lot to me! I was very touched. Some friends from school came (i hadn't seen one of them since we were 18) so we had a lot of fun catching up and dancing the night away! So much fun! Here's me getting my cake alongside my wee family :-)

So thats about all. Ive started a SAL with Kathy but i've made such miserable process it's not even worth documenting it with a picture yet. Also about to start a SAL with Suzanne. Be back soon....