6 days!

Oops! I'm not doing a great job keeping up with my countdown....that's probably a good thing at the end of the day. I am making an effort not to get hung up on dates as this baby girl does not have a calendar! She will come when she's good and ready! 

Last night Mr Woo climbed up into the cramped and messy loft to put away boxes and other clutter, the flat looks so much better! Now just to tackle the laundry everywhere and the dusting that needs doing and the vacuuming and scrubbing and food shopping and rabbit potties and rearranging of the nursery.....

Uuugh....maybe I'll just lay down for a little while instead ;)

If Baby Woo hasn't arrived by her due date I have to go to the hospital again for an antenatal clinic appointment. My Mom aka Mema {to her granddaughters, Baby Woo will be granddaughter #3!} will be here by then. So I think I'll ask her to lets make a day of it! Go to the hospital but how about a nice lunch after and maybe getting our nails done! It might be my last chance for a while once baby comes! 

Baby Woo just gave me a big kick...I'll take that as her seconding that notion :)

34 Weeks

I am still surprised every day at how quickly these months have passed! So many people told me to expect time to draaaag, but I have experienced the very opposite. Maybe because I have loved every moment of being pregnant. It's been an adventure of discovery and magical! I've not always felt well and now I'm getting quite uncomfortable in every part of my body, but I have LOVED growing this baby & bonding with her. 

Even when she wallops me or I have painful practice contractions or terrible heartburn I treasure it. 

Some of you, my dear friends, have told me how heartburn is a sure sign of baby having a head full of hair...looks like you were absolutely right! 

I had a scan yesterday to check on Baby Woo's growth. We saw her in so much more detail, her little pursed lips, cute button nose and "mop of hair"! At first the sonographer said "she {baby} has some fuzz on her head...nope, she's got a mop of hair!". We could see it even though it was just a normal 2D ultrasound! 

Just like me, Baby Woo will enter this world with a head full of luscious locks ;)

My Mom said I looked like a spider monkey with all of my dark sticking up hair.
What do you think?

Baby Me circa 1977.

 I guess Baby Woo won't be needing any headbands in order to wear the sweet bows her Aunt Lindsay is making, she'll have enough hair to just clip 'em right on! 

During our check up yesterday the doctor found that I have polyhydramnios or too much amniotic fluid around baby. It's a very mild case, but as a result I had some blood tests to check for infection. I do not have diabetes or any of the other issues that can cause polyhydramnios and we will go

back to the hospital in 2 weeks for another scan to check on the fluid level again. 

The doctor isn't worried and neither are Mr Woo &  I. It's a pretty common complication 1 in 100 pregnancies. At this stage, being so close to full term the only action they might take would be to induce labor early if I am too uncomfortable, that might be a huge blessing actually!

This Sunday my sweet friend Heather is throwing a baby shower for me. It's going to be a very small and laid back affair, but I couldn't be more excited :) 

I'll take lots of photos so that I can share what we get up to!

I'd better get back to making this custom necklace and bracelet order or else! 

TTFN 

x

Great News!

Some of you may know all about my long relationship with the Home Office. It's been frustrating and expensive....and it's just come to an end!!!!! 

It's so totally YOU, Home Office! Not me! 

The Last Chapter:

In August I had to scramble to find a lawyer who could take me on at the last minute to assist me with making my application for Indefinite Leave to Remain. My Spouse Visa was set to expire and my final step to permanent settlement in the UK was Indefinite Leave to Remain. 

The non-profit organisation that had helped me with my Spouse Visa application lost their funding in the gov't cuts and closed doors. I was made aware of the loss of the organisation 2 weeks before my Spouse Visa expired.

PANIC does not begin to explain what I experienced.

I spent the following week searching for another firm or organisation that 1. offered legal aid 2. could take me on in such short notice. 

There was NO where in Chester. 

Liverpool was my next hope. By a miracle there was one law firm who had an immigration department who offered legal aid. Without legal aid it would have cost £500 to have a lawyer help with the application, then the application fee is currently £972 on top of that (in 2002 it was free to apply btw).

So I needed the legal aid. 

Get this. I had to race to Liverpool the morning after finding the firm to get there in time for the immigration drop in to find out if I would be able to be taken on. 

Mr Woo's brother took me in for 8:30 am. We stood outside waiting for the law firm to open up along with nearly a dozen other people who were hoping to be first to be seen. As soon as the doors were opened it was a mad rush! Everyone headed for the elevator....so what did I do? 

Fat, out of shape and 5 months pregnant? 

I ran up the stairs. 

I beat Mr Woo's brother. He's 25 and trained for the RAF. I ran like the wind. 

I could not breathe when I reached the 3rd floor office. I thought I might throw up. But I was #3! 

It is a drop in, so you basically spend hours waiting. The room was unbelievably hot too. I should have brought a book. 

2 hours or so later I got to be seen. Let's just say I wasn't filled with confidence after the meeting as I seemed to know more about the process and law than the person from the law firm. I was worried. I was also worried about being able to collect all of the evidence in time and I didn't have the money together either. I had just over a week. The good news was they were helping me. I have learned in dealing with the Home Office, they like an application that comes with an opening letter on legal letterhead. 

It was hard. I had to travel back and forth to Liverpool a few times. I had to chase bank statements for Mr Woo and myself. Hunt his wage slips. Wait on letters from my mother and Mr Woo's dad. It was a crazy, crazy time. My hormones were raging. I was feeling very overwhelmed & sorry for myself. 

At the end of the day it was done. The application went in on time. Some of the evidence had to follow later, but it all got there in the end. 

Then the wait. 

When I received the call today we had entered the 3rd month with no news. It's not one of those things you consciously worry about every day, it's one of those back of the mind niggles. 

I must wait no more to find out. I WAS APPROVED!!! 

MY APPLICATION WAS SUCCESSFUL in the words of the Home Office!!!!!!!! 

Some tension left my body and some tears filled my eyes. 

My little family will get to stay together! We'll have our passports back! 

Mr Woo & I are planning going on a Babymoon....perhaps Paris at Christmas?

So I'm officially an ex-pat. I've crossed the immigration finish line. No more steps unless I want to become a citizen.  No more hoops to jump through. Stick a fork in me, I'm done!!!! 

I go next week to pick up all of my paperwork and dance around Liverpool as someone with Indefinite Leave to Remain. Well by dance I actually mean waddle. My bump is pretty big now. 

Mr Woo is taking me out to The Royal Oak tonight to celebrate so I need to do my hair and get on some stretchy glad rags! 

I am so happy x

Pinterest Tutes.

Cozy Quick Blankie

Junebug dress

I have found some of the CUTE-EST things I've ever seen on Pinterest! Have you heard of Pinterest? Are you on it?! I am so totally addicted! "Pinterest is an vision board-styled social photo sharing website where users can create and manage theme-based image collections".

The fun part for me is the new access to so many great tutorials and recipes all in one place with a sneak peek! It really is so addictive.  Oh the crafty & tasty possibilities! 

Bunny Softie 

Toad Stools 

oh I could just go on forEVER! 

You can even find me on Pinterest :)

and I promise you'll become addicted too! 

I got ma hairs did!

For the first time in a year I got my hairs did!
I had at least 6 inches cut off of the longest layer! I should have taken a before picture but with my Baby Brain I didn't think about it...

I'm going to try to wrangle Mr Woo into taking some bump photos! I'm 25 weeks along tomorrow!
Seriously, this is flying!

In other news I got some cotton quilt batting today and I have cut out quite a few squares out of vintage fabrics! Squeeeee! 

Just one step closer to piecing together Baby Woo's quilt! It's scary as I've never done it before but I'm excited! 

6 months!

It is nearly impossible for me to believe that I am entering my 24th week of pregnancy. 6 months! 

I'm 6 months pregnant! 

This half a year has flown by. And I imagine that the next few months will be here and gone in a flash, before long our precious Baby Woo will be in our arms! January 18th is sooo soon! I'd better not blink!

We may move house, so I haven't set up the nursery. To be honest I don't even know how to set up a nursery! I've picked out the crib bumper & that's all so far. I do love this nursery idea:

I love this nursery but I'd use greens and pinks I think! 

I feel like there is still so much to get done and the time is going by so quickly I'm beginning to think I won't get it done! Silly things like shampooing the carpets and removing all the cob webs and actually setting up the nursery so that Baby Woo actually has some place to sleep in her beautiful sleigh crib{it was given to us by a friend & it's stunning!}! 

I signed up for my birth and parenthood class this morning though! Mr Woo wants to be there so we've signed up for a Saturday all day class at the hospital. 

Baby Woo is growing quickly, she's already around1 1/2lbs & nearly 1 foot long!!! My bump is starting to show and I'm beginning to feel uncomfortable especially when I'm tired. 

I'm craving lots of sleep and meat! Gimme a roast beef with a side of roast chicken. MmHmmm! 

So, 24 weeks, 6 months, however you like to count it we're well on our way!