It is a bit premature but August is nearly over September is coming & I’m looking forward to things getting back to normal. We’ve been busy this month, we’re all tired. Claudia has been fairly neglected we’ve had lots of family things going on but very little home-ed, we had a couple of sports days booked but I cancelled them. C wasn’t really bothered and I feel so incredibly self conscious about being pregnant I’ve retreated to a semi hermit existence. I’m sure the losses haven’t helped but I’ve never felt that pregnancy offers any special status & I hate the attention (we went to get some car seats fitted yesterday & it was excruciating - just fit the seat, you really don’t need my life history). It doesn’t help that I am consumed by all things pregnancy (terror, lists of things to do, paediatricians, intrusive thoughts ‘probably dead this time ‘, appointments, major anxiety about money (pouring out at the moment as we scramble to get the house together)) but am incapable of talking about any of it = irritable & preoccupied. We haven’t got anywhere to put baby stuff, or the baby for that matter. My HB is hovering around 10, despite iron supplements. I’m unutterably tired, headachey & short of breath, I ache all over & have carpal tunnel syndrome which makes my right hand numb. Apart from that it is much easier than C’s pregnancy. Seven weeks to go, another scan on Friday (number eight or nine).

Newgale - was wonderful, it was the closet to a relaxing holiday that I’ve had as an adult! I read a book, sat on the beach and listened to the rain. Everyone else has blogged it, so I won’t bother.

The house - is really coming on. The kitchen is functional and I love it! We need doors, plinths, taps (when Si gets paid), wall tiles & a bit of painting but it is mostly cosmetic. We also have to build in all the white goods and get some more cupboards built and on the wall - minor stuff . Downstairs is now plastered (apart from a very small bit around the wood burner which is really annoying, its only an hour of work but we need to get the plasterer back for it) - all the furniture is piled up in the sitting room while we decorate the dining room. It looks very nice - Cooking Apple Green & Lime White for anyone who knows the Farrow & Ball catalogue - we’ve got most of the carpentry done as well, S just needs to finish off some cupboards (storage, storage, storage). There’s a list a mile long of things still to do but I’m focusing on the positive.

Until the CTS struck I was being very productive - quilted bibs (I got some lovely aeroplane fabric from eBay), lots of knitting (including some wool nappy wraps which I adore), various other nappy bits & a blanket.

Hand hurts - more later.