D-Day

Well, today's the estimated due date, and as we probably thought, there's no sign yet of the baby. So we are still here, trying not to be bothered by the uncertainty, relaxing, resting, cleaning, biding our time, getting a little more ready every day. It's nice to hang out together while we wait and realise this will be the last time for a long, long while that its just us two. But its hard not to wonder when its all going to kick off! Will keep you posted...

Inverawe Foraging

Although we've been warned that babies don't keep to schedules, we've also just been told that ours is running a little late. Chris has been exhorted to sit like a navvy, on or off her big bouncy ball, scrub the skirting boards (!), and take long walks. We opted for the third of these today when we went to Inverawe Country Park.
As well as a variety of walks through beautiful woodland beside lochans stocked with Rainbow Trout (£30 for an hour of fly-fishing tuition plus 2 more hours to practice your skills), and along the banks of the river Awe and the shores of Loch Etive, there's a shop and tearoom where they sell the produce from their smokehouse. I put Chris's arborial knowledge to the test as she identified Oak, Beech, Silver Birch, Rowan, Ash, Alder, Horse- and Sweet Chestnut, and Hazel.
We also found an abundance of Wild Cherry trees and foraged a small punnet's-worth. We saw more budding Blackberries than we could count and resolved to come back in a few months to stock up. If we add today's discoveries to the list of things we have found locally, we can forage cherries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, hazelnuts, and sweet chestnuts.

Random pics

Here's a few bits and pieces that we didn't get around to posting up at the time.

Newlyweds in the Lake District (September 09)

Becky and Cara visited us in November, admiring the view over Oban Bay.

Who would have thought Argyll would be a good place to grow cactus, what with its warm, dry climate?! Mum and Pat Neavyn, who visited us en route to Iona and the Orkney Islands, check out the specimums at the nearby Ardchattan Priory Gardens.

And this is who we have been waiting for! At about 20 weeks - so a wee while ago now. 10 days to the due date, though when they'll make an appearance is anyone's guess.

July visitors

Great to have Dad and Roberta here this weekend. We all took it nice and easy - many cups of tea, home baking, walks in Oban and the countryside, more tea, lots of chat. Shame about the weather...

Spot the bump... And here I am trying out a Chilean remedy for swollen feet - tiny little pieces of newspaper between your toes. Not a scientific experiment and I can't really say whether it worked or not (though i'm up for trying anything) but it kept us all entertained.

Surely my feet look bigger because they are near the camera?

Waiting....

It's less than three weeks until our new arrival is due - according to the estimated due date (or best guess!). I suspect the baby will come late, which is OK, because a wee rest and time to get the house is order would be good!
I finished work a couple of days ago and already realise i'm pretty pants at resting up and conserving my energy for sleepless nights ahead! Must try harder. Trying to blog more regularly would be a good, reasonably restful thing to do while i'm waiting. And while we haven't been very good about regularly updating, we promise to post news and pics of the baby up here as soon as possible, so keep an eye if you want to be the first to know!
Catching up with people we haven't been in touch with for ages is also proving to be a nice way to spend the time - good to chat to Julia from uni and Louisa from Dublin this week for the first time in way too long!
My Dad and his wife Roberta are currently on a train bound for Connel to visit for a few days so it'll be good to hang out with them for a few days. Shame about the weather - after being hot and sunny and quite unlike Scotland as soon as the school term finished on Wednesday, it's been cloudy and rainy, oh well, what do you expect?!