Our baby is going to be spoilt rotten!

Just a quick post today, just to say, we've already been overwhelmed by the generosity of friends and family, and I'm only 19 weeks pregnant.

Here are some pictures of some of the presents we have received so far:

So I think our child is going to have more clothes and toys than he or she will know what to do with! In fact, I might keep the bunny rabbit to myself..... I'm sure the baby won't miss him!

x

The Mango Tree

I know I'm so late at blogging this, but I've fallen behind in my posting lately!

Mum and Charles visited in February, and we went out to visit The Mange Tree, one of the many Thai restaurants in Doha.

The food was yummy, and although it was quiet, the Pearl is a lovely place to wander around during the nice cool evenings.

I have just realised how lucky we are!

I use quite a lot of baby websites at the moment. Probably because we're going to have a baby and I have never even changed one nappy! My knowledge of babies/children is literally zero, bar what I am not gaining in knowledge from my internet searching.

Although, google is not my friend. Do not google any pregnancy symptom unless you want to be terrified about pre-term labour and chromosomal abnormalities!

I did, however, come across one thing that made me realise how lucky I am. Take a look at this letter, written to "All non-prgenant people":

Dear Non-Pregnant Person, I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women, as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn’t mean me – then you should probably read this twice. 1. The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is ‘Congratulations!’ with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you a jerk. 2. Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father – not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase ‘my baby’. 3. On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth, and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it… 4. The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone’s stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix, or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman. 5. Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight…ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is ‘You look fabulous!’. 6. By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don’t need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes. Nor do we need to know how badly you will feel for us because we will be pregnant during the summer and how glad you are that YOU will not be pregnant this coming summer. 7. There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL, or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. You weren’t invited to be there when the baby was created, you probably won’t be invited to be there when it comes out either. 8. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital, and the parent’s home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to ‘help out’. If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it. 9. If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules, and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping. 10. The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less. Sincerely, All the Pregnant Women in the World  Ummmm..... does this seriously go on in people's lives? People actually greet the news that someone is pregnant (and likely to be happy about it, given they are announcing it) with something negative?  I really hope that I am fortunate enough NOT to be someone who has their stomach prodded at by random women in supermarkets. (Or I hope that that woman is fortunate enough not to try, because I'm not sure I'm very keen on having my tummy squeezed by complete strangers and I'm not sure my reaction would be very polite!).  Wow, the idea that people actually have families and/or friends who essentially insist on being present at the birth (trust me, by the time I'm 9 months pregnant and in labour, no one in their right mind should want to see what is going on down there!), or that after the birth they essentially hog the baby from the parents for hours/days/weeks at a time is pretty horrifying.  Thankfully life has blessed me with non-intrusive, helpful, kind and sensitive families and friends. I have not had one person sound disappointed that I am pregnant, nor have I had anyone insist that they should be present at what is likely to be one of the most traumatic and frankly embarrassing events of my life so far (even worse... apparently there are people who secretly record the birth on their video phones... in case the mother should ever want to see it..... yes, I desperately want to relive me screaming in pain like a warthog, with sweat all over my face and my hair matted on top of my head.... hmmmmm attractive) So, I know I have said it already, but I feel pretty lucky for the people in my life!  But I'll give fair warning, should anyone lost their grasp on being sensitive to the hormonal pregnant girl and use the words "you look about to pop"; "you look much further on that XX weeks"; "..but you are huge" or comment on what I am eating (yes, even if I am on my fifth chocolate eclair of the hour) then I may have little or no control over my pregnancy hormones and thus my response ;-) Also, if my unfortunate pregnant body decides that I REALLY REALLY need some additional weight on my ass, hips, thighs, or even face, I don't want to know. Seriously, please act like I am Kate Moss on the cocaine trail, even if I am beginning to resemble a hippo, I will love you for it!  (Can't you tell I'm relishing becoming roughly the size of a killer whale!) xx

New Additions in Doha

Well, I am extremely behind on the blogging, probably because I've been so sick for the last 8 weeks!

I am feeling better now, so lets get going on catching up!

As almost everyone now knows, we are expecting our first child, who is currently known as "Heartbeat".

Here are some pictures on the little monster who has been making me so so ill for the past few weeks:

So not only have we left Manchester to live in a completely new city, country and continent, we're bringing a teeny tiny baby along for the ride! There's nothing like making all the big, huge, massive changes in all in go!

Here is to another busy busy year!

A kite, a snow board and Iran!

Gary is not simply satisfied with completing several triathlons, a bike ride from Manchester to Blackpool and swimming from Alcatraz. Now we're in Qatar, and the sea is not as bitterly cold as the north sea, he wanted to try his hand at kite surfing.

Yes kite surfing. Standing on the water with your feet strapped to a board letting the wind and an abnormally large kite drag you around. In Qatari waters, with Iran only a few puffs of wind in the wrong direction. Hmmm.....

So for his birthday, I got him just that, a beginners course in Kite Surfing. Thankfully Kite Surfing is tricky tricky tricky, so this time he wasn't going to be blown off course and end up in Iran.

A bit warmer than trying to kite surf in the UK! 

Trying to untangle the kite.

Safety Harness! 

Wetsuit on, time to get wet!