The bump

I know that some of you out there who haven't seen me for a while...all those Aussies and African relatives...want to see this, my bump. These were taken this morning. I'm 32 weeks now. The baby was kicking Andy in the eye in the other photo. Andy has been an amazingly supportive husband, making sure I'm looked after. He was in charge of researching and getting the buggy (pram) and took the job very seriously. We now have a grass green bugaboo. Its amazing that a little baby can acquire so much before her life even begins. I was planning a home birth but when we visited Worthing hospital last week and I was very impressed. I was drawn to the idea that being in hospital might mean Ill get looked after a bit more, get more help and not worry about whose around downstairs hearing me scream blue murder when I'm going through labour.

Rye`s cobbled streets

For those who have not met our family yet ... here is a photo of Mimo, Helen and me. Mimo is 14 years old , Helen 16. Ferdinand (not in photo), our first foster son moved out of our home into the big wide world August 2006. Not far, only a few minutes away. We have now been fostering three and a half years. I call it backward parenting as we started our parenting experience with teenagers first. I love fostering, even though it can be hairy and we have had to sacrifice a lot to do it. Ive learnt a lot about myself and my faults, but then that's parenting whether your children are yours or not. I get frustrated when people compare our experience to looking after foreign students or lodgers and say "Well, it will be different with your own children". Andy and I have always loved our three like our own, even when we could have had an easy life and left them to their own devices, we have decided to do as we would with our own and confront. I love this photo, it was taken in Rye, East Sussex on our holiday in May. The cobbled streets are beautiful and you can see for miles if you brave the narrow staircase to the top of the church bell tower. It reminds me of good times with these two.