40 weeks and 6 days

We had a fantastic day yesterday. It was wonderful to wake up with purpose for the first time in ages. I am sleeping so well that it almost seems sinful! I remember this from late last pregnancy. Its as though my body just gives into the discomfort and my subconcious takes over. I only get up to wee twice and although I am aware I am turning over occasionally, its not like the previous weeks when I was in pain with aching hips and stretching pelvis. Now I just heave my belly over, rearrange my pillows and drift off again quickly. I woke feeling refreshed and less full of infection and we were out the door by 9am, on our way into the city to our final destination, the Aquarium.We threw caution to the wind and parked in an expensive city parking garage easily within walking distance. We travelled light, no pram, no heavy bags. We only had to wait 10 minutes in an easy queue to get in and it was brilliant fun from the moment we walked through the giant shark’s mouth. Amy was fascinated with the fishies and quite content to stand and stare into the many tanks full of random swimming creatures.
Ron really wanted to see the sharks being fed at 11am so we made our way to the shark tank directly where despite not seeing any feeding sharks, we spent ages just standing in the giant underwater tubes watching sharks circling.

The expressions on Amy’s face were priceless and I spent as much time snapping away with my camera as I did looking around me at the huge beasts circling. Is it just me or is there something strangely obscene about looking at the underneath of sharks?
It was busy but not unmanageable inside the aquarium, lots of prams and small children but despite it being school holidays it wasn’t as bad as we thought it might be. Admittedly by the time we left nearly two hours later it was heaving and the queue to get in was around the corner. I did get a lot of sympathetic looks but luckily no one bumped into my giant belly which is now so sore and sensitive that I might cry if someone accidently brushed up against me!

After the shark tank we went to see the Dugongs, this time we did get to see them feeding but a placid dugong eating lettuce is not nearly a replacement for a shark feeding frenzy! (pics of animals to come on another post) We made our way out to the exit slowly.

We left feeling happy and pleased that we FINALLY managed the family outing we had been wanting to do together with Amy before the baby arrived, for ages. We decided to stop at the fish markets for lunch on the way home. It was a gorgeous sunny day and we sat outside with the seagulls to eat our fish and chips before heading home for a lovely long sleep. Even Amy co-operated and went to bed for an hour and a half, the first time in over a week that she has actually had a sleep during her afternoon rest time.
I am still having mildly painful contractions that are irregular and inconsistent but the baby is moving a lot and like I said, I am sleeping great. I can’t believe my Mum arrives TOMORROW from South Africa for three weeks, it just feels so strange to be thinking about her arrival but not actually having a baby to show her. I am looking forward to showing off my baby belly which she didn’t get to meet in person last time around as she was flying the night I was induced and didn’t get to the hospital to see me until a few minutes after Amy was delivered. (Having said that I am looking forward to showing her my belly wouldn’t it just be my luck that I go into labour today and deliver before she arrives!!)