Baby scan

So yesterday we had a 16 week scan.. it was amazing. I think it was my favourite one so far!

I honestly love having these scans so fricking much, I wish I could have one once a week to be honest. It's so nice having the reassurance and getting to see how much the baby has grown in the few weeks since we last saw!

It's just incredible that we're able to do these kinds of things. Anyway, the morning was lovey, got up and did half an hour on the exercise bike which I'm trying to do every day. Some days are easier than others..

I then woke Antman up and we both got ready, Ginette (Ant's mum) came over and we set off!

I'd had my usual 3 breakfasts but bloody hell, the whole journey there all I could think was I'm excited but MAN I'm hungry!

We arrived, checked in and mooched about the baby shops whilst we waited for our appointment. I spent a lot of time walking around and drinking cold water which they advice you to do before, which I really hate because I need a wee so quickly after a drink, pregnant or not.. obviously it much worse these days. And I'm really rubbish and dealing with really needing a wee.... wow my life is so hard.

Anyway, we went in and they double checked with us that we did not want the gender out loud and we'd like it written down in an envelope. Which was really reassuring as I was nervous they'd accidentally tell us, but they're clearly used to it.

Me and Ant are having a gender reveal party and I think that they're so common these days that the private scan places and very much accustom to people wanting it written down.

 They put the scanner thing on my belly and baby was there straight away! I know I probably shouldn't be shocked as of course the baby is right there... in my tummy.. but at the other scans we've had they've sort of had to find it because it's been so small (9 week and 12 weeks scans). So I found it mad that it was just right there and a totally different place to last time.

Again, I know to a lot of people I sound stupid but this is all so new and bizarre to me!

Words really cant describe how amazing these scans are to me. I've wanted a baby since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to be a mum and I've always said I want to experience the whole thing. I've always wanted the whole experience of being pregnant and I'm actually there! I still cant believe it.

So they scanner man told me everything looked as it should, we saw the spine, brain, heart and a hand! The hand was insane because you could actually see all the fingers and bones. So cool! But also wow.. I'm actually growing bones in me right now?!

Then the best bit for me - listening to the heart beat. This made me cry, it was just so wonderful hearing it for the first time. My little baby's heart beating inside me. But I quickly stopped myself crying because I thought nooo, I dont want blurry eyes! I need to see the scan as best as I can!

They then told us to look away whilst they checked what gender the baby was, omg I could have got up and put my hands over Ant's eyes. I could see he wanted to look so badly! I had to reach and cover as much as I could. I really thought he was going to look!

Now, I'm not sure if Ginette looked away.. I'm like 90% sure she kept watching and therefore knows the gender of the baby but at the end she said - oh I'm going to wait before knowing, I'll wait until the reveal as well with everyone else. So I think she knows but is pretending she doesnt so that if people question her she can say she doesnt know. So I'm glad either way! I dont mind if she knows and pretends she doesnt or if she really doesnt know. Just as long as me and Ant dont find out until the reveal which is SO bloody far away.

Okay, so then we had a 4D scan, just a quick one that comes with the scan package.

This was so cool! To see this actual little human moving around. So mad to see properly formed arms and legs and nose etc.. At first the baby had its arms crossed in front of its face, which was kinda cool to be honest. Looked gangsta.

This whole experience was awesome and I'm sure I'll remember it forever and ever.

Once we left I, of course bombarded my mum with all the photos and to be honest even though I've stressed and worried so much about her and Ginette knowing the gender early, just because I dont want to accidentally find out.. I wanted my mum to know straight away!!

So I messaged her to say that all the photos were on this link they gave me but I couldnt look because the scan pics of the sex was on there too.. and offered her the link if she wanted to go on and have a guess... I wasnt sure if she'd say yes and within seconds she was like GIVE ME THE LINK NOW!

I sent it to her and straight away she messaged to say she knew because it was written on there as well. So she knows! Argh! So at least one person (other than the scanner people) in this world know's whether me and Ant are having a son or a daughter!!

I don't know why really but I really think I'm having a boy. I've just thought from the beginning it's a boy. I have no evidence... but mark my words.

We headed back to the home area and got some muuuuch needed lunch from a really nice pub near us. I had a massive pie with creamy mash and veg and I cant even describe how daaaaamn good it was! Man I love food so much.

We then headed home all absolutely stuffed. Ginette and her husband Albert stayed for a cuppa and then Ant looked at me and said, Lissssssss can we do absolutely nothing for the rest of the day. (he was hungover from the work do he'd had the night before) I honestly have never been so happy in my life, hahaha.

We literally spent the rest of the day snuggled up on the sofa watching TV and then ordered thai food.

Best. Day. Ever!!!

Stuff!

Again.. I've looked back over pics to try and remind myself what's been going on recently..

There's lots of roast dinners as me and Ant admitted we'd only ever made cheat versions.. so we decided we best get doing it properly as Christmas is coming up and we were home together for the first time in 5 years! Every year we've spent Christmas day with my family.. I know it sounds selfish but it's only because my family properly party! And Ant's family don't always even have a day where everyones together because of partner's families and people working etc.

Of course we spend Christmas with Ant's family too but Christmas day is usually at my mums wearing fancy dress and getting veeeeerry merry!

But this year me and my bro's have said we'd do Christmas with our partners/their families. I won't lie, this killed me. First year ever I wont be with my mum, genuinely makes me so sad.

Anyway, we've organised a weekend we can all do, which is the weekend before Christmas, so it's not so bad because we'll all be there, doing the same thing just on a different day!

Anyway, me and Ant been stuffing our faces with roast dinners and it's been bloody amazing and I can't wait for more FOOD.

So in my pics.. there's food, nails as me and Lois get them done together every few weeks which is lush cos its usually so boring but when you got your bestie it's great!



There's pics of me and Ant and Christmas tree we put up at ours, we put some Christmas tunes on and got right in the mood. It was a lot of fun and then Ant dragged us out shopping to get more decorations, I wasnt up for it massively as I had a banging headache (common these days!) and I thought we had enough but I have to say he chose awesome decorations and everyone comments on them!






OH! Massive news actually is that my older brother Adam and his fiance, are expecting.. TWINS!

This is absolutely amazing amazing news because they've been trying to conceieve for so long and they want it so much. I feel so bad when I told them I was expecting - even though they were, of course, lovely and happy for me.

Adam announced it by saying in the group chat that he had some news... left us hanging then said 'Lissa's midget is gonna have a cousin' SO typical!

I then rang him and just ended up being like ARGHHHHHHH down the phone hahaa, I am so happy for them. I then rang my mum to pretty much do the same thing and she admitted she'd known for ages! And hated keeping it a secret. I'd actually been interrogating her earlier in the month but she didnt give in... and I believed her.

Erika is 7 weeks behind me and with twins they can come early and with single pregnancy I could be late.. so our babies could be so close in age! Just wish we all lived closer...

More baby stuff (there's gonna be none stop baby stuff now not gonna lie) is that I went to lunch with Ant's mum and Ant's niece Mila recently which was lovely and she is honestly the happiest baby I've ever met! She's such a delight and honestly, it makes me just hope and wish our baby is like her. She sleeps loads and is constantly smiling and more than happy for interaction all the time. I jut love her!



Ermm.. what else is new.. works fine.. happy as always. I really love it there and hope that I can remain working there after my maternity but I dont know how it would work.. something for future Lissa to deal with though.

We got new beds! This is exciting as we've needed them for ages and Ant just got a bonus and I've been saving just in general and so we splashed out (a little) on new beds and they're sooo nice. We went from a double to a super king in the main room and oooooomg its heaven!

Twice since we got the beds have we just spent all evening after dinner lay in it watching tv till I fall asleep, what a life to lead!

Catch up

So as usual I have neglected my blog and my mum has sent me messages moooooooaning..

I looked back over my pics to try and remember what has been happening since my last post and it has been a while!

Just after the weekend at my mums me and Ant had our 12 week scan.. I was so nervous and excited for this because we'd seen the baby at 9 weeks which was awesome, but it's always nerve wracking because you just want everything to be okay! I also havent really had many symptoms of feeling pregnant.. so no sickness and just not a lot so that each day I'm like yep.. definitely still pregnant. But after googling, speaking to other pregnant ladies and mums I realised that lack of symptoms or sudden loss o symptoms is totally normal. Your hormones level go up and down all the time.. so many people say I should think myself lucky that I dont feel any different!

Anyway, me and Ant went off excitedly to the scan and it was just as we'd hoped! All looking as it should and seeing the little nug as we call it (we call our cats chickens and each other chickens and thought it quite cute that our little baby growing is a little chicken nugget hahaha!) was incredible.

The baby was sat in a funny position so the scanner lady (I should know the formal name of these people sorry!) was finding it hard to do her checks.. which was fine for us because we got extra time just watching this lil nug move around and just TRY and make it feel more real.

We got the reassurance we'd wanted and new pics and we left really really happy! I had to go for blood tests so she sent me upstairs in the hospital.. I thought I'd be in and out but it was going to be a 2 hours wait! So we went to Tesco which is opposite the hospital and got breakfast in the cafe. It was lovely because we were both beaming.

We then went over to my bestie Lois' work as she's just round the corner, and gave her one of the scan pictures. Lois is my ultimate best friend in the world and so she's fully invested in this child, she cried when I gave her the picture, just love her! We caught up and me and Ant went into the sensory room (Lois works in a children's centre) and imagined us taking our little one there one day!

We headed back, waited around for about 10 mins and got the blood test done - worked out really nicely actually as we got to bunk off work and spend the day together.

Back to work after this and I put my picture up in the General Slack channel which is an instant messaging app we all have at work.

I was so nervous but I just wanted everyone to know as I didnt want it to be a secret anymore! I put the picture up with the caption - I've never been one for subtlety and so here it is! #preggers.

I got a great response, everyone congratulating me and a few shocked faces! The team at my work are great and I really feel like I get on with everyone so it was pretty awesome to be honest.

The next day my director had bought me the book 'what to expect when you're expecting' which is really sweet.

I was going to wait to announce my pregnancy on social media for Xmas but I just couldnt wait to I added it to FB and Instagram and again.. got such a lovely response. I feel so lucky!