10 days to go ...

With only 10 days to go ... I squeezed into my jeans, button-popping maternity shirt and

tottered along in high heels trying to balance my 'little' Buddha belly so I didn't topple over to meet up with the girls for dinner ...

I just managed to fit my belly behind the table ...

and after three courses ... well, the seahorse (or should that be sea monster now) was ready to burst! Now that's what you call a full belly!

Chester

Here are some of the places we were able to visit whilst waiting for Keira to come around. Got to meet some of the "Locals."

The Cappers

You could not have asked for a nicer bunch of Scousers! The Capper's far exceeded my expectations as a good loving bunch.

Meet the Brits

Well it's off to the UK to meet Angela's family and prepare for the new addition to the family. We decided that giving Keira the option of dual citizenship could only benefit her later on when she wants to start traveling...so we decided to have her in the UK.

9 Month Roller Coaster

End of September to present

Of course, since that time, the terror, fear and trepidation parts have crept back in from time to time … the thought of having to be responsible for the first time in my life … the thought of being a parent … the thought of giving of alcohol and caffeine … I mean, who wouldn’t be afraid! And there were the hormones from hell for a while … poor Shawn deserved a medal … one minute I’d be happy, the next I could sob for hours for no particular reason … thankfully that all stopped by the time I was about 4 months … and the rest of the journey … well, I can honestly say I have loved being pregnant … there are times when it’s a little disconcerting to look in the mirror and see a basketball shape sticking out the front of your shirt … and there are uncomfortable times when I feel my belly is going to pop or my ribs are going to break with the strain of the stretching … but when you feel that little baby moving around inside … I have to say being pregnant is an amazing experience and we’ve never been happier …

A Testing Time

9^th September 2006

I had the suspicion that something was not quite right … I’d been away with week with work for a week, so when Shawn came to pick me up at the airport and I apprehensively suggested that maybe, just perhaps, there might be a chance I was pregnant. That word can certainly invoke a lot of emotional responses … terror, fear, trepidation, happiness, excitement, wonder … all at once.

We headed off to find a pharmacy … which are normally on every street corner in the States … but today, we ended off driving for bloody miles and finally found ourselves in the seedier side of town before Shawn slammed on the brakes, leapt a fence and ran into a dodgy local Jamaican chemist store. Brandishing the little ‘stick’ he came running out … but being the dodgy side of town the only option to test it out appeared to be the local Taco Bell bathroom … not exactly the place I’d pictured in my head when I’d thought of this moment, but what the hell … its amazing how much joy two little stripes can bring about. We were both so excited and couldn’t stop smiling (or crying!). I have to say that was one of the happiest moments of our lives.

Happy Birthday Angie..

19^th August 2006
Well, they say life begins at 40 … and it certainly did for me. I spent my 40^th birthday lounging in luxury at a 5 star hotel in Las Vegas with Shawn, Matt and Mary where we drank copious amounts of champagne, partied our little my socks off and danced ‘til dawn. I don’t think I could have organised a more apt final fling if I’d tried … for not long afterwards it was time to hang up my little dancing party socks for a while.

Beautiful Beginnings

Here is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.