Due date is here!

I haven't had the date itself fixed in my brain quite in the same way as I had with Elizabeth, but I must admit to being surprised not to wake up this morning to a 'show' and the beginnings of contractions... I've had a few twinges every evening for the last few days, but I think its basically the baby moving around and I'm sure 'he' is back to back because it really hurts! Last night I got a really strong Braxton Hicks-type contraction at around midnight, but managed to remain calm, not wake husband, and ended up falling back to sleep.

So - I've got a midwife appointment tomorrow. Its half-term so my Mum is off work and came around yesterday to see how the cooker, washing machine, tumble dryer etc work. I think everything is pretty much organised for leaving Elizabeth but I honestly haven't got my head around the fact that it could literally be any time. It doesn't feel real, and I can't believe that within the next two weeks we will have another baby!

Elizabeth has chosen this time to phase out her afternoon nap, but I'm fighting her about it, and she's upstairs now jabbering away to herself in bed. She thinks the baby will come 'after Christmas' or when 'is sunny'. Husband thinks the baby will come today. I think at least two weeks late!!

Itching still reaching nightmare proportions across my stomach but better on my legs, and am not bleeding so much from the sores at night. Still getting through huge amounts of Gaviscon post-itching, and paracetamol in the middle of the night. Still dream of being able to sit comfortably on the sofa and watch tv, but all a distant dream at the moment.

Spoke to Claire at group today who had her baby six weeks ago. She had an epidural as she wasn't dilating at all, and ended up with an emergency CS as the baby was in distress. Felt worse somehow as had hoped that with a second it would be quick and relatively ok to deal with the pain.

Anyway, Sainsburys delivery man has just phoned to say he's coming early so had better go and get ready to receive all my ready meals, chocolate and biscuits!