39 Weeks and 3 days. 4 days to due date

This is it! We're now 2 days past the 38 weeks from conception date and 4 away from the official due date of December 4th. We both feel it's 'any minute now' time and I'm feeling like I just can't wait for it all to happen. We're ready, preapared and I'm more excited than any birthday or Christmas I've ever looked forward to but, more than a little bit nervous too.

Ibolya finally stopped work on Friday, to my huge relief (now everyone can stop looking horrifed at me when they ask how she's enjoying her time off), as my sister said; Ibolya can be a housewife for a few days or so before she becomes a mother.

As you can see, Ibolya is looking more beautiful than ever. She just epitomises all those cliches about glowing and being radiant. She's all that but also just incredibly strong, unnereved and undaunted. I couldn't be more proud, or admire her more.

It's wonderful too that all our freinds and family are sharing our excitement and anticipation with us. I'm really quite liking the attention but it's also very touching that everyone is thinking about us and waiting for news. Stephen is even keeping Christophe's phone with him at work, which is so lovely.

We made a film today of the two of us, on the sofa, with the cats, talking to Little One inside Ibolya's tummy. I'm putting it on YouTube for posterity and so that Little One can watch it at some point in the future.

Water Lilies

We watched this superb, small, French film today. Beautifully acted and shot. The kind of film that could only have been made in France and was an absolutle delightful, delicacy of a movie.

Last FM

I discovered Last FM this weekend and it's absolutely extraordinary! I got an iPhone recently and I knew I'd love everything about it but what I didn't know was all the free applications you can download to it. So along with everything that comes preloaded with it, (fast internet access, email, gps, camera, ipod and not forgetting, a phone) I can now also map and time my cycle routes, play pacman, make music, read e-books, access any radio station from all over the world and now I've got Last FM. You put in the name of an artist, composer or band and it creates a radio station, playing you music you'd like, based on the name you've put in. Incredible. It's like iPod shuffle but plays you things you haven't heard before but knows your really going to like.

Mumbai

I've been terribly saddened and shocked at the appalling violence and loss of life in Mumbai this week. It's a very significant city for me, having spent many days there, on two trips to India, both very happy and special times. 

It's a magnificent city, one of the great cities of the world, and one which I know I will go back to many times in my life. I can't wait to take my Little One there and have his or her first experience of India there, as it was for me.

Some of the best memories I have of the city are of places where the terrorist attacks occurred. My first Indian meal in India (and butter nans), with Jerry, at the Leopold on Kolabra causeway. Trying to negotiate the mind bogglingly complicated, Byzantium, way to buy rail tickets, at Chatrapati station (an immense building of grandiose, neo-gothic, beauty). And sneaking into the Taj Mahal hotel, back-packer scruffy with Ibolya, for a drink in the bar, (where the Australian cricket team were also drinking) and regretting, afterwards, that we hadn't splashed out and  stayed the night.

Quantum of Solace

You can't beat 241 Orange Wednesdays at Vue Shepherd's Bush for big screen entertainment and I was very excited about seeing this new Bond installment. Especially as this cinema trip is likely to be our last for quite some time.

Seeing a new Bond always takes me back to my first big Bond screen experience, seeing Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me at the Odeon in the Market Square, Nottingham. Always memorable as there was also a power cut that night and we had to stand outside for half an hour waiting for the lights to come one.
I've loved Bond movies ever since and it's fantastic that Daniel Craig (he's a brilliant Bond, the first highly accomplished actor in the role) has now reinvigorated the franchise to such an extent that it's safe to say, we have many more Bonds to look forward to for some years ahead.
As a book-end or epilogue to Casino Royal, the film works well, less so as a self contained (stand alone) Bond movie. But it's still hugely entertaining and thrilling. I'd just like the next film be a bit more Bondish, meaning; have the Bond theme at the start and reprised at the climax of action sequences, inject a little more humour (I'd love a few Roger Moore style 'raised eye brow' one liners) and some Ken Adam-ish 'set-piece' evil villain lairs.

The Forge

The best bit of the weekend was a big family lunch, to celebrate my Mum's 70th birthday, at the Forge, Garrick Street.

I'm a bit biased as my very dear friend Christophe runs the Forge but that said, it was the most perfect and lovely place for this special family occasion and I was rather proud of myself for suggesting it as a venue.

The staff couldn't have been more fantastic, the food was great (incredibly good value for money) and the surroundings, sophisticated and elegant.

Everyone, including all my nieces and nephews, had a really happy time.

The Pelham

On Saturday night we all assembled at the Pelham Hotel, South Kensington, for a surprise party to celebrate, my brother-in-law, Matthew's 40th Birthday.

Ibolya, Little One and Me

Dad and I

Mum

Mum and wine

Me and my brothers-in-law, Matthew and Matthew

A round of 'Happy Birthday' for my Mum

Sara and I

Jane and Sara

Shelves

The nursery is now very near completion and on Saturday afternoon, I completed what I think is a profound rites of passage. For the first time in my life, I put up some shelves. Surely a landmark event for any man, especially me, who hasn't got a practical bone in my body.
I loath and despise DIY so I'm very proud of myself that I survived and the shelves are up, looking alright and seem to be level, safe and secure.
Now I can load them up with all the children's books I like.

Gracelands

Saturday lunch at one of our very favourite places, Gracelands, College Road, Kensal Green.
Ibolya looked fantastic against this lovely wall, at KG tube station.

I was fat and greedy and had the Gracelands burger

but really wished I'd ordered Ibolya's wonderful veggie tart and salad.

Nursery Wallpaper

Our very dear friend Sarah came to our aid again last night and put up the wallpaper paper (a limited edition Cath Kidston) we'd bought for the nursery. After the success of the wallpaper she put up downstairs, a few months ago, we were very honoured that she was happy to do this again for us and all for the cost of my Pish Fie.

Sarah made really easy work of the papering and we couldn't be happier and more excited with the results.

Thank you so much Sarah, we'll be enjoying what you've done for us for years to come and we're immensely grateful.

The paper completes such a massive transformation of this room, from the Dialysis Room of the previous owner to becoming the bedroom of our first child.

Week 38 and 2 Weeks To Go!!!!

Ibolya and I went to the Birth Centre this morning for the latest ante natal check up. We always get a bit nervous before these, thinking about what-if's and worrying ourselves that perhaps Little One's progress might now have taken a turn for the worse or that things might now, not be what they should be.
So the happiness and relief we get when everything proves to be just fine is just incredible.

We were seen this morning by Chief Midwife Pauline who oozed confidence and reassurance, giving Ibolya and Little One an absolute 'all clear'.
Ibolya's blood pressure is perfect and she said how amazing she's looking and what a wonderful tummy she has. She really does, it's absolutely beautiful.

Little One is 'average' size (I didn't like to hear my little one described as 'average'), has his head deep inside Ibolya's pelvis and is all lined up, the right way and ready to go. We heard that beautiful, pounding heartbeat again, which never fails to make us both well up. It's such an incredible and emotional sound.

Pauline gave Ibolya a stern talking to about stopping work and how she really must now focus on psychologically preparing herself for labour. She's absolutely right and I've got to try harder to make her stop.

Our due date is exactly 2 weeks away, today, and also the date of our next appointment.
It's incredible to think that, as the hospital won't let Ibolya go more than 11 days over the due date, whatever happens, our little baby will be with us by next pay day.

Florence

Yesterday we received these wonderful pictures of my youngest niece, Florence.

Florrie recently turned 6 months old! And she's looking very good on it, bless her. She's such an adorable little poppet.

Her Berlin t-shirt reminds me how desperate I am to go there and is my most want-to-visit place in the world, right now.

It's my Mum's 70th birthday today and my brother in law Matthew H's 40th so we're having 2 big birthday celebrations at the weekend, when we'll see Florence and all my dear nieces and nephews, I can't wait.

Paradise

On Sunday we treated ourselves to a sumptuous lunch at 'Paradise By Way of Kensal Green'

I had beef

and Ibolya had pork, which was absolutely superb.

Ibolya said that Paradise is officially her favourite pub

and we'll definately be making it one of the very first public venues Little One will visit.

Boris Godunov

Ibolya and I had been looking forward to this weekend for ages. The first in a long time with no one coming round and no engagments to go to. And the last weekend, like this, being just the two of us.
So we did chores in the morning, picked up a Bugaboo pushchair from Marylebone (bought on Gumtree) and had a little trip to Westfield in the afternoon.
Saturday evening was a real treat. I cooked us duck breast in a port and cranberry sauce and the three of us had the great pleasure of listening to my sister Jane (Little One's Auntie Jane), singing in 'Boris Godunov' with English National National Opera, live on Radio 3, from the Coliseum.
It was amazing to think of our baby, hearing Auntie Jane, for the first time, over the Radio.
There were times when we really thought we could pick out Jane's voice, we kept saying to each other 'that's defiantly her'.
We listened throughout dinner, then in the bath and whilst Ibolya made muffins.

Spider

This beautiful spider has been spinning a web between the ends of our hedge, at the entrance to our house, all week.
I keep having to remember he's there and duck every time I leave and return from work.

Today he looked particularly wonderful as I looked up at him, against a blue sky, stripped with horizontal and vertical vapour trails.

3 Weeks and 3 Days to go

Week 37 and hardly anytime left now. We're even on the last page of Dr Stoppard's baby countdown. 

Ibolya is looking as beautiful as ever and that gorgeous round tummy is alive with activity inside. She loves to feel Little One moving around and she's beginning to think about missing it after the birth. 

Little One is now about 35cm long and weighing 3-4 kg. He's just got to do a little more fattening up and he'll be ready for the biggest journey of his life so far.

We visited St Mary's Birth Centre again on Saturday and we both hope so much that the birth will take place there and Ibolya will be able to have as natural a birth as possible.