hum dum te tum ...............

T minus 4 days. Well the cold snap is over, we're well slept, we've re-read the books, the old baby seat is re-attached in the car, the house is clean, we've bought the nappies & bottles & wet wipes & vests, Pooce is now repeating "baby out", etc. etc. etc. Feels as if someone from the council might come round for an inspection. But still no early action here & we're counting down for Sunday.

Speedy's been reluctantly blooming in the last few days - never one to go overboard with optimism but she's been notably upbeat since the baby lowered his position and we finished working on the house (dare I say she's got a spring in her waddle?). I'm looking forward to the whole thing too, not least as I'm taking two-weeks paternity and a few days leave so, with Christmas holidays too, I'll not be working at all during December and can enjoy the family & Christmas in glorious sleepless peace.

about last night ...

T minus 5 days. OK so I got my counting wrong - what am I, an accountant? Countdown progressing smoothly and we're looking for a birthing window around about Sunday morning - preferably before Countryfile. Thought I'd show you Pooce's bed this morning exactly as she left it - she's insisting on sleeping with most of her toys and her favourite books. She woke up this morning with an imprint of Little Miss Shy on her forehead.

Speedy has now settled on her new blog name. She thought of it herself and has been wearing it like a badge all day.

the Team A shuffle

It's cos of smooth moves like this that we're in this postion in the first place.

counting up?

T minus 5 days and all's peaceful here on the launchpad. As Guy Browning said in Saturday’s Guardian:

"anybody who has ever been disappointed at the cancelled launch of a space rocket must wonder why they don't count up rather than down. If mission control started at one and went up, they'd have a lot more time to check things before pushing the button. Who cares if liftoff is after 34,216? In space time, that's almost nothing."

tick tock .....

T minus 6 days. After a quiet day yesterday, Speedy's been limbering up for the last 24 hours - but still nothing you'd call a contraction. She's completely zonked - which i think is her body's way of telling her to slow down a bit (although me and Pooce aren't complaining about the well spent hours in the kitchen today - NZ lamb to die for). Forgot to take the camera on our travels today - so i'm posting this picture of beautiful Speedy & Pooce on our French holidays in August. Fingers crossed for a restful night ....

A walk in the park ....

T minus 7 days, and we're still just Blob, Speedy and Pooce. A day of quiet waiting on the launchpad - no booster checks, no valve checks, no nothing. Nontheless, a day of beautiful winter sunshine and national pride (Wales bt. Australia). With the new licensing hours, Cardiff's gonna be a crazy place tonight.........

slip sliding away

Still counting down (T minus 8 days). This morning’s snow fall (top left of picture) was exciting. Pooce had no idea what to make of it – her first real memorable snow – but she’s still pretty subdued after falling over yesterday on the new floor and putting her front teeth through her lip. Speedy has progressed to the regular back-rub stage to ease the pain – but she managed to get to IKEA this morning for a new rug (for safety purposes you understand).

baby (it's cold outside)

T minus 9 days, although Speedy thinks it's coming much sooner. There was a very definite lowering of the pregnant bump last night - a surefire sign he's about to spring forth - depending who you listen to. If he's anything like me he'll be staying put till this cold snap is over.

We finished the main work on the house last weekend too (see photo) so the little fella can be born without a hard hat. A mighty relief - not least for everyone else not having to listen to our building site stories any more.

Pooce is doing great - but hopelessly unaware that the much-talked-about baby is about to become reality. Got no idea how she's going to take it. She's got a memory like an elephant and an inflated sense of property ownership: Exhibit A, cousinGwenny's pink pram (still pining a week after its repatriation).

Tonight?

a huge leap for mankind ...... (?!)

"On behalf of the many millions of people who believe so deeply in what we do, good luck, Godspeed, and have a little fun up there" (Mike Leinbach, NASA launch director to Discovery commander Eileen Collins, 26th July 2005).

"On behalf of our families, friends and the half-dozen folk who stumble across this blog, good luck, Godspeed, and please, please, please, try to have a little fun on here" (Blob, Team A Blog launch director, 24th November 2005).

Welcome you lovely people - you've found us! Hang on - we're about to launch ........