Sian and the Bump

We're 38 weeks pregnant now and the end is in sight. It's a bit strange not knowing whether we'll have a baby in 4 days or 4 weeks, but I'm sure it'll still take us by surprise when it does finally arrive.

I think we've been pretty luck with the pregnancy really. No great dramas, no big problems. Let's hope that lasts a little bit longer!

Observe Sian and her "nice neat bump".

Charity starts at home

Anyone care to donate?

Gerry

Everyone, I'd like to introduce the newest member of the Taylor family. Gerry is a little giraffe who will be keeping Baby T company in the nursery. Let's hope the little T isn't too freaked out by him.

Man at RH

Regard, the new company pin-up! And no, I don't know why I have a hat over my genitals.

Early starts

It's a bit of a drag getting up early to travel for work, but it was nice to have an extra night in my own bed with Sian and the bump. I like the work I'm doing now, but it would be nice to have one or two meetings a bit nearer home...

Holidays before the baby

One of the things I suspect we'll have less of next year. Tea and cakes as far as the eye can see.

it's the freaking weekend, baby

It seems that my expanding wife's "nesting" instinct is kicking in, so with a mere 3 months to go our washing line is bedecked with little cutesy babygrows and bibs and other munchkin related paraphernalia. This is, in no particular order:

1) very sweet

2) making real the magic of our growing family

3) scaring the bejesus out of me

Having spent most of yesterday on acts preparatory to fatherhood, or decorating as it is also known, I felt it was important to reclaim some of our weekend for us. Off we went, then, into town for a some visa-crunching retail therapy, a sumptuous lunch and enough coffee to float a battleship at the Verve cafe. To be honest, I feel that we've probably lost the knack of wasting entire weekends in this way, but then we don't get the practice that we did when living in Brighton.

Rochdale Cricket

Some lunchtime games in the beautiful surroundings of one of our lovely parks and gardens.

do the timewarp

I'm caught in a 1970's British Rail throwback cafe (pronounced 'caff') in Peterborough, drinking what claims to be an espresso. Queen's 'we will rock you' is on the stereo and the poster outside is advertising a Police concert. Is this an elaborate practical joke?

Man at RH

Inspired by the new fangled gadgetry of being able to blog straight from my mobile and the pure joy (or at least convenience) of linking blogger to Facebook ("more addictive than crack cocaine", Tracy Bowen, 2007), I've decided I might start a bit of blogging again.

I'm currently working off the other gadget du jour, the 3G data card, to ease the pain of a GNER train that looks something like this, while I head down to RH HQ for a photo shoot. I have been selected, as the most handsome man in the company (possibly), to be the new face of RH. That is to say, I will be one of the many people featured in the next "look at the folks what work here" recruitment brochure. I'll try to get a copy of the image to amuse you.

Oh, and I've got some meetings too, which is handy for the timesheet.

After the bottom-pain of last week's introduction to spinning, today I will be complaining about my shoulder and fingers. We decided to start sanding the little bedroom down yesterday and, in a fit of enthusiasm, I sanded the whole floor by hand. Now, it's not a big room but five hours of non-stop sanding is, for someone not accustomed to manual labour, quite a trial. Even the application of Sian's girly hand cream has not restored my fingers to their usual baby-softness. However, having done it, I'm feeling much better about the whole nursery project and slightly more certain that the baby will actually have a room to sleep in when it arrives.

Look Bridget...

... I'm working! No really, I am!

Today's view

Should be working really...