A little light relief - courtesy of some assorted animals!

Firstly, Shrek, the sheep who managed to avoid having its hair cut (fleece sheared) for 6 years. If only I could avoid a visit to the hairdressers for so long!

Secondly The Exorcist as you’ve never seen it before. It made me chuckle, needless to say.

If one were forced to come up with a six-word explanation for the otherwise inexplicable ferocity of America’s war on fat, it would be this: Americans think being fat is disgusting. Fifty years ago, America was full of people that the social elites could look upon with something approaching open disgust: blacks in particular, of course, but also other ethnic minorities, the poor, women, Jews, homosexuals, and so on. Nowadays, a new target is required.

If you are reading this today, go over and visit Nate to check out his wizard. I’m so over-impressed it’s untrue!! Can’t you tell I’m not computer literate, as this is probably really easy to down-load from somewhere.

All those expectant mothers out there - please don’t be fooled. It’s (giving birth) harder and more painful than running the marathon backwards, dressed as a chicken with glass shards in your shoes.

Another in the never-ending list of “should I really be reading this” articles from The Guardian. However, this one seems so true to life, it made me laugh out loud at the end when, after a c-section and vaginal delivery, the author is told “now you have the worst of both worlds - a scar on your stomach and floppy fanny”.

Neither is happening to me *gulp*.

Just to dispel any ideas to the contrary. Father Christmas is a capitalist construction.

Arguements abound in the Gene Puddle as to whether I can tell the bump this from the get go, or I have to pretend that there *is* a Father Christmas for a few years. Similar discussions have arisen about religion, politics, music and football. As the Other Halfs mantra when he talks to the Bump is currently “Support Man United, Vote Conservative and NEVER listen to The Smiths” I think there is some re-education to be done!

Thank goodness Star Trek weddings weren’t available 10 years ago. The mind boggles!!

New scan photo over in the gallery (under the heading “Baby Ferris”).

All is well, apparently, and baby is progressing exactly on the graph line it should. My blood pressure is also right on the button, which is obviously a good thing.

Next appointment tomorrow for a Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT - to test for gestational diabetes) and then nothing until the 5th May - hurrah!!

I know that most of you will be aware by now that this year, the UK representative at the Eurovision Song Contest will be Welsh. In honour of this, Wayne David - a local MP - has arranged for James Fox, the singer in question, to have a reception at the House of Commons this evening.

One piece of information that is missing from this BBC Report is that the sponsors of the event Norgine Limited are producers of constipation and other related products.

I know it’s obvious, but anyone else seeing a link??

Interesting article in todays Western Mail, comparing London with the Welsh capital.

“It’s official: Wales is the most desirable place to live. New research shows that house prices are rising faster here at home than anywhere else in the country, and Cardiff’s awash with posh hotels, spas, bars and shops. In the clash of the capitals, .. could London be losing its lustre?”

Following this opening is a two-page comparison of the two capitals. Price wise, it goes something like this:

London Night Out - Cocktails (The Savoy American Bar, Strand / Lounge Lover, Whitby Street) from £10.50 and £8.50 respectively; 3-course Dinner for Two with Wine (Coq d’Argent) £90; Pint of Beer (Market Porter, Southwark) from £2.70 and Club Entry (Cirque or Sound - Friday night) £10-£15

Cardiff Night Out - Cocktails (Las Iguanas, Mill Lane / The Steam Bar at the Hilton Hotel, the Kingsway) from £4 and £3 respectively; 3-course Dinner for Two with Wine (Le Monde) £70; Pint of Beer (Bistro 10, Cardiff Bay) from £2.50 and Club Entry (Creation or Bar Risa - Friday night) £5 - £10.

Now, that seems a fair interpretation to me. Sure, it’s more expensive in London - but then again the wages are on the whole higher. I know my equivalents up in “the smoke” get a larger salary than me - something I have questioned, despite knowing it would be put down “London weighting”. However, with house prices going the way they are, it’s only a matter of time before “Cardiff weighting” kicks in.

Of course, the surge in Cardiff prices has had a knock on effect in the gene puddle. I know my cousin is about to buy for the first time. The house is in a street we looked at about 11 years ago, when we were buying our first house. The houses then were going for around £38k. She’s now paying £99k. That’s a two-bedroom, no front garden, terraced house. The problem with prices, we are told, is that the gene puddle is now in the “commuter belt” for Cardiff, what with the excellent road links and four train stations servicing a population around 55-60,000. We even have a docklands development - but that’s a rant for another day.

Where I was going with all this was, in fact, one line in the article, which I knew would make My Dear Friend shudder. Talking about “Top 5 Signs You’re a Cardiffian” it opens with,

“1. Whichever bar you step into, by midnight they’ve played a selection of Tom Jones, the Stereophonics and the Manics, and everyone is hugging each other in united Welshness..”

I know a blast of the Phonics or the Manics is the highlight of his visits!!

Interesting article regarding the boom in child-centred websites, established by parents. Whilst I understand that, if you have family spread across the country - or indeed globe - these sites can provide an easy area to “exhibit” photographs of juniors progress, I’m not sure that they are that necessary if your family and friends are mostly close at hand.

My intentions regarding what I will do once the bump becomes a separate individual are, as yet unclear. I am so tired at present that updating the blog, outside of work hours, is basically impossible. It may only be one extra staircase to the office in the roof, but it feels like a long, long way. I would like to think that I will return to the blog, post birth, not only with renewed vigour, but also with plenty to say that is not linked to either junior or his/her progress. I mean, I’ve had quite a useful brain for the last 32 years, I can’t see that it really is going to turn into nothing but grey sludge post-pregnancy.

In saying that, a lot of my intentions are foggy, to say the least. If the Other Half gets a new job, which is primarily 9 to 5, evenings will be very different to those I have known over the last six years or so. I will not have oodles of time free, because Himself is in work and, as I thought, Junior will be in bed/cot slumbering. I’ll have someone to talk to - and my use of the computer might go down - along with the time I spend updating the site.

At present, it is something of a novelty to have the Other Half at home all the time. We were discussing next weekend yesterday - and can look ahead (at the moment) to having Saturdays and Sundays free for some time to come. It’s all very different and really enjoyable. Although, if a 9 to 5 does come off, Junior will be in full rather than part-time childcare, as we had planned, this is no bad thing. I always worried how I would cope with weekends when the Other Half was in bed and Junior was teething or similar and grizzly. Being selfish, if he is home, the other major advantage will be that I’ll be able to go out - or even go away - without feeling too much like a selfish trout.

I will be updating, as I have in the past, on the journey of my pregnancy, which has ahead in the next few weeks another scan (this Wednesday), another Glucose Tolerance Test, a visit to the anaesthetist (?sp) as the consultant is unhappy about my curved spine and small wind-pipe (who knew I had a small mouth??) and a futher ante-natal appointment. Once Junior is here, I guess we’ll have to see - but one thing is for sure, I won’t get boring about it all (I hope!).