Heat heat heat and summer holidays!

Hi all,

Well I'm finally on school holidays and already a week has passed. Bump is rapidly expanding and kicking me nicely! Everything seems to be going well with the pregnancy. We have just started to see my stomach moving from the outside which is so exciting and great for Nathan as he feels more involved. I'm 26 weeks now so only have 14 to go! I'm having another scan at 34 weeks to check that baby is growing ok and everything is on course. I suppose that is a benefit of the MS - I get extra special care!

I've not really done a great deal this week as I have been really struggling with the heat. It has been so muggy and humid that I am really struggling to walk anywhere or do anything. I am ok when I first get up and try to do as many jobs as I can before it gets too hot! I think it is just the MS flaring up and slowing down the nerve conduction, but I am sure the pregnancy has something to do with it! I have definitely noticed an improved circulation being pregnant but having always had cold hands and feet it is really strange to have hot hands and feet. Plus it adds to the loss of sensation which is not great but hey I'm not complaining, it will be worth it.

Em x

Baby bump

Hi all,

Sorry this post has been a long time coming, I just forget how long it has been since I last wrote until I get on here and see the date the last post was published! Well as you can see from the pic Baby Richards is developing nicely. We could have found out the sex of the baby at the scan, but we want a surprise so didn't find out. I am now 21 weeks pregnant so just over half way, it seems to have flown by yet it still seems so far away until baby is actually here. We have decorated the nursery this week and got the furniture delivered so Nathan is a very excited builder!

As for the MS........as bump expands, my balance seems to take a knock. My physio warned me that it might happen but I think it might be a long 3 and a half months now. School have been very good and are managing to get all the sport bits and bobs covered for me so I don't have to do anything but teach. As much as I hate it and am determined I don't need it, I have been using my stick for mine (and the baby's) safety if I am feeling a bit wobbly.

I am still trying to swim as much as I can, but it is about finding the energy to get to the pool. I need a pool in my back garden (Nath, if you're reading this - b'day in August!!!). We have not long been back from a week's holiday in France which was great. We had our own villa with own pool which was lovely. We had much better weather than was forecast and had a lovely relaxing week with the family. As a result of that holiday we have decided not to go to Spain on our planned summer holiday in August for a number of reasons.

1. I am not too good with the heat and my MS

2. I will be 28 weeks pregnant and could possibly go into early labour in a foreign country

3. I will only stress myself out with worry about the above and not enjoy the holiday!

So we are now just trying to get our money back for the flights! I will try not to leave it so long next time but you know what I'm like!

Em xxx

P.S If you can't work out the baby scan pic, it's head is on the left and baby is on it's back with it's legs over it's head!

Well done!

Hi all,

Just a quick message to let you all know that my Auntie and friends completed their 60km (38 mile) walk for the MS society on Saturday on one of the hottest days of the year. A superb effort by all involved and many kind thanks from me. I am sure that the MS society will be extremely grateful for the money raised. If you haven't sponsored them yet and still wish to (you have about 90 days to do it!) then follow this link:

http://www.justgiving.com/trisharedgrave

Baby bump is expanding nicely and my trousers are getting a little bit tight around my middle. It's probably the only time you don't mind feeling fat! We are off to see the midwife on Friday morning to hear baby's heartbeat which is very exciting. I am sure I felt baby move last week as well - strange bubbling from my stomach. Hubby Nath was listening to bump last night and was convinced he could hear the bubbles - very strange!

The hot weather does not help my MS. My legs feel even more like lead than they did before! I think with the pregnancy and the MS combined it's a double whammy of fatigue! Well I got a stick from my Physio today which should help if I'm having a wobbly day.

Right I must dash as I have about 50 SATS papers to mark tonight!
Em xxx

Baby Richards!

Hi all,
I'm sorry I have not written for ages but I don't think I could have written on here without spilling the news about baby Richards! I am expecting my first baby on October 31st (and no we are not calling the baby Damian!). The picture above is the baby at the scan at 12 weeks, for those who cannot tell what is what - the head is on the right and that's it's leg up in the air on the left. We have another scan in about 6 weeks in which we can find out the sex of the baby if we want to but we want a surprise so will just keep guessing! I have a small bump expanding, well I know that's what it is, I probably just look fat to everyone else! My trousers are definitely getting tighter but I don't mind, it's all for a good cause.

My MS has not really changed with the pregnancy. I finally managed to shake off the hug (or the little elf got bored squeezing me!) which was a relief. My legs still get very tired, but that could be down to baby, being back at work full time or just the MS. So, I'm back at work teaching full time, which is hard work but I am just about coping. I think it makes it easier to cope knowing I don't have much teaching time left until I go on maternity leave. Access to Work have been so supportive and have provided me with 7 hours of support in the classroom. The support is entirely for me, someone to do my photocopying, put my displays up for me etc. My very own personal assistant! The other teachers at school are very jealous.

Well not long now until we have a nice week away in France. I am just hoping the weather is going to be better than it was when we went last year - it was colder and wetter in Bordeaux than it was in Bristol. We are supposed to be going away to Spain in August but I will be 30 wks pregnant by then and I am not sure I am happy about leaving the country in case this baby decides to make an early appearance, we will see.......

I will keep you updated on bump and how my MS reacts to the pregnancy.
Em x

Is it really British Summertime?

Hello avid readers,
I have not written for some time as again my life is very boring! I am officially on my school 'Easter' holidays and have had my first lie in of the holidays. I do feel sorry for Nathan who is getting up at 530 at the moment and having to leave me in bed sleeping.

So what is going on weather? Last week it was so mild it was beginning to feel like summer and now we have snow? This time last year it was so warm people were heading to the beach! The weather is going crazy.

I have just been to balance group and I'm having a little rest on the sofa, trying to summon up some energy from somewhere to go swimming tonight. My legs still seem to be cramping up at night, and I wake up and walk like a robot for half an hour or so. I seem to be crampy in different parts of my leg each day and I'm still no wiser as to the reasoning behind it!

Well it is not long now (about 7 weeks or so) until we head to France for a week with the family. We are both looking forward to a break away from work and this country. We have got a couple of weekends away coming up with friends we don't get to see as often as we'd like, so we are looking forward to those too.
Take care
Emma x

Happy belated Easter!

Hi everyone,

Well it's been a while again as I have had very little to report. My MS symptoms have stayed relatively stable since the last dose of steroids. My legs seem to get worse throughout the day, but I think that is just due to tiredness because when I get up in the morning they are better again!

Well our Y6's are off to PGL next week on their adventure holiday to deepest darkest Wales and I'm not going :-( I accept that it would probably be far too much for me, but it won't stop me sulking because I am not going, ha ha. Well it's a funny time at school just now - we've just had a 4 day weekend, then we've got 4 days this week, a full week next week and then we are off on our proper school holidays for 2 weeks!

Well Happy belated Easter to you all. We managed to have a nice quite relaxing weekend (shame about the school work). We didn't get much snow over here, looks like we missed out on the fun and games that the rest of the country had.

Oooh and before I forget: my auntie's walk is getting closer so I'm just going to re-post the link as it has dropped off the first page and I wouldn't want you to all miss out on sponsoring her!
http://www.justgiving.com/trisharedgrave

Thanks
Take care,
Em x

I'm alive!

Hello,

I'm back! It is so much harder to find the time to write on here as I'm back at work pretty much full time now. Occupational health have given me permission to go back full time if I am feeling up to it, so I think I'll keep supply on hand for the next couple of weeks until our school holidays and come back in the summer term and have my class back! I would be lying if I said teaching full time again was easy - it is a challenge, but one I am determined to try and overcome. I have got great support at school and they are taking extra duties away from me (such as playground duty) to get me back into work.

I have got parents evenings this week, one part of the job that I dread. I wonder if parents dread it as much as teachers do? Luckily this is the only one now before the end of the year, just their final reports to go now!

Well, we had a lovely weekend with our friends coming to stay and catching up with my brother in law and his wife. It was Nathan's gramps 90th birthday on Sunday and we surprised him with a little party, which he appeared delighted with. I haven't really been up to much else as I've been shattered!

I have been to balance group today and am now quite tired. My legs are quite often shaky when I come out of there- shows I've been doing something he he! They were mean and made me try and stand on a wobble board on one leg - not something that comes easy to me! I still have good days and bad days with my legs (even though they are all good days compared to before) and I still can't put my finger on the reasoning for the difference. Perhaps one day I will figure it out!

Will try not to leave it so long next time!
Emma