Getting Uncomfortable Now at Seven Months Pregnant

Just a short post today, in the interests of keeping a regular interaction over here. I am about to enter into the final 2 months of my pregnancy, and blimey am I feeling it! During the past three days I have been experiencing Braxton Hicks, excruciating pain in the pelvic area, and my baby continues to roll and kick almost continually.

I love being pregnant despite the pain. I love feeling my baby move around in my stomach, I love watching the way my belly bounces up and down, and how it continually changes shape as my child stretches and wriggles around. What is most surprising, is just how different this pregnancy is compared to my first one. I do not remember my first baby being quite so active (although she certainly makes up for it now!). The experience is bizarre and fascinating.

Unfortunately, my writing schedule has faltered a little during the past week, because I have been exhausted and in pain, and have had to take time out to rest where possible. However, events are unfolding fast, and I am beginning to think I need to crack on with editing the two first draft manuscripts in my project pile, and I am still working on the novel in progress that has been abandoned by my Muse…

The Big Bike Ride: Cornwall, Devon and Somerset

My father-in-law and his cycling companions set off on their Big Bike Ride this week, travelling from Lands’ End in Cornwall and making their way up through Devon and Somerset, moving towards the Midlands today. I will share some photos they have been taking along the way; and I admit I am slightly envious of the beautiful sights they are taking in, although I do not envy them the painful cycle ride to get there!

Tomorrow the cyclists will travel through Cheshire towards Lancashire, and we will be cheering them on as they pass through the small town of Frodsham near where we live. On Sunday they are expected in Wigan for a quick lunch stop with family, and then onward to continue the journey up North towards Scotland. I will post more photos and further updates as I receive them. If you are interested to learn more about the 3 amigos and their journey, see the Cycling Phoenix blog.

Holiday Diaries: Sundrum Castle Holiday Park, Scotland

I recently went on holiday with my daughter, my friend and her son for a week. We left our husbands at home, since neither would agree to arrange time off work! It was a lovely holiday, and we packed a lot of activity into a few days. In fact, I need another holiday now just to recover! My 2 year-old daughter and her 3 year-old friend had great fun, and we were pleasantly surprised with the holiday park.

Sundrum Castle is operated by Parkdean Holidays and is situated in Ayrshire, roughly a ten minute drive to the town centre of Ayr and the adjacent sandy beach and extensive shoreline. We stayed in a caravan and it was many years since I had used such accommodation. In fact, I don’t think I had stayed in a caravan since I holidayed with my parents and siblings as a child! Anyway, our caravan was clean, spacious and very well equipped with everything we needed.

The holiday park is surrounded by woodland, and while we didn’t find time to explore the nature walks (mainly due to my rather heavily pregnant situation), it looked very enticing. There is also a wild animal trail. You can collect fact sheets and activity sheets from the reception office, and head off into the woods in search of animals and birds. The site is also very peaceful and tranquil since it is not located near to any busy roads or industrial areas. We enjoyed quiet nights and the beauty of the birds singing every morning.

There is an indoor swimming pool on site, with a flume that my friend and her son enjoyed using. There is a small but adequate amusement arcade, a decent restaurant and bar, a games room and outdoor adventure playground with adjacent patio seating for parents and carers. We made use of the small on site supermarket, and there is also a takeaway restaurant but we didn’t sample the food while we were there. Just outside the holiday park is a small town and a convenience store, fish and chip shop and pizza/curry takeaway shop.

All in all, I was very impressed with our holiday accommodation. The site was located ideally for quick access to the beach and a decent shopping centre. It was quiet and peaceful when we needed it, without feeling isolated from suburban life. There were enough facilities to keep us all occupied, and we found plenty of external places to visit that were within easy travelling distance. More to follow on those expeditions later…

The ‘Love Kills’ Radio Show on Cauldron FM

I am a little bit behind here, but have only just found time to sit and listen to the Love Kills radio show on Cauldron FM. Oops! In my defence I have been busy writing, caring for my toddler, and nurturing a growing baby in my belly…

Merlin was kind enough to feature my second Redcliffe novel on his show, and he also included an interesting feature about the nature of animal familiars and witchcraft in history and folklore. Check it out!

Don’t forget I have since released the third Redcliffe novel, Love Redeems, and if you read the series, you will begin to understand why witchcraft and the witch’s familiar are so important…

The Liebster Award – I’ve Been Nominated!

I was pleasantly surprised this morning to find I had been nominated for the Liebster Award by my author friend and Prince of Horror, Alex Laybourne. Thank you Alex!

Apparently the rules of this award keep changing, so I will follow Alex’s instructions in this instance:

1. Answer this simple question
2. State 7 random facts about yourself
3. Recommend other bloggers for the award

The Question

Alex’s question was “If you could be killed by a movie serial killer, who would it be and why?”

Hmm, that’s a tough one, since I don’t really like the idea of being killed by a movie serial killer! Well, if it has to be done, can I be a little obscure and say I would choose David from The Lost Boys? The renegade vampire is definitely a serial killer, although maybe not an obvious one. And let’s face it, which hot-blooded female would not be charmed by Kiefer Sutherland in any incarnation? Ha!

7 Random Facts About Myself

I am pregnant with my second child.
I love dogs, especially my gorgeous Staffydoodle, Baxter.
My fourth novel has just been approved for publication.
I am just a little bit obsessed with the UK TV series Being Human.
I used to work in a theme park.
I am a redhead and proud of it!
I am a recently graduated ‘Big Sister’ role model for Girls Out Loud.

My Nominees

Cycling Phoenix
Haven’s Realm
Flossie Benton Rogers
Pearly Queen Notebook
Three, Six, Five Days of Life

Over to You

There we are! So, to my fellow nominees, I challenge you to share your random facts, nominate some blogs that you follow, and to answer this question: Do you prefer the beach, the mountains or the countryside during summer?

Thanks for playing!

A Journey to Recovery and the Big Bike Ride

Today I am sharing the story of someone close to me who I admire greatly. It is my father-in-law, Steven Green. He is a colourful and very loud character (and he will laugh at me for saying this!), he has lived an adventurous life that shows no sign of easing up, and now he is embarking on his greatest challenge to date. In just one week’s time, on Monday 13th May 2013, Steve will set off on a 1000 mile cycle ride from Lands’ End in Cornwall, to John O’Groats in Scotland. Accompanied by his cycling companions Tom and Nick, he will travel the length of England and Scotland in the ultimate test of endurance and perseverance.

The ride was initially organised as a charity event, although I am not sure that came to fruition for reasons beyond the cyclists’ control. However, the men decided they would continue with their plan, because they have been bitten by the cycling bug, it keeps them fit, and they enjoy their rides immensely. In 2012 they did the Coast to Coast cycle ride, travelling from St Bees in Cumbria across the width of England to Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire. In 2011 they cycled from Blackpool Tower in Lancashire to the Macmillan Hospice in Stoke-on-Trent.

What makes this epic cycle ride even more impressive is the fact that in January 2013, Steven was involved in a very serious road traffic accident. It was a quiet Sunday morning, one week before his granddaughter’s second birthday. He set of with his friends from the Cheadle Cycle Club, and they were heading out of town on a routine training ride. Steven had to stop at the roadside to repair a minor issue with his gears. He was hit from behind by a car travelling up the road. The female driver had not cleared her windscreen of frost and never saw the cyclists in front of her. Steven hit the windscreen and was thrown up in the air, landing in the ditch at the side of the road.

Imagine my shock when I received the phone call from my sister-in-law later that day. I was at home with our daughter, and my husband was at work. My sister-in-law briefly told me what had happened and that she was at the local hospital emergency department with her mum and dad. She is a firefighter by profession, and when she received the phone call that Steven had been involved in an accident, she feared the worst, having witnessed things that she would rather not share with us on a personal level.

Steven had suffered extensive injuries, from which he is still recovering. The accident has forced him into early retirement from his job as a professional portrait and wedding photographer. He can no longer walk properly due to the injuries on his right leg, but with a lot of training and physiotherapy, he is able to cycle more easily. He has had to adapt his bike for the purpose, and can never cycle as quickly or effectively as he did before. He suffered injuries all over his body, and one of the worst ones was a fractured jaw. The result of that one is permanent numbness on one side of his face and he has a metal plate in his jaw.

I am writing this post to say well done Steve, I am extremely proud of you for overcoming your challenges, and I cannot wait to see you at the finish line in John O’Groats on 26th May. It goes without saying that your son, Daniel, is also very proud of you, and your granddaughter, Elliot, looks forward to taking her balance bike out with you later in the summer.

*If you would like to see Steven’s story in more detail, read his blog, Cycling Phoenix.*

Every Pregnancy is Different

I am currently six months pregnant with my second child. Having experienced a fairly easy pregnancy first time around, I was not at all concerned or anxious about doing it again. Yes, I had mild morning sickness, crazy mood swings, and I developed very painful sciatica and lower back pain. But it was all part of the process, and my daughter is a healthy and happy 2 year-old. I am only now beginning to realise that every pregnancy is different. I am having many of the same symptoms as before, but I also seem to have acquired a few quirky new ones.

One very obvious difference is that my belly has grown alarmingly fast in a short space of time. With my first pregnancy, many people weren’t even aware of my condition, until I started walking round with a baby in a pram! This time around, I began to show at around 10 weeks, and now I feel rather huge and very uncomfortable. My baby is incredibly active, which actually I enjoy. We haven’t found out the sex of the child, but I am convinced it’s a boy. It seems to be constantly wriggling and fidgeting, alternately kicking and punching me throughout the day. The experience is wonderful, despite my discomfort.

During the past few weeks I have developed another strange pregnancy symptom. I seem to have lost the ability and the motivation to carry out my daily tasks. Now this might sound strange, but the only way I can describe it is that my head feels like it is full of cotton wool. I find myself wandering aimlessly around the house or the supermarket, not sure what I am supposed to be doing. It is a very unnerving situation to be in! The worst part is that my Muse seems to have emigrated. I have been working on a new novel for the past six months or so, and I simply cannot seem to make progress with it. I have no idea where the story is heading, what needs to happen, or even why. I just keep attempting to write a few pages here and there, and hopefully it will begin to make sense eventually.

So there we are. I am a writer who is struggling to write, and I think it is because I am pregnant. For now I am trying not to dwell on the issue. Having another baby is something very special, and I love being pregnant, despite its quirks and discomforts. People close to me have suggested I should take a break, get some rest when I can, and simply stop being so hard on myself. I know they are right. But it is never that easy to take such sound advice, especially when I am the main carer for a lively toddler. I am hoping that if I maintain my blogs to keep the writing process active, my Muse will return in good time. For now at least, I have some editing to do, and I will take small steps to get back into the flow.

*Pregnant woman image courtesy of Pinterest; Writer’s Block image courtesy of Lifehack