a familiar feeling of being settled

The months have flown by and my increasing size is just a constant reminder of how change is about to come, and fast!

I'm in Week Thirty and feeling the toll of carrying around an extra 25 lbs.

Walking long distances (or heaven forbid - UPHILL!) is a struggle and I have to stop and catch my breath every few steps. I feel like I'm living in the Himalayas.

I have the occasional heartburn which seems to radiate from the middle of my ribs and just recently, I get pangs of lower back pain which feels like a sudden and vicious screw being driven between two vertebrae with a jack-hammer.

On the upside, my appetite is still voracious and I am in constant awe of the movement that is now part of my waking (and non-waking) life.

I'm already missing my bump and the indescribable feeling of having life growing and kicking and wriggling inside. How does one's body know what to do? It is simply a miracle.

Matt has become very involved in the pregnancy and reading everything he can get his hands on.

At the airport the other week, we picked up the novel "The Road" by Cormac Mc Carthy, a post-apocalyptic tale of a journey taken by a father and his young son over a period of several months, across a landscape blasted by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed all civilization.

It is a beautifully written piece of literature, where the simplest of words can conjure up such intense emotions.

I am very happy that we made the right decision to move to the UK early on in my first trimester instead of waiting until the end of the work/school term in Canada (mid/late June).

Although my memories of moving in December/ January are clouded with memories of complete exhaustion and nausea, I know it would've been much worse in the third trimester, especially in the heat of summer.

It's been 3 months since we've arrived (already!) and so far we've enjoyed living in this gorgeous part of the UK more than we thought we would.

Sunsets at Land's End in Sennen Cove, walks on the north coast at Crackington Haven, exploring the beaches of Perranporth and Porthtowan.

I've finally put away my big winter jacket for the year. Just in time too; for the past few weeks, I haven't been able to zip it up.

Needless to say, we definitely have Baby on the Brain and are both very excited about meeting our little man.

What will he look like? And will his limbs be in proportion to his head? Will we worry too much? Will we ever get a good night's sleep?