Welcome to Chappy Zone

Hello,
This is David & Kirsten's first foray into web technology. This site is for us to share with you some of our experiences in becoming new parents & any other adventures that happen along the way. Some of you may be wondering why "Chappy Zone" given we still haven't made it up the isle and I am not yet an official Chappy? Suffice to say I was feeling generous when we set up this blog site! Seriously though we don't expect the wedding bells will be too far off but with our track record of delaying our return to NZ who really knows...

While I am writing this first entry in our blog David is still at work (it's quite late in the evening here in London) - unfortunately he is busy drafting contracts for a client with operations in the UK and the States and the US clients are making a habit of coming online late in the afternoon and requesting changes to be incorporated into the documents by COB US time. This has called for some very late nights this week & a very tired David.

This week I have also been busy learning to live life from Turtle House, our flat in Clapham, having finished up work recently to go on maternity leave. David took this photo of me at 34 weeks (5 weeks ago now) so clearly the "bump" has arrived in a big way! At 38 weeks pregnant, I am definitely finding that I need to slow down and take things a bit easier - not something that comes naturally to me. I am filling up my days quite easily though as there is still plenty of shopping for baby gear to do and a long list of odd jobs around the house that we've never managed to find the time to sort out. Keeping active and knocking off just 1 or 2 of these tasks each day is really helping my sense of accomplishing something.

"Rufus" (the name of the wriggling bump thanks to Anne & John) appears well. No, this name will not continue to be used once baby arrives on the scene. Anyway, "Rufus" is learning to make some solid foot impressions against the right side of my belly and is starting to engage - i.e. head south (kind of like "caving" as David says) - in preparation for birth. Due date is 20 February, although we keep telling the bump that he/she isn't allowed to make an appearance until the 16th for a couple of reasons. Firstly David jokes that this timing would allow him to go on paternity leave just before his current US deal gets crazy busy ahead of completion (legal speak). From my perspective this timing fits in with Mum's arrival in London.

Lynne (mum but soon to be Grandma) is arriving here next Tuesday (Valentines Day) for a 5 week stay and we can't wait for her to get here. Roll on next week!