For the record, the shortness of breath/hot flush/blurred vision thing happened again this morning. Passed reasonably quickly, felt fine afterwards, didn't see a doctor this time.

Thanks to little Elspeth and her antenatal acrobatics, I scarcely slept last night. And when I did manage to get some shuteye, it was only REM sleep and I dreamed of work. So now I feel like I've been at work all night, and I just got up to go to work again!

I have no more to add. It's been a long week, even though I only worked three days.

24 weeks

Had an incident this morning. I was on the bus going to work as usual, when I suddenly felt hot, sweaty, and short of breath. It wasn't long before my vision started to blur, then disappear completely. I was nowhere near passing out; I didn't feel faint, I just couldn't see anything. Happily a colleague was on the same bus, and saw me looking weird; she helped me get up and walk to the office, by which time my vision had returned... temporarily. Within about ten minutes of getting to work, it happened again. So, my boss drove me to the hosiptal. After waiting a good two hours or so in Emergency (which is fine, I was hardly dying), the doctor poked and prodded me, then told me it was more or less normal: hormonal and blood pressure changes associated with pregnancy. Well, that's what he thinks based on one isolated incident. Essentially, little Elspeth is getting selfish, claiming all my resources and leaving me short.

So anyway, I'm feeling ok now, I'm at home and will not be going to work again until at least Wednesday. I am forbidden (by Doctor Aidan) to do anything strenuous or worry about anything, so after I've published this post and finished my lunch, I'll be having a quick shower then going back to bed.

Thanks again to Alice (the colleague on the bus), MaryLou (the boss who drove me to hospital and sat with me a while), Nathan and Stephen (the colleagues who worried and helped me at work this morning) and, as always, Aidan (the concerned and wonderful husband).

Some of you may already be aware that this time of year plays host to the World's Greatest Shave. Poor sods like me choose to shave their heads in support of Leukaemia research. I was a little early; the Shave doesn't officially start until Thursday, but since my hair was pissing me off, I bit the bullet and went for it.

This is me half an hour ago. With my accidental emo-fringe and very nearly a mullet.

This is what came off my head.

And this is me now!

For those of you who haven't yet, but would like to, you can support the cause by sponsoring me. Click on this link:

http://my.imisfriendraising.com.au/personalPage.aspx?SID=59435

if you would like to do so!

We bought a scanner! So, here is my shoe:

For the record: I have a cold, I'm tired, Elspeth is bashing me up from within. I'm so showing her this on her 21st to make her feel guilty.

This child of mine is definitely Aidan's. She's hyperactive, and getting so strong! I'm sure it won't be long before I can put a ping-pong ball on my stomach, as advised by Cazzie, and watch Elspeth kick it off from within! If she's like this at 22 weeks (well, it'll be 22 weeks tomorrow), what will she be like for the second half of the pregnancy?! It's so awesome to feel her in there; I tend to zone out a bit every time I feel her squirm and just focus on her instead of whatever I'm meant to be doing. I must look like I'm going batty sometimes, sitting with my hand on my belly and a faint smile on my face, staring at nothing!

I have to figure out when I'm going to stop working. I've already stopped riding my scooter; when you spend a good twenty seconds staring at a button wondering what it does, only to realise it's the ignition, that's when it's time to stop!! So I'm taking the bus, which is turning out a lot easier and quicker than I had previously thought. Anyway, I should be able to work up until quite near the due date; my job is not physically strenuous and I can sit down for most of the day. On the other hand, I'm already suffering vagueness and fatigue (suffering is probably not quite the right word; on the whole I love being pregnant); I'm not sure how that will effect my work performance as these "symptoms" will undoubtedly become more pronounced!

I also need to decide what and if and when and where to study. I mean, I know I want to complete some form of tertiary education, but being uncertain as to where we might be living for the next four years or so makes it difficult to contemplate anything other than online/correspondence courses. The problem with this is twofold: Firstly I'm not certain that I have the self-discipline to stick to my studies independently; and secondly I can't find any correspondence course that deals specifically with linguistics, which is what I'm very keen to study. I'll figure it out eventually, I'm sure: possibly a combination of on-and-off-campus learning, or just acknowledging that I may need to transfer to a different uni/mode of study halfway through. It'll all work out, somehow someday!!