Thanks for the various congrats - unoriginal_liz, of course I don't mind you commenting! (loved the icon too).Everything still very strange - used to it just being me & Vi kicking around the house, and of course, used to a toddler who cheerfully goes to bed at 8 and doesn't bother us until about 7 the next morning, meaning last night's 12.30am, 3.20am and 5.30am feeds (when he refused to settle after the latter, and was hiccupping and sicking after most of them) came as a shock to the system. Alex is, so far, fairly low maintenance compared to how Vi was in the early stages though. We'll see if that lasts.

So - let me regale you with the story of my second - and, unless I have a massive change of heart, final - labour.

( Cut for length and ickiness )

I have a son! Alex was born on Friday night after a relatively short & uncomplicated (but still very painful & knackering) labour. I have strained muscles I didn't even know I had (and no, I don't just mean 'down there' - I feel like I've just got back from a marathon Yoga session with Satan himself instructing).

Back home now, but V busy catching up as well as juggling the needs of both kiddies. Shall post more/reply when I get the chance.

Scribbles xxxx

Yoinked from mrs_picard

Name a fandom, and I'll give you the scoop on at least three of my unpopular opinions related to that fandom.

( Some from my main fandoms to keep you going )

ARGH!

'Every pregnancy is different', I thought.
'The second one tends to come out easier,' I thought.
'Everything else has been happening much earlier on with this pregnancy, so the birth probably will too', I thought.
'I've been having Braxton Hicks for ages, and really painful contractions for several evenings in a row - I must have dilated loads by now', I thought.

In fact, I was a little surprised to make it a week overdue so that I needed to go in for a membrane sweep today in the first place. But I thought, considering all the contractions I've been having, that they'd get it done and the rest would be history. Rerun would most likely be born tomorrow.
( Cut for TMI LadyTalk )

Still not popped.

Have some Melancoly Beatles for a rainy Monday.

Ayyy! Managed to get another chapter of Engame under my belt before Poppage! http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4895260/3/

And, yeppers, we have a Fatality! Told you there'd be death. Not the last one, either.

Still Pregnant.

Carry on.

Ooh, one interesting thing - we did realise the other night that the woman playing the 'Mister Snappy' Mum in Psychoville is Alex Kelly from Hubs' film - barely recognisable under loads of blonde curls!

The people a few doors down are having a garden party. With bunting and everything. STOP HAVING FUN WHEN I CAN'T, PEOPLE OF BRITAIN!

Still here. Still hot, impatient & beyond irritable. At least this means I should be able to watch Mitchell & Webb & Psychoville tonight.

Nothing really to add, so here is probably my favourite Disney Song ever instead.

Jesus Wept! Am I seeing things or does the front page of OK Magazine actually have a blurry photo of a possibly-dead-certainly-dying Jacko being bundled into the ambulance? Did I miss a meeting where it was decided that any pretence of respect for the dying or bereaved relatives is now going to be ignored in favour of ghoulish voyerurism? Whatever you think of the bloke - I've never been a big fan in particular and went off him personally around the Earthsong/Jarvisgate incident, but I enjoy his music from the 70s & 80s still - he was still a human being, splashing pictures of him dying on the front page to flog copies of your shitty downmarket gossip rag is still diabolical. Whether the family approved of it or not (and from what I've heard about them, I wouldn't put it past 'em) it's still grotesque. We really are no better than the cunts who used to pay to point and laugh at Bedlam patients, aren't we? Modern media is rubbish.

Have had a few 'proper' (ie both crampy & achey) contractions this evening - will they stay? Will they go? That's the beauty of childbirth - we just don't know! Hope I pop soon though - it's so bloody hot!

My Showbiz Chum Off The Telly (and I think I can now happily refer to him as My Showbiz Chum - he has recently enquired as to my wellbeing, and called me 'a very funny lady', so suck on that!) David Schneider appears to want me to LiveTweet the Labour. To which there is only one suitable reply -


I have Pralines & Cream Icecream in the freezer, and ISIHAC to listen to. These are good things.

Oh, and I highly recommend renting out 'If You See God, Tell Him', if you can - 4 parter black comedy drama by David Renwick from back in 1993. Very of-its-time, but considering that the main things it satirises are over-commercialisation, dumbing down and the then-Government's handling of Recession and mass unemployment, it's still very current. Wonderful performances from Richard Briers and Imelda Staunton as well as lots of great cameos, but the one who really shines is Ade Edminson, very much against type as a Meldrew-esque put-upon suburban everyman. Gloriously dark & surreal - touches of Gilliam, especially 'Brazil', which it seems to directly reference in certain shots.

At no point in a woman's life should she ever find herself describing the state of her cervix to her own mother.

Oh, late pregnancy - never change.

(Still not popped, in case you hadn't guessed.)

He's With Elvis Now.

Wherever that is.

Still not popped.

Love this remix of 'Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite'.


All pretty normal until 1:48 where it breaks into She's So Heavy and Helter Skelter on top of the end of Mr Kite. For some reason, it makes me think of Twelfth Night. It makes me want to do a version of the play set in a Mental Institute.

Vi had her first train ride today! She bloody loved it! We had another Playgroup Excursion to this park not far from Dover - it had been rescheduled from a fortnight ago when it had been raining, which was great because it's been a glorious day today. Vi had loads of fun, played with her little friend Henry (chased him around a lot shouting 'Henry, come back!'), kicked balls, climbed on climbing frames, covered me in chocolate icecream while remaining immaculate herself somehow - the lot.

One minor point, I'll have to create a virtual memo to myself that while my pride in many of my friends writing and publishing both online and in paper Gay Erotica is a fun addition to many discussions about literature, mentioning it to a group of mums from a Church Playgroup in the presence of their tots might not be a great idea. There was Tumbleweed Moment, and the conversation moved on. Hopefully they'll forget about that one or attribute the faux-pas to somebody else.

Great toddler conversation from today:

Little Boy to Vi: You're a Bashy-Bashy!
Vi: Not Bashy-Bashy; Vi-Vi. I'm a little girl.
Little Boy: I'm a boy. I've got a winkie!
Vi: I've got a winkie!

Also, while colouring in and waiting for her dinner, Vi picked up the calculator, held it to her ear as t'were a mobile phone and said:

Hello, Nana. (*pause*) Playing. I'm drawing Igglepiggle. (*pause*) Mummy's pretty, Daddy's pretty, Vi-Vi's pretty. (*pause*) OK. Bye-bye.

That kid. Cuter than a kitten full of baby rabbits.

Still here. Still not popped.

You know what? I'm going to see if I can't start a Meme, just for shits & giggles. It's an idea I came up with the other night...

Female characters tend not to have as much love in Fandom as males as a whole. It's most likely an outcome that results from a number of factors - I'm not just going to blame it on institutional misogyny, I don't think it's that simple. But I still don't like it. So, why not give the women and girls in your fandom/s a bit of love - Post with some of your favourite fictional females, and tell us why you like them. And pass it on!
( Trot out the ladies! )

Nobody tell Friend Claire, but she's getting a massive box of Vi's 12-24 month clothes as her welcome-to-mummyhood prezzie! Tried to include plenty of basics as well as the pretty-pretty. Got all nostalgic packing it up. Alas, couldn't find the Monsoon Summer Trousers or purple hat o'cutery. Hey ho.

Vi's in a bit of a rotten mood today, *but* so far she hasn't complained that her teeth hurt at all - first time she's gone this long without needing Calpol since she bashed them in.

Vi is slowly getting better, and as her puffy lip goes down her mouth doesn't look *too* bad any more. She's eaten loads so far today, which is good.

plus, my friend Claire has had her baby - I wanted to beat her, or least have a Father of The Bride 2 situation where we ended up having our sprogs on the same day. But it's great news for her, and she got a girl, which was what she'd hoped for.

Plus plus I am now Celebrity Endorsed on Twitter! David Schneider recommended me for Follow Friday - I'm well chuffed! I feel like I should have a badge made up.

I considered becoming a Hasidic Jew for a while, but I couldn't get the ringlets right.

Good Thing: Brent Spiner thinks exposing Twitter followers who tell him that Transgender people are 'A tragedy for God' (in response to a comment he'd made supporting Chastity Bono) for the ridicule they deserve is worth it for the lulz.

Indifferent Thing: I think it's funny to joke about the Pope's bizarre recent comment about LGBT people being 'as big a threat as Global Warming' at The Amazing Spiner-man.

Another Good Thing: jimmyrabbitte is a very funny guy who, while being a man of Faith, is happy to go on a long, increasingly surreal flight-of-fancy 'debate' with me about the Pope's opinions on The Spine's career, Star Trek & SciFi in general.

Very Good Thing: jimmyrabbitte is so funny that The Mighty Spine sees fit to RT one of his messages to me. Mine & Jimmy's Twitter usernames are therefore published to The Spine's half a million followers.

Not So Good Thing: Out of all those people - those 500,000 people who got half of mine & Jimmy's Twitterbanter RTd to them, who is the ONE SpineFollower that sees fit to follow me as a result? The 'LadyBoys make Baby Jeeboo Cry' woman.

Face, I don't believe you've been introduced to Palm. Palm, this is Face. You'll be working together from now on.

Actually, I haven't blocked her yet. Haven't followed her either. My crap, mimsy Leftiness wants to see the best in people and thinks from the Tweets she's made on her Profile she might be more well meaning but misguided than an actual, factual, frothing bigot. Shall give her the opportunity not to be a douche, but I'm really not sure why she's following me. Do I not wear my Atheism and Pro-LGBT-Rights Stance on my sleeve enough? Does she automatically assume that married, pregnant mums only come in Conservative? Does she think she can change my mind or is she genuinely open to the differing opinions of others? Hmm. We shal see.

We've had the InLaws over today and all went out for a day trip to Farming World. Me & Vi went before, with Playgroup, but because there were more people to run around with Vi we were able to stay out much longer today. So. Much. Fun.

The B-i-L is currently obsessed with goats and spent ages cooing over various different breeds. Vi really liked the piglets, the rabbits, the shire horses and the shetland ponies. She's spent most of the rest of the day telling us that she fed the rabbit some grass and that one of the horses was lying down. She also loved the various climbing frames and spent well over an hour on them - much easier for me to sit on the grass and watch someone else scampering after her on them than to try to haul myself up there with her. Oh, and she loved my ice cream too - so much so that I had to abandon it and buy myself another, even though we'd got her a perfectly good Mini Milk.

She now has an adorable pink line over her cheeks and nose where she caught the sun.

It knackered me well out, though. I had to have a nap this afternoon.