New Year New You

It’s traditional at this time of year to reflect and look forward. I usually find myself dwelling on plans for the coming year, but I’m refusing to do that this time as I know that however prepared I feel as though I am for the challenges that are ahead, I really won’t be, and I will just have to take everything as it is thrown at me.

Today was also my last shift at work, though it doesn’t really feel as though it’s the last time yet! Back in October when I submitted my MatB1 form I felt as though the end of December was too soon, that I’d prefer to go mid-January, and that I’d be bored for six weeks otherwise. However, in the past fortnight, I’ve become more and more grateful that I made this decision. It’s the commute that’s been killing me, even though I get a seat (or offered a seat) on public transport most of the time these days. Retail can be also quite physical and I’ve really been feeling the strains on my body, especially in my hips and back.

So this is it – in a few hours I can legitimately say that Spud is due ‘next month’, and within a few weeks I’ll have a baby in my arms. T and I were gifted some online and high-street vouchers for Christmas so, naturally, we spent them all the following day on stuff for Spud, but once it’s all arrived it means that we have everything we need for at least the first few days of her life (we think – though you can guarantee there’ll be something glaringly obvious that we’ve forgotten!)

As the time gets closer I become more anxious and nervous; at the beginning I was pretty chilled about the whole thing, but as the deadline looms I feel as though I’m walking in to an exam that I haven’t revised for – and I’ll have to do the exam naked in front of a room full of strangers…

How did you feel as the time got closer – did you feel more excited, nervous, impatient?