...but it is getting tougher every day! I get tired very quickly and prefer sitting, wherever I am, cannot go for long walks anymore, I am short of breath (mostly at nights though) and I am not looking forward to sleeping anymore! There is only one position (on the left side) I can sleep in, but this is beginning to feel uncomfortable as well, causing cramp in my left leg and a stiff neck. Luckily only one night visit to the toilet is enough but getting out of bed and walking up there takes so long I usually am fully awake before I get into bed again. But can't complain too much: I do fall asleep and finish my 8 or 9 hour sleep! And I did not gain too much weight so far, only 9 kilo's which is average...
One of luxuries of being an expat in Cairo is that maids are quiet cheap; my cleaner comes every day from 9 till 2, and her salary is only 150 euro's per month. In Turkey I used to pay my cleaner 30 euro's per day!!!
So with her around, cleaning, ironing, doing laundry, tidying up the bedroom, tidying up Femke's toys, doing dishes and sometimes cut vegetables so that my cooking doesn't take so long to prepare.. my life as a pregnant housewife is quiet easy.
But I guess the biggest advantage at the moment is that Femke goes to nursery from 8.15 till 15.30, 3 days a weeks. Sorry to say, but entertaining a 2,5 yrs old while being 7+ months pregnant is sometimes hard, so with her only around full time the 2 other days (weekends with her father around is much easier for me) is do-able (for now).
My due date is 8th of May, but I am thinking of planning a c-section on the 3rd of May, if everything goes well of course. A friend also had planned a c-section, but her water broke the night before so she had an emergency c-section after all!
Advantage of a planned date is that it will be more relaxing and practical for our family; Femke can go to nursery that day, and Arthur will pick her up in the afternoon, I will already be with the new baby in the hospital room. Also this way we don't need to worry about getting stuck in traffic on the way to the hospital, or that my doctor is not available, or Arthur is busy at work.
We have chosen a name for the baby, and a flight is booked for my mother, she will stay with us 2 weeks after the birth.
End of May, after my mother has left, we will hire a part-time nanny, who can help out on weekdays after nursery time, and on the 2 other days Femke is at home.
Well, we'll see how that works out, I am not looking forward to have another person around me, but almost all friends here in Cairo strongly advice me to hire a nanny.
I am sure friends in the Netherlands might think this is exaggerating but they have family, neighbors and friends nearby to help out!!!
Anyway, we will welcome our first visitor to Cairo this weekend, friend Francisca (always a loyal visitor during our stay in Izmir) will stay 5 days! Jippie...
