Birthday bumps and being alone

No. I don’t have a bump yet..I don’t think… just a fleshy belly bought on by a lack of exercise and copious amounts of chips. I’m assuming that one day soon I’m going to wake up and Maltesers will magically hop off my stomach and I’ll be able to rest my plate on my protruding mid-section. Until then….

Today is my birthday and I feel awful for my husband because I’m alone and he can’t do

much about this. I know the way he thinks and he’s going to be feeling guilty and down, but it’s not his fault. When we made plans to start a family we knew there might be a bit of an overlap with our house move, this was always going to be a possibility.

To clarify, the explanation behind my being alone is simple. Husband is a primary school teacher and in his NQT year, it just wouldn’t have been sensible for him to change schools without completing a full year in his current role. It’s hard enough that he’s having to leave his students anyway. He so badly wants to be able to see his current class through to secondary school, and I know what a wrench this move is for him in that way. I mean, I sometimes feel like Arthur (Cake) and Harry are a part of our family I hear about them so much – I’ve never even met them!

The thing is, when you find a house you like, you have to be flexible as to the moving date and, while we’d have loved to have waited a little longer, it just wasn’t going to be possible. That’s why Husband is now living with his parents and I’m here – alone. Alone except for The Loudest Cat in the World (LC), and The Grumpiest Cat in the World (GC).

LC, my personality-filled Bengal cat

Truth be told, they’re the reason I’m alone! They weren’t able to move in with Husband’s parents as well and I needed to be here to keep them alive. It’s good parenting practice. Sadly LC doesn’t like the smell of his pregnant owner and keeps standing in front me, screaming, literally. No more hugs from this cat, oh no. Just complaints. It’s genuinely concerning because, and I’ve had to think about this, if he doesn’t calm down when ‘it’ comes home, LC might have to be rehoused. Anyone want a 7 year old Bengal cat with missing teeth and a large vocabulary?

As for GC he keeps himself to himself mostly – apart from when he’s hunting. As a birthday present for me this morning – at 5.30 – he came and got me up. Mum! Look what I bought you – it’s in the bathroom! Ok, ok – let’s have a look. I was expecting another dead bird (as he had brought the previous morning) – but no. What was in the bathroom was a BFG – a big, fat, ginger cat – and a very scared one at that. GC wasn’t letting him out and I was freaking about what to do… eventually, using the bathmat as a shield I got past and managed to open a window so he could escape. Upon leaving the room, how did GC respond? He hissed and slapped me round the leg. Happy birthday mother.

Before anyone feels too sorry for me, I have had some human company today. Richard, the lovely man from BT came over and fixed our internet so I can get online without paying his company £17.99 every five days. Richard is from Croydon but recently moved to Kent as it’s cheaper to live here. He didn’t want a drink but was happy to make use of my toilet. I didn’t find out anything else I’m afraid.

This evening my mum is coming over, I don’t have a usable oven yet – that’s another blog haha (trust me) – or TV – so it’s takeaway and a black and white movie from her DVD collection.

Everything else aside ,I have to say that despite spending most of my weeks alone, and today especially, I don’t always feel lonely. It’s tough when you’re throwing up and there’s no-one there to rub your back or hold your hair, but I got so many cards today, I felt very loved. The friends I have in the area have been brilliant at keeping me occupied a couple of times a week and they’ve assisted in the back rubbing role. So while yes, I go to bed alone and deal with terrifying monster cats in the night (without Husband to back me up), I know there’s always someone around if I need them – either that or  GC/LC.