Taking the plunge

The Boy and I have decided to take a short break from thinking about a family and have a couple of months for ourselves and enjoy the Christmas parties and festivities, with the idea to start trying again in the new year. I don't really want to be watching what I'm eating or drinking over the Christmas months, and after three months of hoping we might be there but getting negative tests I'm a bit bored with the whole 'peeing on a stick' concept! Also, now we finally have a few pennies to enjoy what London town has to offer there are a few experiences we want to have together and it feels right for us to take that time now. So we have a mini bucket list of things to do before 2011 is out.

The first one - which I find exciting and terrifying in equal measure - is that we are both going to get our PADI open water qualification. It's something we've talked about on and off over the last couple of years and we meant to do it before we went on honeymoon to the Maldives, as it would have been fantastic to dive there. But at the time it was just too much expense with everything else happening around the wedding. We meant to get round to it after the wedding, but a bit of time passed and then I fell pregnant - it's not something you can do when you are pregnant, so it slipped off the radar and has been on the back burner ever since.

The Boy had an introduction to scuba lesson recently (a present from me) and he absolutely loved it, and came home completely buzzing from the experience. We've been looking for a hobby we can enjoy together and while I'd been trying to steer us in the direction of Italian lessons (ever the academic!), he very much wanted to pursue this one. So, a bit of research and we've found ourselves a suitable course in Soho - nice and convenient for us both after work. A couple of evening classes and some pool time, and we'll be halfway there - and then we just need to find somewhere to do our open dives. A week in Egypt sounds enticing and would be perfect.

In honesty, I am a little bit nervous. I love snorkelling and am a good swimmer, but there is a nagging voice in the back of my head saying 'what about the sharks'! I'm sure the course will allay that fear and I am excited by the thought of trying a new experience and seeing the world in another way. Again, I feel that if this year has taught me one thing, it's that life is fragile. Of the five losses we've had this year only one had any inkling his time may be coming to an end - for the others and for our baby, their clocks just suddenly stopped. And I'm feeling that I'd like to be a bit braver and push myself a bit more, I don't want to say 'no' to things and then regret in the future I didn't take my chances more. So... our first lesson is on November 8th. I'll let you know how it goes - we'll see if water babies can yet be made of Mr and Mrs Beans!