T-Minus 5 days

Assuming that the little blighter arrives on time (as such neither late, nor early!) then the delivery can be expected at any point on Wednesday of next week. It's quite amazing when i look back and think about how long i've been waiting for this moment.
I have to be completely honest and say that as of this moment i'm really not phased, worried or even the slightest be scared about the coming whirlwind of activity and shock we're about to undergo. Frankly i think i'm slightly stunned in anticipation.
The nursery is done and the house is in relatively good shape, so it's all just a waiting game at the moment. In an effort to distract myself as much as is possible from the strangeness that is coiled and ready to occur i have been spending my online time playing a number of games. I'll list them for ease:

• Company of Heroes - i'm afraid i am still absolutely pathetic at this game versus other players. I always thought i was pretty good at RTS games, but the manner in which people seem to dispatch me i think it's relatively clear that my performance is definitely below that which i believed.
  
• ARMA (Armed Assault) - Wow! just literally WOW! i remembered Op Flashpoint being a fantastic game, i regularly used to play it repeatedly and discuss my exploits with Ryan, but i've been utterly blown away by ARMA. I have only just started playing the single player campaign tonight (for the last four hours) and i have to say that it's just as good (if not far superior) to the original. In this one you even get to pick and choose auxillary missions to improve your chances in the main missions. Wow! simply amazing, the depth is fantastic. There's been a couple of missions so far where i've been at the point of death and crawling 2000m to an evac point with a chopper and infantry chasing me in the pitch black because my legs have been shot out from under me. Well done Codemasters, fantastic work!
• Battlefield (2, 2142 & Vietnam) - Now i wont review these, but they're simply the best FPS action to be had for pickup and play killing. I'm not a massive fan of Vietnam or 2142 but they're great for taking your mind off things with a few good kills.
  

A friends informed me that he's ordered IL-2: 1946 so i think i'll install that again this weekend if i get chance, i've got so much planned but what's the odds that as soon as i start having some fun the littleone will make it's presence felt and force us to spend some time debating whether labours started!

I'll leave it at that for now, oh other than Vastian, if you're watching... YES i'd love to give you a hand. Personally i've been thinking about doing something similar but for book reviews. With my wife being in the trade we've got hundreds of books lying around, that we've either read or ignored. I'm tempted to start Archiving them and writing reviews myself. So your ideas piqued my interest despite being a slightly different topic.

Ooops been kinda busy!

Well actually no point lying about it, i've been slacking mostly. Kicking back playing some DAoC, WoW and some Silent Hunter 3. On the occassions i've managed to get some time off of lucking after Mrs Aven and her 30 week bump!
Was watching a few episodes of CSI series 6 tonight and the little blighter was kicking and rolling like a barrel going over niagra! Previously it was only ever a small movement or slight bump, but today is the first time i've actually been able to feel and see what was going on. I get the feeling the bump really isn't keen on CSI but is willing to put up with it if we want to watch it, but only after making it's distaste known.
I'm really looking forwards to meeting the little monster and showing it who's the boss! (no doubt it'll have mastered me in under an hour and i will be forever it's bitch) but that's not the point.
It's becoming quite clear now that working full days is really taking it out of Mrs Aven, we're lucky if she lasts past 9pm in an evening. and to make things worse she's not taking a break and whenever she's off work she spends most of the day on the laptop working from home. Somethings gotta give soon, and i'm pretty sure that'll be Maternity leave starting early (though she wont admit she's thinking about that) Not to worry, as we enter the final 12 week home things a really set to hit the fan! :)
Quick shout out to Ryan - for telling me he was playing a rugby match in sunderland this weekend and my apologies for not turning up despite the 5 minute walk to get to ashbrooke (i know, i'm a lazy bastard!) sorry mate! :( I promise i'll come watch you play sooooon!!
And a big! hooooyaaaaa to my boys (and girls) in Majestic Disturbance! It's been awesome playing with you all again, i'm really enjoying Lamorak! being back in Hib is like being home again! See you on the battlefields!