I know I've mentioned before that I keep fantasising about a summer holiday, somewhere warm and a nice place to relax ... then I think about what warm means and the fact that I haven't been coping too well with the warmer weather we've had here in blighty.
Anyhoo ... if I was to go on holiday there is some great summer maternity clothing out there so I thought I would bring a collection together of items I would pack for this fantasy summer holiday, just for fun!
So I'm thinking of stretches of lovely white sandy beaches with the odd pair of sun loungers here and there, a perfect place to relax and catch up on some reading.
Shirt, tankini, sunglasses and nail varnish from Topshop. Mascara from Benefit - there is a reason why this is a classic. Sandals from Dorothy Perkins and Bag from River Island. I've made sure to include my essentials in there too - the bible (as it is known when pregnant) what to expect when you are expecting, factor 50 sun protection and a big bottle of water.
I'd like to go somewhere historic, preferably with plenty of sightseeing opportunities.
Dress, hat and earrings from Topshop (as above). Bag and shoes from ASOS. I love easy to use, practical products. The last time we were away we bought some sport sun protection in an aerosol. It's so easy to apply and transport, feels really light when you put it on, and because it's designed for sports withstands those 'glowing' moments. As I seem to melt in the heat I've also included two great products - water face mist to cool down and the long lasting NARS multiple, to make sure you are camera ready.
One thing I love about being away is the lovely fresh food. I'm imagining a small restaurant by a harbour at night, with plenty of outdoor seating.
Top, earrings, bag and sandals from Topshop (as above). Sunglasses and palazzo pants from Dorothy Perkins (as above). Bangle from River Island (as above). I love the nude and muted colours that are in all the shops at the moment, but being me I have to bring in some shots of colour. This time it's coral, introduced through the shoes and earrings and continued through the makeup. It's a lovely strong colour and works really well with a tan. I always like to treat myself to a new scent when we go away - preferably on the way there and then I wear it while away which means when you get back to reality the smell transports you back on holiday (for a brief moment) - this year it has to be Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh. It is so light and refreshing, and more importantly my heightened sense of smell still loves it!
What a lovely fantasy holiday. The reality is, when not at work or out and about I'm far more comfortable in a pair of lounge pants and an oversized t-shirt. I'm using a gradual tanner to get that sin kissed look (garnier summer body is the best for my ridiculously pale skin) and have filled the house (and office) with fans to ensure there is always a breeze! Oh well, there is always next year ...
Cx
Three quarters of the way through! If I had a penny for every time I hear the words 'not long now!' ...
Last week, with our antenatal class, we went for the tour of the hospital (University Hospital North Durham). I have to say I was really impressed. The delivery rooms are lovely, spacious, and because everything is hidden behind cupboards hotel stylee, calming. We also got to look round the ward (or the recovery zone) where we were privileged to share a couples 1 day old baby being bathed. The whole process really brought home how 'real' this is and how close we actually are. What I was really impressed with was the staff, there were loads of them and they all seemed lovely ... something which I'm sure will make a massive difference on the day. After our dose of reality I have started getting things together for my hospital bag, after all there have been babies born already from my online September 2011 birth group ... the issue is you get told what you need, the essentials, the nice to haves and the why didn't I think of packing one of those, while trying to balance the mantra of travel light. This is definitely going to be a tricky one for me which is probably why its a good thing that I'm starting now, maybe by the time comes round I will have perfected the birthing equivalent of a capsule wardrobe (not that I have been able to achieve one of those in my 28 years!).
This week has also seen the strengthening of my mood swings, or mummy moments. One moment I'm elated, the next frantic the next silent (which the husband would probably say is a good thing). On Saturday I was reduced to tears at the sight of horses being led across the road ... with their foals following close behind. Looking at the tiny foals, all legs and just getting the hang of walking, instinctively following their mummy was lovely, so lovely in fact that I could do nothing but sob for the next ten minutes. God help me if I see some ducklings!
Loads of my friends and colleagues have been jetting away on their holidays recently. Seeing them come back with that healthy glow that does not come out of a bottle, and listening to stories about life in the villa or dinner at the taverna makes me want to jet away too. I could think of nothing nicer than lazing by a pool, eating beautiful local dishes and taking in the scenery ... and then I wake up, I'm fantasizing about this from within my air conditioned office and the minute I set out side in this balmy British weather I start to melt, fast. there is no way I could be in temperatures of 38 and upwards. Oh well, it's nice to dream! I'll stick to my gradual tanner, keeping my skin soft and giving a gentle glow without the heat stroke.
This week has also seen the official arrival of the stretch marks, I knew they were coming (my mum has them and I already had some from previous weight loss) but now my poor tummy is starting to look like a mound of raspberry ripple ice cream. Mmmm ice cream - the sweet tooth is still here!
What with emotions like a rollercoaster, melting in the heat and the onset of scar tissue my treat this week has been to tackle those beautification tasks that I've been putting off. That means a full head to toe body scrub, conditioning mask for the hair, purifying mask for the face, manicure, pedicure and eyebrow wax. I managed (with great difficulty) to this by myself but something tells me that I may have to leave the pedi (the bodged job might be the giveaway) to the professionals from now on!
I only have 19 working days left at work, not long now! Oh ... I owe myself a penny :)
Cx
Today marks the 29th week of my pregnancy, I honestly don't know where all this time is going! The past week has been somewhat hectic, what with things on at work, midwife appointment and antenatal classes.
I had another midwife check up on Tuesday, at this stage you can expect more blood tests (nowhere near as many as the booking appointment though) these are routine tests and check things like your iron levels. I haven't heard my results but the midwife said that they would only contact me if there as anything that required further assessment or treatment - no news is good news in this case! I also got 'measured' after a certain point they start to measure your bump as a way of tracking the baby's growth, the measurement should be around the same in centimetres as the number of weeks you are (with an allowance of 4cm either way), I'm measuring 30cm which is a good sign that the baby is developing well ... not that I had a heavy lunch that day!
At the appointment the midwife also had a good feel of the bump to see which position the baby is in, at the moment ours is transverse, meaning it's lying across the bump rather than head down or breech. This is something that can cause difficulty in later pregnancy but there is plenty of time for this little one to move. At the antenatal classes they taught us that being on your hands and knees for 10minutes a day can help the baby get into the optimal position ... I may combine this with some cleaning as the nesting instinct becomes stronger. Its strange, now that I know the baby is in this position I can definitely feel the little lumps and bumps, me and the hubby have been trying to guess which bump is the head etc!
Antenatal classes this week were great, we had a double act of a midwife and a health visitor and they were brilliant. They got the whole class engaged and involved, especially in subjects which in other forums can turn in to a bit of a lecture - breastfeeding for example! We have our final class and hospital visit this week - I can't wait.
On top of all the activity we've also had a mini heatwave at the back end of the week, my desk fan has become my new companion! I've been applying factor 50, staying in the shade and drinking plenty of iced water. I've also been leaving the curtains in the bedroom closed throughout the day in a bid to keep the room cool. I have no idea how people in hotter climates cope when pregnant and the heat is on!!
Cx
I've been a little quieter than usual the past week - not down to anything pregnancy related but due to computer issues ... I'm sorry if there is a flood of posts over the next few days as a result!
Tomorrow I am 28 weeks through my pregnancy, another week has been and gone and I can't quite believe it. However, cheesecake update ... I have resisted for a whole week! Lets make it two!!
Over the past week I have been really hectic at work, meeting after meeting followed by deadline upon deadline. Its so easy to get consumed in all of this and forget to look after yourself. One of the things that I can stay in control of is what I eat. I make a real effort to prepare our lunches for work each day at home, that way even if I can't have a proper break to eat it in I know I'm getting the right nutrients. Generally lunch this week has consisted of salad with new potatoes and some protein - tuna (within the recommended limits), hard boiled eggs and carved ham are all favourites! I also take plenty of fruit and a yoghurt to make sure I have something healthy to munch on when I feel peckish ... it helps me stay away from the mountains of chocolate biscuits in the office too. I'm paying particular attention to what I eat from this point onwards, as this is the stage where the baby lays down most of it's fat stores and I would rather they come from 'good' fats rather than, well, cheesecake!
We attended our first antenatal class on Tuesday which was much better than I thought it would be. It's great to be surrounded by people who are in the same situation as you (all of our class are expecting their first baby) and it's nice to know that the majority of them have the same burning questions as you ... mainly about labour and the birth! I'm really looking forward to our next session which takes us to the next stage, once the baby arrives. When pregnant I think you spend so much time focusing on that line in the sand (the birth) that you almost can't see past it to your life beyond, I'm really looking forward to learning the basics like how to wash a baby and how to change a nappy.
Apart from work and antenatal classes I think the majority of my time this week has been spent in the bath, wallowing in a mass of bubbles (I have so many bubble baths at the minute I've given up on luxury brands and stocked up on supermarket's own bubble bath - more bubbles the better). I think it's really important to relax while you can and claw back some me time. It's also great if you are starting to get an achy back, taking the pressure off and relaxing he muscles nicely.
I've also been finding that the heat is starting to get to me! I'm all set up with a desk fan at work and a large fan in our bedroom. I'm not complaining too much though, I still think we should make the most of good weather here while we have it (unlike today which requires head to toe waterproof gear!).
Happy fathers day ... I'm looking forward to next year when me and the little one can spoil the hubby rotten.
Cx
Ohdeedoh featured the grand nursery reveal of house thirty six this week ... it's lovely!
There is quite a lot going on in the room, but keeping the colour pallette to a few select shades (cool dove grey and lemon!) helps everything come together beautifully.
Cx
Ok so the weather in the UK is changeable to say the least, but recently we have been getting some really nice and (relatively) warm days lasting well into the evening (tady it has to be said is the exception!). While usually I would welcome the heat and continue as normal, my increasing size and sensitivity to temperature means I've been taking things a little slower. The perfect excuse to chill out in the sun with a refreshing beverage!
My beverage of choice? A virgin apple mojito ... you will need:
Glass of crushed ice (plus a little spare for topping up if needed)
Half a glass of soda water (or lemonade if you prefer it a little sweeter)
Quarter glass of apple juice (the good stuff!)
Teaspoon of brown sugar
8-10 fresh mint leaves
Half a lime
In a high ball glass, add half the ice, the brown sugar, half the mint leaves and a splash of apple juice. Bash everything together to release the flavour of the mint and dissolve the sugar. Add the rest of the apple juice, ice and mint and mix together (I like to make sure I get a good distribution of mint leaves through the ice ... more for presentation!). Top with the soda water and squeeze the lime juice over the top.
Sit back, relax and enjoy!
Ahhhh!
Cx
Today I'm 27 weeks into my pregnancy and all of a sudden I feel huge! The bump seems to have had a growth spurt in the last 7 days, and the baby is certainly enjoying the space while he/she is small enough for a good wriggle and kick.
Last week was certainly an interesting one! We continued our work in the nursery which is as complete as it can be at this stage, I still haven't got a mattress for the cot and I want this to be the last thing to go in ... it's not officially done until this bit is complete so if there are any old wives tales about getting the nursery done I think I might have a loophole!
Last week I welcomed the dreaded pregnancy mood swings, one minute completely irrational in ikea when an item wasn't in stock (when the online stock checker was saying 24 items) the next I'm fine again ... although I do have to say that they picked a perfect day to send me a customer satisfaction survey! Maybe I wasn't completely fine ...
Later in the week, while food shopping I also found myself in floods of tears over frozen yoghurt, thankfully amongst the drama I did manage to pick some up (Ben and Jerry's Phish Food YUM!!) which made everything better when I got back home! I can laugh about it now but I have to say the mood swings are strange, it's almost like I should be wearing a 'warning - pregnant and hormonal' disclaimer sign when walking around! I feel like I have no control at times ... if this coninues I may have to apply the SUMO (shut up and move on) method to most situations I find myself in!
I've also been getting leg cramps in the night, these apparently are quite common and can be caused by a lack of potassium, you should see the size of the bunch of bananas that I picked up at the supermarket in a bid to prevent the dreaded cramps.
Aside from the bananas, the healthy eating seems to have taken a back burner as my newly found sweet tooth is strengthening. Fruit does help and I've tried low cal alternatives (I've already mentioned the hot chocolate in a previous post and of course the frozen yoghur above) but my latest obsession is cheesecake ... I'm trying to go through week 27 without giving in to the temptation, I've filled the fridge with strawberries and grapes, have some sugar free jelly and have bought some chocolate orange options as a last resort. I am strong, I can do it!
I'm also going to make more of an effort to get some exercise into my daily routine, today I went for a walk at lunch which was really nice to get out of the office, have some fresh air and see some greenery. Tomorrow I plan to do the same, who knows I may even dust off the wii fit!
13 weeks to my EDD ... blimey!
Cx
