37 weeks - we went swimming!

Baby is now full-term! Amazing. The first 12 weeks dragged, I was so desperate to reach the relative safety of the 12 week mark and to be able to tell everyone. Since that point, the weeks have gone so fast and here we are. Incredible really how quick a human being is made. I am at the point of bursting with excitement to meet our little man. Only slightly anxious, I just hope that all will go well and that he'll arrive safely. I'm weirdly excited and curious about the birth in that I really can't wait to get in there and see how I handle it, however it happens.

I have been plagued with all sorts of symptoms the last couple of weeks, swollen hands and feet, carpal tunnel and oily skin being just a few, am just grateful they have arrived at the end. It's manageable knowing that it they will not be around for much longer.

We went swimming this week and wow, it felt so good to be weightless in the pool. So nice to comfortably exercise too, I was able to use all limbs pain-free.

I have been busy this week buying advance birthday presents and wrapping for the next few months, making up dinners and freezing, making lists and generally getting us as organised as possible so that all our attention is on settling our boy in. I think I have emptied and reorganised nearly every drawer and cupboard in the house, which has had it's benefits as I have found some things I'd forgotten about, some vintage crockery and more excitingly a christmas pudding I'd made and forgotten about. We'll be enjoying that in the garden later today -never had christmas pud in the sunshine before!

Last weekend just gone was spent weeding, gardening and updating all my pots and baskets in the garden, really wanted to get it ready for the summer days sat out there with the baby and looking at all the colours. Dan made me a makeshift potting station so I could sit and have everything in reach as I am so unwieldy these days. It was so nice to be in the garden working with the soil, plants and being entertained by the dog and the chooks.

We are ready for you little one...

My Summer Drink....

This is my summer drink, not only is it the prettiest of pinks, it tastes amazing too and ridiculously easy (apart from the watermelon deseeding!).

Simply blend all these ingredients together (you will need to deseed watermelon unless you have a Vitamix in which case you can sieve afterwards) and pour over ice. So yummy and so refreshing. Watermelon has been my biggest craving in pregnancy and having it this way is mess-free. Watermelon is rich in antioxidants, and vitamin C, it's also a great source of vitamin E for healthy skin. Watermelon is also rich in citrulline, which is an amino acid that converts to arginine in your body - necessary for healthy cardiovascular and immune function (source: livestrong.com). So not only delicious but super healthy. I have also made this with honey instead of sugar syrup which works well. I am sure it would work well with Agave syrup too but have not tried, would be interested to hear from anyone that has tried it. 

Enjoy ...

Shedspiration

This year we are focusing our efforts on the garden, the first job being replacing our rotting shed. We have decided on a shed/garden room. The garden room will house a little potting station for me, our garden furniture and an old rocking chair I picked up from a car boot that I will be given a little makeover to. Who hasn't dreamed of a little house at the end of the garden to go and hide in, drink tea and read a book??? 

I have been searching online for inspiration and came across all these beautiful images and I thought it stupid not to share. So inspiring. My shed unfortunately will not look anything like these but hoping to take a couple of little aspects from some of them - I definitely want to paint the interior white and love the colourful drawers in the top image, the hanging baskets and hooks. I will also need some shelves to store my growing collection of tatty terracota pots (my favourite things). I want to also incorporate my apple boxes and vintage beer boxes in there. Hope you enjoy the images as much I do.

Source: www.eva-fotojournalist.no/

Source unknown

 Source: calgarygardencoach.typepad.com

Source: whimsicalraindropcottage.tumblr.com

Source: http://daintyanddangerous.tumblr.com/

Source: mylovelythings.blogspot.co.uk

Source: vitaranunkler.blogspot.co.uk

Summer Wardrobe

1. ASOS maxi dress 2. Topshop bag 3. Saltwater Sandals 4. Mango necklace 5. Noir studded bangle

Finally the nice weather has arrived and it has got me thinking about summer outfits. I will be living in maxi dresses and Saltwater Sandals as always but for sure this summer with my post-birth body. I already have a red pair of Saltwaters but will definitely need a brown pair as I am really loving all these muted colours I have seen about for this summer. 

Roll on summer, drinks in pretty beer gardens, 99's on the sea front, walks in the woods and picnics on the beach! 

Treats to look forward to...

I have loved being pregnant. People told me I would but I didn't believe them. I was the person that squirmed when listening to someone talk about their baby move within their tummy. It all seemed a bit too Sigourney Weaver and Alien to me. But here I am, loving and cherishing every movement. I love slipping into bed for an afternoon nap when I can, and I just lie there and feel baby move. He has started to stick his little bum out now and I stroke it, as I stroke, his bum goes back in but as soon as I stop he sticks it out again. It's our little game and already I know I will miss that. 

So as much as I am loving it, there are some things that I miss and looking forward to having back in my life...

1. Hot bubbly bath and G&T - this was my little Friday night treat. Hot bath with insane amounts of bubbles, Ray Lamontagne playing and a G&T with excessive amounts of fresh lime squeezed in and ice. 

2. Lying on my tummy and back - in pregnancy you are advised to lie on your side. I can't wait to sleep on my tummy again and get back to normal yoga and stretching back on a hard floor.

3. Pate on toast, charcuterie board, Brie, Chardonnay..... food - the thought of a perfectly chilled glass of buttery Chardonnay, sat in a beautiful long stemmed glass, with condensation forming on the outside honestly makes me dribble a little. The thought of it next to a charcuterie board is enough to make me swoon. I took these things for granted when unpregnant, but now I am without and have been for 8 months, I just can't wait to be reunited. I have had the odd sip of Dan's wine and enjoyed some bubbles at Christmas and it's been nice but it's not the same as it's laced with that little bit of guilt. I want that guilt-free beautiful glass of wine just for me with a massive hunk of oozy Brie and bread on the side.

4. Star jumps and shimmies - ok, I don't really miss these things but I do miss the ability to do them should the mood strike. Now heavily pregnant I really am limited to move freely. The other day I so had the urge to run, just run and run. I have never in my life been a runner, I hate it. But at that moment I just wanted to run, jump and tumble. I am sure there will be lots of running and tumbling when my boy is here.

Not long to go now at 36 weeks and I am incredibly excited, more to meet our baby then anything else but the things above are added bonuses which I can't wait to enjoy again. 

The weather has not improved but I am defying it here, I have been making lemonade and pretending it's not snowing outside. I love making lemonade in the summer and a friend had mentioned she adds basil to hers, which I thought sounded a bit strange but I gave it a whirl. It adds a really nice flavour and tastes so refreshing. Looking forward to making some more over the summer. 

Ingredients
3 lemons (minus seeds and skin)
Handful of basil leaves
6 tbsp of honey
3 cups of water
1 cup of ice

Put the whole lot in a food processor and whizz. Pour into glass and add pretty straw. You may want to vary the quantities above to suit your taste. 

34 weeks

Woah! So, at this point the weeks are flying by. We started our NCT classes last week and wow it has given us a kick in the bum. We had lots of bits sorted but we quickly realised we needed to tie up other loose ends and get the last few bits and pack THE bag.

I know people have mixed views on the NCT classes but we have found them so useful. It is nice to have friends nearby going through the exact same thing. We found the classes to be packed full of great information and have been a great reassurance to us, all the possible concerns or worries are discussed and we feel much calmer and better prepared. I also really liked that the dads were so involved. A lot of dads I know want to be involved in pregnancy and the birth, want to ask questions and understand what is happening but so often are shut out by old-fashioned attitudes, which is so sad. At the NCT the dads play an active role and are invited to ask questions and contribute their fears, anxieties and the things they are looking forward to. Our tutor was also fabulous at explaining and defining their role as supporter, what is expected of them and even what they should pack in their hospital man-bag - things like food, to maintain a stable mood!

I said before that I was worried about slowing down, that is definitely happening now. I've definitely got my waddle on and more upsetting is that my legs have started to mottle, swell and have gone a nice red shade. None of my friends have experienced this so it was a little surprise. Midwife says all very normal and should go away after the birth.

It's also very difficult to get a good night's sleep, with all the loo-trips! I hear this is good practice for when the baby is here. 

I now try to avoid overly-luxurious low sofas/seats because unless there is a crane nearby or a strong man, it is almost impossible to get up again. Mum recently tried to pull me out of a sofa, she almost went over my head and behind it!

Another thing I have noticed is that you become a messy eater in the third trimester, no, not because you are so hungry you eat like Fantastic Mr Fox (that was the second trimester), but because your bump puts you further away from the table. This is no big deal at home as I tend to hold plate/bowl with hand or rest on bump so nearer to mouth, but you can't do that in all situations. The forkful of food has a further distance to travel from plate, over bump and to mouth. My washing has increased a lot because of this and I have started to travel with little stain remover wipes because of the number of accidents. After mealtimes I really start to resemble Jim Royale, the swollen belly with stained clothing! Clio has also become wise to the bump ledge, that gathers crumbs. Whenever, I sit next to her she gives the bump a once over just incase I missed a stray crumb. 

The baby's room is almost ready. Having fun arranging...and rearranging the bits and bobs I have been collecting. We have also been having a lot of date nights, as strongly recommended by ALL my parent friends. This has been really nice, making the most of our last few weeks as a duo. Now most of the work is done on the house, we've also been really enjoying lazy Sundays with food, films and duvet.

Blogshop London

So a couple of weekends ago I was thrilled to be attending Blogshop London with the amazing Bri Emery and Angela Kohler. When I first got into reading blogs, Bri's was one of the first I fell in love with. DesignLoveFest is one of those blogs that makes you go all tingly with excitement and you have to read the entire blog the minute you find it. For the last two years I have lusted after a place on the blogshop which Bri and Angela run. I never thought at 7 months pregnant I would be going but my lovely Dan surprised me with a place on the course. I am still a little overwhelmed at the gesture and thoughtfulness.

I had high expectations for the course, how could you not when you see Bri's blog?! The workshop went above and beyond my expectations. I have learned so much from that weekend, that I am still digesting it. But it wasn't just about the learning, it was so nice to be in such a beautiful environment (Custard Studios in Shoreditch), a room flooded with light, huge windows and all white and being among such creative and talented people too.

The course is not for the faint-hearted, it is hard work and pretty intense. I would say that you need to be Mac confident and have at least dabbled with Photoshop. Dan had bought me a Wacom tablet too so I could learn how to use some of the handwriting features - I struggled using it in class, I really needed to have become familiar with it at home first, my mistake.

I have come away from Blogshop feeling so inspired and enthused, like I say, not just because of the mammoth amounts of knowledge I have gleaned but because of the positive energy that exuded from those studios all weekend. It was particularly nice for me to have a couple of days off baby-obsessed mind. As we near the big day, I have been so focused on preparing myself and the home that it was really nice to have a couple of days to be uber selfish and do something creative, so absorbing and just for me.