Throwback Thursday

My maternal instincts properly kicked  in this morning (been up since 5am *yawn*!), as I was going through some adorable pics of Sean as a baby.

Awwwww, I so crave chubby cheeks to smooch and the smell of a newborn's head - I need me a baby in my life NOW ;-)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN LOVELIES!

Goodbye for now Grandma - we'll see you soon!

Sean waving goodbye to his 'Mormor' 

Sent from my iPhone

Drinks craving and missing girls night out

For some reason,  I've been craving Lychee Martini cocktails lately!

Luv her Salvatore Ferragamo studded platform pumps!

Andrea swung by for a glass of bubbly and a chat, on her way to town for a night out. Jealous? Me? Yup you bet!

Oh how I'm longing for a late night out with the girls...getting dolled up, drinking, engaging in serious conversations or just talking rubbish, popping out for cheeky ciggies and laughing out loud!

In about 10 weeks though I shall reclaim my freedom - Watch this space ;-)

School's out!

I'm sitting down, choosing suitable bed-time stories, as my pelvic pain is simply too much to bear when I'm standing up for longer than a minute :-(

Libraries and free museums are a perfect indoor activity for children during the holidays

Grandma's visit is unfortunately coming to an end now and Sean has already started counting the days until she returns in December!

This week is half term which means no school for Sean for the next five days. It can be a challenge for parents to entertain the little ones, especially during the October half term with shorter days and darker nights, and of course the good old unpredictable weather! 

This week we've got plans to dress up for Halloween, practise the piano further, visit a farm on Friday, when Bear's taking the day off work, and going to the library which we already did this morning. There we borrowed books to be read at bed time, and also books that he himself can read. 

I definitely think one of the biggest boost to your child’s development is reading, and whether you have them read to you, or you sit and read them more complex stories -  half term is a great excuse to visit the library and discover the world of books. 

Raindrops keep falling on our heads

Sent from my iPhone

Mum's visit so far

Erik's boyfriend John joined the gang for lunch at Jamie Oliver's restaurant in Canary Wharf

Strolling back home along the canal in Paddington, after an appointment at Lindo Wing

Picking up Sean from football; his after-school activity on Tuesdays

Outside the Royal Albert Hall before Erik's graduation ceremony.  Proud as a peacock for (unselfishly) pushing him to move to London to pursue his dream!

Mum enjoying a well deserved Irish coffee, in the warm and cosy atmosphere of The Grazing Goat, after shopping on a busy Oxford Street

 When my pelvic girdle pain is at it's worst and I'm bed-bound, Mum is a great help to me and does everything from cleaning, cooking, shopping and of course looking after her grandson :-)

Sometimes when you let a four year old take a picture - this is what happens (read:head chopped off!) lol

Our little prince getting a much needed trim at the regular hair salon 

Pretty as a picture in his new haircut - I love how his little face and beautiful features are more visible in shorter hair

Lindo Wing

A happy and heavy mama :-)
Coming out after my antenatal appointment today with my 29 week bump. Urine, blood pressure, bloods and the baby of course were all good!

Lately Ive had lots of questions about The Lindo Wing where I'm due to give birth. I will try and answer all the questions here as opposed to replying individually to each email.

Yes it is indeed the same place where Kate "The Duchess of Cambridge" Middleton had her baby, as well as the hospital that Princess Diana gave birth to both Princes, Harry and William.

You have to research well before you decide which consultant you want and preferrably book him/her in your first trimester, as most of them get booked up well in advance as people come from all over the country.

Your consultant will most likely order some tests that aren't done routinely on the NHS. Also, you'll get a lot more choice about antenatal appointments with a private consultant, and they all have a little ultrasound machine in their rooms so you'll get to see the baby every time.

Main reason why a lot of women chose to go private is because they want the freedom to have an elective Caesarean (C- section), they want to be able to come in as soon as labour starts (even only open 1 centimetre) and they want to get an epidural as soon as they arrive, and throughout the whole labour up until the last minute. 

Another important thing to highlight is that it's not a midwife who delivers your baby but the consultant you've chosen and seen for the duration of your pregnancy.

Convenience and comfort, that's what you pay for. We also happen to live only 10 minutes walk from the hospital which is very handy.

I gave birth to Sean at the Lindo Wing, and had such a wonderful experience there. I remember every time I pressed my call bell someone was there in seconds and I had loads of support, help and advice. 

And the post-natal care at night is simply fantastic. At midnight Sean was whisked to the nursery, so I could sleep, and returned to me every 3 or 4 hours so I could breast feed him. Maternity nurses manually showed me how to breastfeed, to change nappy and how to bathe Sean. It's obviously hard to tear yourself away from your newborn, but getting some sleep is definitely the best thing for the long nights ahead once you're home with the baby. 

The Lindo Wing, unlike the Portland Hospital, crucially has 24-hour access to critical care and neonatal units at St Mary's, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which is comforting to know.

All in all, the staff are very attentive and it's a bonus that your husband can stay over night with you in your room too -  I can't wait to be back there again to give birth to my daughter  ♥ 

Commemoration Day

Hello from Royal Albert Hall! 

   After seven years, my devilishly handsome and very intelligent brother has finally graduated with a degree in medicine at Imperial College. This evening the ceremony is held, and Mum and I couldn't be prouder! May I introduce Erik; Doctor Erik! 

Nesting

 
Most pregnant women go through a "nesting" stage - I know for sure I did last time, and it's no different this time either...
The  typical nesting, you could say  are urges to prepare your home for the baby, and it usually mean anything from organising baby clothes to scrubbing the cupboards, washing all the cot and moses basket bedding  as well as painting and preparing the nursery.

 So far, nesting to me has meant going on shopping sprees! And crazily, I have days when I think I don't have enough things for my daughter, and I'm fighting the urge to buy more stuff.
Thankfully though, my Mum is here to help with it all, ranging from organising for more space etc, and choosing a pram, which we did today
- More on that later... :-)
 

Babymoon

A selection of pictures from our magical weekend stay at Cliveden 

Sleep update at 28 weeks pregnant

Large, and in charge *wink* 
- Bump from all angles today @ 28 weeks


Sleep update:

Apart from the restless leg syndrome that kicks in just as I try to wind down and go to sleep,  (it's a crawling, creeping or tingling sensation, as well as the urge to move my legs constantly!), I experience strong pelvic pains every time I try to change sleeping position.

And, I also wake up at least two/three times a night for a wee...
Having said that though, in a strange way, I'm somehow starting to enjoy that (I'll regret saying that later ha!) 
Because if I wake to go toilet around 3am or 4am - when I then lay back down in bed, I can feel my baby girl awake moving around in there...

So I get to share these special quiet moments alone with her, and I just curl up onto one side, and hold my belly and try to fall sleep again envisioning my daughter as she's awake at the same time as I, whilst Daddy sleeps peacefully next to us, and Sean too, in his room  :-)

Mad about the boy ♥

Have a happy Friday and a fabulous weekend! 

Just another list..

Me and bump today during the morning school run.
I am still walking 4 kilometres daily ( it's 2k there and back, and then another 2k when I pick Sean up), but it's getting more of a struggles now with my big bump and pelvic pains

Home is: Marylebone, W1 - central London

Cant leave home without:  My handbag, phone, lipgloss and sunglasses (yes, you might have noticed I am wearing shades all year around! Simply because I have several scars on my right cornea after a serious eye infection abt 10 years ago, and that has left me very sensitive towards light)

Style icon: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Pregnancy issues: I've noticed I'm very clumsy now, have regular nosebleeds, and the pelvic girdle pain is getting worse by the day

Currently reading: 'Life After Death' with Damian Echols, and Tiffany's Christmas catalogue ;-)

Saving up for (and trying to justify buying): Macbook Air for my travels (and trips to coffee shops lol)

Guilty pleasure: MailOnline phone app

Wardrobe staples:  scarves throughout the year

At the moment I am... hormonal, so over being pregnant!

Nxt booked holiday abroad: Spring 2014: Skiing in Courchevel, France YAY!

Last time I cried: Yesterday.. I somehow lost my balance (my gravity is obviously changing a lot!), tripped and had a hard fall onto the pavement. Landed on my side though, and not the bump, but I worried sick for my baby and couldn't stop crying.
Called my obstetrician, who gratefully is on 24 hour call for me, and who reassured me that if I have no bleeding and she is kicking as normal, it should be fine *phew*

Latest song I tagged on Shazam : "Burn"

Thought for the day: It's only been 5 weeks since I saw my Mum, but it feels so much longer - THANK GOODNESS she's coming back this weekend!

Bugging me: new cellulite has appeared in places I don't even want to talk about!

Dead excited about: my new iPhone 5S in gold and white - it was love at first sight

Upcoming mini-break: On Saturday hubby and I are going away to stay the night at the stunning (Downton Abbey style) country house hotel, Cliveden, where our room has it's own log fire - sooo romantic ♥

Days remaining until due date: 86 - but she will be full term in 65 days (not that I'm counting or anything lol)

Ok well that's all for now... 

Cheerio!

I will need to buy a new case to fit my iPhone 5S, but am yet to find one I like

New & noteworthy: baby snowsuit

My little girl will probably be born during the cold month of January, hence she'll need a snowsuit to keep her nice and warm.

I choose this particular one as it has very handy fold-over gloves at the end of the sleeves, and the colour combination of  pale pink and grey is just so pretty :-)

Flu jab

Coming back from Boots where I had the painless flu jab

Recently my doctor and my brother (who by the way I must highlight is now also a qualified doctor *proud as punch*!) have advised me to go to Boots Pharmacy who offers free flu jabs. The jab will include protection against viruses responsible for causing flu, including the swine flu. 

They've explained that the flu is no joke, especially not for pregnant women, as pregnancy itself increases the risk of sever complications of flu in both mothers and babies. And, as it does not contain a live virus, the flu vaccination cannot cause the flu, however one can feel a little bit feverish the following day. 

It may take 10-14 days for the vaccine to build up to full immunity, hence me doing it now in good time before the flu starts to circulate!

Looking back

Year: 2008

Age: 32

Pregnancy status: 6 months (as now, that is!)

Goodbye second trimester!

Bump at 27 weeks @ 5.30am this morning 

The second trimester has drawn to a close, but with that, I've started noticing a new symptom; the restless leg syndrome (RLS)! Yup, it's back with a vengeance, and is unfortunately really affecting my sleep..

Having said that, the most wonderful thing right now though is that if our girl was born at any point from now, she would have an 85-90% chance of survival rate :-) 

I began this pregnancy with so much fear - fear that I would never make it to 12 weeks..and now, it really seems so unreal that we will meet our daughter sometime in the next 13 weeks.

 I feel so incredibly blessed and am so grateful that she is healthy and regularly kicking up a storm in my tummy ♥♥♥

Morning school run

Wordless Wednesday

Sent from my iPhone 

New and noteworthy: Burberry for kids

I simply couldn't resist getting this uber cute double breasted classic trench coat (with the nova-checked details on the lining and under the collar), but the smallest size they had was 12 months, so it's gonna have to sit a whole year in the wardrobe before being used, but hey ho..

- The perfect chic piece for my future fashionista ;-)

Coffee at the country club

Sipping filter coffee with cream and reading my fave Sunday Times mag 'Style' at Stoke Park, in beautiful sunshine.

The boys are swimming and will join me here on the terrace for lunch once splash-time has finished. 

I just love coming here - it does good for the soul :-) The novelty of staring out over the stunning scenery we're surrounded by, never really wears off! 

Sent from my iPhone 

This time two years ago (Oct 2011)

Happy honeymoon memories xxx

Pregnancy Stats

Bump at 25 weeks 5 days  

 - Even though I'm  feeling enormous, every time I pass a mirror I'll stop in amazement and look at my expanding belly - it's my new fave body part for sure!  

 - Feeling so much bigger (and in reality I also am!) this time around and with the pelvic pain issues, the pregnancy is by far much tougher this time around. 

- Sleep: Whilst being preggo, you only have two options for your sleeping positions - your left or your right side! And to be resting all your body weight on one hip can be very painful.  I am using my pregnancy pillow between my knees and under the bump, which does helps a bit. But it doesn't stop me from waking up at unearthly hours for no reason, and then laying awake for absolutely ages before I drift off to sleep again :-(

 - I've noticed lately that I get in a very defensive mode abt my belly when I'm out and about and am protecting it from passers-by.

 - Don't have the linea nigra (dark vertical line of pigmentation) yet, but then I didn't get it last time either.

- I'm getting very emotional for the smallest of things that goes against me (also when watching the news!), and the other day I cried in Waitrose when they didn't  have the coconut milk I wanted - I kid you not!

 - I try and keep my hands on my belly most times I'm sitting down so when I feel she's kicking me, I gently push back like I'm saying hello to her - It's so nice to connect with my daugher already :-)

 - Depending on how the first birth went, it does seem like second pregnancies are more relaxed by the medical professions, and my obstetrician told me yesterday that he has put me in the 'Low Risk' category, which is always a relief. 

 - Growth:  my bambina is growing fast, and currently she is around 35 centimetres from crown to heel.  I've come to a point in the pregnancy now where she is officially considered viable.  If she was born now she would have a though time no doubt, but still have the chance of survival.

 - My cravings keeps changing but for the last couple of weeks it's been toast with raspberry jam. Lot's of it ;-)

YUM! Breakfast this morning, plus another two slices, ha!