Back to reality...

Due to the holiday's BumpMoirs has taken a slight backseat over the last few weeks to eating, eating and well more eating! Now that my mat leave has properly kicked in and my plans are slowing, I am sure I will find more time to blog and share stories before the immanent arrival of my little boy.

The break has been fantastic, exactly what I needed. Some quality time with the hubs, the family and good friends.  After the "BabyMoon" (which was just wonderful) the hubs and I headed to his hometown from some family time with the in-laws. I always like getting out of London, whilst home time flies and days disappear so fast. When out of London days just seem longer and more relaxing. The hubs is always so happy when he's home too, he loves his family so much and adores spending time with them which is so wonderful to see and be part of.  It was a great few days that were followed by more great days back home.

Christmas day was supreme. My mum is a superb cook and prepared a festive feast for 25 family members which was hoovered down by all in record time. I was so full after Christmas dinner that I suffered stomach pains for a good few hours after eating!!!

The days that followed all of sort of rolled into one. All I remember is a lot of leftovers, a lot of engagements, a few babies and a lot of movies on the couch with the Hubs.

I suppose the most significant thing that was achieved over the break was completing Baby J's nursery. It all sort of came together one day (after the hubs built the crib and changing table, both Mamas & Papas in case you're keen... in fact most of the nursery items were purchased from there!)

The first time I saw it finished I welled up with delight. I can't believe it's finished. If I look back just a few weeks and think of the developments we've made to our new home I just can't believe it. We've literally gone from a building site, to a near finished (rather stylish if I do say so myself) home and it really does feel like home. 

With just over 7 weeks to go until we finally get to meet to Baby J, I am thrilled with the position we are in. I really didn't think it would all come together so soon. And before you say it, I am fully aware that the nursery won't stay pristine (or white for that matter) for very long, but it's lovely for now!

In case you're interested... here's a taster of the rest of our house...

I've never really been into design, but suddenly I am loving it.... I think I am forcing myself to be into it so that it feels like a fun project rather than a stressful task! to be honest, the main reason why these things are usually stressful is not having the time to do things properly... I can hardly complain about that now can I!

It's funny going through all these days and these tasks whilst pregnant. On the one hand, this pregnancy has flown by... on the other it feels as if I've been pregnant for ever. I can't remember my life (or my body!) before, and let's be honest, everything is effected when pregnant. It seems to come into every decision I make, every morsel I eat and drink and well everything I do! Not to say I am too obsessive (well I am) it is more that it is always there and always a factor.

Pregnancy really does prepare for you motherhood doesn't it? 

Whilst my relationship with the hubs is so wonderful and so close and I am constantly thinking and worrying about him... it is different with Baby J. I am even more passionate, caring and loving towards a bump on my body than I have ever been towards anything in my life.

I've said it before and I'll say it again... pregnancy is so wonderful and something I'll truly miss.... I can only imagine how spectacularly wonderful being a mother will be.

Apologies for today's rather rambling blog post. With so many days away from BumpMoirs I've had lots of thoughts and feelings which are all sort of jumbled together in this post... I hope it at least makes sense!!!

Maternity leave... day 1

Today was/is my first official day of holiday from work. I say holiday as my official maternity leave doesn't start until January, I am currently using up leftover holiday from this year, but let's face it... in the eyes of the world I am now on maternity leave.

Following Friday's blog post about my last day at work, this weekend was a bit of an odd one. Full of emotion, and unease I made my way to my parents house for supper Friday night. The hubs had his work Christmas party, so I attended dinner alone. My brother and his partner were there which I was excited about. My bro and I are close, and recently he's been rather busy so I've not had the chance to see him or spend any proper time with him. The one problem with being so close is that there are no pleasantries with my brother and I. As much as we're best friends, we drive each other crazy. Now, I don't know if it was just the fact that we had an argument, or it was a combination of that, and my built up emotion from finishing work and the realisation of what's to come... but I got myself into a bit of a hysterical state. This was not aided by the fact that the hubs wasn't by my side to calm me down. So that was the start of the weekend... an epic row with my bro, followed by a dramatic display of hysterics on my part.

Thankfully, the rest of the weekend went rather well. Saturday was spent doing odd jobs and relaxing with the hubs, with a few delightful visitors thrown in for good measure. Saturday night was spent dining at our friends house. They made us a terrific meal, and we got to watch their wedding video. They are newly weds and recently had the most spectacular wedding so it was fab to re-live it with them.

Sunday was spent celebrating a friends birthday with a lot of little ones. This particular group of friends are all a wee bit older than me & the hubs, so already all have one of more kids. It's odd hanging out with them, as so few of our other friends have babies... it's sort of like stepping into the future when we see them. Discussions about nannies, nurseries and other grown up things make the hubs and feel a little out of our depth and very very unprepared for our soon to be future!

This morning was when my new reality hit home. At 6.15am the alarm went off. But it was only the hubs who had to get out of bed...

As I drifted in and out of my slumber I noticed him pottering about getting ready for work. As you know, if you follow this blog, I make breakfast each morning for the hubs. I am the type of person who is awake the second their eyes open, so it wasn't hard for me to get out of bed to prepare him his morning bagel. However, as I stepped out of bed... I looked over to his bed side table and noticed that his bagel and morning cuppa were already sat their, on his night stand patiently waiting to be consumed... whilst most woman would be thrilled by this, I automatically felt a little redundant... not that I'll ever admit it to him!

As he came out the bathroom, showered and ready to tuck into his breaky, he climbed back into bed and we had a chat. Chats in bed with breakfast are usually a custom reserved for the weekends, but this was delightful and something I hope becomes our morning ritual. Once he'd finished, he got up and got ready. He of course didn't think it necessary that I drive him to the station but as I say... when I am up, I am up, and I wanted to take him (a girl has to feel a little needed after all!)

Once I'd dropped him, I hurried home to prepare for my day... and what a day it has been. 

The following has been achieved today...

- 3x washing loads

- 2x loads of washing hung to dry

- 1x washing load dried in dryer

- 1x shower & blow dried hair

- 1x breakfast eaten

- 1x Christmas tree purchased and erected (lights and baubles complete)

- 1x friend and gorgeous baby visited

- 1x food shop complete

- 1x dinner prepared

- 1x house tidied

- 1x bin emptied

- 1x dishwasher emptied & refilled

- 1x X Factor results watched

- 1x romantic movie watched (Sleepless in Seattle)

- 1x blog post (almost) written

- 1x alarm gone off resulting in 1x fuse box being reset 

- 1x copy of Mother & Baby read

Now, I don't know if you're easily impressed (I am), but I am highly impressed with what has been achieved today. I know that this is all new to me, and I am so used to being busy that I am finding things to fill my day... but look how productive I've been!!!

If everyday is like this, my house will be shipshape by Christmas Eve!!!

So far, I have to say, this maternity leave lark is fabulous and I am loving it... I wonder how long it is until I am bored and depressed? 

I give myself a week... 

I will say this though, I've not felt this relaxed (despite being super busy) in quite some time! 

The 4D Scan

Yesterday my mother-in-law asked me if I was planning on having a 4D scan.

Having never heard of the concept before, about a year ago they became overly popular and I was seeing them all over the place.

I still remember seeing one for the first time (quite a step change from the usual scan picture I'd seen... much more graphic and play-doh like!)

This could be because up until a year ago they weren't available, or because up until about a year ago I had very very few friends with babies (so just wasn't exposed to it)

Having discussed it for about a minute with the hubs his view on the rest was pretty clear. In his mind it was unnecessary and just a bit weird.

Usually when it comes to things like this, I find myself passionately disagreeing with him.

Not this time.

We had The Harmony Test early on in my pregnancy, a test that comes with a decent price tag but is very reassuring at the same time. Whilst the test does tell you the baby's gender (which some may agree, and some may disagree with), the main reason for doing it is to discover any genetic disorders your little one may have.

This test wasn't a discussion. The second we heard about it, the second we both knew we'd have it.

The 4D scan is a little different for us. Aside from the fact that it has no medical benefits so I can't in my mind really justify the cost in my mind, I don't really like the images produced. The babies always look a little squishy. I also am not sure I want to know what Baby J looks like.

Yes there are benefits. You can pretty much see all the features on their face. My friend had one before her little girl was born and I couldn't believe it when I met her. It was like I already knew her... this particular friend made the 4D scan her cover photo on Facebook... Each to their own!

However, by the time you have the scan you're nearing the end of your pregnancy. For those of us who discover our baby's gender in advance, we have a good few months to start imaging what our little one will be/look like. Seeing what they look like is just a little too much for me. The idea actually makes me a little uncomfortable.

I am a neurotic control freak and surprised myself a little when I realised my opinion on the matter, but seeing Baby J's little face for the first time is one of those moments I'm most looking forward to about the birth... second to hearing his first cry (of course!)

I never judge anyone else for their opinions, and am sure that a lot of people out there can't understand why you would want to know the sex  of the baby in advance... I suppose years ago it wasn't an option so some people are still getting their heads around it. Some love the idea of the surprise on the day (for me this wasn't an option, I had to know and have zero regrets about finding out, I love referring to Baby J as a "him" rather than an "it" and discovering that he's a little boy just made the whole thing so real for me and for the hubs)

I wonder what the developments will be in the future!? I imagine that in a few years from now everyone (in Western countries) will have 4D scans as they'll become the norm, but what else?

Will we be able to have a camera in our belly's watching the entire pregnancy process?? Maybe we will be able to hear them??

We will have to wait and see I guess…

For me, technology, on the one hand is mind blowing and awesome and on the other, scary as hell!

Either way you won't be seeing a 4D picture of Baby J anytime soon, I guess you'll just have to wait for the real thing :-)

Choosing the Car Seat

Last weekend our gorgeous new 'Silver Cross' Car Seat arrived.

I chose it based in compatibility with our pram but also because it's pretty (I'm such a child!!!)

Not only is this particular model (it's called 'simplicity') easy to use, safe, light and a decent size (room for Baby J to grow & stretch) but it's pretty stylish and comfy looking... I'm pretty sure Baby J will be mighty happy snuggled up their, I know I would be! (what a thought... Car Seats for grown ups!!)

I have to say that choosing the car seat was a much easier task than choosing our pram. Why? Because there are only a handful of brands and models compatible with the pram with picked (I actually think this is the case with whichever pram you go with, but I'm not sure!)

The idea 'I believe' is that you don't always use the top part of the pram, sometimes you clip the car seat into the base of the pram to avoid waking the baby, or for short trips, only short mind you...

The shop assistant in John Lewis was very quick to tell me about the issues that can arise from leaving a baby in a car seat for to long… Having read up on it, there is little to worry about! Essentially use your common sense, if your baby is premature, or has any breathing difficulties be cautious but otherwise you're pretty much ok for a few hours.

If you're worried at all, there is a really informative article on BabyCentre about this very issue: http://www.babycentre.co.uk/x554834/is-it-safe-to-let-my-baby-sleep-in-his-car-seat

Anyway, when presented with my choice it was once again, an easy decision. I'd read up on the key things a car seat had to do and was confident with the few brands of offer that these were all a given (of course I checked 5 times) this left me to choose based on USPs.... And of course design!

The main thing for me was weight.

To test this out, my mum and I (once again I didn't want to subject the hubs to my research tactics, it's far easier to present him with an obvious chose!) went round lifting each one whilst trying to imaging what it would feel like with the added weight of a newborn/not so newborn baby.

The 'simplicity' won hands down... Not just on weight and design but on ease.

Gone are the days of fiddly, complicated, huge machines. These days, it's a swift manoeuvre  a couple of clicks and you're in! (I'm still impressed with Will's speed at getting Baby George into the car with the pressure of the whole world watching!!!)

In case you were wondering, we opted for a simple black colour, after-all I couldn't have Baby J's pram mismatching his car seat!!

Once chosen, I took the hubs on the pointless outing to 'choose a Car Seat'... He knows me, I know me and I'm pleased to say that he trusts me. We were in and out in 5 blissful minutes (ladies, this form of decision making is the way forward... It may seem a but unequal but it avoids the dreaded in store argument! Equally men, if you're the family researcher, I urge you to try this method out next time you're on the hunt for your next big item!)

So, last weekend it arrived.

There is just one thing stopping me from getting 'quite' as excited about my new toy as I was when our gorgeous new pram arrived....

Aside from the fact that we're still living amongst a sea of boxes, so can't actually unpack and 'play' with it yet i.e. strut around the house with it pretending Baby J is inside (I think that may have been an over share!)

We have no car to put it in.

I know what you're thinking... Who buys the Car Seat before the car?!

Me.

The car seat is my domain.

The car is not (that's a big one, so a joint decision) and until we can muster the will to begin the long and painful task of selecting a new car that we can't really afford, the car seat will have to do… with only 13 weeks to go we really should get our skates on!

At least I know that the midwife will let me leave the hospital when Baby J is born… little does she know that I might not have a car to click the seat into!!!