38 weeks pregnant

How far along? 38 weeks

Baby is...the size of a pumpkin  

Weight gain...braved the scales for the first time in months recently and surprised to have only put 2 stone on. I put on a similar amount with Henry and it had dropped off within a few weeks of breastfeeding, so I'm really hoping that happens again. 

Stretch marks? Still none, hopefully on to my last bottle of Bio Oil now and hoping my skin holds out! 

Sleep: Really bloody good. Usually a good 7 or 8 hours in a row, still not getting up for the loo really, so overall I can't complain. Need to get all the sleep I can now while it lasts, I'm aware that it may be another 3 years before I get any again! 

Best moment this week? So many lovely days out with Henry, really enjoying and appreciating every last memory we make together, just the two of us (and daddy too on a weekend!)

Miss anything? Lying on the sofa comfortably. I'm a lot more comfortable sitting on my birthing ball but I really just want to lie down and not move from the sofa all evening instead of sitting totally upright. 

Food cravings: Nothing really, but I'm a lot hungrier than I have been and eating plenty of tasty treats while I have a good excuse.

Gender: I honestly don't know. We aren't sure about our boy's name now so I'm hoping for a girl simply because we have a definite name for her. I'm beyond excited to find out now, I really can't wait. 

Symptoms: Honestly none. Except for the amazingness of no spots, non-greasy hair and no leg hair, I honestly wouldn't think I was pregnant. I have plenty of energy, I'm happy, the heat hasn't bothered me, I haven't got the slightest bit of swelling, wedding rings still fit, I'm not desperate to give birth, it's all good. The first half of this pregnancy was hell on earth, but since 20 weeks it's really been a breeze compared to last time.

Mood? Really emotional but happy and excited about what's to come. 

Labour signs? I've had a lot of twinges and painful braxton hicks where I've thought 'Is this it?' and had a minor panic. But other than that nothing that makes me think that labour is imminent.

Appointments: My 38 week midwife appointment where everything was so fine and normal that she decided I didn't need weekly appointments and I was fine to see her at 40 weeks, so my next appointment will be my due date! Eeeek!

Looking forward to: Finding out what we're having and those very first newborn snuggles

38 week pic to come

What's in my hospital bag?

Last time around my hospital bag was packed for a good 10 weeks before giving birth. I'd read every possible list online and had packed everything that anyone had ever suggested. I had an iPod playlist all set up and a bag full of gadgets like mini handheld fans, Evian water sprays, the lot. Of course I used none of it. Not even the Evian water spray can you believe. And I listened to my iPod for all of about 5 minutes before getting pissed off with the stupid songs on it that people had recommended online when I was just in agony, and listening to Helen Reddy warble on about 'being woman' really wasn't helping that one bit. The one thing I did want that I hadn't packed were mints and chewing gum (turns out that gas and air really dries your mouth out) so my mum had to call in the garage at 4am to pick some of them up. It turns out that mini handheld fans aren't the be all and end all during labour and I felt a lot more confident when packing this time, even though I did leave it a lot later! Thank goodness Simba hasn't arrived yet. 

For me (toiletries)

Just the standard toiletries really. Toothpaste, a nice new toothbrush, anti bac gel, dry shampoo, lip balm (a lifesaver when using gas and air), contact lenses, an empty water spray bottle (no Evian this time), glasses, deodorant, a mini shampoo, and a posh L'occitane shower gel thanks to my mum. It's pretty grim being in hospital post-birth with the bleeding and achy muscles, having to share a bathroom and a ward with strangers etc, so it's nice to have a few treats like nice toiletries to make me feel more myself.

For me (snacks) 

Hospital food isn't always the best and you generally don't get fed whilst you're in labour, so these are a few things I've packed to keep me going a bit. I remember being so grateful for my meals in hospital last time, I felt like they were really looking after me and not having to worry where your next meal is coming from and who's going to make it for you is actually a proper treat, even if the food isn't the best quality. Having said that, the apple pie I was served for lunch an hour after having Henry was probably the best thing I've ever eaten! Must have been the sugar I think. Breastfeeding also makes you absolutely starving and beyond thirsty, so I've packed plenty of high energy snacks for that, plenty of fruit juice and a little bottle of squash too.

For Daddy 

To say daddy was under prepared last time may be an understatement. We really weren't anticipating the 30+ hour labour and the fact that the labour ward was so daddy-unfriendly. He wasn't allowed to use any toilet on the ward (even though I had an en-suite) and there was nowhere for him to make himself a coffee or get a glass of water. There wasn't even anywhere close. Everytime he wanted something (and in 33 hours that's a lot of times), he had to trek downstairs and along the corridor to a&e or way upstairs to the canteen. He's been a bit more prepared this time around and reckons this lot should keep him going, plus a few breaks for coffees and toilet stops downstairs at a&e.

For Simba 

I loved packing this part of my bag. The first outfit, the tiny little vests. A super soft muslin and beautiful blankets, a pink and a blue hat and a pink and a blue babygrow, tiny nappies, wipes, his or her first ever toy (a Jellycat lion. Obviously) and the first of our set of baby milestone cards for the day that they're born. All smelling of Fairy washing powder. Totally perfect. 

For me (other stuff!)

I've packed plenty of cotton underwear - knickers and soft feeding bras. People often recommend you buy paper pants for post-birth and I can honestly think of nothing worse. You can get cotton knickers so cheaply and I've packed older ones too that I don't mind throwing away. Having said that, last time the bleeding certainly wasn't that bad that I needed to throw any away so I'm sure it'll be fine. I've also packed a soft black bra top to wear in case I use the birthing pool. 

A big, dark towel is definitely recommended too. I used this huge pink one of my mum's for a good few weeks post-birth last time and it was great. I have a couple of packs of maternity pads packed but only a few breast pads. Last time I had a whole box and hadn't considered at all that my milk wouldn't have come in during my hospital stay and I therefore wouldn't actually be leaking milk! I have a few pairs of PJs, a nightie and a 'Gownie' which is the greatest invention ever. They're basically hospital gowns which button like normal right up the back and down the sides at the front but ones that actually look nice too. The press studs are great for the skin to skin as soon as the baby's born and obviously for any kind of medical intervention such as an epidural in your spine. I wore it last time and all the midwives commented on what a good idea they were and how much easier they were than a nightie....even if Mr B thinks they're the most ridiculous idea in the world! The last thing I have packed is my tens machine which was a godsend last time in the early stages of labour, so I'm hoping to use that again.

And that's it. The essentials, with a few little luxuries thrown in to help make my stay as comfortable as possible in hospital. It's all getting a bit real now. Just over 2 weeks until I'm due so it really could be any day now! 

Our summer holidays - week 3

Week 3 already! I actually can't believe we have a baby due any day and we're onto our last few days as a three. Days spent just me and my little Pigwidge. Here's a few photos of our adventures this week:

Off on the ferry from South Sheilds to North Sheilds 

Fish and chips for lunch. What else?

Our Oases group at the park. Building dens; Henry's idea of heaven! 

And on the roundabout 

Mum had Henry overnight and I ended up spending the majority of the night in the bath with my kindle and candles. A real treat!

Off to see Mr Bloom in Durham and a nice stop for coffee and cakes afterwards too

Muddy Monsters - one of the best groups I've taken Henry to recently. Open play with so much mud and proper messy play. Giant bubbles too. 

A morning at the farm with our friends 

We've had plenty naps this week. Most of them snuggled up together in bed. 

Lunch at Wheelbirks with our friends who were staying for the weekend. Love that the orchard is quickly filling with apples 

Dinner at Akbars followed by a touristy trip to the Angel of the North with our Essex friends.

Morning breakfast at Flat White. My favourite way to spend a Sunday. 

Long naps followed by tasty fruit tarts on the living room floor! 

And that's it for another week. Beginning to wonder how many full weeks we'll have left...I have a feeling it won't be many! 

Nap times

When Henry was a tiny baby he was a terrible sleeper (sign of things to come) and I remember desperately wanting him to do more than 20 minutes in his Moses basket so that I could nap during the day too. After a few weeks my mum told me I needed to take him to bed with me and let him sleep on my chest, and it was the best thing I ever did. I remember that sleep so well. I was shocked that he slept for hours, and I slept too, albeit lightly, terrified that I'd squash him or hurt him. But motherly instinct is a weird thing and you just don't squash your baby, you are so aware of them even when you're asleep and you just don't fall into a deep sleep anymore...I think that's part of motherhood, never sleeping well again!

Safe cosleeping then because something I researched and looked in to, having previously been adamant that it wasn't something that we'd do. We went back to bed every single morning together for Henry's morning nap and we had a nap together most afternoons too. I never ever felt the ridiculous overwhelming tiredness that some new mummies talk about, simply because I slept when the baby slept and we slept together. Of course there were bad days, days where he was poorly or unsettled, but never more than a day or two at a time.

And our napping together has carried on right up until now, almost three years on. Not because I created a rod for my own back, as some advised, and he wouldn't sleep anywhere else, but because we both loved it and still do. He will nap anywhere: in his own bed, on the sofa, in the car, at my mum's house, lying under a tree at Alton Towers a few weeks ago -  anywhere if he's tired enough, but our favourite place to be on an afternoon is cuddled up together, him in the crook of my arm, at home and in bed. 

I'm so sad that the days of just the two of us are almost gone. I'm desperately clinging to every single second, enjoying every nap time, kissing him that bit more while he sleeps, lying watching him for longer and taking just one more photo of his perfect little sleeping face. I've loved the closeness of our afternoon naps for the last three years and I really hope they can continue once Simba arrives - you never know, he or she might be more of a fan of their Moses basket than Henry ever was! But if not, I intend to make the most of afternoons with both of my children, tucked up away from the cold autumn and winter weather, together in bed for an hour or two. 

These beautiful babies grow up way too fast and I'm so grateful that I listened to my mum back then and took the advice of sleeping when the baby slept. The housework can wait, as can time alone or 'me' time. I just hope we can squeeze in a few more naps together in the next few weeks before Simba arrives, just me and my little Pigwidge.

A bedroom fit for a big boy

With his baby brother or sister on the way and in need of a changer, wardrobe and cot, we got to work planning Henry's big boy room so that all of his nursery furniture could be moved to the baby's new room. We had grand plans for all kinds of lovely wallpaper that we'd seen, but eventually decided just to paint it because we didn't know if we'd want to swap the children's bedrooms round in a year or two, or if we were going to move anyway, so spending hundreds on gorgeous new wallpaper seemed a bit daft. We're secretly hoping that Simba is an amazing sleeper so we can swap bedrooms and put him/her downstairs in Henry's current room while Henry moves upstairs to be closer to us. Who knows. Anyway, here's a few photos of our big boy's bedroom which he absolutely loves. 

His new bed from John Lewis with gorgeous dinosaur bedding from Emma Bridgewater. The bedding is reversible with a pale blue background on the other side. I like that his walls are plain so that we can just change the bedding as his interests change over time. 

All his 'friends' at the bottom of the bed.

My favourite little nook. His John Lewis drawers to match his bed and little house shelves from Next. The top one contains a print with song lyrics on it for 'How long will I love you?' - the song that always makes me think of Henry. The middle one houses Daisy, his Jellycat doggy, and the bottom contains two of his horsies. Again, we can change what we put in as he grows up and his interests change. I ordered the felt garland from Sheep Farm Felt on Etsy and absolutely love it. 

H is for Henry! Another Etsy purchase.

His window displays his little Henry train that he was bought when he was tiny and his brachiosaurus too.

His book ends now sit on the windowsill and have a few of his board books between them. The rest are in his book box in the lounge and there's still a pile in his room that we aren't sure what to do with!! 

A lovely little triceratops hook with his little dressing gown on

And that's it. Our smallest bedroom, but perfect for our biggest baby. He might think he's a big boy, but he's definitely always going to be my baby.

Our summer holidays - week 2

Batch cooking for Simba's arrival. 3 portions of bolognaise and 3 portions of sausage casserole. 

Loving having more time at bedtime to read more stories, have more cuddles and just to sit and watch him. Usually

I'm running around trying to get work for school done or a load of washing in before bed or whatever so it's been so nice to slow down. 

This week we tried a great free class run by OASES in a local park by us. Bugs were the theme of the week and Henry loved hunting for bugs, making clay bugs, playing bug themed games and having a snack with the other boys and girls. Hoping for nice weather again this week so we can go back. 

And back to the 'cinema' at the community centre with a bag of popcorn and a cup of juice. £2 well spent.

My mum has had Henry for me a couple of mornings or afternoons this week so I can do what other people do on maternity leave and just chill out. It's the one downside to not having had Henry at nursery previously. Most of my friends have had a guaranteed few days where their toddler has been at nursery for them to sleep and catch up on some baby jobs, but I haven't necessarily had that. Thank goodness for mums and thank goodness for the amazing new Harry Potter book which I have been loving this week! 

A trip to Gateshead quayside to go to the Sage, Baltic and to have a walk over the Millennium Bridge. 

Play Tyne at the Baltic. So so worth a visit but it was packed when we went so I think we'll wait until the schools are back to go again. 

A family walk at Allensford.

My friend's 30th afternoon tea at the new Crowne Plaza in Newcastle. So yummy and the pomegranate mocktails were pretty good too! 

Out for anniversary dinner with daddy. Feeling huge! 

A morning at the farm having breakfast with Marmar and Parpar and seeing the animals

Nap time with this gorgeous one. I'm feeling really sad about not being able to have naps like this, just the two of us, for much longer.

And that's it. Another whole week over but lots of happy memories made with my beautiful little family....and only 3 weeks to go until Simba is due! Eeek!

36 weeks pregnant

How far along? 36 weeks

Baby is...the size of a honeydew melon 

Stretch marks? Still none with 4 more weeks to go. Hoping Bio Oil holds out...

Sleep: Good. Henry's sleeping well (in with me!), I'm still only going to the loo a maximum of once a night and I don't have to set an alarm to get up for work. Dreading those newborn days of no sleep, feel like it's taken 3 years to get to this stage of decent sleep and it's all about to change! 

Best moment this week? Packing my hospital bag. There are only a couple more bits to go in and they're not vital so we're all set! 

Miss anything? Wearing nice, normal clothes. I saw a lovely shirt in Zara which would be great for breastfeeding but I have no idea what size to buy for post-birth so I couldn't get it. It's so dull wearing the same 3 or 4 outfits over and over again. 

Food cravings: Nothing really. Discos crisps are still going down well but other than that, there's nothing I fancy. 

Gender: Girl. I think. I'll be back to boy next week! 

Symptoms: Same as before really but I am a lot more tired. I've had no swelling this time round, no swollen ankles or feet and my wedding rings still fit fine. I can't remember when I had to take them off last time but I'm sure it was before this stage. 

Mood? Really really excited now that we're a bit more organised. 

Labour signs?: Absolutely none. Hoping it stays that way for another 4 weeks!

Appointments: My 36 week midwife appointment 

Looking forward to: Getting to 'full term' next week 

Please ignore the toilet selfie for the bump shot. We've changed our full length mirror at home and it's no good for bump pics! Hoping for a better pic for my 37 week photo.