Weekly Eats

I haven't really been good at taking photos of my food this week. I've been too busy eating the food :D But I did manage a few, because I knew I wanted to do a post on food, as lately all the posts have been baby related.

Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed actually eating these dishes :)

This one looks like dog food :D It's actually a healthier take on the old classic sausage and mash. I only used 2 small potatoes for my mash and added a sweet potato and carrots as well :)

On Monday we made some homemade pizza. We made 2 different ones :D Not that we were that hungry or had company, but because I made too much dough :D

First one was a pepperoni one with jalapenos, onions, peppers and sundried tomatoes. Looks more like a pie. It tasted amazing. And the second one was a bit more simple with ham and peppers and onions. Both of them were lathered with lots and lots of cheese.

This is a picture of one of my breakfasts. I don't remember which day it was. I had a wholemeal seeded bread slice with cheese, ham and tomato and some cottage cheese on the side. And a healthy glass on oj. I always have coffee as well.

And I'm pretty sure this is not from this week, as it's from when we went to the cinema with D. We got there too early, so had a costa fix before the movie started. I had caramel latte cooler and a lemon muffin and D had a passionfruit? cooler with a chocolate muffin.

And the last thing I'd like to mention about what I've been eating lately is that I've been having lots of apples and lots of carrots. I get carrots with pretty much every one of my farm deliveries weekly, and have a couple as a snack every day. I just can't keep myself away. It reminds me of summers at my grandparents, when I was little. We would just pull out carrots from the ground with my cousin and wash them in the rainwater tank and then just eat them. I miss having a garden :(

Another thing is that instead of the usual, make my own box of veg from Riverford I opted for one of their medium vegetable boxes, and I got some broad beans in it this time. Does anyone know a good recipe for broad beans?? I hate beans myself, but don't want to waste them so I thought I'll make something for D.
Suggestions are welcome :)

38 Weeks Pregnancy Update

It's 26th of July and I'm still pregnant. And it doesn't look like it's going to change any time soon :D So maybe I was wrong. I don't even know why I had this day in my head....oh well. It's probably best he holds on for a bit, until the weather gets a bit cooler, because I struggle to keep myself cool, I would not have clue how to keep a baby from over heating. Okay I do have a clue. I've done some reading just in case, but it is definitely easier for him in my belly :D 
This week has gone really fast. It was D's birthday and I have actually been out and about more often. We've gone to the cinema and I've met my friend for dinner yesterday, which got followed by a few non-alcoholic beverages around Brindely place. She was driving so couldn't drink alcohol either so I had company in that department. And all in all it's actually been a really good week as I've kept myself busy. I need to plan out the next 2 weeks as well, so time will go faster.
Another thing is that my parents finally bought tickets to come visit us in August, and even though they are only coming for 5 days I can not wait :) It's only going to be my parents and my brother and then my sister will visit us some time in October. But 3 out of 4 is pretty good I think. 
Also it's Ds brothers birthday today, so it's probably best I' not going to give birth today, because no one wants to share their birthday :D 

This is what the bump looks like these days :)

A little 10 weeks comparison for you guys :)

How far along: 38 Weeks

Gender of the baby: Boy

Weight gain and measurements: I've given up on the weight thing for now because it is just too hot outside and inside, which means I have about 1l of liquid inside me at all times, which will add to my weight, so I won't be getting an accurate number. I will add my fundal height here on Monday once I've had my midwife appointment. I don't remember if I said it last week, but at 36 weeks it was 35 cm. He grows about (my belly)2 cm every 2 weeks so we will see. In one of my weekly newsletter it was said though, that I can kind of expect my belly to stay the size it is now. Which makes me happy if this is the case, because it means I will not get any stretch marks...I still don't have any :)

Preparations: We now have bought all the little bits and bobs we needed. We got 2 changing mats (1 for the living room and one for the bedroom) and I got my nursing bra's. I also got some nipple shields :D to shield my nipples, either from breastfeeding or breast pump. we got a few more lightweight blankets and towels for the little one. And more cotton pads and cotton balls. My hospital bag is fully packed and ready to go....but there is no baby :D hopefully sooner rather than later

Tips and tricks I've learnt: 

• Drinking lots of fluid will help you not get water retention. As long as you keep the drinks to low sugar and non carbonised.
• A little pampering session is a good way to relax. And in the last weeks the less stress the better, to help you get those wanted hormones to go into labour.
• Paranoia is normal. Excpecially when it's your first pregnancy. I though something was wrong every time before an appointment/scan and every time after. I was so sure something happened a minute the doctor moved the ultrasound wand away from my stomach :D I made the doctor actually count all the toes and fingers at my 3d/4d scan :D The trick is to get yourself realise you are just being paranoid and then get over it.
• I'm not sure if walking will get me into labour because I've stayed active through my work anyway. We'll see. I try to go for at least a short walk every day...even if it is a 10 minute trip to tesco for some ice cream.

Sleep: Sometimes I sleep so well and sometimes I can't seem to sleep at all. It's all different every day. I did think once though, that all those trips to the toilet during the night is a good practice of having to wake up for feedings and changing :)

Signs of labour: I am getting lower abdominal pain and a few cramps here and there. I can't stay upright for too long, because the braxton hicks will get stronger then. I have't had the ''show'' yet and the baby is not fully engaged, because he still twists around. I say twist, because he turns sides, but he is not going anywhere from his head down position now, which is good :)

Thoughts: I did think I will have the baby by the end of today, but now I'm thinking there is no way :D D told me to hold it together until he goes on his break from work, but I am aware that me and him wanting something doesn't mean it's going to happen :D 

Best Moment of the Week: Seeing my lovely friend and hearing about her engagement and her asking me to be a bridesmaid. I am so damn excited. I have never actually been to a wedding. They are also planning to have it somewhere warm in Europe, which means it's really more like a holiday. And their date is not set yet, but it's going to be around the time when the little bubba is over a year old :) so we'll be used to parenthood and comfortable with travelling, as I'm sure we would've gone for a few holidays before that already. 

D Has A Birthday

I am a big fan of celebrating my own birthday, but it's not my birthday yet...it is on the other hand Ds' 31st Birthday :) How exciting...he is 5 and 2 months older than me, just in case anyone was wondering. Oh dear, I wrote that down and then started thinking if I was 25 or 26 :D complete pregnancy brain moment there :D I am still 25 though and will be 26 in September the 26th.
I've been trying  to pick up on what he would like for his present this year for a very long time. Last year I got him his favourite bottle of spiced rum, which he still has. And this year......I struggled so much. Now that we are living together I kind of realise that if there is something he wants he will get it right away :D Finally I think I got him the right thing :) and he seemed to like it.
I also got him some oven gloves :D This was obviously a joke present, but he does need them since he keeps burning himself every time he cooks. Anyway the present went down very well, which I'm happy about, because it did take me a while to think of what to get him. 
That was the present part. I also got him a chocolate birthday cake which I completely forgot about until lunch time. I was going to give it to him in the morning, but that didn't work out :D. I would've actually made it for him myself, but he is always at home, and I really wouldn't have anywhere to hide it overnight other than the fridge, and he would find it and it's too hot and it was just easier to get one from Marks&Spencer :D 
For dinner we went for a meal together, which was really nice. Again I could have  cooked myself, but I like celebrating birthdays. Also this might actually be the last time we get to go out for a meal in a restaurant before the baby comes, so it was really nice to dress up the bump for one night and just have chill evening. It is also good not having to wash the dishes at the end. 
So all in all it was such a nice day and a total success. And I think we both needed to get our minds away from all things baby for a bit :) 

This is what I wore.
The dress is from h&m and it's so comfortable. It's exactly the right length and its stretchy and it's summery. I must admit though, the colour and the bump together make me look a bit like a tomato :D
The necklace is also from h&m :)

 I have to add that I was actually wearing shoes, but this hot weather and being so close to giving birth, my feet are swollen. To a complete stranger they might look completely normal, but I can't fit into my shoes anymore. So I have 3 pairs of sandals I can still wear :D

The joys of being pregnant  :D

Just A Little Update

I had a look through my posts, and I realise I'm now almost 38 weeks pregnant, but there is way too many baby related posts. This was not planned, I never really planned to concentrate so much on my pregnancy on this blog, but it seems that's what has happened. 
When I first started writing I figured it will be just a little hobby, I'll keep my 2 friends updated on what I'm doing, but looking at all the stats of the blog, I've realised quite a few more people are interested in what I write :) I still have only a few followers, which is slightly annoying, because I would like to see that people do actually want to keep up to date with my blog, but I guess that will happen in time.
I do also realise I have done little to none advertising for my blog. I only recently joined instagram, where I can share if a post is up. I've tried to start using twitter, but it's just not me. So I can't really be angry that no one really knows about my little blog (not even all my friends know about it). I promise I will change this factor though, as I am planning on advertising ''Life As I Know It'' on a few forums. And since I have mostly concentrated on the pregnancy/baby aspect of my life it will probably be momtobe and pregnancy/baby forums. I'm guessing, even if I don't accumulate more readers then no harm done...I haven't lost anything by doing it.
I can still see myself getting excited about 100 views a day :) 

Going back to being almost 38 weeks pregnant I have found that the one thing that really annoys me is when people try to guess when I'm going to give birth.
The amount of times I get the ''oh your belly hasn't dropped yet, so it will be a while'' is just infuriating. I am a short person. The baby is already really low and has been head down for weeks and weeks now. I don't see him dropping that drastically, because there is just nowhere to go. 
Another one was actually my reflexologist. She actually told me she thinks I'm going to go 11 days over???? WHO THE HELL WANTS TO HEAR THAT?? If you can't see the future, keep your thoughts to yourself :D First of all I lied to her anyway saying I'm 2 weeks away from my due date (I say I lied, it came out of my mouth before I could stop myself :D) so how would she come to the conclusion of 11 days. 
And my pet hate...people saying ''awwwwwww'' 
?
?
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Just ''NO'' I will walk away in a strut if you say ''awwwww'' to me just because I'm pregnant.

Also...do not comment on the size of my baby bump. You might think it's small, I might feel it's huge, but the midwife is saying it's normal. So don't get me all worked up about saying my belly is too small or too big. You have no idea...really...you don't.

The one thing I have to say is that every pregnancy is sooooo different, and comparing me with all the picture perfect/out of the movie pregnancies is just not fair. 
If you haven't been pregnant yourself then I take it you know little or nothing about being pregnant and pregnancy itself. 

And the last thing is:

Just because I'm having a baby doesn't mean all I ever want to talk about is baby/pregnancy talk. Talk to me about the weather sometimes for all I care. I am still me not just this pregnant woman. 

And on that note I am off to take a shower...because it's time for bed....Yes I am aware it's only 9.30pm...I'm pregnant...deal with it.
What? Just because I don't want you to bring it up doesn't mean I can't whenever I want to :D

What's In My Hospital Bag

I now have everything I think I will need at the hospital. I was just waiting to write this post until I get the last few bits and bobs...which I now have :)
The bag I'm going to take with me is just a big sports bag and I have both my things and things for the baby in it. D has his own bag that he has also packed, I know that there is a spare pillow and some sports drinks for me in there and then just things he might need for an overnight stay.

I might have packed things I don't need in there, but at least I know that when I have forgotten anything, D can always pop back home after the birth and get it for me, because we only live 30 minutes away(talking about getting the train here)...it would be faster with a taxi or car.

Anyway, I have done quite a bit of research on what to bring for both me and the baby, but in the end I've kind of stayed in the guidelines of the list that I got from the hospital and then added a few things I think I might need as well.

My Things

I am bringing two toiletry bags. They are both from Primark and I think they were about 3 pounds each...

This one holds all the washing things I will need. It also has a little hook on it so I can hang it up in the shower.

The bottles are also from Primark. The whole set was only a pound and it comes with labels as well, which is useful, because I could choose which ones I needed.
I am bringing only my toothbrush as D has one in his bag for himself and the toothpaste is actually the one I got from the Mom to Be Bounty pack. It's for 0-3 year old, but I don't really care, it's nice and small and I'll only use it a couple of times anyway.
I also have a soother for him in there, I don't think I'll need it, but I took it just in case anyway. I also have a small sudocreme, which I will use as a diaper cream if I need to...some cotton pads, paracetamol and also a spare pair of contact lenses.

The second one has a few extra maternity towels for me (I have a full pack in the bag as well), disposable underwear and 2 pairs of normal panties. I figured I'll use the disposable ones in the hospital though, because I can just throw them away and don't have to drag them back home.
I also have breast pads, which I think I wont need, because the milk won't come in until a few days, which means I probably won't have any leakage until I get home. And also a bag full of cotton balls for the baby

I will also take my make up bag with me. But I'll  just put it in my bag once its time to go.

Since I'm planning a water birth I won't be needing a delivery gown, I will be taking my bikini top though :D I just think that before he comes out, there is no need for me to be flashing my boobs. My bottom half will be under water anyway so I don't think about that...plus the midwife will be checking the progress every now and then so she will need a clear access.
I'm also taking two towels. A large dark one and a hand and face one.
In case there isn't a birthing pool available (my hospital only has 3) I am taking a baggy t-shirt. I've got one in dark blue from h&m the other day just for that, so I won't mind it getting ruined.

And for the aftermath of the birth. I'm taking slippers and a button down sleep shirt, which will be great for breastfeeding. For that I am also taking a pair of maternity bra. I got this one from Mothercare. It was in a pack of two for 4 pounds in sale. The previous price was 30 pounds :O I'll be honest I would never pay 30 pounds for something that ugly, as necessary as it might be :D

Since it was 4 pounds for 2 pairs though, I got 2 packs in different sizes, because I imagine once the milk comes in my breast will get even bigger :D so I got a pack with a bigger cup size as well.

I am also bringing this breastfeeding scarf. I am not a fan of those capes at all, and this one I got from my friend Kadi as a present, and I think it's amazing. I am aware that in the hospital no one probably cares about me flashing a boob every now and then, but I'm bringing it in case I will have to stay for a bit longer and we will have visitors in the hospital. So when he needs feeding I can still easily do it with the guests there :)

I'm also bringing my laptop and my phone charger. We don't actually have a camera, so we will be using our phones for all the photos. Plus I can also use my laptop to do a few videos of those precious first moment :)
Also bringing this little funky speaker D gave me to take. So will be using this to blast the tunes  .... joking.

I haven't quite decided on what I'm going to wear to come home, because it totally depends on the weather. If it stays like this or if he comes in the next week, I will probably just wear a tank top and leggings and the shoes I go in there with (they will probably be my Dune sandals, because I live in them )
Again I will throw something in the bag once the time is right.

D gave me this water spray, which will come useful before I can get in the birthing pool, or if I can't use it then during the labour.

I've also packed these 4 snackbars. They told us in the hospital to pack some snacks like banana and fruit, but I can't exactly pack those a head of time :D So probably will just grab a banana on our way out, or more likely forget to and have to go to the hospital shop...either way it's not a big deal. (and like I said D has some isotonic sports drinks for me) I will also bring my water bottle and my wallet and phone.

For him I am bringing a whole pack of newborn nr1 diapers ( I probably won't need all of them, but the pack fits into the side pocket so I'm bringing it)

I am also bringing a pack on baby wipes, which he won't need, but I figured would be useful for me and D, when it gets too sweaty and there is no time to get a shower.

Again I'm not sure how many days I will have to be in the hospital, so I'm probably bringing more clothes for him that I need, but they don't take much room, so it doesn't matter.

What else...3 musling squares and a blanket. I'm actually not sure If i will bring this one, because it's too nice :D I might just take a simple one that I don't mind getting dirty.

I'm also bringing this Tommee Tippee grooming kit. He might have long nails and hair, so some of the things in there might come useful. Again it's so small, I don't mind if I don't end up using it.

And the last thing is the car seat. We are not really taking it with us in the first place, because it would be silly, as we don't have a car, so we can't really leave it the car. So D will have to definitely come back home for it in the end. But it's all good.

Almost forgot...I am also bringing a plastic bag, for all the dirty clothes I need to bring back home with me. And a lip balm...apparently your lips get really dry during labour. To be honest this one makes sense, because you are getting rid of a lot of fluids so the first thing that would happen with dehydration is your lips getting dry.

Do you think I've forgotten something? Or is there something I should bring that no one tells you about, but you found useful?
Leave a comment below :)

37 Week Pregnancy Update

I am officially full term now. This is absolutely crazy, although I am aware that it could be anywhere between a day and 5 weeks until he actually makes his entrance to the real world, knowing me after week 40, I will just be counting days not weeks anyway. 

This weekly thing is slightly confusing me a bit lately. So in most cases and according to my app I have now actually finished 37 weeks, and some places/people/forums are saying I'm 38 weeks, which kind of makes sense as well, because my due date is when I hit 40 weeks, not when I finish 40 weeks and hit 41. Anyway I'm just confusing myself even more now :D

All I know is that I am at the last stretch and this is getting seriously exciting now. I keep having dreams that I have the baby or are giving birth, and they are not scary dreams or nightmares, otherwise I would be panicking right now, but they are actually really nice dreams.

Yes I am aware it's not going to be anything like my dreams...or will it :) It is mighty strange though how your mind changes with pregnancy. I mean I went from utter shock of finding out I'm pregnant, to absolute terror of thinking about labour to the point where I am now...absolutely content and ready for this new chapter in my life and I am not even scared of the labour anymore. I guess you might say I AM EMOTIONALLY READY :)

I'm blabbering now, so here is my week 37 baby bump update 

How far along: 37 Weeks

Gender of the baby: Boy

Weight gain and measurements: Fundal height at my midwife appointment was 35 cm. According to the midwife this is all good, but when I look at it, it's kind of on his way off the chart. This only shows the length though, not that he is a massive fat baby :D And D is quite tall as well ( I'm a midget :D) so we can probably expect him to take after his dad. I have gained a pound this week, which is normal I guess. I have heard stories that around this time your weight gain will slow down or stop all together. I'm guessing it's because there is just little or no room for food once the baby has settled into his birth position, but ours hasn't so loads of room for food in my stomach :D Also I think one of the factors for the weight gain to stop or even drop is your waters breaking. Because sometimes it's just a trickle and it might be a week before you even go to labour after they have broken.

Preparations: We found a pushchair. Ok I found the one I was actually ok with ( there really isn't much choice) D agreed and his sister got it for us.
 And it's this one from Mamas&Papas. It's plain black and it came with all the things we need, so a pushchair, carrycot and also a car seat, which won't be getting much use.

I really do like it actually, because it's compact, it's light and it doesn't hurt my eyes. It's also really easy to manoeuvre and really easy to swap all the parts and things :)

Tips and tricks I've learnt: 

• A birth ball is a great buy. It's useful during pregnancy and can be used as an exercise ball later.
• So is a pregnancy pillow. It just makes it so much easier to find a comfortable position to sleep in. And since I'm waking up like 7 times during the night. I need to find that position 7 times as well.
• walking is the easiest exercise to do during the last stages of pregnancy. I know getting out of breath in 2 minutes is annoying, but once that baby drops, it will much more comfortable...oh wait once the baby drops, going for an hour walk while feeling like you're going to pee yourself constantly is annoying as well :D don't give up though...just keep walking :D
• Keep track of your pregnancy. I've found so much looking back at my posts from week 22 that I'd forgotten. And looking your belly grow on pictures is amazing. You don't really notice it until you see how much everything changes throughout the pregnancy

Sleep: Like I said...I wake up a lot...and have been struggling to sleep a few nights, but the pillow makes it better. I've also stopped drinking an hour before going to bed, just to try to keep it under control, but it's been so hot, I'm thirsty all the time, and I think it's just better to drink rather than dehydrate.

Signs of labour: Still getting the period like pains every now and then, nothing too uncomfortable or painful though. D actually got annoyed with me earlier because I'm too comfortable. I guess he wants to see things moving along as well, and I don't really have any signs of going into labour. I have been quite lucky with everything all through my pregnancy though, so I don't think there is any need to worry. I also don't think he is going to come late for some reason, call it intuition. It's not like I'm being impatient it's just a feeling...I guess time will tell

Thoughts: Thousand every minute of the day :D 

Best Moment of the Week: Getting the pushchair delivered. It just marked the time when we actually do have everything we need now :) 

Hot Summer Days

It has been so freaking hot lately. It's about 30 outside at the moment and 25 inside, and I am sweating my face off. Obviously not a day to go shopping, or I might actually give birth outside Primark. There is a food fest in the city centre though, so I'm hoping to go check that out, maybe score some funky cheese or ham or chutney...got to love chutney.

On a normal summer, I would be in the park tanning my bum, and just chilling in the sun for hours and hours, and then maybe head to a bar for some refreshing drinks later, but this summer, being almost 9 months pregnant, I just want to sit in front of a fan and concentrate on breathing, take about 7 cold showers and drink lots of water...it's not great. Still, I would take this any day to being heavily pregnant during winter, and having to wear layers and layers of clothes and squeeze my slightly swollen feet into boots and socks.

I have been off work now for a week and a half, and I must say I did panic a bit in the beginning thinking I will be bored to death, but in all honesty I'm quite enjoying not having to go to work, excpecially in this weather. I have also kept myself fairly busy. I've seen a few friends and I yesterday I went for the breastfeeding class in the hospital.

The class turned out to be really useful, because I have heard horror stories of how it hurts like hell and there is not enough milk, and all my worries were put at ease. So now I'm quite calm about breastfeeding, which is something I really wanted to do for the little one, because it is so much better for them than formula.

After the class I went to Serenity salon, which I found, do reflexology. I heard it's really good for relaxation and just having that little pamper session, before the labour. Because stress can really slow things down, and I don't want that to happen. So I'll try it out on my appointment on Monday. It might even help with my sleep, because like I said, I haven't been sleeping all that great lately. But I will let you guys know, once I've been, because there is no point speculating. I have actually had reflexology before in Tenerife, and it would've been amazing, but the spa was on the main square and there was this really annoying and loud street performer there, while I was trying to relax, so I didn't get the full experience. I'm hoping it's better environment this time :D
I have also been doing a lot of reading, mostly baby stuff. Keeping myself occupied by getting ahead of myself and trying to learn what to do when he is 3 :D But it's all good fun...like I said, I'm trying to keep myself occupied, and this heat leaves me little options on what to do.

Completely forgot to mention that I had my midwife appointment as well on Monday, where she measured the little guy (fundal height) and he seems to be quite a big baby. I mean give it 2 weeks and he'll be off the chart. Hopefully it's just the way the midwife measures me, and you can't really get an accurate size/height with a measuring tape. I am also pretty sure, that if she would be worried about the size, she would send me for an ultrasound to make sure he's not getting TOO big for me. Another thing, which I don't think has happened, but the midwife was pretty sure of, was that, she told me baby boy is engaged, which means he is head down, where he is meant to be. And to be honest before the midwife appointment I did think that he is moving around and goes sideways every now and then, but apparently that's just him stretching. But yes, that is definitely good news, as it means, my body and the little one are getting ready for the big exit :D

Another thing I don't think I have mentioned that I started out by wanting waterbirth, and then I don't know why, maybe it's because I watched a lot of videos of births, but I changed my mind. I was set on having a lie down birth, with all the drugs and epidural, then we went to the parent education class, and it was just really amazing how instead of me being scared to death about birth, I've actually changed my mind back to having a waterbirth. Obviously I will have a plan B as the hospital only has 3 birth pools, but having a water birth is definitely my first choice now. And I am aware it leaves me little to none options for pain relief, but there is always an option of getting out if it gets too intolerable :)

It's just that I think I should take advantage of having an option to have a water birth, because it's only available if you've had a straight forward pregnancy with no complications, which I have had. And the stories and all of the midwives opinion on it has been so positive, I just figures why not :D

Have you had a good waterbirth ? let me know how it went :) It would be great to hear more stories

Weekly Eats

Oh how lazy have I been with posting. I haven't been busy or anything, I just haven't done anything :D
To be honest all this week has been one delivery madness :D It all started on Sunday when we got our Tassimo Bosch coffee machine...you have no idea how happy it has made me. We only have latte capsules at the moment, but I'm going to town tomorrow and will try to find some more funky coffees/hot chocolates/teas for it, so I can mix it up.

Helloooo latte :)

D also ordered me the birth ball, which was a surprise, and it's amazing :D I keep bouncing on it, and it keeps me from slouching on the sofa and it's just fun :D And then the pushchair got delivered. We had a Tesco food delivery( I've never done an on-line food shop before apart from the Riverford Farm one, who delivered also on Tuesday, and I really need to start checking the sizes)  I got a massive pack of spaghetti (1.5 kg :D) and a tiny tiny bottle of squash (500ml) it's such a joke, it felt like the Ikea coffee table disaster again :D

And D's present also got delivered today, can't wait to give it to him next week :) And he got me a maternity pillow, because I haven't been sleeping that well lately...the pillow is actually really good, it just supports me in all the right places :) So I'm muchos grateful to him for this one.

Anyway, these are just a few of my eats over the last week :)

Chicken and chorizo salad with sweet potato wedges, egg and grapes 

Cherries for a little fruit fix

Grilled camambert on a bed of lettuce and balsamic dressing and onion chutney

Shredded chicken in pitta bread with some homemade salsa and cool cour cream

Spaghetti Bolognaise with friends (cheddar and parmigiani, garlic bread and spring onions :))

Smoked Garlic beef burger with a side of coleslaw and mushrooms with leeks 

Got to love home-made burgers...and muffins...blueberry muffins...I'll go make some now :D

36 Weeks Pregnancy Update

36 weeks today :S time is just flying by. I'm not complaining though. I absolutely can't wait for him to be here. All the preparations are now done. It is actually 7 am at the moment :D I couldn't sleep so I figured I'll get up and finish this post, as I've got plans for later and probably won't have time to do it then. This way I can just upload the pictures before I leave and enjoy the rest of my day. And if I take them before going then at least I won't be in sweatpants again :D
We are actually going to get the pushchair and a few last things for the baby today, so it's really exciting. because these things are literally the last things we need :S

How dusty is my mirror :D ? 

How far along: 36 Weeks

Gender of the baby: Boy

Weight gain and measurements: I have gained 2 pounds this week :D I don't know how or why, I'm not very bothered either. Also they say that around this time the weight gain will actually start to slow down and even if it doesn't...I mean, how much weight can one person gain in less than a month.
Fundal height at my 34 week midwife appointment was 33 cm...that is actually bigger than average, even though I don't really feel bigger than average :D I've got my 36 week appointment on Monday, so I'll be getting an updated measurement and also apparently at this appointment, when your baby is still in breech position, the midwife can arrange an ultrasound....It would be really cool to see the little guy once again before he comes :) But knowing me, everything will be bloody perfect won't it :D

Preparations: The bed is ready to go...I've got the bedmat under the sheet for me (just in case my water breaks in the bed...) and all the little clothes are now washed and ironed. The bath got delivered by our friends(it's so big:D)  I have also packed my hospital bag. I only packed one overnight bag, it's quite big so it fit all of mine and the babies things. I will do a separate post on the bag though as I'll accompany it with another video. And by the end of today we will have a pushchair, either being delivered or we actually have it...I'm not quite sure you can take it with you on the spot...I don't know :D we will see once we get there and actually find one :D

Tips and tricks I've learnt:

• Keeping active will help you have a pregnancy with less problems...I mean I had a pretty intense job and even though right at the end I did sit down quite a lot, most of my pregnancy I kept working, doing around 20-25 hours a week :) They tell you to take 30 minute walks, so I took 6 hour walks at work :D 
• If you keep your diet pretty much the same (if you were really unhealthy before pregnancy, change it obviously :D) but if you keep eating your fruit and vegetables and have a varied diet, then you need less supplements...the only vitamins I take are the multivitamins by Pregnacare throughout your pregnancy ones, that have all the good in them. I don't and don't need to take any extra iron either
•  I keep doing my pelvic floor exercises, but lets be honest I forget about them most days :D still no leaks though...
• Don't spend a lot of money on baby clothes, and organise a baby shower instead (or have your friends organise it for you) It's a great way of having friends over to talk babies and get all the essentials you need for the first few months :) 
• Don't over think it...I know they tell you to call your midwife or the hospital every time you think something is wrong and I'm not telling you not to, just don't think every little sign means something bad. For example diarrhoea in the late stage of pregnancy might mean you're going into labour, as it's the bodies way of clearing its passages for more bigger things to come through :D If you keep thinking something is wrong all the time you will end up hating being pregnant (I'm not saying I love it, but most of the time I don't even feel different). Take it easy and enjoy it. 

Sleep: Some days I sleep like a baby, some days I wake up for toilet breaks and can't go back to sleep for what feels like hours. It feels really heavy to turn as well, which is probably a good thing as this way I don't turn too quickly. But it is getting slightly harder to find a comfortable position. Also, the weather is really hot lately, which makes it even more uncomfortable to sleep...maybe it's a good thing D is a duvet hogger :D

Signs of labour: Still get the lightening feeling every now and then. I know he is not fully settled though as he does still move I'm also still getting period like pains, but they are not strong at all and only come every now and then. No braxton hicks contractions as of yet...or maybe I just don't realise I'm getting them :D
You know how I said I get cramps in the palms of my hands...I realised I sleep with my hands in strong fists :S this is super weird, it's like I'm ready to fight someone :D

Thoughts: I keep telling this to everyone, actually have been for a really long time, that I will go into labour on the 26th of July. No one believes me obviously, I don't even believe myself :D The thing is that the 26th is exactly my 38 week mark, and maybe I just got it stuck in my head that I won't be the one going over my due date. I'm just thinking that everything has felt so normal and good that he just doesn't need to stay in there for much longer :D Then again I won't be disappointed if he doesn't come early. Another thing is that all these talks that first time mothers go over their due date are not based on any study. Actually the studies and researches that have been made on the subject show that there is no difference whether you are a first time or second time mother. There is also no proof that age plays any effect. So I am not actually quite sure where people are taking this information. Just because a few more famous bloggers/youtubers/celebrities have gone over??? It just shows you not to believe everything you hear.
OMG more news, I heard this from my friend Marta yesterday, but apparently you don't get periods when you are breastfeeding. I couldn't believe it. Apparently this is your bodies way of preventing another pregnancy while you still have a little one to take care of....how awesome is that...on the other hand...don't count this to be your only way of preventing an unwanted pregnancy :D

Best Moment of the Week: That last shift at work. It was a pretty easy lunch shift and I actually felt pretty unemotional when I left about it, but it just meant that I'm at the last stretch now :)

Outfit of the Day

This is the look I went for today. I had lunch with my friend EmEs and it was really warm outside. I am officially 8 months and 2 days pregnant :O only 28 days until my due date...

Wearing 

 h&m dress and belt

Forever21 cardigan 

my trusty New Look bag

Dune sandals....the sandals are a bit big for me though now because I walked home in the rain once, and I think it stretched them :S 

Also, I wore my purple coloured stack of rings, but before I put those on I tried every single ring I have and they were all too small :( I have fat fingers :D 

Sunglasses are Reserved

It looks like a balloon in my stomach :D it feels like it as well

The belly clearly hasn't dropped though :(

Baby Shower

On Saturday I had my second baby shower. This time it was just friends, no family and I actually organised it myself :D

Everyone was saying that I'm a bit ocd because apparently your friends are meant to do it for you, but I really enjoy hosting and none of my friends are very good at organising...no offence to anyone :D But it's true.

So the guests were invited for 1pm, but everyone arrived early (if you know my friends, you know this never happens...you invite them for 1, knowing very well, they will come around 3 :D)so I actually wasn't even ready with anything...and it also meant I couldn't get ready the way I wanted, which meant I didn't really take any pictures, as I felt I wasn't looking all that great. 

Anyway since they did come early, I made them help me out a bit with putting the food out and doing a bit of table cleaning :D

All in all it was such a great day, and I just feel so blessed to have the friends I do. We got so many present for the little one it actually took me and D a good hour to sort everything out and put it away :) Now the only thing we still need (I feel like I've mentioned this one too many times :D) is the pushchair, which I know now, we're going to go get with Ds sister on Saturday and a changing mat. 

Here are just a few out takes from the day :)

Me with the pile of gifts 

And the lovely ladies (missing Anj, who was taking the photo and Jana, who hadn't arrived yet)

And I think we should be ok with not doing any laundry when the baby is here for at least a month :D Obviously it won't get that bad, but It's good to know it can :D 

Anyway...I decided to go for food that people can just snack on rather than a whole meal, so I did a cheese and ham board and I had bread with 3 types of hummus and pate(I can't eat pate, but doesn't mean no one else can't) and fruit and I also made an estonian style pasta salad, which was a big hit. 

For sweet things I made chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate frosting and had fruit on the tables as well. The funny part of the party was, that only about 3 people actually drank alcohol :) Everyone else was either driving or just didn't feel like it or had work after. So we had some squash and coca cola, a few sparkling non-alcoholic drinks and ice tea :) 

I had some fruit and cheese and ham on the coffee table

And this is the main table. I forgot to put a few things out :D but no one left hungry I don't think so no harm done by my pregnancy brain :D

Like I said, I have the best friends in the world :) and since they got me so many things, it would be silly to take separate photos of all of them. So here is the video I did on all the goodies we got :) I did miss out a few things, because I just couldn't find them from the pile :D

I might actually start doing a few more videos, because I realise that sitting down and writing, might get a bit hard, when you're busy dealing with baby poop and breasfeeding and feeding yourself :D 

OK. So I did get a video editor as well, but I can't actually use it yet :D so this is an uncut unedited version :)