Introducing baby Jacob Oliver

You might have noticed I have been quiet on my blog and social media recently and if you follow me on twitter you will have seen that baby Jacob Oliver arrived on Tuesday at 9.31pm after a super quick labour (40 minutes ) weighing 8lb 6 1/2oz at 39 weeks pregnant.

Jacob had hypothermia at birth so we had to spend a few days in hospital so he could warm up in a heat cot. But he is totally perfect and we are all in love with him and I can not believe he is now nine days old. We have spent the last nine days getting to know him and I took a bit of a break from blogging to spend time with my little family. 

Induction Worry

It's 10pm at night and i really should be asleep as i am so exhausted lately and i have a busy day tomorrow as tomorrow is induction day! I will be exactly 39 week's pregnant and i can not believe that my pregnancy is almost over now. My bag's are packed and all of baby's things are sorted , my birth plan is wrote out the house is tidy (well as tidy as it can be with a one year old who destroys everything in site) and childcare has been arranged for the girl's. But i am a bag of nerves i have butterfly's in my tummy and feel sick with worry.

 I just don't feel ready for baby for some reason i feel like my pregnancy has flown over so fast that i have not had the chance to enjoy it as fully as i should have. I am going to miss my bump and feeling baby's kicks. And i am worrying about how i will cope with a tweenager starting high school a newborn and fourteen month old. I know i will cope and i am just being silly worrying over silly things as lots of people have children close in age and manage just fine.

But what i am worrying about the most is going into hospital i have to be there for 11am so it is looking like baby wont be born until late tomorrow night or sometime on wednesday and i do not think i have the energy for a long labour. I am also so worried something will go wrong that baby will go in distress or that induction fails and i need a c-section or some kind of assisted delivery. I am also so worried about baby, i know its perfectly normal for babies to born at 39 weeks and he is classed as full term but i am worrying if he will be o.k and worrying if the medication i have been taking will have effected him in any way, as i was stupid and went on google and read that labetalol the medication i have been taken can make baby's slow to breath at birth.

I am also worried about the whole induction process which is crazy as i have been induced before and know what to expect and i had a really easy straight forward experience of induction with Chloe. I know after you have had a baby before they like to just break your waters to induce you but my baby has not even dropped down yet and is still very high up above my pelvis so this wont be possible due to the risk of cord prolapse. So i do not know how they will induce me, i am guessing with a pessary which i have heard can take a long time. I am also worrying about the pain as my last birth was only just over a year ago so i vividly remember just how much having a baby hurts!

But mostly i am worrying about being apart from my girls, i have never has a single night away from Sophia since she has been born even when i had surgery in October i was home the same day. And i hate being apart from Chloe too as she is like me a worrier and i hate not being there to make sure she is o.k. I know that the girls will be well looked after and have fun with the other half's mum and i know that Lee will probably be home with them if labour is taking ages.

I hope i am not in hospital for day's as i am tired already due to not being able to get comfortable to sleep and just feeling so tired off late pregnancy.And there is noway i can rest on a maternity ward as it is noisy and i am such a homebody i love my own bed and home comforts. I know that induction is what is best for me and baby but i wish that i was having a normal labour again as my experience of that was such a nice experience and i was in and out of hospital fairly quick. I am silly to worry as i know that me and baby will be closely monitored and well looked after and that my girls will be fine without me and probably wont even miss me. And i know that once my baby is placed in my arms all my worries will disappear and it will all be worth it. But right now on the eve of my induction i am feeling so nervous and worried.

Review- Yoga For Pregnancy App

I had never done yoga before until last year when i started to take Sophia to baby yoga classes and i have to say both myself and Sophia loved these classes and i would recommend them to anyone as they are lots of fun. So when i found out i was pregnant i toyed with the idea of joining a pregnancy yoga class, as i had heard that yoga in pregnancy is brilliant and can be useful for birth. But having two children and a partner who work's shifts meant that i simply did not have the time to join a pregnancy yoga class. So when i was given the chance to review a pregnancy yoga app i thought this would be a perfect substitute for not being able to attend classes.

The app

I have been using the app which is called Yoga 4 pregnancy and is available to download from itunes, on my phone for the last few week's and it is so simple to use. I liked that this app is a video of real pregnant women doing yoga moves with clear voice over instructions telling you what to do and relaxing music on in the background. You just click on "yoga lessons" on the app's menu and you are given the option of either playing the whole yoga video which is 38 minutes long or you can select which chapters you would like to watch which are generally only a few minutes long so are perfect for if you are short of time and just want a few minutes to relax. The chapters are basically just different yoga moves and there is also some relaxing and breathing chapters which i have been finding particularly useful as i am going into hospital tomorrow to be induced so i am sure i will find these tips useful for when i am in labour.

As a total yoga novice i found the instructions and demonstrations in this video really easy and clear to follow and after doing these poses and relaxing exercises i really did feel better for it and less stressed. And as this app has been specially designed for pregnant women it really is easy with no difficult moves and helps you relax and connect with your baby.

One of the chapters in the app

My favourite parts of the app are the 'short relaxing one ' which is really relaxing and encourages you to connect with your baby and 'breathing through a contraction' as i remember in my last labour i kept being told to breath slower by the midwife so i have been practising this the most in preparation for labour. This app is great for all pregnant women and i would highly recommend it as it is so easy to use and is at a very reasonable price of only a couple of pounds.

This app was created by Anna White who is a qualified yoga teacher who runs classes in Manchester. And who i follow on twitter just search @yoga4pregnancy_ where she shares lots of lovely pregnancy yoga tips. She can also be found on her website where you can find out more about Anna and her pregnancy yoga classes.

* Disclosure : I received this app for free to review.

Preparing Children For A New Sibling

When you are a parent already and you start preparing for a new baby's arrival you also have to take your other children into account as having a new baby in the family is a big adjustment, not only for the parents but also for any children you already have. Obviously as i am already a mum of two i have had to prepare my oldest daughter for a new siblings arrival once before and i am so glad that i did as there was no jealous or problems when Sophia was born and she just slotted into are family perfectly.

When i was pregnant with Sophia last year Chloe my oldest daughter was ten years old and i was a bit unsure of how she would cope with a sibling after being an only child and having all of my attention for such a long time. However right from the start of the pregnancy i started preparing her for the new baby's arrival . She was one of the first people we told about the pregnancy and we give her a copy of the ultrasound scan to keep in her room, we involved her in as much as we could such as we made sure she liked the names we had chosen for baby, she picked her pram we let her go shopping and chose some outfits she liked for baby and we also let her come to the 20 week scan and she was over the moon to find out she was having a sister. She helped set up all Sophia's things at the end of my pregnancy and she helped pack the baby's hospital bag and i spent lots of time with her before Sophia was born.

When Sophia was born we rang Chloe and she was the first one to find out her sister had been born and she arrived at the hospital one hour after Sophia was born and was the first one to see her. We also made sure that Sophia was in the cot when Chloe came to visit so she did not get jealous seeing her mum with another baby. We also got Chloe a present of her baby sister which we give her when she came to hospital, and luckily some of are family brought little presents for Chloe when they came to visit Sophia so that she did not feel left out. And once we came home from hospital we made sure that Chloe still got attention and one to one time with us and we kept her routine the same and made sure we still took her to all of her after school clubs etc.

And it really worked Chloe loves Sophia and has never been jealous or anything she adjusted to being a big sister no problem and the two girls love each other to bits and are so lovely together.

So when i found out i was pregnant again we have followed the same pattern in preparing Chloe for the new arrival. She was the first person we told after we had the scan, she came to the 20 and 28 weeks scan and found out baby's gender we have let her pick some outfits for him and help sort the baby things out and we made sure she likes the baby's name.

 Obviously being eleven years old means that Chloe understands what is going on, however my youngest daughter Sophia is only 14 month's old so preparing her for a new arrival has been totally different as she has not got a clue what is going on and i feel she will be confused when a new baby suddenly appears in the house. But we always mention baby's name around Sophia so she gets use to it and when we buy things we tell her this is for your baby brother. We ask her where the baby is and she normally just points to herself as her two year old cousin calls her baby. We have brought both the girls presents off the baby Chloe has just asked for money and union J stuff but we have got Sophia her own little baby Annabel doll and a pram so that she can have her own baby to look after. We have also agreed that we will keep Sophia in her routine as much as possible so we do not unsettle her and the other half's mam is coming to watch the girls at are house when i go into hospital to have the baby.

I think Chloe will adjust to her new brother no problem but i am so unsure of how Sophia will react but i am hoping that the fact she is still so young means that she will get use to him quickly and that they grow up to be great friends and there is no long term jealousy. As there is only a year and a half between me and my brother and as i was so young when he was born i can not remember life before him and we are still close now we are 29 and 30 and i loved having a playmate when i was younger although i did use to dress him up as a girl.

If you have more then one child i would love to know how you prepared your child for a new sibling and how they reacted to a new member of the family.

Week 37 Pregnancy Update

Today i am 38 week's and 2 day's pregnant and i now only have less then one week of pregnancy left. It feels so strange knowing that in a few days time i will have my baby and that i wont be going overdue this time around. I am starting to get very nervous about the birth now though , i am not sure why as i have been lucky and had two normal straightforward easy birth's with the girls and i have also been induced before in my first pregnancy so i know what to expect. I guess it is just last minute nerves and the fact i am a born worrier in life and i just hope everything goes o.k and everything is o.k with baby .

Bump has grown a lot in a few weeks!

When i was exactly 37 week's i had my last midwife appointment before baby is born and my urine and blood pressure were normal. I got to hear baby's heartbeat and everything seemed perfect with him. My bump was measured and is now measuring 39 weeks so its two weeks ahead now - maybe he is not such a small baby after all. But baby has not engaged yet and is still quiet high above my pelvis, which is normal when you have had a baby before but it could make induction difficult as they can not break my waters until baby is engaged due to the risk of cord prolapse.

I have really struggled with pregnancy this week i have been suffering from lots of cramps and braxton hicks which are uncomfortable rather then painful. I have also started to get lower back ache and my hips and legs have been achy too and i have been getting lots of cramps in my legs and feet. Getting comfortable in bed is a nightmare and i even find it painful and a struggle to roll over in bed now. I have not been sleeping well due to the fact i can not get comfortable and i am constantly needing a wee during the night so i feel so tired all the time and have no energy at all at the moment. I have also started to get mild heartburn the last few days but luckily yogurts and milkshakes seem to help. And i seem to go through stages of either being so hungry and eating loads to having no appetite and hardly eating at all some days.

37 week bump

My bump feels so big this week i am sure it has doubled in size recently, i just feel like i am going to pop and even my maternity tops are not covering my tummy now. I made the mistake of weighing myself for the first time this pregnany and i have gained over three stone in weight since i had surgery in october no wonder i feel like such a whale! Baby is still really active but his kicks are starting to hurt now especially if he rolls from side to side. My bump has also been feeling really heavy and i get loads of low down pressure when i am standing up or walking.

I have eventually got sorted for baby's arrival at last, the hospital bag's are packed and ready to go i just need to buy some drinks and snacks to add to them. And we have most of baby's things now we just need to get a few small things like extra wipes and tins of milk in for him.

I have reached the stage of pregnancy where i want to nest but i am finding it impossible as i have Sophia all day and i can not get any housework done with her about and the other half leaves the house for work at 7am and returns home at 7pm. I just want the house all nice and clean and tidy and cleared out so i can bring baby home to a nice house and at the moment the house really is just a mess and is in desperate need of a good clear out and it is really getting to me- the things us mums worry about.

I have also been feeling a bit emotional at times and have cried for no reason recently , damn hormones! I have also realised that i am wanting to go out less and less as i just get uncomfortable when i am out. I feel so bad for the girls though being stuck at home all the time when i should be taking them on nice days out. And i also feel really bad that Chloe is having to help me with Sophia sometimes when she should not have to as she is still a child herself and she should be going on nice days out and having fun like we normally do.

Anyway's that is all that has been happening this week i can not believe that the next pregnancy post i write will be my very last one!

A Not So Great Family Meal At Giraffe Newcastle

Recently the Giraffe restaurant chain opened up in Newcastle at kingston park right next door to the huge Tesco extra and i was lucky enough to win £25 worth of voucher's to use there in a twitter competition to celebrate the opening. I was looking forward to visiting as i had seen some great reviews that other bloggers had posted about there visit to Giraffe Newcastle commenting on how nice the food was and how brilliant the service was. So i was expecting great things from are visit and decided that we would take the girl's with us and go for a family meal, and i thought that i would blog about are experience as i like blogging about are days out and to tell my readers about great things to do as a family.

However are visit was not so great and i have been left thinking that maybe the other bloggers had such a great experience as the staff knew that they were being reviewed as they sure did not offer such great service to us normal diners so here is how we got on.

We visited Giraffe on Friday the 8th August and arrived around 12 pm just in time for lunch the restaurant was lovely and clean and nicely decorated and there was plenty of staff at the bar area when you enter. We were greeted promptly and were told to sit wherever we like as there was only a handful of other diners there. We chose a seat and asked for a highchair for Sophia and were handed some menu's. There was some great dishes on both the adult and children's menu, we placed are order and are drinks arrived really promptly however we were still waiting for a highchair for Sophia so we had to ask again for a highchair and we eventually received one about ten minutes after entering the restaurant.  Another bad point was that there was a few other family's there and all the other children seemed to have been giving colouring things and balloons and neither of my children were offered these things and i think this made them feel a bit left out and Chloe commented that it was not fair they had not received them.

The meal's arrived quickly and i was pleased to notice that the children's meals were brought out first which meant we could sort Sophia out before are meal arrived. Sophia got Focaccia pizza bites with salad as she loves finger foods and Chloe got burger and wedges. The children's portions are plentiful and Chloe who is eleven did not manage to finish her meal.

Are main meals arrived a few minutes after the children's and i got the Giraffe burger and skin on fries and it was delicious the burger was cooked to perfection and was nice and juicy and the fries were crisp and tasty. The other half ordered the bbq rib and chicken combo with skin on fries and he said it was delicious and the meat just fell of the ribs and the chicken was succulent and not dry like you find in many places and the coleslaw that accompanied it was nicest he has had and had a hint of mint to it. I really could not fault any of the food it was all perfectly cooked and really generous portions and really yummy.

However the staff tried to take the plates away when we were still eating and the waitress said she would bring us the bill even though we had not asked for it and had planned on getting pudding and more drinks. When we were finished are meal they also took Sophia plate of food away too which she was still eating as most people know toddlers take a long time to eat.

The other half requested another drink and they also tried to take my glass away too which was over half full and i was still drinking and then we were shown the desert menu. Chloe ordered Chocolate brownie and Lee ordered banana waffle. Again the deserts arrived promptly and looked and tasted lovely but as soon as soon as Chloe had put her spoon down the waitress came and took the plates away and started cleaning the table while we were still sat finishing are drinks which made us feel rushed.

 We then requested the bill which took a while to arrive and we noticed that the children's meals had not been deducted from the bill as advertised ( they had a offer on that children ate free with every adult main ordered) and we had to ask for them to be taken off. The final bill came to £47 not including the children's meals and drinks. Which i think was quiet expensive for a lunch but they do offer a special lunch time menu that is a cheaper option.

Overall the restaurant was lovely it was really clean and nicely decorated there was lots of staff and you can tell that it is meant to be child friendly. The food was really nice and i could not fault any of the food or drinks in any way. However the staff really let it down we were seen by at least four different members of staff we were not offered a highchair and had to ask for one twice and wait over ten minutes for one. Neither of the girls were offered colouring things or balloons which left them feeling left out, we were getting asked the same things off two and three different members off staff such as we were asked if the food was o.k of three different people and we were asked off two different people if we would like a dessert menu and i much prefer when you go out and you just have one waiting staff.  

And we felt rushed even though the restaurant only had a handful of diners, they rushed to take are food away when we were still eating they tried to take drinks away that were half full and they tried to give us are bill half way through are meal. And cleaning the table while we were still sitting there just made us want to leave. And then they did not even check the bill and tried to overcharge us.

Would i go back to Giraffe? honestly probably not the food was amazing but for me you also need good service and to feel welcome somewhere to enjoy a meal and want to return and there are so many other family friendly places to visit who i have had much better experiences with. I really wanted to like giraffe and i had high hopes but i am afraid the poor service let there delicious food down. I am hoping that it was just as the restaurant is new and the staff are still learning as it would be a shame if others receive poor service as we did.

*I did contact Giraffe to tell them about the service before posting this review but did not get a reply off them. 

* Disclosure - I won £25 worth of vouchers to use at Giraffe in a twitter competition however we paid for the remainder of the meal are self and Giraffe did not know we were writing a review. This is just are honest view of are experience of Giraffe Newcastle.

Review - Bakerdays Letterbox Cake

Since i started blogging a few month's ago i have discovered so many brilliant company's that i had never heard of before and one of them was Bakerdays who make cake's that are then delivered via post which are small enough to fit through your letterbox. I thought that this was a brilliant idea as it enables people to send friends or relatives that they may not be able to see or who they want to surprise a personalised cake through there door as a nice surprise.

And recently Bakerdays asked me if i would like the chance to review a one of there letterbox cake's myself and of course i said yes what pregnant woman would turn down cake! I went on there website and was impressed with all the different designs and types of cakes on offer they do everything from birthday cakes, new baby cakes to cupcakes and if there is not a ready made design you want you can even just send them a image of what you would like and they will make it for you.

The cake we recieved

The website was easy to use and the only problem i had was chosen a cake i liked as there was so many lovely designs on offer. I eventually decided to get a a pretty girly cake for the girls as they both love cake and sweet stuff. I picked a design i liked off there website and then added my own personalised text and then i selected which flavour cake i would like, i selected plain sponge cake there was also fruit and chocolate cake on offer too and they do gluten and dairy free cakes also.

A few days later are cake arrived with are normal mail it came in a small white box which easily fitted through the letterbox, when we opened the box the cake was inside a lovely metal cake tin and was in perfect condition and looked and smelled amazing. There was also a small card, candles, balloon's and a party blower in the box as well which i thought were lovely touches.

The box it arrived in

The cake is fairly small - obviously as it has to be to fit through your letterbox , but we cut it into four and they were generous sized portions. The cake was fresh and tasted really nice and the icing tasted amazing much better then a supermarket brought cake.

Overall i was really impressed with Bakerdays they have so many cakes to chose from on there website they even do larger cakes as well as there letterbox cakes. There website is really easy to use and the cakes arrive in perfect condition and if you order a letterbox cake it does not matter if the person you are sending it to is in or not as it will fit through there letterbox with there normal mail. And most importantly the cakes arrive looking and tasting amazing and are much better then any supermarket cake and with much nicer packaging.

Lovely cake tin

*Disclosure : i was sent this cake for free from Bakerdays for the purpose of this review, however all words are my own honest view of the cake we received and i was not paid for this post.

Week 36 Pregnancy Update

I am now 37 +2 weeks pregnant and i only have at most two weeks of pregnancy left! Week 36 was a busy week so let me tell you what my pregnancy was like at 36 weeks.

If you seen my pregnancy post last week week 35 update you will have seen that i had a hospital appointment to see my consultant and for a growth scan when i was exactly 36 weeks pregnant . All was well on the scan and baby has had a bit of a growth spurt and is now no longer small and they estimated his weight to be around 6lbs and told me to expect a 7 and a half pound baby at birth. If that is true then he will be my smallest baby as the girls were 8lb3 and 8lb2 but i am still expecting him to be a big baby for some reason even though my bump is not that big.

I then had an appointment with the doctors and it was decided that the best thing for baby is to be born at 39 weeks due to the medication i am taking for my blood pressure and the risk that it may rise later in pregnancy or reduce the placenta function in some way. So i have been booked in for an induction when i will be exactly 39 weeks pregnant, i am feeling a little nervous about this for some reason. I have had an induction in my first pregnancy and i was lucky it was a quick four and a half hour normal labour so i am keeping my fingers crossed that the same thing happens this time.

As soon as i left the hospital and knew baby would be arriving soon i went out and brought all of my hospital bag things and some more cute baby outfits. I have also ordered him a new mosses basket from kiddicare and a nodpod blanket from beebies baby store on line and a new colour pack for the pram ( he is having Sophia's oyster pram as we only used the pram bit for a few months and its only a year old so i was not aloud to buy a new pram according to the other half ) I just have a few more things to buy for him like tins of milk and a nice changing bag and then i will have everything ready for him. I just need baby to hold on a bit longer so that i can pack my hospital bag, wash all his tiny clothes and have a good clear out and clean of the house then i might feel a bit more ready and organised for his arrival.

I am still very lucky that i have had no sickness, cravings, heartburn or any other unpleasant pregnancy symptoms. But I am starting to struggle with pregnancy now i am not sleeping very well at all i am up all night on trips to the bathroom as baby is pressing on my bladder and i just can not get comfy at all my back and hips and legs ache when i am in bed. I have started getting really bad headaches most days and just don't feel to great. I am also getting lots of braxton hicks and i am also starting to struggle to walk now, anything more then a trip to the local shop and i am in agony with pain in my hips and pelvis. I have been reviewing a pregnancy yoga app this week too so i will see if that helps with my mobility and pains and i will do a review on this next week.

I am also still really struggling with the heat not surprising really as it is now august but i never realised how awful it is to be heavily pregnant during the summer, i thought it would be lovely to be pregnant in summer and had visions of lots of lovely days out wearing nice summer clothes but that is so not true at all i get hot and sweaty and uncomfortable and i am living in leggings and maternity tops no nice summer outfits for me.

I am also getting so tired and i just want to stay at home a lot as i am getting to uncomfortable and tired going out. I am hoping that i get a burst of energy to do nesting soon as my house is looking a bit neglected and i really want a good clear out and spring clean before baby arrives.  I just don't seem to get the chance at the moment as the other half is working lots and Sophia is on the go non stop needing entertained i never realised how tiring it is being pregnant when you have a one year old, i would love to be able to relax with my feet up but i don't think that will happen any time soon.

I am also feeling a bit guilty that i have not been doing much with the girls in the holidays as i am normally out all the time with them when Chloe is off school and i have only managed to take them out a few times.

Baby is still really active and i am getting lots of wriggles and kicks and some big movements still which hurt at times. I can tell which way he is lying now off his kicks and he seems to keep moving from side to side as sometimes the kicks are on the left and other days on the right and i can even feel his little hands moving low down in my tummy.

That's about all that's been happening this week bump wise the weeks really are flying by and i can not believe that in just two weeks time i will have had my baby boy and will be a mum of three. Lets just hope he holds on that long and that i get everything sorted in time for his arrival and that i have a easy labour like i did with both my girls.

10 Thing's I Miss When I Am Pregnant

Now that my pregnancy is coming to an end and i am only days away from meeting my baby, i have been looking back on my pregnancy and i recently done a post about 10 things i love about being pregnant . However pregnancy is not all amazing there are days when it is hard work and there are things that you miss about your normal life as nine month's is a long time to be pregnant. So here are the ten things that i miss the most about my normal life when i am pregnant.

1.) Dippy egg's and soldiers.

When you are pregnant you have to avoid certain foods and most people will probably miss drinking alcohol, but i am not a big drinker so that does not bother me in the slightest. But one thing i really miss eating when i am pregnant is dippy egg and soldiers. It is a proper comfort food to eat for breakfast that reminds me of my childhood and when i make this for the girls i am always jealous and i can not wait to eat this once baby is born, although i probably wont even want it once i can have it again.

2.) Wearing nice shoe's.  

When i am pregnant my feet seem to get really fat and i end up having to buy shoe's in a size bigger then normal, and the only thing that is practical and comfortable when you are pregnant is flat sensible shoes. No pretty sandals or high heel's for me these days. As soon as baby is born i am going to go out and treat myself to some pretty shoes, as i love shoes and there is noway i am going clothes shopping post baby as i will just depress myself at how much bigger i am.

3.) My normal clothes.

When pregnant i seem to live in leggings and stretchy maternity tops and as i have had my last two pregnancy's so close together i feel like i have lived in maternity clothes for the last two years non stop. I recently sorted all my 'normal ' clothes out and i have so many lovely dresses and outfits that i would love to wear again, i even miss wearing jeans.

4.) Being able to walk normally and not wobble everywhere. 

Once you get a bump your whole centre of gravity changes and i have been wobbling when i walk for months now and walking is so uncomfortable, i even get out of breath just walking up the stairs these days. I cant wait to walk normally again and not feel like a 90 year old grandma.

5.) Having energy. 

The first trimester is tough all my energy was zapped and i felt pretty rotten my second trimester was better and i functioned normally but since i hit the third trimester i have been so tired again thanks to having low iron levels. I would love some energy to actually clean the house properly and to stay up late enough to actually watch a tv show on a night time or to spend time playing with my girls. Although i am probably going to be even more tired once baby arrives and i go back to sleepless nights. Someone pass me the coffee ........

6.) Being able to sleep all night. 

I have not had a full night sleep since i have been pregnant, in fact i have not had a full night sleep for the last two years two pregnancy's six month apart have made sure of that. But i cant wait to sleep again without constant trips to the bathroom , discomfort, leg cramps waking me up or pregnancy insomnia. But i am guessing with a newborn on the way i can wave goodbye to a full nights sleep for at least another year.

7.) Feeling like me. 

Pregnancy turns me in a right moody cow, i am so blaming the pregnancy hormones for this one. I am vile when i am pregnant i really do not know how the other half has not left me i snap , i whinge, i cry, i am huffy and i am just a total grumpy miserable nightmare to be around. I cant wait to feel normal again.

8.) Having a social life that does not revolve around medical appointments.

The amount of medical appointments i have to attend when pregnant is astonishing, i have had weekly midwife appointments, monthly hospital appointments and then there has been appointments to get immunisations and dental appointments, the health visitor has came out to discus baby. And then i also have to take the girls for medical appointments too Chloe has asthma and dental appointments Sophia has had check ups and immunisations and goes to get weighed. I never have time to see my real friends as medical appointments are taking over my life i see more of the doctors receptionist then i do my own family and friends.

9.) My memory.

Some people say baby brain does not exist well i am proof it does exist i muddle my words up all the time, i repeat myself constantly and i am so forgetful i have forgotten appointments, birthdays, i even forgot my own date of birth the other week. I cant remember what i done a hour ago never mind what i done last week. But hopefully things will return to normal soon.

10.) Being able to see my feet. 

With a big bump in the way i have forgot what my feet look like i have not been able to see the lower half of my body for months now and i would love to be able to cut my own toenails, put on socks without having to sit down first and put my own shoes on easily.

So those are the things i miss when i am pregnant, i am sure that everyone has totally different things that they missed when they were/are pregnant and i would love to know what you missed when you were pregnant.

Big Age Gap Babies

I have two girl's Chloe who is eleven and Sophia who is one. Yes that is right there is a ten and a half year age gap between my girl's and when i tell people this they are normally shocked as most siblings normally only have a few years between them. But let me explain why there is such a big age gap and also what it is like having two children with such a big age gap.

My girl's meeting for the first time.

I was only 18 ( almost 19) when i had Chloe and to me that's really young to have a child. Me and Chloe's dad had a very on/off kind of relationship, mostly off. We never lived together or anything so i was in effect a single mum. And to cut a long story short he is no longer in her life and she has not seen him for many years now. I didn't want to be your stereotypical teenage mum living on benefits and having lots of children, i was well and truly single and had no interest in dating as i was too busy being a mum. I was studying with the open university to get my health and social care degree and my days were filled with play dates and days out with Chloe and being the best mum i could be to her. I use to get broody all the time and dreamed of giving Chloe a brother or sister and having a happy little family life like the way i was brought up , but i wanted to wait until i was older and had a steady job and was in a serious relationship with the right person before thinking of having another child, i did not want to just settle down for the sake of it.

Then by chance in August 2011 i was at work at a special needs disco of all places when i got talking to some work colleague and one of them was Lee and we met up outside of work and i think we both knew pretty much straight away that there was something special between us. He was the first 'boyfriend' i had introduced Chloe too and she loved him and we were living together by the January and i fell pregnant with Sophia in the August one year after we first met after only a month of trying for a baby. Sophia was born in May 2013 when Chloe was ten and a half years old.

So what is it like having big age gap babies? I honestly love the age gap there is between the girls. When i was pregnant with Sophia, Chloe was so happy to be getting a sibling and she use to feel her kicking all the time and we involved her in everything she came to the 20 week scan and was over the moon when she found out she was getting a sister. She use to pick out baby clothes for her and she even picked her pram. And when Sophia was born Chloe was the first one we told and my dad brought her to the hospital an hour after she was born and she was the first person to meet Sophia and she fell in love with her the minute she seen her.

Chloe was a great help when Sophia was tiny she use to love holding her and feeding her and as she grew she loved playing with her and making her giggle. They honestly do love each other so much and there has been no jealously or anything off Chloe. I think the fact there is such a big age gap is also a good thing as it means i have been able to give both girls one on one attention as when Chloe is at school i can spend all day with Sophia and we go to baby classes and then once Sophia is in bed or when her daddy is off work i get time with Chloe.

The big age gap does not even matter when it comes to things like day's out, obviously there are some thing's Chloe likes to do that we have not been able to do now we have Sophia like weekends away at theme parks and holidays abroad but she has not missed out on them as she is lucky that she has done these things with family. And most of the things she likes doing like going to concerts and the cinema we still do when Lee is off work to watch Sophia. And a lot of family days out we can still do as Sophia is happy to go anywhere.

I really do love the age gap between my girls they are at totally different stages in there lives and i am sure there will be lots of arguments in a few years when Chloe is a teenager and Sophia is a toddler pinching her make-up. But such a big age gap means both girls get my attention and Chloe is so independent now that she does most stuff herself, so i don't feel like i need to look after her as much. 

The only bad thing about such a big age gap is that when you have a older child you forget how hard the sleepless nights are and how tiring having a baby is and you have to buy all the baby equipment all over again and as your older child is starting to get independent and you get use to having more time on your hands and being able to do more grown up things with them you are back to the baby stage starting all over again with sleepless nights, early morning, nappies and toddler groups.

So that is why there is such a big age gap between my girl's and what my experience of having children with such a big age gap has been like so far. But now i will be going in the opposite direction as in the next two weeks i will be having baby number three and Sophia will only be 14 months old so i will be having small age gap babies too which i am sure will bring me lots of new challenges and be totally different to having big age gap babies. I am sure that once i have recovered from the sleepless nights i will be writing about my experience of having small age gap babies. If you have children with either a big or small age gap i would love to know how you got on and wish me luck as i become a busy mum of three to a tweenager a toddler and a newborn i think i am going to need it!

10 Thing's I Love About Being Pregnant

Lately i have been a bit fed up with pregnancy as you may have noticed from my previous posts on  pregnancy when your a mum and surviving pregnancy in the summer. And yes i am struggling with being so heavily pregnant in the summer and having two other children to look after when i am so tired all the time. But i have loved and enjoyed this pregnancy and i think pregnancy is such a special time so here are the ten things that i love about being pregnant.

1.) Scans.

Every mum to be will probably say that seeing there baby on the ultrasound scans is one of the best bit's of pregnancy. When you have your first scan at 12 week's it is amazing to see your little baby wriggling around on the screen and it starts to make the pregnancy seem more real. Then when you have your twenty week scan it is lovely to see baby and what they look like and maybe even find out the sex and get a photo to treasure and show everyone.

2.) Feeling baby kick.

From those very first flutters to the kicks in the ribs and watching your belly moving around feeling your baby kicking is amazing and my most favourite part of pregnancy. It reassures me that baby is o.k and i just love feeling the kicks and knowing that there is a baby in my tummy that i will get to meet soon.

3.) Can eat what you want.

Technically you cant really eat what you want as you have to avoid some foods in pregnancy bye bye dippy eggs & pate. But pregnancy is the one time in a woman's life where she does not have to watch her weight or be on a diet and its o.k to eat cake's and chocolate and whatever else takes your fancy.

4.) You don't need to suck your tummy in.

 I don't think i have ever had a flat tummy as an adult and i was forever wearing control pants on nights out and sucking my tummy in. But when your pregnant it is the one time having a big tummy is pretty cool and you can stick your tummy out with pride for all to see.

5.) No need to keep up with fashion.

I am not very fashionable at the best of times to be honest i never wear the latest trends as i would probably look ridiculous in half of them, but i do try to look at least half decent. But when you are pregnant there is no need to worry about fitting into skinny jeans and 6 inch heels as you will mostly be living in maternity leggings and maternity tops for comfort.

6.) Amazing hair and skin.

I have been lucky that in all my pregnancies i have been blessed with lovely smooth clear skin and my hair grows super long & thick . And i love it, its just a shame all your hair falls out after birth.

7.) You can be lazy. 

Pregnancy is brilliant as you have a excuse to get out of things like housework and you can sit and put your feet up with a cuppa and catch up with your favourite tv show, and no one can nag you to do the dishes or call you lazy. As it is hard work grown a baby you know.

8.) You get looked after. 

This does not happen as often as i would like but when you are pregnant the other half has to look after you because after all you are busy carrying his baby. If i am lucky he will make my tea, fetch me drinks and run me a bath and on a good day he even goes to the shop and gets me something nice to eat as baby sometime tells me to tell daddy he would really like a bar of galaxy and a magazine to read in the bath.

9.) Everyone compliments you.

 Everyone you meet will tell you how nice and blooming / glowing / fabulous you look and what nice hair and skin you have. Even if you look like a massive poorly hippo they will still be nice and tell you that you look great, so enjoy it because as soon as baby is born they will start telling you how rubbish and tired you look.

10.) Baby shopping!

 I don't think this one needs any explanation really as what woman can resist shopping for cute baby outfits. I love being able to go into a shop and pick up tiny newborn clothes and i could happily spend hours in Mothercare looking at prams and baby clothes.

So those are the ten thing's that i love the most about being pregnant, what did you love most about pregnancy ? I would love to know.

Pregnancy When Your A Mum

As you know this is my third pregnancy and i already have two girl's aged eleven and one and i love them to bits and would not change them for the world, but i just have to say to all you first time mum's to be out there i am jealous of you! As being pregnant when you already have children to look after is damn hard work. In your final weeks of pregnancy you are advised to rest and put your feet up and enjoy nesting but in reality you cant do any of that when you have other little people to look after, looking after yourself and resting comes bottom of your list of priorities.

I am lucky that this has been my most easy straightforward pregnancy so far but now my due date is looming i am starting to feel pretty knackered, my feet are fat, i wobble when i walk, i get stuck on the sofa and in bed i am up all night needing a wee and spend half the night awake as i cant get comfortable. And i hate going out as i ache and get all hot and bothered as its summer. But i still have to get up at 7am with Sophia and i still have to cook, clean, change bums, and try and entertain a toddler and a tweenager all day long and i am bloody exhausted.

My girl's

My house is a mess and to be honest so am i my hair is long overdue a cut, my eyebrows are all bushy and i forgot the last time i shaved my legs. I only have 17 days until my induction date and in reality baby could arrive any time between now and then and i have not even had a chance to pack my hospital bag, wash the baby clothes or even buy some of the baby things i need. So much for going into nesting mode spring cleaning the house and baking cakes like is often portrayed by the media in the final few weeks of a woman's pregnancy. If i had five minutes to myself to 'nest' i would probably fall asleep as i am sure baby wont mind if all the kitchen cupboards have been neatly organised or not as long as the house is not such a mess that environmental health need to be called out i am sure that the baby wont mind. And as for baking cakes i am sure the girls would prefer a Mr Kipling cake to anything i can rustle up in the kitchen as i am not the best of cooks.

I look back now with fond memory's of my previous pregnancy's as with my oldest daughter i was a first time mummy to be and i had plenty of time to relax i could have baths during the day, i could go for pamper days i went a bit over the top baby shopping and i was super organised and the house was spotless,but that was down to the fact i lived with my mum who i am sure had ocd and always had the house looking like a show home. I read pregnancy books and magazine non stop and knew what was happening with baby's development every week. I was pregnancy mad and eager to learn as much as i could.

Even in my second pregnancy i could relax as there is a ten year gap between my girls, so once i was on maternity leave i could have lie ins on weekends and laze around during the day when Chloe was at school and i could clean to my hearts content (i use to clean non stop in my last pregnancy). When i was suffering badly with morning sickness or in my case it was night time sickness for the whole nine months! it was o.k i could go and hug the toilet for half a hour and i knew Chloe was o.k happily watching tv i would never have been able to do that now with a one year old to look after. I still read pregnancy magazines and had pregnancy apps on my phone i would read every day and i started baby shopping as soon as i had my 12 week scan.

This pregnancy i have only just started my baby shopping at 8 month pregnant, i never get a chance to read books or magazines and i haven't got a clue what my baby is up to this week. its not that i don't care about the baby because i do and i am so happy to be pregnant its just i know that baby is o.k and developing normally and i kind of know what to expect with pregnancy now.

With your first baby one of the biggest worry is if you have the perfect hospital bag packed with my third pregnancy i am more worried about making sure my girls are o.k when i am in labour, luckily we have three lots of relatives on stand by to watch them. With your first baby you want everything to be perfect for there arrival with the third i just want to make sure i have the essential baby stuff ready.With your first you want to look nice in labour and pack make up in your hospital bag with your third you try to remind yourself to shave your legs so you don't scare the midwife's off and make up is the last thing on your mind. With your first baby you have so many day dreams about being a parent and dressing baby in a gorgeous outfit for a nice day out, with your third you dream of someone taking the baby out for a hour so you can have a shower. With your first baby you look forward to midwife appointments and ask lots of questions with your third appointments are a nightmare as you have to arrange childcare or take your children with you and you don't ask any questions as you cant wait to leave as your child is busy trying to trash the place or screaming.

Oh how i wish i could have a day off from being a mum to lovingly wash and iron all the baby clothes, pack my hospital bag, bake cakes, have a pamper,an afternoon nap and lie on the sofa reading a baby magazine. But truth be told if i was giving a day off i would probably spend the day tidying up and missing my girls. Yes its hard work being pregnant when you have children to look after but in all honesty i would not change it as i love being a mum and i don't think i would know what to do with myself without my girls keeping me busy and being so busy has also made my pregnancy fly by and i am in no hurry for baby to arrive early like i was in my first pregnancy. I just want to enjoy the last few weeks of pregnancy and spend time with my girls and i suppose the tiredness is good practice for all the sleepless nights and how busy i will be once i become a mum of three. But i do get a little bit jealous when i see first time mummy's to be speaking of afternoon naps and pregnancy spa dates but a cuddle of one of my girls soon cheers me up and makes me realise how lucky i am.

Week 35 Pregnancy Update & 36 Week Growth Scan

I am now 36+3 day's pregnant and i can not believe that i am so close to the end of my pregnancy now and in a few day's time i will be classed as full term and baby could arrive at any time. Lot's has been going on since my last update last week so here is what happened when i was 35 week's pregnant and how i got on at my 36 week growth scan and consultant appointment.

I had no midwife or hospital appointments when i was 35 weeks as i was booked in for a growth scan and an appointment with my hospital consultant when i was exactly 36 weeks pregnant. In some way's i have still had an easy pregnancy in that i have had no sickness, cravings, heartburn etc. But this week i have really started struggling with pregnancy. The heat is getting unbearable and i am constantly hot and bothered and sweaty and i hate going outdoors in the heat as i just feel so uncomfortable in it. I am also feeling really tired but i am struggling to sleep on a night time due to the heat and constantly needing a wee during the night and i am also now starting to find it hard to get comfortable in bed as my back and legs ache, not even my pregnancy pillow is helping me get comfortable now. I am also struggling when i am out and about as walking is starting to get uncomfortable after a while as my back aches and i am getting so much pressure off baby as he feels so low down now.



 small 35 week bump

I wanted to spend the summer holidays having nice days out with the girls before baby arrives and we had a lovely day out at Morpeth park but i really struggled with the heat and tiredness and i was in pain for days afterwards as my right hip has been hurting for some reason when i walk. So i have been spending a lot more time at home now as i just can't manage days out on my feet all day at the moment. I am also starting to struggle looking after Sophia as i am so sore when i wake up its a struggle carrying her down the stairs, and changing her nappy is a challenge i have started making her lie on the sofa to get her nappy changed as bending down is impossible with my belly in the way. And running around nonstop all day with a toddler who is into everything is so tiring i just feel so exhausted and have no energy at all. I would love to be able to sit and relax with my feet up or have a little afternoon nap but there is no chance of that happening when i have my girls to look after i count down the minutes until the other half gets in from work to help me with them and the housework.

My feet are also really swollen now and only one pair of shoes fit me and i just feel massive all over my body i can feel that i have gained weight everywhere. My bump is not that big though it feels smaller then the girls were but it feels so heavy and i am getting so much pressure of baby pushing down and it actually hurts sometimes when he kicks me.

I feel really bad for complaining about my pregnancy as i know i am so lucky to be pregnant and i am having such a easy pregnancy compared to other people but this week has been hard and painful and tiring. But it has not been all bad as i have brought some lovely baby clothes and have nearly all the hospital bag things in now too. And i still love feeling baby kicking away inside me and whenever i feel tired and sore and fed up his kicks remind me that it is all worth it.

As i have mentioned i had a growth scan and consultant appointment booked for when i was exactly 36 weeks pregnant and i had this on Tuesday. I have these scans and appointments as i am classed as a high risk pregnancy due to having high blood pressure in pregnancy and suffering pre eclampsia in my first pregnancy and i am on medication for my blood pressure. Firstly we had the scan and it was the quickest scan i have had to date i was in and out of the scan room in five minutes. As baby is so big now we could not really see anything on the scan we seen his legs and hands and spine and that was it he is head down and in the right position for birth and is no longer back to back. And all was well with baby and the placenta function and he has grown since my last scan he is still a little bit small but not a lot now and he weighs 6lbs.

catching up on growth chart

After my scan i had my blood pressure and urine checked and my blood pressure is a little high and i had a trace of protein in my urine but nothing to worry about. I then seen a junior doctor who at first said that as my blood pressure was controlled she was happy for me to go past my due date and let baby come when he was ready.But when i mentioned that they had wrote in my notes i needed to be induced she went and checked with my consultant who said i could not go to 40 weeks and needed to be induced at 39 weeks as i have gone overdue in my previous two pregnancy's and also my blood pressure has went high in previous labours so that it is safer for baby to be induced early. So i am now all booked in for a induction on 19 august when i will be exactly 39 weeks pregnant.

I am relieved that i wont be going overdue this pregnancy and i know that being monitored in labour is best for me and baby but i am feeling a bit nervous about induction even though i have been induced before and  know what to expect, i think it is because i know that it hurts more then normal labour. And i cant believe that pretty soon i will have my baby i just don't feel ready at all to meet him it feels like my pregnancy has flown over and i still have so much to do and organise before his arrival. But at the same time i am excited to meet him and see what he is like and he is going to complete are family and i just know that we are all going to fall in love with him as soon as he is born.