What to Wear?

Everyone says it, and I don't think you fully understand until it happens to you, but finding time to put together an outfit when you're a new Mum is actually really hard!

After spending my pregnancy in leggings and oversized tshirts I couldn't WAIT to be able to wear my normal clothes again. However, one week after giving birth and I realise I am still grabbing a pair of leggings and a tshirt, as I simply do not have the time to think about what I'm going to wear.

This is when I decided I really needed to pick up some basics that would refresh my wardrobe and make me feel pulled together without having to give it too much thought. 

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), none of my pre pregnancy clothes quite fit me anymore. This gave me the perfect excuse to go and do a bit of shopping, online of course! Much easier when you have a new baby at home to contend with.

These are some of the things I have picked up recently and have found are perfect wearing for my life as a new Mum.

1. Oversized Cardi Topshop 

I love oversized stuff, I just do, but it needs to be paired with something skinny on the bottom. I'm still breastfeeding at the moment and probably will be throughout winter so I've decided that for easy access, sweaters are out and cardies are in this season. Slouchy and with the sleeves rolled up...perfect.

2. Sheepskin Boots Isabel Marant 

Ok, these are basically my treat to myself for not being able to buy any nice clothing while I was pregnant, plus my feet are a size bigger now (I think). Regardless I always like to buy one item per season that is a little bit pricier providing I know I will get the wear out of it. These boots are sooo comfy and with her trademark hidden wedge inside are much more flattering than a flat UGG (sorry I really hate UGGS). Lucky for me I still get my discount at work while on maternity leave :D

3. Cashmere Beanie Cos

I love a good beanie for when it gets cold, the slouchier the better. This one from Cos is super super soft and not at all tight and clingy, so no itchy foreheads! It's also lightweight and comes in loads of different colours.

4. Loose V-Neck Tee American Vintage

I am always on the hunt for the perfect loose tee. It needs to feel lived in, while having a good shape and preferably skimming over my hips and bum. With my ginormous boobs at the moment I find a V-neck most flattering. Best to keep it simple with no logos, in colours white, charcoal, burgundy or khaki.

5. Oversized Checked Shirt Topshop

Again, love a good old oversized shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I would normally button all the way to the top but this isn't so flattering with my new busty figure, so best just to the neckline or open with a tee underneath. I've also realised that checks are great for disguising any baby stains ie. milk, sick, poo...

6. Ripped Skinny Jeans Topshop

I used to hate buying "distressed" denim (why buy something new that's damaged?) but now I LOVE it. I feel like a pair of ripped jeans adds just a little more interest to an otherwise, lets face it, fairly dull outfit. They also make me feel like I'm that little bit cooler and not so 'Mumsy'. Also, they still look great with a pair of heels and a blazer if you want dress them up a bit. Rock on!

Speaking of heels, I love these ones from Office. They are basically a Valentino Rockstud rip off but who cares when they do the job for £59. The heel is also super low so still Mummy practical.

Thanks for reading xxx

My Super Easy "Amazing Grass" Green Smoothie

I don't know if I'm the only one who's noticed, but EVERYONE seems to be obsessed with 'green' smoothies at the moment. Combining ingredients such as apple, cucumber, spinach, celery, kale, wheat grass, spirulina, avocado, etcetera etcetera. If it's green you can put it in a green smoothie and they are meant to be super amazing for your health.

Personally, since becoming a Mum, I've found I really don't have time to shop for or decide which green ingredients I should be putting in my smoothie. Luckily I have found this amazingly quick and easy way to get all my greens in one hit, and all I need is 3 simple ingredients.

1. 250 ml Almond Milk
2. Banana x1
3. (And the secret ingredient) Amazing Grass Green Superfood x 1 scoop

Chuck it all in a blender and Voila! A delicious and nutritious green smoothie.

This stuff is amazing. I used to drink it before I was pregnant but stopped as it contained wheat grass, which I believe should be avoided during pregnancy. I'm happy to say that I am back on the stuff and thank god because the rest of my diet these days is absolutely atrocious. Since Sebi was born I struggle to get dressed most days let alone prepare myself a nutritious meal. So I am thankful to know that this gives me everything I need for the day, plus it does wonders for your digestive system.

Look at all the good stuff it has!!

If you want to try Amazing Grass Green Superfood, I recommend you buy from Amazon as it is a LOT cheaper. 

Also please note that I have not been paid to endorse this product in any way. I just love it and thought I would share x

Learning to Live with Baby

4 days old

On the 3rd of August 2014 at 16.01 I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy Sebastian Noah Ian Francis. I waited in excitement for 9 long months just desperate to meet him and now that he is here he is simply more amazing than I could ever have imagined and I love him to pieces with all my heart.

This is however, one of the biggest emotional roller coasters I have been on for a long time. It's almost like being a teenager again!

2 weeks BEFORE giving birth I started to panic. What have I done? This is such a huge responsibility, am I ready for this? My life is going to change completely, will I like my new life? And I felt guilty for having these doubts and began to hate myself for having them. It became a vicious cycle, but one that I knew was all down to my crazy hormones rushing through my body. Luckily for me, my mum was always on the end of a phone to calm me down and knock some sense into me.

2 weeks AFTER giving birth was a completely different story. I was (am) utterly in love with this tiny person and literally just spent hours watching him sleep to see what kind of cute little face he would pull next. The lack of MY sleep did get to me though, and if anything I felt like that was one of the main causes for randomly bursting into tears when my husband would arrive home after a long day of work.

The thing that upset me the most was the way I gave birth. My husband and I had decided to try for a home birth, but in the end I was taken in for an emergency C-Section (that's another story)! I suppose I felt slightly cheated after reading Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin. These womens' birth stories sounded amazing and I visualised my own amazing birth. Little did I know you can never EVER plan a birth no matter how hard you try. In the end I knew that all that REALLY mattered was that my little one was here safe and sound.

7 weeks old

And how grateful I am that he is! After 8 weeks together we have settled into a nice little routine. We have been out and about meeting friends for coffee, going for walks, taking the train into London to visit Granny and do some shopping. He is an absolute dream and I couldn't ask for more, but lately I find myself wondering...where am I? WHO am I? I am scared to loose my identity and I can see myself focusing all my attention on him. I can't help it I love him so! But I also need to love me, and I love the life my husband and I have built for ourselves. I don't want to live my life vicariously through my family. I want to add something to it and feel like a whole person who can inspire my son to want to do things for himself and be creative.

This is why I have come back to my blog. After 3 months or so away I can see why it is so important for so many to have that outlet. And although it is nice to have readers and receive comments, it is essentially about pleasing me and not about pleasing others. So my aim is to write about whatever I feel like in this space and to see what it turns into, if anything.

Thanks for reading x

Week 35 Pregnancy Update

35 Weeks @ Aerosmith in Clapham Common

Once again I'm a little slow with the updates but to be honest I've actually just been really busy the last few days visiting friends and family and making the most of my maternity leave whilst I can!

Although it felt a little strange last week to suddenly have all this time on my hands I have been easing myself slowly into my soon to be new role of a stay at home mum. My exhaustion has definitely returned so I am so glad I can just take things easy without having to worry about going to work. The problem is I wake up about 4.30 every morning and then am unable to fall asleep again until about 7. For someone who used to be unable to sleep at all during the day I am now a pro napper and love having a little sleep after lunch just to refresh myself.

I've been keeping myself busy by organising the house and making sure everything is nice and tidy. I've also taken up antenatal yoga classes which I'm attending Mondays and Thursdays. They're a really nice way for me to get out of the house in the afternoon and de-stress my body. You don't realise how much tension you end up holding onto carrying around all the extra weight, which I imagine is around 2 - 2.5 stone by now (oh well!)

The weekend was spent attending our last antenatal class at the hospital on Saturday morning. We were shown around the birthing suites and told about what to expect after the birth. Even though we are deciding on a home birth we felt it was still important to check out the facilities at the hospital as you never quite know what's going to happen!

My idol Steven Tyler :)

With my Sister & the one watery beer I consumed.

Saturday afternoon we went to Clapham Common to see my favourite band of all time, Aerosmith! I have literally been in love with Steven Tyler since I was about 12 when the Cryin' video came out with Alicia Silverstone and inspired me to get my belly button pierced (yep that'll show my age!) I've seen them before and they were absolutely amazing although I have to say it's a completely different vibe going to a festival when you're pregnant and unable to get off your face! :O 

Sunday we spent meeting friends for brunch in Brixton Village and then more friends for dinner to meet their new little boy who is now 8 months old. He is so adorable and just making me so excited to meet our own little boy now!

Brothers, so cute!

Symptoms wise apart from the tiredness returning I have to say the heat is getting to me a little. I can no longer remove my wedding rings from the swelling - still wearing them though, and I just find I get hot and sweaty so easily, so although I'd love more than anything to be out sunbathing in my garden now I just cant bear it to be honest. 

My stomach has also been contorted into some of the most bizarre shapes this week by baby moving about. I do wonder what he's doing in there some times!

xxx

Baby Boy Haul!

So, I thought I would do a haul post on some of the things we've bought for our little boy. I haven't really gone too crazy and have just tried to get things I think will be useful and that I really like. Although I did have a little designer splurge...the only things I bought in the sale!

M&S

My mum picked up this cardigan and trousers from M&S. They have some really nice good quality things and I want to get the trousers in the beige colour as well.

M&S

M&S

Some multi pack items from M&S. Really good value. I think we got a mixture of up to 1 month and 0-3 months. I love the long sleeved vests and figure they'll be great in Summer when he is born so he can stay warm but keep his little legs free!

John Lewis

I love this chambray denim onesie from John Lewis. It's so soft and lightweight and you can roll the legs and arms down which is great with the different weather we get here sometimes. Also got these socks in the sale. I love the colours and the seaside theme. Dad bought the sleepsuit when he went shopping on his own which I thought was super cute :)

George @ Asda

Sun hats and leggings from George @ Asda. Cheap and cheerful, I mainly love the camper van on the bum of the grey leggings which says "surf'" :P

Kenzo

And last but definitely not least...my Kenzo goodies!!! My mum treated us to the blue romper ages ago but I waited till the sale to get the shirt and the jumper from Liberty's. I know it's ridiculous but I absolutely love them and I know he's gonna look ridiculously cute in them. The jumper is for 6 months so hopefully he'll get lots of wear out of it going into winter.

So that's pretty much it. I still need to grab a few basic vests and some tshirts but otherwise I'm done. I have no idea how big or small he's going to be so I didn't want to get too much to start off with.

I haven't bought any shoes...seems like a non essential, although I do like the converse booties so I may order them once he's here!

Week 34 Pregnancy Update

34 weeks 

Well it's safe to say I have been a rubbish blogger.

I think when I got to 20 weeks and had my scan and everything was ok, I just finally relaxed and began to enjoy my pregnancy. I must say I did find work stressful and after a scare during week 22 when I woke up in the middle of the night with the most painful cramps and had to call the hospital to calm me down, I decided I was just going to try and take it easy and do as little as possible that would stress me out. This meant listening to my body and trying to relax on my days off and not force myself to do things if I wasn't in the mood. I did however finish work on Friday so I have plenty of time to do things like blog now. As well as get everything ready for baby's arrival!

How far along?
34 weeks and 1 day

Total weight gain?
No idea, I imagine I've hit the 2 stone mark by now but not really sure and not really that bothered any more.

Maternity clothes?
None. I've lived in XL American Apparel leggings and long stretchy tops from H&M. I did get an amazing dress from The White Company which although is not maternity wear is great for now and will be great for after the birth.

Stretch marks?
Not yet, and I've been really lazy about applying lotions and potions to my bump.  Hopefully I wont live to regret that.

Sleep?
I wake up about 2-3 times a night to pee but usually fall back to sleep. I do however keep waking up about 4am and then not being able to drop off again although I put that partly down to the sunlight in the morning. We will definitely be investing in some black out curtains!

Best moment this week?
Finishing work is definitely a relief as it has been quite difficult being on my feet all day in the heat, however I do think it's helped loads to be active. Our cot also arrived from John Lewis this morning and I can't wait to get it set up!

Worst moment this week?
I honestly can't complain although it is annoying me that my feet seem to have gone up a size and none of my shoes are comfortable :( I also hate feeling like a hot sweaty mess in this sunshine as I'm usually the first to be out there sunbathing in the garden. A little too much to cope with at the moment.

Miss anything?
My summer wardrobe.

Movement?
He is definitely hanging out more on my right side than my left. He tends to squirm about more with a few gentle kicks in the ribs, but nothing too painful like I've heard some people report.

Food cravings?
Nope, just trying to eat a healthy balanced diet.

Anything making you feel sick or queazy?
No!

Gender?
Baby boy!

Symptoms?
I've honestly been so lucky. I have felt a little down at times this week but sure that is just down to hormones. I have been suffering from a bit of swelling but I wouldn't say it has been that horrendous - certainly not Kim Kardashian style! Although I can't take my wedding ring off now most of the time and I would say my legs look fatter in the evening than they do in the morning????

Belly button in or out?
So out!!!!!

Happy or moody?
I can switch pretty quickly from one mood to the next but I generally just try to laugh about it. My husband certainly does.

Looking forward to?
Getting the cot set up. Also I start my antenatal yoga classes this evening which I'll be doing twice a week up until the birth.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope to be doing a lot more posts now that I have the time. We are also considering a homebirth and have the midwife coming round to discuss on Thursday so I will definitly be doing a post on that.

Bye for now xxx

Week 20 Pregnancy Update + Gender Reveal

20 weeks 1 day

How far along?

20 weeks and 1 day

Total weight gain?

Still don't know. I'm guessing about 1 stone but I really should weigh myself. I thought the midwife might do it today when I went for my appointment but she didn't. I might force myself to find out when I go to the gym tomorrow morning.

Maternity clothes?

No more at the moment. Doing fine with what I have. On the look out for some comfy shoes though.

Stretch marks?

Only on my boobs :( not on my belly :).....yet!

Sleep?

I've been quite stressed out with work recently so haven't ben sleeping all that well. I seem to spend the entire night dreaming about work...not fun really.

Best moment this week?

Going for a walk in the sunshine on Sunday with my hubby in Epping Forest. Why can't the weather be this nice all the time!

Worst moment this week?

Being stressed at work and bursting into tears because of it. I then fell over in the street on my way home and burst into tears so spent the whole journey home on the tube wiping my eyes and feeling like a right idiot. It's like when I start I just can't stop. Anyone else have this problem? 

Miss anything?

Kind of miss being able to have a few drinks with my friends when we go out in the evening. Especially after a stressful day sometimes you just want to kick back with a couple of glasses of wine.

Movement?

Starting to feel it a lot more regularly now. When I'm feeling down a little kick from my baby always cheers me up.

Food cravings?

Loving a good Hamburger at the moment! Tommi's Burger on Marylebone Highstreet is great and my hubby had an amazing looking one at the The Diner in Spitalfields Market the other night.

Anything making you feel sick or queezy?

No

Gender?

We had our scan today and are super happy to announce that we are having a little BOY! Everyone seemed to think it would be a girl but I had a feeling... :)

Symptoms?

None really, I've been feeling more or less like myself. However I have started to notice that when I sit down my coccyx (tail bone) feels slightly painful. This only bothers me when I sit down but is absolutely fine when standing up. 

Belly button in or out?

Half in half out!

Happy or moody?

Generally really happy. Although my recent stresses at work have caused me to have a couple of emotional outbursts

Looking forward to?

Meeting my baby boy! and to more sunshine. Clocks go forward soon...always love the lighter evenings!