25 weeks, time is flying by! I feel a little like a whale already, to turn over in bed I need the turning circle of a tanker and may consider getting fitted with a beeping warning sound to alert Mr G I am turning over and may squash him in the process i.e. move out the pregnant lady’s way! So I’m feeling a little better generally, still getting the odd dizzy spell, but I am trying to cut my stress levels down which is helping!
Reflux, if you thought this was just something babies get, think again. The last week, my digestive system has been struggling! I’ve had indigestion, heartburn and then the dreaded reflux – yuk. Gaviscon is my friend, and I’m about to purchase a bottle of soda water which i swear by for morning sickness and I’m sure it helped me with these symptoms when I was pregnant with E..well, i’ll let you know if it does!
Braxton Hicks, I thought I had experienced some the other day, I’m not sure whether they were or whether actually it was just baby rotating in my belly. Either way my tummy went very hard at the bottom of the bump, and it was quite uncomfortable! Whether they were or not, I know from this week forward Braxton Hicks are something to erm “look forward” to!
I’ve been super organised and booked my whooping cough vaccination, I’ve booked it for when I am 29 weeks and I’m dreading it – I hate needles, I am such a wuss, but hey ho it’s booked now. It’s just one extra appointment to add to what feels like a multitude on the countdown to baby arriving!
I now have an urge to buy some gorgeous maternity clothes, I am desperate for a pair of maternity denim shorts (as of course it’s got to be an amazing summer..) but my plans were scuppered by my bank balance and then ASOS had sold out – boo! Hey ho, I shall keep virtual window shopping! Finances are a bother in pregnancy, I think it’s one of those things you can’t help but worry about, but I’m staying positive, all will be ok!
Ms G x
Monthly Archives: April 2014
24 weeks pregnant
I was pleased to see the midwife this week as I had some concerns. Long story short I’ve started to experience spells where I go incredibly faint, and it takes me a fair amount of time to recover. I felt a bit daft telling her about this, and even worse when she couldn’t set my mind at ease instead explaining it could be my blood pressure or several other things.. So I’m meant to phone the birth centre when it happens and go to get checked, but having had it happen while I was 40mins from home on Thursday, I confess that my priority was to get home safely and I didn’t call the MW.. I’m hoping it doesn’t happen again.. If it does I will call her..
My weight gain this pregnancy is 4kg which apparently is good, but I’m already panicking that I’ve gained too much weight and the baby is going to be massive..I’ve never been worried about my weight in pregnancy before so I’m not entirely sure where this fear has come from? I guess I don’t want there to be any added risks to the pregnancy from gaining too much weight? (I hasten to add I am aware there are major risks with not gaining weight, but I wasn’t to slim to begin with!) Anyway, now my appetite is back all I can do is attempt to make healthy choices..but giving into the urge to eat pies is all to easy at the moment..(this is typed as I polish off a left over Easter egg..)
E is getting used to the idea of having a baby in the house, he is rubbing my tummy and talking to baby after every cuddle. He still occasionally announces that he doesn’t really think we need baby to come to stay but when reminded that he will be a big brother this seems to cheer him up! Boo is quite excited and wants to shop for baby, I have yet to buy anything for baby. I wish I could get over the fear that is deep routed in this pregnancy, two consecutive losses prior to this have taken their toll, and I fear even buying a baby gro might tempt fate. I have been doing lots of window shopping, and friends have gleefully been demanding I look at certain shops or websites at things which they have seen and think I desperately need! So it’s not all doom and gloom! I have got to sort out the moses basket soon, it’ll need a new mattress and probably new sheets, then once that’s sorted we will start looking seriously at a buggy!
Ms G x
Ms G x
Horrid Henry and the King of Bling! Review and Competition!
If you’ve ever read my blog in the 4 ish years I have been writing it, you’ll not be surprised that Horrid Henry is a favourite of our household! There is something about the naughty Henry and his oh so perfect little brother Peter which never ceases to make us all giggle! Even when Henry is being really horrid!! The latest Horrid Henry DVD release from Abbey Home Media is Horrid Henry and the King of Bling.
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The title episode sees Perfect Peter and his “gang” the best boys causing havoc at the hands of some very modern problems! For once it is Perfect Peter getting into trouble while Henry is begging for a mobile phone – a debate I’m sure many parents are having! There are six episodes on the DVD, and each of them are hilarious in their own way – both to myself and the boys! I liked Horrid Henry and the Movie star, while I think Boo preferred Horrid Henry and the Movie star – and I nodded as I watched Henry trying to perform “the under over sideways leap..” with results I have experienced from the boys myself!
If you want to keep your little ones laughing and fancy winning a copy of this great fun DVD the lovely people at Abbey Home Media have offered 5 copies to readers of the blog! Follow the steps on rafflecopter below, and please ensure you read the t&c’s at the bottom of the rafflecopter widget! Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Luxury Baby Bath set from beginning.. by Maclaren
Bath time for little ones to me is a combination of fun and relaxation, the ideal time to calm children time for bed! My youngest son has sensitive skin so we try to opt for organic bathing products as they seem kinder on his skin. Babydino kindly sent us a luxury baby bathing pack from the Maclaren Beginning range – the beginning bath set, which we’ve tried out with both boys (as baby isn’t due until August!). Maclaren Beginning products do not use synthetic perfumes, artificial colours, parabens or animal ingredients, and are certified Organic by the soil association. The products are Dermatologically tested on sensitive skin.
The pack arrives in a handy wash bag, ideal for storing all the bathing bits in and a perfect wash bag to grab to take on travels!
The boys loved the bath and shower wash, it smelt quite sweet but with the freshness of citrus fruit – think of orange blossom! We did attempt to use it as a bubble bath but the bubbles disappear quickly! The wash worked really well to clean the boys skin, without drying their skin out!
The body cream has a fairly subtle lavender scent, which I adore! The boys loved the cream as they said it smelt nice, and it certainly helped to deal with rough patches on Boo’s knees! It’s thick enough that it’s easy to dispense the correct amount, but also absorbs into skin very easily!
Hair washing with E is a battle, he hates having his hair washed so this was an interesting product to trial with him! Boo washed his own hair (with some help!) and said he liked the fact the the shampoo didn’t foam too much and was easy to rinse out. E finally let us shampoo his hair, and was pleased it washed out quickly! The conditioner smelt fabulous and left both boys with very shiny hair which seemed a little easier to comb than normal! I have to confess I had recently started using adult conditioner on the boys hair but I won’t be using it again in a hurry – I shall be sticking with the Maclaren Beginning Conditioner as everyone has commented on how healthy their hair is looking!
The boys and I are very impressed with Maclaren Beginnings, the products have helped make bathtime more relaxing and we’ll definitely be using them with baby when baby arrives in August! Huge thanks to @BabydinoUK (follow them on twitter and say hi!) for sending us the Maclaren Beginnings bath set to review!
Disclaimer: All thoughts, opinions and images are my own. We received the product free of charge for the purposes of the review.
Meal Planning Monday W/C 21/04/2014
Having the Easter holidays has been great fun, but a little expensive on the meal planning front as we’ve had picnics and extra treats here and there. They’re not hugely expensive, but the addition of the extra cake or packet of crisps has impacted over the last two weeks! I popped and did a shop today, which was a mistake as taking the hungry 5 yr old along resulted in extras which I didn’t need but thankfully have a very long date on so his packed lunches should be sorted for the next two weeks!
Packed Lunches look be a combination of these things over the week and will be for Boo and Mr G.
Chicken and Bacon Rolls (Using filler which was on offer and is a treat Boo has requested)
Ham Sandwiches (Home made bread)
Lemon Bakewells or Chocolate Rolls (Post- Easter Bargains)
Fruit pots (home made but in a plastic tub so they look like the shop bought pricey ones! We may do a jelly version to as it’ll stretch out the fruit we have in stock!)
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Dinners look a little like this!
Monday
Sausages, Mash, Vegetables with gravy
Tuesday
Fajitas (for us)
Pasta (for boys – their request!)
Wednesday
Macaroni Cheese
Thursday
Vegetable Curry
Friday
Home-made Pizza
Saturday
Baked potatoes with beans
Sunday
Salmon with noodles (or possibly veg if I remember to buy a bag of new potatoes!)
Desert
Variations on Easter Egg related dishes, to use up the eggs the boys got from family and friends over the weekend! I’ve discovered melting some chocolate for them to dip banana in is highly popular!
Linking up with the lovely @madamding for Meal Planning Monday (yes.. I know it’s Tuesday.. I got distracted with the bank holiday!)
23 weeks pregnant Kicks that make you go wee in the night.
It’s 2.45am, I’m wide awake after being rudely awakened by a kick to my bladder..23weeks pregnant and already baby is showing me who the boss is! Each night for the last week I have been awoken in a similar manner, I wake up a little dazed and confused and then another sharp baby kick alerts me to my urge to wee thanks to the angle of the kick. I am struggling with indigestion tonight or should I say this morning(?!) which is adding to my discomfort! It seems like baby is using my whole belly like a giant trampoline – which is marvellous but I really wish baby could save this hyperactivity until after 8am..
I’ve been enjoying the Easter break with lots of outdoors time with the boys, although I have to confess my back and hips are struggling with SPD. I had Boo protesting when I needed a little sit down that I was “holding him up”, which made me giggle and I had to promise him pudding after dinner if I could just sit for two minutes longer! Sitting isn’t very comfortable either, but I needed to take the weight off my feet! Talking of feet, I have begun to live in my trainers, and I need to find some shoes which are comfortable but not trainers!
Bump photos I’m going to have to plan from now on..as to be honest my arms aren’t long enough to hold the camera out and get a good photo..but here’s the 23 week bump photo, although it’s a definite bump, I’m still having to reassure people that I am actually pregnant and not extra weight! The negative side of the nausea dwindling, is I seem to always be hungry and I want to eat everything..so I am probably gaining rather more weight than I ought be..I am trying to make healthy choices, and load up with vegetables or salad at meal times, but..it’s the snacks when I start craving pork pies or cream cakes..I can feel my waist line expanding just thinking about it!
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Ms G x
Cadbury’s turns top Eggsplorers into Eggheads!
Cadbury’s Easter Egg trails have become an annual treat for us, a real Easter treat combining outdoor adventures with chocolate – our perfect combination! This year the trails are themed with an “Eggsplorer” theme (do you see what they did there?). Cadbury’s held a poll to decide UK children’s favourite explorers of all time and in celebration of the results, the top 5 have been turned into special Eggsplorer Cadbury Eggheads and gifted to the explorers!
In first place, Bear Grylls secured 24% of votes, with Sir David Attenborough coming in second place with 17% of votes, Christopher Colombus gaining 12% of votes, Helen Skelton gaining 9% and the surprise entry..with 6% of votes.. Ant & Dec!
33% of children said they wanted to be explorers when they grow up, with 68% of children who voted stating their parents had the best explorer qualities! Something I’m sure my son would agree with – although he may also point out the time I got us lost while we were out exploring and we had to use Daddy’s phone to locate us..!
There are over 260 trails taking place over the Easter weekend, with lots of variety of venues to choose from! Last year we visited Foxbury in Hampshire, where we only had to pay the fee for the trail and not an additional entry fee, it was a marvellous event with plenty to see and do! You can check out where your nearest trail is here: Eggsplorer Easter trail!
22 Weeks Pregnant – Do you have bump envy?!
I read an article on bump envy, and sighed as I wondered how many people have bump envy – comparing their bump to other pregnant ladies and deciding whether their bump looks better than yours? It’s not something I do? Am I abnormal in looking at other bumps and going “aww you’re pregnant to!” rather than “oh your bump is rounder than mine” or “Ha! Your bump is tiny look how big mine is!” or is my attitude OK? I fear that the media has caused us all to fall into a frenzy not just about baby weight gain and post baby weight loss, but about the actual baby bump itself. I know myself the shape of the bump depends hugely on how baby is laying, and the look of the bump is dependent partially on what I am wearing! Today I was wearing an over-sized jumper in a rather nasty synthetic fabric, as I walked my maternity trousers rolled down, and rather than looking pregnant I looked like my belly was an empty sack of potatoes.. hmm attractive! I have to confess I’ve started to worry that my bump is not big enough.. OK that sounds silly, but seriously I’m sure I was bigger at this stage with the other two? I keep reassuring myself that the 20 week scan was OK and I can feel the bump bouncing around, and the bump is not exactly tiny..OK..maybe I am worrying about nothing..I’m huge!
The week has flown, and I’m already counting down to the 24 week midwife appointment, and am armed with a long list of questions I want to ask her – most of which she’ll refer me back to the consultant with I’m sure, but hey ho!
Ms G x
Theraline The Original Maternity and Nursing Pillow – Review
When I was breastfeeding E, I really wanted a decent breastfeeding cushion, but time passed and by the time I found one I liked I had managed for so long that I was coming to the end of breastfeeding. I was sent a Theraline Original Maternity and Nursing pillow to review a few weeks ago, and I’ve since been using it daily – as a pregnancy pillow!
The joy of the Theraline pillow is it’s versatility, I can use it to sit up in bed, extra support while watching tv, to take the weight of my hip in bed – by laying on my side and resting my knee on it, or popping it behind me to prevent me from rolling onto my back – which I seem to do frequently now I’m ‘not supposed to..!’.
Here’s a short video showing you how versatile, and supportive the pillow is both in pregnancy and during nursing;
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So, what were my thoughts? As a pregnancy pillow, I love it, I can’t imagine how I managed without it! The pillow is full of mini beads which are soft, and seem to mould around your shape, sitting up in bed there is no more fussing to get the pillows comfortable behind my head, I just pop the Theraline pillow behind me, and can comfortably (no aching neck!) sit to read or drink tea! I have noticed the boys – especially my three year old, use it to sit supported watching cartoons which is very sweet, and I think a huge recommendation for how comfortable it is!
As you can see I have quite a neutral coloured cover, but there are plenty of cover designs to select from the very plain to the very exotic! The cover is machine washable, and super soft to touch!
I can’t obviously comment about how it worked from a breastfeeding point of view yet, but I can already see that I would be comfortable and it would support baby well so I’m sure it will be a marvellous aid to breastfeeding! Priced at £44.95 I think the Theraline Maternity and Nursing Pillow is a great price, it has already had plenty of use and I want to take it with me for the birth!
Ms G x
Disclaimer – I was sent the pillow for the purposes of an honest review, all thoughts are my own.
Pocket Money Tales – Magpie Money
Boo has taken after me with his love of books, and is eager to read anything and everything he can get his hands on. He recently discovered Roald Dahl (still one of my favourite authors!) and he is enjoying reading Charlie and the Chocolate factory which he borrowed from the library. He’s been asking for a while if he could buy some Roald Dahl books as he wants to build his “own little library!” and I have been keen to let him as I love Roald Dahl! Today I promised a quick look in our local charity shop for a puzzle, and E was pleased to find a puzzle which was perfect for him! Boo was unimpressed as there was nothing suitable for him, and so I suggested a look at the well stocked children’s book section. It was then we uncovered a big stash of Roald Dahl books, and after some deliberation Boo decided to use some of his saved pennies to buy George’s Marvellous Medicine!
I had to resist the urge to buy all of the Roald Dahl books they had, as part of the fun of this was allowing him to use his own money to buy a book which he had chosen all by himself and for 50 pence he’s delighted! So a little maths practice and a new favourite book, not bad for a 5 year olds first day of Easter Holidays! Now to explain that under no circumstances can he try out George’s recipe on Granny or anyone else for that matter!!
Ms G xx
Linking up with the lovely @missielizzieb for #MagpieMonday 
