Life at 36-37 Weeks Pregnant

February 4, 2012 by Aimee Marie | 0 comments


I’m 37 weeks on Tuesday, and I feel like I’m just about ready to pop. I laugh in the face of my belly 8 weeks ago— that is not a bump. This is a bump. Look at me— I’m the size of a small house!

As you can imagine, I’m becoming less and less mobile. In fact, the other day my husband had to put my socks on for me, because I just couldn’t reach my feet in my maternity jeans! Every day I seem to walk (well, waddle) a little bit slower, but I haven’t given in to the lift at work, and still climb two flights of stairs and manage to beat anyone who does use the lift… Even if I am out of breath at the end of it!

I’m quite enjoying nesting at the moment and I have plans to bulk buy cleaning products to scrub the flat from top to bottom, including cleaning the bathroom with a toothbrush, descaling the kettle, clearing out the kitchen cupboards, polishing the hob… You know, all the essentials… Pregnancy does weird things to you, I’m telling you. I have to write down everything at the moment too, because my brain has turned to mush.

Wednesday, my last day at work before maternity leave, can not come soon enough! Like Alice, I think I’ve got a case of SPD, too. The doctor has prescribed me lots of rest when I told her about my aches and pains, but laying down is worse, because sometimes it’s impossible to rollover or get up unaided, with any kind of speed— which is especially unnerving when you’re desperate to pee at 3am. And then there’s the backache too. And the nasal congestion. And the swollen ankles. And the insomnia. And the heartburn & indigestion. And the small lung capacity. Oh, being pregnant is a barrel of laughs…

But then the little monkey in my belly wallops me in the ribs with his little butt and I remember why I’m doing all this and all those ailments don’t matter anymore! I can’t believe we will be meeting him so soon. I’m getting so impatient! His head is “mostly” in my pelvis (nice), which means he is on his way to being engaged & he’ll soon want to make his way into the world. I just hope he doesn’t come when it’s snowing!

Chop, Chop, Chop!

February 2, 2012 by Aimee Marie | 0 comments

I decided to have about a foot cut off my hair on Sunday, on a bit of a whim! I only really grew it for our wedding, so it feels lovely to be back to ‘me’ once again & be able to do my hair in 10 minutes! I have lots of dreamy ideas about long, gorgeous, flowing locks, but in reality, I don’t have the time nor patience to dry and style my hair daily— I always end up tying it up and leaving it to do it’s thing naturally.

I’m still paranoid about dying my hair while I’m with child, hence the bad roots— but the make-up less, bloated preggo face, I have no excuses for. Apologies!

(This is number #45 of my 101 in 1001 Project, complete. Read more about it here!)

101 Things in 1001 Days

February 1, 2012 by Aimee Marie | 3 Comments

At the end of 2008, I started a 101 in 1001 project— that is, 101 things to do and goals to meet in 1001 days. It was on & off my radar for a while, and I only completed about 50% of the things on my list! I’ve decided to start another one this year, like many other people, instead of New Year’s Resolutions. It’s potentially not the best time to be starting a project like this, when I have a baby on the way and my whole life is about to be turned upside down with sleepless nights (not to mention filled with wee, projectile poo & vomit), but lots of my goals involve him, so fingers crossed!

Start: 20th Jan 2012
End: 17th Oct 2014

Me, Family & Baby.
1. Somehow, give birth to my baby boy…
2. …and then a year later, throw him an amazing first birthday party!
3. Teach Byron baby signing
4. Take one night a week whilst on maternity, to pamper myself while baby is chillin’ with Daddy!
5. ‘Do’ Christmas for the whole family
6. Buy traditional wedding anniversary presents for my husband
7. Start a new family tradition

Good Deeds.
8. Donate blood for the second time
9. Do an anonymous favour
10. Go through my collection of handbags and donate old & no longer used ones to charity

Travel, Fun & Adventure.
11. Go on a UK mini-break with my family, for our sons first holiday
12. Visit a country I’ve never been to before
13. Eat chocolate in Belgium
14. Go to Barry Island, Wales
15. Visit a new seaside town
16. Go berry picking
17. Watch a pantomime
18. Go for Afternoon Tea at The Ritz
19. Take Byron to London Zoo
20. Go to a food festival
21. Find 5 new local places to go walking or for a picnic
22. Go to an open-air, drive-in style cinema

Reading, Writing & Learning.
23. Learn basic First Aid
24. Learn to sign the alphabet
25. Create a list of 101 things that make me smile
26. Write a letter or email to an author I admire
27. Answer 365 Thought Provoking Questions
28. Write a short story

Photography, Creativity & Blogging.
29. Knit a scarf
30. Make a photobook of Byron and his aunts & uncles, so he can learn to recognise them
31. Actually do something with all the short video clips we plan on filming of Byron
32. Start blogging about the basics of photography again
33. Write a “How To Plan a Wedding” guide from my own experiences
34. Decide if I want my Facebook Fan Page & update if so
35. Merge & update my portfolio & blog
36. Enter the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize
37. Have one of my photos published in a magazine

Friends & Socialising.
38. Attend a Mothers Meeting
39. Make friends & keep in touch with 3 other local (new) mums
40. Go to (or organise) another blogger meet-up

Audacious Goals.
41. Get a mortgage
42. Get back to my pre-pregnancy weight

Health & Beauty.
43. Go for a professional post-natal massage. Mmm!
44. Go on a shopping spree once I have reached my goal weight / clothes size
45. Have fun & exciting, short hair again
46. Get my bra size re-measured
47. Take a spin class
48. Try Zumba
49. Complete the Couch to 5k running program
50. Go to a spa for a day
51. Give myself a pedicure as soon as the polish starts to chip!

Money & Finance.
52. Start earning some money through blogging again
53. Do my finances every payday ON payday
54. Pay off my credit card
55. Buy a new car
56. Move out to somewhere with a (bigger) garden
57. Sort out my pension
58. Create a will
59. Sell all my old CDs that have been sitting at my mums house for 2 years
60. Set up a savings account for the sprog
61. Make better use of my joint bank account with my husband
62. Sell my photo prints via my own online shop

Get Organised.
63. Unsubscribe from all those mailing lists that clutter my inbox!
64. Send off my wedding dress to be cleaned
65. Get new business cards
66. Clean the entire flat before the baby is born
67. … and then clean & tidy it at least once a week thereafter (& generally stay on top of it, in between!)
68. Finally change my name on all cards & utility bills

Daily, Weekly, Monthly & Annually.
69. Break the habit of snoozing my alarm on work days, for at least a month
70. Enter This Morning competitions every day on maternity leave (pre-baby at least!)
71. Take a photo of Byron every week for the first year of his life
72. Blog at least twice a week for a year
73. Go swimming once a week for 6 months
74. Paint my nails once a week whilst on maternity leave (& not changing dirty nappies!)
75. Take a multivitamin every day for a month
76. Weigh myself and play on the Wii Fit twice a month
77. Back-up my computer twice a month
78. Eat my 5-a-day, everyday, for a month
79. Round-up this project once a month for the duration of the 1001 days
80. Take a photo of my evening meal everyday for a month
81. Stop drinking fizzy drinks for a month
82. Organise to go out with / see my group of girlfriends at least once a month
83. Go for coffee with Kate once a month!
84. Make the time to read one book a month for a year
85. Make an outfit post at least 20 times in one year
86. Complete a 365 project. Do not cheat!

Misc.
87. Make my own jam
88. Make homemade sushi
89. Bake macaroons
90. Try truffle
91. Grow my own fresh herbs
92. Order a photobook of our honeymoon snaps
93. Go to a carboot sale
94. Eat at 10 restaurants I’ve never tried before
95. Watch 10 films that I should have seen already, but haven’t
96. Watch an entire TV series that I’ve never seen before
97. Listen to music from at least 15 bands / artists I’ve not heard before
98. Be a member of an audience for a TV show
99. Join the local library
100. Finish writing this list!
101. Inspire someone else to start a 101 in 1001 list!

Do you have any goals for this year? Are you taking part in 101 in 1001?

Baby Shopping List

January 4, 2012 by Aimee Marie | 1 Comment

Photo by Ozyman

There’s so much you need to buy when preparing for a baby (or that people and magazines will tell you that you need to buy, anyway!), particularly if it’s your first born. I’ve read every book, magazine and website going, to compile my own list a few months ago, that I thought I’d share with other mums-to-be. I’m sure some of you mums out there will disagree with some of the things on the list below— & maybe I will too, once my little one is here & I have a pile of non-essential items— but it’s so easy to get caught-up in buying things for your little one. I’ll re-visit this in a few months, but for now, these are all the items we’re working towards buying to bring our little bundle of joy into the world.

Clothes
long-sleeved suits
short-sleeved suits
cardigans
snowsuit / jacket
hat
scratch mittens
booties / socks
bibs

Clothing obviously depends on the time of the year and many people have a recommended number of sleepsuits and the like, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll be able to completely ignore those numbers, as you’ll be drowning in baby clothes, because you won’t be able to resist how cute they are! Byron is not going to be running out of baby clothes any time soon. We’ve mainly bought 0-3 months and 3-6 months clothes, seeing as he’ll no doubt grow out of newborn sizes very quickly— if he fits in them in the first place!

Toiletries for Baby
baby bath
nappies
wipes
nappy sacks
shampoo
baby bath
cotton wool
grooming set (nail clippers, brush, baby scissors)
bath thermometer
nappy rash cream
talc
baby lotion / moisturiser
towels
wash clothes / sponges

Things for Mum!
breast pads
maternity towels
nursing bra
nipple cream
maternity mats

Feeding
steam steriliser
breast pump
bottles and newborn teats
feeding pillow

Everything Else
cot bed / moses basket & mattress
bedding (flat or fitted sheets, waterproof sheets, blankets, sleeping bag…)
pram or travel system with car seat
changing mat
sling
bouncy chair / rocker
baby gym
baby monitor
changing bag
cot mobile
room thermometer
muslin

Goodbye 2011… Hello 2012!

December 31, 2011 by Aimee Marie | 0 comments

I realise the world & his blogging-mother have been posting 2011 round-up posts this week, but I’m afraid here’s another one for you to add to the never-ending list! Despite crossing some massive, life-changing milestones this year, I don’t feel much has happened! Everything pre-May was weddingweddingwedding, and everything post-May has been babybabybaby!

January – February

I don’t remember a lot happening at the start of the year, besides us deciding we should pull our fingers out & get tying up all the loose ends for our wedding— we finally designed our invitation packs! (And I took some stupid photos of myself. See above, for evidence.)

March

Went to Brighton to photograph my husband’s band.

April

The sun came out & I discovered Reigate Hill! Decided to delete all old posts and start afresh.

May

GOT MARRIED! Had an amazing day and the best honeymoon in the idyllic Maldives.

June – Present!
It’s been a whirlwind of finding out I was pregnant, 16 weeks of sickness(!), nesting and generally preparing for our baby boy. I haven’t had the energy to brush my hair some days, let alone pick up my camera or write something down, but I vow that next year I will do more & see more, and tell you more— even with a baby in tow!

Happy New Year!

Life at 29-30 Weeks Pregnant

December 17, 2011 by Aimee Marie | 0 comments

I used to know at the drop of a hat, how far gone I was in weeks when people would ask, but now it takes a little more working out— perhaps something to do with my baby brain. The photobooth snaps below, were captured a week ago, when I was right in the middle of being 28-29 weeks pregnant.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you— I was wearing practically the same outfit at 24-25 weeks! I seem to be living in the same clothes, as I refuse to buy a) ugly maternity clothes, or b) nice maternity clothes that I won’t be able to wear this time next year! It’s all about chunky knits and tops with lots of stretch in them, for now.

The bump (and the boy) are getting bigger and rounder. His kicks are so strong now, and feel like they’re reaching my ribs! It’s very weird to think how close we are to 30 weeks now. I need to start thinking and mentally preparing myself for labour— in about a month, his head should be moving down to my pelvis, to get in the correct position ready for birth! I’m not sure where this reputation came from, but my friends seem to think it will be a breeze for me, and I’ll be cool, calm and collected. I, on the other hand, think I will be crying, claiming that I can’t do it, and screaming like no one else has ever heard me scream before. How could you not?!

My lower back is aching and the tiredness is kicking in again, but I’m trying to fight it. It’s so frustrating, because there are things that I want to do, but physically can’t! I’m still very much loving nesting, and a month ago I would be able to wash-up, clean the kitchen, hoover, wash the floors, tidy the bedroom & front room and clean the bathrooms, all in one go, but now I’m lucky if I can do two of those things before having to sit down, because I’m so breathless! I can’t wait for him to stop pushing on my diaphragm!

I’ve started to get a couple of stretch marks within the last few weeks, on the underside / middle of the bump. Boo. They’re inevitable I suppose, but I thought I might be able to get away with it, as my mum never got them. I’m oiling up like a mad woman, to reduce them!

Seven Things

December 6, 2011 by Aimee Marie | 1 Comment

The lovely Kate tagged me in this a few weeks ago, but I completely forgot until now. For anyone that’s been reading this blog for a while, you might remember when I posted “100 Random Thing About Me”, so apologies if I’m repeating myself. Writing about yourself is so hard, especially when you’re put on the spot. It’s like at a job interview, when they ask if you’ve got any questions and your mind goes completely blank, only for millions of questions to come flooding back to you, on your journey home. Who knew?! “Me” should be my most knowledgable subject!

Nominees, in order to accept this award you must:
- Thank and link back to the person who awarded you
- Write seven random things about yourself
- Award seven other awesome and inspiring bloggers: Zoey, Alice, Hayley, Sarah, Helen, Amy & Sarah Kane!

001 There are so many things that you have to give up during pregnancy (or you’re advised to, anyway!), but alcohol is the thing I miss the least. I can’t wait to have liver pâté, smoked salmon, salami, brie, soft boiled eggs, prawns, a bloody steak… I’m so carnivorous! Give me a chunk o’ meat, over a glass of wine, any day. I’ve already made my husband promise to take me out for a rare steak once Byron is here!

002 My hair is currently the longest it’s been in years, or perhaps even ever! I grew it for our wedding, but now I’m itching for the chop! It’s taken so long to grow it though… Oh, first world problems.

003 My husband and the rest of my family probably won’t believe me when I say this, but I’m a bit of a clean-freak. No, honest! …Okay, okay— when I want to be! I can go a couple of weeks with a pile of clothes on the side waiting to be put away, or the leave the dishes for a day or two to be done, but when I want things to be clean & tidy, I go on a bit of a rampage. I can’t just do the washing up, I have to clean the hob, under the microwave, the draining board, under the toaster… and god forbid there should be a piece of fluff on the rug when I’ve just hoovered! It really annoys me & since going through my “nesting” phase in pregnancy, my freakiness has been magnified 100%!

004 I used to love flying when I was a child, but in my ‘old’ age, I’ve become a little more fearful and usually can’t wait for the wheels to be on the ground again.

005 I love fancy dress. I don’t know why! And I’m definitely going to dress up my son at every opportunity— I already have a little sailor suit for him! He is just gonna love me when he’s older & I crack out the photo albums.

006 My preferred hot chocolate is hazelnut flavour, but I can’t find it anywhere this winter!

007 I think hot, buttery crumpets are a little slice of heaven.

Dressing For The Party Season When you’re Knocked Up

November 18, 2011 by Aimee Marie | 4 Comments

Before I fell pregnant, it wouldn’t be totally uncommon to unknowingly finding myself looking at clothes in H&M, only to realise I was edging into the maternity range— so of course it’s sod’s law that now that I’m with child, I can’t find anything I like!

Day-to-day, I can just about get by with maternity jeans, bump bands, leggings & long vests and chunky knit cardigans, but I’ve been looking for a dress to wear to my husband’s Christmas party and maybe Christmas Day / Boxing Day too. However, the small (sometimes tiny) maternity ranges that a lot of shops offer, seem to assume I want dowdy, boring and safe threads. With some stripes. Or a nice cowl neck. Or maybe even a fetching “hands off the bump” slogan. Where’s the excitement? The colour? (And the non-ridiculous price tag? I’ve got Cost Per Wear creeping into my brain now that there’s another little mouth to be fed very soon.) I’m still a woman and if anything, it’s important now more than ever, that I look and feel my best.

There are some nice dresses out there, but it’s slim-pickings. Nothing screams “buy me!” Personally, I want to show my bump off, so it’s all about bodycon dresses and empire lines. Anything else makes me look and feel like a sack of potatoes— & I don’t want to be that girl on the train where you debate with yourself if she’s pregnant or not and don’t want to risk offense by offering up your seat. It’s possible to find non-maternity dresses to wear that fit the bill, but in my ‘condition’ (I despise that term!), I can’t be bothered to be scrambling around changing rooms getting hot and sweaty trying clothes on (and probably getting stuck in them.) Woe is me!

Here are a couple of wearable options I’ve found:

I’ve finally settled for this black number from Topshop. It’s ‘nice’ & safe and I suppose the advantage is, I can wear it with different shoes and accessories and no one will be any the wiser!

Life at 24-25 Weeks Pregnant

November 14, 2011 by Aimee Marie | 3 Comments

It’s only when I look at photos of myself (profile view in particular!), that I realise just how pregnant I look now— & so I should when I’m almost at my third trimester! It’s all well and good people at work telling me how much he is growing, but you don’t quite see it when you’re looking down at your belly everyday! He’s getting big now though, isn’t he? I love having a big bump to show off. I’m quite surprised just how bulbous I am, to be honest! I usually put weight on my thighs, hips and love-handles, so I was convinced I would generally be quite round throughout pregnancy, so it’s great that I don’t look like an enormous lump! There’s still time yet though— I’m starting to get hungry so quickly. It’s hard to fight the urge to “eat for two”!

He’s moving / kicking / elbowing / punching me daily now and doesn’t shy away from his dad trying to feel him now either! He seems to love it when I lay down, although luckily he’s not quite strong enough to disturb my sleep just yet. It’s his opportunity to play and use my womb as an adventure playground, it would appear. I finally managed to capture him on video last night, making my belly ripple around. It’s so bizarre to see and feel, especially when I put my hands on my tummy and feel his head / bum when he rolls over! I can’t wait to be able to define what body part it is that I’m feeling.

My backache is really starting to kick in now, probably not helped by all the broken springs, lumps and bumps in our mattress!

In other non-pregnancy news, I’ve almost finished my Christmas shopping! I can’t quite believe it myself. I’m sure I must have forgotten someone, but the extensive lists I’ve made in my Filofax tell me otherwise! I’m so prepared this year, I might even write out my Christmas cards soon. Blimey. And the whole flat is clean and tidy. what’s going on?! This isn’t the normal procrastinating me that I know so well!

Thank you for all your comments recently. I do try to reply to them all, but for some reason I’m not always getting the notifications that they’re there!

Life at 22 Weeks Pregnant

October 29, 2011 by Aimee Marie | 4 Comments

That right there is a grainy photo taken on my BlackBerry of our son at our 20 week scan. Yes! We’re having a beautiful, bouncing baby boy! The sonographer was very pleased with his development. Apparently he is big and long already— which is no surprise as I’m 5″10 & his dad is 6″4!— and he’s got a lovely strong heartbeat. Look at those little fingers, giving us a wave!

We’d already settled on names before we found out the sex of the baby, so I can now tell you the little dumpling in my belly is called…

BYRON [BIE-rən] From a surname which was originally from a place name meaning “place of the cow sheds” in Old English. This was the surname of the romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824), the writer of ‘Don Juan’ and many other works.

He is now kicking and writhing around everyday. I’m now at 22 weeks (& two days!) and his movements have got even stronger since that scan, a fortnight ago, so much so other people can now feel his little kicks and sometimes I can even see my belly move! He’s being very naughty with his dad though— every time he kicks & Ashley’s with me, I grab his hand to feel it too, then he stops & repeats this process about 10 times!

Naturally, since finding out our offspring is a little boy, we’ve been buying more clothes— cue loads of adorable onesies with dinosaurs, bright colours, bears and even a little sailor’s outfit! It’s addictive, although we need to calm down a little now and start thinking more about the essentials like his cot-bed mattress, rocker, bath… the list goes on (& on!)

Last Friday I started getting some stabbing pains in my heart and barely slept, as it hurt more when laying down. Sitting up and leaning forward relieved the pain, and sometimes it travelled through my chest to my back. After a bit of googling, I decided I had pericarditis. I’m 99.99% sure! Sod’s law that by the time my 22-25 week doctor’s appointment came around on Thursday morning, it had pretty much gone. Still, I mentioned it, but he didn’t seem worried & thinks it was muscular, despite me telling him it doesn’t hurt to touch! I’m going to mention it again to the antenatal nurse on Tuesday though, as if it’s pericarditis it can be recurring & I have had it once pre-pregnancy for 24 hours.

He was also concerned that my blood pressure seemed a little high, hence another appointment next week. Fingers crossed it was a one-off— at previous appointments, they’ve taken a second & third normal reading right away, but this doctor did not seem down with that!