Lucky Number 100

Wow, I can't believe this is my 100th post! If you've been reading this from the beginning, thank you for sticking with me- and hopefully I'm still entertaining enough to continue doing so! 

I gotta say- I'm really enjoying this blogging business so far, I haven't written in a number of years & I had forgotten how enjoyable it is. It's been like finding that invaluable piece of jewellery that you had given up on yonks ago- and then all of a sudden- ta da! It's back! Now I can't imagine not typing my thoughts out for all the world to see. Sometimes I stop and think, should I say that? It's a bit controversial? And then I think, fuck it- that's why I'm here, to put my real self out there, and I also want to be able to look back at my posts and not think, "what a load of utter shit, I definitely did not think that, who was I trying to kid?"

I already like to look back over old posts just for a trip down memory lane... Yesterday I reread my 18 week pregnancy post and had a laugh. My slim tum almost has no sign of a baby & I was whining about being 'bigger than last time', ha ha, I now realise how ridiculous that must have sounded. 

Man it's tough being a girl sometimes isn't it? We're never happy. 

But seriously, thanks for contributing to my journey folks, getting messages from you about my posts truly makes my day... I hope you stick around!

Well, as you've probably guessed- there is no baby yet and I've just hit the 38 week mark. I'm ok with that, I still hope to not make 39 weeks but I guess all I can do is wait (and walk, squat, have sex, eat curry, & drink litres of red raspberry leaf)- I am doing all of the above religiously. So this week has been rather boring, I made no plans for anything just incase the infant arrived. I've ended up indulging in some much needed self beauty therapy including; shaving of legs (no easy feat working around the mound), tinting of brows;

Self mani; (yes I'm a big dark polish fan incase you hadn't guessed already)

And an unpictured pink pedi. So now I've had the works I'm really ready! There's literally nothing left to paint, shave, or scrub.. So come on out little one!

Oh, we decided on a name too- I think?! Yes we're sure. Pretty sure. 90% sure. All will be revealed in due time.

So now we continue to wait!

I've eaten a lot of great food recently too including these incredible summer rolls that they make fresh at my local woollies (say wahhh? I know);

I can't believe I didn't know about these, they make them fresh in front of your eyes! I now have a lunch go-to, which is a big deal for me.

And these dishes were devoured in the weekend on my lunch date with Teesh, raw zucchini pasta; (yes raw!)

And raw pumpkin rocket pizza;

Both from the "Raw Kitchen" in Fremantle. Both amazing! This healthy eating trend is really hitting the local eateries massively isn't it? Everywhere you go now you can order green smoothies, or buckwheat pancakes, or even vegan brownies?!! Incredible really. I'm digging it. 

And I still need to post my amazing lava cake recipe which is by no means clean, I promise to get onto that in my next post, so easy & so delish! 

Meanwhile, Blake is throwing tantrum number twenty for the day & it is only 9am. Crrriiinngggeee. We're in for a fun one today I think! Alas, Mums here in 3 short days yahoooooo, she may aswel wear a cape because she is going to be my hero.

Hope you're all enjoying your week thus far, I'll be in touch with any news!

Thought of the day "Is closing my bedroom door & inserting earplugs considered bad parenting?"

Gemma 

Giggles

If you are a human being, you are guaranteed to find at least one of these hilarious;

(This cat one had me going for hours)

And here were some ones that resonated well with me;

(True dat Robert Downey Jnr)

I was seriously in fits of laughter for hours at those funny ones, I hope if you've had a shitty day these cheer you up.

No baby yet by the way- he seems pretty cosy in there for now... Dammit.

Happy Monday !

P.s This just happened for dessert;

Chocolate lava cakes, recipe to come...

Gemma 

Finding the Medium

Hi all, happy Saturday!! 

Recently Oli and my Mum have been on my case about taking some time out to relax and not worry about housework, exercise, cooking etc...

I would be the first to admit I'm slightly pedantic about keeping the house clean and fitting in some sort of daily exercise. The term "relax" just isn't on my radar anymore, it instantly translates to "bored". Although because I am always trying to cram so much into one day, Oli does often come home to a slightly frazzled and stressed out wife which isn't fun for anyone. So I conducted somewhat of an experiment this week and decided to note down a normal day & what I would do, and then take a day 'off', doing nothing but feeding myself and B when necessary and 'relaxing'. 

A Normal Day;

6am- Up and atom, get Blake changed and set up with her bottle

6:15 - Coffee & Make bed

6:30- Blake breakfast 

6:50- My breakfast & Dishes & Put washing on

7:15- Walk + Yoga + Squats

8:30- Hang out washing

8:40- Vacuum (this isn't a daily occurrence)

9am- Mop floors (neither is this)

9:15- Played with Blake/ read books

9:45- Blake goes down for nap

10am- Shower

10:30- Blog & send emails 

11:30- Blakes up, make snacks and lunch 

11:45- Help Blake with lunch 

12:15- Make my lunch 

12:45- Go out to get groceries 

1:45- Chiropractic Appointment 

2:30- Smoothie time!

3pm- Start prepping dinner / B in playpen

4pm- Get in washing, fold & put away/ Blakes toon time

4:30- Bath time for B

5pm- Dinner time for B

5:30- Cook dinner

6pm- Bottle time for Blake, followed by brushing her teeth & then Dad reads her a story 

6:30- Bedtime Blake / Our dinner time 

7pm- Couple time / crappy telly time

By this stage I am exhausted, my back & heels ache and all I want to do is sleeeep! 

So as you can see, toddlers really are huge time consumers. Trying to fit in some exercise & blogging each day is the only way I can stay sane! I could definitely ease off on all the household chores, & dinner doesn't always have to be some fancy shmancy meal- I do know these things, you may just have to tell me a few more times before it actually sinks in. 

On the contrary- Wednesday was our "day off". I didn't do any of the above except for feed & change Blake and myself, and I did 1 load of washing as I couldn't help myself. I had downloaded a season of "Shameless", so whilst Blake tore around the place doing as she pleased- I parked myself on the couch and didn't move all day. (Has anyone watched Shameless? So bloody good!)

I took a lot of snaps of B, and Oli must have sensed my boredom as he received a trillion messages / pics throughout the day & he thought it was hilarious.

(Not happy about our day of nada)

The thing is, I felt far more tired than on a usual day- I felt lethargic & horrible. I'm not sure whether that's a mental thing, or whether physically lying down all day actually made me more tired?! And not only that, but the day draaaagggeeddd out for what seemed like an eternity. I was not feeling this "do nothing" business. Not one bit. 

Later that evening my laziness continued (snowball effect), and I made a toasted sandwich before heading off to antenatal class. By the end of the day I didn't feel relaxed or refreshed, infact, I felt even more exhausted than usual & like I'd wasted an entire day. 

So in conclusion, I think I need to find a medium. Maybe just 30 minutes every day to sit down, switch off & read, or meditate or something... (I haven't read in so long, I'm beginning to think all this OCD could be nesting related)

Maybe it's just not in my nature to chill out anymore, but I do realise its a necessity for my sanity, so I'm going to make a conscious effort to take a breather every so often. The bed doesn't always need to be made, spag on toast is a perfectly acceptable meal once a week, & the dishes can wait.... They're going to have to when number two arrives soon enough anyway. I doubt I will have much choice when I'm trying to juggle two infants! 

So that's my dilemma at the moment, over-doing it when I should probably be trying to relax as much as possible. What do you guys think? Any tips on what you do to 'chill out'? 

I'm taking some of my own advice today actually and leaving Blake with Oli and heading out for a date with a lovely gf of mine- lunch & pedicures, bliss! (I can't physically paint my own toenails anymore so I really don't have a choice) 

Hope you're all having a swell Saturday 

Thought of the day "F off heartburn"

Gemma 

37 Weeks

Full term!

What's been happening: Ding ding- he's ready! He is now approx 3.1kgs and 50cm from head to toe. The only thing he'll be doing is gaining (unnecessary) weight in there now, which he is most welcome to do on the outside. Yes, I think that would suit us both just fine. 

As for me- I feel like I've been horseriding all day everyday. Tender is an understatement... 

Weight Gain; I actually jumped on the scales yesterday for the first time at my midwife appointment and got a pleasant surprise. I was 72kgs, which means I've only gained 12kgs total? Shit you not, I was expecting at least 80. So maybe I have been slightly OTT with my "wahhhhh I'm so fat" episodes. (Oops- sorry Oli). Half of that weight will be gone right after birth & the rest will no doubt get sucked directly out of my boobies shortly after- sweet! 

Workouts: Lots of walking & lots of squats- my quads feel like they're made of stone at the moment

Movement: He is still partying hard in there & I'm beginning to think I'm not going to get a break from it before he is born now. He is pretty tame during the day, but as soon as 7pm hits its party time. Great timing eh, I hope this isn't his routine on the outside too!

Food Aversions: Shockingly, I'm not feeling chocolate at the moment- I know, there must be some serious hormonal changes happening.. 

Food cravings: Apples, grapes, smoothies, toast & chips this week 

Sleep;   So so... Rolling over is becoming a bit of a struggle & I've been getting strong tightenings at night too so they've been waking me up. Then there's the ol' squished bladder debacle- I almost want to buy adult nappies at this point. 

Miss anything: Not really this week, I'm trying to appreciate what little time I have left of this pregnancy 

Fun/ interesting things for the week;

Well- we picked up our pool package!! I hope Oli was listening to all the instructions because I wasn't. Turns out we need a lot more stuff before it all kicks off aswel- we don't have any old sheets or towels to use, & seeing as we have carpeted floor, some plastic sheets will be vital and we will somehow have to make a runway from the pool to the bathroom... Oli will no doubt take a trip to bunnings this weekend (alone), and sort it all out. I doubt his arm will need much twisting for that. 

So it's all go now!! Yikes!

Stretchmarks; My blessed belly is holding strong, thank goodness. 

Happy or moody: Happy tired excited nervous petrified anxious eager & yet surprisingly calm. It changes by the minute... 

Looking forward to:Seeing Oli see him for the first time 

Bump update:  

I hope this is the last one... 

Cross your fingers & toes for an early arrival for me please! 

Gemma 

Birth Plan and Preparation

Hey all! Today I thought I would share with you a few of the methods we're using / planning to use for our impending birth. There are infinite options in this day and age to assist in having a natural healthy birth- it's almost impossible to try them all. But I used a few of these last time to prep for labour & I'm also trying out a few new ones for this birth, so I thought I would let you all know which ones seemed to work for me- and hopefully some of you pregnant mamas can have some insight into what you might like to try too!

Evening primrose oil capsules;

These little gems contain an excellent source of prostaglandins- which help to ripen your cervix for dilation. Apparently it just softens everything up in there for a smoother delivery. And I am certainly all for a smoother delivery! I used these last time, starting from 34 weeks orally twice a day & then at 36 weeks internally before bed. Internally isn't all that pleasant, and its quite messy by the morning too (a pad is definitely a necessity). However, I never tore last time and I have no idea if this had anything to do with it or not but on the off chance this was why then I am all for doing it again!

Red raspberry leaf tea;

Drinking red raspberry leaf tea during pregnancy is said to help strengthen and tone the uterine and pelvic floor muscles in preparation for the birth, and it also doubles as an aid to up your milk supply post-birth. There's actually been some studies done recently that show that women who drink red raspberry leaf tea regularly in their last few weeks of pregnancy have less chance of birth intervention & a significantly reduced second stage (pushing stage). Once again, I really couldn't tell you if this was the reason I had such a short pushing phase last time or a ridiculously overflowing milk supply- it could all be a coincidence- but both of those stats rung true to me so I'm gulping this stuff down morning, noon & night!

Exercise;

It doesn't take a genius to realise that keeping fit during pregnancy is vital for not only a healthy body, but for a healthy mind aswel. I like to think of labour as a marathon. You train mentally & physically to run the full distance, but if you're lucky you'll only end up having to do a half marathon- and if you're reeeeeeally lucky it'll just be a fun run! Well, I'm not sure about the fun part but a quick 5km sprint nonetheless. 

So I'm training for a marathon but hoping for a 10km jog... Dreams are free eh? (And this metaphor wasn't stolen off the Internet by the way, maybe I should copywrite it?)

Rescue remedy;

I've never actually tried rescue remedy before but I've heard & read some really good reviews on using it in labour. Rescue remedy is a combo of natural flower essences preserved in a grape alcohol solution and is said to calm you down in stressful situations. 

My mum suggested I use it for my first labour but I completely forgot to get some, so this time I've got a little bottle to test out when shit starts to get hectic around here. I'll let you know if it works, or if it is simply like throwing a wet wipe on a bushfire.

Acupressure;

Another newbie for us is acupressure. These 'points' when activated in labour are said to distract you from focusing on the pain of the contractions. 

There's a wide range of different points, but I'll probably just try out a couple of easy ones. The one pictured above seems straight forward, and also pinching the skin between your thumb and forefinger is another popular point. Last time in labour I totally succumbed to the pain of each contraction, focusing on them with my entire being & willing them to end. So I think a distraction is a great idea! I guess it's kind of like when a toddler falls over and hurts themself, if you hand them a toy (lollipop) before they start crying they tend to forget they're hurt? 

Positive affirmations;

How amazing is this picture? I love it!

I do recall Oli telling me how great I was doing last time, but this time I want melodramatic, overly-cheesy lines galore. I'm thinking along the lines of "goddess" "superwoman" "powerful" etc etc... I want my horn to be tooted throughout the entire process thank you! 

That's about all I'm relying on to get me through the big day! Throw in a bit of music and dim lighting for ambience, and we should have ourselves one hell of a birth party. I'm pretty bloody excited now, I might also pick up an instant cake mixture & candles for Oli to whip up a bday cake upon his arrival, everybody wants cake after a marathon right? 

Today marks 37 Weeks and we are meeting the midwife & picking up the pool in a couple of hours. Hopefully we can do a test run this weekend and Oli can master getting it sorted in record time, I'll be there- stopwatch on hand. No pressure. 

Hope you're all having a wonderful week,

Thought of the day "come out come out wherever you are!"

Gemma 

Weekend Highlights

Hey everyone! How was your weekend?

We had another fairly relaxed one over here. Well, mostly...Oli came home on Friday to find I had morphed into 'erratic overtired emotional' Gemma- and he said he knew right away his big V-day dinner plans weren't going to pan out as he had imagined. So there I was, on the floor with big red puffy eyes, frowning & rigid, turning away whenever he tried to embrace me. 

It was just one of those afternoons...

I've got to give him 10 points for trying though- he did still whip up some very tasty bruschetta to which I think I managed to grumble out a thanks at some point. I knew I should have just shaken my mood and forced a smile, but I was feeling particularly shitty and I just couldn't muster the energy for it. So here's a public apology to my wonderful and loving partner in crime, I did appreciate it- and I do appreciate you everyday. 

You know how excited I was about picking out our new bedding?! Well... 

TA DA; 

How magical is this? Does it not make you think of taking a nap in the Garden of Eden? Peace love and tranquility galore. It wasn't an easy choice, I had picked out two others that I really liked- but they were geometrical patterns rather than floral. What sold me was the fact that Oli loved this one aswel. I really expected a 'you've gotta be kidding' from him, but he said he thought it was 'bohemian' and 'cool'. Sold. 

For a pretty penny might I add- decent bedding really isn't cheap these days huh? We figured its a bit of an investment though as its likely to last for a number of years. Suddenly, our boring room is so vibrant & inviting, I literally don't want to leave! 

So Saturday morning was spent snuggling up a storm in there with our wee family;

Followed by a phenomenal (if I do say so myself) buffet brunch;

We don't usually whip up such feasts and sit at the table on the weekends so I thought I had better take a snapshot for safekeeping. Turns out Blake loves bacon just as much as her Dad!

After brunch we ventured out to IKEA to grab a few things we needed in the kitchen. Wow, Saturdays at IKEA really aren't for the faint hearted. It was dizzying after 5 minutes, so we got in and out as fast as possible. I always manage to grab a few extras whenever I go to IKEA (who doesn't really?), but my faves were definitely these funky glass mugs;

These are making my raspberry leaf teas that much better already. 

We also managed to finally find a decent frame for this picture that Olis brother & sister-in-law got for Blake nearly 18 months back;

Such a gorgeous gift all the way from London that we can finally show off now! (thanks Sarah)

By Saturday afternoon I was feeling pretty pooped (story of my life), so we had some downtime on the couch watching cartoons;

Haha, I love Blakes staunch 'rugby photo' face.  

And then later on in the eve, our friend Josh arrived all the way from NZ bearing gifts in the form of biscuits and pineapple lumps;

He really knows the way to a woman's heart. God I had missed squiggles. 

Sunday morning we ventured out to trendy Cottesloe for a spot of brunch. I think I actually enjoy brunch more than any other meal, like if I had the choice- I'd much rather go out for brunch than dinner. There's just something so appealing about waking up & not having to make your own breakfast or clean it up. And eggs are the best, obviously. 

I wish I got a picture of our food though because it was amazing, I had breakfast bruschetta with tom spinach feta egg and leg ham, & Oli and Josh got the salmon hash stacks which were mind blowing. I washed mine down with a chocolate milkshake which tasted better than usual as it was in a proper tin milkshake tumbler- nothing beats the classics! 

And that's about all we did on Sunday. Following brunch, we both slowly slid into food comas and ended up back at home, blinds down, pants off, watching movies & eating squiggles. The perfect lazy day. 

Yet again, in the blink of an eye- it's Monday. I'm stoked though as this week is very exciting- we are picking up our birth pool! Once we have that here, reality will really sink in. I still can't comprehend that a baby is about to turn our family of 3 into 4? Loco! 

Thus far, today has been spent going out for a delightful stroll around the hood, and then I laid out my mat & managed to get in half an hrs yoga which was really relaxing & opening;

We are feeling good people, good and ready!!

And now that the ruler of the roost is asleep, I may just sneak into the garden of eden for a little snooze myself..

Have a fabulous Monday folks,

Thought of the day "I miss Oli already"

Gemma

36 Weeks (9 months)

Hello homestretch!

What's been happening: 

He is now approx 2.9 kgs & 49cm from head to toe. Not a lot of change from last week for him in there; still bulking & hopefully nestling into my pelvis soon for his exit. At the end of this week he will be considered full term!! Which means he could come any day now.. Eeeeeek!

As for me; I've starting gulping down my red raspberry leaf tea & the evening primrose tablets. I used both of these last time & had Blake early so I'm all for trying that again!

Weight Gain; I'm just so incredibly glad it is coming to an end!! 

Dont get me wrong- I am truly grateful to my body for having put up with these almost back-to-back pregnancies & still kept most bits and pieces intact, that's no easy feat- alas, my dash is done and I'm ready to selfishly regain my figure, slowly but surely. 

Workouts: Still walking most days but have conveniently left out the squats this week- I'll make sure I do them this coming week though, solely because it might make him come out rather than for fitness 

Movement: Absolutely ludicrously insane movements over the past few days. I've been grabbing Olis hand and making him a witness to the internal organ bashing that is going on on a regular basis. I'm not sure how he still has room in there to move but he is certainly not letting up! We are talking tidal waves across my stomach.

Food Aversions: Nope 

Food cravings: I'm all over those carbs, sourdough, baguette, bagel, burgen- whatever's available, give them a good smear of butter & Vegemite and I am in heaven. Oh, and our friend Josh bought over a mountain of mallow puffs, toffee pops & squiggles from NZ for me (yes me, not us) yesterday so I've been inhaling biscuits at a ridiculous rate.

Sleep;   I wish!! Even though we have just invested in the dreamiest king sized bed (with even dreamier bedding, which I plan to share with you all in my next post), I haven't been able to enjoy it quite as much as Oli seems to be just yet. On Friday night I had continuously strong Braxton Hicks which left me with approx 3 hrs sleep, and when it isn't that it's my old mate heartburn or just his party-animal antics keeping me up. Fingers crossed for a blissfully deep slumber this eve... 

Miss anything: Sex! Sorry for the overshare but at this stage when a lot of things are going on 'down there', it's just not a fun place for anyone to be- so I'm looking forward to breaking down the barrier between us in that enormous bed as soon as poss... It could actually help get things moving down there too, win win!

Fun/ interesting things for the week;

The most fun I had this week was definitely picking and choosing out our new bedding, and I am so stoked with it!! Having a comfy and inviting bed is absolutely vital to any bedroom in my opinion, and now ours is so inviting I never want to get out- if only this baby would allow me to actually get some sleep in it! 

Stretchmarks; Still none!

Happy or moody: Snoooooozy & moody & happy all at once- schitzo.

Looking forward to: Feeling that first real contraction!

Bump update:  

Isn't this a bit cute? The things you can do on smartphones these days eh?

Gemma 

Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups & Watermelon Chia Slushie

Hey everyone, how are you doing this week? 

It's been another scorcher over here, but we've still been beating the heat to get out for our morning walks. Yesterday I finally got around to getting our Mountain Buggy tyres fixed as I popped two of them two weeks back. I had been using the Phil & Teds double pram instead, & there is just no comparison  between the two. The Mountain Buggy is about a trillion times smoother, so pushing that bad boy yesterday felt like a whole new walking experience. Sorry Phil & Ted, but it looks like you'll be spending your days collecting redbacks in the corner of the garage for a while... 

Well yesterday I had a couple of winners in the kitchen that I thought I would share with you all..

First up "Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups"

I've made versions of these before but never with chicken mince, only with prawns - which were delicious but not quite as filling as these. This was actually my first time using chicken mince so I was a tad apprehensive about how they would turn out, but obviously I'm posting this recipe for a reason; that reason being they were really freakin' good. 

Once again I didn't follow a proper recipe, I just threw in what I thought (hoped) would work well together. Now, there looks like a truckload of ingredients but it is a really simple dish & the flavours were amazing. (If you hadn't already noticed I'm a little obsessed with coriander and chilli) 

Ingredients;

500gm Chicken, Pork or Turkey mince 

Iceberg lettuce washed & separated into leaf cups 

1 garlic clove crushed & thinly diced

1 red chilli diced

Handful fresh coriander chopped 

1/4 cup oyster sauce

3 Tbs Soy Sauce 

1 Tbs Red wine vinegar 

1 carrot cut into thin strips 

Red cabbage thinly diced 

Bamboo sticks 

Method;

In a large frypan, add a little oil and the garlic on medium heat. After a minute or two, add the mince. Season well with salt and pepper. Once the mince is cooked through, add the chilli & coriander. Let those flavours soak through for another couple of mins, then add the soy sauce, vinegar, and oyster sauce. If you like your sauce a bit heavier- add more oyster sauce to taste. Add the chopped carrot and let that soften for another minute. Then, simply add as much of the mince as you'd like to your lettuce cup with a bit of red cabbage, roll up and pin with a bamboo stick to serve;

My lettuce cups were ginormous & I jam packed them with a lot of the mince mixture. Holy moly, so so good!! Two of those down the hatch and I was stuffed. Oli had one in the lettuce cup and another in a tortilla wrap (cos he's far too manly for lettuce cups), and he said they were really good either way so eat it as you please! Luckily there were leftovers so I'm looking forward to round two for lunch today too. 

Earlier in the day, I had a big chunk of watermelon I needed to eat before it got too soft so I blended up a simple concoction that turned out to be equally delicious;

All that went in was chopped watermelon, ice, coconut water, chia seeds & the juice of half a lime. The lime definitely made this drink, it gave it an amazing 'zing'. So refreshing and nutritious! Give it a whirl. 

I feel like lately I'm conquering my resolution of getting creative in the kitchen and it is fantastic. Although, that's probably because I haven't had any duds in a while, don't you guys hate when you put so much effort into trying something new & it turns out tasting awful? There is nothing worse in my opinion. Oli is always scared when I try out new things in the kitchen- because it's either going to be really great, or he's going to have a moody bitch to put up with for the rest of the night, he just holds his breath and says "mmmmmm delicious" regardless of the taste I think. 

I'm planning on trying mini chocolate lava cakes today, watch this space... 

In other news from yesterday, Blake continued her quest as the cutest toddler in all the land;

She had her first chupa chup & I could not pry that stick out of her mits. I'll add that one to the bribe list. Don't judge me.

Today I'm fairly excited (beside myself) about buying new bedding for our King Bed we finally invested in. We are picking it up this eve and I cannot wait!! I absolutely adore our current duvet (should I be saying doona now? Such a weird word), but unfortunately- it's a queen... So I have no choice but to go on the hunt for a newbie. New bedding gets me unnaturally excited- is that just me? Or is it a woman thing? 

I'll be sure to post pics once I pick the perfect one! 

Tomorrow is V-Day and Oli reckons he is making us a 3 course romantic meal.  This should be interesting! Excuse my scepticism but considering I don't remember the last time he cooked one course let alone three, do you blame me?  Regardless, I'm pumped for whatever he comes up with as long as it means I get to laze on the couch and get it served to my lap.. 

Does anyone else have any romantic plans for the day? I am not a believer in the over-commercialised crap that comes with Valentines Day, but I do think its a good excuse to have some quality time together and maybe share a nice meal and some wine.. 

Anyway, I hope you're all having a fantastic week and most of you get dinner cooked or bought for you tomorrow aswel!

Thought of the day "well I wouldn't turn down a box of chocolates..."

Gemma 

Babies vs Toddlers

Before we had Blake, I had been flooded with opinions from family members & friends on how difficult having a baby is. Apparently it is the norm to offer up horror stories of sleepless nights and the youth being sucked right out of you. I admit, I was petrified. 

(Nawww isn't this the cutest)

And then Blake arrived & life certainly did change. But not how I thought it would. It was magnificent in every way, I felt absolutely incredible & I rode the wave of euphoria through her first six months of life. I've never felt such love for anyone or anything & I've also never felt so loved myself. Sure, I was missing a bit of sleep, but it really didn't make a dent in the happiness that surrounded our sweet little family..

I realise each baby is different and obviously if you had a baby with colic or one that just simply never liked to sleep- you may have not had it so good.. But Blake was an angel, all she did was sleep, suck some boob, look exceptionally cute, and sleep some more.  I never had to worry about routines or food or naps, she would just sleep wherever I went, in the car- front pack - on her beanbag - on a couch - it really didn't matter. I could just feed her whenever she was hungry without packing bottles or chopping up mountains of cucumber or sandwiches that now get thrown right back at me.. 

It was easy peasy. 

So if someone were to ask me what it is like adjusting to a new baby- I'd be quite chuffed to pass on the news that there is nothing like it in this entire world, & to savour and cherish each moment with their sweet little baby before they hit toddlerhood.

Toddlers. Now that's a different story. 

Over the past 4 or 5 months, Ive come to the realisation that Blake is somewhat of a miniature genius. She knows in advance to run away and hide when breakfast is coming because weetbix sucks. She knows when she's done a poo to smile up at me and then run to her room promptly so I can immediately clean it up then and there. She knows if she wants my attention all she has to do is scrape a dark object down the walls (always dark, every-time). She also knows that she can now just simply refuse anything she doesn't want- food is gone with the shove of her small hand, naps are undone by relentless tantrums, clothes don't need to go on if she wriggles and struggles for long enough (same with nappies), and toys are shit unless they are mums phone or kindle or anything she isn't allowed to touch. 

As Blake approaches her big 18 month milestone, things are really starting to get interesting around here. Just the other day we went to 'rhyme time' at the local library, where mums with 0-2yr olds go and have a sing a long. Pretty much an excuse to get out of the house & have some adult conversation... So whilst all the other babies & toddlers sat on their mothers laps clapping and enjoying the songs, Blake couldn't get further away from me. She ran laps around the room stealing toys from babies grasps & occasionally picking wallets out of women's handbags. Yup, pick pocketing at 1.5 years old. Luckily everyone found it  funny. But I am genuinely a little afraid to go out in public.. 

She is so boisterous & cheeky which 90% of the time is hilarious, 10% is exhausting. I'm not sure whether being pregnant makes that 10% feel like 50% some days or whether this is just how it is meant to be at this age. As she was sprinting around that library I thought to myself, "I am way too pregnant (fat) to be chasing her around for the next 30 minutes", and that's how I feel most of the time at the moment in general. Yet all she wants is to be chased!! Go figure.. 

Don't get me wrong- I laugh with, and at her numerous times each day. I'm truly stunned by how smart she is on a daily basis & I adore watching her grow and learn. But can we just fast forward past these 'terrible two's' please? Oh wait, then I'll have another one approaching the same phase... 

What have I got myself into?

At least I now know I'm going to soak up every ounce of sweet compliance that our newborn gives us, "why yes mum I'd love to eat whatever mash you serve up, and I will happily sleep in this front pack while you take a stroll, can you please change my nappy? It's not urgent though just when you have a moment.." 

If you ask me, babies are all smooth sailing, it's toddlerhood you need to watch out for. Be prepared with some sturdy runners, a high chair with straight jacket straps & a sound-proof bedroom if you really want to go all out. 

Gemma 

Made My Monday

These are some of the things that made me smile today;

Nature looking 'oh so pretty' on our morning walk

And my offspring looking prettier 

Some fresh cookies 

Blake had her first ride on a shopping mall merry-go-round. I think I was just as excited as her

I still pinch myself everytime I spot this sparkler gleaming up at me, how on earth did I deserve something so beautiful? I hope my finger stays slim enough in these final weeks to leave it on..

What's made your Monday?

Thought of the day "fish tacos fish tacos fish tacos"

Gemma