35 Weeks

It's the final countdown! Feel free to evacuate the premises any time after Feb 21st (37 weeks) sweet baby boy.. I'm going to jinx it aren't I? He'll prob wait until March 21st. 

What's been happening: 

He is now approx 2.6 kgs & 47cm from head to toe. All he is doing this week is gaining weight for his big debut!! His kidneys & liver are now fully formed and functioning & he is very nearly ready to take on the big wide world. 

As for me, my organs are all over the show as they manoeuvre around my huge uterus. It's really rather impressive how everything just makes room in there for a baby;

Can you see how squished that bladder is? Yeah that's great fun!

Weight Gain; Ive been feeling good about this subject this week (for once). Mostly because I know this pregnancy is coming to an end & it's likely to be my last... I'm going to miss rubbing my belly in no time at all. 

Workouts: I clocked up over 30km of walking last week & at least 200 squats, feeling fantastic! 

Movement: His cute little butt is still in a not-so-cute position up under my ribs & he is still wriggling around a lot. Supposedly it should all be dying down now as he should be too cramped, but clearly he's making the most of his space while he still has it. 

Food Aversions: Nope 

Food cravings: Strangely I've only been feeling like healthy foods lately, smoothies, avocado, eggs, & fruit and veggies. The ol' bod must have had enough of the fried foods and sugar... There's always room for a mini creme egg though, or a mini ice cream. I love how marketers know that by simply making things into a "mini" version, suckers like me will buy ten boxes. Because its obviously far better for you than having the regular size treats. Genius. 

Sleep; Fairly consistent this week, B has been doing a solid 6-6 every night & I've been tucking in as soon as the sun sets. My only problem is switching off my mind at the moment, I think I'm just far too excited/ nervous about this big meet & greet!

Miss anything: Just having my organs in their usual spots, aaaand my mojo. The bedroom is solely for sleeping these days..

Fun/ interesting things for the week; We had our "Active Birth" workshop on Saturday arvo & I'm so glad we both went along. Initially I was going to go alone as we couldn't get a babysitter but my legend mate Teesh ended up watching Blake so we could go together. I had been worried about how Oli would cope with this birth lately, last time he didn't take seeing me like that very well & therefore wasn't quite as supportive as I would have liked (I don't blame him I was very vocal). So it was great to go over some different acupressure points and see him get really into it on Saturday. I'm now confident he'll be amazing come D Day & I'm looking forward to getting some of those sweet Swiss ball massages too. I may even slightly dramatise the level of pain of my earlier contractions just to get my back rubbed for hours on end... Milk it while I can eh? 

Oh and on Thurs eve when we had some friends around we decided to do a write up of "guess when the baby will come", my money is on March 2nd, and Olis is Feb 28th. I'd be happy as larry with either to be honest! 

Stretchmarks; Still none!

Happy or moody: Happy 

Looking forward to: Just the usual; meeting him, having a wine & sleeping on my stomach! 

Bump update:  

This mornings shot (pre breakfast as post wouldn't fit on this page)

The veins creep me out!

Gemma 

Saturday Snaps

Saturday served us well today, we went for a sweet family stroll to start the day, soaking up some sunshine & smelling the roses..

And then I indulged in some seaweed salad (to die for) 

Followed up by some swiss ball action at our birth workshop;

Later on Oli went out to Laneway fest (not jealous at all), and Blake and I splashed about in the bath;

And now I'm spending the evening blissfully alone scrolling through old snaps, reminiscing on some swell times. I just found this old selfie that I must print out and tape to the fridge for motivation post birth;

Instead of having a million pics of other women I want to look like- why not just aim to look the best for my body? I remember thinking I still had so far to go when taking this pic too, how ridiculous- I'll be so stoked if I'm ever this trim again.

My sister just sent me a few pics from a good 100 years ago too- tears in my eyes, so so funny;

Following this trip down memory lane- I plan on watching Philomena & scoffing some creme eggs before retiring to bed to stttttrrreeeetttccchhh out & starfish all night long. Oh yeah! 

Night friends 

Thought of the day "I think I'm actually excited to give birth again?"

Gemma 

A Delicious Day

Hi folks! How are you all doing this week?

I can't believe it's Friday already, where the hell is time going? It feels as though I'm going to blink & suddenly have a newborn baby attached to my boob whilst chasing down my tyrant toddler?! 

Had I been able to tell my 20 year old self that in 4 years this is where I would be, I would have laughed so hard the beer would have squirted out my nose. I love the unpredictability of life. 

Well yesterday turned out to be quite the success in the kitchen. Unexpectedly actually as I had big plans for Vegemite toast. 

When B went down for her morning nap I had the urge for something sweet, so instead of reaching for the mini creme eggs I decided to try my hand at making some energy balls. I didn't follow any recipe, I literally just threw every healthy ingredient I had in the cupboard into a bowl & crossed my fingers for something edible. And funnily- I nailed it in one go. 

Here's what went in;

1/2 cup quick oats 

2 tbs LSA 

2 tbs cacao (I've been cacao crazy!)

Dash of maple syrup 

2 tbs chia seeds 

2 tbs desiccated coconut 

Half cup dark choc chips (these definitely made it)

Half cup almond butter

100ml coconut oil (unpictured)

All mixed together & rolled into bite sized balls

Voila;

 

They are so tasty!! I've kept them in the fridge & today they're not as moist as they were yesterday so maybe a bit more coconut oil next time, but other than that they're perfect. I've been reaching for one every hr, so good! And pretty bloody good for you too. 

For lunch I naturally reached for the egg carton (for a change) & came up with this feast;

Avo and eggs on Burgen bread with a rocket spinach and tomato salad. Add a sprinkle of chilli flakes and pepper & you're away. I would say 'so good' again but it just doesn't do this meal justice. Sublime is better suited. 

Banana bread has been something I've been meaning to try for an extraordinarily long time so I finally bit the bullet following lunch yesterday & made a batch. Ummm, someone could have told me how easy it was?! Done & dusted in 10 mins. I followed this recipe;

But I added the rest of those dark choc chips & some crushed walnuts aswel, deeeeeellliiissshhh. By no means healthy, but deeeeellliissshh.

That batch is almost gone already- something tells me I'll be making another one this weekend. Is there actually any difference between banana bread & banana cake besides the shape? It tastes exactly the same? I'm not complaining though, what on this earth is better than fresh banana cake after all? 

Yesterday arv Blake and I went out to buy a few bits & bobs and I ended up finding some new bras by Bonds in Big W. Turns out they finally got up with the play & realised women do have breasts bigger than a D cup these days. These new maternity bras go up to an F cup & are such a comfortable fit, no more underwire woohoo! And they were only $25 bucks each- compared to my usual $100+ to end up with a beige granny bra that gives my boobs that awful 'cone' shape that you see all 60yr olds rocking. 

Check em out;

Spunky! My breasts feel youthful again.

Last night we had a few friends over for a BBQ, Tali was up from Margaret River so she was staying & Andy and Jimmy popped in so we all hung out & ate delicious (unpictured) barbecued chicken & the softest sourdough. Heaven. Blake was a bit excited with all the new faces & decided she wanted to stay up late & hang out too;

 

(Excuse Jimmys big hairy shin)

This picture is rather ironic as Blake has this weird grudge against Andy, whenever he shows up her face just crumbles & she starts bawling. Its so incredibly hilarious as he is the only one she does it too & we don't know why. Poor guy is probably scared to come around...I think it's his manly face & long hair combo- or he just screams weirdo? Either way, it's really entertaining. 

So that was lovely to see everyone & share a few laughs.

Today has been just as lovely actually as I got my hair done!! I ended up going to an in-home salon just up the rd & the lady was really good. Thank god... it's always such a gamble trying out new hairdressers don't you think? Last time my hair ended up looking like it had been dipped in a bucket of bleach so it's nice to get a more natural tone- and obviously to get rid of that terrible re- growth. Blake came along & just pottered about with some toys and the hairdressers chihuahua. She had a ball with him actually, they shared a mutual love of teddy bears;

And here's a (somewhat awkward) pic of the finished product;

I'm so great at selfies don't you think? And now it's back up in a bun & will no doubt be so knotty I won't be able to brush it by tomorrow. At least now I have the option to straighten it if I so feel the need...

Tomorrow, Oli and I are off to our 'active birth' workshop which I'm super excited for so I'll be sure to let you know how we get on!

Hope you all have a relaxing & delicious weekend

Thought of the day "I wish my hair looked this great everyday"

Gemma 

Wise Words

Recently Oli has been sucked back into Stumbleupon. Has anyone ever used or been on Stumbleupon? Its actually really good. Although it is also just another browser in which you could procrastinate for hours and hours on end, as if Facebook Instagram & Pinterest don't do that enough for us already.
Stumbleupon works kind of like Pinterest, you choose from a vast list of hobbies/ interests and basically stumble through correlating pictures/ articles of these interests. I've found some pretty incredible things on there in my time but haven't actually used it in years. So when Oli showed me this list of "wise words" or general life rules I like to call it, I thought I must share it with you all. A lot of it you may think is silly (I know I did) but I also found a lot to be true and/or relatable or just plain hilarious. Let me know what you think:

(If anyone is interested, the ones I found to be most suitable for my life would be; 3, 9, 17, 21, 22 (I do this ALL the time), 33, 41, 47 (I laughed out loud, its so true), 54, 55 (I am so bad with this), 56 (and this), 62, 67 (my absolute favourite thing to do), 71, 74, 75, 81 (100%), 90, 92, 97, 98, 99 (good, because if it is I am at least 85), 100)

What ones struck a chord with you?

Thought of the day "is it ever going to go below 30 degrees in this f*#king city?!"

Gemma

34 Weeks

What's been happening: 

He is now approx 2.4kgs & 46cm from head to toe. (This is a tad exciting as Blake was 2.9kgs & 50cm when she was born so it really is coming around fast!) He is still laying down that fat to keep his body temperature regular & his hearing is now fully developed. Which reminds me- we need to get a swear jar. 

As for me- well, I now waddle. Full blown penguin-feet slapping waddle. It is so attractive. I also have a ridiculously sore groin & lower back at all times which is fun. Braxton hicks are my new friends, they're fairly strong & consistent especially when I'm active. On my walk this morning I had a couple of intense ones and had immediate flashbacks to labour, "oh that's right, fuck"- was my initial thought. And then "woohoo I can see the finish line"

Weight Gain;Whinge whinge, porky pig. Blah blah, thunder thighs. Waaaah waaah, whale. 

Oink oink oink oink oink oink oink oink oink. 

I'm sure you're all just as sick of hearing me rant about it each week as I am. Hearing the sound of my own voice complain to Oli each evening is like chalk screeching down a blackboard. Although Mum kindly pointed out to me on Skype last night that I finally look "blooming" (exact word). Cheers Mum, I'm not even sure if that's a nice way of calling me fat or just plain insulting. 

Workouts: Now that my gym membership is officially on hold, I've been out walking each weekday religiously. It is rather wonderful actually, and I don't know why I haven't been doing it the entire time. As long as we leave first thing (7:30ish) we beat the heat, Blake gets to watch the world whizz by, & I get to fill my lungs with fresh air and my mind with music. When we get home I usually do squats (50+), but I've had to give up lunges due to the groin issues. And then if I can be bothered I will do a bit of yoga (tree pose, cat pose, dancer pose and eagle pose mostly) & shavasana (corpse pose) to wind down & switch off for 10 minutes. This new routine is pretty amazing actually, hopefully I can keep it up until the very end. Losing my fitness is not an option! 

Movement: He has been nestled right up under my left rib cage for a few days now & it is so uncomfortable. I have to sit or stand up dead straight otherwise I can barely breathe. It feels like he is super cramped in there at the moment as his attempts to escape out the sides are a common occurrence.

Food Aversions: Nope, totally up for anything.

Food cravings: Soft white bread with peanut butter... I'm drooling at the thought. Oh refined carbs- how am I ever going to give you up? 

Sleep; Average. Due to this babies butt up in my ribcage, lying down is not the greatest position. I've had to fall asleep with my arms up over my head just to give him some extra room. 

Also bathroom breaks are nearly hourly, that combined with my newfound clumsiness = disaster, such as last night when I caught my pinky toe on the bed edge on the way back through. I collapsed dramatically onto the bed & felt like crying at 2am. Thankfully Oli gave me the sympathy I was after and I was ok. Just. 

Miss anything: Yes!! I am done with this pregnancy, and well & truly ready to hold the little nugget in my arms & smell his sweet baby scent all day/night. I hope he is feeling these vibes & decides to show up at 37/38 weeks. I am more than ready to have a normal hormonal balance, a glass of wine, go for a run if I so feel the need, fit into my clothes (I'm literally scraping the bottom of the barrel now, nothing fits), and sleep in any position I please (even if it is interrupted every 2 hours)

Fun/ interesting things for the week; 

I've started downloading & watching "One born every minute" again lately. I watched a series when I was due with B and found it utterly fascinating. They're really not shy on those camera angles are they? Don't miss a beat. I find myself crying with the women / partners when they hold their baby for the first time, and wincing when they wince through their contractions. It is quite pathetic actually but I'm enjoying it. I must be at that birth obsessed stage where it's all I can think about & yet I'll probably be thinking "whyyyy on earth did I want to ever do this again" when our time finally comes. Told you I'm all over the show. 

Oh, and still no names on our list- seriously, any suggestions would be muchly appreciated. 

Oh oh oh, and- I went pumpkin patching for him last week too. They had a big sale on & I couldn't resist;

Onesies galore. Ahhh cuteness overload!

Feel free to come on out and try them on ASAP little guy!

Stretchmarks; Still none unbelievably. I gave up on using bio oil after my first 60ml bottle ran out so I've just been using some St Ives moisturiser on my belly/ hips after I shower. Feeling pretty lucky to miss the stretch mark boat for the second time though- thanks Ma! 

Happy or moody: 50/50, mostly impatient. 

Looking forward to: D Day, getting my hair done this Fri, and the active birth workshop I'm doing on Saturday. 

Bump update:  

This mound is massive!! 

Even just compared to last week I can't believe the difference, he has been perched so far forward. Can you guys see those veins too? Maximum capacity. 

Until next week,

Gemma 

Impromptu Getaway

Hi folks! How are you all doing? Sorry I've been absent the last few days, we made a last minute decision on Thursday to go & stay with our friends Lee & Tali down in Margaret River again. I was initially a tad hesitant as its often a mission just to take Blake to the park 200 metres up the road, let alone a 3 hour car trip for a couple of nights. And I just didn't know if I could be bothered venturing out of our comfort zone/ cave in my current state. But I am so incredibly glad we did! 

Our house was beginning to feel like a cell after weeks of extreme heat & not being able to get outdoors a lot, I was starting to get a little stir-crazy. We also realised this was probably our last chance to getaway before the imminent arrival / massive life change, so why not? 

The weekend was perfect.

Lee & Talis abode is nestled amongst the most breathtaking trees & it is humming with crickets, birds & sunshine. It has the sweet smell of summer & serenity.

Not to mention Tali makes the best cup of coffee, and an incredibly scrumptious BLAT. I feel so lucky to have such wonderfully accommodating friends, they made it so easy to have Blake around aswel which was the cherry on top for us. 

We literally lazed around for the entire weekend reading magazines, playing cards, talking shit & eating. Loads of eating. So as you can see, it was every pregnant woman's dream getaway.

I took my camera but didn't actually end up using it, I just took a few snaps on my phone so here's a couple;

How snazzy is B in her little romper & rabbit shoes combo? That was one I picked up in Margaret river on sat actually, I love dressing her in rompers- it makes her seem like more of a baby again. Rather than the rapidly sprouting toddler that she is. ** Note the hair clip- we seem to be having more success with them at the moment, which beats the usual ripping them out within 60 seconds of me putting them in.

For anyone that's interested in fresh, delicious & healthy recipes- most of you I would say, Tali put me onto the most amazing website over the weekend;

Www.deliciouslyella.com

Sooooo many recipes, I barely know where to begin. But I'm thinking banana bread will be first up, I may rebel off the recipe though & add in choc chips. I do only have 6 weeks left of total food freedom after all.. 

So here we are back at home & back into our usual routine. I've been embracing my newfound energy with a 4.5km stroll around the neighbourhood first thing before it gets too hot which was been invigorating & refreshing, although I have been getting some pretty strong Braxton hicks contractions with all this walking which is slightly scary yet also exciting! 

I'm hoping to keep up this routine until the very end, it's amazing how some fresh air & Vit D can have such a positive impact on your entire day. 

Did everyone read about Phillip Seymour Hoffmann this morning? I absolutely loved him in every role he played, particularly in "Along Came Polly", and "Boogie Nights"

Tragic news. Rest in Peace Phil, you were a legend.

I've just been informed that there's an out of control bushfire approximately 2km from our doorstep... Ummm!!! So I better scoot, 

How hectic is that?!! 

Sorry this post is slightly sporadic, jumping from topic to topic, I plan on putting up my 34 week update later on today too

Hope everyone had a spectacular weekend 

Gemma

Thought of the day "baby-check, food-check, that's about the sum of my evacuation necessities today" 

Awards Season

I absolutely adore Awards Season. Perving on all of those beautiful women in their glamorous gowns is a favourite pastime of mine. Imagine a life with stylists / hairdressers / make up artists available on whim? Life would be much less hag & more glam that's for sure. 

I actually do enjoy living life sans make up & in trackpants though- the upkeep is incredibly easy, but sometimes... It's fun to pretend. 

Here are some of my personal highlights from the Golden Globes and Grammys this year;

Firstly, Amy Adams. Is it just me or does she just keep getting better and better? Like a fine wine she is ageing and getting tastier by the year;

Mila Kunis. This woman could wear a rubbish bag & I would still think she is smoking hot;

Margot Robbie. This Aussie chick has only just cracked it with her 'wolf of wall st' role, for those of you who have seen it- How good was she? I thought she was amazing! Pretty f'n hot too; (I also love the facials from the guy behind her)

Jennifer Lawrence. I am definitely on the J-Law fan bandwagon. She is hilarious, and I love her candidness in interviews. Looks good in a dress too;

Lorde. I don't know about her goth glam look but I do know I felt like I was related to her when she picked up those 2 grammys. Two! 17 years old! 

They were so well deserved & I definitely feel a sense of kiwi pride everytime I see her on the screen. Even if the Aussies are already trying to claim her (f off you pavlova stealing crims); 

Beyonce. They don't call her Queen B for nothing. Could she be anymore flawless?  I am in awe of her utter perfection. What a beautiful specimen, she deserves two pics;

Only she could pull off fishnets with an almost G string & make it classy.

For those of you that actually watched the grammys, I thought this pic floating around instagram was hilarious;

Lastly, I don't know what the doushebags who were airing the Grammys were thinking, but midway through the performance by Dave Grohl, Nine Inch Nails & Queens Of The Stone Age they aired ads. You don't cut off 3 absolute legends to air ads. Little bit of respect wouldn't have gone astray in this case;

Dream collaboration.

Who were your favourites? 

Thought of the day "yup I'm actually going to book my hair in, things are getting desperate"

Gemma