Our Life Lately in Pictures

It's been really nice having Martin off this week. He's been such a huge help around the house, with Eva and getting those niggly tasks done that have been bothering me for weeks. Like selling his motorbike, setting up the co-sleeper in our bedroom, re-arranging said bedroom. Despite all those mundane tasks I feel we are starting to connect again, it's been hard being pregnant and having him away working 12 hour shifts, not including the travelling time there and back. I was at the end of my tether to be honest but after a soft play session this morning, I think we're all feeling the love towards each other at least a little bit more.

I got the chance to download some of his pictures and amalgamate them with mine to share with you our life lately.

Without further ado here are our photographs!

 Eva and I on the slide at soft play this morning, highly recommend Tumbles in Portobello!

We got down the baby play mats from the attic in preparation for baby #2, as it was on my list of many things to wash. Eva straight away lay down on her first play mat and hasn't really wanted to get off. So sweet seeing her remember them, and she has been really good at sharing it with 'Baby', her stuffed rabbit.

Eva helping daddy water the plants and cleaning her trike too.

I shared this one on Instagram, here I am at 31 weeks pregnant.

Eva was so proud of herself for stacking her blocks on top of each other. So are we, she's coming on leaps and bounds lately.

We went for a family day out to Blair Drummond Safari Park on Wednesday, have to say its probably a lot more suited to older kids as we dealt with tantrums most of the day from an non-complying child.

Here she is watching the elephants, seconds later she turns round to the boy in the blue coat and pokes him in the eyes.

'Eyes' she said. 

So embarrasing for us, and then having to apologise to the parents for her behaviour! I think she does it when she feels threatened, hope she stops doing it soon though.

Eva and a mum on the boat at Blair Drummond, can never get her to sit still and look at the camera for a photo.

Through the week we also went to our favourite park, Lewisvale in Musselburgh. We mainly go there because the slide is huge and its awesome for parents too. Haha. 

 Spot the beachball/ beached whale on the slide??

 

Dear Eva,

Oh my princess, I hope you can tell we are really trying to maintain our day to day activities with you, all the while getting ready for our new arrival, your little sister. I don't always have the energy to do the things we used to and it fills me with guilt. I've been napping when you do, and having to get daddy to lift you up all the time. I can't wait to hold you when my belly isn't full, and our family will be that bit bigger

. I love you just the same as always, even though my attention is divided.

One from our camping trip the previous week.

Brigid

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30 Weeks Pregnant With Baby Number 2 - Living With SPD

I haven't been blogging much lately because I'm a nap time blogger and lately I've been napping the same length of time as Eva too. I'm still feeling just as tired though and I can remember from the last time that I'm fairly lucky that I can still sleep at all because the heartburn got so bad before I literally didn't sleep at all, never mind the rest of the complaints I had in 2012!

29+2 weeks pregnant with baby number 2

30 weeks pregnant with baby number 2

29+6 weeks pregnant with baby number 1

30+4 weeks pregnant with baby number 1

Not sure if I'm any bigger than I was the last time? I felt bigger a lot earlier before but I seem to remember the big growth happened around 33/34 weeks pregnant so lets wait and see...

How far along? 30 weeks and 4 days

Total weight gain/measurements: Still a 16 in maternity clothes, finding my belly is getting too big for a lot of those clothes now.

Maternity clothes: Yup! Its gotten colder here so not as many dresses, I've not been feeling the best lately so barely made it out of joggers to be honest.

Stretch marks: They are all super itchy now and I can only contribute that to the half pound baby is meant to be putting on a week at the moment.

Sleep: Rubbish, waking 4/5 times a night either because I find myself on my back so have to roll over, or its the countless trips to the loo I'm making. The other night Eva got diarrhea so we were up so often with her for that. What am I going to do with two children?? AHH!

Best moment this week: On Saturday I went to bodyrocks therapy in Cockenzie for a massage which helped relieve some of the pain from SPD. Honestly there isn't a lot anyone can do but relieve some of the muscular pain at the moment. My hips can be easily manipulated back into their correct position but come back out straight away, which means screaming, aching muscles. Luckily Martin is off this week so he can do the housework and deal with lifting Eva and has now changed his hours to suit my lack of abilities. 

Miss anything? Nursing Eva. A couple of days ago I felt I had really full and sore boobs. Unfortunately Eva has decided she favours the right side more than the left and even then decides very quickly that its not tasty and looks like she is physically gagging. I contacted La Leche League because she was still nursing but had latched bad because she obviously doesn't really want it anymore. The advice was to persevere with re-latching as I had 5 milk blisters from that one bad feed. Looking forward to when my milk comes in and I can nurse properly again. With Eva having diarrhea the last few days I had stopped nursing her which was really emotional and hard to do. Again, La Leche League advised it would be ok as long as Eva had something in her tummy first. Still, she's a reluctant feeder and is doing the same old coming off. Its a pain, heartbreaking but what can I do? I tell her wait til the baby is here and we will have yummy milk again.

Movement: All the time, mostly in the evening when I'm chilled out do I notice it and it looks like a scene from Alien the crazy movements that are happening in there!

 

Food cravings: None really this week, definitely baked camembert since I learned its safe if cooked! 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Hmm, yes! Heartburn, if I don't take Rennies straight away I'm finding I will feel sick or have that acid reflux thing happening.

Gender: Girl.Definitely, the 28 week ultrasound confirmed it! I'm so glad, I have been busy sorting out all the clothes from 0-18 months since then which has sent me buying a whole load of new pink things!

clothes organised

 Labour signs: Had braxton hicks one night last week. It was a bit scary because the tightenings were sore and brought with it a crampy period pain feeling. I took to bed and thankfully the 3 I had was the sum total!

Symptoms: Tiredness, heartburn, changes in breastmilk with poor Eva's aversion, nesting, spd, mood swings! Ahh the joys of the third trimester. 

Belly button in or out? In.

 

Wedding rings on or off? Off, wearing my engagement ring around my neck as I'm just not diligent enough with water drinking for the swelling to ever truly dissipate. 

Happy or moody most of the time: So moody lately, I'm tired and anxious that nothings ready. Its hard because lately I can't go on walks or take exercise like I used to which would help my mood and I'm teary and upset most of the time. It makes me happy today though seeing the clean washing on the line and knowing that those clothes are going to be for my new baby girl. 

Looking forward to: Getting this sidecar cot built shortly and heading to aquanatal this evening. I can't go to the morning one anymore because there is never creche space and every week it was leaving me devastated to find this out so I'm hoping tonight doesn't leave me in too much pain or else I'll have to scrap that too.

Midwives are coming on Thursday to carry out risk assesments for my home delivery space, which is exciting. I'm so glad Martin is off right now so we can connect and spend quality time together as the monotony of life lately has been so hard on us all. 

 

Its going to be a busy, exciting week, lets hope I can find the energy to deal with it like a functioning human being!

Brigid

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Benefits of Hiring a Doula

I am so excited and thankful to be working with a doula for this pregnancy. Kirsty came recommended and offered her services to us and for that alone I am so grateful. She has been a huge support these last few weeks of pregnancy alone. She came with me to my antenatal appointment and helped support me with the OB in the conversation I was dreading having with them. We have decided to have a homebirth and this Thursday my local midwives are coming to book the 'home delivery', I am hoping Kirsty can make it along for this too.

Having a doula support me in pregnancy means having a silent advocate I can rely on right now. She knows so many useful things which means for my homebirth I can rely on her to support me and allow Martin to be himself and mind Eva if that situation arises, you never know. I may give birth during the night and she could miss it all!

Right now, Martin and I are getting to know Kirsty and have met with her a few times. Martin can't wait to have her here to invite baby number 2 into the world. We plan to create a loving nest for me to labour in, and that's what I am most looking forward to. I hope to labour naturally and if needs be of course I will go to hospital and be treated there, however I think its important to think positively and aim for the outcome we want rather than focus on the whatif's or couldbe's.

Kirsty knows massage and runs infant massage classes, she has done her degree as a complementary therapist. She is a mum of two boys already so I know she understands the birthing experience. I certainly think we are on the same wavelength and she understands my needs in a way I couldn't even articulate.

Kirsty's blog post explaining more on what a doula is can be found on her infant massage website. I just love that I only had to put the thought out into the universe of my needs for a doula and she appeared. I am just so grateful!

Brigid

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Camping While 29 Weeks Pregnant

This weekend we decided to go camping as we have only been talking about doing this the whole 9 years Martin and I have been together. So this would be our first family camping experience! We went away for one night to Whiteadder Reservoir for a rough camping experience. We didn't have sleeping bags or blow up beds which meant this was going to be interesting, especially while being 29+3 weeks pregnant.

Eva with her headtorch on

Eva and Dad, headtorch selfie #1

Eva and Dad, headtorch selfie #2

Eva drinking milk in the boot of the car

Our bedtime nest

Eva and I at the tent

Grub cooking on a well used fire pit

Eva enjoying her freedom

Sheep!

Several Sheep!

We enjoyed our burgers and BBQ sides and literally on our last few bites I felt a few rain drops fall! We legged it into the tent and continued having some fruit in there. By the time we were sure the rain had stopped the midges had come out. We were totally unprepared for them, if had the foresight we would have bought Avon Skin So Soft, as previous experience has taught us this stuff is wonderful for stopping them biting. Poor Eva and Martin still got bitten, luckily they don't go for me but they were still annoying.

Martin couldn't face leaving the tent after that as it seemed we were in a swarm of the bugs. By this point it was only 8pm and he decided to take to his bed, which meant all of us had to. I tried everything to get Eva to go down but she was far too excited being out of her routine. All she wanted was 'seebs' aka feeds.

It happened to be the 21st of June, the Summer Equinox or longest day of the year so it was pretty light in our tent until about 11pm. Unfortunately that was when some party revellers showed up and pitched their tent a few metres away from us. Some people had arrived at 8pm to set up but abandoned the place when the heavens opened and the rain appeared. The 11pm people didn't budge though, they seemed to be seasoned campers, had a fire roaring and their tent up in no time. They played loud music occasionally until maybe 2am. It was annoying as I wanted some sleep and Martin wasn't prepared to say anything to them as they were in such a big group.

Thankfully they were only using their car stereo and must have been worried about their car battery so they didn't party too long and we all slept. I got up every few hours to pee, which wasn't easy as I kept getting leg cramp trying to stand up in the small space.

By 7./30am the next morning we had woken up and were ready to leave. We were all too tired to start a fire and other people had turned up. I did say to Martin this is what would happen as its the very reason we were attracted to the site, as it was so easy to access and we could park the car right by our tent it meant it was attractive to others for the same reason.

Still, we will do this again, not while I'm pregnant I'm afraid! Definitely next Summer when we have airbeds, sleeping bags, midge repellent and Avon Skin So Soft. Right now, its 2 days after the camping and I'm still sore. Mums with SPD beware, don't go camping while pregnant!

Brigid

cr8v-design.blogspot.co.uk