Our New Home: Part 1

If you are a regular reader of Lucie & The Bump then you will know that we have spent the entire pregnancy so far trying to move house in time for our little mans arrival and this week my friends, we got our keys!!

We haven't exactly moved in yet as the place is pretty much a building site BUT it's coming along soooo quickly that we should be in there within a couple of short weeks!

I feel like you guys have been there every step of the way with us so it's only fair that we take you along on the journey of making our house into a home. So here are some snaps of our house before we started any work on it

One large front room/dining room! We love the size of this room and the fact it has original 1900's floorboards, which we plan to sand and varnish

The kitchen wasn't to our taste at all and felt very narrow and closed in so this room will be the biggest change to the house.. I can't wait to show you the finished result!!!

This is our second bedroom which is such a good size! We don't plan to do a lot to this room yet and it will most likely remain a storage room for a while

Our hallway!

This is where the Prince of the house will be sleeping and for me the most exciting room of the whole house!! The family who lived here before us also used this room as a nursery but I have I idea how their baby slept in this bright yellows s it gives me a headache!

Another shot of Harry's room 

This is our main bedroom which again is a really good size.  I adore the long windows which make the room really light, we plan to enhance this with a really fresh and light colour pallette

Another shot of our bedroom

So what do you think guys??? Was it worth the wait?!

33 Week Update

How far along?  33 weeks and 1 day

Total weight gain:  Oh who bloody knows..!!

Maternity clothes?  Nothing new at all now and I don't plan to buy anything else!  I finish work on Monday which will be a releif as I have struggled to find anything suitable to wear that is flattering and comfortable!  I will be spending the next few weeks decorating our new house so I can live in leggings and a comfy tee! Yay!!

Stretch marks? Zero. I owe this all so far to Palmers Original Formula Cocoa Butter!! That and of course the Mama Mio Boob Tube on my boobs (review here) !

Sleep:  This has been my worst week of sleep so far!  Every single night I have struggled to drop off and then once I do I am shortly awake again with either a tummy ache, rib pain or desperate for a wee! Its not nice at all and I really hope I manage to get some good quality sleep in before Harry arrives!

Best moment this week:  We exchanged on our house!!! FINALLY! It was the most amazing feeling as the whole of my whole pregnancy we have been super stressed trying to buy a house and then waiting to actually get the keys!  We complete on Monday so its all systems go on the decorating front!

Worst moment this week:  My awful sleep pattern has definitely been my worst moment this week

Miss anything?  A good solid nights sleep!!

Movement: Harry hasn't managed to turn and is still breech!  His head feels harder than ever under my rib its crazy!!  I still get so much movement from him but it feels very much like he isn't finding it easy to turn or he just doesn't want to!!  Either way its so uncomfortable for me and it surely can't be good for him either, so I hope he does turn soon

Food cravings:  I'm really into hot chocolate with hazelnut flavouring again this week! Mmmm mmm!
I want one now...

 

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nothing is making me feel particularly sick or nauseous this week 

Gender: Boy!!  I am actually happier than ever about having a little boy after visiting Sarah from Bump, Baby C and Me and her new little man Albie!  He is truly amazing and gorgeous and it was really really lovely to see the bond him and his Daddy have already got going! I can't wait for Scott and Harry to meet and be the same!  Here is a little pic of Albie, if you don't already follow Sarah's blog then go and check it out - she has just posted her birth story!!

SUPER cute.

Labour signs: None

Symptoms:  Again, rib pain which is constant!  My skin has improved slightly and I am going to post about what I think has helped it very soon :)
Heartburn and acid reflux is quite bad this week and I think that's because he is getting bigger and is pushed right up against my tummy
I have had a few tummy aches mainly at night and I'm pretty sure its the weight of my bump when I am on one side too long or maybe just hormones or something
One thing I don't have and haven't had for my whole pregnancy is sore boobs!  I don't know if that's something I should be concerned about as it seems I am the only pregnant lady I know who hasn't suffered from it!?

Belly button in or out?  Flat and half out now!! My inny is totally non-existent! 

Happy or moody most of the time?  Even though I am MEGA tired I am so happy because we finally have our house!!

Looking forward to: Leaving work and getting our keys on Monday, and finally being able to start decorating our little boys room!!!!!!!

Bump: This weeks bump pics are a little different as we went to our lovely friend Lindsey's wedding reception last night!! Here are a couple of snaps from the evening!

What's in my Baby's Hospital Bag

I decided that now is the time to have my hospital bags packed and ready to go.. not because I think Harry will be making a very early appearance but because we are moving and I know its going to be a hectic last few weeks of pregnancy!  I need to make sure I at least have our bags ready even if our house isn't!!

 

This first post is dedicated just to what's in Harrys hospital bag as, lets face it, its the more interesting of the 2 and much cuter and fun!

 

We packed most of his bits and pieces in his changing bag from Cath Kidston.  Its really spacious with all its pockets, its wipe able and its really lightweight even when its full to the brim!

Cath Kidston Changing Bag

 

 

10 x nappies - Our hospital provide you with more if needed so I'm not going overboard

2 x muslin cloths

3 x sleepsuits - these ones are from Next and have built in scratch mittens

1st outfit - a pure white cotton 'Welcome to the World' sleepsuit from Mama's & Papa's

3 x vests

2 x bibs

1 x socks

1 x hat - although I will be adding a couple more when I find some nice ones!

1 x scratch mittens

knitted booties - these were a present from Grandad Ken all the way from Portugal, they are adorable!!

Various toiletries - including cotton pads, cotton buds, sanitiser, nappy cream, sudocream, Johnson's Baby Oil and Top to Toe Wash

 

There are a few items still to pack such as a blanket, towel, snow suit and a pack of Waterwipes.  Now I know hospitals frown upon you using wipes on newborn babies however Waterwipes are absolutely suitable from birth as they are made with 99.9% purified water and 0.01% natural fruit extract

We are also going to be packing a baby hair brush just in case Harry is born with a thick mop of curly black hair like his mummy!!

 

What did you pack in your baby's hospital bag??  Do you have anything else you can recommend me adding??

32 Week Update

How far along?  32 weeks & 2 days - late again! 

Total weight gain:  I haven't got the foggiest but I feel like a big fat whale

Maternity clothes?  I have officially outgrown almost everything I own non-maternity which SUCKS!  Tops just look silly stretched over my ever growing bump so I purchased a few very basic jersey tops from H&M to see me through till then end.  I'm not too bothered about looking amazing for the last few weeks of my pregnancy as I won't be at work, so I think a few plain tees and a cardi will do me fine! I'm wearing a maternity dress from EBay in my bump pic.. What do you think??

Stretch marks?  Still none.  I totally ran out of my Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula so I didn't use it for a whole day and I noticed a massive difference in my skin!  It was soooooo so dry and itchy so I reckon I am onto a winner with that stuff and I went out immediately for another tub!  So sticking with it for now and of course the Mama Mio Boob Tube on my chest (review here) 

Sleep:  Sleep is SO terrible I'm a mess! It's got to be a weird pregnancy thing as I seem to be waking up when the sun is up and being wide awake for no apparent reason like my body is getting me ready for sleepless nights!! Of course I am waking up in the middle of the night as well still, either for a wee or because my ribs are throbbing!

Best moment this week:  My good friend Sarah from Bump, Baby C and Me had her little boy!!! Baby Albie arrived on 18th September weighing 7lbs 12 and looks SUPER cute! I cannot wait to meet him and it was DEFINITELY the best moment this week!
Keep checking out her blog as I am sure she will be posting non stop about him!!

Worst moment this week:  house stress! We should have exchanged and didn't AGAIN!

Miss anything?  I miss my old clothes a little!

Movement: Harry is still lodged in there under my rib on my right side and hasn't turned :(  He has under 2 weeks to get himself turned or my midwife will start thinking about ways we can make him turn ourselves and then after that ways the hospital can possibly turn him which we really do not want.  Come on little man!!!!!

Food cravings:  Still ham and mustard mayo sandwiches from M&S and Ribena is a new one.. Also hot chocolate with hazelnut flavoring but that's probably more likely because it's getting chilly and the nights are drawing in!

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nothing is making me feel particularly sick or nauseous this week 

Gender: Boy!!

Labour signs: None and no more Braxton Hicks yet either!

Symptoms:  I sound like a broken record with this one but the rib pain is just getting worse and worse by the week!  Its not just the front of my ribs but its the back as well, in fact the back actually hurts a lot more than it does on the front!  I have been taking paracetamol as my midwife advised but I haven't found that it helps at all so I'm not bothering with those anymore.
My skin has cleared up a little this week thanks to a new face wash which I will be sharing with you very soon!  

Belly button in or out?  Flat and half out now!!

Happy or moody most of the time?  I wouldn't say I have been moody but I've been quite stressed!

Looking forward to: Finishing work in a week and I have a nice leaving meal to attend!! 

Bump: 

Green People Organic Mum & Baby Rescue Balm*

Green People is a brand I have used a lot in the past and have loved, so when they contacted me to review some baby related products I jumped at the chance to try them!! Obviously as Harry isn't here yet I can't review it all but something I can start to use is the Organic Mum & Baby Rescue Balm

Green People Mum & Baby Rescue Balm

This multi use little number contains vitamin E, shea butter, hemp, beeswax and calendula and is scent free, making it really gentle and perfect for use on your baby and on yourself.  it is great on eczema prone skin and on psoriasis and is made without any parabins, lanolin's and other artificial ingredients that can irritate both mum and baby

The balm can be used for dry cracked nipples before and after breastfeeding, can be used all over the body for relief from dry skin and a great feature of the product is it can be used on the perineum area before birth to prevent tearing - this is what I will be trying it out for (sorry if that's TMI but we are all open and honest here!!)  Tearing is something I am terrified of, so anything I can do that will possibly aid in that department I will try!

I will be giving this product a full review most likely after birth so we can see if it really "does what it says on the tin"! You can buy yours here for £9.95 which is a fantastic price for an organic, multi-purpose product!

Have you tried the Green People Organic Mum & Baby Rescue Balm*

Pregnancy Survival: 1st Antenatal Class

Mr H and attended our first antenatal class at our local hospital a couple of weeks ago.  Neither of us were overly excited about doing the classes, but figured we had nothing to lose even if we didn't gain anything from them, and they are free so why not make the most of them

There were around 8 couples in our class and we started the session off with a quick introduction round the group and to announce when our babies were due.  There was actually another couple due on the same day as us!

We were then put in small groups to discuss what our baby can do now in the womb.  I thought this was a bit silly and pointless as I didn't think it was particularly relevant for us to know what baby can do now, we were all more interested in what happens during labour and beyond.  I am sure some people may find it helpful to know what their little bean is getting up to in there, but for us this was a total waste of around 45 minutes

We then got down to the nitty gritty and talked about labour from start to finish.  Now when I say labour, we talked about the most perfect one, where baby moves head down into the exact position he or she should come out, with no complications.  But don't worry apparently the later sessions talk about when labour doesn't go to plan and all the different methods for delivery.

We talked about how you know when your in labour, the different stages, signs for partners to look out for and when to go to the hospital.  Some of this was helpful as we went through a few different ways to relax, some things I may not have thought of trying myself

Last on the list for this weeks session was about the hormones release during labour and delivery.  She advised us how we can help to release more of the good hormones and to stop some of the bad ones.  This was interesting but again went on for far too long!  

So all in all I don't think the first class was that great and I came away a little frustrated   I wanted to have learnt a lot more and felt I would have got more out of watching an episode of One Born Every Minute!  That being said I really appreciate the time the staff give up to hold these sessions and the fact that they are free, I think we are very lucky we have these sorts of things available to us in the UK!

We have 2 more classes to attend, one being tonight so hopefully these will be better.  These classes include how to care for your newborn, different types of labour and delivery, different methods of pain relief and how your relationship will change (cringe!)

Have you been to any antenatal classes??  What did you think of them??

31 Week Update

How far along?  31 weeks + 4 days (sorry I'm always posting these late at the moment!!)

Total weight gain:  My bump is measuring 30 cm which is 1 cm under but my midwife is totally happy with it as Scott and I aren't particularly big people!  I completely forgot to use their scales to see how much weight I have put on but I am pretty sure I have gained a couple of pounds this week just from looking at my thighs!!

Maternity clothes?  Nothing new purchased this week but I am glad the weather has cooled down a bit so I can stick to my maternity jeans and some of my old stretchy tops with a slouchy cardi or an undone shirt!  The dresses I got from Ebay are lovely so I will be posting about them soon!

Stretch marks?  Still none but my skin is super dry and rashy on the bump.  Still using Palmers Cocoa Butter Original Formula morning and night, as well as the Mama Mio Boob Tube on my chest (review here) 

Sleep:  Sleep has been pretty rubbish this week, I am waking up to go to the loo lots and from rib pain!  Then in the mornings I am being woke up by kicks and headbutts until I finally sit up, so lie ins are now a thing of the past - already!

Best moment this week:  I started packing a few things in Harry's hospital bag which was really quite fun and exciting!  We picked out what outfits to take and what we want him to wear first and to wear home!

Worst moment this week:  I guess there hasn't been a real worst moment but my skin is still horrible and I am hating it!!

Miss anything?  Missing my clear skin!!

Movement: TONS of kicks and jabs and funny things moving across my tummy.. however Harry clearly isn't moving where he should be as we found out at our midwife appointment that he is breech at the moment :( !  He still has a good few weeks to turn and get his head down but she said as I am quite small and there not a huge amount of fluid around him this could prove to be a little difficult!  Fingers crossed he will be on the move soon!!!!

Food cravings:  Still ham and mustard mayo sandwiches from M&S!

Anything making you queasy or sick:  The nausea has subsided a little this week which is good!

Gender: Boy.. and our midwife confirmed this again this week as she said he has the typical boy heartbeat apparently?! 

Labour signs: None.. BUT I did have an episode of Braxton Hicks one evening!! It was really really weird!  My tummy went totally solid and really tight on and off for about 10 minutes!  It wasn't painful though and I can imagine they are nothing like actual contractions!

Symptoms:  The rib pain is getting unbearable, and now we know why!  Harry's head is pushing against them really hard and every week it gets worse as he gets bigger of course! It doesn't even help when I stretch out anymore so we just have to hope and pray he turns soon.  My midwife recommended popping paracetamol to ease the discomfort but that's all I can really do
My skin is awful!  So so bad I actually hate going out in public!!!
I have had some numbness and aching in my right leg and again this is due to Harry's position and the pressure its putting on the sciatic nerve.  When he moves this should stop!

Belly button in or out?  Really coming out now, you can see it through my top!

Happy or moody most of the time?  I'm pretty happy this week with random episodes of moodiness!!

Looking forward to: The arrival of Baby Clarke this week!!!!! 

Bump: (apologies this pic is well crap.. I look awful!!)

Just for Fun: Cool Kids

These days I am more interested in celebrity's kids than I am the celebrities themselves (OK David Beckham is a total exception to that rule, understandably)

So here is a round up of some of the coolest most fashionable kiddies.. just for fun!!

Harper Seven Beckham - David & Victoria Beckham's daughter

A top knot, a seat on the front row of Mummy's fashion show and the hottest Dad in the world!  Harper Seven is one super cool little lady and I can't wait to see how she evolves as she grows up!!

Aila Wang - Alexander Wang's niece

Surely a child of this age does not need a handbag, let alone a Chanel one!  Totally ridiculous but OH soooooo cool!!

Flynn Bloom - Miranda Kerr's & Orlando Bloom's son

Flynn is never far from his supermodel Mum Miranda and she always makes sure her little man is looking suave and fashionable as she does!

Matilda Ledger - Michelle Williams & Heath Ledgers daughter

Such a cute little lady who looks just like her father..  Loving the yellow mac teamed with bright pink wellingtons!!

Suri Cruise - Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes daughter

I remember seeing this image a while ago and thinking HELL NO to a child in heels.. but I can't help but kind of love what Suri's got going on here!!

Mason Disick - Kourtney Kardashian & Scott Disick

Now for the King of cool.. Mr Mason Disick!  Not only is this little boy super super fashionable but he is so damn cute and happy too!!  I nearly died when I heard this line on the Kardashians "I love the beach, and life" - AAWWW!!

SWAG!