Well its been a while...

Firstly i want to appologise for being super quiet on the blogging front recently, I felt I needed to take time out to get everything organised for the new arrival, also unfortunately my laptop has broken :(

I'm currently updating from my samsung galaxy, so sorry if my posts are a bit dodgy - not one of the best phones!

Tomorrow I will be 36weeks pregnant, hurrah! Only just over 4 weeks to go.
I feel like I have been pregnant for years, thankfully im on the home stretch.

Over the last few days I have been extreme nesting, im sure I have deleloped some sort of OCD.
My days have consisted of cleaning over two hours a day, and as you can imagine its the school holidays so its hard to keep up to the standard I want it too be.
Im hoovering upto three times a day, even when its not needed, im hoping this will go away when I have my baby and not turn into such a habbit im obsessing over it.

Now I have reached week 36 I am also aware of how "large" I am, I have managed to go up two dress sizes during my pregnancy eek! But because I have only put on weight around my stomach area im hoping it will be easier to loose than with my first!

This week I have been getting extremly bad backache, I dont remember anything this bad with my first,  im hoping that means things are progressing nicely and that I might not have long to wait ;) apart from that I actually don't feel pregnant which is sad as I know im going to miss the feeling of feeling my baby kick when I finally give birth.

My hospital bag is packed, all babys things are washed and fresh so now it is just a waiting game. If this baby comes as early as my first did, then a week today I will be holding her in my arms. I cant wait to meet my little girl. ♡

Pregnancy week 27.

Since I have hit the 25week mark this pregnancy has flown by! Im very greatful for this, I found out I was pregnant at only 4-5weeks along so its dragged out and I'm getting a little fed up already!

Today I am 27weeks and 4 days pregnant.

My little girl has been moving loads more than normal and has decided she rather enjoys staying on my right side of my belly. This makes the right side stick out, although not as much so everyone else can notice ... yet!

This week my girl must have had a growth spurt! I don't just feel her kicks anymore, I feel summer-saults and general moving about, including her hiccups!!

My baby is 36.6cm from crown to heel this week, and will be opening her eyes soon if she hasn't already! This makes it all sound very real!

On Tuesday its hard to believe I will be in my third trimester. I have finished work (my last day was Friday 6th of June) so I'm getting everything ready.

I am so organized this time, If my little girl would come tomorrow I wouldn't need to go out to get anything I have even got the baby milk! I have also got my hospital bag packed, however I just need to add a few bits when I go shopping.
I think I'm obsessed with getting everything ready earlier because I was born at 26weeks, and my son was nearly a month early. My midwife said that it may well run in the family, this took me into panic mode!

Ive also been extreme nesting, moving my living room around, bleaching everything... I thought it was to early for nesting yet!

I cant wait to see what next week brings!

Newborn checklist...

Hello Mummies/Mummies to be :)

I recently did a hospital bad checklist on my blog and shared it via twitter, i had some great feedback on what i had forgotten to pack, and what would be handy to pack. I thought i would do the same with my newborn baby check list too so i can see if i need anything else, i like to be prepared!

Things i have brought.

. Baby changing matt

. Newborn baby nappes x4 packs

. Newborn baby wips x4 packs

. Baby playgym

. Baby bouncer

. Bibs x12

. Baby socks x12

. Baby mittens x5

. Baby booties x5

. Tommee tipee bottles x 6

. Cold water sterilizer

. Sterilizing tablets x1pack of 26

. Cow & gate baby milk x1

. Baby calpol

. Nappy rash cream

. Dummies x4

. Bottle brush, teat cleaning brush. x1

. Milk powder despensers for traveling x4 in a pack

. Baby Moses basket and mattress

. Moses basket sheets x2

. Cot

. Cot sheets x2

. Baby blankets x9

. Newborn baby clothing + 0-3 months.

. Snowsuits up to 3-6 months x7

. Newborn coat x3

. Travel system, includes carry cot, carseat and pushchair.

. Baby monitors

. Baby bath

. Changing bag

Things still to get :

. Baby Sling

. More baby milk

. More baby newborn cardigans

. More moses basket sheets

. carrycot rsincover

. Baby cwtch/teddy

Anything i have missed? or anything you found usefull please leave a comment i would love to know!

My hospital bag...

Ok ladies, although i should know this as this is not my first child, i have forgotten what to pack in my hospital bags oops!

i have read lots of blog posts on hospital bags to get ideas and this is what i have come up with. Please let me know if i am missing anything.

i have probably packed way too much, but as i had a c-section with my first LO and was in hospital 3 weeks, and the chance of it happening again likely i have tried to prepare myself as much as possible as the nearest hospital is 1hr away.

For me:

. socks x 3

. Pjs x 1

. nightie x3

. slippers

. maternity jeans

. jogging bottoms

. 2 tops

. 4x disposable maternity knickers

. 4 pairs of normal cotton knickers

. toiletries - hairbrush, hair bobbles, hair clips, shampoo, body wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, flannel. comb, deodorant.

. carrier bags for dirty clothing

. compact mirror

. 2x maternity pads

For baby:

. body suit x4

. sleepsuit x4

. babyoutfits 2xtops 2xleggings 2xsocks . baby blanket

. 2x muslin cloths

. 1 baby coat

. 1pack of newborn nappies

. 1x babywipes

Things yet to pack :

. towels

. dressing gown

. bottles

. baby milk

. maternity bra's

. maternity notes

. mobile phone charger

. purse/money for hospital/parking

. breast pads

Please comment below if you can think of anything i have missed. thankyou.

Having a child free weekend.

All mummies need a break right? Unless your supermum that is... so I jumped at an opportunity that my mother would have my 5year old son from wednesday night untill the Sunday afternoon. my son also visited his dad during this time.

Some of you will say im extremely lucky and I feel it. Although I was working two of the days, I still managed to fit in two lie ins, a meal with the girls and a girls night in with dvds. Although I really enjoyed it I felt completly lost.

When I was walking into town without DS I felt awkward, I didnt feel confident and just generally lost. I wondered if I had become so stuck in mummy mode I didnt know what it was like to be me again? Or to walk around without a little hand to hold. I had lost all confidence in myself wothout having my DS as backup.

Does anyone else feel like this?
Im wondering if it's going to get worse now im expecting baby number 2? Whatever the reason for my strange anxiety I wouldnt be without my beautiful children.x

Avon glimmer sticks.

Now i'm not a huge lover of loads of make-up. In fact i don't wear any at all anymore maybe a bit of mascara. This is mainly due to having children and not being able to make it out of the house in time for the school run most mornings. BUT i love these glitter sticks from Avon.

I brought these little beauties on a whim, i had a Avon catalog through my door, and due to my compulsive shopping habits i just had to buy something. I came across these and as i was going out the following weekend i thought the colors would go perfect with what i was wearing.

They are long lasting colored eye lines with glitter, i prefer to use them on the tops of my eye lids with jet black mascara to really open my eyes and give them a dramatic look. They come in a rage of different colors, my fave is sugar plum and sparkling silver, i normally wear them both together.

Whatever style of make up you prefer these are a fab and a great companion for your makeup bag! And the best bit? They are only 6.00, even better they are often on offer i brought mine for 1.50 each.

The TRUTH about pregnancy...(sensitive content)

Pregnancy, what a wonderful thing... and it is, when you are wearing your rose tinted glasses..

Don't get me wrong, I'm not pretending i don't get moments of happiness and excitement. However i am not going to sit here and try to convince myself pregnancy is all laughs and giggles lets face it its not.

Not only do you suffer months of morning sickness, huge bouts of fatigue (in my case) dry skin, spots... you have to deal with swollen feet and all that embarrassing stuff like extra wind (come on ladies, own up!) and leaking nipples!

And lets face it, who really wants to listen to other annoying people (i'm sure they are lovely in reality) asking if you are REALLY SURE there is only ONE in there... if you are married and say things like, "oh here come the sleepless nights!," yes yes i know there only trying to make conversation and help but come on!!

Lets not forget, the frustrating wait for baby to arrive, wondering when its going to happen. When is your waters going to break, or most importantly where, is it going to be somewhere embarrassing like a Tesco supermarket where staff have to come running with a mop? (this is very unlikely to happen)

Extreme nesting.. having to re-pack your hospital bag 46 times to make sure everything is there. And obviously you have to be extremely happy all of the time, because after all you are expecting..

Pregnancy is hard, and no one warns you of that, but of course there are incredible, beautiful moments too. There really is nothing like feeling your child moving inside you, and having that ever growing bond, but growing a human has really been one of the hardest things i have had to do. ever. Feel free to add your own comments below!

Disney Condor Travel System.

Ok.. so we've all established i have gone a bit overboard on buying baby items, but a baby NEEDS a travel system right? So here is ours! I brought this travel system before finding out i was having a girl, if i had known i would have probably brought some over the top pink frilly thing that everyone refused to push. This was a display model in a shop so i got it very cheap at around 230pounds, i have seen some online for nearly 400. This Travel system came with the carry cot (mattress incl) car seat, changing bag and obviously converts into a pushchair for when they are older. I really love this design, and i loved the mickey mouse design too. Its great quality and sturdy. Although i have ordered a new changing bag as i wanted to add a bit of color and i think the bag that came with it was rather small for all my junk! All in all i love it, and i have read some great reviews online. However weather it will withstand me ramming it up curbs while juggling 6 bags of shopping and dragging a 5 year old behind me is another question...!

My weekend trainging to be a Doula.

Doula definition - a woman who gives support, help, and advice to another woman during pregnancy and during and after the birth. Back in late 2012 i decided i wanted to become part of a support network for pregnant and laboring women. I searched online, i contacted hospitals but nothing much came of it. The hospitals couldn't have me unless i was training due to confidentiality, but after a few more weeks researching i finally found a course online which is called nurturing birth. I visited the nurturing birth website and i found out they were doing a course about 2 hours away from me and decided to apply, i am so glad i did. i was accepted and i went along with an open mind. The course was run from the Thursday until the Sunday late afternoon. During the course you learn all about labor, how to be the best support for women, breastfeeding amongst other things. After the course you have to fill in two essays and you were done! Once you are all complete you can register for the www.doulauk.com website, you then are put with an experienced Doula who will show you the ropes and guide you whilst you attend various births and then write essays on them. Sadly i didn't manage to get that far as i decided to pursue other opportunities that popped up. I am now looking in the Powys area for women that may need support during their labor and do not wait to pay an awful lot of money and someone that doesn't mind a trainee Doula to whiteness and support her birth. If you are interested please contact me. I would love to manage to become an experienced Doula eventually. And for anyone else thinking of giving it ago, do it! its a fantastic thing to do!

PND.

Postnatal Depression. This is going to be one of the hardest posts i will have to write on my blog, however now i have over come this i believe by sharing my story i can show others that it is not a shameful thing to have, its a illness that you can recover from. I was sweet 16 when i fell pregnant with my first son, and i was 17 when i gave birth to him, it was the happiest days of my life, however it would be also the start of one of the darkest points in my life. My son was very poorly during his first 3 weeks after birth, he had various problems such as irregular heart beat, not feeding etc. This led to him being in ICU in Hereford county hospital. I had to travel back and forth to see him, and as i couldn't drive i had to rely on others. Any mother who has had there child on a ICU will tell you how difficult it can be, and sometimes make it very hard to bond due to complications, unable to feed yourself or other problems that may arise Although my son eventually came out of ICU, and is now a very healthy five year old i do believe that was the start of my PND. Shortly after he was brought home i moved into my own home. I didn't have much support from family or friends so i was on my own most of the days. All my friends went out on weekends and i was stuck at home with a baby. It didn't seem fair at the time. Between my son being 4 months till around 2 years old i struggled to cope. I went out with friends and drank heavily (i wasn't an alcoholic or addicted, however alcohol was an escape, a chance to feel normal.) When i did have my son with me we would sleep 12 hours at night and then more during the day. My mood was so low i didn't want to get out of bed, my friendships suffered and i was at rock bottom. I had wrote and planned suicide attempts but never had the guts to carry them through. I cant remember when the exact turning point came, however i know that i started to look at life in a different way, such as wanting to prove everyone wrong, prove that i wasn't a waste of space that i often felt i was. I got on the internet and started researching courses online, and i came across a charity based in Llandrindod wells. The charity helped people between the ages of 16 and 25 years get back into employment. I contacted them and a lovely lady called Linda came out to see me. Linda took notes of what i wanted to do and where i wanted to be in the next 5 years time. Over time she helped me apply for a college course in health and social care. I was unsure at first about attending, it had been along time since i had studied and i wasn't sure i would fit in. I did however agree to give it a try and see how things go. I started there in September 2012, and i loved it. I made some wonderful friends and i had a reason to get up in the mornings. That was the light at the end of the tunnel that i had been searching for, for the past 4years. I also started realizing that the people i was around were not my real friends, they used me. They used my home as places to hang out, and didn't really care about how i was. So i began looking to move, i was eventually offered a place where i am now in Newtown. I was a bit worried about moving here as i didn't know anyone, i would completely loose my support network and i would have to start from scratch. I'm so glad i took that decision to move and make a better life for me and my son, i started to feel better about myself, i completed my college course with an overall merit and i also got a job in care at a local elderly home. That feeling i got was amazing. I had finally proved everyone wrong, that i could achieve what i wanted and give my son a better life. Although i wasn't formally diagnosed with PND (i didn't go see a doctor, i thought i was just grumpy!)i now realize the signs were there. I still suffer with depression and i am on medication, however its under control. Me and my son are very happy here and i am proud of myself that i changed my life around. I am now expecting my second child, and i am going to be very aware that it may strike twice but i now know the signs and i will not hesitate to ask for help, i only wish i has done it sooner. If you think you may be suffering with PND please don't hide it, its always best to speak to someone weather it may be your GP, family member or a friend. PND is very common with around one in eight mothers seeking help from their GP.

Avon - royal jelly face cream review.

Avon Care, royal jelly face cream. I love this product from Avon! I have always had trouble with my skin, with it being sensitive and dry, It became even worse during pregnancy. I have tried all sorts of different lotions and potions but i found this to be the best i have come across so far. It's extremely cheap at 3.50 for a 100ml tub, but its often on offer, i brought this tub at 1.50!! I love the smell of it and it soaks in really well and doesn't leave your face greasy or shiny afterwards, in fact i use this on the rest of my body too. great for instant re-hydration Get it here : http://avonshop.co.uk/shop/product.asp?pf_id=38412&from=search&find_spec=royal%20jelly&pagenum=1

My changing bag!

I purchased my changing bag today, Hurrah! I have been looking since i got pregnant for a lovely changing bag that i loved, was big enough for everything i need and didn't cost the earth. It was harder than i thought, i found a gorgeous pink lining bag however the one i wanted wasn't being made anymore and was selling used (with marks etc) for 50+ on eBay, so it was back to the drawing board!

I finally decided on this little beauty, This bag is from Avon. It is large enough to fit what i will need in with 3 pockets on the front, a zip fastening, 4 internal pockets and an adjustable/removable strap. Ideal! the bag is approx 31.2cm x 50cm x 14cm.Polyester. (according to the website) I liked this bag as it wasn't plain and boring and added a bit of color to my plan-ish looking travel system (i will review that in another post) This only cost me 18pound which i think is a bargain! I haven't filled it yet as i'm still waiting for my princess.I carried around a lot with my first child. Items included a change of clothes, bottles of milk, nappies, wipes, nappy rash cream, nappy bags, suncream (you never know when you might get that rare summery day)spare blankets, teething gel, toys for entertainment and i'm sure there were other items along with my purse phone and keys! That's a lot to fit in a small bag and i didn't want to have more than one to have to carry around so i think this is perfect! I would love to know what items other mums carry around with them in their bags, and where they purchased their changing bags from! you can buy this bag here : http://avonshop.co.uk/shop/product.asp?pf_id=1000351&from=search&find_spec=changing%20bag&pagenum=1

Everybody loves a bargin...

I've got some great Baby Bargins so far.. i thought i would share them with you, i will also include links to items so you can buy it yourself wherever possible. I'll add reviews where possible!

This is a cot bed, i brought it from eBay for around 98pound, there was all different colors i love this! As i'm still pregnant i haven't used it yet, its being used as storage. The cot was easy to put together and came with the memory foam mattress included in the price brand new in packaging. There are two levels of height, currently on the highest level so i can store all my junk underneath! This will convert into a toddler bed when its needed.i personally think this was extremely cheap, but is very good quality and was delivered within 5 working days! i would recommend this to anyone!

I got this Emma's diary pack FREE! if you sign up to emmasdiary.com you can either download a voucher for the gift bag or if like me you haven't got a printer, they will send it you through the post if you haven't collected yours by a certain date. The bag is easy to collect, you can do so from any Boots or Argos store. The pack i received contained free full pack of baby wipes, small samples of sudacreme, sample pack of four mamia newborn nappies, vouchers, and leaflets with great information. There may have been more bits in this pack however i got it a while back so i cant remember but its defiantly worth picking up.

I brought this moses basket off a second hand website, i loved it. I payed 10pounds with it, it did come with mattress however i chucked that and brought a new one due to health and safety. you can buy a similar one here.. http://www.preciouslittleone.com/product-information/58/31115/clair-de-lune-natural-wicker-moses-basket-%28my-dolly%29/

This is one of the many bits i brought from Tesco's They had a huge sale on and i brought this for 4pounds.. i also got matching shoes and tights, although i cant give you a link for this i can say that it is very good quality. I have always avoided buying things from supermarkets on the impression that it would be cheap material that wouldnt last very long but its very soft and looks fab! I would really recommend Tesco's baby clothing range and i plan to go back when they have another sale!

This 3 piece included a bodysuit, sleep suit and bib, i got this off eBay brand new it cost 18pound, i brought it for 4.50 so its really worth keeping your eye out on eBay and other second hand sites as you can get some real bargins! I will keep updating this post as and when i find our bargains!

My pregnancy up to 26 weeks.

As i have only just started up this blog this will actually be my first pregnancy post, so i will give you a quick idea of whats been happening so far. I found out i was pregnant on boxing day, at five weeks! it was a huge shock as the pregnancy wasn't planned however we are very excited! I was a little concerned about the baby's well-being due to having a few G&T's over the Christmas period but thankfully all is well. I went for my 12week scan on the 17th of February 2014, it was so surreal seeing a baby on the screen. I thought i would know what to expect after having my first child, however it was surprising how much i forgot in five years! I was told i was due on September the 2nd 2014, i had a smile to myself as that's only 2 days before my first son was due, however he ended up being born on august the 12th 2008! I decided to go for a 4D scan at BabyVision on the 29th march 2014,this was the day before mothers day so was very fitting! I was 17+5 weeks.(pictures to be added below) I regret not having the 4D scan with my first child, it was amazing, you could see every detail even though the baby was hiding! I decided i wanted to find out the gender of my baby, i told the lady and she started trying to peer between its legs, (haha) however the baby had tucked it's self in a corner and refused to move! She suggested i went outside to drink some water and try and get the baby to move, so there i was in the middle of nowhere doing star jumps to encourage to baby to move! When i went back in the sonogram revealed baby hadn't moved much despite my efforts(stubbon!) however she could just make out i was having a... GIRL! I was, and still am very excited to be having a little girl, this is going to be my last child, so one of each is fab! After the 4D scan i went shopping for baby clothes, it was really strange thinking i was buying for my baby, i don't think it had really sunk in i was having another, it was like i was looking at someone else's baby on the screen! I went with a friend and we ended up getting lots of cute tops and dresses (even though she will be due in Autumn/winter) since then she has built up quite a wardrobe full of clothes and shoes! I did buy lots of items, however i got most of the items second hand off a lovely lady who lives by me. I brought everything a newborn needs clothing wise (tights,coats,sleep suits etc..) off her for fifteen pound, bargain! Since then i have had lots of other bargains which i will feature in a later post as there is too many! 2 weeks after that i went for my 20week scan and has it confirmed that i was having a girl. The baby's developing normally and everything looks great, i'm so excited! I had a difficult birth with my first child, (in short, i ended up having an emergency c-section and hemorrhaged) because of this i have an appointment with a consultant on the 12th of June 2014 (two days before my birthday) to find out what he suggests for this birth. I am hoping that he will support me in having a VBAC, but i will post more about that after I've spoken to him. I felt my first baby kicks much earlier this time, i think it was about 14,15 weeks but i was SURE they were baby kicks by 16 weeks :) my little girl is very active, and very predictable between 7-7.30 am, 1pm and 5 and 7 i can feel her kicking loads, i hope she is going to keep this routine and possibly sleep well during the night? I have got a name picked out for her, but i am currently keeping that under wraps, although my 5year old helped me choose it so i'm not sure how long that will stay a mystery!

A little more about me...

Firstly, thank you for popping by to visit my blog!

I have always had a keen interest in reading other peoples blogs, particularly parenting ones. I have been thinking of setting up my own blog for a while now, and i thought this would be the perfect time.I am expecting baby number two in september, and i thought this would be a great place to document my childrens milestones aswell as express my opinions on various subjects. I must add that no names will be mentioned in my blog due to various reasons, but i hope you enjoy!

I am a twenty somthing women that lives in wales, i currently work in a elderly care home but will be leaving soon to go on maternity leave. I have a five year old son, and i am expecting baby number two on the second of september 2014. I am currently a single mother due to reasons beyond my control, however i think this makes me a much stronger person and i cope just fine.

As a single working mother of soon to be two i dont have much time for anything else, however if i do get any spare time i like to read blogs, i like to dine out with friends, and taste good wine! I love clothing and shopping so expect to see some clothes or beauty reviews soon.

All my views and opinions are my own. I do not get paid to write any of my blog posts.