Mommy Monday: 40 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2!

I have gotten so many requests to take a picture of how I look from the back...well here you go!

Finally! Here we are at the last bump update :) I am officially 40 weeks pregnant - today is the due date! Unfortunately, baby "Junior" has decided he isn't ready to make an entrance yet so we are still waiting. But in the meantime, here's what's been going on!

How far along?  40 weeks!

Total weight gain/measurements: 27lbs. I lost another pound this week, putting me at 142lbs. It's funny because I now actually weigh the exact same that I did at 40 weeks with Emilia!

Maternity clothes: This outfit is already on the blog, as my Style Saturday post! I'm just not wearing the cardigan here. The leggings aren't maternity but were always too big and I'm wearing one of my Boob nursing tops that doubles up as a maternity one.

Stretch marks: Ohh yes, those wretched things are back with a vengeance and it only took them one week longer than last time to appear! Thankfully they are still only in the one area (around my bellybutton) but I have gotten more this week :( The reason I can tell is because the old ones are white, whereas these new ones are blue-ish. I'm crossing my fingers and toes that they fade afterwards because no matter what anyone else says, stretch marks are NOT a fun aspect of pregnancy!

Sleep: When I do sleep, I sleep well. But it is uncomfortable what with only being able to lie in one position...and I do wake up a lot at night. My 2 hour naps during the day when Emilia goes down from 3-5 are my saviour!!

Best moment this week: This is going to sound pretty silly but I actually really enjoyed baking over the weekend! I hadn't done it in ages & had forgotten how much I missed it. The whole house smelled amazing & Emilia woke up from her nap to freshly baked cupcakes :) She loves when I bake too and I think it's a lovely tradition that I hope to continue!  

Miss anything? Not being pregnant!

Movement: A ton. He is so big and strong!

Food cravings: Not really having any right now.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Gender: Boy 

Labour signs: Not exactly...which of course is disappointing this late into the pregnancy! But the Braxton Hicks seem to have stopped & aside from the regular lightening crotch/needing to pee every 5 seconds there's not much else going on. I got a weird "lightening crotch" feeling in the back of my pelvis one morning which was extremely painful/uncomfortable but it went away after a few seconds & never came back! A little update on my membrane sweep which I had last week - well, obviously it was unsuccessful but I also kind of knew it would be after my doctor's visit because he said baby's head wasn't fully engaged yet and he still had a bit more to go. I left my appointment feeling a little bit disheartened but at least I knew not to get my hopes up.

Symptoms: Heartburn. Stretch marks (as mentioned above!). Fatigue. Shortness of breath. Back-ache, partly due to the fact that he's so big right now and heavy to carry around...and also because of lifting Emilia. Constipation/generally just not being regular is still an issue although it has improved. Nesting...oh I am nesting big-time right now and have been for the last couple of weeks. Everything has to be perfectly organised and if it's not I go a bit insane. Thank god everyone in my family seems to be used to it by now so they know what an OCD psycho I can be!! 

Belly button in or out? Out

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or moody most of the time: Both.

Looking forward to: Having this baby!! Well, okay of course I'm a bit nervous too. And I'm sure I'll miss being pregnant in a couple of months...but right now I'm definitely ready to be done! I have my last doctor's appointment on Tuesday by which stage if the baby hasn't come already we will be planning the induction date!

Watch my 40 week pregnancy vlog below!

I'd like to say a big thank you to all of you who have stuck with me on this incredible journey...especially those of you who have followed since my first pregnancy! It was so interesting to compare both the differences & similarities in them. Although my second pregnancy was definitely harder, I think that's pretty normal and I did still enjoy it :) I hope you guys will continue to follow along with my postpartum journey and although the bump updates are finished I will do my best to keep Mommy Mondays a regular series on my blog. Thank you again for all of your support! 

xoxo 

Anna

To read my 40 week bump update from my first pregnancy, check it out here!

My Week in Pictures - March 24th - 30th

Monday

On Monday we went into town for lunch & I also picked up a few new beauty items! I ordered the Tigi Fat Curl Stick, two Barry M nail paints (Blue Moon from the regular line & Mist from the Silk collection), a new pair of Tweezerman tweezers and Benefit Browzings from ASOS. When I was in Brown Thomas I got another tub of my regular moisturiser, Estée Lauder Daywear and one of the new Luxe brush heads for my Clarisonic. These are absolutely amazing! They are made with cashmere and feel so soft! I don't need to change my brush head again till May but just couldn't resist this!

Tuesday

I loved Emilia's outfit of the day so much...all the details are already on the blog as part of my Fashion Friday post!

Wednesday

Painted my nails with my new Barry M Silk nail polish in Mist. I have to say this stuff is good quality - it's still going strong right now with very minimal chipping!

Thursday

This has become my favourite dessert/evening snack lately! I'm talking about the new Dairy Milk Ritz & Lu bars...oh my God, they are so good! Especially the Ritz ones - the combination of sweet & salty is like a party in your mouth! And they taste even better with a vanilla Nespresso on the side ;)

Friday

This is what happens when I try to take a bump shot in our bedroom! Ha ha ha...Jonathan had just come out of the bathroom & decided to photobomb my selfie! I had just filmed my last pregnancy vlog and was taking a few bump pics to document how big it's gotten! 

Saturday

I spent my Saturday baking Mother's Day cupcakes. I made Dark Chocolate Chip Mascarpone ones from my Betty Crocker Big Book of Cupcakes recipe book. I had actually baked these before in a huge single cupcake version, as a birthday cake for my mom! So I knew they would taste good...I'm not usually a big chocolate cake fan but the bitterness of the dark chocolate combined with the cream cheese/mascarpone frosting tastes amazing! I have a crappy frosting tool that absolutely stinks so please excuse my rubbish decorating skills...I ended up only being able to frost 14 out of the 24 I baked because the machine wastes so much frosting! This is the one I have...I don't recommend it at all! It's also a total pain in the bum to wash. I can't tell you how many nails I've broken trying to dismantle the bloody thing...gah!! Just as well I bought extra ingredients so I am going to make more frosting today to finish the other 10 I have left-over! I gave these 14 to my mom last night for her Mother's Day present :) 

Sunday

Today is Mother's Day in the UK & Ireland, so Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there! I was greeted by this little angel this morning, holding a bunch of pink roses & chocolates like she had no idea how they got there...ha ha ha! So cute :) After I finish frosting cupcakes & editing/blogging I plan on going back to bed - I am exhausted! 

That wraps up my week in pictures. If you want to follow me on Instagram you can find me here! I hope you're all having a relaxing Sunday/Mother's Day!

xoxo

Anna

Style Saturday: Last Maternity Outfit?!

I'm not sure if this will be my last maternity outfit of the day...let's hope so!! Especially because I am running out of ideas! These Boob nursing/maternity tops have been absolute life-savers for me this pregnancy. I hope they're not too stretched out when I want to wear them postpartum though...ha ha, oops. Today I'm wearing a black long-sleeve top & a pair of black leggings from Heatons. My cardigan is from Soaked in Luxury and my boots are by Hunter. 

On my nails is Barry M "Mist" nail paint from their new Silk collection - it's a pretty pearlescent baby blue shade (surprise surprise!). I don't usually like metallic nail polishes but these silk ones are a lot younger & fresher looking! (I realise you can't really see my nail colour in these pictures - I will try and get a proper close-up in an upcoming beauty post!) My bracelets are from Alex & Ani, earrings are Orelia and my gold Scorpio necklace is from my dad. I curled my hair the day before with my new Tigi Fat Curl Stick...so far I love it! But I definitely need a haircut. I just keep putting it off for some reason! 

Emilia was not in the mood for pictures today so unfortunately this was the only one I could salvage! She is also going through a Minnie Mouse phase right now which I think is so bizarre because she has never watched her on TV! I even tried playing some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse & Minnie's Bow-tique for her and she wasn't that interested. But she is a huge fan of the character! Every time she sees her face anywhere she shouts "MINNIE!!" It's so cute :) So as you can imagine she was pretty happy with this outfit today. The sweatshirt & leggings are a set from H&M and her Minnie Mouse bow/hairband are from Heather's Bonny Bows. She is also wearing her Twinkletoes by Skechers.

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend so far! I have been baking cupcakes for Mother's Day tomorrow...I'm also wondering if my present this year will be a baby ;) Who knows!! 

xoxo

Anna

Fashion Friday: Mommy & Toddler

Holy moly, is it getting difficult to find items to wear/that fit at 39/40 weeks pregnant!! I actually wore a variation of this outfit quite a lot during my last pregnancy, so here I just switched a few things up to suit the cooler weather. (Last time I was pregnant it was the summertime.) I am wearing a white maternity tee from Mamalicious that I got in Mothercare paired with a non-maternity plaid shirt I got a few years ago from Heatons. My jeans are from ASOS Maternity and the boots are tan suede cow-girl inspired ones from ASOS that I bought about 3/4 years ago. 

You can't really see my jewellery but I'm wearing my gold Scorpio necklace from my dad, Alex & Ani set of 3 gold bracelets and topaz birthstone bracelet. My earrings are from Orelia (found them in silver here!). On my nails is Maybelline's "Ceramic Blue" and on my lips is Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy lipstick in "Desirable". 

This is probably one of my favourite jumpers Emilia has ever worn! I hate that babies/toddlers grow so fast :( I just want this one to last a long time because it's so cute! I even get emotional buying clothes for our baby boy, knowing that in a few months they'll be too small! My mom got Emilia's jumper from DPAM (one of my favourite kids' clothing shops!) and her leggings are from Zara Mini. She got some new shoes from Clarks and her bow/headband are by Layniebug Designs.

Check out our outfit of the day video here! 

Hope you're all having a fabulous Friday!

xoxo

Anna

Throwback Thursday: Sister Sister!

This picture is from the morning of my little sister Erika's 8th birthday (January 1st 2006). It makes me laugh so much at how grumpy & unenthused Emma & I look, while Erika is clearly VERY excited! Ha ha ha! This was because her birthday falls on the day after New Year's Eve, which was obviously always a big party night out...so Emma & I were most likely wrecked and/or hungover (well, I was anyway!!). I was 18 in this picture...there are almost exactly 10 years between Erika & me! 

Erika & I actually just filmed the Sister Tag for my YouTube channel - so if you'd like to know a little bit more about us or just join in for some general sister silliness, you can watch the video below!

xoxo

Anna

What I Ate Wednesday {24.3.14}

Breakfast

I normally have Flahavan's Organic Quick Oats but we ran out this morning (doing the weekly shop tonight!) so I had the Golden Syrup variety which is absolutely amazing but unfortunately, full of sugar :( I don't have it very often but it tastes so good! I made this with almond milk, 1/2 banana and cinnamon. To drink I had a Caramelito Nespresso (black, lungo). I seem to have gotten over my coffee/tea 

Lunch

We had lunch at Table Restaurant in Brown Thomas and I ordered my favourite - the goat's cheese salad. (FYI - yes goat's cheese is perfectly safe in pregnancy, once it is pasteurised :) This has beetroot, quinoa, parsnip crisps, candied pecans & dark leaf salad in it. It is absolutely delicious! To drink I had a bottle of still water.

Snack

Throughout this entire pregnancy I've struggled with the worst heartburn, but it seems to hit the hardest in between lunch & dinner. Generally I've felt so awful by late afternoon I haven't been able to stomach any food but this week it finally seems to have died down a little bit! So by 5 o'clock I was hungry again and reached for some red grapes and an organic vanilla yoghurt. This was my favourite picture I took of my snack...because of my little grape-stealer!! Ha ha ha, Emilia is obsessed with grapes & kept trying to steal them while I snapped photos! I also had a cup of red raspberry leaf tea.

Dinner

I actually showed this very same dinner before but we used different pasta! This is linguine smoked salmon pasta made with Philadelphia simply stir sauce (the garlic & herb variety) and lemon juice. It's become one of my favourite dishes and is so easy to make! To drink I had more water.

Dessert

I used our new Krups frother machine (the Nespresso Latissima+ was total rubbish - the frother broke not long after we had bought it! Nespresso coffee is great but the Latissima+ is definitely not worth the price. We tried descaling it and always kept it super clean but nothing worked!). So I made this coffee using a Nespresso Caramelito capsule & added 225ml of milk frothed by our Krups machine to make a yummy caramel latte. It was amazing!! Especially paired with some Munchies :) 

Check out my What I Ate Wednesday video below! 

xoxo

Anna 

Beauty Tuesday: My Skincare Routine!

These are the products I use everyday in my skincare routine. My skin type is oily/combination as well as acne prone since my teens, although it has changed over time both due to age & also with pregnancy! Throughout my teenage years I got acne pretty bad on my T-zone (in particular the forehead area - that was the worst). Eventually the products that cleared it up were the Mary Kay Velocity range as well as benzoyl peroxide for spot treatment. 

Almost 3 years ago around the time before my wedding I broke out pretty badly due to stress. There was literally NOTHING I could do about my skin - it was so bad. I had lots of tiny lumps all over my forehead and no matter what I used I couldn't seem to get rid of them. :( Thankfully after the wedding, it cleared up again. During my first pregnancy I broke out mostly around my jaw and chin area whereas my forehead & T-zone remained clear for the most part (typical of hormonal acne). This has been the same in this pregnancy as well! However I don't use any harsh acne targeting products during pregnancy as they aren't supposed to be 100% safe. So no salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide for me at the moment I'm afraid!

Cleanser

I use Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Multi-Action Foam Cleanser both morning & night. This is quite expensive but you get a lot of bang for your buck as this 150ml tube lasts a very long time! I use it on my face in the shower each morning and with my Clarisonic Plus (I got mine in Pink Floral!) every night after taking off my makeup. This ensures that I get rid of every scrap of dirt, residue & makeup from the day. I thoroughly recommend the Clarisonic - I genuinely believe it has changed my life! Almost as soon as I started using it, friends & people that are close to me would comment on how my complexion looked brighter, fresher & more clear. It's definitely not a total miracle-worker in that I still do get the odd hormonal breakout but I will say that if you catch them early on (when you can feel a spot underneath your skin) and if you zap it with the Clarisonic really well the night before, you can actually prevent them from surfacing. Other than that I just love the way it makes my skin feel after using it! It looks & feels squeaky clean and I can go to bed knowing that my face has been properly cleansed. 

Eye Serum & Moisturiser

I use these two morning & night. After I turned 26 I went looking for a good eye cream and the lady at the Estée Lauder counter recommended to me the Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum. Because I'm still in my 20's and only really looking for a preventative against the first signs of ageing, this suits my skin better than a heavy eye cream. It's a lightweight serum which comes in both a pump bottle & a little tub but I prefer this packaging as one pump is all you need for both eyes. It is expensive but you go through tiny amounts everyday so again I feel that it's worth it! I purchased my first bottle in December and still haven't had to buy a new one. For my moisturiser I use Estée Lauder DayWear for normal/combination skin. This feels so light & cooling on my skin - I love it! It also has SPF 15 in it.  

Makeup Remover

Last but not least, I remove my makeup every night using these Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes. Makeup removing wipes get a pretty bad rep as they all have some amount of alcohol in them and are often seen as the "lazy option" when it comes to taking off your makeup. However these Simple ones have always worked so well for me! They never break me out, they stay damp (especially if you store them upside down) and get rid of even the toughest eye makeup. I use one wipe only for both my eyes & whole face. Obviously, you do not want to use these on their own to take off your makeup & cleanse your face at night. It's really important to cleanse properly afterwards...which is why I use my EL Perfectly Clean & the Clarisonic. I think if you do this, there's no problem with using wipes to remove your makeup. I just wouldn't use them on their own!

Acne/Spot Treatment

As I mentioned previously, I don't use any acne treatments on my face while pregnant. However I do recommend PanOxyl if you are not pregnant as that is the only thing that worked for me to clear my acne! It comes in a little tube like toothpaste, you can get it at some pharmacies or online (you don't need a prescription). I use level 5 (5% benzoyl peroxide) and you need a tiny amount applied only to the spot where you're breaking out, no more than once a day. This stuff does dry out the skin so be sure to use a good moisturiser afterwards! 

That's my current skincare routine - I hope this post was helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to leave them below. Otherwise you can check out my skincare routine video here!

xoxo

Anna

Mommy Monday: 39 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2!

How far along?  39 weeks! 1 week left (maybe...hopefully!)

Total weight gain/measurements: 28lbs. I lost another pound this week, putting me at 143lbs. I remember from being pregnant with Emilia too that this was the time when my weight gain slowed right down - so I think this is normal!

Maternity clothes: I'm wearing all maternity items (jumper, leggings & tank top). It's the exact same outfit from last week's Style Saturday post! 

Stretch marks: I get asked so many questions about stretch marks. While I haven't gotten any new ones this pregnancy, you can definitely tell that the ones I already had (around my bellybutton) have spread a bit. However they're still white and not bluish or red/pink so they don't bother me too much. I think I'll just be left with a wrinkly bellybutton when this is all over! Right now I'm just making sure to oil the belly twice a day with ESPA Nourishing Body Oil & ESPA Smooth & Firm Body Butter.

Sleep: Definitely uncomfortable at night. I wake around 4/5am, then again at 6, sometimes 7 and finally 8am when I get up. Probably getting me ready for the early morning feeds, ha ha! 

Best moment this week: Honestly there's not a lot going on this late in the pregnancy...just lots of down time & naps! I'm also trying to be as productive as possible with work seeing as my sister Erika is babysitting weekday mornings now. This is probably the best thing about these last few weeks - is how much extra time I have to get stuff done! I really appreciate the help :)

Miss anything? Not being pregnant!

Movement: Oodles!

Food cravings: Rice Krispies Multigrain Shapes cereal with whole milk...been having this as dessert lately, it's so good! 

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Gender: Boy 

Labour signs: Lots of lightening crotch, pressure & I have to pee every 5 minutes.

Symptoms: Now that I've started taking stuff for the constipation/haemorrhoids I seem to be safe (for now) - thank God!! That was the worst symptom of pregnancy I've ever experienced so far :( However I'm definitely not regular...so I'm still taking Duphalac twice a day (doctor's orders) to help with that whole issue. Heartburn is still bad and I've tried to cut down on the amount of Rennie tablets I take because I hear they cause constipation!! Arrrghhhh... I'm still suffering from backache anytime I lift anything heavy or bend over, which I try to avoid! But on the plus side my leg hair still isn't growing back & my skin seems to have cleared up! :) 

Belly button in or out? Out

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or moody most of the time: Both.

Looking forward to: Getting the membrane sweep this week :) 

Watch my 39 week pregnancy vlog below!

Click here to read my 39 week update from my first pregnancy!

xoxo

Anna

My Week in Pictures - March 17th - 23rd

Monday

I got bored of all the pastels and went for something darker on my nails! I still wanted them to be blue for "Junior" though, so painted them in Dark Denim by Maybelline. This colour is one of my favourites! 

Tuesday

Off to my last GP appointment! 38 weeks :) Here was my OOTD - the top is from Boob, cardigan by Gap, maternity jeans from Topshop (2 years ago) and boots from ASOS. I actually really like this look except I discovered that the jeans are now waaaay too tight around the band in front, where my bump is. So uncomfortable :( A little bit of advice for expectant moms who are carrying lower...go for a full panel maternity bump band that goes all the way around the tummy! 

Wednesday

I was super tired & cold that day - so I needed something cosy! The details for this outfit are already on the blog (here). 

Thursday

Turns out baby boy doesn't like navy, so we tried another shade of blue! This time I went for something very different - OPI's I Have A Herring Problem, which is a dusky greyish blue/green with gold & silver glitter in it. The picture doesn't really do it justice! It's a very understated colour. I've also been loving cereal lately as dessert/late night snacks - these are Rice Krispies Multigrain Shapes and they are amazing!!

Friday

Watching the belly move! He gets so active at night. This was right before bed and he was jumping all over the place! Every night I think to myself "will this be the night he decides to come?" and every time I'm a little bit disappointed! I wonder will he be late like his big sister... 

Saturday

Another heavily pregnant outfit of the day! Jeans are from ASOS Maternity, boots are Dune, cardigan is from Numph and the top is by Boob.

Sunday

This morning's cartoons with Emilia & friends :) She insisted on bringing all of her dollies with her on the couch and fed them her juice! She is such a cutie.

That was my week in pictures! If you want to follow me on Instagram you can find me here. I hope you are all having a relaxing Sunday...maybe next week will bring me a baby, ha ha ha! 

xoxo

Anna

Style Saturday: Matching Outfits!

Emilia & I were kind of matching today! Actually Erika was wearing very similar colours/outfit too but we will have to encourage her to start her own blog so she can share her style too :) My jumper is from New Look Maternity (now out of stock!) and has been a favourite throughout this whole pregnancy. I love the lace detail on the shoulders & the quality is good. I paired it with my Kate Thomas Maternity leggings (so comfy!) and matching maternity tank top which looks a lot like a mini-skirt here because of the length! My boots are from Dune (about 4 years ago). 

I am also wearing my silver hoop earrings from Silver Apple Designs, Swarovski heart necklace & charm bracelet from Tiffany's. On my nails is Maybelline "Dark Denim" from the Forever Strong Pro collection and on my lips is Rimmel Airy Fairy. 

Emilia is wearing a light grey cat jumper & darker grey leggings, both from Next. I would totally wear this outfit if it existed in adult size! :) I think it's one of my favourites. The olive green bow/headband is from Layniebug Designs and her slippers are from The Childen's Place. I can't remember which shoes we put with this outfit but we ended up buying her three new pairs today as her feet have grown! She is now a size 4G, so we got her some cute new spring/summer ones as well as a pair of wellies for when she goes to the park with her dad.

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend! No baby yet...in case you were wondering ;)

xoxo

Anna

Fashion Friday: Mama Baby UGG Boots!

Well it looks like spring has gone into hiding again...welcome back, winter! Ha ha ha - let's hope not! But the grey & rainy weather is making me want to bundle up in lots of grey again! Plus on the day I wore this outfit I was cold & feeling pretty fatigued. The last weeks of pregnancy are always tough sleep-wise so I'm finding myself getting bouts of energy (this is when I do most of my nesting!) along with moments of complete exhaustion. The wool leggings are by Selected and although they are not maternity they have been very useful throughout this whole pregnancy as they are super warm and have zips on the sides which makes the waist adjustable. My top is from ASOS Maternity and it's just a basic v-neck but if I'm honest, I don't recommend it as the material isn't great quality and the fit isn't very flattering. The waterfall cardigan is from GAP (about 2 1/2 years ago). 

As you can probably tell, Emilia was acting like a complete ham for the camera today!! Her foxy dress & polka dot leggings came as a set from Matalan and were a gift. The brown bow/headband is from Layniebug Designs and she is wearing her baby UGGs that she got for Christmas. I actually did something a little bit different when editing Emilia's part in our Outfit of the Day video and I think it turned out really cute! I hope you guys will check it out...and let me know what you think! ;)

xoxo

Anna