Friday, 29 October 2010
Some photos for you
I've gone through all the photos that Frans took on Sunday and I've chosen a small selection for you all to look at. Click here to see them.
Thursday, 28 October 2010
So much washing!
I've just done my fourth washload in three days. WTF! First I got all the adult washing out the way - that was two washloads. Then I changed the bed sheets - one washload. Now I've just done baby clothes and because it's all so tiny, there's LOADS of it! It's taken me half an hour to hang it all up, and I'm gonna have to do a baby washload every other day, what with the clothes, the nappies, the wipes, the blankets. And I have to fit 'normal' washing in there somewhere. So tomorrow is more washing for me - the blankets, musline squares, sheets and the few clothes I didn't do today. Sigh.
What have I let myself in for....
What have I let myself in for....
Monday, 25 October 2010
Maternity Leave
So my maternity leave officially started on Friday. Today is Monday and I've done more 'stuff' in the last three days than I did when I was working. We had a VERY full day at the Baby Show on Saturday, Sunday was also very hectic (see previous blog posts) and today I started on my to-do list. I think I crossed off two things yet I haven't stopped moving. Even now, we've just finished eating and I'm straight on here writing. I even know what I'm doing when I've finished writing - more tidying. What's wrong with me?!
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Photos and cot storage
We spent most of today taking photos. As soon as I've sorted through them, I'll put them up for you all to see. Until then, you'll have to wait :) We finished with the photos about 2pm so thought we should have some lunch, then pop over to see Mum and Tim. They've kindly offered to store our wonderful new cot in their shed. Actually, loads of people have offered to store it for us and we're so grateful to have such wonderful friends. Unfortunately it's too large (even in pieces) to go through a loft hatch so the shed was our only real option. So we popped over and left them with a lot of wood to store. Thanks guys!
Our new cot!
After the Baby Show yesterday we headed over to Essex to pick up our lovely cot, purchased from Ebay. I won't tell you about the nightmare traffic or how it took us 2 hours 30 mins to do a 1 hour 30 min trip. But I will tell you about how lovely the family were that we bought the cot from. Really friendly and helpful and it makes me feel like we've made a good choice with the cot. Silly, I know. So the guys packed up the car - which was also full of Baby Show stuff - and off Frans and I went. At this point it was about 8pm and we were both exhausted and hungry. We decided to stop for a very romantic Burger King at South Mims Service station. Wonderful :)
But we've got the cot that we fell in love with all those months ago and we know that our little rugrat will be happy in there for a long time to come.
But we've got the cot that we fell in love with all those months ago and we know that our little rugrat will be happy in there for a long time to come.
The Baby Show
Yesterday we went to the Baby Show at Earls Court, London. Once we eventually got there - we had a bit of navigational trouble - we wandered around looking at all the stalls, trying to work out what we needed and what we just liked the look of :) Seriously, we know what these shows are like and how easy it is to spend money so we went with a list of the things that we wanted to look at and set about investigating in a "Lytzen" systematic way.
So the main things we wanted to look at were reusable nappies, baby wipes, changing bags, bottles and equipment for expressing and storing milk. The bottles and related products were easily sorted. Tommee Tippee have their Closer To Nature range which I really loved the look and feel of. The teats on the bottles seemed to me - the expert - to be a much more natural shape than the others we looked at as well as having some other features that both Frans and I felt were important, especially since we only want to bottle feed occasionally. We bought two bottles and a breast pump kit (which had a bottle in it) so if breastfeeding doesn't work, we can at least feed the baby then go and buy more bottles when needed.
As we were walking around we found lots of stalls selling changing bags. To be honest, I was quite disappointed by most of them. A lot of them were trying to be something other than what they were and weren't really my cup of tea. I did see one which I had looked at before the show - the Wallaboo - but didn't like it in the flesh. That's been crossed off. The bag that Frans quite liked was the Baby Mule. A great design and seems to be quite practical but again I'm not sure that I can see myself carrying it around. Something to think about though.
For the baby wipes and nappies, Frans and I again both agreed that we wanted to use resuables as much as possible. The plan is to use disposables until we get the hang of things and also when we're out but to use the reusables when we're home. Before we went, I found Cheeky Wipes online and knew they were exhibiting at the Show. To be honest, what they sell is just flannels and tupperware boxes but the cost of us putting the kit together ourselves wouldn't be worth the hassle. The Cheeky Wipes kit all fits neatly together and also comes with two bags so you can take the resuable wipes out and about with you and baby. It gives us options in the future. Sold!
The nappies were much harder to decide on. There was such a vast amount of stalls selling resuable nappies, all of which seemed to be a little bit different. We narrowed the contenders down to two - Bum Genius and gNappies. We sat and discussed the pros and cons of each system and eventually decided that we wanted to go with the Bum Genius nappies. They had a good deal on at the show so we bought what we needed there. Sorted! Now we have twenty nappies and forty liners to wash. Oh joy!
Lastly, we had brief look at the Pourty. It's really just a fancy potty but it's going on our 'still to get list' anyway.
So the main things we wanted to look at were reusable nappies, baby wipes, changing bags, bottles and equipment for expressing and storing milk. The bottles and related products were easily sorted. Tommee Tippee have their Closer To Nature range which I really loved the look and feel of. The teats on the bottles seemed to me - the expert - to be a much more natural shape than the others we looked at as well as having some other features that both Frans and I felt were important, especially since we only want to bottle feed occasionally. We bought two bottles and a breast pump kit (which had a bottle in it) so if breastfeeding doesn't work, we can at least feed the baby then go and buy more bottles when needed.
As we were walking around we found lots of stalls selling changing bags. To be honest, I was quite disappointed by most of them. A lot of them were trying to be something other than what they were and weren't really my cup of tea. I did see one which I had looked at before the show - the Wallaboo - but didn't like it in the flesh. That's been crossed off. The bag that Frans quite liked was the Baby Mule. A great design and seems to be quite practical but again I'm not sure that I can see myself carrying it around. Something to think about though.
For the baby wipes and nappies, Frans and I again both agreed that we wanted to use resuables as much as possible. The plan is to use disposables until we get the hang of things and also when we're out but to use the reusables when we're home. Before we went, I found Cheeky Wipes online and knew they were exhibiting at the Show. To be honest, what they sell is just flannels and tupperware boxes but the cost of us putting the kit together ourselves wouldn't be worth the hassle. The Cheeky Wipes kit all fits neatly together and also comes with two bags so you can take the resuable wipes out and about with you and baby. It gives us options in the future. Sold!
The nappies were much harder to decide on. There was such a vast amount of stalls selling resuable nappies, all of which seemed to be a little bit different. We narrowed the contenders down to two - Bum Genius and gNappies. We sat and discussed the pros and cons of each system and eventually decided that we wanted to go with the Bum Genius nappies. They had a good deal on at the show so we bought what we needed there. Sorted! Now we have twenty nappies and forty liners to wash. Oh joy!
Lastly, we had brief look at the Pourty. It's really just a fancy potty but it's going on our 'still to get list' anyway.
Friday, 22 October 2010
Antenatal classes
Last night was our last antenatal class. Well, I have one more but that's more of a catch up with the girls before we all pop. So last night, we got thrown in straight at the deep end and had to dress a baby. They gave us a doll to practice on, don't panic! Whilst we were discussing clothes and things, a lady came in with a REAL baby. Ah, scary! He was born three weeks ago and was so tiny and cute. I can't believe we'll have one of those in five weeks' time.... The mum was very good and answered lots of questions from everyone. It was lovely to see her and her new little family. The dad got asked some questions too so we got a rounded perspective on parenthood in the first few weeks.
So that's it - no more classes. Do I feel ready for motherhood? Not in the slightest :)
So that's it - no more classes. Do I feel ready for motherhood? Not in the slightest :)
We've got a cot!
I can't remember if I've told you this story before so I'll start from the beginning. Fairly early on in the pregnancy, Frans and I were shopping in Reading and wandered in to a Mamas and Papas shop. For the Danes, it's a shop that sells baby products, a bit like Baby Sam. They have nursery furniture as well as toys, clothes, maternity wear, etc. They sell such beautiful things and we fell in love with one of their cots. Actually, we love the whole set of furniture in the Ocean Golden Oak range. Needless to say it's the most expensive set they have - we do tend to have expensive taste! We very quickly decided that there was no way we could justify spending that amount of money on any cot or dresser. We set about looking at other cots and dressers with the dresser being our priority as we had the crib from my Mum to use until the baby was a few months old. We did decide that we would like to get a matching set though so we had to like both the dresser and the cot in any set.
After much searching, the only other cots and dressers that we liked were just as expensive as the Ocean set. I know - does it really matter what it looks like? The baby won't know. But after falling for the solid oak Ocean set, all the other stuff just seemed 'less' somehow. So we decided to try Ebay. I discovered that the Ocean set is quite popular, even second hand. Both dressers and cots were coming on to Ebay but were selling for a price too far out of our budget. I kept an eye out for a long time for a bargain then last weekend a cot was put on - and we won it today! It's cost us only slightly more than the average cot and nothing like what we would've paid in the shop. Like I said, we don't need a cot yet so it's going to be stored at my Mum's place for now.
As for the dresser, they are very scarce on Ebay but we have the dresser that Sean kindly gave to us a few months ago so we're in no rush. I'll still keep my eyes peeled and when there's a bargain to be had, I'll pounce.
After much searching, the only other cots and dressers that we liked were just as expensive as the Ocean set. I know - does it really matter what it looks like? The baby won't know. But after falling for the solid oak Ocean set, all the other stuff just seemed 'less' somehow. So we decided to try Ebay. I discovered that the Ocean set is quite popular, even second hand. Both dressers and cots were coming on to Ebay but were selling for a price too far out of our budget. I kept an eye out for a long time for a bargain then last weekend a cot was put on - and we won it today! It's cost us only slightly more than the average cot and nothing like what we would've paid in the shop. Like I said, we don't need a cot yet so it's going to be stored at my Mum's place for now.
As for the dresser, they are very scarce on Ebay but we have the dresser that Sean kindly gave to us a few months ago so we're in no rush. I'll still keep my eyes peeled and when there's a bargain to be had, I'll pounce.
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Camilla's box of goodies
So as I mentioned in my previous post, Camilla has very kindly given us a box of baby things. The box consists of things that she knew we didn't yet have, things we might have forgotten about and a few cute things too. Here's a photo:
So the box consists of the following items:
So the box consists of the following items:- Nappy sacks
- Baby wipes
- Baby soap
- Nappy rash cream
- Cotton pads
- Calpol (yummy!)
- Scissors for cutting nails
- Two dummies
- Five muslin squares
- A really cool toy
- Seven bibs
- The most gorgeous Winnie the Pooh coat EVER
Sunday, 17 October 2010
A productive weekend
This weekend was dedicated to 'Baby Prep'. Basically we wanted to get as much stuff done as possible in preparation for our little one arriving in 6 weeks time (or there abouts). We had a big long list of all the stuff we had left to do and did manage to get a fair chunk of it done. As you can see from our previous post, the car seat is now in Frans' car ready to dash to the hospital. We've made a list of all the stuff we need to pack for the hospital bag so that will get packed next weekend hopefully. Frans has finished sanding the crib so now it just needs to be painted - exciting!
Today we also met up with Camilla who had a little box of goodies for us. She has been incredibly sweet and wonderful and has filled a box with things that she knew we didn't have yet. There's bibs, dummies, muslin squares, and lots of other bits. I'll do a more detailed post on this with pictures during the week. We love it though :)
Today we also met up with Camilla who had a little box of goodies for us. She has been incredibly sweet and wonderful and has filled a box with things that she knew we didn't have yet. There's bibs, dummies, muslin squares, and lots of other bits. I'll do a more detailed post on this with pictures during the week. We love it though :)
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Car seat installed
Just installed the car seat so we are ready to go to the hospital in a while...
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Monday, 4 October 2010
Surprises!
Not strictly a baby-related post but I had to let everyone know just how amazing my husband is. I was whisked away on a surprise trip on Saturday (October 2nd) and was spoilt rotten.
The day started with breakfast in bed, followed by a lazy morning before we left for London. We took a gentle walk from Marylebone and ended up at a maternity clothes store. Frans wanted to treat me to some nice clothes so we left the shop (about 90 minutes later!) with some amazing jeans and 4 nursing tops. They're gorgeous :) We then grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading to the hotel Frans had booked for the night - in Mayfair! We stayed at the Millenium Hotel and it is lush. The foyer had those old-style elevators where there's a clock arm that moves to tell you what floor the lift is on. Love it! We had a dinner reservation at an Italian restaurant for 6pm so we got ready for the evening. The restaurant was lovely and we both really enjoyed our meals. Then we had to leave for my next surprise - the theatre. We took a short walk along Shaftsbury Avenue, seeing lots of different theatres, none of which were stopping at. I was starting to think that we weren't actually going to see a show, then we arrived at the theatre showing Stomp. Wow! What an incredible show! The dancers have so much energy and the show was just incredible. The choreography was mind-blowing and even the smallest, quietest parts were captivating. When we left, it was pouring with rain but we had no hope of getting a taxi. We started the mile and a half walk back to the hotel, keeping an eye out for a free taxi. Needless to say, one didn't come so we got drenched walking all the way back to the hotel. It was an interesting evening to an amazing day - we couldn't stop laughing!
On Sunday morning, we woke up a bit earlier than planned. We had a room-service breakfast - very posh - before lazily getting ready for the day ahead. We decided to pop over to Covent Garden and have a nosey round some shops. It started off as quite a sunny day but a little rain did come in. We hopped from shop to shop, had a chocolate crepe and some coffee before heading to the Duke of Wellington pub for Sunday lunch. Cue my last surprise - Camilla! For those of you who don't know/can't remember, Camilla is one of my closest friends and was a bridesmaid at our wedding. Frans had been in contact with her to see if she was around to meet us for lunch as I'm always complaining that I haven't seen her for months. It was definitely a surprise to see her standing outside the pub, waiting for us. The food at the Duke was lovely and the three of us talked and ate for almost three hours. It was a wonderful end to an amazing weekend in London.
Thank you my love.
The day started with breakfast in bed, followed by a lazy morning before we left for London. We took a gentle walk from Marylebone and ended up at a maternity clothes store. Frans wanted to treat me to some nice clothes so we left the shop (about 90 minutes later!) with some amazing jeans and 4 nursing tops. They're gorgeous :) We then grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading to the hotel Frans had booked for the night - in Mayfair! We stayed at the Millenium Hotel and it is lush. The foyer had those old-style elevators where there's a clock arm that moves to tell you what floor the lift is on. Love it! We had a dinner reservation at an Italian restaurant for 6pm so we got ready for the evening. The restaurant was lovely and we both really enjoyed our meals. Then we had to leave for my next surprise - the theatre. We took a short walk along Shaftsbury Avenue, seeing lots of different theatres, none of which were stopping at. I was starting to think that we weren't actually going to see a show, then we arrived at the theatre showing Stomp. Wow! What an incredible show! The dancers have so much energy and the show was just incredible. The choreography was mind-blowing and even the smallest, quietest parts were captivating. When we left, it was pouring with rain but we had no hope of getting a taxi. We started the mile and a half walk back to the hotel, keeping an eye out for a free taxi. Needless to say, one didn't come so we got drenched walking all the way back to the hotel. It was an interesting evening to an amazing day - we couldn't stop laughing!
On Sunday morning, we woke up a bit earlier than planned. We had a room-service breakfast - very posh - before lazily getting ready for the day ahead. We decided to pop over to Covent Garden and have a nosey round some shops. It started off as quite a sunny day but a little rain did come in. We hopped from shop to shop, had a chocolate crepe and some coffee before heading to the Duke of Wellington pub for Sunday lunch. Cue my last surprise - Camilla! For those of you who don't know/can't remember, Camilla is one of my closest friends and was a bridesmaid at our wedding. Frans had been in contact with her to see if she was around to meet us for lunch as I'm always complaining that I haven't seen her for months. It was definitely a surprise to see her standing outside the pub, waiting for us. The food at the Duke was lovely and the three of us talked and ate for almost three hours. It was a wonderful end to an amazing weekend in London.
Thank you my love.
Friday, 1 October 2010
3rd scan
When we had the second scan, they found that Rachelle's placenta (moderkage in danish) was too low. This is quite common in early pregnancy but if it doesn't move up it can cause complications at birth.
We therefore had an extra scan today to see if it had moved - and it had. Not only that, the baby is currently lying in the right position, with it's head down and it's back towards the left. Oh, and it's got hair!
So far all looks good for a natural birth. Nice to know it's going well; one of the couples from our antenatal group turned up to class last night, not having felt the baby move all day and were promptly sent to hospital by the teacher. We ran in to another couple from the group at the hospital today, and it looks like she may have pre eclampsia.
We therefore had an extra scan today to see if it had moved - and it had. Not only that, the baby is currently lying in the right position, with it's head down and it's back towards the left. Oh, and it's got hair!
So far all looks good for a natural birth. Nice to know it's going well; one of the couples from our antenatal group turned up to class last night, not having felt the baby move all day and were promptly sent to hospital by the teacher. We ran in to another couple from the group at the hospital today, and it looks like she may have pre eclampsia.
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