Life update | Babies, moving home and life after maternity

I know I do regular updates on the little man and how he's getting on, but I don't write many updates on how life is in general.

Trying for babies

So we've decided we're ready to try for baby #2! It's not the best time as we're in the process of moving house, but it took 8 months to concieve Squidge, so we thought we'd better get started :) We're pretty sure that in January I had what's called a chemical pregnancy.  I started having some feint positive tests (testing before my period was due (within 6 days) using a First Response Early Result test) which got stronger. But then, the day my period was due, my period arrived, and wasn't like any other period I've ever had. I won't go into detail, but I was pretty confident I was losing the pregnancy.

A lot of people say ‘if you hadn’t of tested, you would never have known’ but I disagree.  At least, with the period I had, I could tell.  Anyway, after that blip we stopped trying for a month – I’d heard that after something like that you have increased risk of an ectopic pregnancy for the next cycle, so we thought we better wait.

Moving home!

It’s so exciting to say that we’re moving!  We don’t have a date yet, but a date is imminent and is likely to be in 2-4 weeks. Everything is with the solicitors at the moment and has been for over 6 weeks.  We’re moving to a slightly bigger home (3 bedrooms) with a much bigger garden. More to the point, we’re moving from a new-build type house, to an old Victorian town house, that has a wood burning stove!!! I honestly can’t wait for Christmas, the hubby will have finished his OU degree, we can light the real fire and enjoy Squidge opening his presents :)

Returning to work after maternity, nearly a year on

So in July I’ll have been back at work for a year, and I’ll be honest, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. The work is good, I’ve always enjoyed what I do and who I work for, in fact, I’m very proud of where I work. But I haven’t found it to be easy. I didn’t expect it to be such an emotional thing, this far on. It was like starting a new job, except you know most of the people there (with a few exceptions), but because you weren’t there for 9 months, you feel like you know nothing. People then assume you don’t know/remember anything, so stop asking you for your thoughts and advise.

For me, I’ve felt like an extra in a long running tv show, a temporary addition that offers little value, but are necessary for the narrative. No one is to blame, it’s just how it feels.

2016 – To blog or not to blog

I did think this might be the year I stop blogging, as you know, I’ve barely blogged – only about once a week on average. But for the first time in close to a year, I’ve started to really feel the pangs to blog again. I’m finding my feet again and feeling like I might have something of worth to say.  Maybe my lull all tied in with how I’ve felt on returning to work? Hmm, that might be a bit of an epiphany!

Growing older

Sunday marks my birthday, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’ll be 37, that’s so depressing! I had hoped to be pregnant again by now, and do feel sad that I’m not, but I remain hopeful that I will be at some point again this year.  I’ve no idea what we’re going to do for the big day, probably not very much.  The hubby has an insane amount of uni work on at the moment, so more than likely he’ll need to focus on that – then in the evening we’ll have a cheeky curry and some birthday cake.

Slimming world

I’ve rejoined slimming world! I’ve been back on it for about 6 weeks and so far I’ve lost 1 stone.  I’ve done it twice before, each time losing 4 stone, and then over the next year or so putting it all back on. I always found it easy in the past, but this time I’m really struggling, all I want to do is have chocolate and bake cookies. I’m pretty much having my birthday weekend off it, then back on plan on Monday.  I am trying to keep as low-syn as possible this week though, just to help take the edge off the weekend (if that’s even possible!).

So that's my life at the moment, a bit up and down, but mostly good :)

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Some updates :-)

I haven't given you a lifestyle update in a while, so thought I'd share what I've been up to :)  So, the little man is now nearly 5.5 months old, so crazy! I can't believe how quickly it's gone, and more to the point, I can't believe I'll be back in work in just over 3 months - that's really depressing! Lets keep everything crossed that I win the lottery between now and then!  Both the hubby and I would love to be full time parents :)  We've started weaning him, yes I know it's a little early, but he gave us the signs he was ready, and was very unhappy with just his bottle - it's going well, I'm loving discovering the foods he likes and doesn't like - so far he loves pear and mango (he's a mummy's boy!), and hates carrot, sweet potato & apple - I'll work on those and find a way to get him to like them :)  Watching the little faces he pulls when he tastes a new food is hilarious though :)  I mean seriously, how cute is he!?!

I've also started recording vlogs on YouTube - I say I've only just started, and I really have, I filmed yesterday and will be uploading that soon - I play to film one day each week (maybe every other week) - I've no idea if people will like them, or watch them, but they're fun for me to record, even with my boring life!

Here's my latest video:

Remember the blog post I wrote about afternoon tea in Cardiff?  Well it's been featured in an electronic guide to Cardiff by Millennium hotels which is quite exciting - you can see it here.

Matilda, our cat, has been really spoiled recently, and was sent a book on how us hoomans can make them some lovely treats at home, as if she wasn't spoiled enough :P The best part was the wrapping paper it came in, covered in pictures of her! How awesome is that! Thanks to wrap.me for that :)

Yep, I have cat slippers! And yes, it's no accident they're in the picture :P

The hubby also started a new job in the last couple of weeks, he's changed from working in BI (business intelligence) to being a software developer, very cool :) He's also gone from working in a massive FTSE 50 company, to working in a small internet startup, which is again very cool :)

Also, today (this morning) I'm off to meet little baby Aria - she's the daughter (only a week old) of a local blogger friend of mine Leanne, she's over at A Slice of my life Wales (with pics of Aria!) - what a beautiful name! We're taking over a bunch of stuff for them - some baby clothes (not many), womanly post-partum stuff and a baby bouncer :)

I think that's it for now - keep your eyes peeled for tomorrow, there's another wonderful giveaway coming up and I think you're going to like it!!!!

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Life update

Hello lovelies, it's been a while since I've written one of these, and if you don't follow me on social media or my other blog, you might not know about all the crazy things going on in my life right now and over the past few months.  So here's some pictures to show you what's been going on :)

Hubby

Over the past few months, the hubby has been amazing getting everything ready for the baby (more on that in the next post), but yesterday he ran his 2nd Cardiff 10k.  Because of all the baby prep he wasn't able to train as much, but he only missed his last time by a few mins, I'm so proud of him :) This is a pic of him just after completing it :)  Next up for him the Mens Health challenge at the end of the month - he'll have his work cut out for that, it's 13k and an assault course!

Nato

Here in Cardiff we've also just had the NATO summit, and what total cray cray that was!  Steel fences everywhere, roads blocked off or put to 1 lane, 10k policeman walking around, including ones with machine guns!  And we had HMS Duncan (our newest destroyer) docked down the bay with a frigate and a mine sweeper - we were well protected!

Also, when Obama was on his way to Cardiff Castle for dinner, he (and other delegates) flew over our house :)  That was pretty cool.

 Barricades at the ends of the shopping streets

 Police with machine guns

Lots of police

HMS Destroyer (with loaded torpedos!) 

Baby

This is what's been mostly going on in my life, preparing for Squidge's arrival.  As of today, I'm 35 weeks pregnant, and they're planning on inducing me at 38 weeks, so only 3 weeks to go!  It's been a mad rush to get the nursery finished (close to done now) and everything in the house ready. Tomorrow is my last day before I start my annual leave & maternity (weds) and I can't wait! Working has become very tiring, just doing simple tasks like blogging really takes it out of me, so much rest is needed.  If you're interested in following my journey, head over to www.mummy-pixie.com which is where I write weekly updates and blog all about the baby :)

Our moses basket - it was pretty much the only one I could find with green on it

I have gestational diabetes, so my diet is very limited, albeit healthy.  This is a typical breakfast for me, fruit with greek yoghurt and a teaspoon of truvia.

After the walls were painted, this is the floor going in.

The nursery filling with furniture - this is before I managed to sort everything out.

Another shot of the same room in the same state :P

At work we went out for a meal before I left, I had tofu ramen from Wagamamas, yummy!!!

The drawers in the nursery filling up with cute baby clothes :)

My bump at about 34 weeks :)  

So that's pretty much been my life over the last few months - get the bedroom done, then the nursery and now we have tonnes of stuff to sort out that had been kept in both rooms.  I hope you don't mind this kind of post, I do them from time to time and I always enjoy writing them :)

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