Babymoon Booked!

Andrew and I really want to go on holiday before baby girl gets here. I don't stop working until the end of March and April is SUPER busy at work for Andrew plus he has a lot of people out from his group already. This means we will be babymooning April 29th - May 6th... and I will be 33 weeks pregnant!

It's actually quite difficult to find a close, warm holiday destination (as I have been advised to take the shortest flights possible - dehydration can trigger preterm labor). It was between the Canaries, southern Spain (which we did earlier this year), or Greece. I was adamant that there should be very modern healthcare available if needed, so after a few weeks of researching best flights, destinations, deals, etc we've settled on Crete - one of the Greek Islands. 

The flight to Crete is just under 4 hours and the resort is all inclusive. It's still early enough in the season where it won't be overly hot, but Andrew can still comfortably kiteboard. I am not expecting to be overly comfortable, but I figure as long as I have a lounge chair by the pool (in the shade!) I should be pretty happy :) Andrew has been really supportive through out the pregnancy so I wanted to make sure we went somewhere he could kiteboard. 

We are staying at the Sensatori Resort run by Thompson Holidays. We got a pretty amazing deal on an all inclusive package and we'll be staying in a suite! I hope I'll be able to do some of the really fun things the island has to offer, but chances are it will be a lazy sunny holiday for me in my super sweet Maternity tankini :)

I'm not sure if this babymoon is a good idea or a bad idea at this stage, but we did get trip insurance just in case the midwives tell me I can't travel! 

25 weeks

25 weeks down, 15 to go! I'm really starting to get big now and everyday life is getting a little bit harder. Taking the tube in the morning is uncomfortable, walking up stairs is winding, carrying anything make me take twice as long to get anywhere and sleeping is even hard! I am getting the WORST dark circles because I haven't slept well in months. The body pillow is helping a bit, but every time my alarm goes off in the morning I feel like I could sleep a few more hours...easily. 

BUT despite the complaints, the good far outweighs the hardships. I feel baby girl move consistently everyday. I don't know if it's the hormones, but I just literally feel really happy every single day. I'm very excited for her to get here! 

Also today I got my first shower gift! My bestie Steph sent me the Fisher Price Baby Bouncer I had wanted :) Yay! It's taking ALL my self restraint not to open in right this minute and put it together.  I can't wait to use it! Everything is starting to feel very real.

My replacement at work has started. It's been two weeks now. It's been really tiring training her - I didn't realise how much I do - but she's super nice and will do just fine. When I sent out the communication to my contact list, the amount of wonderful responses I got wishing me the best in my next chapter of life was overwhelming. It's nice to feel like you did your job well, that you're appreciated and that you genuinely will be missed! Only three more weeks to go until I'm officially not working in the office anymore! Craziness... Guess I will be full time nesting and preparing for baby girl. And for going home!

How far along? 25 Weeks

Total weight gain: 12 lbs
Maternity clothes? Just the bottoms. My tops still fit just fine! Actually, I guess my "top" in this picture actually used to be a dress...
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Ehh... could be better. And for longer.
Best moment this week:  Andrew doing my Prenatal Exercise DVD with me. Best hubby ever!
Miss Anything? Poached eggs and Hollandaise... I really wanted some eggs benedict!
Movement: Yup!! It's more consistent now. I feel like she's found her strength!
Food cravings: Anything sweet. After a meal I have to have something sweet. I was like this pre-pregnancy though too.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I have not been feeling meat lately. Not at all.
Gender: Baby girl
Labor Signs: No.
Symptoms: Round ligament pain and heartburn.
Belly Button in or out? In. Barely.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Very very happy :) 
Looking forward to:  Still really looking forward to going home. I miss my family and friends!

Pram Love

Andrew and I spent another weekend exploring prams, but this time at John Lewis. We saw the Bugaboo Chameleon, the Bugaboo Bee, the City Light three wheeler and the iCandy Peach & Pear. For me, the clear winner was... The Bugaboo Bee! 

It weighs a total of 7 kg (about 15 pounds) and is suitable from birth as it lays completely flat. There is also an option to put a maxi cosi car seat in it, but the girl at Mamas & Papas really freaked me out about those and that having the baby in there too long can interfere with back development (since baby isn't laying flat). And not to mention, we don't have a car in London. 

If you lay the Bee flat, there is a "cocoon" insert for newborns that I absolutely LOVE! It's super cute and cozy. Honestly is the most practical model to get because the baby outgrows the carry cot by 6 months and this one can be used as is up to 3 years old. Seems to be the most economical/efficient so I'm thinking it may be the winner! 

The Cocoon!

 

My day has been made!

Andrew just made my day. I have been watching Groupon, Living Social and KGB Deals for 4D baby scan vouchers.... today, Andrew found one!! I bought it immediately since it was for the Baby Clinic on Harley Street. Harley Street is where all the fancy doctors are in London so I have high expectations. 

4D Scans are recommended from 24 to 32 weeks at most clinics. In my opinion, the later you go, the less chance your child looks like an alien and more chance she looks like she will when she comes out! A bonus is they also do a health check to make sure everything is looking good with the baby. I've been watching the videos of the scans on the different clinic websites and it's really amazing how much you can see! I just want to see what that little face is going to look like :)


With the deal, we get a 4D video of the scan and 8 3D color pics! I can't wait for April 11th! 

Example of 4D Scan and After Baby is Born

 

Is it June yet?

I've reached 24 weeks! The time is flying and going super slow at the same time. I feel like the weeks go by really fast, but 40 weeks still seems SO far away. I want my baby already! 


Good news: I got my baby shower invite in the mail today! My best friend Steph had them made and they are SO cute! The shower is at the end of March and thrown by the same wonderful ladies who through my bridal shower! I really can't wait to go home for it. It will be the last time I see all my family and friends before the baby gets here. It's amazing how much stuff you need for a baby! 


Since I will be going home, I used this as an opportunity to do some online shopping for myself on US sites so I can get it at my mom's! It's so much cheaper to do it that way, ESPECIALLY for maternity gear that you won't get to wear for too long. Andrew and I are thinking about going to a sunny destination in April, so I broke down and bought a pregnancy tankini because I don't have the nerve to wear a normal bikini.... there's just too much of me out there already, I can't imagine how much there will be in April! We shall see how this looks. I do not have high hopes. 


Old navy has been my favorite place to get maternity clothes. They are fairly cheap, have a lot of different choices and are a good quality. Can't wait to see what it all looks like in person! Clearly I am in need of some proper mama gear.

How far along? 24 Weeks

Total weight gain: 11 lbs (no weight gain this week)
Maternity clothes? Ordered some! Hopefully they will fit. Clothes in the pic are my normal clothes (that will clearly need to be retired after pregnancy).
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: OK. Starting to want to hibernate. I could sleep for days it feels like sometimes.
Best moment this week:  Having my favorite security guard at work, Steve, tell me that my "husband must be proud" of me because I look great! A few people have said pregnancy suits me :) Pretty nice compliments! 
Miss Anything? Candy. But that's probably because I gave it up for Lent. It's good for the baby right? I feel like a drug addict.. i REALLY am jonesin' for some gummies...
Movement: Yup!! Especially when I'm hungry this week...like a little reminder to eat something!
Food cravings: Oatmeal cookies... made (and ate!) a batch this week and it was glorious.
Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of fish...It was fish n' chips day in the Canteen. gross. 

Gender: Baby girl
Labor Signs: No.
Symptoms: Just tired and SUPER grumpy when I'm hungry. Literally I will snap your head off and then cry when I go too long without eating. And then I feel really bad about it. Also some round ligament pain if I stand up too quickly.
Belly Button in or out? In. Barely.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Very very happy :) I can visualise actually having the baby in my arms. I'm getting there!
Looking forward to:  Going home for the baby shower. I really need a break and what better break is there than to be with family and friends!

The Name Game

Naming baby girl JVM is becoming a difficult task. There are SO many names out there that I thought I LOVED, but the thought of MY little girl having one of these names as they roll off my tongue has me thinking again. 

I want something unique and special (as most moms probably do) but it's becoming increasingly difficult A) to find one, B) to get Andrew on board! I refuse to be ordinary.

I've ordered a book that I have high hopes for as it got stellar reviews from other readers, that it will give me some clear direction on where I should go with a name. Andrew really wants a name that works in both French and English. I don't see why all names wouldn't work in both, but I am not a Native French speaker so perhaps some are a little harder to pronounce than others.

It's a lot of pressure choosing your baby's name! I am open to suggestions should anyone want to put in their two cents :) 

 

Valentine Love

This year Andrew and I spent Valentine's Day apart. He had to travel to the States for work - it was either Valentine week OR a week towards the end of May when I am going to be 8+ months pregnant! We decided this was the better option. 

Upon his return, I was given the CUTEST Valentine gift... Baby Girl's first swimsuit! We are hoping to go to the south of France in August to spend sometime with family, so she will need a little something something to wear. The icing on the cake is that it's also 50 SPF! I really can't wait to put her in this :)

Other than that, I've been feeling really good these last couple weeks. I'm REALLY starting to feel Baby Girl move now. Sometimes she even kicks hard enough to feel from the outside! Andrew has only felt her once and that was last night. She already has a flair for the dramatics... will kick kick kick and then when Andrew goes to feel, she stops! 

Here's my latest update: 

How far along? 23 Weeks

Total weight gain: 11 lbs
Maternity clothes? Clearly I am in need of more pregnancy clothes... my regular clothes are about to burst!! I am currently looking for a baby shower dress.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: OK. I just got a body pillow which makes a WORLD of difference :)
Best moment this week:  Feeling baby girl kick from the outside!
Miss Anything? Champagne. I've been drinking sparkling water with a touch of apple juice to feel like I'm drinking something fun...
Movement: Yup!! She's definitely most active in the evenings - right after dinner. She's like her mama - food makes her happy :)
Food cravings: Nothing special
Anything making you queasy or sick: I'm having a bit of an issue with ground beef at the moment. No chocolate for me.
Gender: Baby girl
Labor Signs: No.
Symptoms: Just tired and easily out of breath!
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Very very happy :)
Looking forward to:  A 4D scan. This is my new obsession and I'm just now reaching the window of possibility for this. Still doing my research.