Changing Rooms - The Nursery

The nursery has started coming together, if just in my head for the time being.

So far, we've taken away the furniture that made up the guest room, leaving just the wardrobe which we decided to use in the nursery after all. The cot will be assembled this weekend and the dresser should arrive any day now - at which point things will start taking real shape.

But in the meantime, I've been working on some ideas for colour, content and style...



It's getting very exciting, I can't wait to start seeing it come together. The spare room was the first room I did up in this house, and now here I am again, come full circle - this time as Emily's room.

[images/ideas via Ikea, Babies R Us, Mamas & Papas, Amazon, Nimbus Lighting]

A Birthday Thank You

I'm very childlike when it comes to birthdays. I look forward to them like I'm still about to turn 10. I love the cards and presents and it never for a moment occurs to me that the day should be a bad thing because it's making me older. I hope I never lose this childlike wonder of birthdays.

This year has been a particularly good one, and we're still just ten hours in. But this 22nd October is a lot more than just a birthday. It's a reminder of the huge change that's about to come.

So I'm writing this especially to thank those friends and family who have showered me with little bits of beauty and made me feel extraordinarily special. This year more than ever, perhaps, I've needed it. It's not that this birthday I suddenly feel older... it just means something entirely different. I know 28 is going to be big. It's not just a regular year. This one brings a baby and a whole new lifestyle. I'm looking forward to it but it's a little bit scary and my emotions, let's say, are not doing a really great job of dealing with it at the moment!

So here's a special thank you to my friends and family who've sent, in a variety of ways (in person, by mail, Etsy, Moonpig, Amazon, etc!), wonderful little distractions that have made me feel special and loved and supported and all those things that really make a difference.

Thank you for all being so special x

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Bird's Eye View

24 weeks today. When I look down, this is what I see. Actually, I lie: I leaned forward to take this photo. In truth I can see far less of my feet when looking down. I'm getting used to my growing view, though not enough to not completely forget about it sometimes and then look down and have the fright of my life.

By way of a quick pregnancy update, this week things have suddenly gotten much better. Two weeks short of my third trimester and I seem to have finally gained the energy that supposedly came with the second trimester. Just my luck. But still, I'm enjoying the feeling of having a new lease on life. I'm getting lots of stuff done around the house and I even have more energy to meet friends and actually hold conversations for longer than half an hour. Always a pleasant change!

Strangely, my stomach generally seems to have finally eased up on me too. The heart burn which has plagued me for weeks on end has calmed down (or perhaps I'm just learning how to tackle it better before it gets even worse in the coming months) and I'm managing to eat and enjoy a larger variety of things without worrying that I'll be hugging the toilet bowl as a result.

I am having crazy fruit cravings. Not crazy as in strange fruit. Just insane cravings for regular fruit. Case in point was last night, when come 9pm I suddenly needed mango and I had none to hand. A can of peaches eventually had to do (to stop me going out of my mind) until I could stock up on mango today and I am in fact snacking on some as I write. Nom.

I am quite pleased, also, to report that I seem only to have gained 6-7kg since the beginning of the pregnancy. The last 3kg seem to have come on suddenly over the last couple of weeks (a trip to Malta never helps). Just to clarify, I use the word "pleased" back there very lightly. It was not a pleasant experience to step on those scales yesterday and read the numbers glaring up at me. Had I been able to pay the scales to say something different, I would have.

As for Emily, she is about now developing taste buds (something tells me mango is going to be very high on her list of favourite food). She is also now officially considered viable, which almost feels like a graduation from foetus to baby in my book.

*pats tummy*

Foot Scrub

The time has come. I have had to ask David to give me a pedicure, because I can't reach my feet for longer than a few seconds without entirely losing my breath. Even just putting on a pair of socks can be a very uncomfortable affair.

Last night I asked him, very nicely with a cherry on top, whether he'd be so kind as to help me sort out my feet. My nail polish needed removing, my feet needed exfoliating, and then moisturising. I'd been putting off doing it for a few days because I knew I wouldn't be able to do it myself. It was great to sit back and enjoy a little foot massage. I'm not really the type to run off to the beautician at the slightest excuse, so this was a welcome treat.

He, of course, made manly noises about how unmanly the whole thing was, but the look on his face while he did it told me he secretly enjoyed pampering me. I certainly hope it's the case: it's not going to be the last time! As I see less and less of my feet, there isn't a doubt in my mind that there are going to be other things he's going to need to help out with. For today, I'll attempt to put on some fresh nail polish myself... but by next week, it might be a completely different story.

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It's a Girl!

Last Sunday, we held a BBQ and invited our closest friends and family. As I'd mentioned, the plan was to announce the baby's gender on this day. When everyone had arrived, we unveiled what was in store for dessert (pictured), and at the same time announcing that Bean is in fact a little girl :) (and then went on to have the BBQ!)

More on the fun maybe later, but for now I just want to say a special thank you to the very talented Natalie Gauci over at Snooky Doodle Cakes for her patience in making the pictured cupcakes! For the record, flavours were Lemon Curd and Orange Chai - and they were divine! Thanks again Natalie!