Mum Uniform...

So I've reached that stage of my pregnancy where I absolutely have to go for all things stretchy, but am really resisting the "Mum Uniform". Queue my other half being super pleased (read - NOT pleased at all) that I went shopping and treated myself to some new bits and bobs! I have to admit that my H&M Maternity jeans are actually lovely and comfy, so much so that I bought two pairs. I am a long time New Look fan and luckily their clothes love me back even through pregnancy. The weather can't seem to make it's mind up some days so cool/rain in the morning and sweltering heat in the afternoon is making outfit choices that bit harder but I digress.

I seem to have found my own form of uniform in my jeans, stretch cotton tshirt or vest top and some form of jacket/kimono/cardigan over the top. I've varied from these with the odd dress but generally sticking to what I know and what I can chase a toddler in without wondering if I'm flashing my pants to the general public!

I do hope I'm not alone in the whole pregnancy fashion thing, some Insta-Mums make it look so easy, but safe to say I am not one of those blessed with the same style!

Back on the Blog Bandwagon

So, to say I’ve been slacking on the blogging front would be a severe understatement, however it’s not been without good reason. We’re expecting another baby and the first Trimester took it out of me. Running around after a 1 year old hurricane and severe sickness is not a combination I would wish on anyone. I feel like I’m back into the swing of things now, my sickness is still with me but more manageable and life feels like it's got a better rhythm.

Now down to business… we are 17 weeks (as of writing this) and super excited to find out what we’re having in a couple of weeks. My bump seems to be slowing down but I could be eating my words in a few weeks time! I have pros and cons in my mind for having a boy or a girl and we have names picked for either scenario so once July rolls around we’ll know whether my other half will have another mini-me or whether he’ll be working in Iraq until he keels over as I’ve bought so many girls clothes we need another mortgage!

A Better Social Life Than Mine

There's this incredible transition that happens when you become a mum, you become part of "The Mum Club". Those with children finally accept your opinion on anything baby related, you go to the mum and baby groups and you make friends. Much harder said than done, but I was lucky enough to find a wonderful group and they made the transition into the Mum Club that bit easier. The one thing people don't prepare you for is the fact that your social life is essentially non-existent and yet this tiny thing that you made has a full on diary!

At one point my weeks were so full of baby related things that I had to take a minute and catch my breath, then reassess what we could practically keep up with without me losing all of my sanity. An average week looked like this...

Monday - Baby Group in the morning and swimming in the evening
Tuesday - Visit to see Nanny B
Wednesday - Tumble Tots
Thursday  - Catch up with the mums (and their delicious babies)
Friday - Social visits to see anyone that hadn't seen Baby H for a while
Weekends - Visit to see Granny & possibly a Birthday Party

Safe to say it got a bit out of control. I decided that it wasn't up to me to do all the driving around and that if people wanted to see him then they could. They knew were we lived, it was an interesting way to thin out friends, but looking back I wouldn't have it any other way. Unfortunately our swimming stopped or we would have carried that on, and he outgrew our favourite baby group. We've made some changes that suit him so he has a good range of social interactions but that also don't cost me a fortune or my sanity.

I now find myself planning play dates as opposed to coffee dates, I am very much aware that I am a byproduct of people seeing Baby H but he is a lot cuter than I am so I'll let him off!

Outfit Of The Day

I love how when I am picking out my outfits these days I go one way or the other. I will find some inappropriate shoes to wear, jeans and combine them with a top that hides snot surprisingly well or I will go for something that is as close to pyjamas as I can get away with without actually being pjs. Today was a day for the latter. Going to see the bearded one's mum and sitting having a cup of tea did not require anything more than comfies. We've been together long enough now so I no longer feel the need to impress my MIL. I got these joggers from The White Company and they have cute zip details on the ankles and pockets. Combined with a snuggly jumper, one of my many pairs of Converse plus a Dutch braid in my hair and I was good to go. I think that Nanny B wanted to ask if I had actually bothered to get dressed today and I have to say I couldn't have blamed her if she had.

Oh and this gorgeous floor was in Oneil's... I'm a sucker for a good shoe shot on cute tiles! 

Baby Hair For Days...

So, this morning I got dressed, even put some make-up on and once again decided that a mum bun was the way to go with my hair. It wasn't until my other half asked for a selfie that I noticed just how crazy my baby hair has gotten. Please refer to photo below to see just how ridiculous it is, would also like to note that this is after I had attempted to smooth them down with hairspray! I know they say that you can get a few odd wispy bits of baby hair, but I'm fairly sure my hair follicles missed the message and have started growing a whole head of hair. Other mum friends have cute wisps framing their faces angelically and I wish I could say the same for mine, but instead I get to end up looking like I've been electrocuted by the end of the day.

Spidey Senses

I think that in addition to all of the obvious (and for the most part) magnificent changes that your body goes through when you are pregnant, there is a much less advertised change that you don't notice until someone points it out. Spidey senses. In other words, the ability to hear a cough through three closed doors with the tv on and a tap running. That was my sons way of telling me that we would be in for a long night and that he would throw up on every available surface including myself and my freshly washed hair. Still not sure how it got there.

It is one of the more amazing sides of being a mum in my opinion, you just know when something is wrong. I know that dads get it too but I think that after a beer or the right tv programme theirs can be turned to a lower level of sensitivity. I find it incredible that my brain is able to know the difference between a little cough that Baby H does regularly in his sleep and one that sounds almost identical and yet ensures that my washing machine is going all night. I think he knew that I had caught up with my washing and was testing me, either that or he just wanted some mummy cuddles and to watch Despicable Me in my bed.

All credit for the name "Spidey Senses" goes to my sister, she is an amazing mum of two who regularly has to use her senses and told me about how I'd develop mine. I doubted her and was so very wrong, it's one time where I was glad to be wrong. I love being able to be in tune with my boy, I guess it makes me feel like he is a proper extension of me despite looking exactly like his daddy. Minus the beard and the tattoos of course!

Outfit Of The Day

You know you're a mum when... your outfit choice for the day depends on whether you think your son is going to continually wipe his runny nose all over you! Cue dark jeans, Grey Joules top, cute peep toe boots and a handbag filled with nappies/snacks/toys. Some might say that the heeled peep toe boots aren't appropriate mum shoes, however with a love of shoes as strong as mine I'm not sure there's ever a bad time to wear said boots! I even attempted to do my hair this morning until Baby H decided to turn the hairdryer off mid way through, so once again the trusty 'mum bun' came out. We rolled out on time and the rest of the day went smoothly with very few sections of my jeans going green!

A Little Bit About Me...

I think I should start off by saying that I know I'm not the only mum out there thinking the things I do and feeling the way I do. It's so hard to be a "good" mum these days and having a purpose outside of your child is my main reason for starting this blog. I don't expect anyone to read it, but if they do and it helps even one mum feel like she's not alone and that she can relate then that's beyond awesome. I plan on posting the things that pop into my head. The phrase "you know you're a mum when..." is one that I've used continually throughout this adventure and it is so relevant to so many things. Whether it be an outfit choice, the reason you didn't buy something frivolous, or even down to why you and your other half were in bed by 8:30pm on a Saturday and called that a late night!

I have a one year old monster that laughs in your face and is far too clever for his own good. I'm muddling through whilst my other half works abroad. He's my other child, you know the type. 36 going on 14, makes more mess than a toddler but has the best beard and is the best dad I could ask for for my children. He's awesome in many ways, but I'm sure I'll get to him at some point in a later post!

So, putting myself out there for others to see is hard as a mum, other mums can be more judgemental than the bitchy girls you knew in school, but here goes nothing...