The Alice

Yuck, I woke up at 5am this morning with a migraine and it has not let up all day. Yet another thing I can blame my hormones on; I had a couple of migraines when I was undergoing Prostap hormone treatment for endometriosis a few years ago and haven’t had one since then. Fingers crossed they’re not back for good.

One highlight of the day was that a pack of baby clothes I ordered from eBay came! I’ve discovered these ‘baby bundles’ you can buy – such bargains. 30 items for £9 inc p+p? Yes please. They are all lovely quality and I will be trawling eBay for more bargains in the coming months.

Mum also took a trip to her local NCT nearly new sale today for some bargains (like Mother like Daughter) and found Childbirth Without Fear for 50p, as well as a couple of toys. So in terms of baby H accumulating more things, it’s been a good day.

I’m trying very hard to get over my money worries. I think the issue is that I want to be able to spend the absolute maximum time with our baby without feeling the pressure to have to go back to work. I would rather not go back to working in an office at all and have been looking into freelance options so I can be WAHM, but what if nobody wants me and I don’t have a choice? I’m sure this won’t be the case but going from having a dual income to relying on one salary will be a massive shock to the system. About a year ago we reached a point when we’d paid off the majority of our debts and were able to live without money worries, it feels very strange to almost go back in time finance-wise.

Plus, I’ve been working for the last 7 years. How will I deal with losing such a big part of my life?

Anyway, I know I need to suck it up and get over myself. People raise children on a lot less money than we have, we are lucky to have a safe home, great friends and a wonderful family; we will never go hungry, cold or unloved and I need to stop my whinging!

Having spent the day in bed feeling sorry for myself I really wanted comfort food. Will’s working this evening so I needed something easy, and something that can be re-heated when he gets home at 6am. Macaroni Cheese had popped in my head earlier on in the day – I know it’s not the best diet food but it’s definitely delicious, and hey, I’m eating for 2! I use a roux-based cheese sauce and if I’m feeling virtuous I add tomato slices on top before baking, or even breadcrumbs for a bit of extra crunch:

25g butter
2 tbsp plain flour
250g grated cheddar cheese
300ml milk
250g macaroni pasta
300g bacon, pancetta or lardons
salt and pepper

Fry off the bacon until golden in a frying pan and drain on kitchen paper. Put to one side.

Cook the macaroni until al dente.

Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over a gentle heat.

When it’s liquid, add the flour and stir in well. Add 1/3 of the cheese and 1/3 of the milk and stir in until melted and blended.

Add the rest of the cheese and milk bit by bit, reserving a small amount of the cheese to put on top before oven baking.

When it’s a smooth sauce, add the macaroni pasta and bacon. Pour into an oven dish and sprinkle the reserved cheese on top.

Bake in an oven at 180 degrees C for about 12 mins, or until crunchy on top.

PS: Having had a bit of an issue with comments on my blog lately, I’ve upgraded my Wordpress installation so hopefully this should have fixed the problem. Feel free to email me if you’re still experiencing an error message – alice at thealice dot co dot uk.

I think it’s about time for a 20 week update, don’t you?

It feels wonderful to be halfway there. Not only have my worry levels dropped significantly recently (thank-you hormones), I’m really pleased that the time isn’t dragging anymore. I’m concentrating on enjoying the pregnancy – easier now I look pregnant rather than a raging Krispy Kreme fan. I’m feeling a lot more like my happy, healthy self (minus the sickness bug) and all is good.

The weekend before last was a big one. Will works in the live music biz here in London, and he had a couple of nights of big shows; Faithless on Friday night followed by Simian Mobile Disco on Saturday. We had friends from Nottingham staying on Friday so dined with them at Vivat Bacchus (OK – would go again for their TopTable offer) and went on to see the show. I’m pleased to report I wore sequins (see photo, me and my gorgeous friend Su who I know reads my blog so here’s some blog fame for her!), drank a special treat glass of champagne and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I got a bit tetchy about 4am as it was slightly wearing to be the only sober party-goer, so a taxi was procured and our group retired. When we got home I went straight to bed rather than taking part in the post-night-out toast and tea/Top Gun feast.

The next night I was treated to a dinner at Gaucho with SMD and friends (I LOVE Gaucho) before meeting my brother to say ‘Happy Birthday’ and bed for 2am. What a partygoer!!

I have to admit, these two nights out plus the Baby Show on Sunday totally exhausted me, though the impending Norovirus certainly didn’t help. From now on I’m a strictly midnight-bedtime gal.

So, here’s a quick bullet-point roundup of how I’m feeling at Week 20:

- I love the movements and kicks I’m feeling! They were awful when I was sick as I had horrendous stomach cramps and they seemed to magnify them but now I’m well again I could lie back and feel my stomach all day. Unfortunately I have to go to work instead.

- I’m drinking a lot and my dehydration is well and truly under control. I haven’t had a headache since 18 weeks and have come to terms with the fact I have to pee around 12 times a day.

- The sinusitis has been really getting me down, in the cold weather my nose just won’t stop running and it seems to have spread to my ears which pop and crackle in the wind! I’m hoping this will improve in the warmer weather and if not I know it will definitely disappear when the baby comes.

- I’m sleeping like a log and feeling fresh when I wake up. It’s great and I’m making the most of it!

- I’ve had some hormonal spots along my jawline. Quite normal, aside from the fact they itch like anything and look almost like mosquito bites. OUCH.

- I lost the 6lb I gained in my second trimester with the sickness bug, but am working on getting that back. I feel lucky that I haven’t put on a lot of weight but have been making sure I get my 5 a day in moderation.

I got tagged a little while ago by MetMum to reveal ‘What’s in my bag’ and I thought it would be a great idea to do my first Vlog. I initially filmed this on Thursday night but used the wrong setting on my camera and ended up with a 10 minute video that was 1.3GB long – oops! I re-did it last night and now have a much more sensible sized file that is here for your enjoyment.

Isn’t it weird seeing yourself on camera? In my head I speak totally different to this, and I have to apologise for my rain, stress and wind-swept hair (it looked better in the original Thursday filming!!). Work was manically busy on Friday and we had a broken boiler like Young & Younger so I rushed home for that to be fixed , luckily it was a quick 10 minute job and we didn’t have to go overnight without heating or water. Oh and I say in the video that I hope you are watching this on Friday night, thought I know you are watching it afterwards now…

I’m not going to tag anyone on this because I reckon I’m one of the last to do it… so I will say if anyone else wants to have a go – go for it!

Would bump like some champagne with that? Enjoying a special treat glass of bubbles at the weekend. Mmmmm.

NB: I may be pregnant but I can still wear Paul Smith and Sequins

One thing that has been a big shock to the system recently: PREGNANCY IS EXPENSIVE. In an ideal world, we’d planned to have been married 2-3 years and have saved up a nice little wad of cash before we became pregnant, but due to my supposed fertility issues (apparently not such an issue anymore, but that’s a whole other post) and our ‘what will be will be’ attitude, this wasn’t to be for us.

So far, we have spent a fair bit of money on:
- Ante-natal vitamins – Pregnacare, whilst they were the most expensive brand, seemed to be the best
- Maternity clothing – I have been LIVING in maternity leggings, nothing else will do at the moment. And I bought my first maternity bra at the Baby Show… that was expensive, nearly as much as my Rigby and Peller birthday undies
- Travel to and from the hospital – I’m going on average twice a month
- Furniture for the nursery – I’ve been lucky and found some bargains on eBay, but there are some things (cot mattress etc) that you really do need as new
- Baby clothes – why are so many baby items the same price as adult items when they’re a tenth of the size? One of life’s great mysteries I guess
- Pregnancy books – I like reading, I like to be informed, I do not like how expensive pregnancy books are!
- Food – I’m hungry, need the good stuff, enough said

… and I’m not even a quarter of the way into my ‘baby essentials’ purchasing list.

Factor in a trip in May to see the in-laws in Greece so they can see the baby bump for themselves before my July due date, a house move and all the fun money-spending things that come with living in London, and you’ve got yourself a couple of expectant parents with empty pockets. Plus we want to save up for a car as we sold ours when we moved down to London two years ago, and the situation isn’t helped by my expensive tastes…

It’s come to the time to decide what ante-natal classes we want to take. Throughout this pregnancy (and before, if I’m honest) I’ve always considered myself to be fairly well-read on the subject of pregnancy, birth and beyond; I don’t like surprises and I’m adamant that there won’t be any when I’m in labour so I’ve educated myself on every single outcome and possibility during this process. I’ve devoured pregnancy books, magazines, TV shows, YouTube clips…

At 7 weeks pregnant I pre-registered myself with my local NCT and selected to attend their standard ante-natal class, however when I received information on the course I felt I knew it all, and there was nothing new there for me. The problem is, every mum I know has cited NCT classes as essential for getting to know new mums – even Jools Oliver waxes lyrical about it in her 0-9 months baby book (hormones drove me to make some bad book choices…). If I choose not to go to classes will I be massively missing out? I know as a younger mum in a new area I’m going to find it challenging to make new friends, but what if I do choose to go to the classes and make no friends at all? Then I’m out of £280 and no better off. Mellow Mummy discusses this more eloquently than I do at her post ‘NCT: An Expensive Introductions Agency?‘

One thing I am certain on is that I want to use the hypnobirthing method during my labour and delivery. And hey, guess what? More money. I looked into doing a course but all local to me were around £350-400 so I’ve decided to do a home study course instead. And here’s somewhere I can save money! I’m going to buy the book off Amazon (along with Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth which I have heard brilliant things about), and couple that with Dany Griffiths’s Tums2Mums Hypnotherapy MP3s. She’s running a competition on her blog at the moment where you can win one of her Home Study courses – go here to enter as I have done.

I would love to hear from mums who have been through all this and can give me some advice on a) how to save a bit of money, and b) how to stop worrying about it. Help!

NB: please come back in 9 months time for the inevitable ‘Boy, aren’t babies expensive?!’ post, and if anyone needs a soon-to-be-mummy friend in the N10/N22 area, I’m on the market!

Picture credit: me, from back when I worked in the corporate world and could afford to flash my cash on frivolities such as work roulette nights…

I had such high hopes about my Sunday night post! I was going to write about the great weekend we’d had, despite my sinusitis we’d managed to see some good friends, eat some lovely food and enjoy some live music. We spent time with my parents, went to the baby show, decided on a pram and had a lovely lunch to celebrate my brother’s 23rd birthday.

However, come Sunday evening Norovirus hit the H household. It’s been a really horrid couple of days for both me and Will – I have lost 6lbs in less than 2 days – but today we’re both feeling a lot brighter. We’re under strict doctors orders to remain at home for 48 hours after our symptoms have gone as we’re so contagious, and despite my worries baby will be absolutely fine.

So my weekend round-up will follow a little later than expected, along with a ‘what’s in your bag’ post after being tagged for the first time by MetMum (yay!).

- I need to wee – very often during the day but nighttime is the worst. Will and I have swapped sides of the bed so I’m by the bedroom door and can get out to the bathroom quicker. This is making me feel weird right now, almost like we’re living in a hotel, or like we’ve re-decorated our bedroom or something…

- I need to wee so much because I’m so bloody thirsty all the time. I’ve noticed that when I’m thirsty I get very headachey and tired; there’s definitely a correlation between this and dehydration.

- I have definitely started feeling the baby, I can now tell the difference between my stomach gurgling and baby movements! Daddy got to feel a kick today, too. I’m really looking forward to the movements becoming more obvious – baby seems to be asleep a lot of the time at the moment (like her mummy) and I’m eager for her to be more wriggly!

- My sleeping pattern has never been so sensible and settled as it is at the moment. I go to bed around 10.30 and am asleep just before midnight, and then up again around 8. I still find mornings difficult, but then I did before the pregnancy so I don’t think this is a baby thing. I just don’t like getting up…

- My appetite is back! Aside from the roast potatoes and mayo craving, I’m also eating a packet of salt and vinegar squares every day and I’ve gone from hating the sight of crumpets to not being able to get enough of them.

- I’m happy! So happy, compared with my mood two to three weeks ago. I know this has a lot to do with getting so much more satisfying sleep but I feel like a cloud has been lifted. I’m no longer worrying and am able to happily get on at work a lot more. I feel so contented, and it’s a wonderful feeling.

It’s been a funny couple of days. The blocked up nose I’ve been enjoying ever since I got pregnant has been made unbearable by a cold; I’ve been tired, headachy, grouchy, and did I mention TIRED? I worked from home yesterday, thanks again to the wonderful motion that is HAVING THE INTERNET AT HOME. Wonderful .

Thursday was my second appointment at the hypertension clinic, which was just as relaxing as the first. An hour of relaxing on a couch and a being gently prodded by pulse monitors followed by a view of Baby H – Baby GIRL H! They are now 99% positive that our baby is a girl, and I am 100% happy. I had felt Girly feelings right from the beginning (natural, I guess; Will has three sisters, as does my Dad), and for some reason I just never imagined having a boy.

Anyway, Baby girl H is looking very well, her measurements are on the large side which I expected as I reckon they moved my dates forward by a few too many days at my 12 week scan. My blood pressure is perfect (106/60), and my bloods all came back normal. So we’re right on track and at 17 weeks 4 days, nearly half way there. I’m thinking that people will be able to see I’m pregnant now, rather than just a bit porky:

(Please excuse everything in this photo besides the bump, Saturdays at home mean no bra, makeup and glasses)

We have decided on a name, but I think for now I will try and keep it a secret from the internet. I can say however, that both first name and middle names come from our grandmothers.

Next up in Alice’s baby tales: The Baby Show next Sunday with husband and parents (I’m hoping I don’t freak out as much as I did in the baby department of John Lewis as there is no remedial Topshop nearby), find a good maternity bra, sign up to my local Aqua Ante-Natal class and eBay all the junk that is currently cluttering up the nursery. The fun never ends…

- We moved house! And what a treat our new place is; the fact that I can be in the bedroom and not even hear the TV In the living room is still such a novelty, and I am so pleased to see my houseproud side back in full force (I thought I’d left it in the house in Nottingham when we moved to London 2 years ago). We’re still in a flat, but there is a garden, our own front door and neighbors with a toddler.

- I chilled out, relaxed, and learned how to sleep properly. Something about our new bedroom means I sleep like a baby, perhaps because our heating is no longer included in our rent payments so this house isn’t as balmy as our old one. No more nights of insomnia, no more 4am frets, I’m asleep for 11 and awake at 7. I feel like a new woman.

- From my 12 week test results I’ve been diagnosed as being high-risk for developing pre-eclampsia. It’s a testament to the new laid-back version of me that this hasn’t been worrying in the slightest. In fact, I think it’s wonderful that the hospital are taking such good care of me – I’ll be in every 4 weeks for additional pulse, blood pressure and heart monitoring as well as extra scans. I got to see baby H again yesterday and it was wonderful.

- I discovered emailsfromcrazypeople.com

- I grew a baby bump, evidenced by a lovely lady offering me her seat on the tube.

I am ending this week feeling positive, excited and very happy. Still no internet at home (and it’s not going to be forthcoming until the beginning of Feb, argh), but on the bright side this is giving me plenty of time to cook for and attend to my poor, neglected husband. I really want to get cracking on my freelance portfolio but this will just have to wait whilst I chill out a bit longer. Ahhhhhhhhh……..