What Mama Wore - Tiffany Rose

I have got to the point in pregnancy where the most important aspect of an outfit is comfort.  I can still wiggle into my maternity jeans and put on some socks, but all I want to wear are dresses and slip on shoes with no waist bands and no reason to struggle and reach my feet.  The weather isn't quite warm enough to live in summer dresses yet, but we are well into Spring now so I am holding on to it warming up soon.

Luxury British designers Tiffany Rose sent me a couple of their maternity dresses and they are by far the most comfortable things in my wardrobe right now.  They specialise in occassionwear, but with nothing to dress up for on the horizon I opted for a couple of dresses that I could dress down enough to get away with as day wear.

Maxi dresses are the ultimate summer maternity item and this one is just beautiful.  It is lined which helps it hang well (and stops the white becoming see through), comfortable and amazing quality.  The cut is flattering throughout pregnancy and would last from a tiny bump until after baby arrives - I don't think I will be packing this away just because my bump has gone.  I often find that this style of dress comes up short as I am 5 foot 9, but this one is a great length that I am not tripping up over it, but it still is nice and long.  

I love how this dress can work for so many different occassions, on its own it would look wonderful for a summer wedding or Christening, but paired with a denim jacket and flipflops it is casual enough for everyday wear.

The second dress was a shorter length but a similar style with the same crossed over top and empire line cut.  As the weather wasn't as nice I wore it with tights and flat shoes but my plan is to wear this with just sandals and a cardigan or jacket to dress it down in the summer, but maybe put on some low heels if I want to wear it out too.  It felt wonderful to wear and I had so many compliments.  The rich blue colour is really stunning and I found it incredibly flattering on my changing figure.

 Tiffany rose are proud to be designed and manufactured in the UK and their dresses are made to the highest quality and come beautifully packaged too.  These dresses are currently £84 and £89 which I think is great value considering the outstanding quality.

Thank you to Tiffany Rose for sending over these beautiful dresses.

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My Boys

With only ten weeks to go (ish) until we add a sixth member to our team, that feeling of the end that is so familiar now has arrived.  I remember during my first pregnancy trying to get my head around the fact that things would change beyond anything I could possibly imagine and I spent those final weeks with my friends, going out in the evenings (and treating myself to an orange juice), going for long walks, going out for dinner and enjoying my social life.

When I was pregnant with baby number two, I couldn't possibly comprehend how I could fit a second little baby in my life and those 10 weeks were spent enjoying everything about my first born, living life at his pace, letting my newly mobile toddler walk, as we had nowhere to be, there was no rush and nobody but us.

During my third pregnancy, I wanted to make the most of me-time, and I went to the cinema at least once a week as I remembered all to well how little personal space you get with a baby around.  I went for walks on my own along the sea front in the evenings, sat in the hairdressers and just enjoyed peace whenever I could find it, as three was set to be loud, chaotic and always busy.

This time I have realised that the weeks with 'my boys' are soon to be over, there will be a little girl on our team, and everything will change all over again.  These boys have been a three for 14 months, they have such beautiful bonds, they are learning and growing together and they are just wonderful to watch.  My focus will shift, I will be more outnumbered than ever, and I will have to stop saying 'my boys' and start saying 'my children' or 'my family' when I refer to them all.

It seemed to hit as I turned 30 weeks, it is a milestone week and these photos make me a bit emotional.  I feel so incredibly blessed to have three amazing little boys in my life.  To be the one that gets to wake up to their smiles each morning, and tuck them up in bed with a story and a song each night.  I get to watch them grow into the men they will become, nurture friendships with each other, learn alongside one another and be a little team.

These next ten weeks are about them, about making memories, about getting out together, exploring and observing, because I love to just watch them.  I want to have adventures that are easier without a new baby in tow,  I want to capture them as they are now, whilst it is just the three of them, I want to prepare them for a sister without making them wish away the present, because the present is pretty awesome right now.  

These photos are from the weekend and they may be my favourite ever, they capture so much of who they all are, they capture them together, they were in their element, outdoors, exploring, having adventures and you can see that in their smiles, in the way they are so relaxed.  I took my camera out only a couple of times, I wanted some special photos of  'my boys' as they are now, but the rest of the time I got stuck in with them all, I searched for the Gruffalo and got excited when we found the snake's log pile house.  I squelched in the mud, marveled at sticks, and came home with muddy feet.

It feels so strange that my time with just these boys is numbered, that things are going to change all over again, the dynamic, the pace of life, the size of my heart, and whilst I am confident we will adapt and find space and it will soon become our new normal, I am excited for the final 10 weeks, our final adventures just as we are and that I get to watch them just as a three for a little longer.

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Waiting for Baby

As my due date fast approaches I can honestly say that this pregnancy has flown by.  Even the past few weeks which are meant to drag seem to be disappearing and I know that in the next 4 weeks I will have a third baby boy.  It is strange to think that Dylan was born at this gestation, yet I feel no signs that our little Pretzel is coming anytime soon.

The last few weeks of pregnancy are precious, even more so if things are straightforward.  Every day my swollen tummy takes me by surprise, but every morning I look at it in the mirror, in amazement at what my body is doing, how it is growing and supporting a little life and at quite how stretched my poor skin is.  

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33 Weeks Pregnant

I am now 33 weeks pregnant, which means only 7 weeks until I am due and a maximum of 9 weeks until this little guy arrives!  We are nowhere near ready, but are finally starting to get organised.  I am finding the nesting instinct comes and goes (ok so it mostly goes), but I have periods of productivity interspersed with lots of lazy and hopefully we will be ready by March.

One thing I really wanted to try this pregnancy was a co-sleeper crib and our Snuzpod arrived this week.  I haven't set it up yet, but we have somewhere for the baby to sleep now which is the important thing! I have also started learning about Hypnobirthing thanks to the CalmBirth School - something I have been meaning to look into since I found out we are pregnant.  I am feeling really positive about labour and I am enjoying the course and learning more about my body.

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