Friday 29 July 2011

What I saw today


A lovely second-hand skirt that I bought yesterday on a cute old chair.


My handbag, also second-hand and Little A's blanket that I knitted for him while he was growing inside of me.





Wednesday 27 July 2011

14 years later



I came across this perfume, 24 Faubourg by Hermès, when I was 18 years old. I loved it and wanted it, but I didn't buy it because the scent was too grown up for me at the time. I have been thinking about it and have been trying it on almost ever time I have been flying (have only seen it in airports too) and been waiting for the right time. I decided that I would buy it after I became a mother and if that didn't happen, then around when I was 35 years old. Now I am 32 and became a mother almost 7 months ago and the day before yesterday I finally bought the perfume I have been waiting for for 14 years.

100 days abs challenge done and dusted!

This is me after 100 days of abs challenge. You can see how I looked on day one here and day 50 here. I can't insert the pictures here because I am on holiday and am on a different computer.



About the challenge; I am proud that I did it and I have done it every day so on most days I have done two or more sets. I finished one day behind which I am pleased with. My stomach muscles are strong, but I still got that loose skin flapping about. It is getting better and if you didn't know that I had a baby almost 7 months ago, I don't think you could tell when I got clothes on. And I mostly wear clothes when I am around other people so I guess I am pleased with the result.
OMG! I just looked at the pictures and I must say that I can see a huge difference. Well done me! Well, thank you!





Monday 18 July 2011

1/2 year birthday presents

I've made some mini beanbags with tags for the babies in my mothers group. We're having a birthday party tommorrow so I'll give it to them there. I hope they like it, Little A loves a similar I made earlier.

From one of my walks

Sunday 17 July 2011

Fika

In the afternoon we had some friends over for coffee and vanilla buns.

Bargain!

This morning as I was cleaning Little A's bottles (I will happy when I don't have to do that anymore) I thought to myself "I should go to a flea market today, I bet I'll find something good". We sort of had other plans but when my husband woke up, I convinced him that we should go to one.

We did and I found two great things that I have been looking for, a bag and a jacket! I have been looking for a bag as the one above for ages and even considering buying one for about $500. I am glad I didn't because this one cost about $6. The jacket was also spot on and cheap.

When I was little my mum would ask my dad if "he could feel it" and if they should play the lottery or buy a scratch card. Sometimes he would say yes and when they did it and they did win. Nothing major, but still. On the days where he said no and my mum would do it anyway, they didn't win anything. So the story in our family is that dad has got a feeling for those things. And this is what happened this morning, I could feel it.

Friday 15 July 2011

Manifestation of me

This might be a bit superficial but at the same time I think it is the opposite. Above is my bum. I have now lost 20,5 kilos since the beginning of January when Little A was born. I have 0,5 kilo left. Loosing the weight and getting back in shape has been very important to me and it feels like it is a bit of a taboo to say so. I have been thinking about it and in short, I think that getting my body back (more or less) is a way of showing that I haven't changed. I am still the one I was when I wasn't a mother and being a mother is something that have been added to me, not something that have changed me fundamentally. It has made me look at things slightly differently and it has made me more motivated to get on with my life and do the things I want to do (see the previous post) but I am still the same. And a body that is back in shape less than 7 months after giving birth is a manifestation of that.
Ps. I couldn't get these jeans pass my knees before, just so you know.

Pot luck dinner

I am really excited this morning. In a calm kind of way (so I won't wake the baby). I think that this time in my life is the beginning of something big or something new. I think that I am in the process of creating the life I really want. Part of what I want took place yesterday;

We packed ourselves into the car and drove for a short while and arrived at a new friend's place where there were lots more of new friends. We were having a pot luck dinner and it was really nice. Everything was vegetarian and that is such a nice change. Being a veggie where I live is really hard and I don't like going to other people's places for dinner anymore because it is always so awkward. But not this time.

We were 8 adults, 3 babies and 2 unborn babies. These are people I met through a site called Meet up and it's really great. They are really open minded and although I, in the beginning did get thoughts like "what a bunch of losers we are that can't make friends in normal way", it doesn't feel strange anymore. And now I just think that this kind of technology is great because I probably never would had met them otherwise.

Hopefully this pot luck dinner will turn into a tradition. I have always dreamt about having dinner with a bunch of people on a weekday, just informal, nothing fancy, just because everybody needs to eat so why not do it together. And this might be the beginning of that.

Wednesday 13 July 2011

Playing peekaboo with daddy

100 days ab challenge

Hmh... I am a wee bit behind... I have been ill for a week and it has not been possible to do a single sit up. And even before that I was a few days behind. So today it is really day 88, but I am on day 77. I have done two lots today, just now and will try to do two more later today. I am determined to finish. If not on time, than no more than 2 days behind.

Tuesday 12 July 2011

New books!



I finally got my delivery from Amazon today. It should have been here weeks ago but it never showed up. When I realised that it hadn't come (took me a while to notice) I wrote to them and within an hour I had a reply telling me they would send the books again (and if the first lot arrived, would I be so kind as to return them) and here they are. Very good service I must say. I wonder if I am the only one ever who has ordered these books together; a book on how to improve your memory and what memory means in today's society, a book about "the real science behind sex differences", a book about how to love yourself in the present moment and finally a fictional book about a boy locked up in a room which will, according to the Irish Times break your heart.

I almost broke the baby.

I did. I almost broke him today and I feel terrible. Under my apparently less than competent care, he fell off our bed on the floor. I heard a bang and then he was screaming his head off. I had put him on the bed as we were on our way out and I was packing the nappy bag. I usually put him on the bed, go away for 30 seconds, come back and put him back in the middle of the bed, go away, come back and so on. This way he is entertain (he prefers the bed to the floor, who doesn't?) and he never gets far enough to the edge to fall down. Well, at least not until today. I must have been away for too long and he had been rolling or tummy crawling his way to the edge and off he went.
I got quite upset I must admit. I was on the phone with my husband when it happened and when I had pick Little A up, I called him back. He called our doctor who told us to go to the emergency room just in case. We did and they checked him out and he was fine. He did cry for a bit afterwards but soon after he was his normal sunny self. Only difference is that he now has got a bruise on his forhead.
His first bruise and I am to blame. Not getting any Good Mother points today exactly.

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Mummies galore!

We met up with 11 mummies and babies today! It's people I've only met a few times and some I have never met before, but they are all really nice and it feels like I'm clicking with all of them. One of the best things with having Little A is that I have met so many nice new people through him, or because of him. It's not like he knew them before me and introduced us. Anyhow, I have been wanting to make new friends but it's kind of hard and having a baby is a perfect way to meet new people. It's like people aren't shy anymore when they have babies and everybody is talking about labour, blood and poo and that might seems disgusting/boring/irrelevant, but I think it makes you connect faster.
Ps. I love the word "galore"! It is the best word ever! The fact that you put it after the noun is brilliant! (Okay, I know, I'm a nerd...)

Monday 4 July 2011

End of an era

We have a busy week in front of us with lots of mummy groups and meeting with friends. Unfortunately, it seems like Little A is having his first cold, so we might have to cancel a few things.

I am both relieved and a bit sad by the fact that I have only this week and two more left on my maternity leave. We then go on holiday for 10 days and after that me and my husband have a week of overlap and then I go back to work. This is has been the plan all along so there is of course no surprise involved. I think it is quite taxing to care of him and I do look forward to having a "break" while at work.

The husband of a friend of mine, who has been on paternity leave for two months now, said that it is way easier to be working than looking after a baby and then he said:
-Hell! It's easier to be at work than having a holiday when you have children!

But it is also sad in a kind of "end of an era" kind of way. I always get sentimental when things end, regardless of what it is and how it has been. I am also a bit annoyed because we had such a hard start with the mastitis and reflux and now when I got the hang of it, it's over. But there you go, I guess that is the way it works. I will try to keeo in touch with my new mummy friends though because I have met some lovely people and I am really happy about that.

Friday 1 July 2011

Say what again?

I have three weeks left of my maternity leave, then holiday and then a week overlap and then I'm back to work? Is that what you were saying? Surely not!

Update

The view outside my window is about the same as below, but in the week between it has been really sunny and lovely.

We've had quite a busy week and next week is about the same. It is so much easier to get out and about with Little A now when he is older. He is not as sensitive as before and he doesn't scream his head off if he doesn't get food the second he asks for it (it usually takes a bit longer to prepare the bottle when in a
café or at somebody else's home).

Little A is 6 months next week and I can, of course, not believe it. It is so much better now compared to the chaos in January. I actually feeling (almost) ready to have a new baby, but that is of course madness.

Apart from that I only have 1,5 kg to loose before I am back at my original weight. I start work in August so my goal is to have lost it by then. I will be going to the gym about 4 times a week until then. All in all, my post-pregnancy body is not too bad; my arms are a lot stronger and my breasts are still bigger and once the skin is back on track on my belly, I think I'll be quite pleased.