Some May picks I am lusting over from Asos that I feel would make great statement and trend pieces this Spring.
Love, A x
14.5.18
11.5.18
HENDRIX EMERSON
I guess you have all figured out why I haven't posted in a long while and left you all in limbo - We welcomed our little baby H to the world on 2nd January 2018 and we could not be more in love. He is just perfect in every shape and form.
I thought it was finally time to update you on what has been going on the past few months and apologise for my disappearance. It's crazy to think that Hendrix is already 4 months old and so much has changed since we first arrived home. They say that the first few weeks are most precious but as a first time parent I think they are also most challenging; I was suddenly responsible to love and nurture another human being which was quite overwhelming and slightly terrifying. Looking back everything is a blur, and there is no difference between day and night; all of my time and energy was consumed by a tiny human. There is a lot to learn and although the instinct does come naturally, at that point I had no idea that it would and constantly worried about doing things 'right'.
Again, being a first time parent comes with pressure and many challenges however, I soon realised that you find your own way. Although is it perfectly fine to take advice, it is important not to get caught up in what others say and stay confident in your new role as it really makes the difference.
Hendrix has always been quite a content baby with sporadic mood swings, he has also been a very clingy baby up to about 10 weeks old. He liked to be held and carried most of the time and slept best when in my arms. This meant ZERO time to myself. I knew that introducing a simple routine would help but decided to wait until H was a little older and let him take the lead. He was fed on demand and soothed when he was frustrated and upset.
Lack of routine and loneliness is certainly one of the most difficult parts about becoming a first time mum. I am naturally quite an organised person and feel that adapting a routine has helped us both a lot as it gives me purpose and it means I have the time to take care of our home as well as have time to myself (if I am lucky).
For the past month or so I have been following a fairly simple routine - eat, play, sleep. Now, there are many different methods out there and everybody will be keen to give you plenty of advice however, I find that following this easy pattern works best for us both. I believe that the original idea behind this simple routine is from 'Secrets of the baby whisper' book however I am sure you can easily access more information on the web.
As mentioned earlier, our schedule is simple and Hendrix is fed every 3+ hours and 6+ hours at night time and although I believe following a schedule has many benefits as it has improved his sleeping pattern and mood, I don't believe in the 'one-size-fits-all' approach therefore I don't stress about it too much. I do believe that a lot of it is down to my confidence and attitude as I feel much more relaxed and have learnt to distinguish the difference between him being hungry and just being fussy or bored.
He has developed so much in the past 4 months and is a proper little boy now. I honestly couldn't wait for him to reach certain milestones (smiling etc.) but the time has flown, it makes me wish I had a pause button. Hendrix still requires a lot of attention but in a completely different way, he is a very alert, active and curious baby meaning he wants to be entertained.
I thought it was finally time to update you on what has been going on the past few months and apologise for my disappearance. It's crazy to think that Hendrix is already 4 months old and so much has changed since we first arrived home. They say that the first few weeks are most precious but as a first time parent I think they are also most challenging; I was suddenly responsible to love and nurture another human being which was quite overwhelming and slightly terrifying. Looking back everything is a blur, and there is no difference between day and night; all of my time and energy was consumed by a tiny human. There is a lot to learn and although the instinct does come naturally, at that point I had no idea that it would and constantly worried about doing things 'right'.
Again, being a first time parent comes with pressure and many challenges however, I soon realised that you find your own way. Although is it perfectly fine to take advice, it is important not to get caught up in what others say and stay confident in your new role as it really makes the difference.
Hendrix has always been quite a content baby with sporadic mood swings, he has also been a very clingy baby up to about 10 weeks old. He liked to be held and carried most of the time and slept best when in my arms. This meant ZERO time to myself. I knew that introducing a simple routine would help but decided to wait until H was a little older and let him take the lead. He was fed on demand and soothed when he was frustrated and upset.
Lack of routine and loneliness is certainly one of the most difficult parts about becoming a first time mum. I am naturally quite an organised person and feel that adapting a routine has helped us both a lot as it gives me purpose and it means I have the time to take care of our home as well as have time to myself (if I am lucky).
For the past month or so I have been following a fairly simple routine - eat, play, sleep. Now, there are many different methods out there and everybody will be keen to give you plenty of advice however, I find that following this easy pattern works best for us both. I believe that the original idea behind this simple routine is from 'Secrets of the baby whisper' book however I am sure you can easily access more information on the web.
As mentioned earlier, our schedule is simple and Hendrix is fed every 3+ hours and 6+ hours at night time and although I believe following a schedule has many benefits as it has improved his sleeping pattern and mood, I don't believe in the 'one-size-fits-all' approach therefore I don't stress about it too much. I do believe that a lot of it is down to my confidence and attitude as I feel much more relaxed and have learnt to distinguish the difference between him being hungry and just being fussy or bored.
He has developed so much in the past 4 months and is a proper little boy now. I honestly couldn't wait for him to reach certain milestones (smiling etc.) but the time has flown, it makes me wish I had a pause button. Hendrix still requires a lot of attention but in a completely different way, he is a very alert, active and curious baby meaning he wants to be entertained.
It is funny when they say that your life changes forever, but honestly that could not be closer to the truth. Although I am still adapting to motherhood and do find it extremely effortful at times, I have never looked at something, the way I do with Hendrix and have my heart instantly fill with love. It can be very difficult to get anything done or have any time to myself, but he has already brought so much joy to our life.
On that note, I am going to end this here for now. I can't wait to continue to share more content and updates on Hendrix's development.
Love, A x
On that note, I am going to end this here for now. I can't wait to continue to share more content and updates on Hendrix's development.
Love, A x
31.12.17
PREGNANCY DIARY - HONEST THOUGHTS
So as I have finally decided to share this and made the official 'announcement' on social media, I want this to be extremely honest hoping that it makes at least one woman feel less alone or at least a little more prepared for what can be a huge emotional rollercoaster.
As of this week, I am 39 weeks pregnant and although it feels like this journey to motherhood has flown by, I also feel unprepared in many ways. Before I get more into depth about everything, I want to express that I am extremely excited to finally meet my baby boy but I didn't always feel entirely happy which made me question myself and the future.
THE EARLY MONTHS
First of all, my pregnancy was not planned therefore I almost felt like I did not have enough time to register what was happening and how much my life was going to change. I believe the early months are the hardest; the 'silent period' when you are unable to share the news with the world may result in making you feel like you cannot be yourself in many ways. I hadn't notified my workplace until I was 20 weeks pregnant which means that the early days were difficult as I had to hide the feeling of nausea, anxiety and deal with sleepless nights as it was all a secret. And although hiding early pregnancy isn't a new issue that women struggle with, I do not think that there is a solution to the 'secret period' considering that 20% of pregnancies end before the three month mark - this makes the 12 week silence understandable. On another hand, being honest and open about what was going on in my life may have made the experience a little easier.
IDENTITY AND CONFIDENCE
Motherhood is tied up with identity and for a long while I felt like I was losing myself and feared that I would no longer be seen as 'me' but just a 'mum'. Being a mum is an exciting title; it is an addition to my existing self meaning that not everything I am and do should be based around my baby. And while there is something extremely comforting about others being so happy about your announcement, it can feel like people start to disregard you as your own person as everybody concentrates on the bump.
I am not afraid to say that it was very difficult to picture a happy image of my baby boy in my belly due to such mixed emotions combined with feeling extremely alone in all of this.
Trying to engage with social media during pregnancy can present many challenges and I can't express how important it is to remember that each woman and pregnancy are different. Self image is a huge part of identity and confidence in women and our tendency is to compare ourselves to others. Dressing confidently was a huge part of my daily routine and although I was aware that my body was going to change within the 40 weeks, I don't think any of us is actually prepared for the huge differences we are about to notice.
STRESS
You will come across many articles, books, and advice from others and if you are anything like me, sooner or later you will end up stressing over things such as ensuring you have purchased every single item from endless 'essentials lists' you have stumbled across on the web.
Now, you may also come across pressure around certain matters - one of them being breastfeeding. During one of my midwife appointments I experienced such pressure as my midwife jumped into expressing how important and beneficial breastfeeding was. She also added that it would prevent suffering from post-natal depression which I found to be completely out of order. While breastfeeding is beneficial for you and your baby, there are many factors that can affect your ability to breastfeed. Remember, it is no-one's fault and motherhood will be a massive learning curve but that is OKAY. It is easy to get caught up in what others say but do not put yourself and/or your baby through the stress - instead move on, do what is best for you and simply enjoy the time with your newborn.
DEPRESSION
I have experienced many negative thoughts during pregnancy and although I wouldn't say that I have suffered from pre-natal depression, I wanted to touch on this subject as it actually affects one in 10 pregnant women - how crazy? Feeling alone and having no motivation to do anything has probably been most challenging. Not feeling like yourself can be extremely difficult and have a huge impact not only on your relationship but work, friendships, family etc. For a while, I felt like I wasn't achieving anything in terms of work week after week which again, had a big impact on my confidence. I think it is extremely important to take a step back and focus on something that makes you feel good.
SELF CARE AND HIGHLIGHTS
Self care is very important. Instead of stressing over the upcoming months and concentrating on negative thoughts, use your energy to nurture your relationship and take time to concentrate on you. Calmness and a positive mindset are crucial. Do things that make you feel good and try to enjoy this crazy journey as it honestly flies by.
I have touched on many negative thoughts today therefore I wanted to share a few highlights and things I have enjoyed doing
Shopping for baby bits and bobs
Scans and hearing the heartbeat
A good diet and experimenting with food
Me time - pampering (try plenty of face masks, although I haven't tried one, pregnancy massages seem to be quite popular too?!)
Reading pregnancy books, blogs and checking baby's development on apps
Planning and doing the nursery
Baby's movements
Investing in our space - (as I haven't done much fashion based shopping, I concentrated on improving the living space as I am a massive sucker for interiors)
THE UNKNOWN
Again, I am currently experiencing mixed emotions as I am more than ready for this pregnancy to be over but at the same time do not feel ready for it to end. Although, I am more excited then ever for the unknown and cannot wait to finally meet baby H, at the same time I am feeling extremely anxious about the near future.
I hope you have enjoyed this post.
I hope you have enjoyed this post.
Love,
A x
A x
7.12.17
AFTERNOON CHAT: CHRISTMAS INTERIOR
A baby post from mE today; you know how much I love interior design, so you can probably imagine that I could not wait to share my latests inspiration.
December is a very exciting time of year and christmas decorations can change your space dramatically and instantly bring in comfort and tranquillity to your home that may not be as present during other seasons. With the festive season approaching I thoughT I would share some wonderful christmas decor images to inspire others on how to decorate your homes.
December is a very exciting time of year and christmas decorations can change your space dramatically and instantly bring in comfort and tranquillity to your home that may not be as present during other seasons. With the festive season approaching I thoughT I would share some wonderful christmas decor images to inspire others on how to decorate your homes.
PHOTO: Lark and Linen
PHOTO: LocalMilkBlog
I am currently working on improving the blog so please expect more posts very soon. For more inspiration head over to my Pinterest profile and browse through the Christmas board.
Love,
A x
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