When did I stop waiting?
About 2/3 weeks ago every night I went to bed thinking ooh tonight could be the night.. I had everything clean and tidy downstairs, my clothes ready to zoom off and I knew everyone’s plans so as to ensure childcare for Izzy. Last night I went to bed with a (slightly) messy house, no outfit ready to go and nothing ready for Izzy should we need to dash off.
When did this change? I’m not really sure. I do know that now when I go to bed I just feel like I will be forever pregnant. I dread bedtime as I’m sure most women in the third trimester do as its just so uncomfortable and with ALL of the toilet breaks … 🙁
So I feel as though I’m no longer waiting although I’m just a week from being overdue. It’s weird but almost a relief to have stopped symptom spotting. I know its going to happen but I’ve stopped worrying when..for now at least.
I still get contractions every night but that’s happened for weeks and my bump is way down there but realistically I know I could still have 2 weeks or so.. Or it could be today. Who knows? I’m starting to find it strangely exciting not knowing when.
I can’t wait to meet you baby girl but in your own time. I do thank you for not coming earlier this week when your big sister wasn’t well. You knew she needed me here.
I will write my 39wk update with a little more detail tomorrow but here is a quick bump shot:
Jamie Oliver Epic Hot Chocolate
I first saw this recipe on one of Jamie Oliver’s Christmas cookery shows a few years ago. The Jamie Oliver Epic Hot Chocolate Mix. I decided to give it a whirl and was so impressed I swore to make it up into jars for gifts for friends and family. I didn’t end up doing it until last Christmas when I made small jars to place in my Christmas hampers and everyone loved it.
I’ve made this on the stovetop and it’s a thick gooey indulgent cross between a hot chocolate and a chocolate dip.
Anyway without further waffling ( Oh did I mention it is really good served with waffles? ) I promised to share the recipe so here we go:
Jamie Oliver Epic Hot Choc
You will need:
2 tablespoons Horlicks/malted milk powder
2 tablespoons cornflour
3 tablespoons icing sugar
4 tablespoons quality organic cocoa
100 g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely grated – Chill your chocolate first to make it easier to grate
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch sea salt
*Ingredients can be multiplied depending on how big your jars and how generous you feel.
Combine all ingredients and place into a small jar. Tie a piece of pretty ribbon around the rim and give to someone you love.
Here is the method to making the hot choc:
To make two pints, place 2 pints of semi skimmed (or full fat for ultimate indulgence) milk in a saucepan and bring almost to the boil before adding 10 tbsp of your mix, whisk in quickly and leave to bubble for a few min before serving. Your mixture should be thick and luxurious.
*Write the instructions on a small piece of brown card and attach to your jars.
You could serve with toasted marshmallows or waffles/churros to dip in 😀
Silent Sunday
Pure Christmas indulgence for the Foodie in your life…
Buying Christmas gifts is hard. Really hard. After all when you are buying for someone important in your life you don’t want to go completely down the novelty, funny gift route but you also know that just because someone likes to spend time in the kitchen they don’t necessarily want a new kettle as a Chrismas present. For me the perfect gift is something I can use (or eat) that is also a little frivolous. Chrismas is a fun time and the smile on someone’s face as they open your gift is where most of the pleasure comes from.. For me anyway.
Now you will know from reading some of my posts that I can be fairly thrifty and frugal but I also appreciate a little indulgence and you don’t get much more indulgent than a Harvey Nichols Christmas Hamper – labelled as the ultimate luxury gastronomic gift I think it would be hard to find anyone who wouldn’t be satisfied with at least one of the options.
I have my eye on this one:
At a rather eye watering £1000 I can’t imagine it will be under my tree Christmas morning but hey a foodie can dream. With so many tasty treats inside as well as champagnes, Port and even a 1.6kg candle ( I’m obsessed with candles don’t you know?) it would give days(weeks even) of pleasure.
They aren’t all so expensive, prices start at around £37 and there are options for the wine lovers and beauty kings or queens in your life too.
I’ve had lots of fun trawling through the different hampers and deciding which one is my fave.
Remember if you get a decent wicker basket with your hamper, it can be for life not just for Christmas 😉 I’m thinking picnics in the sun.
*This post is written in collaboration with Harvey Nichols.
38 weeks..
So I’m still here.. 38 weeks and 1 day pregnant. I had a pretty rubbish night of irregular but very painful contractions and once again my body almost tricked me into thinking it was time to start planning our trip to the hospital but no. Everything has eased off and other than a very sore belly and well other parts…ahem…I’m fine.
Cravings:
Still ice and teeth brushing but that’s about it. Exciting huh?
Weight/appetite:
I don’t want to eat much anymore. I get really hungry and then as soon as the food is in front of me I feel sick and full almost immediately. I am trying to eat small high calorie snacks as much as possible but still no weight gain in the past 5 weeks. My midwife isn’t concerned as overall I’ve gained enough weight and baby is growing well.
Baby:
At my midwife appointment this week she was concerned about the babys presentation (she thought she was breech) so I was sent for a scan that afternoon. Baby is thankfully still head down and is getting pretty big so that’s one less thing to stress about. She is still pretty active – normally whenever I try to eat which makes me feel rather queasy but I still love the feeling. I have had a couple of occasions now when I can clearly feel the outline of a foot and its a weird feeling. I don’t remember this from last time but I guess Izzy came early so that may be why.
Izzy:
Izzy is good fun at the moment, full of amusing chatter and showing off her dancing skills. We were lucky to be able to take her into the scan with us this week along with my mum and she loved it. She kept repeating “mammys baby” over and over and pointing at the screen. When we got home she was a lot more cuddly with my belly and I wonder if she is almost starting to understand – probably not but it may have helped. She also has started to call the bump “Baby ???” – the name we are considering and it sounds mega cute. We aren’t 100% sure of it yet so I won’t share but yay we finally have a shortlist ( albeit a very very short one).
Isn’t she lovely?
Rest:
Half the time I feel like I should be getting my rest and the other half I feel like I should be trying to walk this baby out. Most of the time I find it too hard and uncomfortable to rest, unless in the bath and whilst I try to walk more its nearly always too sore to walk for long. I tend to potter about the house more and the constant cleaning up the toy chaos and chasing Izzy about keeps me busy.
We have been eating out more which saves me cooking and is a nice break from being stuck at home and we had another cinema date last night to see Thor which was fun.
Me:
I’m a little less grumpy than I was but I still have my days (sorry) and I’m quite emotional but mostly now I am just really eager to meet our baby and kiss her soft skin.
Bump update:
Inducing labour:
After all my hospital visits and appointments this pregnancy I’m super keen to avoid being induced-this will happen 2 weeks Monday if I haven’t naturally gone into labour so now that she is term and a good size I’m planning to try all the natural methods of starting things off. So far we tried eating Chicken Madras ( I’m normally a butter chicken girl) and aside from burning my mouth and making me sneeze it didn’t work.. I have also tried pineapple..liquorice and raspberry leaf tea. What do you suggest?
Once again I hope this is my last pregnancy update but I will probably see you here next week 😉
Still can’t believe we made it this far. Well done baby bump.
Thanks for your support so far, its meant such a lot. Now just send me labour vibes please.
A few of my favourite things…
I should make this clear up front that this is not a review..or a paid for post.
Sometimes I just like products. Normally food related products.
I’ve decided that every few weeks I will share with you some of my favourite products of the month, if they have been sent to me for a review it will be clearly stated but for the most part they will just be things I have liked to munch.
This month there are four things which I have loved:
First up:
El Rey Pimento de la Vera ( sweet smoked paprika)
I was given this as a gift from my other halfs dad a while back and I LOVE it. The smell of it, the look of the tin and the incredible smokiness that comes from a small teaspoon in a paella or chorizo stew is just fabulous. I can’t recommend this enough. It will become a store cupboard staple I assure you.
Next are two products from the same company..
Lotus biscoff biscuits:
I’ve had these on several occasions accompanying my hot drinks at lovely local cafes so when I saw a pack of them on sale at Morrisons I HAD to buy them and they are delicious. They have a thin crunchy texture and a gorgeous flavour.
Lotus biscoff spread:
My mum has raved about this for months after trying it when on holiday in the summer and since then several twitter friends have made me desperate to try it so when I FINALLY found it in Sainsburys earlier this week I made the inevitable purchase and very glad I did. Delicious on toast or straight from the jar. Sweet, buttery..caremelised indulgence.
And finally …
Cottage Delights Oak Smoked rapeseed oil:
I found this on one of the random shelves you get at the till in TKMaxx and I will be truly gutted if I can’t find it again. If you see it buy it. It was reasonable priced (about £2) and the smallest amount gives such a lovely taste. I am a big fan of all things smoked anyway but this is the kind of oil you want to dip your finger in just to taste.. Better with homemade flatbreads though.
If anyone knows of an actual stockist of this oil please share.
Apologies for the poor quality of the photos.. It was a rather quick decision to write this post and so I just used my phone. Plus my camera is packed ready for the hospital!
I hope you manage to try at least one of my favourite things.
Me and Mine
Joining in with the Me and Mine linky run by Dear Beautiful
Here is a photo of me, my man, my daughter and my bump taken at a family wedding a few weeks ago:
Reading about the Me and Mine project really made me think about the fact that one of us is always missing from family pics.. It shouldn’t take a wedding to get a photo of the whole family. I’m determined especially as our new baby arrives very soon to get photos of the 4 of us regularly.
Rio – Brazilian cooking sauces review
Brazil is one of my very long list of places I must visit at some point in my life.. I’m thinking with the baby arriving any day now it may be a while before I get to go but I did get the chance to experience a taste of Brazil when I was sent the new range of cooking sauces from Rio to sample. Now of course I want to go even more.
Rio – A Taste of Brazil is the first authentic Brazilian sauces and marinades to be manufactured and sold in UK.
I was sent three jars of sauces:
Moqueca – A fragrant coconut sauce with a hint of lime and coriander, perfect with fish, seafood or chicken.
Bife de Panela – A sweet and sour sauce with a hint of cumin and vinegar perfect served with beef or pork.
Amendoim – A creamy fragrant mixture of coconut milk, nuts and ginger.
The first that I tried was Amendoim, I followed the jar instructions for this and it tasted delicious. We both really enjoyed and it has a nice chilli kick without being overpowering.
The second jar we tried was the Bife de Panela, for this I used a cheaper cut of beef and so I slow cooked it in the sauce with vegetables and it was really tasty. A different flavour to any sauce I have tried before and very mild. Izzy really enjoyed this.
The third jar we had this week which was the Moqueca and again I more or less followed packet instructions aside from adding a diced onion and mushrooms to bulk it up as I didn’t have a full packet of chicken breasts. I also added some extra coconut milk as it was a little too spicy for me in my current heartburn/acid reflux mode.
Our overall fave was the Amendoim. Lovely creamy, nutty sauce.
If you are lucky enough to have a local stockist I recommend you try it! There is also the option to buy direct from their website.
* I was sent these products in exchange for a review
The Waiting Game
So now that I am 5 days over what is classed as term I really do feel that I spend every day waiting. Waiting for a contraction, waiting for my waters to break…waiting for some thing. At this point in my last pregnancy my waters had gone and I had given birth to my gorgeous girl… So I have NEVER been this pregnant before. I don’t feel too enormous, I’ve managed to avoid most of the swelling this time and although my bump is pretty darn big the rest of me is ok but I feel rubbish. My head hurts, my eyes hurt and I have cracked, sore lips… Attractive huh?
I think the baby is draining every last bit of goodness from me and well I don’t mind her having it all but the downside is I feel awful.
Distraction techniques are needed. I need to be busy all the time or it will drive me crazy.
Yesterday afternoon we went to a lovely seaside village near to us for for the most divine ice cream and then took Izzy to an old amusement arcade and played on all the rides.. It made the day brighter.
I can see a rainbow…
Today we plan to go and see Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs 2! Izzy loves the cinema and I’m trying to make these last few weeks of being an only child as much fun as possible! Also I get to sit down.
What did you do in your final weeks of pregnancy? How did you pass the time and what were your first signs of impending labour?
Bump!
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