32 Weeks Pregnant - Packing My Hospital Bag

Another week has gone by.
Right from the beginning of this pregnancy I said I would pack my hospital bag at 32 weeks.
Here I am!

I didn't get to pack my hospital bag with C.... I'm not sure running round the house grabbing a few essentials before a mad dash to the hospital really counts.
For a first baby which are "always late", I thought 36 weeks would be plenty early enough... of course it was not.
This time I was determind to be more prepared!

31 Weeks Pregnant - 4D Scan

Today I am 31 weeks pregnant.  The countdown is really on now as only 9 weeks to go to until my due date.

Hubby and I went for a 4D scan yesterday.  We had a similar scan at 32 weeks with C.
As well as obviously checking all was well with baby, I wanted to check he was still a "he" and I also check his growth as I really feel HUGE this time around.  I know women are often bigger in subsiquent pregnancies compared to their first but I really am quite a lot bigger!

Depression, Anxiety and the Power of Writing

This post was sparked by a tweet earlier in the week by the PSS Postnatal Depression Project on how talking about your feelings can really help you understand the origins of your post natal depression or anxiety.  From my own personal viewpoint, I agree with this statement wholeheartedly.  In my darkest hours since C was born I could have quite easily have gone to the Doctors and been put on medication however I knew that it was being able to talk to someone that really made me feel better, and that things would only really improve if I was able to get to the root of the problem and fix it.

Silent Sunday 8-9-12 - Shadow Fun

Butterfly Butterfly - Linking Books & Craft Activities

Today we made a beautiful butterfly with Grandma.
We prepped for this by cutting out the butterfly wings and punching 4 holes in the centre in which to thread elastic.
C then helped to decortate the butterfly wings by slicking on coloured shapes to both sides.
While we were sticking we discussed the shapes and colours we were using.  I am so impressed at the speed C's colour and shape recognition has come on in recent weeks.
We then threaded elastic through the spine of the wings and slipped them over C's arms.
She looked very cute as she fluttered around the room!

The 21st Century and the Rise of Idealistic Parenting

I am sure there is a proper name for this new kind of parenting that has appeared over the past 10 years or so, however in the meantime I will just refer to it as idealistic parenting.  It is not my aim to be controversial here but purely to put across the impact some of these narrow-minded ideas can have on a first time mum who is trying to do the very best for her baby yet may not have a lot of confidence in what she is doing.  Here are just three of the most popular parenting ideals...