New pram

I have been browsing around looking for a new double buggy. I came across this one and thought: Perfect!

Wide Awake

Yesterday I felt like this:
And today I feel like this:

A selection of Swedish horns...

This posting should have been posted a few weeks ago, about 90 minutes before Sweden got knocked out of Euro 2008. We had hope...
Steve pretending to be Helga!

Dakota posing as Ann-Marie.

And last but not least, Indy posing as Charlotta.

Things that makes me feel good

This lovely body butter makes me happy. I love the smell of it and it wakes me up immediately, if I am feeling drained.
Body Shop Monoi Moisture Balm from the Spa Wisdom range.

Washington DC & Babel

Steve is now on his way to Washington DC, British Airways style - flatbed style! I want to try one of those seats one day! He is back on Monday, so I'm on my own til then.


I wish I could have gone with him but I'm at home, looking after doggies and Ellen. We're going to have a lovely girly weekend (sorry dogs) with this film among others - Babel. That's my Saturday night treat.


Seeing Sarah on Friday and look forward to seeing their new place in Colchester. Barney touched down in Afghanistan yesterday evening and will be back in 3 months time, juuuust in time for the little baby!

Right, I am off to rest my eyes and my fat body for 1,5 hours, before heading down to Southend to see Clare, Ellie & Sarah.

Plaything

This afternoon I am picking up this jolly playcentre for Ellen. Have been looking for ages for something with slides for her, that she can climb on as well. Ebay had loads, but they are still quite expensive and I really wanted one for this weekend.
Luckily I bought the Wickford Gazette this morning and this beauty was being advertised about 20 min away for a fraction of the prizes on Ebay. Lucky Ellen! So at 5pm we're loading it into the car and should have it in the courtyard, all ready to rock, by tomorrow morning!
Hurrah!

Henry & I

We have just had our quality time for today, good old Henry and I.

I love it when he's been round the house and it now smells of Wood Polish and Grumme floor-cleaner.
I've also got my Summer Fruits oil-burner going and oooohhh it really is summer.

I can relax and concentrate so much better when the house is clean and tidy, which it is to 90% right now. Spotless no - Tidy yes!

Even the kitchen is sparkling. The only thing that's not sparkling right now...is me!
I need a shower badly and will grab one later on when Ellen's gone to bed.

Getting excited

This lovely changing station arrived today from Mamas & Papas. Ooooh I am getting excited now about the new baby but less excited about my evergrowing belly which is weighing me down.

Also, to go with it was this little changing mat. The one we've got at the moment I am going to throw away - it's seen too much crap!

The little toy chest and toddler bookcase arrived today as well, and I will ask my dad for help on assembling these pieces. I just can't bend!!

Just been out to water our plants in the garden (about 1,000 of them) and sweating like a hyena. My neck starts to hurt when I am on the laptop for too long, so I am taking regular breaks.

Lovely face

A quick update to recommend a few more products. Body Shop moisture lotion with SPF 15, combined with this one below:
The Vitamin E Moisture Serum, that makes my skin soo soft.
And before all this I use this lovely Body Shop Exfoliator Sponge together with my normal cleaner, which at the moment is a freebie tester from YSL, Rinse-off Foaming Water, which smells lovely too.

I am amazed that I actually have time to do this most mornings now. I usually have 5 minutes between hearing Ellen being awake in her room until she stands by her room-gate and shouts:
- Maaaammmiiii, hiiiilp!
And when I peer out from our bedroom door and she spots me I get a big smile and a:
- Heeeej!!!

Honey, snap out of it!

Love this new scrub that I treted myself to yesterday. Oooooh it smells soooo nice, almond and honey I think, and everytime I use it (yep, I've used it twice since yesterday) I want to take a big lick to taste it... I am sure that wouldn't be a good idea.
Anyway, my skin is now as soft as a baby's bottom.

Furniture and DIY

This beauty has just been ordered among other furniture for Ellen's new room, and the baby's new room. The chaise lounge is for the nursery, and I plan to spend many a sleepless night in it! I was "umming and errring" whether to go for a cheaper option, but this one is sooo comfortable it had to be worth it. If it saves me a wrinkle or two it's well worth it!

So a little toddler bed with matching bedside table, a lovely big wardrobe, a little bookcase in the shape of a dolls house and a little bookcase to keep all her little books has been ordered for Ellen's new room. The baby's room just needed a set of IKEA chest of drawers, a smaller changing unit and the chaaaaaiiiise loooounge... Wonderful.
I can sleep well tonight, knowing that its all on its way.
We've also got a date for the carpet fitting in Ellen's new room. In two weeks time it should be all done and we can start assembling the furniture, which I am sure will take another 2 weeks!

I've decided to get prepared earlier this time round, as last time I was pregnant, me and my mother-in-law were assembling Ellen's cot when I was 8 months pregnant, the summer was in full swing ie the nursery was about 100 degrees hot. God, we were both swearing at the bloody thing.
So this time, I am hoping to have it all done within the month...

So that was a typically boring blog post, showing what an incredibly interesting life I lead at the moment! But who knows, its Friday night...its the weekend, I might go crazy who knows!!!

I went swimming yesterday...

I'm the one with the big brown body, splashing at the edge of the water...

I'm a whale

This week I have felt sooo tired, heavy, sleepy and lazy.
My new nickname (thanks Steve) has become Old Mrs Hubbard...
I feel like an Old Mrs Hubbard actually. All I need is an apron and some dirty grey slippers.

I cut off the horns on my Sweden hat today. Embarrassed to be Swedish yesterday. The team was soooo crap. Useless. So I've said to Ellen, she doesn't have to ever cheer on Sweden in any tournament, ever again. Until the World Cup 2010!!!... ;)

What else is new? Went for a blood test today. Thought I was going to pass out as they took tube after tube of blood. I felt aenemic enough before I even started. Ellen was as good as gold as usual, sitting happily in her stroller chomping on a rice cake.
She was reading the "Southend Airshow Programme" while we waited in the waiting room. Her word for Aeroplane is "bye-bye" for some reason and as she turned the pages she kept going Bye Bye, Bye bye... (ba-bay, ba-bay). An old lady sitting opposite Ellen suddenly said to Ellen:
- No darling, I am not going quite yet. We'll say bye bye in a minute...
Hmm...I explained through my beard that Bye Bye was Aeroplane, and left it at that...

Curls

Tried out my new Babyliss You Curl yesterday to see what I could do. To start with I couldn't get it to work, but after persevering and finally getting the technique right curls started to appear. This is me a few hours afterwards, so the curls have started to disappear, but still, you get the idea. It looked so lovely when it was just done. Very pleased with my purchase.

Ellen's new room

This is the plan. Ellen's new room is "under construction", lights are being fitted, floors are being measured and soon I'll be able to order all these lovely bits. I love that little bed. And the wardrobe looks great. Can't wait to get it done now!!! :)

Coffee saves the day

Its been a stressful day. I know it wouldn't normally have been this bad, but because its boiling hot outside and I feel super heavy and knackered. I ran out of steam about 2pm...not good. Just as Ellen was getting bored. Nothing seemed to keep her happy and I was tearing my hair out. So I made some strong coffee, frothed a load of milk - mixed it together and voila - 1 cafe latte later I was buzzing like a bee, and we ended up going for a walk to the park and had a lovely afternoon in the end.
So coffee, my friend, I owe you one!

Will put some bets on for tonight's football game - Sweden vs Greece. I think its time to run down to the petrol station and buy a throw-away-bbq and put some food on. I would love a cold cider too, maybe I'm allowed one?! Just the one?! Yeeeeeeeeeeah.
Actually, Sainsbury's sells Kopparberg cider. Will ask Steve to get some on his way home.

Sex and the City

Awww...I liked it! Really good film. Made me all warm inside. But it also made me miss my girlies from Sweden, when we were aaaaall together.

Went out last night with Lisa to see the film at Bas Vegas. We went for a chinese first at Aroma and the food was lovely. The only problem was the waiters who couldn't wait to snatch our plates to clear the table. You'd literally just finished the last prawn cracker and schwiiish the plate was gone. Lisa had to cling on to her wine glass for dear life so that they wouldn't steal her precious wine-spritzer drops from her. When you're pregnant you treasure every single drop of alcohol you can get your tastebuds on.

A lovely evening and a nice break from being a pregnant mother. And it gave me hope about looking good at 40 and 50. Sarah Jessica Parker has got a body to die for.
Plus, Ellen slept in til 8.08 this morning which made it all so much better.