LUNCH INSPIRATION: Pea and Mint Soup Recipe

Lunch can be one of my favourite meals of the day, but getting stuck in a sandwich rut can be so boring. While I was at work I would have the same sandwich every single day, not exactly an exciting varied diet. So when I headed off on maternity leave I made it my mission to make lunch time more interesting, not just for me but for Isabella too. I know we're in summer, but I'm more of a soup than salad fan so have been making a whole bunch of different soups. Pea and Mint is not only a classic, but also perfect for summer because it is refreshing and light. My version is nothing ground breaking, just a quick flavourful recipe that can be made in a big batch to freeze or enjoyed straight away. I made a big batch to pop in the freezer prior to giving birth, so I knew that Isabella and I had a healthy homemade lunch option for when little one arrived.

BABY #2: My Birth Story

I can't believe I'm finally getting to write my birth story after spending so many days in the world of being overdue and wandering what was about to unfold. To rewind to my 41 week midwife appointment, I had been booked in for a stretch and sweep at that appointment to try and get things started. However, when the midwife felt my bump and where the baby's head was she decided that her head wasn't engaged so they wouldn't be able to do the stretch and sweep. This was pretty disappointing, as I had worked myself up and mentally prepared myself to have one. I was also hoping to get things going before our baby grew into an even bigger baby in my tummy! As a result of not having the stretch and sweep I was booked in for an induction at 8.30am on Wednesday 14th June 2017, at 12 days overdue.

PREGNANCY #2: My Experience of the Induction Process

Being induced isn't on many pregnant ladies wishlist, yet so many find themselves heading down that route. When I was pregnant with Isabella my waters broke at 39+3 and I didn't go into established labour quick enough, so I went through the induction process due to the increased risk of infection. I started by have a pessary, then another and finally was put on the hormone drip. So I experienced most of the induction methods and it was an incredibly painful journey. Though I have nothing to compare it to, it is common knowledge that induced labour can be more painful than labour that starts naturally. I was actually still having to be induced on the hormone drip once in established labour; Isabella just didn't want to come out!

BLOGGING: How to Keep Organised

As I started maternity leave this time I really wanted to concentrate on my blog and social media platforms. I really enjoy writing, photographing and editing, it was the perfect project to focus on once I had finished work. When I was on maternity leave with Isabella I'm sure blogging kept me more level-headed and certainly less lonely. It gave me a focus every day and challenged my skill set, things I wanted to continue to do throughout this maternity leave. Now of course, this time around I have Isabella to look after too so it was never going to be as easy as last time. I needed to up my organisational game and get my productive attitude on point.

BABY #2: Birth Announcement and Name Reveal

After keeping us waiting for 12 days past her due date my bump finally became a baby at 9.46pm on 14th June 2017 weighing 8lbs 13ozs. A mere 8 hours after the induction process began, with established labour only lasting 1 hour 25 minutes! It couldn't have been a more different experience to Isabella's birth. I'll be writing up my birth story soon, as well as my experience of the induction process.

RECIPE: Soft Baked Earl Grey and Sultana Cookies

I'm not sure if 'cookie' is the best thing to call these, but I'm not sure what else to call them either. The texture is soft and airy with a crisp outer shell, a much lighter version to your standard chewy cookie. They go perfectly with a cup of tea or crumbled over vanilla ice-cream on these summer evenings. These are best eaten fresh from the oven (and cooled slightly), as they will dry out pretty quickly after a day or so. The perfect excuse to invite your friends/family around to enjoy a batch!

TODDLER ACTIVITY: Personalised Canvas Painting

This craft activity would be ideal as a special gift for any family member or friend and luckily it is simple, effective and takes minutes to make. There's also minimal mess made in the process. What's not to like? By using stickers you can create an image or word/phrase that will stand out once your child has done some painting. I've used a similar method before to create a daffodil out of masking tape, which worked really well.

PREGNANCY #2: My Reality of Being Overdue

I honestly can't believe I'm writing this post or that I even have the time to write it; I really thought our second baby would have arrived by now. But despite all the bouncing on the ball, eating spicy food, pineapple and drinking raspberry leaf tea this baby hasn't made an appearance yet. On the whole I feel okay about this, after all life right now is surely a lot easier than life with two children? But it's not all relaxing baths, breakfast in bed and full nights sleep.

#LittleLoves: Love Island, Babys Position and Voting

Yet another week I really thought I wouldn't be able to write this #LittleLoves post, yet I am. Despite having pains throughout most nights and her feeling extremely low labour hasn't started and we still haven't met our baby girl! I'm booked in for an induction next week, so I definitely won't be publishing next Friday and that feels all a bit surreal. I really don't want to go down the induction route again, but if that's the way it has to be then so be it. I'm just so eager to get the pain of labour out of the way!

PHOTOGRAPHY: How to Edit DIY Maternity Silhouette Photos using PS Express

On Monday I published the photos from a mini DIY maternity silhouette photoshoot and today I'm going to be taking you through step-by-step how I edited the photos. It's a really quick and simple process and completely free too! I can upload photos straight from my camera onto my phone/tablet via wifi, which makes life so easy and editing pictures really quick. I prefer to edit on my tablet because it has a bigger screen, but this could be done on either.

PREGNANCY #2: DIY Maternity Silhouette Photoshoot

If you follow me over on my social media channels then you'll probably know how tough I found last week. I had gone into labour early with Isabella, so we fully expecting that to happen again but it didn't. I felt like I was entering the unknown, which just made me feel out of sorts and unsettled. I became so emotional and wasn't sure what to do with each day, too scared to leave the house in case my waters broke yet wanting to make the most of the time. So to try and make the most of still being pregnant I decided to do a mini DIY Maternity Silhouette Photoshoot. It took a good few hours, though it didn't feel like that! It's nice to have captured my 39 week bump 'properly' if you will, as I didn't do anything like this when pregnant with Isabella.

#LITTLELOVES: Due Date, Silhouettes and Labour Stories

Well I'm now into my fourth week of maternity leave and still no baby! I honestly can't believe it, after having Isabella early I was convinced I'd be early again. This baby is clearly far to happy in there to make an appearance on time! I've had pains on and off during the week, but they've not turned into anything significant and so goes on the 'is this it?' guessing game! I keep going between getting really impatient to meet our second daughter and trying to enjoy the peace before the all consuming life with a newborn. It's a funny one. Other than waiting around for baby to appear I've not done much else, mainly through fear my waters will break if I leave the house alone! They did last time and I don't really want to experience that alone in public, but if it happens it happens.

TODDLER: SMA® PRO Toddler Milk #AD

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Nutrition is something that has interested me for a long time now; I did Food Technology up tot A-Level and considered taking a degree in it. I find it so interesting learning about nutrients and their benefits within our bodies especially when it comes to bringing up a toddler. It's no secret here on my blog that I love cooking, ensuring Isabella has a varied diet and baking with her. So when SMA® Nutrition got in touch to tell me about their SMA® PRO Toddler Milk, aimed at 1-3 year olds, I was interested to find out more.