Week 35 – exhaustion and nesting – oof.

Did I really last write 2 whole weeks ago?! Oops. There’s been loads going on as well, so I don’t even have the excuse of having nothing to write about! I just had a look at my Instagram feed, and since my last post I’ve put up 2 pictures. TWO. That’s just lame! And I’ve had at least 5 Instagrammable meals since then! Hopefully it illustrates how much the exhaustion has sunk in. But then I read a post by Mother Of All Lists about how blogging makes her feel better, and I was inspired to write!

Re: exhaustion…I. Feel. Huge. Big and waddly and achy and breathless. Yaaaay. In the last fortnight, my bump has gone from “Oh you don’t even look THAT pregnant!” to “Jesus Christ you look about to pop!”. Which means my little crumb has decided that Mumma no longer needs to eat, breathe, or take under 30 seconds to turn over in bed (there’s a definite knack to the last one, it involves using your buttcheeks, arms and feet to perform some sort of snow angel-style five point turn.)

I’m feeling properly nesting-y these days. I thought nesting was a frivolous term for just wanting to get your shit together before the baby arrives – but I actually have a really strong urge to STAY IN THE FLAT AND PREPARE.  Prepare how? Not entirely sure… It’s summer, there’s loads of great things to do and people to see, and all I want to do is hibernate. We had a lovely break away planned in the calendar (for my brother in law’s wedding) and I spent the night before we left the house wondering if I could somehow hide under the sofa instead of going all the way to the HAZARDOUS WILDS of Somerset for a beautiful family occasion. Bizarre! I’m assuming this is the modern day equivalent of wanting to get my supplies and curl up in my cave until the baby gets here? I’m pretty sure I’ll regret staying in once the baby is here though. Hopefully once I’m on maternity leave (only 9 days to go!) I can relax a little bit more and actually enjoy getting out of the house for short bursts.

We have managed to get loads of nursery prep done, to the point that it’s organised enough for me to not feel guilty about buying decorative, non-practical items. We love the idea of the room being both baby and adult friendly, since it’s going to have to accommodate Squish and any guests that want to stay over. I’m not a massive fan of excessive pastels and cutesy decor – plus if you know Charles at all, you know how much he loves his bright colours too! Over the last few months, I’ve had a scout around on Instagram and Etsy, and found some really great independent boutiquey brands that produce unique and fun designs – some are admittedly pricey, but if you shop around and pick carefully, you can find some great stuff without spending a fortune.

Here are some of my treats (for the baby AND us!):

These Moses basket fitted sheets are really fun and were in the Avery Row sale – you can also use them as cot sheets for the bassinet.

Ingrid Petrie produces some wonderful prints in black and white (great for newborns – they see contrast far better!) and in gorgeous colours too. She’s based out in Scotland and included a lovely handwritten thank you postcard with our owl print.

I have been coveting one of these Mama Designs blankets for months! It’s surprisingly hard to find brightly coloured cellular blankets – but these were too eye-catching not to buy. Now we just need the cot so I can artistically drape it over the side (to admire before it becomes covered in drool/sick). I did find some other bright blankets by East Coast at Argos  that also look really fun and snuggly.

Yes, I bought pompoms! I really like the idea of room decorations that are easy to change up according to your whims or the baby’s age, like wall vinyls. There are some really gorgeous handmade garlands (my dream ones are by Velveteen Babies) that you can easily hang from the wall or over the cot. Since Squish will probably start off in the Moses basket, I thought that some contrasting decorations would do the trick in the early days to keep her entertained! These pompoms are by Twenty Two and Six , very sweet and well made!

Now that’s done, all we have to do is keep the room really tidy. Easy, right? *eyes piles of clothes building up in the corner* It’s been seriously fun decorating – do you guys have favourite brands or must-have items?

Take care, gang!

Nat xx