The Eccentric American Mama in Cumbria

How far along?  36 weeks Total weight gain/loss?  26 pounds Maternity clothes?  Yes and no, when the weather is warm I just wear my regular maxi dresses, super comfy. Definitely in maternity tops though, my regular tops are tight fitting and the abs have been gone for about 32 weeks now. Stretch Marks?  Still nothing and since this is the last baby we're planning to have I'm secretly praying that I escape unscathed, not that there is anything wrong with stretch marks, I've heard they fade but I'll still do a secret little dance if they keep away. Sleep?  It's OK. I sleep well unless my hips start to cramp then I have to grab the lacrosse ball from underneath my pillow and try to release the muscle all while not disturbing Josh. Best Moment this Week?  Picking Josh up from the train station, I've never been so happy to see him, Cyril didn't share these sentiments and passed out on the way there. However, the look on his face pretty much sums up ...

"If you fill your space and time with guilt and regret there won't be room for all the love."  -Be More With Less Those of you who have the privilege/misfortune of truly knowing me are fully aware that I research everything to the point of exhaustion. When I become interested in a topic, or my life takes a new direction, I pour over books, blogs and articles which often leads to me spending hours, if not weeks, learning new skills and ways of living. Some would say I become obsessive. When I found out I was pregnant with Cyril it was easy for me to research everything about how he was developing and my body was changing. I read dozens of books on baby care, sleep, feeding and creating the perfect nursery. I made curtains, photo collages, painted changing tables and shelves, and found the perfect crib after hours of reading reviews. However, when it came to labour I did the opposite of what was right for me and avoided the topic. If I saw even a hint of someon...

What an amazing night away we had in Harrogate and a huge shoutout to AuntyJessica  and Uncke Nick for taking care of our little peanut! Without complaining too much, yesterday happened to be the worst day of my pregnancy thus far. My heartburn was so bad on our drive that Josh nearly had to pull over twice so I could be sick. When we finally arrived at our gorgeous hotel in sunny Yorkshire I could barely walk. PGP was in full swing and I had shooting pain down one leg like sciatica, I regretted not bringing my ace bandage but was relieved I wore sensible shoes. I didn't let it get the best of me however, just tried to do a few hip exercises and we were soon off exploring, at Granny B's pace, with a full pregnancy waddle. We stumbled upon a hidden cobbled street and were very fortunate to find a seat at a lovely bar/restaurant in the sunshine. Yay for yummy mocktails! Another bonus was the gelato across the street, arguably the best gelato I've ever tasted which is impressi...

How far along?  34 weeks  Total weight gain/loss?  Somewhere around 23 pounds, weighed myself after a large coffee, fully clothed, when I needed to pee. At our 32 weeks scan baby was measuring just over 4 pounds and was around the 50-centile mark. If I follow the graph she should be around 5 pounds today, which is only a couple ounces lighter then Cyril was at 34 weeks :) Maternity clothes?  Yes. I know some women get by without maternity wear but I honestly can't comprehend how. I do carry very low which could be part of the issue but even when I put on non-maternity stretch pants and loose tees I still find they fail in comparison to the comfort of maternity leggings, jeans, dresses and tops. Also, I wore my maternity clothes for a few months after Cyril was born. Warning: You'll look 6 months pregnant after giving birth, and with all that spit up you really don't want to ruin your nice clothing. Not to mention that sleep deprivation will leave you in a zomb...

A little note to my first born before your sister enters the world and our lives forever change. You're the little boy that stole my heart, not all at once, and certainly not on the first day you entered the world. Our bond was grown, little by little, day after day, as we both learned the ebb and flow of our life together. We've had our fair share of cuddles, laughter, bursts of insanity as well as moments of madness, frustration and tears. Everyday you teach me patience, love, kindness and how to slow down. Mornings are both my favourite and worst time of the day. When I hear you shouting "Want big cuddles with Mama!" my heart melts, I love bursting into your room, or sometimes crawling in with Hobson behind me because I know that makes you giggle, and seeing your energetic eyes and big smile ready to face the day. However, after this heart melting morning routine I know all too well what will happen next if I don't have breakfast ready, commence meltdown...

I was about to walk Hobson but it started to chuck it down with rain. Since I have a few minutes I'll give an update on our little lamb while I drink my coffee.  At 28 months and 28 pounds Cyril Tuolumne Soper loves deeply. Not only is he obsessed with all of his stuffed animals but they regularly get kissed, hugged, undressed and then redressed and carried around the house. His favourite is definitely Rabbie and now other Rabbie who he discovered on the washing line. They get fed, bathed and tormented a bit because he likes it when I say "Awww, poor Rabbie!" He plays hard. Yesterday I walked in after his nap to find him practicing forward rolls in his crib. He had his head on the pillow and his feet on the footboard of his crib moving upwards to try to get the momentum he needed to push himself over. He's an amazing sleeper and has been since about 8 weeks. I only know this because I sometimes go back and read my old blogs and was a little shocked wh...

We were given 82 edited photos and I set myself the goal of narrowing it down to my 10 favourites however that proved too difficult so I managed to get it down to 15, this was a very tough decision but here you go! Thanks again Naomi for taking these pictures, we can't wait to see what you'll come up with for the newborn photos. It's been really nice to have Naomi as our personal photographer since I was 34 weeks pregnant with Cyril. We've now had maternity photos with both babes as well as newborn, 6 month and 1 year photos of Cyril. I take a lot of pictures, mostly of Cyril, but we never get photos together as a family unless Naomi is behind the lens so these are extra special to us.

You know you're a mama when you spend your birthday ... ... picking up an entire box of Cheerios that your toddler spilled while trying to pour them into a tiny bowl. All this done in the 2 minutes I ran outside to bring the rubbish to the kerb before the bin lorry came barreling down the hill. I tried to get Hobson to eat the ones that I couldn't be bothered to pick up but he refused as Cyril was screaming, "No Hobo! Out! Out! Out! Go Lay Down!" ... changing your toddler and clothes because poop leaked out of his nappy and somehow you managed to get some of it on your face. ... at a midwife appointment getting blood taken, giving urine samples and being prodded in the stomach. ... at a cafe alone and are just about to bite into your cake when your cell phone rings and it's nursery telling you your son is hysterically crying because he has a sore bottom and he'll need to be picked up immediately because there are a few viruses going around. ...

How far along?   32 weeks and 4 days Total weight gain/loss?   22 pounds, at this point in my pregnancy with Cyril I'd gained 27! I'm sure I'll catch right back up though :) Maternity clothes?   Yes, with the exception of my stretchy maxi dresses. I managed to get my wardrobe down below the Project 33 limit although it did help that exercise and lounge wear don't count as part of the total since I pretty much wear yoga pants and t-shirts everyday. Stretch Marks?   Nope and I haven't even used any special cream on my belly this time. Sleep?   Usually pretty good unless I have a project going on that I want to work on. Best Moment this Week?   Baby girl staring at us during the ultrasound, we finally got a clear picture. Usually she kicks the doppler and turns the other way or moves the entire time so they find it impossible to get a clear picture. This is the first one we've had that isn't blurry! She's measuring just under the 50-cent...

1. Cake, cake and more cake. Did somebody say cookies because those are OK too? 2. The obsession with tractors runs deep. Cyril had a full on meltdown when Josh veered away from the tractors at the Skelton Farm Show on Saturday. I know all kids like cars and tractors but I've never met a child that would wander around the vintage tractors for hours just staring. 3. He has an uncanny amount of love for cutting the grass and watching people mow the lawn. The other day when we went to vote for the EU referendum a man was getting his lawn mower out, I tried to turn quickly before Cyril noticed as we were meeting some friends but I was too late. He clocked on to the man immediately and we had to sit there and watch as the gentleman mowed his entire lawn. Thank god it was only a small patch of grass. 4. He's already obsessed with the green stuff (dollar bills not peace) and picks up every penny he finds on the ground. No photo of this. 5. His love for H...

Project 333 is a challenge where a group of like minded individuals embark upon the goal of only wearing 33 items of clothing and accessories for 3 months. You carefully go through your wardrobe and select the 33 items you will keep in your closet/dresser. The remainder of the items get boxed up and sealed. After 3 months has passed you then have the option of including the boxed items back into your closet or hopefully if you've survived without them you donate. If you live in a location with seasons, as I do, some of the boxed items will come out, enter your closet and the 33 items you've been wearing will then get boxed up. There are some items that are excluded such as underwear, workout clothing, wedding rings, etc. to read the full list of rules, or if you would like to join me, click on this link  Project333 I've been contemplating doing this for over a year now but every time I read about it part of me worries, not so much about whether or not I'll surviv...