WHAT'S IN MY C-SECTION HOSPITAL BAG?

This is my hospital bag, I'm pretty sure it's from Avon, it was a gift so I'm not sure how much it cost. It very spacious and I use it anytime we go away - it's got a lot of compartments and it's very lightweight. Oh, and it's pink!

Inside: Belvita breakfast biscuits (I live off these!!), Go Ahead bars, Twinings Peppermint tea (good for easing pains and indigestion after c-sections), 40 pack of breast pads, pack of Pampers New Baby nappies (couldn't fit in baby's bag), Always night sanitary towels, toiletries bag & make-up bag (both £4 from Primark), grey hard-bottomed slippers (great for if you can't bend down after c-section, £4 from Morrisons), 5 pairs of full briefs (more comfy on the c-section scar than normal underwear, £4 from Primark), 2 nursing bra's (£20 for 2 pack from Mothercare), dark bath towel, 2 sets of pyjama's (trouser and vest top type) and one nightie (for first night whilst the catheter and drains are in).

32 WEEK PREGNANCY UPDATE BABY #2

How far along: I'm in my 32nd week of pregnancy

Due date: 9th April 2015

How many days left: 53 days!!!

Maternity clothes: Mainly wearing maternity jeans, maternity leggings, tights with dresses and long stretchy tops!

Stretch marks: The ones on my sides from my previous pregnancy are fading but I have a few new ones on the front of my belly.

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well at the moment, Emilia's sleeping through the night still, so the only time I wake up is due to uncomfortable belly or achy ankles.

Best moment this week: Our day at Chester Zoo as a family!

Movement: Baby girl is constantly moving, kicking and poking her little hands out, very different movements than in my last pregnancy.

EMILIA'S PLAYPEN.

We recently purchased the 'BabyDan Configure Gate XXL Black' from Safetots. We previously had the Infantastic playpen which we're keeping for when we travel and for when Emilia stays at her grandparents' house. We decided to get a bigger and sturdier playpen as Emilia is walking now and has quite a lot of toys. I wanted to be able to keep an eye on her and for her to play happily and safely whilst I'll be caring for the new baby. I believe this type of playpen was well priced (£89.99) and I'm extremely happy with our choice. 

(This is the old playpen, which has served it's purpose and would probably have stayed as her playpen if we weren't having another baby)

LIFE UPDATE.

Seeing as it's a new year I've decided to try and blog more often - this will be my creative outlet aside from my life as a soon to be mother of 2 under 2 years old. Though I'll be writing about my lovely children, I'll also be doing lifestyle, fashion and beauty posts. First up is a life update, just to put things in perspective. 

So, my daughter Emilia is about to turn 1 on January 12th. We want to make it a special event even though she won't remember it, so we're inviting our parents, close family and my best friend to my mums' house for a little tea party. It's going to be pink themed (typical, i know) as Emilia loves Minnie Mouse; I'm hoping that she'll like seeing the banners and balloons and bright colours. She's going to be given so much attention by our family and friends, she'll be completely in her element. I just wish she had baby friends.. Of course she'll have her little sister when she's born but I think this year we're going to make more of an effort to introduce Emilia and baby O to some other children so they can get used to child interaction before they go off to nursery (sob!!). We're going to take lots of pictures at Emilia's party so we can put them in a giant scrap book and show her when she's older, I'll hopefully do a post about it too.

MY SECOND TRIMESTER ESSENTIALS.

Having just entered my 18th week of pregnancy I've discovered a few items and products that have become my essentials that have helped me out over these grueling past couple of weeks! I'm a firm believer in finding bargains and only having the occasional splurge so the majority of these products (if not all) are totally affordable.

1. & 2. Maternity leggings and jeans. I think I speak for many pregnant ladies when I say during the second trimester your old clothes start to feel a bit tight. Sometimes through pregnancy weight gain, the majority of the time due to your uterus growing. It's not great wearing jeans or leggings that cut into your belly - you feel sick, you feel like you need to pee waaay more than usual, you feel like your whole body is expanding; last thing you want are tight bottoms cutting off your circulation! My personal favourites are these MAMA leggings from H&M, they're £7.99, they're not see-through and they are so comfy and versatile - I wore them throughout the whole of my last pregnancy! My favourite jeans at the moment are these maternity Moto black ripped Leigh jeans from Topshop, they're £40 but completely worth the money, especially seeing as most girls during pregnancy (especially the last stages) seem to alternate between the same 2-3 outfits haha, I certainly did/do! The way I see it is when you're pregnant, why substitute style for comfort when you can have both? I find that H&M and Topshop are the best retailers for affordable pregnancy style.