29/52

It's week 29 and already halfway through summer! Our sumer holidays haven't officially started yet, we are still waiting for the fourth member of our family before the fun can start.

Olivia: waiting at the bus stop. She insisted on wearing her new sunglasses and looked pretty cool with them. And she kept holding that croissant on the entire bus ride, but refused to even take a single bite!

A list // July

I am...

making: no plans whatsoever, just living one day at a time.

cooking: lots of fresh and locally produced vegetables. It pays off living close to your in-laws and their vegetable patch!

drinking: freshly made almond milk.

reading: the circle, by Dave Eggers.

wanting: to go to the beach as soon as possible.

looking: for the perfect nursing chair.

playing: with water as soon as we get the chance. Thank you Rome for the thousands of fountains at almost every corner.

wasting: time with the italian national health service. No wonder why people go private!

sowing: fresh summer herbs on our tiny balcony.

wishing: we would have agreed on a boy's name by now.

enjoying: afternoon storms which bring a bit of fresh air.

waiting: for this baby boy to arrive!

liking:  our new neighbourhood and the many things still to be discovered.

wondering: how Olivia will react once she meets her baby brother.

loving: our new big space.

hoping: that giving birth will be quick and less painful as possible.

marvelling: at how well and quick we adapted back to the italian lifestyle.

needing: to lay down very 5 minutes or so. Can't really stand or seat for too long these days.

smelling: fresh pastries every morning...there is a bakery opposite our building!

wearing: a maternity belt to help ease the pain of this growing belly.

following: lots of new creative blogs on bloglovin.

noticing: how much the sun does to our moods.

knowing: this might not last forever.

thinking: about the SBA diploma course almost every day.

bookmarking: parenting related articles. Potty training is getting us nowhere!

opening: parcels almost daily...we do love some online shopping.

giggling: when Olivia comes to our room in the morning to wake us up. She gives us a kiss and whisper our names, before she start shouting that she wants milk!

feeling: impatient and terrified about giving birth.

Fruits of the womb // week 39

We made it to week 39 and now I'm seriously hoping this will be the last picture of me looking like I've actually eaten a watermelon!

I had a screening appointment on Tuesday and everything seems to be going as it should, so we just have to patiently wait and see. I'm starting to get a bit nervous now knowing that any day could be the day!

As per the babycenter newsletter, the baby should now weighs a bit over 3kg (although the smallest watermelon I could find is actually 5kg!) and is roughly 50cm long from head to heel.

I finally packed my hospital bag!

 

After weeks (months?!) of procrastination, last saturday I finally packed my hospital bag. The first time around, my bag was packed and ready since the beginning of the third trimester. Not sure what happened this time, maybe it's all part of the "second pregnancy" experience, but somehow I didn't feel the urge nor had the energy to have everything set before the big day. I know it doesn't sound right to say it, but making sure my little lady is looked after when we go to the hospital and that she doesn't feel neglected once we get back with her baby brother is all I have been worried about. This article on the huffington post summarises brilliantly what being pregnant with a second child feels like and now that I only have about a week left, I feel a bit sad of not have given myself the chance to connect with this baby before arrives. 

Anyhow, apart from the logistics (we still don't know how we'll get to the hospital since we don't have a car!), the detailed list from the hospital with what to bring on the big day helped a lot, and so did my first time mum sister in law's advices and presents!

Here is what we are required to bring.

When Olivia was born, we arrived at the hospital with too many bags...three, if I remember correctly, one for each of us! This time around, I'm bringing very little. Just the essential for the delivery room...

for me

for the baby (still un-named as I type this!)

And a few gadgets for before and after the birth...

Of course, I'm also packing some personal stuff, depending how it goes, I might stay in the hospital for more than one day this time...they ask you to stay at least 48 hours, even if things go smoothly! But we'll worry about that later. For now, we feel ready...just waiting for this baby boy to decide when the time it's right.