Life With Two; 6 Months In (almost!)

As Winnie Bluebell is nearly 6 months old I wanted to post about how I've found it all so far. In complete honesty.

The first few weeks were hard, barely any sleep, getting to grips with feeding Winnie myself (even though I'd fed Matilda too, breastfeeding is hard. End of). Then add on top the anxiety thanks to those hormones, I was basically in thick fog again like last time. Thinking it would never end and I would never feel OK. As I'd done this once before, I thought I'd skip by the baby blues doing cartwheels but nothing could stop that ugly beast getting to me. I vividly remember walking along the beach with the two girls and Andrew, sobbing behind my sunglasses. I couldn't tell you why I was crying, I just was. I hate that part about birth, I am usually so in control of my emotions and extremely laid back. That anxiety sends me into turmoil. (Needless to say, Winnie is our last baby)!

Then, about four weeks in, Winnie got colic. Or what I presume to be colic. Quite mild compared to some cases I'd read or heard about, but Jesus Christ, colic is a bitch. Every evening, without fail from 6-10 our little baby would cry and cry and cry. I used to dread evenings so much. Nothing would settle her, we'd be rocking, singing, feeding, winding, swinging, even driving her to McDonalds for a McFlurry didn't work. I was emotionally tired, not just physically. I lost it a few times through complete helplessness, frustrated that we couldn't do anything to help. Anyway, it subsided as soon as I stopped breastfeeding - weird.

What I really struggled with, was having to split myself in two between Matilda and Winnie. I wanted to be the one putting Matilda to bed or give her a bath, but that couldn't always happen if Winnie needed a feed. I remember my Mum saying to me that Winnie needed me too and Matilda was young enough not to be jealous or upset etc. That really helped, Matilda had me all to herself when she was a baby and we could take everything at a snails pace!

Second time around, there is no being lazy. I've got a toddler to run around after, drop her at playschool, take her to ballet class. I'm conscious of saying to Matilda 'shh, Winnie's asleep' or 'oh, be careful because of Winnie' as I don't want Winnie to be the sole reason of me disciplining Matilda, I don't want her to get a complex or whatever. I'm probably thinking too much into that, but there you go. That's what we do as mums isn't it? Overall, Matilda is fantastic with her. And that is what makes it all so worth it, watching Matilda kiss Winnie's feet. Seeing Winnie's little face light up when Matilda is singing and dancing for us all. It's so magical. Not just that we've created two beautiful little girls, but that we've created two sisters, two best friends, a special bond.

I feel like we are really settling in to life as a four, that this is our normal now.

Having two children is hard, it's made us decide that two is enough for us. But even though as a mum you're physically split between the kids, you're heart has absolutely no limit.

Thanks for reading,

Chloe x

Sephora Haul

As promised, my Sephora haul for you guys! I'll tell you what I purchased and what I think of each product.

I'm going to list them in the order I put them on, so firstly it is the Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in shade Sunlight. They are so pigmented a little goes a really long way so I think these are going to last ages. I use these on the areas where I would usually highlight, so cheekbones, brow bone, cupids bow and down my nose. Because the glow on these is so luminous, I use it under my foundation. You can buy these in the UK, all shades are available on Beauty Bay for £34. 

I'd been wanting to try the Giorgio Armani Power Fabric foundation for ages. I bought the Luminous Silk last summer and loved that so couldn't wait to try this. I've purchased it in the same shade I used in the Luminous Silk, which is 4.5, more yellow toned than pink. With foundation, try before you buy and check it in natural light too. This foundation is gorgeous, one pump covers the entire face it is a longwear full coverage finish with SPF 25. If you prefer a more dewy finish, try the Luminous Silk.

I'd read up on brands to buy in the US before we went to Vegas, and Milk Makeup kept coming up. I got their Flex concealer in shade light - again more yellowy which suits my skin tone - and this has excellent coverage. Their ethos is eco-concious and innovative using the best ingredients, and is also vegan, cruelty & gluten free! The concealer doesn't flake or crack and blends really well. You can buy from Sephora online.

Whilst in Vegas I smashed my Younique bronzer! I was so gutted as I'd only had it about a month and there was so much left. So, I obviously had to buy a new one. A friend had recommended me either Tarte or Too Faced so I tried both in Sephora to see what I liked more. The Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer won it for me, because it smells of chocolate. All the heart eyes for this amazing bronzer! I went for the medium/dark shade, which is just right. It is a matte bronzer that blends beautifully.

Also on my list of products to buy was a new liquid liner. For this I headed straight to the Kat Von D counter to try the Tattoo Ink Liner. I prefer brown to black for a softer look, so purchased the shade Hemingway. This stuff goes on like a dream and is easy to create flicks and wings with. It is also really long lasting. You can buy all shades from Debenhams.

Finally, the most incredible setting spray by Make Up Forever, called the Mist and Fix. I only bought the 30ml size bottle as it was glaring at me whilst I queued up to pay for my other items so I just grabbed it quickly. Wow, this stuff keeps everything in place all day, I am so impressed by this and will definitely be purchasing the 125ml next time. I can highly recommend this stuff, I do personally find it works better than the Urban Decay setting spray and is cheaper.

So there is my Sephora Haul from you, this all came to around $250. And I could have easily spent triple that!!

Let me know if you've tried any of these and what you think.

Thanks for reading,

Chloe x

Las Vegas

A few weeks ago we went to Vegas for our friend's wedding. It was absolutely amazing! I can honestly say it was never on my list of places to go - but I totally fell in love with it. We didn't get to see much of it at all, but nevertheless I thought I'd share what we got up to.

We flew out on Tuesday morning, after a short delay at Gatwick. Once we landed, we grabbed a taxi to the hotel. We were fortunate enough to be staying at the Bellagio, one of the most iconic hotels in Las Vegas. Oh my word, this place is stunning! I wish I'd taken more photos but they wouldn't have done it justice.

After unpacking and heading across the road to Walgreens for supplies (water and snacks of course) I needed to start getting ready as it was the Stag & Hen nights. Our plan was drinks at the Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan Hotel (next door to the Bellagio right side) then we'd booked our own photographer and bright pink stretch Hummer limo to drive us around the Strip. It was so much fun! 

We'd then planned to head over to Omnia nightclub at Caesar's Palace (next to the Bellagio left side) however, because of the gun attack that had taken place the previous evening, the nightclubs were closed as a mark of respect. So, we decided to go to Fremont Street or Old Vegas instead and we had the best night! Why is it that some of the funniest nights are the ones that are completely unplanned?!

We hung out at cheap bars and got totally hammered. I don't even remember getting home. It was hilarious.

The following morning we all felt a bit worse for wear, Andrew included after the Stag night. We didn't leave our room until about 1! Food was the first thing on our agenda, so we headed across the road to the Paris hotel and got a table at Mon Ami Gabi, a gorgeous French Bistro style restaurant that served the most delicious steak and chips. We had a lovely table for two on the terrace looking out to the Bellagio.

We both had a drink to balance out the hangovers - I'm a firm believer in the hair-of-the-dog!

Something that was on my Must Do List Whilst In Las Vegas was to visit Sephora. Yeah I know, how cultural of me. But, I love beauty products and as we don't have Sephora in the UK, I was really excited by it. I'm going to do a Sephora Haul post soon - but if you were watching my instastories whilst I was away, you will have seen a preview of what I'd bought.

Our plan for that evening was to see 'O' - a Cirque Du Soleil show at the Bellagio Theatre, but tickets were all sold out. Gutted. If you're going out there and want to see it, book tickets before you go. we learnt the hard way. So instead, we all went for a gorgeous meal at the Eiffel Tower restaurant back at the Paris hotel. Wow, this place is spectacular! Stunning views of the Bellagio Fountains, the service was outstanding and the food was divine. I'd highly recommend eating here if you're after something special. After dinner, we headed back because the following day was the wedding day and no one wanted to feel like death.

The morning of the wedding, 8 of us were up early and decided to walk down to the Venetian to get breakfast. Their buffet breakfast was great and worth the walk. We had a stroll round the Grand Canal but sadly didn't get to go on a gondola, it didn't open until 10am and I had to be back at the Bellagio salon for a manicure. I loved walking the strip that morning, the sky was a beautiful shade of blue as the sun rose higher, there was an excitement building slowly between us as the minutes ticked by, knowing that afternoon we were going to watch two of our closest friends say their vows under the desert sun. 

Anneka and I were bridesmaids, our dresses were Monsoon and just gorgeous! I loved them, such fantastic quality. We had our hair styled at the hotel salon a few hours before, excellent service in there although beauty services there are a lot pricier than the UK.

The wedding ceremony was just beautiful, John & Sam were married on the terrace overlooking the lake. It was really emotional and there were some really touching words said by the Minister. I remember being there and thinking, this would truly be a moment I'd never forget, standing on that terrace with our friends watching the fountains dance. Magical.

After a champagne reception, we dined at Lago, one of the restaurants at the hotel. Our table overlooked the fountains and it was honestly one of the best meals I've had. The concept of the restaurant is similar to tapas, a few small dishes followed by one large dish. Our waiter recommended that they bring out dishes for us to all share and it was mindblowingly good! It was such a fun way to dine, all passing plates of gorgeous Italian food to each other, it encouraged me to try everything. I don't usually eat seafood but the scallops were some of the tastiest things I'd eaten the entire trip. 

After dinner, we had a few drinks, but the jetlag had started to catch up with us so we were in bed by about midnight I think. For us that was good, we were leaving the following afternoon.

Luckily I got Upper Class on the way home so managed to get a decent sleep and woke up feeling pretty refreshed! I love my job.

Recommendations:

Get water from a supermarket to take to your room - the hotel shops and minibars are ridiculously expensive. 

Be prepared to do a lot of walking - it may look really close to where you're currently standing, but I promise you it isn't! The hotels are huge.

3 nights isn't long enough - stay for at least 5. We went in only 3 other hotels besides the one we stayed in.

Tipping is high and expected on everything - even drinks at a bar.

The Bellagio is central on the strip, so has an excellent location. 

We will definitely be going back, hopefully for Andrew's 40th birthday in a few years time, I'm very lucky that with my job we can easily get out there again and hopefully see some more of it!

Thanks for reading,

Chloe x

Ride Or Die Baby Essentials

Hi guys.

I'm back with the baby products I couldn't be without and a few things I wish I had bought pre-Winnie.

I love knowing what other mums find useful and what was completely useless.

1) Ewan The Dream Sheep. £29.99. We had the original purple one (why was he purple?!) for Matilda and we still use it every night when we put her to bed. He was an essential purchase for Winnie too and so much better now he comes in grey (my favourite colour by the way)! I bought him from John Lewis with a gift voucher we were kindly given at my baby shower. He plays soothing womb sounds, white noise and there is a very sweet little tune which is my personal favourite for both of the girls. I'd really recommend any new mum getting one. 

2) Babymoov Cosydream. A friend of mine had this for her little one last autumn and I'd seen the Sleepyhead (so expensive!) all over Instagram but not exactly budget friendly (sidenote - can you really put a price on a baby's sleep? NO!) so went for the Cosydream. It is a sleep positioner ensuring optimal sleep safety for baby. We've used this every night with Winnie, I am sure she feels secure and cosy with this too as it is more snuggly that laying on a boring flat mattress. We first had this in her Moses basket but have now transferred it into her crib. The grey sausage looking bit at the bottom sits under her knees and is adjustable for that growing little bundle. £39.99 and worth every penny!

3) Ingenuity Automatic Bouncer. OMG at this. Just amazing. It has saved my life through some 2am screaming sessions. We were bought this as a gift from some lovely friends of mine, it is £64.99 and available at John Lewis. You have 2 rocking speeds, 8 melodies and 3 nature sounds, toys to entertain baby and an adjustable head support. 

4) Fisher Price rainforest play gym. This is the version we have, it has since been updated as ours is recycled from Matilda. I use this for tummy time, teaching Winnie to look side to side, lift her head, practicing rolling over etc etc. It is so interesting to little ones because of all the colours and sounds. It plays rainforest sounds and music and also has flashing lights. You can get the updated version online for about £45, buy here.

So onto things I wish I'd purchased and what was useless:

Image: Google

1) A Snuzpod crib. This lovely looking crib attaches to your bed so you can safely co-sleep and feed easily. It has won a load of awards and I really wish I'd bought it! We just used Matilda's old Moses basket for the first 10 weeks and it was a bloody pain in the arse. Having to get out of bed to pick up Winnie for night feeds, then getting up to lay her back down again. So annoying. The Snuzpod saves all of that aggravation. It is also detachable from the stand so you can carry baby downstairs if they are sleeping. About £180 and is available in different colours, I would say this is a must have.

2) Mama Designs Cellular Blanket. Given, this is more an aesthetic wishful purchase, but any cellular blankets are a total essential for Mums. It is all I use it because they are much safer than other blankets. The open cellular construction allows airflow. And they're so pretty! Available in different colour ways and sizes too.

3) Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep machine. These get a bit of stick but I wish I had one now that Winnie is on formula. They save so much time. Anything that saves you time and keeps baby happy is essential in my eyes. But, I breastfed Winnie for the first 10 weeks, then she started sleeping through so I had to weigh it all up (as we aren't made of money unfortunately!) I just have to be very organised. Around £60.

I think a Moses basket is useless - go for a crib and then put baby in a bouncer or on a sleep positioner on the sofa during the day. They creak when you move them (if its a wicker one like mine!) they don't last long (Matilda was in it for 8 weeks, Winnie for 10)!

You don't need hundreds of teddy bears, have a few cute ones and that is it. I like Jellycat for their cute bunnies and comforters. 

Let me know what you've found to be essential items or things that were downright useless!

Chloe x

Winnie's Birth Story

Hello guys.

Sorry for the radio silence for the last 10 weeks. I've been busy adapting to being a mum of two.

I wanted to blog Winnie's birth story, as I love reading these and thought someone, somewhere, might like to read mine. Be warned, it is long...

So...Winnie's due date (14th May) came and went. I had a check up with the midwife booked in for Tuesday 16th. I had discussed with her that I really wanted to avoid being induced, because I was induced with Matilda. She said the two things known to actually work to bring on labour are nipple stimulation (an hour 3 x a day - ain't nobody got time for that!) and sex. So if anyone reading this is overdue - go try these things!

Wednesday morning, around 1:30am, I felt a gush and instantly knew my waters had just gone. I nudged a snoring Andrew and told him I was going to go downstairs, call the birth place and have some toast. The midwife on the phone at the birth place advised me to call back at 8am to see if my contractions had started. 8am came, nothing had started so I called anyway and I was advised to call back at midday, again to see if anything had begun. Needless to say, absolutely nothing. Just constant waters leaking and no twinges. When I called at 12, she asked if I could come in to be examined, as I was now at a higher risk of infection.

When I arrived, I was assessed and told my options. Either go over to the delivery suite and be induced immediately, or go home and wait until 9pm to see if I could go into labour naturally.
I decided to go home, I would have kicked myself had I not given myself the extra chance.
We went for a nice long stroll along the beach with Matilda in the sunshine, soaking up the last few hours of being a family of 3. By this point I was pretty tired too, having been up since 1am.

As you can probably guess, no contractions so off we headed in the pouring rain to Medway hospital to be induced. We were put on a ward to wait for a midwife to come and chat to us. Along she came and gave me a choice - be induced now or try and get some sleep and be induced in the morning. I jumped at the chance for some rest! Poor Andrew though had to sleep on a chair and we were sharing the ward with a serious snorer!

Now it's Thursday morning, 18th May. A midwife came round to us, at about 7am to take us to the delivery suite to be induced. I was so calm. 10:30am and Shani, our midwife, started with the drugs. We had the radio on, I was walking around (as much as I could given that I was attached to two monitors). At 2:30, my contractions started but they were mild and spread apart so I carried on eating wine gums and playing games with Andrew to pass the time.

Fast forward to around 5pm, with the contractions having built slowly over the last few hours, they were getting strong enough for me to not be able to talk through them anymore, but I just continued to breathe through it and use the birthing ball. I hadn't been examined at all as I was at a higher risk of infection. However, I knew deep down something was happening so I asked if I could be examined, and was happily told I'd made it to 8cms with absolutely no pain relief. I cannot tell you how amazing that felt!

At that point I knew I needed gas and air, and instantly felt that weird woozy head rush from the first inhale of that stuff! I love it. The back of the bed was fully upright and I leant against that on my knees, it just felt like the most natural position to be in. I told the midwife I needed to push and aside from the gas and air, visualising the baby made it so much easier to manage. I'd read about this in my hypnobirthing book which you can buy here.

At 6:02 Winnie's head was born, I felt her head and demanded Andrew look - God knows why I did that, poor bloke is probably tortured for all eternity now! Then at 6:06 she was out!

The rest of the story is just gross birthing of the placenta etc, which no one needs to read about!

WINNIE BLUEBELL STEPHENSON - 18TH MAY 2017 6:06PM 8LB

I didn't fully go for the whole hypnobirthing thing, I am too cynical. But I found some of the techniques so useful, I really recommend Sophie's book for any pregnant women. There are some excellent tips on dealing with late pregnancy and what to expect in labour. I want to tell my story as it is so positive. Some people are hell bent on sharing nightmares and scaring women, but it doesn't have to be that way. It is an absolutely remarkable and extraordinary experience.

Why I've Been Dreading Due Date

Evening everybody.

So today is due date for our second baby girl. And I've got a problem with this date and due dates in general. It seems to then give people an excuse to start telling you how you should be spending your time trying to expel this baby from your body. Let me start by saying, for my first pregnancy I was the girl drinking raspberry leaf tea from 36 weeks and consuming a pineapple a day, hoping to no longer be pregnant. I ended up going 12 days over and being induced so none of it worked anyway.

I've had such a wonderful pregnancy this time, I feel so lucky. Why would I want that to end? Yes, I desperately want to meet our little girl, to see who she looks like, how much she weighs. But, I'm not going to force it. My body has done something incredible and I'm pretty proud of it right now.

So why do people think they can tell me I should be eating a hot curry for dinner tonight? No thanks, I'm quite alright with spag bol. Why are they saying 'Oh you need to go for a long old walk, get things going!' Um, no actually I don't. My baby will come when she is good and ready.

Speaking of which, when writing my birth preferences with my midwife a few weeks ago, I have declined induction. If baby and I are perfectly healthy, I do not want any drugs to force labour. I had an induction the first time round and it was not fun. I want to know how it feels to go in to labour naturally if possible. This could be the last time I do this! I want the excitement of things starting at home. This is the trouble with due dates, if you go 12 days over said date, or less depending on where you live, you'll be booked in to be induced. After having a few sweeps first of course. I've declined those too. No sweeps, no inductions thank you.

Now I am well aware that not everything goes according to plan, hence why I have called them preferences. If I am told that the health of our baby, or me, is at risk then of course I will consider the options given to me.

But I think it is important for women to understand that there actually is a choice, you don't have to be told what to do.

Hopefully she will be here in the next few days anyway!

Chloe x

Giveaway Goodies

I love a good giveaway on Instagram and seem to enter so many, does anyone else?

And a few weeks ago I actually won one! One of my favourite InstaMums and bloggers, Ainsley from Life with Oaks and Olive had teamed up with online retailer ScandiPlay to give away a £50 voucher to spend on their site. I know, amazing prize right? So, I thought I would share with you guys the bits I chose.

All the items I got are by a brand called Done by Deer and feature this really sweet elephant print. These muslins are super soft and are going to come in really handy when our new arrival comes soon. I remember getting through so many muslin cloths when Matilda was tiny.

Next up is this silicone placemat for the table, I thought it might make mealtimes more exciting for Matilda and it comes as part of a wider range of products. It is great because it is big, so any mess stays on the mat and doesn't spread over the table, making my life easier - less cleaning!

Also in the range was this cute cutlery set with easy grip silicone handles perfect for little hands. 

The anti-slip silicone bowl is perfect for breakfast. Oh, and ice-cream! 

I also ordered the matching cup, it is the ideal size for a toddler. I'm still trying to get her used to drinking from a normal cup, it is taking some time but this cup is easy to hold, non-slip and not too big.

Here are all the items together.

I would really recommend ScandiPlay, their website has some amazing pieces, I'm particularly keen on this wooden baby gym, how adorable! 

Once I had chosen the items, they arrived so quickly, I was really impressed with the service and will definitely be using them again.

Have you found any new retailers or brands recently?

Chloe x