It's cosy!

As I mentioned before, two weeks ago we moved Emilia to the second bedroom. Sadly, she can't have a proper nursery yet, this is one of the issues of living in a small flat in central London but we felt that the move was necessary and we are doing our best with the space we have.

The transition was painless, Emilia got used to the new environment very easily. For the first two weeks she slept with mum and grandmum; last night was the first night on her own - our baby is all grown up now! For the time being we have decided to keep the bed in the room, so that we can still host family and friends. Of course, from now on, we will be giving up our bedroom and sleep in the guest room with Emilia when we have people over, unless our dear guests are happy to be on baby duty, of course! :)

The second bedroom is much smaller than the master bedroom so it is quite cosy in there now. But I actually like it, I think it is a sweet, colourful place for Emilia. And as you can see, the polka dot obsession continues...

 

Changing Table: Change of Plan

Remember the nice changing table that we selected for baby O? Well, we called the baby boutique in Putney and unfortunately they did not have it in stock, and given that it is made to order, it will take up to eight weeks to be delivered. That would take us to mid-August. I would have waited but Rob was getting impatient. So our search for the perfect (mostly right-size!) changing station began again. As I explained before, the real problem is the size. We are trying to fit the changing table in our en-suite bathroom since we have no extra space available in either of the two bedrooms. Worst scenario, I could move all my jewellery and perfumes from the top of the chest of drawers and make space for the changing mattress, nappies, wipes and baby products. However, I really would like to have a dedicated space just for this, and possibly have it close to the sink where I will be washing her at the beginning. 

So yesterday I found a changing table that would fit. It's not aesthetically amazing but it will serve its purpose. We called to see if it came with the nice mattress pictured in the image (blue or pink) and of course it doesn't! The shop doesn't sell it and the lady had no idea where we could find it. It's only part of the picture for their catalogue. Thanks! So, we found the right-size table, now the problem was to find the right-size mattress, since all the changing mats are of course bigger in order to fit to the standard changing unit. What a mess! 

Of course, my evening was devoted to finding the mat, while watching the England-Ukraine match.  In the end I discovered a cool, modern brand Farg&Form. I have a feeling I actually was in their shop in Stockholm when we visited a year or so ago. Anyway, Farg&Form specialises in bold and bright patterns. The signature pattern for kids' products is clouds, but they also have polka dots, stripes, sheep and frogs.

So I browsed the online shops in the UK that sell this brand to find out that they do make a nice size changing mat that would perfectly fit our changing unit. Hurray! After a little hesitation on the colour, we opted for the pink and white cloud mattress, which will be lovely on the grey table.

I then ordered three wooden, scalloped boxes in white, pink and grey to store all the baby products, nappies and wipes in the shelves below the table. We are now all set!

Modern Moses Basket

Rob and I are not going to buy a Moses basket, even if it's such a lovely thing. When you don't have a lot of space, you need to think carefully what to buy and what to avoid. Hence our decision. However, if we could get one, I would seriously be considering these stunning Moba baskets. Their bright colours, ergonomic, eco friendly design with its fully recyclable, wipe clean, breathable material that doesn’t degrade over time are just the kind of things I like.

Perhaps for Baby O #2!

Is She Ready?

My bump has dropped down considerably in the last few days, it's very low now, or at least that's how it feels. Also, Baby O has been moving more than usual, you can literally see parts of her body stretching out of my belly. She kicks so hard that it hurts. I wonder if she is trying to tell us that there isn't enough space for her anymore, or perhaps that she is getting bored. 

I was born early and the doctors have been telling me that there is a chance our baby will be early too. Of course, nobody can really say. My mum was due August 23rd and I was born on July 17th, so more than a month before the due date. Apparently with no warning whatsoever, on the night of the 17th my mum was in bed when she felt completely wet and realised that her water broke. No pain, no contractions, absolutely nothing. Now, I am not saying that it is already go time for us, but it's probably wise to be prepared. 

With that in mind we have been cracking on with the list of things to buy and sort out for the baby. Here is an update:

1. Cot (+ bedlinen and accessories): We have ordered the Stokke. We chose the grey option and opted for white bedlinen, bumpers and canopy. All the accessories have arrived already while the cot should be delivered in the next couple of days. I will post a picture once we assemble it. I can't wait to have it next to my side of the bed!

2. Pram (=stroller): We wanted a Bugaboo and we ordered a Bugaboo! We knew that we wanted a Cameleon, we just had to choose the colour. I loved the denim base with the cream carrycot but we thought that cream wasn't a very clever choice, it could stain easily. I also liked the grey base with the soft pink carrycot but Rob thought that pink was a too obvious choice for a baby girl; also, if we will have a second child and we will have a boy, pink wouldn't work at all, and given how expensive the Cameleon is, it probably made more sense to go with a neutral colour. We therefore opted for the new, limited edition jade green with the grey base (not black as in this picture). Green is Rob's favourite colour. It's also my mum's favourite colour and given that she is sponsoring this, we thought green was the right choice. It's also a new colour, which means there aren't many in London yet, which is good, considering that 90% of the prams in London are Bugaboos. At least, we are a bit original with the colour. And I have to say, in person, this shade of jade green is really beautiful. It should be delivered tomorrow morning. Again, I will post pictures once we assemble it, hoping that it won't be difficult to do it. 

3. Changing table (+ mattress): We would like to go with the nice one I posted previously on this blog, however, it is only sold in an independent baby boutique in Putney Bridge (still in London but not very close to us). Rob has all the details and will call tomorrow to see if we can place an order on the phone, given that it's not possible to buy it online. For the changing table we will use the money that Rob's parents have generously given us for the baby. Thanks!

4. Wardrobe: bought and built. I have already stored and hung all Baby O's clothes. Pictures to come.

5. Car seat: we are still investigating whether we actually need to get one or not. We don't have a car, so we wouldn't really be using it much, but we need to understand what the legal requirements are when you take a cab. Apparently, it may be possible to just enter with the pram into the cab and then fasten the seat-belt all around it. Eventually, we will have to get a car seat, two in fact, for when we go to Italy and the US but for now we may be able to avoid this expense. Fingers crossed!

6. Bouncer chair: I finally accepted that I would not be able to find a bouncer chair I really liked. However, I found one from Mamas and Papas that is quite discrete and not too flashy. It still has all the important features, however: four lullabies (I hope the tunes are good!), gentle vibration function, and detachable toy arch. I like the fact that the arch is detachable in case Baby O doesn't really like the toys! For the bouncer we are using money that has been given to us by a family friend, thanks so much Joyce!

All the other items on the to-buy-list (i.e. bath tub, nappy disposal system, baby carrier, changing bag, pump, milk bottles, binkies, steriliser) are still to be bought, apart from the digital scale that we have decided not to buy! Nevertheless, we have made good progress and in the next few days we should have all the essentials so if she is ready, we are too!

Baby Boy Room

Baby O is not even born yet and my grandmum is already asking us if we plan to have a second child! I find it hilarious but I suppose she wants to make sure we plan things properly. Before getting pregnant Rob joked around (at least, I hope he was joking!) that he would have liked to have five kids; now, looking at all the expenses and attention a kid requires he has changed his mind and tells me that perhaps we will be fine with just one. I personally would like to have two, but we will see how it goes, let's not get ahead of ourselves!

Anyway, I was flipping through a magazine this morning and saw a funky furniture line that I think would be very cool in a baby boy room. All from Italian design brand Seletti.

A Nursery for Baby O

As I mentioned yesterday, this morning Rob and I went to visit a nursery close to our flat. I don't know what I expected, but I left the place with mixed feelings. You know when you think: This is not good enough for my little sweet daughter? That kind of feeling. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the place and the members of staff were all incredibly sweet and nice. All kids seemed to be having a good time and enjoying being there. However, we were not super impressed and we have decided to keep looking. The very good thing about this nursery is that it's very close to both our flat and Rob's office, so in terms of convenience, this is a winner. It's still kind of pricey though, so it makes sense to explore other options. There are two nurseries that we are touring in the next couple of months and we are also considering the nanny option. We will see what we end up doing. One thing for sure is that we need to feel happy with the place where we will be leaving our 5-6 month old baby! The search continues. 

Also, I give you a little update on the bump. It's finally warm enough in London not to be wearing tights. It's sunny and warm, it really feels like Summer. Rob and I have been sitting on the balcony these last few evenings after dinner just chatting and enjoying the view. Everything is so much nicer when the weather collaborates! 

So, I am now in week 26 and Baby O keeps growing and growing. I feel like my belly is getting bigger and bigger every minute and she moves constantly. Here is a couple of pictures taken this morning. Go ahead, you can say it, I am huge! And I have still got three months to go!

Apart from being tired and sleepy all the time (the heat is not helping!), I am actually doing ok. A bit of swollen feet and legs and an annoying back-ache, but I certainly cannot complain. I can still sleep fine and still manage to fit into my normal clothes. I can't wait to open my Summer clothes boxes to finally start wearing proper Summer stuff, which I plan to do next weekend (it's a long weekend over here, the Diamond Jubilee weekend, so I will be able to take my time and wash and organise everything between Saturday and Tuesday). 

This weekend will be rather busy but I am very excited for both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday I will be going to my friend Steph's baby shower. She is 36 weeks pregnant at the moment and still looks amazing. I can't wait to be with the other girls, showering her with gifts and attention. And then Sunday Rob, Steph, her husband Andrew and I will be going to the movies to see What to expect when you are expecting. They couldn't choose a better time to release this movie. It will be fun!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Antenatal classes booked

This is probably something I should have done a while ago, but better late than never, right? And thankfully we are in England and not in Italy, the Brits are a tiny bit more organised and quick than the Italians. 

A few days ago I applied for two antenatal classes and yesterday in the mail I found the timetable for the classes I had been assigned to. Very efficient! The classes start at the end of July.

1. So, the first class I chose is the Labour, birth, pain relief and relaxation class. Both Rob and I will attend this. It's a three-hour class that covers the following topics and more: Signs of labour, stages of labour and coping strategies - Comfortable positions, basic massage, relaxation and the role of your birth partner (this is why Rob is attending too! He needs to know what to do.) - Coping methods and options for pain relief in labour - Induction of labour, assisted births with vacuum or forceps and Caesarean section. Just reading and writing these things make me anxious! 

2. The second class, instead, will be just for me. It's all about Breastfeeding (breastfeeding, expressing and storing milk, positioning and attachment of the baby at the breast, as well as where to get help and support for feeding the baby).

All my friends who have had babies before me, or are in the process of having babies, have told me how useful these classes are, so I decided to give it a go. It will be interesting to know a bit more about what I will be going through, but also it will be nice to meet new parents like us who live in our area. Perhaps, we will even make new friends!

Both classes will be held at the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre, which I love. It's a modern, very well designed place not too far from our flat. The centre also has a cool nursery which we will tour later on this Summer.

 

And speaking of nurseries, we are visiting one tomorrow at Guy's Campus. I know it may sound weird to you that we are already looking into this but in London you need to be prepared. Getting into the nursery you want may be very competitive and there are long waiting lists for the good nurseries. The Guy's Campus one is a King's College London nursery, so only King's members of staff are eligible to apply for a place (for those of you who don't know this, I am a Research Associate at King's, hence, I can apply). If we like it and they have availability, it will be the best option for us. Fingers crossed! As always, I'll keep you posted.

To Buy List

Yesterday Rob and I sat down and drew a list of essential, big things that we need to buy for baby O. So far I have been buying mostly clothes and little accessories, but it's now time to get down to business and start with the real stuff. 

So, here is our list of essentials for the first few months. We are talking about medium-to-big stuff, we haven't included things like nappies, for example; we know we will have to buy plenty of those! Please have a look and tell us if we need more.

So, what's the situation as of today:

1. COT: We are pretty set on buying the Stokke. I love the grey option with the white bedlinen and canopy. Now we just need to take a big breath, make the order, and pay! :)

2. PRAM (or Stroller, for the Americans): This will be my mum's personal gift to the baby. Phew, one big expense avoided! Thanks mum. I know we want the Bugaboo Cameleon, I have known this since the very moment the Bugaboo made its appearance in London. We just need to agree on the colour combination. I am thinking dark grey base and limited edition soft pink cot. But we want to check the new jade green as well as Rob is not too keen on the pink.

3. CHANGING TABLE: As we are trying to fit this into one of the two bathrooms, we are a bit limited. Most changing tables available are too big. However, if you search, you find. This one, for example, is lovely and would fit in our en-suite bathroom. The problem? A bit pricey. But I am thinking...once the baby doesn't need changing anymore (hopefully soon!), we can remove the mattress and use it as a nice storage table in the bathroom. 

4. WARDROBE: Done! Yesterday evening I ordered the unit I mentioned before. Not amazing, but practical. And I found it with a grey linen, instead of cream, which I like better. I also ordered fabric and leather grey boxes, as well as a couple of white baskets, and a set of glittery pink and lilac baby hangers. We are ready to store all Baby O's clothes!

5. CAR SEAT: This is Rob's job. We don't have a car in London but as we will need to use the cab from time to time (especially to go back home from the hospital!), we figured it would be good to buy one. I saw a sweet one in black and white polka-dots from Mamas and Papas and kindly passed the info to Rob. However, this is his project...we will see what he finds.

6. BOUNCER CHAIR: My biggest enemy. I am still not able to find one that I like. Most bouncers are very colourful and with lots of toys and other things hanging. I'd like something a bit more discrete but still sweet. Will keep looking.

7. BATH TUB: Found one shaped like a duck (less cheesy than you'd think, believe me!) which I love but it won't be good for the first few months. So, what do we do at the beginning? Just use the toilet sink?

8. NAPPY DISPOSAL SYSTEM: Evaluating different brands but we definitely want one!

9. BABY CARRIER: I think we will go with the Baba Sling, but we are still deciding.

10. CHANGING BAG: Still to look into this. For those who know me well, I like bags. So I may take my time here to look for a fashionable, but still functional, one :)

11-13. PUMP/MILK BOTTLES/BINKIES/STERILISER: No idea yet.

14. ELECTRONIC BABY SCALE: Not even sure we need one. In Italy the doctor makes you weight your baby multiple times a day, before and after she has been fed. Here nobody has mentioned the scale. I'll investigate.

This should be it for now, I hope! We are aware that with time we will need other big items, such as a high chair and a play mat, but for now we should be able to survive and provide Baby O with all she needs. Right?

Crib Style Dilemma

Despite what my friends say about my style and the fact that I put my touch on everything, the *Vale touch*, as they call it (outfits, furniture, flat decor, gifts, cards...), I actually struggle to understand my style. I guess it lays somewhere in between vintage and modern but I like so many different things that I am not really sure I do have a preference. Perhaps, it is fair to say that I prefer an eclectic style to a very straightforward one, and I do mix and match a lot, but this also means that sometimes I get confused about what's me and what's not? 

Choosing a crib for Baby O is proving to be difficult exactly for this reason. We won't have a proper nursery, at least for the first several months the baby will be sleeping in our bedroom next to my side of the bed. This means that the style of her furniture will have to communicate with the general style of our room. Not that easy, considering that our bedroom is a quite nice mixture of styles itself. In there there are pieces purchased in stores as different as The French Bedroom Company and Kartell! 

So, should I go with the lovely Venetian, old-style crib? Or choose the super modern gray version from Bloom? I like them both, equally and I can't decide. Thus, I have been looking for something in between that is both sweet and with a clean design. The Stokke Sleepi may be just what I  need. The very good thing about this crib is that it can be extended and used from O months to 10 years! Although I have to say, I love the mini bed but I am not positive I would use the bed after Baby O turns 2. 

Now friends, since you seem to know my style better than me, what do you think I should do?