The Life of Mrs O: Anthony Harris

So since my last post, I haven't fallen into a deep hole and sunk in it at all - don't worry! But I've been trying to think and figure out where shall I take this blog now over these next ?? months whilst I can't do the lovely Weight Watchers?....

I don't really want to make it a blog full of stuff about Baby O, so I thought I would make this blog - for the time being - into one about life - all of my encounters, my trips, emotions, everything, you name it (and I can then also talk a little bit about Baby O and not feel guilty!)

So, like an old fashioned story tale book, let me take you back to where I left off - which feels like forever and a day ago!

As soon as we found out that Baby O was growing inside of me, Mr O decided that the first thing that needed to get sorted was to find THE pram! This was mainly because it would then lead to us sorting out my car and getting me a new car sorted. We knew that I would need a slightly bigger boot and 5 doors rather than 3. After trying out lots and lots of different cars and getting them to BlueWater to try the pram out in the boot, we have finally settled on.... Another Swift!! Hhahahaahaaa! My swift has been such a great and reliable car for me that we thought, what's the point changing something when it works. So we have now gone for a Limited Edition version with 5 doors and the best thing is is that the pram fits in the boot!!

Now, if any of you know Mr O, you will know that he is a massive car fan and that he can tell what type it is by just seeing a wheel or something stupid. He can now do this with prams!!!

We decided to go to John Lewis to find 'The Pram' and we can not fault their brilliance in how they helped us. The lady spent a good 2 hours with us, asked us all the things we would require with it and also took Mr O's height into consideration and she then said that X, Y & Z prams were the ones for us. We then chose this one... A beautiful Limited Edition Countryman Silver Cross ...

I did, of course, also fall in love with this beautiful Silver Cross, but unfortunately it was a little out of our budget!!

Oh, and Baby O is growing nicely... To get this picture was a task and a half! After trying to get Baby O to stay still in one position for 30 minutes, I was then sent off to go and walk around for another 30 minutes and to drink a drink!

But Baby O is growing so much that I've gone from this...

(The pic in the gold dress, I must have been about 8 weeks)

To this.....

(17 weeks)

Now as for my Mum and Dad (who have just celebrated their Pearl wedding anniversary)

They are becoming more and more the excited grandparents to be.... Dad is adamant that Baby O is a girl (maybe he should put money on it?!) And Mum has dug out all our old baby stuff! She has even already given me the crib that myself, my sisters and two of my cousins slept in as babies... Making Baby O baby no 7 to sleep in it when they arrive....

As all new expecting mothers do, I have been doing some research and grabbing bargains when I can.

This was a great bargain and it just needs the stickers peeling off, some sanding down and then a lick of paint. I bought it for £3 off a local selling site on Facebook!

And one of the things that I have researched is this little sheep..... It is definitely on Baby O's wish list as it seems to solve many problems with sleeping....

Now whilst we have been visiting numerous amounts of baby shops, Mr O and I have had a few giggles along the way. This one picture sums up the other day after walking around Ikea and Mamas & Papas....

The caption that went with this photo was 'Off his rocker'!

Enough about Baby O! So what else have I been doing apart from all this Baby stuff?!!

Well, firstly I have been enjoying time out with Mr O. We have been going places, seeing things, eating things, all to help us enjoy the time we have with just the 2 of us until we become 3!

We are always going past this pub that has been done up and we never really thought much of it so we never ventured inside until one Friday evening and we decided to try it out...

We now can't wait to go back in there!! This was the starter and oh! my! it was massive!! Just look at all those olives!!

Then came along my main....

Now you all know me well and know how I love my desserts! But I didn't have any room for it :( So our next plan is to go there for just desserts!

I warn you now as you will see a trend in the food I must be craving but I've only just realised how many different forms it could come in until writing this!!

So what have I been craving? Orange juice with bits or smoothies!! AND Spag bol / maybe just the mince!!

Mr O and I have enjoyed afternoons and evenings walking around London and sitting in little parks like this one off the back of Regent Street.

We stopped off in Hawkesmore to have some refreshments and I had this lovely milkshake that is made from cornflakes...

Now what post would this be without a mention of Lidl?! They had a special week on the other week and one of the things they sold were these amazing coconut ice creams. They just reminded me of being on holiday!

Oh yes and Mr O bought an exercise bike... Need I say anymore?!

This last week I have celebrated 25 - or as my sister put it 'half way to 50!'

You can tell how well my Dad knows me, Mum said that he picked this card out for me....

My lovely superintendent made these cakes for me at work....

And they gave me this lovely bunch of flowers...

So this last week again all I have done is eat out!!

Friday night started off with a lovely meal out with my bestie - Mr Ding Dong.... We went to an American style restaurant. Lovely food but as the night went on, it just got so noisy in the restaurant. You could tell that the waitresses were used to the noise as when she came to take our order at the beginning of the night the lady's voice pierced my ear!!

Then on Saturday night we went out with a load of my friends to No.22 Street in Clapham.

We went for the set menu, but as nearly all the things on the menu for the starters had things in them that I couldn't have I opted for a main and a dessert...

I had a pulled pork burger for my main and then....

... for dessert I had banoffee Pie - which came with a song of Happy Birthday!

Then on the Sunday Mr O treated me to Ikea's famous meatballs!!

On the Monday (my actual Birthday) Mr O and I went out for a lovely meal at a local restaurant called Apperfield Inn... I had a beautiful dessert which made me very happy :)

At Christmas we received a trip on a boat down the Thames and we finally got round to using it on Tuesday. It has to be one of the best days out that I have had in a long time. This week off was supposed to be a week away on holiday but we decided to put that on hold because of Baby O. So we made the most of the day by being tourists in London...

We saw the big hippo in the Thames... As well as many famous London landmarks. I even learnt a few things about London that I didn't know about!

We went on the trip on just the right day. Not just because we got to sit on the boat for nearly 4 hours in the lovely sun and get a good tan, but also because it was the final day of the boat festival in Greenwich. We arrived at the last stop just as all the boats went and did their parade down the Thames and past us. We got sights such as the sea Cadets saluting to us then doing a Mexican wave and then sounds of the cannons going off in what must have been in the Naval school in Greenwich.

On Wednesday Mum and I went on a shopping spree to get me a coat for my birthday.... We found this one and I fell in love with it but I needed a waterproof one with a hood! So I had to pose for a picture with the matching hat!!

Thursday I spent the day cleaning and nesting!! Then yesterday (Friday) I spent the morning at the doctors surgery then went shopping in Bromley.... People like my Grandad gave me vouchers for my birthday. He knew I wanted a new dressing gown from M&S but there was no way he would be able to have got that in the post to me!! So I went into Bromley to go and get these items.... I ended up getting big items in there like a dressing gown, new lamp shades, a full length body pillow (to help me sleep better) and a few other bits.

Near the end of my shopping spree I decided I needed a drink and some lunch. However, as I sat down in Starbucks I felt very lonely. It made me miss my friends and family that lived near by. Normally if I was to go shopping on my own it would be for key things, not to just go shopping for the sake of it. It also made me want Baby O to hurry up and make an appearance as then at least i'll have some company. I hope and pray that I meet new friends to meet up with once I have Baby O so that I don't feel so on my own down here in Kent.

Anyway, if my hands didn't feel like they were going to fall off by the end, my feet certainly did!! I ended up with blisters on my feet as well as one that looks like a bruise too!

I finished off the day curled up on the sofa with my new dressing gown on and a mug of Whittard's white hot chocolate. Oh and I will easily admit that I went round the whole of M&S testing the softness of all their dressing gowns!! And this one won!!!

So now as I go back to work this next week it feels like I'm going back after a summer holiday! But it's got me all excited about having my maternity time off to look after Baby O.

Hope you all have a lovely week

Love, Mrs O x

So these last 2 weeks have seen my weight go up and then finally back down - slowly but surely!

I'm afraid if you are reading this post today in hope that it is all Weight Watchers related then I have sad news for you, for today it is not exactly WW friendly :/ Ok, the first bit is but then after it's not! .... why? Well, during the week days I have kept to WW pretty well and then come the weekends I have really let my hair down....

So let's go from where we last set off....

So in my healthy ploy of eating lovely home made dinners and eating well in the week....

Yummy veggie Shepherds pie.... 6PP value on WW - You can find the recipe HERE

A yummy cod curry.... I didn't realise how low in pp Cod was - it has now become new low pp dinner option. A serving of cod fillet is only 2pp!!! So using a jar of curry sauce that I had in the cupboard we made up this with some cauliflower rice... Yummm! :)

I have been enjoying the following as my lunch everyday....

Crispbread cracker breads light (2 = 1pp) and then popped some philly cheese (light) on top....

Fruit salad (strawberries, grapes & blueberries) with some yogurt - either a pot of WW yogurt or some Greek yogurt all 1pp.... Then either some WW biscuits (2pp) or a kitkat mini (2pp) for something sweet - or even a Sharon fruit like in the picture

I have learnt though to not make it up the night before as it goes like this..... YUCK!

Yummy breakfasts....

I've enjoyed my new find in Lidls of the mini fake magnums.... 3pp

These come in packs of 6 for £1.99 and you get the choice of white chocolate, milk chocolate or milk chocolate with nuts....

Oh, and I found these in Sainsburys .... old school ! Apparently they are only 5pp for a foiled packet... I will need to look into that and so I can confirm that with you....

My Daddy had his birthday, so I decided to give him 2 cards... one serious one and then this one that when you opened it up it had a princess to colour in.... I left it blank for him to colour it in when he was bored!!