Saturday, 28 May 2016

Monthly Purchases: May

Despite buying a few things in April, I managed to buy quite a bit in May. I focused mainly on accessories as clothes shopping so soon after birth is tricky - it's difficult enough guessing what in your own wardrobe will fit, never mind trying to pick the right size from a store!

Lots of impulse buys but everything that is sure to work in my wardrobe over winter. It still feels strange to think that winter is just a few days away, with autumn being so warm. The weather is cooling though, already we have caught our first cold of the season. So no full video this month, I've lost my voice! I did take a reveal of my Yoox sale purchases before I got sick, so you get to see some of the things I bought in action but not all.




What I bought in May







How I wore my purchases:


Away From Blue Blog May Purchases: Winter Wardrobe Update



I have a goal of wearing things twice in a month after buying them. It means that when I buy something I've thought of two different ways to wear it, and that I can wear it right away. By doing this I'm hoping to add things to my wardrobe that will actually be useful and worn frequently.


Just like last month, I bought a necklace I haven't worn yet as I'm avoiding necklaces in the early days of breastfeeding. I know I'll wear it a lot in future though, I wear the silver version often, and it's nice to have a gold one of Cooper to match with the gold initial necklaces I have for the boys.

While I found it easy to wear the cardi and the top, I found the scarves trickier. As it's been a mild autumn I've been wanting to maximise the wearing of my kimonos before it gets too cold. I can't wrap my head around a kimono and scarf outfit, so the scarves haven't been worn much yet. I know I'll be wearing the scarves a lot more over winter though.





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Wednesday, 4 May 2016

Baby's Arrival and Postpartum Hospital Style

Thank you all for your sweet comments and congratulations on the arrival of our second beautiful baby boy. Just like I did when baby T was born, thought I'd do a little wrap-up post here for those who don't follow me on instagram.




Baby boy had a very speedy arrival into the world! Baby T's birth was fast for a first time but at least then we had time to finalise the admission paperwork before things really got started. This time around I was answering the admission questions with my newborn baby in my arms! I'd been regularly waking for the past week or so with contractions around 3 am that eventually stopped every time, so I wasn't sure if this was another false alarm at first, and stayed for a while at home.

I foolishly thought that the midwife was just being encouraging when we arrived and she suggested that it wouldn't be long before baby arrived. We actually made it to hospital just in time. I took her a little more seriously when I had to start pushing and she reassured me that they could deliver the baby themselves if the on-call obstetrician didn't arrive in time. He did. Just! While baby surprised us all and arrived before my OB had returned from her holidays, the lead midwife was the same one who had helped us deliver baby T, so it was really special having her there.


Wanted to share my 'first days with a newborn' outfits that I posted on instagram. To show that you that everyone's different post-baby and you shouldn't set overly high expectations on yourself. Just relax and enjoy your baby! They don't care what you wear, they just want lots of love and cuddles.

There were a few comments left on the blog, especially near the end of the third trimester, where people commented that they were surprised I wasn't wearing trackie dacks/sweats/joggers or pyjamas in my pregnancy. Part of that was having the third trimester capsule wardrobe to make dressing easy, and also because I knew that the comfy clothes would become my 'uniform' in the newborn days. In pregnancy you want to be comfortable yet you still have some energy to put into picking nice outfits. With a newborn, your focus is on them only. Although you might try find clean clothes to wear at least, style is not a priority!

What I wore:

Singlet: Best and Less red stripe breastfeeding singlet
PantsJuicy Couture original drawstring pant in 'Silver Lining'
Bracelets: the usual

Why I wore it:

This was my 'fancy' outfit for visits from extended family. I packed and wore my pyjamas most of the time in hospital, but kept a clean nursing singlet and pair of trackie dacks for when extended family members came by to say hello and meet baby. In the early days with a newborn, comfort is key, so this is as 'pulled together' as I looked.


Last worn: trackie dacks. (Can't find a pic of this singlet on the blog, although it's an old one).



What I Packed in My Hospital Bag (Second Time Around)






What I wore:

JacketNew Look Petite print kimono (on sale, 70% off!)
NecklaceTai gold alphabet necklace
TankJeanswest Carla maternity cut out tank (non-maternity version)
ShortsJeanswest maternity rolled up shorts
Shoesblack slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual

Why I wore it:

This was what I wore to take baby home from hospital, and also what I wore while I was in labour! I always lay my clothes out the night before, so when I went into labour in the early hours of the morning I thankfully had some clothes to grab. I didn't want to be walking through the main hospital in my pyjamas!

I was pleased I'd taken the time at home to put some clothes on. When we got to the hospital the contractions were so strong and fast as I'd hit transition in the car. It was drawing a lot of attention as I had to keep stopping as we walked to concentrate on getting through every contraction. They really shouldn't have the maternity ward at the back of the hospital...I lost count of how many staff members offered hubby a wheelchair to get me to the birth suite!

It was nice to have some 'normal' clothes with me to change into to take baby boy home too, although as soon as we got home it was back to pyjamas again ;)


Last worn: blue kimono, maternity tank, denim shorts, Havaianas.





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