I thought this month, the one where our little family grew from three to four, would be a good time to start joining in with Me & Mine Project. I’ve always loved the idea of this little monthly family photo project, but never got around to actually getting a photograph and writing it up! Now though, I’m determined to make sure we get a family photograph every month and what better way to start than with our first ever photo as a family of four.

The photo above really does make me laugh. I’d imagined a perfectly smiley and poised photo for our first little family portrait but it would seem the littles had other ideas! William looks like a drunk old man who has passed out on his way home and Florence… well, what can I say? She’s just wonderfully, Florence. It’s safe to say our little family selfie shoot didn’t exactly go as I’d pictured but the images make me smile anyway. 

This was our first official trip out, just us. Sean had taken the day off work to take us to William’s hospital appointment and we decided to head to one of our favourite local spots, Leybourne Lakes, to have a wander around & feed the ducks afterwards. I was finally feeling well enough to be up and about properly so it was great to be out of the house and not worrying about how I’d feel later that evening.

The weather was warm enough for none of us to need a coat, the sun was shining and it definitely felt like spring was in the air. So strange as Looking back through my Instagram it turns out that on the same day last year we were at the same Lakes wrapped up in wooly hats and big coats a day before the ‘Beast from the East’ arrived.

We didn’t take the pram so Florence was able to run about to her hearts content, stopping to wave at the dogs who walked passed and say ‘Hiya’ to everyone she saw. As they stopped to chat to her, they’d notice I was carrying a soundly sleeping William in the sling and coo over him and all of his hair. Florence (and Sean and I) loved showing off her new baby brother.

We eventually found the perfect spot to feed the ducks and while when we arrived the waters were a bit scarce, we were soon inundated with a gaggle of geese, two huge swans & a whole flock of birds and ducks. It was wonderful to watch Florence’s little fill with delight as she threw the bird seeds into the lake for them. We ended up staying until the entire bag was empty and the sun began to go down.

It was the perfect afternoon spent with my little family. I’m feeling very lucky and incredibly proud to have these three to call my people. Here’s to making (and capturing) more wonderful family memories in March.

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I’ll be completely honest, I have found myself in a bit of a slump when it comes to fashion this pregnancy. I loved dressing my bump last time around but I’ve really lost my confidence this time and so I tend to just opt for the same old outfits. When Debenhams got in touch about their Autumn wardrobe refresh campaign, I decided enough was enough, it was time to ditch the baggy tops & slightly sagging maternity leggings and step out of my comfort zone a bit. I’d never even thought about shopping the Debenhams maternity range so I was quite intrigued as to what their range would offer. I was fully expecting to find the same old, slightly frumpy, stretchy fabric cliche maternity wear but I was pleasantly suprised to find just how refreshing & diverse the range is.

The first item that really caught my eye was this Red Herring Maternity Leopard print dress. Now, I am not a regular leopard print wearer as I find it really hard to wear it without feeling like Kat Slater, but as it’s so on trend at the moment I thought I would go for it. When it arrived I was really excited to try it on and see how it looked. On first impressions, it worried me if I am completely honest. It was incredibly low cut and as I am not exactly lacking in the bottom department the shape and pattern really made my behind look enormous and definitely nothing like the woman wearing it online.  I think this is something a lot of brands could learn from — use actually pregnant models!!   Determined not to be put off, I turned to my friend and fashion guru Mama, Renee for some advice on how to style it and not feel like a member of the Slater Clan/ an incredibly overweight leopard. She showed me a whole bunch of different ways to wear it and I felt a lot more confident

Keeping with dresses I also opted for a slightly safer, more ‘me’, tea dress. This has been a lot easier to style and I’ve already got so much wear out of it. It looks great paired with thick tights and heeled boots but can also easily flats too. I  / sandals when it’s a bit warmer as it’s a good length.It has pretty loop tie details on the arms and cinches in above the bump.  The shape is really flattering and not anything like the cliche styles I mentioned earlier on. The pretty floral print just tops this dress off for me!

I chose some black skinny maternity jeans but had to send them back as I needed to size up so I am just waiting on those to arrive. I lived in black skinny jeans last time and while they’re super comfortable the ones I had before are so worn they have holes in! I am really looking forward to getting back into black skinnies and teaming them with all the cosy Autumn knits when the right size arrive.

Having not been so heavily pregnant throughout A/W with Florence I only had a couple of quite light-wearing coats so I was drawn to this Khaki Luxe Parka as it looked so so warm and snug and who doesn’t love a Parka? I absolutely love this coat, it’s as cosy as it looked online and unbelievably comfortable. I cannot wait for the temperatures to drop a bit more so I can wear it every time we go out!

Then there’s the bag. Oh my goodness, the bag!  Now that Florence is that bit older we can risk going out with just a couple of nappies and a pack of wipes for short trips which means I can leave the house without lugging everything but the kitchen sink in a big changing bag so being able to choose a regular sized, actually leather designer handbag was such a luxury! This Jasper Conran rel=”nofollow” bag is big enough to hold all of the essentials for a Mama & toddler trip out while being perfect for a heading out for dinner with the girls or hitting the shops too.

And then, when the day is done is there anything better than slipping into fresh pjs and cosying up as night falls? I have been finding it quite difficult to find something comfortable to wear to bed and so I thought I would test out something from their nightwear. I opted for this checked night shirt-dress because the colours just screamed A/W and I liked the idea of not having to wear anything with a waistband to sleep in. I’ve worn this almost every day since it arrived – it is SO comfy and made from an almost furry linen (is that such a thing?). It’s roomy so there’s loads of space for my bump to grow too. My only criticism of this is that the buttons seem a bit small for the holes so they do come undone quite a lot which is a bit annoying!

All in all, I am really impressed with the variety and quality of all of the clothes I bought from Debenhams maternity and will definitely be keeping an eye out for new additions to their range as my pregnancy progresses.

*I was sent a gift voucher to spend at Debenhams.com rel=”nofollow” in order to refresh my wardrobe and share my haul here on my blog. All words and opinions are my own.

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