Whole Lotta Rosie - Part 6

So.......I am back with my latest (but not last....boo hoo!) Pregnancy Post for Whole Lotta Rosie - Part 6!!! Looks like you are gonna get to see me dressed as Jabba in Loungewear as this baby has decided not to come early and seems quite content to not come on time either! Help!!

This post covers the end of Week 36 - Week 39, I currently have 5 days to go until the baby is due and my patience are wearing thin, I still can't really complain though as I am not yet overdue and I am very excited about the baby coming - yes, I am in the denial stage, ignoring the idea that there is pain on the horizon!!

Despite my trying to remain laid back about the whole thing, I had one of the Mum's of a kid in Mika's class tell me  today that her babies have all been late, including one child that was....18 DAYS LATE!!!! Thanks I really DO NOT want to hear that. Thankfully her child ended up being ridiculously late because she was stubborn and wanted it all to happen 'naturally'....well that ain't me missus, any assistance I can get, as early as possible, I will take!!

There are a fair few images on this post too, I was camera happy again and treating everyday like it was my last day of pregnancy..........unfortunately, it wasn't!!

The end of Week 36 -  I thought I would go into labour on this day as it was Mika's 5th Birthday Party, which instead of being riotous (like all Lucian's Birthday parties) it was actually a sedated affair where all the little Reception kids were very well behaved, you could tell they had only just started at school, it couldn't have gone better! Thanks kids!!

I am wearing my favourite Xray Spex t-shirt (featuring one of my style icons, the late, great Poly Styrene!!) I got this t-shirt a couple of years ago from www.8ball.co.uk You can find good band t-shirts on this site, the quality is good and it's great for buying 80's style oversized t-shirts, that I love and are very useful when pregnant!! I like to wear it with the sleeves rolled up and oversized almost like a dress. I prefer to buy from this type of site rather than getting an obvious rock style t-shirt mass produced at Topshop, Urban outfitters and H&M (and every other high street shop for that matter). At least you get to choose your print, size and colour and can style it up yourself. I hate people wearing rock tshirts but not knowing the band or even worse than this is a fake band tshirt and by that I mean the printers have come up with a band that doesn't actually exist trying to avoid copyright issues!!!! Awful!! Rant Over!

37 Weeks -The Asos lace bodycon dress is still going strong, the maternity tights however are barely covering the bump. The Topshop maternity jeans no longer fit, I am now down to bodycon dresses and leggings for outfits, this annoys me!

2 November - Mika's actual 5th Brithday - I really didn't want the baby to come on this day, as you can see, it didn't...I'm wearing the Asos bodycon dress again, I am sensing a pattern forming....

Week 38 - Desperately finding different tops to go over the bodycon dresses and leggings, these wide H&M tops do the trick, but I am getting bored of it, I'm yearning to wear my leopard print trousers, denim shorts and playsuits, won't be long now.....so everyone keeps telling me....

Another day another wide H&M top over the bodycon!

Saw the midwife on this day, she told me the baby is growing fine, so no late scans for me boo hoo!! They are not gonna see me now until I am a week late, great thanks for your support!! The other bit of news was that the baby has now come out of the pelvis and has decided not to come out. I am finding it hard to keep up the british stiff upper lip charade...I am now just pissed off!

Popped my Dierdre Barlow glasses on to cheer myself up, I was going for an 80's secretary look here it seems. In my Topshop cropped blazer and oversized cobweb knit jumper, trying to disguise the bodycon that lurks beneath!

My boy hips have finally given in and I get woken up every hour at night to the pain of dead hips, they are killing me, it seems the exercise that I was hoping to encourage at the end of pregnancy( to get the baby out) has to be put on the back burner. I actually find it hard to sit around relaxing for too long, I get bored, I still haven't mastered it!

To match my lack of exercise I have popped on a Mickey Mouse sweatshirt from H&M, bring on the Chav, daytime TV & Lesiurewear, here I come!

On this day an old school friend had her baby, she lives in America and was induced (like all American ladies apparently) on her due date and had her little girl that day!! Congrats Mandy!!

However I am now totally jealous of American women, I want to be induced on the day I'm due! They don't bloody induce you in the UK until your are about 10 days late!! Its crap! Mika was 10 days late and was frankly overcooked, squashed and looked like a troll! He is, of course, beautiful now and straightened out after a few days..........basically my patience have totally ran out, I want my baby...NOW!!

It's the end of Week 38 and I couldn't handle it any longer, I went clothes shopping. I found this mohair stripe jumper in Topshop for only £25 in the sale, I'll wear it for years as it nods to punk and will get better with time!! I would have preffered it to be in a bigger size but, I get what I can at this stage. Why are all the sleeves so short on jumpers?? My friend Miri raised this issue oin facebook, there were alot of comments and the conclusion was that nobody wants these 3/4 length sleeves, they are useless in the winter!! Sort it out retailers!!

Let us also notice Mika hovering in the background of this photo, he said' he hoped he didn't ruin the photo this time' he was apparently 'trying' to get out of the way. He is so funny!

Oh look! New boots too? These little lovelies are also from Topshop and were £55, they have  a little wedge heel but are still flat enough for me to walk in, I love them....

Week 39 - One week to go!! Whoop Whoop!! I have squeezed myself into my Super Lovers t-shirt which I bought in the Super Lovers shop in Galleries Lafayette, Harajuku, Tokyo on my Honeymoon to Japan 2 years ago. I wanna go back!! I love Japan!!

Here's a couple of images where I bare all, well just the bump, it's not quite as iconic as Demi Moore's pregnancy shoot but I really have to be proud of my lack of stretchmarks after 3 babies!!

Still have the belly piercing in too, I have NEVER taken it out.

These Mothercare overbump seamless leggings (which I have totally rated until now) have let me down...literally, they have lost their elasticity a bit and have started to fall off when I walk!!

Back in the Mickey sweatshirt, worn with the bodycon and the new sheepskin, fleece lined wedge Topshop boots. Here's a close up of them below, they are so comfy and warm and look great!!

That bring's me to the end of my 6th but not final Whole Lotta Rosie Pregnancy posts, the good news is the next post will definately be the last, the bad news is you will get to see me looking like Jabba in very limited outfits, I shall probably just be in pyjamas the whole time, it make's things easier!!

I am very excited and cannot wait to meet my new little one xxx

Whole Lotta Rosie Part 5

Here's my next maternity post for Whole Lotta Rosie, it's Part 5 and I'm hoping there is only gonna be a Part 6 after this! If there is a Part 7 it shall involve pictures of me dressed like Jabba the Hut in loungewear.

 This post covers Weeks 34 - 36 , which is where I am now, just entering Week 37 and being told by everyone that it could be 'anytime now' that I go into labour. I feel cursed everytime those words leave their lips, like it adds a day onto my due date making the baby later and later!! SHUT UP!!

There seems to be alot of images for this post, I was camera happy and it was first thing in the morning before the school and work run, when I looked my best. I am not one of those people who keeps checking their hair and make-up throughout the day, so any end of the day photos would be even worse!

 Week 34

Here's me in the old faithful H&M bodycon vest dress and Topshop Denim shirt. Two of my friends babies have now been born they were both boys, I'm still not convinced I am definately having a girl, despite it being confirmed during the 20 weeks scan. My Mum had an attic clear out at the weekend and found

loads of retro baby dresses and knitwear that were mine (she's a worse hoarder than me!!) they will deffo get a mention on the blog soon and modelled by the new baby! Exciting!!!

 I could get away with not looking pregnant in this photo, i'm rather impressed but you do get annoyed when people tell you 'you're not that big' when you're actually feeling really uncomfortable, tired and don't fit into any of your old clothes, it's so easy to loose your identity when you are pregnant as you take on a style that's not really yours and your wardobe staples are a thing of the past (for a few months anyway!!)

 The outfit in full with Leopard print pumps from New look.

Saw the midwife on this day, she told me the baby was measuring a bit small and may need a late scan to check the baby is growing OK. My first son Lucian did have growth problems during the last month but he was still an Ok size at 6lbs 4oz, he was just a bit skinny!

 The second thing to consider here is that I have a longer than average torso, honest, I can't get a swimsuit to fit me, I'm too long, they end up looking highcut on the legs and lowcut on the chest, awful!! A bigger size is then too baggy, I can't win!

Anyhoo, having a long torso means I have more room inside me for a baby and then don't look that big when I'm pregnant. Imagine how big this baby really could be?? The plus side to a late scan is that I get to see the baby again, which is completely selfish but great!

This outfit in full with H&M yellow cardigan, red and black vests, the only trousers I own that fit me anymore from Topshop maternity and the leopard print pumps from Newlook. The weather must still be mild in England as I have no socks on.

The end of Week 34 and we now have the Baby's pram! I've curled my hair here as It's all getting cropped off again after work. I thought i'd make the most of the longer layers, dunno how it will looked curled when it's shorter. I'm basically getting the assymmetric cut out of  my hair as it's annoying and even my Mum & Mother-in-law have assymmetric hair now! I need to change my hair to a style they won't copy, it has to be extreme!!! I'm such a kid, i know, but it just ain't cool......ahem!

Check out how short the H&M bodycon dress is getting, the bump is so big it's pulling it up! The cropped jacket is from Topshop A/W 2010 & so is the jumper. The weather is getting colder and the layers start to pile on. These maternity tights do not cover my whole bump anymore, I don't actually think this baby is small at all!

Enter the extreme haircut, I'm still getting used to it, since I have lost my long fringe that I clearly used to hide behind like a comfort blanket. My hairdresser Vikki Mac at Angela Gaudi in Bristol, Uk thoroughly enjoyed cropping my hair off, despite my telling her when I was first pregnant not to let me talk her into cutting all may hair off late in pregnancy when I'm all crazy & hormonal, she did it anyway, the sick bitch!

Week 35.....It's my last week at work!! I'm not sure how I feel about this, I am tired and uncomfortable, but I'm gonna miss my work mates and physically doing my job, I shall get bored....more time for blogging then? With a baby? Maybe......The exciting thing about finishing work is that it means my baby will be here soon. I cannot wait!!

I'm clearly on the school run here, ipod et al. The khaki poncho was a bargain from my recent visit to Primark, it was only £8! I love Primers Primarni!! I got the poncho in a size massive, not just because I'm pregnant, this is the way I like to wear clothes, easier for layering etc. The Topshop maternity jeans and my red converse low tops, one of the only pairs of my shoes that I can actually reach to put on by myself. My husband Phil usually has to help out with any fastenings! Putting on socks is the latest issue.

I've got over the initial hairshock. The fringe has calmed down and has stopped balancing on the top of my head. I like the colour contrast too. I love you again Vikki Mac!

I was about to visit my friend Rudi here, who was, at this point, a day overdue, massive and pissed off!! She did finally have her lovely little boy by the end of the week, yes, another boy!! I'm excited because it's me next in line to have my baby!! Although the worry about the baby being late has kicked in!

On an entirely different note....Check out the Deirdre Barlows!! I have wanted a pair of these glasses for ages and then I saw Amanda Warner with some and that was it, I had to have some of these 80s lovelies! Mine are from Vintage by Robert Roope, I got them at the beginning of the year but disaster struck when my optician had attempted to up my glasses perscription to correct my, ever worsening stigmas and eyesight, only to make it so strong that it made me go cross eyed! Ha! Finally they got there and my glasses are perfect, I love them. These glasses also distress and confuse alot of people too, which I also like.

My boss Becky told me I never smile on my blog, here you go! The truth is I don't really like my smile, my face feels uncomfortable doing it!

Here's the ripped punk jumper from Topshop that I've mentioned before, it's ripped to hell, I love it. And it's actually adding a bit of colour to my current mostly black wardrobe.

Yey! It's fur coat time! It's not real fur of course, this leopard print lovely is from H&M years ago, the brooch is from Mikey. I have also managed to curl the short hair, I'm double happy today, even if I could only manage to do two top buttons up on the fur.

Week 36 - I am beginning to look bloated in the face, this is actually a good sign, it means the end is nigh! I have now finished work and have found out that the baby has actually grown so much over the past 2 weeks that it is back on track. So no late scan for me!

 I had hoped that by finishing work I would spontaneously go into labour....that doesn't appear to have happened. After a few days of denial I have come to my senses and chilled out about the whole thing, the baby will come when the baby is ready to come, which may be this week or it may be in 5 weeks time(I only have 3 weeks until the due date but the baby could also be 2 weeks late!). I shall have a week off with my sons for their half term break and just wait........patiently........or until my next hormonal impatient rant!!

This photo (on the right) is actually from Week 35, I am so uncomfortable sitting here, I can't be bothered to move it!

Another hair pic, tried out a different back combed fringe here. My face is definately looking dfferent, when I was pregnant with the boys I got mega moonface, it looks like it's possibly on it's way again, I also always said moonface / distorted face happened when you had a boy. Am I actually having a boy? Or is this just a thing that happens to me when I'm pregnant???? Will the next Whole Lotta Rosie post be the last?? Do I actually have a Whole Lotta Rodney growing in my belly??? Watch this space xx

My Style Icons - Part 4 - Annabella Lwin

At a time when I should probably be sorting out the pile of baby clothes and parafernalia that has accummulated in my house, to be ready for the new little baby  - who shall be arriving in approximately 5 weeks -  I have decided to blog about another of My Style Icons instead. I've not blogged for over a week and I'm missing it and this is my first Tuesday off work in ages AND my last week at work before I head off on maternity leave.....very excited!! More Babies and more blogging!!

So, Annabella Lwin........not only is she the front woman to one of my most favourite new wave 80s bands Bow Wow Wow, she looks amazing, she was a complete individual and she was also total Jailbait. I love her for all of this. I WANT CANDY!!!!

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Firstly, let's talk about the hair, even with the sides shaved down to a number one, a backcombed mohican and a harsh glare, Annabella manages to look beautiful. She inspired me to shave off my hair but to leave some long layers in to curl or backcomb for a soft and harsh look. I really do have quite a harsh look, without trying, so the soft girliness is needed.

I love the mix of the harsh styling with the girlie 1950s dress & gloves. I have copied this look many a time (I will blog the Emma's fashion back catalogue of images at some point!) The 1950's styling was big in the 80s and with Punk before that.

Annabella was spotted by Malcolm Maclaren (Godfather of Punk) in 1980 working in a laundrette, you know usual story, happens to us all, doesn't it.... he instantly auditioned her to become the lead singer of a new band he was putting together who became Bow Wow Wow. Apparently Mclaren had her transferred from her comprehensive school to Sylvia Young's Theatre School. This is all sounding a bit Brit School isn't it? Oh well we'll ignore that detail for now, there's more controversial stuff to come.

 The controversy linked to the band Bow Wow Wow reveals that the musicians were originally Adam Ant's  - Ants, stolen from Adam Ant by Malcolm Mclaren on a promise to make them famous, with Adam out of the picture Mclaren recruited Annabella alongside a London club kid (soon to be known as Boy George) to join the band. A few gigs and photoshoots later the rest of the band decided to get rid of Boy George and Bow Wow Wow was born. We could feel sorry for Adam Ant and Boy George here (I really must blog them on here at some point too, I feel a New Romantics blog coming on) but they both went on to individually become two of the biggest Pop and style icons of the 80s. So we won't worry about them at all.

Look how beautiful (and young) Annabella looks in the above image, if I spotted her in the laundrette I'd fall in love with her too! I'm sure she wasn't wearing this though, I would, any opportunity to dress up.

 Annabella did like to pose nude and half naked it has to be said. Whether this was her choice or Malcolm's is another matter, I guess the harsh image took the Lolita edge off of it. At this point fashion had gone a bit tribal which fitted perfectly with Bow Wow Wow's drumbeats which can also be heard in many Adam and the Ant records and post punk around the time.  I Love Annabella's hair in the below image, I can never get to the point where my hair is long enough to be able to plait it, the scissors are always calling me! Like they did the other day, more on that another time.

 Another little story for you here which I picked up from a great post punk book ' Rip it up and start again' by Simon Reynolds- which I leant to a work colleague and haven't seen it since, I think he may of lost it.  So, the story goes that Malcolm Maclaren had tried to get the other (slightly older) members of Bow Wow Wow to de-virginate Annabella, who was probably still jailbait at this point. Mclaren thought it might Sex her up a bit and make her less innocent!!! I'm not sure Annabella needed to be sexed up anymore, it seemed to ooze from her as it was. The good news is the very strong willed teenager refused them all, now that's a lesson for all girls who are thinking they might need de-virginating before they are ready! You have the rest of your life to be slutty!

 Oh look a bit of tribal aztec style, you know I like a bit of aztec at the moment, I actually want this jumper, it's baggier than the one's that are in the shops at the moment. Looks really comfy, why have Chavs ruined jersey wear for everyone? There was a time when you could wear jersey and be glamourous! Is it a Vivienne Westwood? Probably, I also forgot to mention Vivienne styled the band, the lucky buggers! Vivienne's Tribal collection, I think it was named The Pirate Collection without cheating and looking online, was massive during the early 80s, even Lady Di owned some of the pieces. There's another blog idea........Vivienne's Pirate collection not Lady Di....well, who knows, maybe both.

Aaaah! The Face, one of my favourite magazines.....I miss you!

Another Annabella Lwin fact is that her real name is Myint Myint Aye , Annabella is half Bermese and this name was given to her by Bermese Priests and means, get this, 'High High Cool'!!! Love it. Maybe a name for this baby then eh?

My mother has been completely over guessing this babies name. She thinks its going to be wierd and wonderful and has totally gone down the wrong track with Pop Stars names (My two sons middle names are Hendrix and Floyd so I can see how she got to this conclusion) she came up with...... Blondie or ........Madonna...........I don't need to say anymore, these names speak for themselves....she also had a dream I had another son and named him Jesus.

This look is very New Romantic Pirate, totally ripped off from Adam Ant, or was it the other way round? Vivienne Westwood V's Adam and the Ants. Annabella looks about 13 years old here.

Annabella with the de-virginating, ex Adam Ants -Ants, Bow Wow Wow boys. Going Wild in the Country! Where snakes in the grass are absolutely free!

Again, I seem to have ripped off this face paint, unknowingly this time, for once, at one of the Hoochie Coochie kaberet's that I have Dj'd at. The inspiration was Wild Animals, I'll blog the image one day. I remember on the night people thought I had leopard print tattoos, one bloke, who was very tattoeed up himself, suggested I should definately get it tattoed, I thought he was referring to the ones on my arms, he actaully, seriously, meant, the ones on my face!! He said I could carry it off. Thanks for the compliment mate, I think? The arms maybe, but on my face??? I have to pick my kids up from school and that!

It used to break my heart when I went into your shop

And you said my records were out of stock

So I don't buy records in your shop

Now I tape them all 'cause I'm 'Top of the Pops'

C30, C60,C90 Go! - Bow Wow Wow