Homemade Touches

A common theme in the nursery and baby collection has been homemade. I'm fortunate to have a very crafty Mother who has many creative talents, including knitting and sewing.

I was rummaging through my fabric basket the other day, overflowing due to my need to buy cute pieces of fabric as I see them. I had no idea what to do with the fabric collection as it didn't really go together well enough to make a quilt or anything substantial.

Mum suggested I add some fabric to the plain white nappy towels I'd purchased, so they were slightly more interesting burp cloths. I was sold. I handed over my pack of nappies and fabric remnants, and "voila" next day on my desk, a pile of customised burp cloths.

She also backed some towels with fabric to make them more suitable for use as changing mats to keep in my nappy bag or around the place.

Because I didn't make these, I can't say how easy it is to do, but judging by the turn around time, I'd say it's a fairly easy sewing project and would make a nice gift for an expectant mum - practical and customised. A good way to use up those accumulating pieces of fabric also if you're a fabric hoarder like myself.

A few of the many towels... 

A change mat version - with fabric on the back of the towel

Make me over - chair edition

Mr D's Grandparent's recently moved into an apartment, meaning they had a four bedroom home that needed to be condensed... meaning they had a dining suite looking for a new home.

I love family furniture hand me downs (Like Lenny's drawers). They not only have character, but also the embedded family history. Since I've known this family we've had many, many Christmas dinner spreads across this table with extended family all around year after year, so it's kind of special to now have this table in our little family.

It's an extension table so you could several people around it easily. We have four of the original chairs, and will buy two more 'spare' chairs at some point in time when some spare money falls at our feet.

I chose a fabric that echoed a very similar pattern to the original chair, just in a fresher colour, as the dining room is quite dark. This was a low cost, non fussy 38 weeks pregnant chair makeover. The corners aren't tight, it will probably sag over time and I'll need to re-stretch (easy to do) and you can see some of my staples. But who's going to come over to my house and complain? I dare you.

My lovely mum came over in her school holidays to assist me. She knew those chairs would sit in pieces if I didn't get them done before the baby arrived. She was a pro at ripping out old staples and digging out the foam, and it made my job so much easier. Thanks mum!

We were laughing, because I thought I'd write a blog saying "this was so easy" simply wrap the fabric over the chairs, pull tight, staple and glue on some trip - and in one afternoon you're done! Then we imagined some poor person embarking on a similar 'afternoon' project and cursing at me when they realised it wasn't that simple.

So I won't lie.

In reality, it wasn't that easy or fast. I didn't have the patience (too pregnant)...  I wrapped the fabric over the existing fabric on the seats as the foam was still very good. The back panels were the trickiest because the added bulk of fabric meant they didn't fit back into the frame. Hence mum's digging!
Once we worked that out, it was much easier!

But who cares - they function, they look fresh and new, and the cats love them. They look great with black cat fur on them. (must scotch guard...)

I can't even do a tutorial post for you really because I didn't have a method or anything that I think should be published. Similar to the spraypainting...
Let's just look at the end result shall we?

Saskia, posing on the original chair.

The end result. 

So this is nesting?

So, do you want to hear my thoughts on these final few weeks of pregnancy? Yes? Read on.. No? Stop reading. I'm going to ramble about nesting and other things that only a few people will find interesting. You've been warned.

I wanted to write this down because I think I'll find it hilarious when I look back and read this through exhausted eyes. I'll kick my zombie, mother self and go, you ungrateful bi**h, you should have enjoyed that time more. I know... I am actually enjoying it some days when I get to finish crafting projects with my mum or pop out to the shops and have the freedom to just wander. It's just taken me time to learn how to relax!

New found skills... 
I've become really good at washing the dishes, staying on top of the washing (there are currently only 3 things in my washing basket, it's a miracle), vacuuming the house and folding/washing baby clothes. I'm not sure how I feel about these skills and accomplishments. Sad? I know it will be different when the baby is here, obviously I'll have something quite important to do, but until then I walk from room to room sort of...  bored. I did recover the dining room chairs (blog to come) which was quite satisfying.

On a typical day I'll glance down and see fluff on the floor and ash around the fireplace and I'm like "oh time to vacuum!" this is a bit depressing. Except today I looked at the fluff and ash and thought, "nah, I'm going to leave you there today" . Instead, I then felt compelled to go down under the house and flatten all of the boxes from our move. Hugely satisfying, and no, it didn't bring on labour.

I've popped into the office a few times for sanity, and had several doctors appointments, as well as collecting the final baby bits and pieces. However, errand days are becoming fewer now that I have everything ticked off the list.

Wandering...
When working full time I'd always be rushing around the mall at lunch time to grab a quick present for someone or pick up some dry cleaning after work, rushing, rushing, and be thinking to myself "who are all of these people just wandering? don't they have jobs to get back to? do they do this all day?"

I'm one of those people now. Except I'm waddling, and only short distances before I have to stop and snack or catch my breath. I feel 'mother's eyes' on me when I'm waddling through the shops. They look at me with this longing,  'that used to be me...pre-baby... wandering.. waiting...anticipating... ' look.  It's hard to explain it, but I'm sure my mother friends will know the one. The 'make the most of this time!!!!' look. They give pregnant women like me those looks whilst forcing a screaming, stiff child into a push chair and admiring the latest child induced stain to appear on their once clean shirt.

Speaking of shirts, let's break up the text with a picture of a shirt I purchased for maternity and post baby wear. I hope to be able to do up more buttons soon. I'm keen on button front clothing in anticipation for the feeding months ahead.

Talking to strangers...
I've decided as well, being pregnant is like having big boobs (something I've never had) but every single person that passes me in the street looks down at my bump. They don't see my face, just the bump. I'm just bump these days... that is all. I have strangers asking me questions everywhere I go. I've never had so many conversations with so many strangers before. It makes the world feel nice and friendly, even if it is the same conversation over and over...

Do you know what you're having? How much longer do you have? First baby? Are you excited? And yes, actually one man even went so far as to enquire whether I was having a hospital birth or home birth, or one of those crazy 'birthing with dolphins' experiences, whilst I was unloading groceries onto the conveyor... It was pretty funny, and he was very helpful with taking my basket and offering to help carry things.

Eating...
The other thing I've noticed recently is this baby has suddenly become very hungry. My appetite had been normal up until two weeks ago and I'm suddenly getting these actual strong cravings that just won't go away. Especially strong cravings for calcium (cheese and milk). Oranges still feature, but not as heavily as the first trimester.

My body told me I HAD to make macaroni and cheese one day 15 minutes before Rachel Ray started. I know! so inconvenient! I was amazed at how quickly and efficiently I whipped up a little bowl of mac 'n cheese just before the show started. These cravings make me achieve great things.

I'll leave you with my latest nesting efforts. Sorting out all of my bathroom cupboard. Amazing.

Time to stretch these ribs. 

Well done if you got to the end. 

The Nursery

After several months of not knowing where we'd be living when this little guy arrived, it's nice to stand in this room and think "finally, I'm ready".. well as ready as I'll ever be! I like that we have this space for him now with all of his little teeny tiny things and mementos on display, and somehow it just feels more real.

Mr D finds me in there some most nights...

"what are you doing?"
"folding his clothes, sorting them into sizes... now look at this, these two drawers are newborn, so you can grab anything from here to dress him in...oh look at this one, oh and this one...remember when we chose this one?"
"you love this don't you"
"yes"
"he's not a doll you know"
"yes... I know..."


He smiles and leaves the room...

Back to the nursery...

I posted this sneak peak yesterday so many of you have probably already seen the first few pictures. We collected things throughout the pregnancy for a room that didn't really exist, so the end result is very eclectic. I also didn't know his room would be peach! I've grown to like the peach, it's quite warm and gives the room a nice glow. Given that most of his furnishings are on the masculine side, it sort of balances with the peach.

 The cats are curious.. 

A little break down for anyone who is interested; 

• The cot was made by Laban's Pop for his little brother, who slept in there 10 years ago. He re-sanded it and sealed it again all ready for us. It's beautiful.
• The owl and the pussycat were knitted by my Nana. I saw them at her house and loved them, so she made a set for me Lenny.
• The fake moose head was a gift from our farming friends, they purchased it in Melbourne. It's so cute!
• The Larry David print was one my husband discovered online. I just framed it using an off the shelf frame and had some mats cut to fit.
• The chair is the perfect size for a little boy. I purchased it from Ezibuy of all places. I've never purchased furniture from them before, and was pleasantly surprised.
• The shawl on the chair was made by my Nana. I'll be taking it to the hospital with me. It's so beautiful and very special. I've blogged about it before
• The knitted jumper collection made by my Mum, Nana and Mr D's Nana as well. Beautifully soft  jumpers which I can't wait to put on Lenny.
• The blind was in the room already and I made some curtain panels to go over the top and tie everything together. I should do a blog post on how I made them.. one day... basically I didn't use a sewing machine. Just fabric, hemming tape and an iron. Very inexpensive and they do the job. I even made the tie backs without a sewing machine. So easy, and great when you're renting and don't want to invest too much in window dressings.
• The cot quilt was from Wallace Cotton when they had a sale a few months ago.  Grey and white striped.. surprise surprise.
• We inherited the drawers from Mr D's Poppa when he moved into the nursing home. I found an old photo of his Grandparents in one of the drawers from many years ago which I've kept in the nursery as a little memento. 
• The Jungle book prints are gorgeous watercolours we found a few years ago on Trademe and I had them re-framed. They were in Mr D's office.. but work well in a nursery.
• The Disney vintage posters were a gift I gave Mr D about 6 or 7 years ago. You can't see them too well in the picture, but they're very cute.
• The tins were given to us by Mr D's Nana. He used to play with them as a little boy when he went to her house, and everyone would clap and tell him how clever he was when he stacked them up. There is a gorgeous photo of him grinning from ear to ear with those tins stacked next to him. I hope to get the same photo of Lenny with those tins.
• I've temporarily placed his toys in an empty basket I had lying around. Mr D's old gollywog is hanging out with sleepy ted, little ted and superman (all made by my Nana) and a few other soft toys given to us by friends and family. Woody takes pride of place, his gift from Amelia. 

I do have a change table in there, just a wooden and canvas folding one, but it's covered in his things for the hospital, so you'll just have to use your imagination on that one. 

So there it is.. as you can see it is a very mixed collection of things given to us by friends and family which makes it a very special room. It will evolve over time I'm sure.. but for now it's done.

Putting Baby in the Corner

Given that it's Winter and we're living in a non insulated home... and first time parents... we've decided the best place for Lenny to be when he arrives is in our room.

This way we can heat the one room, keep an anxious eye on him to check that "yes he is still breathing" and reach out with my tired arm to gently rock his bassinette in the hope he will fall back to sleep...

We set up his little bassinette in the corner next to my side of the bed, in between the wall and dresser. I really felt like I'd just shoved the bed there in the corner, and it looked a little bit sad and lonely, so I decided I'd make it a little more personalised. So here it is.

I lie in bed looking at Lenny's corner, trying to imagine him sleeping in there. It's all a little bit surreal, but does give me warm fuzzies. It's funny making a bed for someone you've never met, yet you want it to be cosiest, snuggliest little bed you've ever made.

I purchased the bassinette and the rocking stand online with a nice wool filled mattress. He has some yummy soft flannelette sheets, a little muslin wrap for 'spills' and a beautiful cotton blanket given to me by some very special people.

His little friends, from left to right include; Mr Ted. This was Mr D's when he was a baby so is very special. Then there's Tortie (or Yurtle) made by my Nana, featuring a removable shell sweater, and finally there's Squeak, made by my Mum. Squeak is more feminine than the others and is sensitive about her moustache, but I think Lenny will like having her around.

Can't wait to put a little baby in there!
Photos to come of his own little boys room... and some DIY projects I've done whilst on maternity leave fighting boredom.

x

Knitted Delights

If you could see just how many knitted things this little Lenny Lump has your jaw would drop. The knitters have truly emerged from within the family and showered this baby with the most beautiful handmade knitted delights. I'm not worried about the house having no insulation now... not with this amount of wool to wrap him in.

Knitted blankets, hats, booties, jumpers, jackets and toys...we've got all bases covered.

I actually said to Mum the other day after I'd run out of coat hangers in his wardrobe..." you know what? I think he has quite a few knitted things now... maybe we can make him something else?"

But...she couldn't help herself... I came into the office this morning and found this wee one on my desk. Her 9th jumper!  A little wrap number for mini Mr D! (of course she actually wanted to know the initial of his first name... nice try Mum!)

All of the jumpers and jackets are different sizes, but this one should fit him when he is still quite small and should last through to when we go to Canada. She is one talented Mumma.

Belly Update

Mr D and I are going to try and do some photos this weekend of the bump before I pop. In the meantime, you can see... it's LARGE!

Some little updates and thoughts on pregnancy with 4 weeks to go.

Simple things like washing the dishes and eating dinner have become a little bit harder. Moving a house was a bit of a mission with this bump sticking out front too. I make a lot of noise when I move...getting off the couch, rolling out of bed, getting out of the car if I'm parked on a hill (that's hard!)... all simple movements that all now feel a little bit more of a challenge. I get breathless all the time, so I feel chronically unfit, but I've been told it's the pressure of the baby pushing up on my lungs. Thanks doc, that made me feel a little better.

I've started filling out in the face, arms, legs...but my rings are still loose, so I mustn't be retaining too much fluid yet (just fat!). The cellulite has crept from the back of my thighs around to the front which is awesome and my posterior has softened somewhat and dropped into a lower position ( I thought just the baby did that?) It appears not, the rear bump has followed suit. I didn't move the scales into the new house, probably for a good reason. No one wants to see that number increasing by the day.

The weight gain is somewhat reassuring though. It's not like non-pregnant weight gain where you think OK starting tomorrow I'm going to cut out treats, wine and go walking every day... It's more of a reassurance that baby is getting bigger and stronger and I'm fueling that growth (with delicious food). I figure I'll need those fat stores too once the milk factory opens for production.

I love this belly and I love this little baby growing inside me and I love my body for coping with pregnancy so well. It's been an amazing experience to watch my body change and adapt to everything. I'll miss watching my belly dance while I'm resting on the sofa. I'll miss when Mr D cuddles me in the night and holds my belly and Lenny dances away, like he knows his Dad is there. He will lie all still while I sleep (thank you baby), and then Mr D cuddles in close and puts his hand on my belly and the dancing begins. Sometimes it's so strong it wakes me up. I like those moments.

A (positive) Birth Story

A while ago I asked if any friends or readers wanted to share their birth story since I have been on the topic of babies for about 9 months now. A friend of mine kindly shared her really positive birth experience and has allowed me to share this with others who may be interested in reading about a really positive experience (rather than a horror story!)

Thanks Jen!

Hi Victoria,

So here is a short (well I will try & make it short) version of my birthing experience with Abby.

I was always terrified of needles and pain (personal pain and other peoples/animals pain)! I fainted over almost everything! Even in front of the vet when my horse had a tiny mole removed from below his eye. I passed out when I had my ears pierced, passed out when I broke my arm, passed out when I had the cast removed...anyway you get where this is going ...

So when I found out I was pregnant with Abby I was super determined to not pass out or freak out! I wanted to have a peaceful beautiful experience giving birth to my baby. I had already decided a long time ago not to let other mothers 'horrid' birthing stories effect me - not an easy thing to block out of one's mind. I also had decided to try for a natural drug free birth.

I came across Hypnobirthing and a few friends from Muriwai had done the course and had the most beautiful birthing stories to share. So I booked Andy & I in to do the course when I was 28 weeks. In short Hypnobirthing is not about being Hypnotised while giving birth, it's a course to teach your mind and body how to be 'very' relaxed - I would describe it as being in a kind of 'daydream' state but being 'present' in what your doing at the same time. Part of the Hypnobirthing course is listening to the 'Rainbow Relaxation' cd - yes sounds a bit 'out there' but Andy and I listened to it often and had it playing in the background in the birthing room. The Hypnobirthing course also got me over my fear of needles and I was able to have blood tests with total confidence!

So on my first day off work - 4 weeks until Abby was due, my waters broke! Noooooo, this was NOT part of my birthing plan story that I had written to myself. Off to the hospital I went with the midwife with NO bag packed! Andy left work and met me at the hospital and waited until I was set up comfy in bed and then I sent him home with a list for things we needed (next time I'm packing the bag 8 weeks in advance!).

Andy and I knew we may have a good amount of time before baby decided to come, so we went for a big walk around the hospital and it was such a clear sunny day and we looked up and there was a perfect rainbow! That for us was an amazing sight and sign to see - we took a picture. My contractions started at 1.00am and I had Abby at 6.25am. The time between went so fast and Andy was a super star talking to me quietly and letting me just zone out and he talked me through the different breathing techniques. At the pushing stage I craved cold fizzy lemonade which was so weird and I would sip on the straw and push - sip - push - sip - push .....

The moment Andy passed Abby to me was insane - it was the most amazing feeling of gut punching love that I had never felt before. I felt so fantastic after giving birth to Abby - I had so much energy and I was so proud of myself. I now had a positive birthing story to share with others. The days that followed were a little harder. Abby was tiny - only 4lb 9oz. The next day Abby decided to stop breathing in Andy's arms - luckily this happened within minutes of arriving in the SCBU (special care baby unit) and nurses and doctors were onto her right away. She had to have so many awful tests including a lumbar puncture and over the next 4-5 days she would still stop breathing. It was so hard having her in an incubator and not being able to hold her,  however after day 3 we were allowed to hold her as much as we liked and the skin to skin contact was the best thing for her and us. We were in hospital for 2 weeks and it took this long for her to latch on to breast feed, but so glad I persisted as there were many days where I felt like giving up. Bringing Abby home was nerve wrecking - we drove like nanas! Muriwai put on a beautiful day for her home coming and a magic sunset of course :o) X

 

How happy and beautiful does Jen look here. Jen actually was the reason Mr D and I went to hypnobirthing. It was such a positive workshop, and we learned a lot about each other, as well as the birthing process and relaxation. I absolutely loved the course, and if anyone out there currently pregnant is interested then do contact Amanda www.naturalgentlebirth.co.nz She is a wonderful teacher. I'll let you know how we get on with using the techniques in a few weeks time!!

4 weeks to go!!!!!!!