Blissed out

Butterflies

I love this fabric - I can't even remember what make it is but I've had it for a year now and just had to make something with it.  I'd tried this baby smock pattern before as a present for Cole's stepsister's first birthday.  Actually, as an aside, I don't like making the differentiation that she's his step sister - as far as he (and the rest of us are concerned) she's his sister.  Just because they don't share both parents doesn't make the bond any less.

The pattern is by Manda and was published in Sew Hip magazine. 

It's super easy and fits a wide age range (well baby to toddler) so I thought it'd make a good first sewing project for little bean.  I didn't quite have enough fabric so had to improvise on the sleeves with some brushed cotton. 

I quite like it now because the it's so soft I think it'll feel nice against her skin.

I'm still knitting away too - I'm dong a little purple kimono style dress which is almost done (needs some little flowers embroidered onto it) and I've also curtains to make for the nursery - not to mention muslin squares to embroider, nappy stackers and nursery tidies to complete and probably a whole host of other things I decide on.  honestly I need to finish work soon just so that I can fit it all in!  It's actually seriously lovely to have so many creative ideas going on and as I'm having to put in some serious brain activity and hours getting my dissertation done the crafting is a welcome relief in comparison.

Jo x

More Baby Making

I'm struggling to post at the moment as I usually do my blogging in the evenings or weekends whilst spending time with the family - nicely sat on the sofa with the laptop on my knee.  However those pregnancy hormones have been doing their job a bit too well on my spine and I've been getting backache in my tailbone which makes it really difficult to sit upright on a hard surface (or even a slightly squishy one like a sofa.)  So this is being written sat at my desk on my birth ball!

But I have been making though.  I've been knitting - and look - it's pink!  When we found out we were having a girl I couldn't help myself and had to buy some pink yarn - Rowan luxury cotton on half price sale no less - how could I not? 

The pattern is Debbie Bliss who does lovely knitting patterns for babies which are always nice and easy to follow.  John's not so thrilled it's pink - he's still holding onto the idea that we'll be able to have this little girl with no pink what so ever - I think he's going to have to rethink that myself!

As for my back I'm still determined to enjoy this pregnancy - I've got three months left (eeek that's gone so quickly!) and that's too long to be miserable and in pain so I've booked to see a chiropractor on Monday and I've made a choice to do at least 30 minutes yoga every day rather than just on a Saturday when I go to a class. AND even if I do carry on feeling achy and stiff - it's 3 little months - I can cope.  I'd rather not, but if it's comes down to it it's manageable. PMA and all that!

Have a lovely weekend

Jo x

Any Pessimists Out There May Want To Turn Away Now

I know it's been a couple of weeks since I've posted and it's not been deliberate at all - it's just the challenge of fitting everything in at the moment.  I'm desperately trying to get the Masters Dissertation properly underway as well as sorting out some things with Cole's school which are taking up a fair bit of my energy.  But it's all manageable - I'm now stressing, it's just time consuming.

Because I'm spending so much time of those things (along with my job and family of course!) the crafting and blogging is going a bit by the wayside.  Which is doubly frustrating really because there are soooooo many things I'm wanting to do and get underway.  John is busy decorating the nursery and I've ordered some totally gorgeous fabric form Anna Maria Horner's Good Folks Range to make curtains and other assorted nursery things. I want brights for the nursery and fell in love with the colours in this range. I can't wait to get started but have to content myself for now with looking at the fabric!

I have been knitting a lot too and have almost finished my next project - PINK! Which John is still not convinced about - I think he's fighting a losing battle deciding that our girl won't be wearing any pink to be honest. Yes there are some beautiful girls clothes out there is alternative colourways but the majority of them in most shops are pink. Even non pink clothes have pink bits on them.  And besides, there was something in me just had to buy the pink Rowan luxury cotton yarn that was on sale as soon as I found out we were expecting a girl - it just had to be done!

Despite being busy and living as frugally as we can to save up so that I can have a decent maternity leave, life is so fantastic at the moment I could almost burst.  I am so happy.  I am so grateful for everything that we have in our life - the past year; getting married, our amazing road trip, the wedding party, a new job, lovely Christmas and then getting - and staying, pregnant - it's been amazing.  Just over a year ago life felt a bit crap to be honest.  A second miscarriage and being stuck in a job I couldn't stand.  I was worn out, run down and stressed out.  Life felt a struggle and I think I was fairly low.

But then we went on our fantastic road trip - I still think back to driving all those miles through California, looking out at the amazing scenery and stopping as and when the mood took us.  We got married in Vegas a year ago yesterday which was a total blast and a day I'll always look back on with a big grin on my face! 

And here I am almost 6 months pregnant (eek that's passed quickly!) and whilst the first 3 months were full of exhaustion, nausea and a fair amount of 'oh God will this one work out?' tension, 3rd time lucky did it for me and we made it through. This one is sticking.  This one is a healthy little girl wriggling around inside me and I can't wait to meet her.  I'm loving being pregnant - absolutely loving it.  I'm eating well, I'm exercising, taking time out to relax each day and generally reveling in it all!  I'm still pretty compact bump wise which means I don't have any real pregnancy discomforts - apart from my daughter using my bladder as a trampoline every 5 minutes!  I really do feel glowing.

And we've been so lucky with how generous friends and family have been.  We've been given so much baby stuff that we've barely had to buy anything.  We've had a cot donated, car seat, bedding, clothes by the bag full, a baby sling, feeding cushion, steriliser, mobile, maternity clothes, baby bath, blankets - we were even offered a pram/stroller but because we're getting a new car which is a Mini Clubman and it has a tiny boot, it wouldn't fit in.  So the only things we've really had to buy is a stroller (bugaboo bee - very gorgeous) and a new mattress for the cot.
And I even managed to get a bargain on those  because I had 30% off code for an online store.

I'm determine to enjoy and revel in every last minute of this.  So apologies to you glass half empty people out there - believe me I was one myself for so long that I'm not going to feel a bit bad for feeling so good now.  As one friend said recently - "I'm so happy I could c**% rainbows!"  Which was just such a funny image it made me a laugh till I nearly peed (which doesn't take much right now!)

Enjoy your weekend
Jo x

20 Week Scan and we're on team...

or are we?

Bit frilly for a boy?

Yep, completely!  OK, I'm teasing - actually we're having a girl!

The 20 week scan was great.  I think it was the first scan I've actually enjoyed - all the others have been tension filled, bladder bursting, is there a problem ordeals that I was just glad when they were over.  And the first few minutes of this one was no different - especially as we'd chosen not to have a nuchal scan or a Bart's test (blood test to assess risk for Down's Syndrome.)  I'd decided that as I was more likely to come back as high risk because of my age and that I didn't want to have an Amnio because of the miscarriage risk (around 1%) having the test would just give me cause for anxiety.  I was also pretty sure that I couldn't personally terminate the pregnancy if there was a problem like downs - it's a very personal choice I know and I would never, ever judge anyone else for making that decision - I just knew I couldn't do it myself.

So there was quite a bit of tension leading up to this scan. But it showed NO indication of problems at all.  Everything was fine and healthy and measuring right and there was a wriggly little baby in there.  We asked for the gender and were told it was a 'little princess' - a girl!  I honestly, honestly had no preference either way - I was just so relieved that everything was well.  But on some level I'd obviously thought I was going to have another boy because it took me a few minutes to adjust to the idea of it being a girl - a little voice inside me kept saying 'that can't be right, I have boys, I can do boys.' But it didn't last long.  Now I'm thrilled - I'm having a gorgeous, healthy, little girl.

But as I'd bought yarn in various colours AND have a rule that this baby won't be dressed head to toe in pink.  So a pretty, frilly, girly blue little shrug will do just fine as the first official thing made for her.

That being said, apparently the scans are only 95% accurate for telling gender - and I have lost count of the number of people who've told me stories of friends being told they were having girls and out popped a little boy - but they're all friends of friends nieces cousins - I've never actually met anyone it's directly happened to themselves - anyway, 95% is still pretty accurate isn't it!

I'm so happy and relaxed right now it's wonderful.  I feel that I've finally fully committed to the idea that this pregnancy is happenning and there is going to be a beautiful baby at the end of it all.  And if it turns out that the baby is a boy it's hardly a disaster is it?  And I'll just have a whole load of pretty little handmade dresses to sell on etsy!

And in the spirit of relaxing I went to ante natal yoga this morning.  I was lovely and chilled - hardly a workout but lovely and gentle.  When I saw all the other ladies with their big bumps I assumed they were all miles further on in their pregnancies than me - but NO!  They were mostly only a few weeks further on - someone was 23 weeks, 24, 26, 28 - in fact only one was in her 3rd trimester.  I had such bump envy!  I know I'm going to completely regret saying this when I'm the size of a house and have swollen ankles but right now I want to look properly pregnant!

So here is my most recent bump picture - 21 weeks and counting.  If it wasn't for the ultrasounds, 3 months of morning sickness, midwife appointments, needling to pee every 20 minutes and regular little kicks I'm feeling I would probably convince myself it's all the extra pieces of cake I've eaten!

Jo x

Spring Top

I had such a productive day on Saturday.  One of those - "I've got so much energy and feel so focussed I can do anything" sort of days - which believe me, don't come along very often at the moment!

Maybe it was something to do with it being a lovely loooong bank holiday weekend here.  And it was sunn which always helps so much. I love living in England but I wish we got a bit more sunshine (especially here up north.)

So after waking up nice and early, I got a few hours Uni work done, did some more updating to the website, and then decided the day was clear to do some sewing.  For me.  I came across this fantastic tutorial at sew mama sew and wanted to give it a go.  Being smock like I thought it'd be pretty practical for a pregnant person to wear and should give me plenty of growth room too.

I raided the fabric stash and had a yard of mustard Amy Butler along with a smaller amount of sky blue - such a lovely colour combination.  So off I went.  I have to admit, I think I may well be the worlds worst pattern cutter - I find it stressful and have to triple check whatever I'm doing before actually making a cut.  I swear the logic part of my brain doesn't work properly - or at all!
 
But once I got past that stage I was ok.  The tutorial was easy to follow and the instructions were simple.  I was a bit unsure whether to bother with the ruffles on the shoulders - I'm not really that much of a ruffly girl. But once they were on I loved them - I think Gok would say they're good for balancing out the shoulders.

I really like finished result - although I think I'll have to alter it in a month or so - or sooner if my boobs keep growing at the rate they are currently!  Honestly, they seem to have a life of their own.  I wish my bump would catch up though.  I'm 20 weeks pregnant tomorrow and still just look a bit chubby in the belly area!  We were at a birthday party yesterday for John's niece and there was another woman there who was also 20 weeks pregnant and her bump was huge compared to mine!  My midwife tells me that because I'm quite tall and have a long torso I'm perfectly on target size wise - but I can't help having bump envy at the moment!

Baby Bibs

I've not really been doing as much crafting as I would like to recently. In fact, I've not really been doing enough of anything I'd really like to recently.  I have to get my head around the fact that I haven't the same level of energy or stamina I had pre pregnancy because otherwise I'm just going to end up frustrated and exhausted.

But at the weekend I did manage to steal a couple of hours and make these simple baby bibs.  Actually they're refashioned ones - I bought some cheap, plan cotton bibs and appliquéd some baby friendly shapes onto them. It's the first thing I've made for our baby so far so it's a bit of a watershed.  I think I'm really starting to accept the fact that there's more than likely going to be a baby at the end of all this eating and sleeping!

We don't know what the baby's gender is yet so I've done a mixture of colours - this one's pretty good for a boy but I've done a 'girly' one too:

Plus a couple of nice, bright ones that'll be good whatever the sex (I think I like the neutral one's best actually - who says girls need all pink and boys are all blue?)