Slingin' Babies

Well I finally finished it. I bought this green fabric back before Christmas and had every intention of making Baby C's sling months ago... but then life happened and it sat in a pile on the floor by my sewing machine. I have a pouch sling that I used for Baby C when she was younger but I am quite a bit bigger at 8 months pregnant so needless to say it doesn't fit and I actually prefer the roominess of a ring sling for a newborn but wasn't prepared to pay the high retail cost for one when I knew I could make one for myself. I purchased the rings from slingrings.com - they are a lightweight aluminum and the fabric is 100% cotton.

I ended up making this project a lot more complicated than it actually had to be but I am happy with the way it turned out and I think Baby C is too - she can get more than a few minutes of mama cuddles in before my arms, belly and back start to ache (and I really appreciate that too!). I was having some difficulty on Wednesday night (when I thought I broke my sewing machine) because it couldn't handle the thickness of the pleats. I maybe made this sling a bit too thick but I wanted something warm for those chilly spring days with a newborn and for winter with Baby C (even though it took so long that Baby C and I nearly missed the winter part!). I was stressing out quite a bit until I found these instructions from Jan Andrea on how to cut out a significant part of the fabric from the pleats without compromising the strength of the sling. After I found these it worked beautifully. Thank you!

Stalled plans

So last night I literally dusted off my sewing machine and set to work on the baby crafting that needs to get done. There is a sling (that ahem... has been sitting around in a pile on the floor for months) a few linen nursing covers to protect this little babe from then sun when we are sitting outside and some receiving blankets and bibs.... Well I think I pushed my machine too hard to quickly and its now taking a little break. I have downgraded the severity of this incident from catastrophic (which I originally thought when it was making a terrible grinding noise and shaking) to just annoying now that I finally got the needle out. I have never seen a sewing machine needle bent like that.

Oh well - better luck today!

Can it get any easier?

So this morning I set out to de-clutter the kitchen, my life, and my purse. Yesterday I stumbled across this fabulous organizer but couldn't afford the shipping cost and customs fees to get it into the country so I decided to make my own (I often wish I had an address in the states if for nothing else but the etsy shopping and shipping!). I grabbed a simple binder and made up some lists that will make life easier. My goal is to not have random pieces of not paper floating around the house, my pockets and my purse. Inevitably they always get lost and I freak out because I have misplaced some crucial piece of information (ahem... such as my contact person at the hospital who I should have called back in December about fulfilling some course requirements. That phone call was made, but 1 1/2 months late - because I lost her phone number temporarily - and now I am scrambling to get things done before baby #2 arrives).

I am so happy to have this put together and today I will get rid of those tiny pieces of random paper!

**Edited to add: Once I started to fill my organizer I started to add all sorts of extra pages to accommodate all those little notes and pieces of paper that didn't exactly fall on my to do list or were simply too specific for a general notes page. I added a "craft project, inspiration" page, and a "recipe" page which I love for those recipes that I find that I want to try out but am not quite ready to commit to my recipe box or book. I have maybe gone a little overboard but I don't care because I am having so much fun and my counter has never been cleaner!!!

Nesting... and eating...

On Sunday my dad and I finally cooked his special spaghetti sauce together. This stuff is legendary in our family and our circle of friends. Its a full afternoon event of sauteing, simmering and stirring and that sauce itself never lasts long but it is SO worth the effort. Dad made sauce for our dinner and I made sauce for our freezer - I just hope we can keep it in there long enough to be eaten after the baby arrives when we will really be needing quick and healthy meals. Such a beautiful sight!

52 Books :: Week 10

This week I am looking for something a little lighter, my brain is about as full as its going to get right now with regards to childbirth and childbirth education. I am going to try another Elm Creek Quilts novel.





I'm reading The Quilter's Homecoming by Jennifer Chiaverini.

In the trenches

We are deep in the trenches of injuries and teething over here. Nick fell last week and ended up with serious whip lash, he is now all well and recovered just in time for my fall (ironically outside of the public health building). I'm thinking that falling at 8 months pregnant was probably not the best idea and my body is reminding me of this every time I move. And our poor, sweet little 14 month old had 2 bottom molars break through within 1 day of each other. She is doing the best she can and trying to play through the pain but it breaks my heart to watch chew her little fist (and anything else she can find) to dull the pain. We are quite a sight over here, quite a sight...

On the needles

I just finished my third knitting project... I am taking it slowly as you can see and made a very simple dish cloth. Not complicated, not exciting (well, except to me because Imade it and I never thought I could), not fancy... but oh so functional. I used Bernat Cotton Naturals and I think it will be a well wearing wool (I hope so). I'm going to try another one today - my tension was a bit off which is why I think it didn't end up perfectly square - so we will see if I can fix that.

52 Books :: Week 9

It was just as good as I thought it would be! (so good that I finished it in 3 days which is quite an accomplishment around here these days)




This week I am reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. I think that it will be an encouraging read for me both in anticipation of our due date, and as motivation to complete my Childbirth Educator certification course. I have been looking forward to reading this book for quite some time now.

52 Books :: Week 8 continued

Wow, it really didn't take me long to get through The Attachment Parenting Book. There was nothing new in it that really shocked me, it more than anything affirmed the way we are trying to raise Charlette and hope to raise the new baby (with the exception of bed sharing.... that girl does some crazy acrobatics in her sleep and could take an eye out with all that thrashing - some days I don't think her crib can withstand the abuse!).




So I guess I should start another book, especially since pretty soon I'll be too busy working on lesson plans for my course and planning for our new arrival to finish a book a week - this will give me a head start. On to When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall. Its the 3rd book in a series that I started to read when I was pregnant with Charlette and I've been looking forward to reading it for quite a while.

The Growing Stash :: bargain edition

Ooohhh, I just love a bargain especially when it comes to fabric! I went a little crazy last Friday night (maybe it was because I haven't been fabric shopping without Baby C in over a year and the freedom to explore was just so fabulous!) but I got a tonne of good deals - so it was ok.

This is a 100% cotton fabric I bought before Christmas to make an adjustable baby sling but I have been waiting for something to line it with... and I found the perfect buttery yellow cotton. Delicious!

These cotton/linen blends will also become baby slings (the black is for Nick and I'm thinking about this as a pocket). They will be a perfect weight for a breathable sling for our spring/summer babe.

I found these fabulous light weight linens for 75% off and I think they will make perfect nursing covers. I was never much of a fan of the nursing cover with Baby C - I just never thought it was necessary even when we were out and about... but I plan to be spending a lot of time outside this summer and its more of a sun protection thing for the babe than a privacy thing. Have you ever tried to concentrate on something only to have the sun shining right in your eyes?

And all of this flannelet? It will become receiving blankets and bibs for our babe and a bunch of gifts for our friends precious little ones.

Scarf #2

Scarf #2 is officially finished. It is absolutely nothing special. I made it from a free Bernat pattern. It's a simple k2, p2 rib but I'm a little proud of it because I knit it! Who would have thought that would ever happen?

52 Books :: Week 8

I loved Playful Parenting and would highly recommend it to anyone with children - no matter what their age!



This week I am reading The Attachment Parenting Book. I have been wanting to read it for quite some time now and with the new baby's arrival so close I thought this would be the perfect time.

Breathtaking

I decided to take a cue from Soulemama and look for the beauty in this bleak, and sometimes depressing month that we call February. As Baby C and I woke up this morning and peaked out her window we noticed the ice that had settled on the trees overnight and the sun that seemed to illuminate them. This is my absolute favourite part of winter - the trees that glisten with ice and seem to be almost otherworldly... its just breathtaking.

52 Books :: Week 7

I am really excited to be reading Playful Parenting. I came across this title in Amanda's bookshop on Amazon.



My local book store also found a copy of Babywearing from the US publisher (I have been trying to find a copy online for about a year now) so I will be stoked when it arrives in the mail! Here is to a few weeks of good reading.