November

:: A few hot days but pretty mild heat wise, cruel late rain for farmers
:: My pregnancy niggles disappeared and I hit my favourite time of pregnancy
:: A trip to Perth with a fun night out with our Hoorahs to Run Amuk in Fremantle for hotdogs
:: We had an awful week long bout of family gastro
:: I had my worst mummy meltdown after a failed trip to find a natural swimming spot

:: Ian and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary

:: And we fleshed out new plans for our own home for next year.

Mx

38 Weeks

My most favourite time of being pregnant. So much more fun than trimesters one and two. I feel great, everything's stopped aching and pain-ing, even my varicose veins have improved. Now I just want baby to stay put until at least the 3rd of Jan so I can go to a family wedding :)

Ian is down with us in the city now, so that is nice, I had a lymph drainage massage this week which was also nice (part of which was because I saw my skinny ankles return) and fun and interesting was seeing a Podiatrist for the first time. I'll give you the hot tip, no 'nail technician' or beauty therapist will give your feet as good a going over as a Podiatrist.

I have a friend or two who are completely grossed out by feet, so if you are one of those, stop reading now. Otherwise, let me encourage you to go and get your feet scraped with a scalpel and sanded with a mini disc sander before your next pedi. It was so fun! I haven't followed up yet with getting a pedicure (to match my dress for the wedding of course) but my feet are ready for another year of neglect now.

I also have plans for a spray tan and getting the grey coloured out of my hair (after bub is out) and maybe an eyelash tint too, so I don't slide in to feeling like just a middle-aged milk machine in the coming months...

Any way, I hope you're ready for Christmas or at least enjoying this time of year!

Mx

Baby Girl Quilt

For a friend who's baby is a couple of months old now.

I used mostly 4 1/2 in squares left over from all the other simple squares baby quilts I've done cut in half. It's nice to see fabrics from all the other quilts in there, and from the very first quilt I ever made!

It's been difficult to get photos with all this unseasonal rain we've had in Perth. Not that I'm complaining mind you, I don't need the summer heat at 8 months baked.

My plan for our time in Perth was making the most of the summer and hitting the beach, but really, I can hardly be bothered leaving the house. At Grandma's with the tiled floor is the best place for us at the moment anyway since we've started efforts at toilet training this week.

I dived in to my vintage sheet stash for the first time for the backing,

and used a pink polka dot for the binding which I also used on the front to make the quilt more oblong that square. I didn't use a pattern (hence the quilt originally turing out quite sqaure) but winged it with my scraps, and a natural coloured cotton.

Now I need to get on to my plans for Christmas presents. I hope your on track with your Christmas crafting!

Mx

35 Week Photo

This photo is from last week (35wks). Only one week to go till they will let me birth at home. We're due on Jan 7 but my guess is somewhere between Christmas and New Years. Charlie and I are 'living' in Perth at my parent's house now until baby arrives.

I'm feeling good, I just have to keep my fingers crossed that the bloods I had taken today come back with my iron levels high enough to stay on the home birth program. The pathology guy said the colour of my blood was good, so hopefully my ferretin hasn't dropped any more and my haemoglobin stays above 100.

I am using my laptop to post this but I have been cautious about turning it on before getting it serviced. The problem now is that no-one is prepared to work on liquid damaged machines because they tend to hide corrosion problems that surface later. Seems the best advice I can get is to replace it. Accidental damage is not covered in our home contents insurance. So I think I'm just going to do very regular back ups and start saving for a newie, until this one dies.... but I don't want a new one, I love this one, just the way it is/was :(  sulking...

I do have a finished quilt to show you though!

Mx

Laptop Teepee

This is what google told me to do if your laptop gets wet.

OMG! It seems Charlie is determined to destroy my beloved MacBook. After an incredibly craptacular week* I sat down with a big glass of fresh coconut water and Charlie knocked the whole thing over my laptop. To say I had a Massive Mummy Meltdown is putting it nicely. I eventually calmed down but spent the rest of the day on the verge of tears with a face that felt like it was being dragged down by lead balloons, could not crack a smile.

The good news is...

Holy shit - I'm writing this on my iPad in the dark sitting up in bed and a white tip spider just crawled over my screen. I only saw it while it was back lit on the screen. I scrambled for my phone so I could turn the torch on. Charlie is asleep next to me. I found my phone and the spider was crawling across the pillow towards my foot** there is nothing but soft backed kids books next to the bed to squash it with. That will have to do, I don't know how many times I squashed it between Dora The Explorer Goes To Play Park and the pillow before it was just about on Charlie. I suppose that's when mothers instinct stops you messing about and you squash it with your hand, enough to make it stop it for a second at least, geez that spider was tough.

It's dead now, I can go on telling you the good news...

The good news is... my laptop seems to be working fine, if a little sticky. When I go to the city this week I will take it in for a long overdue service - its first one...

I'm so not ready to head to Perth to have this baby!

Hope you've had an infinitely better week than we have

Mx

Following is mostly whinging, only read on if you want to feel better about the week you had. Though I suppose this could all be considered first world problems, I'm not starving to death.

* Ian off sick with Gastro all week and by Saturday being worse not better - me out with the gastro on Thursday and Friday - Charlie spewing in the bed on Friday night and all the extra washing that entails on top of all the washing I hadn't done since we got back from Perth last weekend - missing Ian's office Christmas party - missing the chance to say goodbye at our last playgroup - the house being a mess - Sickness and tiredness wasting my last week at home before moving to Perth for Christmas and New year and to wait for baby. Arghhh!! Talk about overwhelm!

**iPad is on pillow at head of bead, I'm sitting cross legged facing back towards the pillow.

My two sick boys

At least someone was happy having us home in bed all week, cats that just want to be close and snuggle!

Another Trip

Another 4 weeks of growth. Thirty four weeks now.

Charlie in the car window, wondering what's going on. One week and one day left at home, before heading to Perth to wait for baby.

A fun but hectic trip to Perth. Friday night hotdogs and uni mates. Saturday appointments, the Jacaranda Festival in Applecross, and an evening stroll down the Vic Park strip and Indian dinner* to celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary this week. Sunday breakfast and lunch dates and a 4th birthday party in the afternoon before heading home. Charlie and I both have some catch up sleeping to do.

Hope you had a fun filled weekend full of friends too.

Mx

*If you like butter chicken, Ian reckons it was the best he's ever had and I always like the malai kofta. Jewel of the Park, Albany Hwy.

Quiet 2 Year Olds...

Fixing the keyboard on my laptop was not on my list of things to do this morning!

I couldn't relax or focus on anything else until in was fixed though. Thank goodness for youtube.
I hope your morning has only had pleasant surprises pull you off course.

Mx

August + September + October

Wow, look at that, lump three months together and I'm all caught up!!

The last three months...

We celebrated Ian's birthday

Charlie turned 2!

Many trips to Perth

Too many funerals

A big change of plans

A belly that keeps getting bigger and bigger :)

Mx

Yarn Along

Playing along with Ginny again this week.

Reading Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn. Love it (love him, and his other book Punished by Rewards). Reminds me of why I try and parent the way I do. I had a lovely internal affirmation the other day at playgroup when the kids were all painting old nappy boxes to make in to cars. I sat back a watched Charlie without guiding or controlling his work and he continued his painting long after the other kids had lost interest. It was so nice to feel like I'm doing something right.

Knitting a light lacy scarf for my bestie. Using this free pattern on Ravelry (though this is the image on Pinterest that caught my attention). I think it will turn out nice and warm despite its airiness. This is my first go at lace knitting, and though it is probably the simplest of patterns, I am at a complete loss if I drop a stitch or somehow need to go back, there is no frogging to be done because I'd have to rip it out to the start again (like I did a few times). How do you fix mistakes in lace knitting? Is it even possible??

Mx

Oh, and here is a link to the first chapter of the book. And that pink floral up there is the back of my latest baby quilt that I'm hoping to show you soon! (still not a quilt for either of our babies yet though...)

Belly and the Driving Dress

Another belly shot. Taken at the same place in the same dress as last time. Basically the same photo with an extra 4 weeks of growth.

Photo was taken last week (at 30 weeks) on my way to Perth for appointments and my Dad's beloved brother's funeral. I love this dress and wear it for no reason, but I always wear it for my long haul drives because it's so comfy. Nothing cutting in to my belly!

Mx

The Weekend

My awesome Mum came up for three days to help me get on top of our massive garden (we're on a double block). The Mr is not into gardening, and just can't muster up the motivation to help maintain a rental garden, and I just can't keep up by myself. Mum weeded (and much more, thanks Mum :) and I finally finished the rose's winter prune... in October!!

We got some cheap straw bales from the hardware and mulched the front garden beds to finish off, hopefully giving them a better time of it this summer.

We've also had to put up the mosquito nets this week. The mosquitoes are out in full force, and as of today so are the blowies. There are so many they sound like a swarm of bees!

We had a hot and windy 37'C today, feels like we've skipped spring and headed straight in to summer on days like this. I'm all caught up with the laundry - and putting it away (the part I struggle with), my garden looks a whole heck of a lot better, and I'm dead tired. I was going to say 'buggered' or 'knackered' but neither of those are nice words really, are they? Maybe I should just type and not censor myself?

Anyway, I should go tidy the kitchen before putting Charlie to bed, because no doubt that will be the end of me tonight. We're at the 29 week mark today, and only have six more weeks at home. I better get on to those projects I'd liked finished before no.2 arrives!

Hope you had a lovely and productive weekend too.

Mx

KCWC update

Even though I didn't get it finished I am happy with the results of my KCWC efforts.

This little shirt just needs the neck binding and sleeve hems.

I've tried it on the little man and it fits great (it's the 2T size of the Flashback Skinny Tee).

I'm sure I would have finished it but I also had to sew our angel costumes for a party on Friday night.

Perhaps after I get the house back in order and finish the baby girl quilt I thought I still had two weeks to finish (baby arrived today - not ours) I'll get it finished.

Meanwhile, it was my birthday yesterday (36) and I really should update my profile picture. My age began with a 2 when that photo was taken...

Mx

KCWC

I'm hoping this year to participate in Elsie Marley's Kid's Clothes Week Challenge. Scrap that, I just signed up, I am participating! It starts tomorrow!

I'm travelling home tomorrow and then travelling back to Perth on Friday, so I'll only be home for 3 days of the challenge, but even that should be enough to sew one garment. If I wait till I have the time, Charlie will be grown and left home no doubt, he's 2 already and I haven't sewn him a thing! I suppose that's part of the reason it's called a challenge, we all have busy lives and it takes a conscious effort to stretch our schedules and squeeze in an hour of sewing.

I've got Rae's Flash Back Skinny Tee pattern printed out, plenty of thrifted stripey tee's to use for fabric, and with one hour per day... I might end up with... a finished tee. If not, I'll be that much closer to one.

Are you joining in too? What are you planning on making?

Mx

Blog Fun

[Charlie wearing my glasses and looking like Elton John's love child]

The lovely Nicole over at Milk and Manna tagged me for a little bloggy fun. Here are her questions, and my answers...

1. Words to live by... Love your self.
2. Favourite song? Love Letter - Paul Kelly.
3. Yourself in three words... lucky, closet hippy.
4. Ocean, forest, mountain, desert? Desert.
5. Dream destination? America.
6. Life is too short to... Hate.
7. Coffee or tea and how? Neither - water please.
8. Fond memory? Giving birth.
9. Favourite book? Like Water For Chocolate - Laura Esquivel.
10. How did you meet your beloved? In the living room of one of my best friends (they're cousins).
11. Last meal? Quiche and salad.

Thanks Nicole!

Mx

Belly

Just a little 24 week update. I've got a nice little round belly out in front now. From here on in is my favourite part of pregnancy . I actually look pregnant, and I get to feel the little passenger I'm carrying around as they move and wriggle about... and I kinda like people checking out the belly when I'm profoundly pregnant.

The only part I'm not enjoying is the ugly varicose veins showing up on my legs. Ugly and painful. I haven't figured out what I'm going to do in the summer, surely some days I will be too hot and bothered to wear a long dress or skirt to cover them up and pants will be out of the question. I wonder if a spray tan would cover them up much.

Did you get the old varicose veins? What did you do?

Mx

P.S. I am posting this at 2.45 am because I woke up too hungry to go back to sleep. I'm back to bed as soon as I hit publish.

A Birthday

Our wee man turned two last week. He's not so 'wee' anymore, and I've realised we've stopped calling him the 'wee man', I did love that nic name though.

I took him in to get weighed and measured, and if you use the rule of thumb that kids will end up twice the height they were at two, Charlie wont turn out to be the gigantor I was expecting. I started to worry after I got him measured last time and he'd grown 11cm in 3 months.

Particulars for you Aunty Tori... he's 93cm tall which, when doubled ends up at six foot one. One inch shorter than Ian.

Mx

Good Bye Granny

 We farewelled my last grandparent on the weekend. My Mother's Mother.

Our Granny was a funny lady and I'm glad I got to know her a little better in these last couple of years. After starting a family of my own I became more interested in my extended family.

My crafty gene probably got passed down from her, and after I take some decent photos I'll show you some of the stuff she gave me when she had a clean out.

Love you Granny. Mx

Happy Father's Day

My Mr, the father of my child, my husband, my love, doesn't read this blog, so I shant worry about wishing him a happy fathers day here. Instead, because I didn't get to make him his favourite cake, I want to wish my Dad a happy father's day, and thank him for always being there. And show you all how handsome he was...

As I've gotten older, reliability is a virtue I appreciate and respect more and more.

Thanks Dad, I love you xx

Mx

Charlie at the Dowerin Field Days

We trotted over to Dowerin for the Field Days today, and while Charlie sat on Ian's shoulders watching the dirt bike riders he drooled and reminded me of a Simpsons character.

How much does it cost to get in to the Royal Show these days? I was shocked at the $20 admission price for adults today at what is basically an agricultural machinery show where you are paying to be advertised to.

Mx

Grey Gifts

I recently sent a couple of hand made items to a friend in Canada, and now that I know they have arrived, I can show you what I made.

A circular scarf made using this free pattern on Ravelry (I didn't make it as wide as the pattern).

And a clutch from this fantastic tutorial. I used a 100% wool fabric harvested from a pair of paints, it was a little difficult to work as the wool wouldn't iron in to a crisp fold like the cotton in the tutorial, but I think it turned out well.

 

I harvested the lining from a thrifted jumpsuit I knew I was never going to wear.

I actually finished making the scarf back in October last year, which would have arrived for the recipient's birthday had it not taken me 10 months to weave in those ends! You can see how little Charlie was when I tried to get him to model it...

he wasn't very happy with helping me out.

Anyway, I was on a sewers high after finishing the clutch, I want to do more sewing! I was so excited, I went over to Rae's and bought her Flashback Skinny Tee pattern. Now I'm just waiting for the powercord/pedal to be found to my sister's overlocker which I've borrowed.

I hope you're enjoying any projects you've got on the go.

Mx

June + July

In June and July...
:: we stayed at home and didn't travel to Perth
:: I got over first trimester seediness
:: I got a Thermomix!! which I love :)
:: I got  a cleaner!! which I love :)
:: We got excited about the revised design for the new house we're hoping to start building soon.

So, the last two months have been cold but good. I'm definitely looking forward to warmer weather coming.

Mx

Looking Back at May

Back in May...
:: We found out the happy news that we're expecting again (now we're four months along)
:: Charlie made his first painting
:: We got a new to us car :)
:: Went to the Craft Fair

I'm not catching up with these month in reviews... I'm getting further behind, but oh well.

Mx

Cleaning for the cleaner

I have never had a cleaner before but the hubby is generously springing for one to help me out once a fortnight. She is coming tomorrow to see the house, so today I am trying to catch up on some cleaning so as not to scare her off!

I have started the remedial pruning of the two big (huge!) standards we have out front, I didn't quite make it to them last year after pruning the other 30 bushes in the same bed. These little pinkies were rescued from the prunings.

Do you have a cleaner? Have you ever used one. Was it the best thing ever, or did you end up cleaning before they came?

Mx

Weekends

 

The last couple of weekends have been full and wonderful. My brother and his family came and spent the weekend just gone. They were sick but didn't want to cancel as it was their first visit and we've already past our one year anniversary here.

My SIL was quite happy with the old bottles my brother picked up at a farm dump when the boys were out collecting fire wood. She also loves a market and luckily the monthly Nungarin Markets were on on Sunday. We saw a pet sheep following its owner about, a joey in a bag and roosters for sale. 

Last weekend we celebrated a fun 60th birthday at Kokerbin Rock (Australia's third largest monolith). We climbed to the top and released 60 pink and silver balloons.  We also enjoyed our first dinner out on a farm with another young family which I hope we do again soon.

I hope your weekends have been fun too.

Mx