Sunday, May 15, 2011

Getting Ready For Baby number 3!!

I am 31 weeks pregnant and as usual I have found pregnancy to be quite demanding physically, mentally and emotionally. I know I shouldn't complain because it really hasn't been that bad, it could have been alot worse, and I will have a lovely little bub in 7 weeks time but I swear my body wasn't made to grow babies. I usually get to about 20 weeks and problems start to crop up, like high blood pressure, painful contractions, exhaustion etc but this time none of that has happened until I hit 28 weeks. My previous two pregnancies have ended with pre eclampsia and I have been forced to have my babies right on 37 weeks. This one is headed the same way but Im coping ok and hoping for the best. Im resting alot and trying to keep on top of it emotionally as well as health wise and Im counting down to the ceaser that I am likely to have at 38 weeks.

Up until the past couple of weeks I have felt completely exhausted and drained of all energy and motivation but the past couple of weeks its like I have turned into the energizer bunny which I have decided must be my nesting instincts kicking in. I am completely focused on getting this house organised and ready for not only the baby but also so that the house can keep kicking along while I have and recover from my ceaser.

So far we have moved Chloe downstairs to her own room. In order to do this we had to move my sewing room :( back upstairs into our bedroom. The office also had to come out of the room and has been moved into the main living area. Chloes room is looking really nice, I just have to hang up her pictures and things and it will be done.  The nursery upstairs is a huge bedroom so the baby and Elyssa (20 months) will share. Elyssa has moved from her cot to Chloes old toddler bed and the cot has been moved to make room for some furniture that will be coming in June. I have washed all the baby clothes, wraps, blankets etc and put them in tubs waiting for the furniture. A basinette will go in our room for the first few months and Im also getting a rocker for feeding this time which I am really looking forward too, I have always wanted one.

The pram has arrived, a second hand Phil and Teds which is fantastic and I am buying a second hand car seat. I have also been doing a bit of baby sewing, I have made 16 triangular shaped pre-fold nappies and I have knitted a wool cover to go over the top. If I get time I think Ill do another couple. Im also going to find the time to sew a sun shade for the car seat and two fleece foot muffs for the pram.

So...I am feeling just about ready but it really does feel like the calm before the storm! A newborn as adorable as they are will throw life around here into chaos for at least a few months but the advantage of having my third baby is that I know that is going to happen, I know that it will all fall back into place and that as hard as it is a new life is so wonderful and amazing and I will be trying to cherish every minute because this is definitly my last bub. I can't wait to meet her!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Raggy Quilt

I have been wanting to make one of these for a while because they are a quick and easy project. Yesterday we decided to take the kids to the park but it started raining on the way and ended up in Warrnambool so I dropped into Spotlight. They had a sale on Flanalette so I decided to stock up. I made do with what they had though for this quilt, there wasn't a very big range. Ideally I would have only used two or three prints and then used solid colours but there was heaps of prints and hardly any suitable solid colours left so I just sort of grabbed a range of prints in different sizes and colours.

I made the quilt for my new little bub that is likely to arrive late June and Im glad I did it for her. The squares did take a while to cut out, a couple of hours,  the total sewing time was about two to three hours but it didnt help that the thread in my machine kept snapping. I should have invested in some better quality cotton. The seam snipping would have taken forever except I bought myself a pair of little scissors with a spring that made the job really quick, probably about 30 minutes, so overall a very quick and easy project! I didnt use any batting though, I just kept it more as a throw over quilt that can be used in the cot or on the floor as a rug and as she gets bigger its the perfect size for snuggling up on the couch in front of the TV.

I used a few different tutorials to figure out the best way to make it, if you want to have a try THIS is a good one. She doesn't quilt the squares though like I did.

Im going to make a few more of these as I have lots of friends having babies in the next few months. I might try a quilting shop though for some more flanalette options though.

With the left over fabric from the quilt I made I am going to make a Bunting for the nursery to hang on the wall above the cot. That will be in my next post.