Dear Addison - Week 1

Dear Addison,

The first week of your life in the real world is now complete. Your Mum and Dad are smitten by you and each day we fall more in love with you. You gave us a bit of a scare when you rushed into the world, the fluid in your lungs didn't drain properly and there were 3 times when you choked on the fluid and turned purple. Luckily the midwives at the hospital were amazing and rushed you off to get the fluid suctioned quick smart. We stayed an extra night in hospital because your Mum was scared it would happen at home. Luckily after 48 hours the fluid and mucous had left your little body one way or another.

From the very beginning you fed like a champ. There have been no issues with latching or swallowing and you get so much milk that I'm sure you will double in size in no time. There have also been lots of dirty nappies for Dad to change - no issues in that department either.

Sleeping in general hasn't been too much of an issue, it's just where you sleep. At the hospital you wouldn't have a bar of the cot there and Mum wanted you close anyway. When we got home you still preferred warm cuddles from Mum or Dad and as soon as we tried to put you in your bassinet you would fuss and protest until you were in our arms again.

I thought you wouldn't like being swaddled because you always have your hands up by your face but Dad decided to try it after a night of very restless sleep for all of us and it turns out it's the only way you like to sleep in your bassinet. We think it is because you can't distract yourself with your hands as well as feeling all snug and secure. Since then getting you to sleep has been a lot easier. It all goes out the window when you forgot you needed to burp or decide you haven't had enough food though.

You are a pretty chilled out baby so far - long may that last. You don't usually scream the house down and just make little whimpers when it is food time again. It probably helps that we get to you before things get too crazy. You are getting more and more alert and your blue eyes are staying open for longer as you take in the world. You love to hang out with Dad on the couch while Mum sleeps.

On Day 7 your cord fell off when the midwife was checking you over. It was a bit disconcerting because we were having pancakes and bacon for breakfast and the cord looked like a piece of overcooked bacon. Good thing they didn't get mixed up right?

My favourite part of you is your hair. It is so soft to touch and it seems to calm you down when it is stroked too. Your first outing was on Day 4 where you went to a catch up with some ladies who are having babies at the same time as your Mum. Since you were a little early you were the first baby there and got lots of attention. We also had to stop off and get you some smaller clothes because everything else was swimming on you. We were only out for a couple of hours but it was certainly long enough and we all had naps when we got home.

Each day we are seeing more and more of the little girl that you are already growing up to be. Stay sweet, stay chilled out and I hope and pray that you grow up feeling loved and secure.

Bring on Week 2!

Introducing...

Dave and I are proud to introduce our new addition!

Addison was born last Saturday morning at 8.39am and weighed a delicate 3.085kg. I was induced at bang on 38 weeks and my labour (once contractions kicked in) was super fast and she was here in no time. She fed like a champ from the word go and is generally a pretty chilled out girl.

Featuring handmade blankets by Sophie Slim and Hollymayb

36 Weeks Pregnant

It is now officially 3 days until I am 'full term' at 37 weeks and it is possible for this little girl to come at any time! She has her head down but hasn't engaged yet so I might have a few more weeks of waiting. Either way in no more than 5 weeks time there will be a baby in our lives. CRAZY!

This week:

• We survived a week away in sunny Nelson while Dave was working and I was tagging along. I managed to visit most of the local op shops and I think Dave came home better off, with a bunch of vintage tools that is now my 'thing' to look out for. My favourite place was definitely the Nelson Recycling Centre where there are two separate 'shops' - the front shop is an op shop with prices attached and they do a weekly auction with the most collectable items. The back shop is an organised junk yard where you can wander freely, pick what you want and take it to the counter for a very reasonable price. It reminds me of Christchurch's Eco Store back when it was behind Cowles Stadium pre-earthquake.
  
• Now that I am home I can start nesting and relaxing and figuring out what to do with my remaining days where my brain is still functioning. So far there has been some room organising, some decorating, lots of baking and a lot of Veronica Mars. Fun fact - there are SO many cameos in this show - Jesse from Breaking Bad, Paris Hilton, Schmidt from New Girl and I'm sure many more to pop up as I keep watching. Since the show is nearly 10 years old I think these guys did awesome to cameo.
  
•  I get to eat breakfast! The last 3 years of work involved me waking up around 6, throwing on clothes and walking out the door for a 7am start. Now I can sit down and enjoy my porridge and decaf coffee! Luxury!
  
• Killer has been super clingy since we got back from Nelson. I wouldn't be surprised if she has figured out something is going to happen. She isn't going to like it though - babies freak her out. Too bad though because it is happening!
  
• A lot of people tell me my bump is little for how far along I am. She is growing perfectly well though so I am claiming lucky that I am not feeling like a hippo right now. In saying that though, bending over is almost out of the question, as is rolling over in bed without help. Sitting down also involves her attacking my ribs or trying to push a foot out of my side.
  
• My belly button is still an innie, just a shallowish one though. I think I will miss the belly button pop this time around.
  
• Being home during the day means that I can spend time in the kitchen doing things that usually take a while. So far I have baked a loaf of bread from scratch - no breadmaker here, Stewed a bunch of apples from our tree, made a giant batch of pulled pork (cooking away right now) and a box of delicious feijoas has arrived as I write. My parents send me a box down every year since they have a glut and the prices down here at the moment are $9.99kg! They will be both eaten fresh and stewed over the next couple of days. YUM!
  
• And don't worry, I have been putting my feet up and resting as much as I can!

xx

My First Feature!

In the blog world, there are a lot of voices. Some trying desperately to be heard and some just a whisper in a dark room, meant only for the author.
I try to keep my blog an interesting mix of inspiration, tips and tutorials, life updates and if I'm honest, a bit of bragging. But that bragging serves to be the inspiration for some and I'm ok with that.

With the rise of Pinterest, a lot of blogs have popped out of the woodwork and I am happy to say that through one of my tutorials being pinned, I have been featured on an Indie Crafts website in the US. It is generating a bunch of page views for me and I am stoked that little old me has done something worth noticing.

You can see the feature over on Craft Gossip

You can also find the original post HERE

I'm pretty glad I made my bed look nice for that photo!

xx Thanks for reading and supporting this little blog of mine.

34 Weeks Pregnant

34 weeks down, in no more than 6-8 weeks, we will have a loud, crazy, beautiful baby in our lives!

Things are flying by now, and the reality that this baby is coming soon is setting in. The hospital bag is mostly packed, we have enough warm woolen clothes and a cozy bed for her and the rest we will play by ear I think! I am looking forward to seeing how this baby girl will fit into and change our lives.

This week:

• Is my last week at work. Tomorrow is my last day! I have been working at the same little cafe for 3 years and the routine is so familiar that I could do the job in my sleep - in fact I start at 7am and the first hour does pretty much involve me go through the motions in zombie-mode.  Work has become pretty hard these last couple of weeks, 9 hours a day on my feet as well as a lot of bending and lifting is taking its toll on my body. Now is definitely the right time to hang up my apron. I am so going to miss it though, 3 years has made me so familiar with the locals and regulars and I know their stories and they know mine. I have promised to have a couple of days at the cafe when Baby C is here so everyone can have cuddles.
  
• Dave and I get our last chance to get away and have a mini break next week - well Dave is working but I get to tag along to *hopefully* sunny Nelson. The hospital bag and car seat are packed up 'just in case' but here's hoping we get a nice relaxing week. I have been saving up a few books to read which I can't wait to get into.
  
•  Baby C is growing really well and is doing pretty good at being in a good position. Her head is down and she keeps flicking her spine from back to front so all is well in utero.
  
• The only thing about her getting bigger is the way she has wedged her thigh and bum under my ribs. It makes sitting, leaning forward, bending over and eating very tricky.
  
• Right now, Baby C is weighing in at approx 2.3kg. All on track for a nice average sized baby. Sounds good to me!
  
• My baby shower was so lovely and I had so much fun eating food, playing games and being generally overwhelmed by all the crazy cool gifts that my friends generously gave!
• I dug out my old tri-pillow, added some extra stuffing and made a new pretty cover for it and it has revolutionized my couch sitting and bed sleeping. So comfy!
  
• Killer keeps trying to hang out on my lap and getting frustrated when she finds my bump in the way. She is terrified of babies and young children so it will be very interesting to see how she handles a full time new flatmate!

Home stretch now! xx

DIY Dining Table Re-Style

Our new home is much, much smaller than our last rental and doesn't have a dining room as such. We survived about 8 months of eating dinner off our knees until Dave had the awesome idea of re-purposing our old dining table which was braving the elements outside.

It was looking a little worse for wear, it had a couple of splits in the wood from getting wet but that didn't stop Dave. A round table was never going to fit in the corner of our lounge so Dave cut the table into the biggest square he could out of what he had. Some slightly difficult math went into this process and it went straight over my poor pregnant head. I did however, manage to get proof that I did help a tiny bit with this project - as you can see in one of the photos I was Chief Ruler Holder.

Dave's latest tool purchase was a router and he bought a fancy bit to pretty up the new edge of the table. He also decided not to stain or varnish it but just let natural oils build up and give it character. 

I am so proud of the work Dave did, it is a pretty professional job and I just love sitting at the dinner table each night with the TV off and enjoying our food.

DIY Neck and Shoulder Wheat Pack

I own a bunch of wheat packs, most courtesy of Holly over at Hollymayb. When she did a giant stash clean out, I walked away with some nice heavy drill cotton and a bag full of wheat (among many other things!).
The other night I decided that having a wheat pack that I could put around my neck and have it stay there would be pretty awesome. So off I went and after an evening sitting at the sewing machine, I put this sucker in the microwave and ended the night in bliss.

Luckily I remembered to take progress shots for this tutorial but I winged this pattern so sorry for the inconsistancies!

 You will need:

• 2x pieces of A4 paper taped together down the long sides.

• Piece of drill cotton or heavy fabric approx 50cm x 60 cm

• 550g Wheat (available from bulk bin stores such as Bin Inn)

• Scissors

• Sewing Machine with co-ordinating thread

• Sewing Pins

• Funnel or Rolled up paper to make a funnel.

I made the pattern up by wrapping the paper around my neck and cutting and changing it until it felt right, hence the wacky measurements. I also folded it in half widthwise to get it symmetrical.

Hopefully the pictures say more than my ramblings but if you have any questions, please ask!

If you make one of these, leave a link in the comments to a picture of it, I would love to see!