38 Weeks!

Can you believe it? Only 2 weeks to go? WOW {hand slapping against forehead!} I know I say it every week.... but man how time has flown! I can't believe the Peabody bump is only going to be around for another 2 weeks then we'll have a little Lam to look after! Sweet! (And scary!) I will miss "Peabody" the baby inside who goes everywhere with me and bumps me and gets the hiccups and loves Chocolate and pushes hard when Rihanna/Kanye's "All of the lights" comes on the radio. Is that a weird thing to say? There may be a little bit of separation anxiety there! But I am also becoming more excited (and not just worried cos I know nothing) about meeting the real baby inside and seeing who it looks like and discovering all the personality traits that I will recognise from Peabody and starting this new adventure as parents with Willy! I am really looking forward to it now :) And every day I think I'm going to wake up and ask "Is today the day?"
I've pretty much read all of Save our Sleep now, so I'm a bit more confident about when to feed Peabody and when to rest them etc, though I still haven't found my Birth Skills book. Is it at your house?
:) C

The Friday project unveiled!

Hi y'all!
Well did you have a good old guess at what yesterday's project was from my iphone pic? Yvette guessed an owl, which was a good guess seeing as I love owls, but I've already made Peabody an owl so no. It was..... a Mr Hedgehog taggie!
I got the idea after buying my pinking shears to make a small felt Hedgehog for Peabody and I was thinking what else I could make using the pinking shears (it turns out it's addictive to cut things in a zig zag. Who knew?) I drew out this pattern at work one night and decided to make it into a taggie (a toy with tags of ribbon for baby to hold on to) cos that sounded pretty cool. And I have about a trillion different ribbons so it was going to be a good way to use some of them!
Initially I was going to make him all out of felt, but then when I looked through my fabric collection I realised if I make everything out of felt there will be no use for the stash of pretty fabrics I've been hoarding for a rainy day {wink!}. So I gathered some brown and aqua fabrics & ribbons and set to work! I was on a roll yesterday til I broke my sewing machine needle. D'oh! So I used last night to hand sew the eyeballs on and his nose on and sew some eyebrows (cos what Hedgehog doesn't have eyebrows, honestly...) and then this morning I found a spare sewing machine needle and I finished him off {high five!} I am so proud of how he turned out!! I just love him and I hope Peabody does too! And I'm so proud cos I thought of it all on my own and drew the pattern and it actually turned out exactly as I wanted {happy dance!}
So here is all the sewing I've done for Peabody, lovingly arranged in the lined basket Mum made using some beautiful bird-nest fabric I bought at Spotlight and a basket we got as a food hamper for our Engagement (hooray, recycling!) Thanks Mum!
So hooray, another one of my "Maternity Leave Projects" out of the way! Now I just have to scrap about 40 pages before Peabody is born. LOL!!
:) C

A late Friday afternoon project!

So as I was laying down today having my mandatory rest period after shopping (I took your advice Mum!) I was checking out etsy on my phone & was inspired to come downstairs and make a toy for Peabody. I'd drawn out this pattern a few weeks ago but hadn't gotten around to doing it, but I had renewed energy today & came down to my studio and here it is in the making! Can u guess what it is? If it turns out {tongue in cheek} I'll post a proper pic of the finished toy!
:) C



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A typical day for Willy

I took this pic at work in February, cos I knew I would be finishing work soon and wouldn't get to see this hard-working soul bust his gut every day for us! I am so thankful to have a husband who thinks nothing of working hard in order to look after his family. And you know, I have never once heard Will complain or say "I've been working so hard, I deserve some time off" or "I don't want to go to work" or "Don't you know how hard I work for you?". Nope. Never. Not once. In fact, it is usually me who says "You're sick, I don't want you to go to work today!" If it was me I would never stop whinging about how hard I was working and how everyone takes it for granted and doesn't put in their fair share (obviously I'm not made of stern, responsible, work-hard machinery like Will is!)
And he is about to be the provider for yet another little mouth and he wants to work harder? What kind of super-human being is this? {staring in amazement}.
I wanted to make a page to capture just how hard he works for us and so I'd have something to look at to remind me of this when he's at work at night and I'm at home tending to Peabody's needs! LOL! Don't you love the Periodic Table of the Elements paper? I did! Is that the nerd in me (BSc Microbiology to be exact)? Hehehe.
Thank you Willy, you really are the best provider I have ever seen, the most responsible, loyal, giving, loving, and selfless person. Love xoxo
:) C

37 Weeks!

Yep, we've made it to 37 Weeks which technically means I am full term! Hooray! At my Antenatal appt this morning Dr Jenkins cancelled all my further ultrasounds cos he's happy with my result from last week which is also a good sign! He said I was doing very very well, Peabody is right on the 50% mark for size and his/her heartbeat is good and strong, the CTG looks good, Peabody is still bumping constantly with no sign of slowing down, my tummy looks good, my sugars have been well controlled and Peabody is head-down. Though he said not engaged yet so he doesn't expect Peabody to be born in the next week. Yay, I get a little more relaxing time! Thanks Peabody {smooch!} I'm pretty sure Dr J would have given me a high five if only there wasn't a social-work student in the room {giggle}.
I have also begun to read "Save our Sleep" and had almost finished my Birth Skills book but only now I have misplaced it, so I have to live with the skills I've already read about. Oops {slapping forehead because of my bad memory!}
Check out my trakkie pants and home-hair in this pic. LOL! That's what you get when you don't have to go to work anymore!
:) C

Preparing for Peabody Pages

I am so far behind in posting the scrap pages I have done for Peabody! You probably haven't seen the half of them yet! I feel like doing a bit more scrapping today, gotta run and do some grocery shopping first then I'm gonna enjoy some time at my desk I think. Oh guess what, I'm on Maternity Leave now! Yep! I finished work last Friday {sigh/hooray!}- yes it's a little of both. I {sigh} because I will miss my friends and being with Will all night, but {hooray} because I was getting Uber tired by the end of the night and am going to enjoy some much needed rest time off before Peabody is born. That's the plan anyway, unless Peabody has other ideas! I've been having lots of Braxton-Hicks contractions again lately, but nothing as big as 2 weeks ago so my muscles are just practicing inside and getting themselves ready!
So I have done some pages of our Peabody Prep- e.g. Painting our gorgeous wooden Change Table/Drawers (from Best Price Furniture at Manly- I recommend that place for good quality Australian made furniture!!) and putting the pram together. I wanted to scrap these events, even though they seem like small things, cos it shows how exciting and new the lead up to parenting is for us! We are both very excited :) I am slightly nervous now that Peabody is due in only 3 weeks {eek!} but Will has been a really good support and has his to-do list ready for when I go into labour! Which I guess could be any time now really. Well, I hope Peabody gives me a bit of rest time before he/she comes! I actually slept last night for 9 hours, so Mum, I am trying to build up my sleep in the sleep bank! I do have lots on my to-do list though, so I have trouble sleeping in in the morning cos I want to get busy! I must learn to rest. Cos there wont be much of that happening after 3 weeks!
:) C

Made in China... gifts.

Hi y'all!
Well, Will's Mum got back from China yesterday and brought with her a MOUNTAIN of gifts for Peabody! Will's cousins (well, second cousins really) in Hong Kong own a Bra factory so sent back some (interesting looking) Maternity bra's for me... I have yet to try them on... I'm not sure they realise whities and asians have slightly different body shapes! LOL! But another cousin sent me a lovely solid silver bangle which was really nice of them {score!} and also 2 tiny ones exactly the same, only with bells on them, for Peabody! Oh they are so cute! Peabody also got a tiny jade bangle from another cousin. So spoilt! I was a bit worried about the kind of clothing that would be sent back from China, but it's not too bad! There are certainly heaps to choose from so I'm sure Peabody will wear most of them! They are mostly large sizes though, about a 0 or 1, so Peabody will have to wait a bit. One confusing thing is why they sent 4 of the same outfit, in 2 different sizes? Weird. But they did that with 3 onesies! I guess I better not get sick of that one!
And Will's Mum brought all this back for Peabody too (second pic). She hardly bought herself anything cos she said it was too expensive in HK these days (she last went 10 years ago!) but she didn't hold back when it came to Peabody! She even bought 2 baby carriers, one in pink and one in blue. I hope they would pass Australian Safety Standards if we were to test them. Hehehehe {nervous laugh}. I love the big blue puffy outfit on the far right! So funny! And I told Will his Mum thinks Peabody is a boy and look at all the blue stuff she bought! There is hardly a pink thing there!
Well Peabody, I don't think you are ever going to have to go naked!
:) C

A Baby Belongs Here..

It's oh so sweet. That little feeling I get down in my tummy, about where Peabody's hands are gently punching at my lower organs, that warm and fuzzy feeling, when I look at this shelf and the things on it! I wanted a shelf for Peabody's things and we bought a Lack shelf from IKEA a few weeks ago, and today Will finally put it up above the TV (pretty much the only free space left in our room!). All afternoon, as I have looked at the TV and my eyes drift gently upwards, I see the shelf and all the sweet little baby things on it, and I think "A Baby belongs in this room!" Oh it is so sweet! Its finally becoming a real thing now!
On the shelf is Peabody's little Woodland of animals, Lewis & Hamilton, the Bunny from Mum and Dad for Easter, Mum's knitted owl & felt mushroom, Goober the Bear from Cooper and Sienna and the original Winnie the Pooh (not the ultra-orange Disney version!) I have had for years in my glory box which just made its way from Mum and Dad's for Peabody! Peabody's 5 books are there too along with a gorgeous Owl frame from Felicity which is waiting for a pic of Peabody! I think we might finally bring the Bassinet up from downstairs and make it all up ready too. Wow, it really is the homestretch!
:) C

36 Weeks!

Happy Easter and Anzac Day! (I'm gonna say Happy Anzac Day cos I'm happy and thankful for my Grandpa, Grandma & Poppy who served in WWII and my Great Grandfather (Poppy's dad) who served in WWI who allowed me the opportunity to live in a happy and free country. I hope you were thankful for our Diggers today too :))
I'm 36 weeks along and I'm thinking it's the homeward stretch now. I just saw the little Baby icon on my blog sidebar which told me it's 28 days til Peabody is due... {sigh/freak out/apprehension/excitement/smiley!} So many emotions attached to that one date! Last night I dreamt I had Peabody today and it was a boy and we had taken him out shopping and Will was telling everyone his name was Cameron. I said "But that's not what we named him" and Will was like "It's his decoy name, I don't want to tell strangers his real name". LOL!! What a random dream! And no, Cameron is not on the list, otherwise we'd end up with Cam Lam and that's just weird!
I finally bought myself Tizzy Hall's "Save our Sleep" book. I found it in BigW for only $27 and was satisfactorily worried enough that I don't know anything about sleep patterns and feeding patterns for babies that it was time I splashed out and bought it! Now to read it in the next 4 weeks. Well, 4 weeks max really cos Peabody's head is down and ready to go! Though one of my friends said her little one was engaged for 6 weeks before she arrived so I'm not rushing to the hospital just yet.
I am really looking forward to my maternity leave starting, I've only got 3 shifts left at work! At the same time I am sad cos I will miss seeing Will 24/7 and will miss my work friends and I'm hoping I'll be a good mother {nervous smile}. I guess it's good to know I will miss work a bit, which means I might be more excited to go back after a year. We'll see! LOL! I'm hoping we can go to Pancakes at the Rocks after work Thursday night as a celebration, cos it's my fave after-work snack! LOL!
:) C

Baby Shower Bracelet

How cool is this idea? Yvette organised for all the ladies at my Baby Shower to bring along a bead which she made into a bracelet on the day for me to wear and think of all the support I can count on from family and friends during the pregnancy, labour and afterwards! What a special thing to do! I wish I knew which bead was from who though, I haven't gotten around to asking everybody, so if you see yours let me know! Yvette did say there were too many for one bracelet though, I knew I had too many friends {tongue in cheek!} I picked Mum's out {smiles} cos it looked like her kind of bead- can you pick it? It's the teal oval bead with a tiny pink flower inside it! She said she kept the other one (cos they were a pair) and she wanted to make it into a bracelet to wear so she would think of me. Isn't that sweet! Felicity's is the silver ball with silver swirls on it, Alicia's is the hot pink hexagon and Yvette I don't know which one was yours! Whenever I have worn it to work my work friends are like "Oh, you're wearing your bracelet!" cos they like seeing their beads :)
Thank you so much for organising this Yvette, i just love it!
:) C

Sewing for Peabody

Hi y'all!
Yay, it's only day 2 of our 5 day Easter Long Weekend, hooray! This means I can get heaps of stuff done for Peabody and also get Hotel d'Lam cleaned up a bit before my MIL returns from China on Monday. Apparently Will's cousins have been giving his Mum lots of stuff to bring back for Peabody, so I'm interested to see what she brings! Is it going to be those (sometimes gorgeous) Asian Puff-ball dresses, or a bunch of horrible character outfits made from hot, scratchy, flammable, unbreathable fabrics? {giggles} I'm really excited to see! LOL!
As you know, Peabody's nursery corner is "Woodland Themed" (yet to be all set up though- better get moving {sound of whip cracking behind me!}) so I have had all these cool ideas of some toys to make for Peabody, including a Woodland Mobile. Well, this week I have finished off 4 more Felt animals which takes my total up to 6! Hooray! I have sewn them all onto red ribbon loops so that they didn't have to be permanantly fixed to anything. At this stage I will probably peg some to the "hood" bars that go over the bassinet which holds the mosquito net, then I could also tie one to another long ribbon loop for the pram etc. Then when Peabody goes into a cot I will probably make the mobile then. I figure they're probably quite multi-purpose when they're sewn to a ribbon loop! I got the idea for them from Etsy, where there are so many gorgeous felt animals and baby mobiles! But there was no way I was going to pay $70 for one! Not when I have 2 hands of my own to make them with!! The idea for the moose, fox and hedgehog all came from finger puppets on etsy, the mushroom and cloud are like Japanese ones I've seen around and the rabbit just came from my head. I still have a lot more animals in my head, so I should keep on sewing this weekend!
And here is the Nanna Knitted Knee Rug (well, crocheted, but it doesn't alliterate as well) I was telling Yvette about, that I bought from the Hospital Auxiliary on one of our Antenatal Visits. The old dear's always have a stand at the Hospital and one day as we were walking out this rug caught my eye and I bought it! (For the bargain price of $14 too, including a face washer and vanilla scented sachet!). I loved the gray and yellow colours and knew it would be suited to Peabody's Woodland room, especially seeing as it is non-gender specific and we don't know if Peabody is a girl or boy ! I thought it would be handy for throwing on our floor to give Peabody some tummy time, cos we've got floorboards throughout the house, and the rug is nice and soft & squishy. Mum said it's made from pretty good Wool too so that was good to hear! I loved supporting the Hospital Auxiliary and I always stop past their stall now, though haven't bought anything else yet. I really can't believe I will have only 4 more weeks of visiting the hospital before Peabody is born! How time is flyyyyyiiinnnnggg (eek!)
:) C

Urban Renewal- its been like forever!

So, it has been forever since I did a little "Urban Renewal" project around here. I have had this one in my mind for a long time, after I saw something like it in Real Living Mag, and it involved painting the wall behind our bed in dark grey and putting up a photo collage with different black, white and grey picture frames with all my favourite pics in it. I bought 2 sample pots of grey paint before we moved in and kept asking Will could we try them on the wall and we never did and then we moved in and now it's impossible (well, given my current pregnant status) for me to move everything out of our room to paint that wall! So I gave up on that bit and last Saturday I gathered the frames (still in assorted boxes from our move 4.5 months ago!) and did the photo collage! And I'm really happy with how it turned out too :) I have the idea that I would let the wall "Grow" with us too, so once Peabody comes along I can add some more frames to the outside with pics of Peabody and more family holidays, once we go on them :) Should be fun to choose and add more pictures! Will asked would I be covering the side walls too... well.... maybe! When I was on exchange in Germany a friend's host family had holiday pics in a photo collage kinda-setting all up the walls of their stairwell. All of theirs were even in the same A4 red frame. It really looked cool and as a visitor I spent ages on that staircase looking at all the places they had been as a family! I hope looking at our photo collage wall will be like looking at a snapshot of our lives!
:) C

35 Weeks!

Ouch, 35 Weeks is turning out to be the hurty week!
I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions on and off for a couple of weeks, but none in the last week. I think Peabody has been saving it all up for tonight cos I had one mega ouchy contraction-type feeling tonight! {owie!} I was at work, doing our end-of-night check of the dept when I all of a sudden got the big ouchy tight-as-a-rock tummy which stopped me in my tracks! Luckily Willy was there cos he quickly said "Do your exercises!" which involved me leaning over some machinery and swaying side to side to help ease the tension in my tummy. It worked! Hooray! {clapping hands} I couldn't believe how much my mind went blank and I couldn't think of what to do to stop it from hurting! I'm so happy Willy was there! Later he was like "I think you stopped breathing properly too".... ok, so there are a couple of things I think we need to write down to remind me of what to do during labour! 1.Breathe, 2. Exercises, 3. Stomping Feet (to confuse finicky brain away from the contraction pain) 4. Visualisation (I'm not big on meditation, but I do believe in having a positive attitude so maybe this will work!) 5. Remember it is healthy pain (maybe this is the positive thinking bit!) cos that pain tonight is probably no where near as bad as the real thing will be!
I do feel Peabody is much lower these days, but is still moving around heaps too so mustn't be too ready to come out just yet! I have been having stretching pain at the sides of my tummy cos it's soooooo out the front and my lower back muscles have started hurting this week too, I think they're having a hard time balancing this giant ball out my front! But I can't complain too much, I think I have had a relatively easy pregnancy so far without any Morning Sickness and not too many aches and pains, so Thank You Lord!! I hope it continues this way!
:) C