Just dropping in, workroom in progress June 18, 2007

It’s kind of scary keeping this blog, I’ve tried to post every two weeks, but life just seems to get in the way.  It’s making me more aware of the passing weeks, and my babies growing before my eyes.  It’s hard to step back sometimes from the washing, cleaning etc. and to just soak them up before it’s gone in a flash. 

The thing is I’d love to be able to post every day, every day I have things going round my head that I could talk about.  But I rarely get chance to write them on paper, why can’t you find a pen when you need one!!  So writing on the computer is even harder.

Crafting and making things has come to a standstill, as with a 10 week old baby we decided it would be the perfect time to do some decorating!!!! Are we mad E is 14 weeks old and we’ve still got some stuff to empty out of the workroom.  I can’t wait for it to be finished but it’s gonna be a long haul.  Here’s a few photos of the before.

A complete mess, fabric everywhere, a rickety old table that vibrates so much when you’re sewing I’m sure I’ve got RSI from the vibrations, and a huge computer cabinet in the corner.  So it’s time for change, we now have the pc in the lounge, on a more streamlined desk, plus new flat screen (thanks dad!) 

I’ve already bought a table top and legs from Ikea, I want something waist height so i can cut and sew standing up (I’m sure that comes from 10 yrs standing as a florist), plus a stool for when my legs give way!!  So hopefully it’ll be done soon, you really don’t want to be decorating when the weather’s nice though, I’m secretly hoping for wet weekends so we can get it finished.

Laundry love it or hate it April 27, 2007

Another two weeks have whizzed by, we’re slowly getting into some sort of routine, completely led by E.  Which I’m glad about, she’s feeding whenever she likes, (which can be often!!!), and sleeping well at night (waking a couple of times).  She actually slept in the bedside cot last night (she’s been in our bed upto now), with no fuss or crying, a complete contrast to when L was little.  We were so strict about her having to sleep in the carrycot from day one, we spent most of our nights running up and down the stairs replacing the dummy!!  Hindsight is an amazing thing, ‘why would a newborn that had been held close in the womb for nine months happily sleep in a box all on it’s own’.  It’s nice to just go with the flow and let her do things at her own pace.

I love this shot taken by my 3 1/2 year old.

Anyway back to the post title I have been amazed and aghast at the recent bloggings about clotheslines in the US, it seems that in some places it’s actually against the law to hang your washing out! Check out this  NY times article.  Why are consumerism and wealth seen as the be all and end all in the US, not hanging your washing out because it makes you look poor, come on!!!

It just wouldn’t enter my head to put laundry in a tumble dryer if it wasn’t raining (even then I prefer to hang it in the house).  As a student, and living in flats over the years, I’ve always hung my washing, and would hang it on coat hangers at the window to dry.  There’s even a project in the US, to try and educate people about hanging laundry. 

I don’t enjoy the laundry, but my eldest loves helping out, passing the pegs and the clothes to be hung.  She’s even been spending time drawing clotheslines recently!!  I love these.

The little character at the bottom is Mr Jingles, and apparantly he lives in a ‘teeny tiny house that grows and grows when he climbs inside’.

Here’s my youngest contribution to the laundry, one days worth of nappies!!!. 

Must go the laundry’s piling up as we speak, there’s a load in the washer to hang, and a basket full to be folded (there’s nothing like folding newborn clothes though!!).

4 weeks on April 15, 2007

Is it really 4 weeks since E was born!  It’s been a pretty calm, relaxing few weeks, getting used to being 4 instead of 3.  We haven’t ventured too far, the furthest being my friend’s in Harrogate, and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (I couldn’t not go and see Andy Goldsworthy on my doorstep).

L has been fantastic, a bit trying at times having her here all day (nursery starts again next week ) but very tolerant of all the feeding.  Here’s a pic of her in full flow, I can watch her for hours when she’s so involved in something, it’s as if time stands still for her she’s so engrossed in what she’s doing.

Not much crafting going on I still haven’t finished the ripple blanket!!  But remember this tablecloth, I managed to make L a smocket, it’s gorgeous but no photos unfortunately as she thought otherwise and is still to try it on, it’s in her dressing up box now!!!  So I had to make a mini one, for somebody who doesn’t have a choice what she wears!

It turned out a bit small, I reduced the pattern by 50%, so I’m gonna have another go with some fabric to match these booties.  But it’s so cute, great for summer over a vest.

Apart from that we’ve been enjoying ths sun, here’s some pics from our garden.

I used this great little program mentioned by Heather.  And more flow from L.

New Life March 25, 2007

I’m sat here no more than 3 metres away from the spot my lovely bundle of newness was born!!  This is E about 3 minutes old!!

 I’m so lucky to have had the birth I sooooo desperately wanted, she was born on Tuesday the 13th at home in water.  It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had.  My eldest daughter was born in hospital, and I had a epidural, I’m not saying her birth wasn’t equally as amazing, but I did have lots of doubts about the way she came into the world.  Which made me determined that this time it would be different, I felt completely in control which I didn’t with my daughter.  I had no pain relief this time, apart from the tens machine and the birth pool, and I’d do it all again!!!  We’re enjoying lots of snuggles, my husband’s back at work next week, so real life has to start again.

 I’ve managed to do some crafting, and I’ve found some great things at the local charity shops that I’d like to post (we’ve spent the weekends just before birth going to a nearby town and trawling the charity shops – somewhere to go that wasn’t to far at home – I think my husband has caught the thrifting bug!!!)

I’ll sort out some photos and post them next week.

 ttfn, I’ve got a baby to cuddle