Nursery Tour

As promised I finally have some photos of Squishy's finished nursery to share with you all.  I am pretty much in love with this room.  I tend to go in there and just hang out randomly during the day.  The room was based on the fabrics I bought to make Squishy's quilt.  Once I had those everything else was tailored to match.  But that's enough chat, onto the photos....

Once we choose a name (we have narrowed it down to 2 choices) I would like to put her name along the wall above her cot.  I am debating whether to do plain white letters or paint them or cover them in scrapbook paper.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

And because I always look at room tours and think "oh I want one of those" here is a bit of a breakdown of the items I made (and tutorials used) and the items I bought.

Quilt - made by me (using this tutorial)
Cot Sheets - made by me (using this tutorial)
Cot Skirt - made by me (no tutorial used)
Tissue Paper Pom Poms - made by me (various tutorials for these can be found online)
Cot & Change Table - Boori Urbane from Baby Bunting
Armchair - Ikea
Owl Cushion - made by me (details here)
Teddy Bear - made by me (details here)
Dresser - Corey's old ones revamped (details here)
Noddy Book Box - from a little hippy shop in St Kilda (not sure of the name)
Rabbit Night Light - Lark Made
Pink Suitcases - That's 2 Cute
Mixer Toy - vintage - was my mum's when she was a kid
Alice In Wonderland Print - Shannon Markets
ABC Print - is actually wrapping paper bought from a little shop on Brunswick Street
Bookshelf - Kmart

The Good, The Bad & The Bump(y)

The Good

• Long weekends with Corey.  He usually only has 1 day off on the weekends so 3 day weekends are extra special.
• Crossing things of my to do list. It's a great feeling getting things accomplished.
• Having a clean and tidy house. Nesting is in full swing!

The Bad

• Restless nights.
• Waiting, waiting and more waiting....

The Bump

39 weeks and still waiting the arrival of Little Miss Squishy. I am so ready to meet my little munchkin and I am getting super duper impatient.  It's so hard not having any control over when she will arrive.  Especially for someone like me who loves to plan.  Apparently she is all set and ready to go so I am just waiting now and keeping my fingers crossed that she comes along soon.  Until then though I will keep crossing things off my list and trying to keep myself motivated until Squishy makes her appearance.

Maternity Leave Week 2

Spent some time relaxing at mum and dad's house with Roxy Foxy and reading the first magazine in my new subscription.

Finally finished the last project for Squishy's bedroom.

Turned some undelicious apples into some delicious muffins using this recipe.

Made some delicious white chocolate fudge that had to be shared with the in-laws to stop me eating the entire batch.

Did a little bit of sewing for Squishy.  Post to come on the finished product.

Made some delicious cheese & herb bread.  Recipe & post to come on this one soon too.

And I finished up the week with a little bit of knitting.

Here's hoping that this is my last week of maternity leave by myself because I am dying to meet my little girl!

Owl Cushion

I have finally finished the last project I wanted to get done for Little Miss Squishy's nursery.  I wanted to make a cushion for the nursing chair that we have in her room.  Originally I was going to make a crochet square cushion and embroider a monogram onto it once we chose her name.  However, when I saw this pattern I just couldn't resist making this adorable owl.

Pattern: Crochet Owl Cushion by Zoom Yummy
Hook: 4mm
Yarn: Moda Vera Marvel 8 ply
Start/End Date: 11/9/12 - 25/9/12

 

This cushion was actually really fast to make even though it actually took me two weeks.  I finished the front really quickly but then the poor thing sat neglected for over a week.  I finally picked the project back up yesterday and managed to finish the whole project in just a few hours.

 

So that is the last thing that I wanted to make for the nursery.  Now that is complete we are totally ready for Squishy to make her arrival.  And that means that I can share some nursery photos with you all.  Yay!!! Stay tuned for those soon.

The Good, The Bad & The Bump(y)

The Good

• Breakfast dates with Corey
• Movie nights with Corey
• Dinner dates with Corey
• Can you sense a theme here???

The Bad

• Not being able to get comfy to sleep.
• Keeping Corey awake because I am moving around so much at night trying to get comfy.
• Itching stretch marks - killing me!!!

The Bump

 

So here we are at week 38 and Little Miss Squishy is still sitting tight.  Apparently at my last doctors appointment she had moved down but he doesn't like my chances of her coming early.  We have been taking advantage of these last few moments of just the two of us with breakfast dates, movie dates and dinners out.  Last week I was feeling a bit unmotivated so this week I have written myself a list of ideas of things to do.  Nothing that I have to do just ideas for things to keep me motivated and not bored.  I'm feeling a lot better this week and getting used to being at home.  I am hoping to get some projects done to share with you guys this week so fingers crossed there is some crafty content on here soon.

Oh and before I forget a big congratulations to the lovely Veronica Darling whose little darling arrived safely this week.  Please jump over to her blog and give her your congratulations.  I know she will appreciate each and every comment.

 

The Good, The Bad & The Bump(y)

The Good

• Maternity leave!!! So glad to not have to drag my butt into the office anymore. It was getting exhausting.
• Family weekends away.
• Positive doctors appointments making me feel more relaxed about everything.
• Getting so close to meeting our little girl.

The Bad

• Tiredness! Luckily now I can sleep in and have afternoon naps to combat it.
• Not being able to decide on a name.
• Missing my girls from work.  It's weird not seeing them everyday.

The Bump

 

It's hard to believe that this is my first week of maternity leave.  It has come around so fast and I feel like someone is going to turn around and tell me to go to work one day.  Yesterday was my first day by myself and it was very strange.  I guess I should take advantage of the quiet alone time though because pretty soon things are going to be very different.  I am pretty excited for the change though.  It's going to be a hell of a ride and I can't wait.

Lemon Sorbet Pinafore

This has got to be the happiest little dress I have ever crocheted! Being that it is the only dress I have ever crocheted should not take away from the happiness.  The yellow is just so perfect! I love it.

Pattern: Angel Wings Pinafore (via Ravelry)
Wool: Moda Vera Marvel
Hook: 5mm
Start/End Date: 21/8 - 27/8

I used wool and buttons that were both from the stash so this dress was entirely free.  It was so easy to make and I think I might whip up another one for my niece who is due in a couple of weeks.  Once you get the shaping done it is just round after round of the same stitch.  It works up pretty quick while sitting in front of the tv.  I think I will get a lot of crochet done during maternity leave because I am planning on sitting in front of the tv and watching Pretty Little Liars for the first week at least.

The Good, The Bad & The Bump(y)

The Good

• My sister getting engaged to her perfect match!!! The most exciting news of the entire week.
• A night out with our friends to see Kitty Flanagan in Brisbane
• Spoiling Corey on father's day. Loads of fun!
• The smell of fresh baked bread
• Family dinner with mum and dad for father's day

The Bad

• Corey getting the flu. Hopefully I don't catch it and hopefully he gets better soon
• Breaking Corey's Heineken glass that made it all the way home from Ireland unscathed. Bad wife!
• More sleepless nights.

The Bump

Where exactly are these weeks disappearing to? I can't believe it is 35 weeks already. The time is just flying by.  Only 2 more weeks of work which also means only 2 more weeks till I see my beautiful sister.  I received a very exciting call from her on Saturday morning to let me know that her boyfriend had proposed.  He surprised her with a weekend trip to Sydney and proposed on Bondi beach.  I am so ridiculously happy for the both of them. They are perfect for each other!  I can't wait to see her in a few weeks and give her a big hug.  I have big plans for my maternity leave which involve a lot of relaxing, reading and soaking up the last few moments of calm before Squishy arrives.  Hopefully I can cross the last couple of things of my to do list in the next 2 weeks so I can take full advantage of my 3 weeks off.

Spring Has Sprung!

I love Spring! It is my favourite time of the year and this year it is going to be even more exciting.  There are so many things to look forward to this Spring:-

• Kitty Flanagan tonight at the Brisbane Powerhouse
• Corey's first father's day this Sunday
• Family trip to Woolgoolga in 2 weeks.
• Squishy's due date!!!
• My birthday
• Our first wedding anniversary
• Corey's birthday

It's all very very exciting stuff but obviously number one is the arrival of Little Miss Squishy. It is going to be an action packed 3 months and I can't wait!!!!

The Good, The Bad & The Bump(y)

The Good

• Corey starting working later so we get to spend the mornings together. It's a nice change to him leaving while I am still asleep.
• Buying the last little bits and pieces for Squishy. We did a shop of nappies, wipes, baby bath etc on the weekend so we are all stocked and ready!
• Packing part of my hospital bag. All Squishy's stuff is ready now just to pack my stuff.
• New pyjamas to take to hospital. I figured I deserved them after what I am going to go through :-)
• 3 weeks left of work!!!!
• 2 short weeks of work - Gold Coast public holiday this Friday and a day off for a hospital visit next Wednesday. Yay!!!

The Bad

• Trying to get comfy in bed is becoming really hard! Even my snuggle pillow isn't helping.
• Vomiting in my sleep. Not like projectile but in my throat. Wakes me up with a start and it's not very comfortable. I need to talk to my doctor about it tomorrow morning.
• Running out of work appropriate clothes. Lucky I only have to get through 3 more weeks.

The Bump

 

Holy moly check that belly! She is getting big in there. I am kind of worried about how big she is going to be given that I am going to have to get her out soon. Hopefully she has a little head :-)  Only 6 more weeks to go and 3 more weeks of work. To say I am excited is the understatement of the year. I seriously can't wait!!! Work is becoming a bit of a struggle because I haven't been sleeping well but I am lucky to have a really good team that I work with who help me out a lot.  This past weekend I figured I better start packing the hospital bag just in case she decides to make an early appearance.  I packed everything on my list that Squishy needs but I still need to pack my stuff.  I think I will do that this weekend.  Long weekend!!! I am very excited for the long weekend.  I love a good long weekend because usually Corey works Saturdays so we only have 1 day together.  But whenever there is a long weekend we get 3 whole days together. Very exciting!!! 

Holy Sheet!

Oh wow! Is it the baby brain making my blog titles go down hill? Let's hope so. Expect better title in approximately 7 weeks.

This weeks project for Squishy's room was to make her some sheets.  The room is slowly coming together and I have managed to get my to do list down to about 3 items which is exciting.  Especially considering we are so close to meeting her and the weeks just keep slipping by.

The sheets were loosely based on this tutorial by Dana Made It.  I read over it and then realised my measurements might be different.  To get my measurements I measured the length and width of the mattress then added the depth of the mattress plus 3 inches for a hem and to fit under the mattress.  They were actually really easy to make and nearly all the fabric was left over from the quilt.  I actually made 3 sheets for the cot but 2 of them were different pink stripes and looked basically identical in photos.

These were so easy I decided to whip up a few for the bassinet as well.  Considering the baby shop is selling bassinet sheets for $18 each this is a quick and easy way to save money.  I was a bit lazy with the bassinet sheets and simply lay the mattress on top of my fabric and cut around it.  They worked out perfectly though!

Making your own sheets is so quick and easy and for cribs and bassinets that don't need that much fabric they work out quite cheap compared to buying sheets.  And if your a bit anal about colours matching like I am you can make sure your sheets are the perfect match for the rest of your room.  When I have my last few items crossed off the list I will get a few more photos of the nursery to share with you.  Hopefully that will be within the next few weeks.

The Good, The Bad & The Bump(y)

The Good

• Going to the Big Brother live show last night. Lot's of fun!
• Mini pink suitcases for storage. Adorable!
• 4 weeks left of work. I am seriously counting down.
• Labour ward tour this at this weeks antenatal class. I am really looking forward to this.
• Sunday mornings spent at the markets.

The Bad

• Realising I should probably pack my bag for hospital but I have no idea what to pack!
• Crappy sleep. I think this item will be on the list from now until I stop doing these posts.

The Bump

I feel like I haven't grown much in the past few weeks in my belly but I think my butt has started growing :-) My jeans feel a little bit tighter.  I am not doing weekly doctors visits which is making the weeks go even faster.  I'm still not having much luck in the sleeping department and I spoke with my doctor who gave me some tips.  Nothing seems to be working though so I think I am just going to have to live with it.  I have a suspicion that it is because my brain is constantly thinking about what I have to do at work before I leave.  I have 3 big events in my last 2 weeks so my to do list is pretty big.  Once I am on maternity leave I will hopefully get more sleep.  Fingers crossed!  Apart from the sleep I am doing pretty good. I am just so ready to meet our little girl. I have had 2 friends have babies in the past 4 weeks and I am so jealous. I want my little one here so I can kiss and cuddle her. I said to Corey yesterday I am sick of talking to her through my belly. I just want to be able to look at her and smile at her.  Knowing my luck though she will be late just to try and teach me some patience.  Patience is not exactly my best attribute!

A Quilt....Finally!

That's right folks I have finally finished the quilt for Squishy's room.  I actually finished it about 1.5 ago but it took me till last weekend to get photos and then till today to post about it.  I am so so so happy with how this quilt turned out.  It is a massive improvement from the first quilt I ever made.

When we first found out we were having a girl I went to Spotlight and chose a bunch of fabrics as the starting point for decorating the nursery.  The fabrics became this quilt and will also become some sheets and a cot skirt hopefully in the next couple of weeks.

I learnt a few things while making this quilt:-

• If your doing a pieced back you should probably line it up with one of the stripes on the front to avoid a sewn line in the middle of your stripe.
• I need to use more pins to hold my layers together while quilting. I don't think I used enough so I have a few puckers in the layers.
• When your not good at sewing straight lines sewing a quilt that emphasizes them can be frustrating.
• Invisible hand stitching for quilt binding is not as hard as I imagined.

Regardless of it's imperfections I am really happy with how this quilt has turned out. I have worked my way up from a pram sized quilt to a cot quilt and who knows next time it might be a single bed quilt.  I am getting a bit more confident with the idea of quilting so I think I will definitely be making some more.  Maybe just not for a little while!