Oh boy!

Just thought I'd let you know there are

days untill my due date.


Oh boy.

material girl

 

This little one is not even out of the womb yet and already she has so much stuff.

There is a fantastic article here about the five "essential" baby items that are not so essential. It's a fantastic read and has really made me think about what the little one needs vs what I see in the shop and swoon over. I don't think there is anything particularly wrong with having things for your baby but on a tight(ish) budget it's good to look at what is actually necessary.

So far I have gotten a bit of baby stuff. I have a fantastic list given to me by a friend of all the good to have baby things, their average cost and good brands/features to look out for.

Here is what I do have.

- Cot. It's wooden and was given to us.
- Blankets. A few different ones. Cotton, wool.
- Wraps. aden + anias, muslin, cotton.
- Burpy towells x5. Ikea 99c.
- On loan one Mei Tai and one fabric wrap.
- Baby bath. From ikea.
- Change table and mat. Using a desk with a mat on top.  
- Baby bag. Made by my mum.
- Car restraint. 


Here's what I don't have

- Cot mattress. I threw out the one that came with the cot as it was a bit stained and I was told it's best not to use a second hand one. Need to measure cot and buy.
- Sheets, mattress protector etc.
- Pram. Going with the Maclaren Vogue. Just have to buy it.
- Nappies. Disposable for the newborn stage then cloth.
- Nappy bucket. With lid.
- Breast pads. yes.
- Bath products. Natural and chemical free. Both for at home and for nappy bag.
- Rocker. I loved mine as a baby. Keeps baby occupied while I am in the shower etc.
- Porta cot. We do go away quite a lot.

Here's what I have but no doubt need more of.
- Baby clothes. Size 000 for newborn and 00 for a bit older.
- Books. All the classics.
- Toys. I'm gathering a pile of handmade softies.

All I really need at the moment is the cot finished and the car seat installed. If the little one comes early we just need to be able to take her home and give her somewhere to sleep. Seven weeks to go. I can do it.

little music

So I was googling my blog today (as you do) and I stumbled upon this song called "Little One"

The first words are "little one i know you grow..."

Amazing! I thought. And I really like the song.
You might like it too.

It's by a girl called Sophie Madeline and its really sweet.

You can listen to it here. You can also listen to her whole album which is also really nice.

Giveaway! Oh so lovely.

 Here is the winner of last weeks competition.

Congrats Nic. Your floors will be spotless in no time.

And now another!
Remember aden + anais and their lovely muslin blankets?

Well I have a fantastic giveaway for you. They make lovely security blankets out of muslin and satin. You could have one for your little one. There is even a blanket named after me!* Its the pink starry one at the bottom.

These things are just so gosh darn lovely I feel like becoming a baby and snuggling up with one.

All you have to enter is go to their site and tell me your favourite aden + anias product and then like their facebook group. You could be receiving a fabulous blankie in the mail. It's that easy! You also have to live in Australia. That might not be so easy for some of you.

But hurry you only have one week to enter the competition. I will announce the winner next Friday.


*perhaps? It's called Rinny.

anniversary date

On one of the hottest nights of the year Myl and I went and celebrated two years of marriage in Balmain at a nice restaurant.

thirty-two

How far along? 32 weeks.
Baby’s Size: 44cm and 1.9kg
Maternity Clothes: still only the shorts. I think I'm going to make it!
Belly Button: out.
Gender: girl
Movement: Oh boy yes. When I sit down for a rest she goes mental. She also likes icy drinks which are in plenty at the moment.
Sleep: It's so hot! I've been waking up once every night. Sleep is good just different.
Symptoms: Swollen feet and hands. Huge basketball on front that makes it hard to stand up. Lowered lung capacity.
Best Moments this week: Starting to set up baby things.
Food Aversions: I can't eat very much in one go.
Food Cravings: ice cream.
What I miss: Nothing. I am loving being pregnant.
What I am Looking forward to: meeting my little girl.
Milestones: 2 months left!
Awesome fact about little one: Your baby's sucking and swallowing action (required to drink milk) fully coordinates between 32 to 34 weeks. 

take a dive in the sky

When we were away on holidays my two little brothers in law went sky diving.

Myl and I went along for moral support.

I'm pretty sure I was more nervous than they were.

 

two years

I have been married to this amazing man for two whole years today.

There is not a day that goes by where I don't thank the Lord that we are together.

He is my best friend. I love him so much.

guessing game

Think you know when the little one is going to arrive.

Here is your chance to show what you know.

Click here to cast your vote on the date, time, length, weight, hair colour and eye colour of the little one.

Class Number Three/Two

We wagged class last week.
It's ok our excuse was legit. We were one and a half hours drive away and to drive three hours for a two hour class didn't seem like the best idea.

Last weeks session was on breastfeeding which is something I have about five thousand books on but seems to be something that no matter how many books you read or classes you attend is one of the trickiest things a woman will ever do. This fills me with confidence.

Anyway, The third class was all about the first stage of labour. Pre labour, active labour and transition. The word transition has been etched into my mind as this fearsome and wild time of life I am both looking forward to with curiosity and fearing with every inch of my being. Yes, I'm being melodramatic.

We learnt some coping mechanisms and positions to try out during the first stage to try and encourage the little fella down to the right spot and to help relieve the tension. We watched this amazing video where a rather rotund (in more than just her belly) pregnant lady did some swaying exercises that looked a bit like a slowed down version of a Beyonce film clip. It got better when her husband joined in on the act with his hands, back and knees helping that booty to rock. The class was in stitches.

We talked about what to do in prelabour and one of the things to do was to prepare. Someone suggested we pack our bag. The midwife stopped... she asked who in the room had packed their bag yet.

Nobody raised their hand.

She breathed out a long sigh. "Promise me," she said "That you will all go home and pack your bags this week."

There was a collective gasp around the room. This week? We thought. But surely our babies wont be born for aaaages.... oh nine weeks or less. The could come at any time from now?

The full impact of the impending little one hit me in an instant. She could come tomorrow. Or next week! Only 5% of babies are born on their due dates.

But what to pack? We were given a list. Here is what I'll be packing. (May be slightly tongue in cheek)

- An attractive moo moo. I need something to wear that will let the baby come out, the air come in and possibly some modesty intact. And I don't particularly fancy the backless hospital gown.

- My entire underwear drawer. Apparently childbirth can get messy. (May need to pack this later on.)

- wet weather moo moo. Something to wear in case I decide to go with a water birth.

- toiletries. toothbrush, toothpaste, deoderant, shampoo, massage oil, lady things.

- music. ipod and speaker or guitar and violin? A suggested coping mechanism was to sing. Sound of Music the whole way through anyone? I can do it.

- Something that smells nice. Fragrance diffuser, moisturiser, freshly baked muffins?

- They suggest drawing or reading material. I think I might be a tad too distracted for that. Although, labour can last a loooooong time.

Are there other things to pack. I think I am officially the worlds worst packer. I don't know how but I always seem to pack completely useless stuff.  I'll probably end up in the birth centre with a sun hat and jeans.

I think a big part of me just doesn't want to pack. Pregnancy has been such a fun journey. Packing means that it is ending soon.

Ill get around to it eventually.

what i have been up to...

I have had a lovely relaxing time the last almost two weeks.

Here are some happy snaps. 

In the blue mountains on the day it didn't rain.

 I <3 Summer

tasty pies from the pie shop on the foreshore. We got a 2 for one voucher.

 sweet cafe for iced choc and cappuccino.

 cutest little bus shelter I have ever seen

we walked round and round the town holding hands and taking photos.

We walked up and down the restaurant strip looking for a fancy pants restaurant to go to and in the end couldn't go past indian tasty curry and naan. 

 late night frolic on the beach

 yes i do.

mama who mops

Talk about divine provision. Just as I settle into my crazy preggo mama nesting spree I get given the fantastic Rubbermaid Reveal Mop in the mail.

My house is wooden floors throughout with tile in the bathroom so this product is absolutely perfect. I have never had a mop before. My kitchen isn't huge so I have previously used a chux on my hands and knees but this is oh so much better for my preggo non bendable body! Not to mention the ammount of *ahem* baby stuff I anticipate having on my floor in the next little while.

With the reveal mop I don't even need to use a bucket like the good old days. This mop has a bottle attatched that you fill with whatever you like to clean with. (in my case a bit of vinegar and water) With the pull of a lever you squirt your cleaner out just in front of the mop head and away you go.

The Reveal Mop comes with a washable microfibre mop pad that you can was 100 times. Great for the environment just pop it in with your tea towels.

my incredibly beautiful just mopped floor

Feeling jealous of me and my amazing mop?

Well you don't need to. If you live in Australia you could have one too. To be in the running just leave a comment with an interesing/handy/funny story of your cleaning exploits. The best one will get a reveal mop in the mail. How easy is that?

You have a week to enter the competition. I will reveal the winner next Friday morning.

If you wanted me to look upon you with extra favour you could also hit the "Follow me" button on the side, vote for me on top baby blogs or give me a back/foot massage. Anyone?

Enter once, enter often. This is a pretty swell prize.


Image Credit - Corbis Images

sustainababy

I like the earth.
I like that it is green and blue.

It seems like people mess up this green and blue balance a bit. We over use, under recycle and waste like there is no tomorrow. I am not innocent of any of these things.
I'm going to have a baby soon. Babies use up a lot of stuff.
Here are some ways I am going to try and reduce my little ones teeny tiny carbon footprint.

1. Cloth Nappies.

What a fantastic invention is the modern cloth nappy. Gone are the days of terry towell and safety pins, hello velcro/snap fastners and groovy prints and colours.
Sure they do need to be washed which uses water but when you think about the water that goes into making and disposing of the other kind of nappy it works out much better in the end.

They also end up being much cheaper in the long run not to mention absolutely adorable. You can also go cloth on things like baby wipes, breast pads and the like.

I could even go totally green and practice Elimination Communication or start my potty training really early.



2. Go Handmade

I'm a bit of a crafter. Have made a few things for the little one already. Here, here and here. I'm going to be making a whole lot more. You can make things for your baby out of old adult clothes by recycling the fabric. T-shirts into onesies or trackpants. Not only is this cheap and good for the environment but it is also ethical as many cheaper clothing brands are only cheap because they don't pay their workers well.

If you can't manage to sew then go second hand. Most babies don't wear clothes long enough to wear them out. You can also go second hand on cots (as long as they still fit safety regulation) and other baby furniture.

3. Make use of the Library.

Books are great and wonderful and I love them so much. But they are made out of trees and those trees come from somewhere.

While I intend to have a good collection of literature for the babe there is no reason why some or most of those books can't come from the library. We are lucky enough to have a library five minutes walk from our door which is stacked with great children's books, games and toys.

Myl and I already loan books and dvd's from there for us. I'll definately be paying them many a visit.

4. Chemical free baby products.

It is a little scary to realise just how many chemicals are in the products we use every day. Soap, shampoo, moisturiser and cleaning products are full of weird ingredients. Just what is cocamidipropyl?

It's amazing how much cleaning you can do with vinegar or bi-carb soda and where there isn't a cleaner/product that you can find in your pantry there are many organic, chemical free baby soaps out there on the market. Much better for the environment and baby's sweet skin.

5. Organic baby food.

I am so looking forward to starting the little one on solids.

Yes I know this is at least 9 months away but I think it will be so exciting to create beautiful meals then puree them for her tasting pleasure. I've always been a bit confused by the multitude of pre tinned baby food. I'm sure there is some reason for it but how easy can a bit of pumpkin mash in a sealable container be? Make 10, freeze them and use as needed??

And how could I forget the best organic food of all? Breastmilk. Save money on all that formula and bottles and give little one all the nutrients she needs.


6. Less toys, better toys.
There are so many horrible plastic toys out there nowerdays. How many toys can a kid play with. I guess the answer is about a billion but how many do they need? I really love making my own softies and will be making some for the little one.
Wooden toys are also better for the environment than their plastic counterparts. They last longer and give children better imaginations. I can remember playing for hours in the plastics cupboard or with a drumkit made out of pots and pans.

7. Sling it.

There are loads of busses in my area. There are loads of places I can walk to. I drive the car far too much because it is so much easier. It's better for the planet (and my behind) if I get out and walk. I can pop the little on in a sling or pram and off we go.

Here is a really fantastic blog dedicated to keeping your baby home as good for the environment as it can be.

dear little one

your dada and I have had such
a lovely holiday with you
It is so hard to believe that the
next time we go away together
for a holiday you will be with us.
It makes me pretty excited.
I can't wait to show you all the
wonderful things there are to see.
I hope we go on lots of little family
holidays and I hope you like riding
in your car seat.

Looking forward to meeting you my
little one. We are so close!

love mama

xx

thirty-one

How far along? 31 weeks. Single digits.
Baby’s Size: 43cm and 1.7kg
Maternity Clothes: went shopping for underwear... oh it was depressing.
Belly Button: outie!!
Gender: lady.
Movement: Regular and strong. Feeling heels and elbows all over the joint.
Sleep: Pretty good if I am surrounded by pillows.
Symptoms: I get tired if I do anything. Feeling a few of these symptoms. My feet have been swelling up in the heat too. It is not a nice sight. I am also hungry all the time. I can't eat much at a time but get hungry every hour.
Best Moments this week: Babymoon. It was nice to spend alone time with Myl and nice to think that our next family holiday will be three!
Food Aversions: Not that I can think of.
Food Cravings: ice cream. asian food.
What I miss: Moving in a normal and proper way. I need one of those claw things to pick stuff off the ground.
What I am Looking forward to: Setting up all the baby things.
Milestones: 9 weeks to go!
Awesome fact about little one: Baby is packing on the chub this week. Hel-lo kankles.