GRUMPY.

I am a very grumpy mommy today. I could have something (everything) to do with the fact that Fifi woke up at 4.30 and despite my keeping her in bed until 6, I had to listen to her wail and cry for an hour and then against my better judgment, feed her for half an hour just to get a bit more of a doze in.

I did not doze during her hour of screaming.

Honestly, kid, 4.30?

I have a cold too. Also courtesy of my beloved offspring.

Baby Nina!

Congratulations to Maria, Simon and Caspar on the birth of their daughter/sister Nina! I can't wait to meet the wee thing tonight.

It's been in my mind that I would make something for her when she was born, but I kept putting it off until I got the text last night that she had been born. Then I realised I kinda needed to get on the ball.

Now, up until now I really didn't get the recent fascination amongst crafters with owls, but after the craft fair this weekend, I really got it. They are ridiculously cute! Janet, one of my friends I went to the fair with, bought some owl templates which I used to make this card:



So when trying to decide late last night what I would make for Nina, I decided to use the owl template as inspiration for an owl softie! Because the template is so easy and simplified, it didn't take long for me to make these two cuties:



I finished as much as I could last night until I crashed at midnight. I put on the finishing touches (ears and beaks) this morning and voila. Very cute owl siblings (if I do say so myself). I love them so much, I don't even want to give them away!

I ran out of stuffing, however, so both have a little pouch of rice sewn up inside them, which allow them to stand upright. The weighting is a little off, though, so you do have to fidget around with them before they will happily stand on their own. But when they do, they look really sweet.



Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts, little ones!

Sewing Patterns

There's a sewing blog I read, called rostitchery that is full of interesting pattern tips and tutorials. I clicked on a link from her blog, and I found the most amazing programme:

Wild Things!

It's a free downloadable programme that gives you patterns to all kinds of accessories, like hats, slippers, bags and wraps. It's amazing!

There are a few other things on the site that I'd totally purchase if a) I had more money and b) I had more time to sew, but I'm definitely keeping this in my favourites for that wonderful someday when I can just stay at home and 'arts and crafts' it up all day long.

(Speaking of arts and crafts, I went to a craft fair yesterday and came home with some real cardmaking goodies, like this, this and this. Fun day!)

Feeling Much Better

Ahh, feeling much better today. The weather is still rubbish; it's possibly worse than yesterday, but I feel much more cheerful. I had my TinyTalk class this morning, and it was good. I had two new people along with all my regulars. I also sold some of my Christmas cards, which is exciting. This afternoon Fifi and I went over to a friend's house to play. I came home, did my paperwork, cleaned the kitchen, hung up some laundry and made some brownies, all while Fifi watched Monsters, Inc. in her highchair with some food. It's now almost 7, and I'm off to a girly night at another friend's house. Scott's got Fifi bedtime duty, so I get to go on my own!

Tomorrow will be a big tidy up day, but Fifi's gran and grandpa are back from their holiday, so I'm hoping they take her for a few hours while I get some work done... Fingers crossed!

Still wouldn't mind this crazy torrential rain (and I genuinely mean torrential), gales and flooding going away really soon. It's a pretty big damper... eh, no pun intended.

Miserable Miserable Day

Today is a miserable, rainy, windy, floody day. It's also my busy day, with playgroup in the morning and breastfeeding group in the afternoon. Sure I could skip playgroup, but who would want to sit in the house on a day like this, going mad with a bored, energetic, fed-up toddler, looking at the mess that really needs cleaned but not feeling at all like doing it?

Today is NOT a nesting day. It's a send-the-kid-away-and-sleep-on-the-couch day.

Everything is bugging me today. Like the shower that doesn't work, but I tried to make work several days ago (by simply turning it on - it doesn't even turn on) and since then it has been dripping non-stop and there is nothing to do about it (it didn't even turn on when I turned it on! It's off now and won't stop dripping!) I desperately need to get someone out to see it, as taking a bath under a cold, thick drip is torture of the worst kind (Chinese water torture terrible).

I'm also annoyed that the dishwasher needs unloaded and refilled. That's all the kitchen requires, along with a quick counter wipe-down, but that seems like SO MUCH WORK.

I need to run some laundry. But the tumble dryer is being funny and the whirligig, well, I'm not going to use that during flood weather, am I?

I need to tidy the living room. It's just a matter of putting away some toys, tidying up my sewing and cardmaking stuff and taking some laundry upstairs (and putting it away, blah), but who wants to do THAT on such a miserable day?

Did I mention I'm fed up with being pregnant? I've got 5-9 weeks to go. Please come early, please come early.

Fifi is asleep on the couch. Please stay asleep, please please please.

I need to make dinner too. Why can't we be middle class enough to order take-out on a day like this? Make some other miserable sod deliver food to us. Now THAT sounds fair.

Grumpy grumpy grumpy Lori. I'm going to go eat a bowl of chocolate ice cream. Yes.

Pajama Party

I think I'm done being sick, but I can never be sure. This sicky feeling keeps coming and going... I really hope it isn't pregnancy-related and therefore here to stay!

Yesterday I still felt pretty icky in the morning, so Scott took Fifi to church without me. By noon, I was feeling much better, but thankfully, Scott's mum took Fifi for the afternoon, so I was free to do as I pleased. I'm so glad. I think it helped me feel better not to have to run around entertaining a toddler.

It also meant I finally got to make this!



I got this pattern from MOMSPatterns a long time ago and have been wanting to make the long-sleeved pajama suit forever. I cut the pieces last week but then got sick. So yesterday, I did all the sewing and look how it turned out!



I was very pleased with the outcome. It's not as slim-fitting as the picture suggests, but that might be because it's for an older child. I don't quite know how to size patterns yet, so I figured too big was better than too small.

Fifi loved it anyway! It's still too big for her, but that just means she can wear it for longer!



The project started off on the wrong foot when I accidentally sewed up the seam that was meant to be the zipper, then pressed the seam open, only to discover the fabric is not as cottony as I thought and I burnt a hole in the fabric! I had to rip the seam out and in doing so, the burnt seam ripped off too, so I no longer had a seam allowance for the zipper at one part. But I got the zipper on, hand-sewed the place with no seam allowance and patched the hole and it was ok after that. All smooth sailing. (Except when I sewed the first sleeve on upside down! I'm still not that great at this.) I also skipped the lace around the collar and sleeves, as I was afraid of ruining my good work.

I'm now working on some Black Apple Dolls for Christmas presents. They are turning out really cute, and they are a snap to make, once I figured out how to satin stitch the hair using my sewing machine instead of by hand. I'll post pictures either here or on my Flickr when they are finished.

A Violent Case of the Ickies

I was cursed on Tuesday with a stomach bug. Some things are just not fair when a woman is nearly 7 months pregnant.

Doesn't Work

I attempted to make chocolate oatmeal no-bake cookies today, but when I got to the last and integral ingredient - the oatmeal - I realised Scott had finished it off for breakfast. Since the whole thing was already combined and boiled, I tried cornflakes instead. It didn't really turn out as good as I hoped. Edible though. Fifi is loving herself some.

Thank You, God

It's been a hard two years being on only one income, but let me just thank God before all of you for how well He has provided for us month after month.

I just checked our bank balance. I held my breath the way I do every time at around this time of the month, while we wait for the next pay day. I gulped when I saw the balance. I figured up the rest of the bills and...

Once again, we're going to make it. Thank you, Lord. :)

Cleaning and Sorting

Stove cleaning in process.
Apple pie baking in oven.
All dishes clean.
Laundry and dishwasher running.
About to finish tidying living room.
If time permits, will then sort out Christmas/birthday presents I've already bought and wrap the birthday ones. On the lookout for super cute Christmas paper.

(And gardener has replaced our broken step, cleaned the rubbish from the shed that blew over almost 2 years ago and set up new whirligig.)

Feeling very clean.

NOW Back to Normal

Fifi is better now. I don't know what was wrong with her, but she's over the worst of whatever it was. I took her to play group yesterday, and she was still very clingy, which is unusual for her, but she has been acting normal besides that.

I'm in my third trimester now. I'm nearly 30 weeks pregnant. Weird. I don't want to wait another 10-12 weeks. I want to have the baby NOW. Well, okay, no I don't because that would mean a premature baby, but the sentiment still stands. I'm still pretty small compared to my pregnancy with Fifi, but I feel much more restricted in my movements. Probably because I didn't need to bend over so much the first time. Now I feel like I'm never off the floor or not bending over to pick things (like a toddler) up.

The nesting instinct had to hibernate while Fifi was ill, but I think it's back now. I spent Fifi's nap yesterday totally gutting the kitchen. I organised one of the food cupboards (still 3 to go) and the pots and pans cupboard and cleaned everything. I didn't manage to get to the floors before Fifi woke up, but that's next on the agenda. I also didn't finish scrubbing the oven, but that'll happen soon too. It sounds like not much, but it felt like serious manual labour. No wonder my uterus was contracting like crazy all day yesterday! (Sorry if that's a little TMI!)

I also think the baby might be FINALLY turning. I'm certain she's been transverse (laying side-to-side) the whole time, as I've only felt kicking on my right side from the beginning. But starting yesterday, the kicks began to gradually move up the way and now they are all at the upper-to-right side. And the little hand that seems to have been punching downwards constantly is now sort of punching more to the side. Good stuff. The last thing I want is another c-section due to the position of the baby!

More about babies and stuff, I've started drinking red raspberry leaf tea. It supposedly helps strengthen the uterus and makes the second stage of labour shorter. Who knows, but it tastes good so even if it does nothing, it's not harming me in anyway. I've read different things, but I think the general rule is that by the end of my pregnancy I should be up to 3-4 cups a day... I'm sticking with just one right now, as some think that before 32 weeks, too much can possibly trigger pre-term labour. Don't know if I believe that either, but I'll keep on the safe side for now.

It's almost time to take Scott to work now, so I need to go do hair and teeth and get shoes on - for both me and Fi.