baby makes

have you been following Rhiannon's 'Make my Week, baby!'?

wow, that mama is amazing with how much she can produce in one week!(and i'm totally envious of her ability to sew knit)

i really didn't think i would make anything for this baby (we already have more than enough for a newborn) but last weekend i suddenly found myself in the middle of a burst of baby-gear sewing.

here's what i've made so far...

 :: a receiving towel with easily changeable meconium-catching pads (from experience one can not underestimate the amount of blankets a just-born can soil before a nappy is applied!) ::

:: baby boy swaddle from this pattern at Prudent Baby ::

 :: baby girl swaddle from the same free pattern - the doily is to look pretty while burping::

:: a simple boy blanket for out and about - the shape is designed from my own experience and preference...(and as can be seen from the unintended ripple edge, i cannot sew knit) ::

what do you sew for your babies?

has anyone made gowns?

can you recommend any other great tutorials?

~d.

X

a fashion revolution & a giveaway

wow, i appreciated the enthusiastic approval for short-shorts for boys...

so let the fashion revolution begin!

look at those knees!! ohmy~

right, so here's the deal -

i want to see your boys* knees in short-shorts 

::step 1:: 

you can do this by either 

1. emailing me an image [dee.rolston(at)gmail.com] or 

2. posting an image on your blog with a link back to this post (be sure to email me the link to your post so i know!)

before the Wed 7th Feb

::step 2::

i will have my grubby-kneed boys pick a fave and then i will showcase the selected fave here on Friday the 10th Feb.

and...

as an extra acknowledgement of your commitment to the short-shorts (for boys) fashion revolution, i will sketch the selected image for the winner!

e.g.

please join in, i'd love to see

~d.

X

(*yep, i'm limiting it to boys only this time.)

{wardrobe wednesday} maternity in yellow

i used the same pattern as a couple of weeks ago but this time kept the sleeves the original length and added a deep gathered hem on the bottom. 

it was supposed to be MUCH longer! (i guess i underestimated how much the belleh would raise the hem. yikes~)

pale yellow looks stunning on Jada so she joined me in the shoot this week in her pale yellow dress too. we kinda got the giggles a few times ~~:)

she is so excited about this baby.

(i don't think you could even imagine just how much!)

joining in with the others here:

{birth notes} birth mat tutorial

{things are going to be a little birthy / baby focussed on here for a while. if you find child birth icky or horrid, feel free to skip and visit again much later}

...

ha! now here's a tutorial that's gonna go viral on Pinterest!.../wink.

we are planning to birth at home again and are getting things nice and nesty, ready for another HAPPY birth day. and in case any of you are planning to do the same in future i thought i'd share a really simple way to make your own pretty birth mat (for a dry birth, for birthing the placenta, or just for general floor protection when emerging from the birth pool).
it can be folded up and thrown out afterwards, so saves on towel laundry.

here's what you'll need:

:: one large rubbish bag ::

:: a stapler ::

:: some tape ::

:: a stack of newspapers ::
:: an old bed sheet (maybe you'd prefer a darker colour than what i have chosen?) ::
...
here's how:

1:: cut down one side and across the bottom of your rubbish bag and lay flat.

2:: layer at least 3 layers of newspaper over top of the rubbish bag, taping as you go.

3:: lay your sheet over the top of the bag and newspaper and cut to size.

4:: cut strips of paper approx 13cm/5" wide then fold like bias tape.

5:: staple your folded strips of paper around the edge making sure to catch all layers.

and that's all there is to it!

{if you're reasonably, let's say, 'vigorous' when you birth maybe you could add duct tape to the back or around the edges also?}

i'm hoping to share a couple more posts relating to what i now know about labour, birth and the post-partum period. if you have any burning questions let me know and i might be able to answer them for you.

~d.
X

coming soon...

 ...a fashion revolution for little boys.

imagine it... SHORT shorts!

more vitamin D absorption!

cooler in summer!

dirty knees instead of dirty shorts!

ripped knees instead of ripped shorts!

(ok, maybe not so much that last one but who can resist a little guy with a bandaid on his knee?)

who else is in??

~d.

{birthday season 2012} Ty

Ty.

My Ty.

Ty Boy.

Toby.

Tobes.

6 years ago i first experienced the love a mother has for a son.

woah! what an amazing journey!

you bring so much tenderness and so much conviction to this family.

i'm impossibly excited to see the man you will become.

happy birthday precious boy!

XO

{wardrobe wednesday} peter pan collar restyle

i've had this top for 4 out of 5 pregnancies and although i've really wanted to throw it out so many times, it just could not be beaten for comfort and fit.

it also disguises the belly amazingly well don't you think?

...oh! no, look, there it is!...

the neckline was super outdated, but because i couldn't bring myself to throw it out, i added the peter pan collar earlier this week to update it before i really DO throw it out (no more maternity clothes needed!)

(i forgot to take a 'before' pic so you'll have to imagine the white bits didn't used to be on it - just the sparkles!)

now it feels fresh and not so abused. (exactly the opposite of how my body feels at the moment! ha)

putting the "new" in my new year and joining in again with Wardrobe Wednesday at Nin's.

~d.

{birthday season 2012} Monte

 is this really already four years ago?

you came out smiling*...

...and have hardly stopped since...

...except when the candle-blowing anxiety returns and sister has to step in for you...

today is your day Monte Burger.

we cannot imagine this family without you.

we love you in ridiculous amounts.

XO

{*i will poo-poo anyone who doesn't believe a newborn can smile. Monte smiled constantly his first day with us}

on childhood and memories

how many times have you heard yourself say, "oh, i remember doing [fill in the blank] when we were kids!" during your adult life?

it re-occurred to me recently that what we are doing now with our children will become the memories they talk about when they are adults.

i'm sure you were all wonderfully concious of this, but i had to have it "occur" to me!

because i'm a future person. 

i tend to live in the next moment, portion of the day, season, phase... 

i have to remind myself that their childhood is happening NOW. not when they turn 6, or 8 or 10. this is it! 

and then, *blink*, it's gone, never to be re-lived.

i wonder what they will remember as constant? as joyful? as awful? as traditions? as family life? as how they felt?

i wonder how my kids will fill in the blanks of their childhood?

we were never allowed to..

we always...

it was so cool when we...

i loved the way we always...

i hated it when...

Dad always used to...

Mum always used to...

this is a good thing to occur to me at the start of a new year.

wouldn't you agree?

{we had the coolest opportunity to babysit an orphaned fawn on Saturday. to say the kids were thrilled is a gross understatement :)) }

Burger and the belly

::this time::

and

::last time::

this brown-eyed boy turns 4 in a few days, i can hardly believe it! have a great weekend everyone~

~Dee.

*Monte's nickname is Burger. i have no idea why.

wardrobe wednesday - new maternity dress

this week i've been on a mission to sew a dress that my belleh actually fits into.

i picked this fabric up (approx 6m) about 5 years ago for $4 from an op shop (i think it may have been a sari previously?) and it has, what looks like to be, colourful little coffee beans all over it! the pattern i got for almost free at a market.

i shortened the sleeves and length a bit and added bias trim to the sleeves as well as the neckline. i really like this pattern and might even try to make the winter version of it some time.

i'm hoping i will be able to wear it after baby is born with a belt at the waist.

(don't our manuka trees look fabulous?)

...

joining in with:

you should too...there are prizes! :)

X

{baby #5} 34 weeks

(i lost my camera for a few weeks - over Christmas!! - but the sweet Talia Christine found it! ::it's a small world after all...:: and now i can resume documenting the belleh, hurrah~...)

::comparisons::

and in a bold new year's move, i will step out from behind my wall to show you my swayed back belleh in full.

not long to go now!

~Dee.

play station vs play imagination

hello! how are your school holidays going?

i'm currently in the process of completing Ty's exemption (from public school) application which, if you are intending to homeschool, is required by law in NZ when your child turns 6.

even though it's a laborious process, it has been refreshing to be reminded why we homeschool. 

and observing Ty learning through pretend play, i have also been reminded how incredibly overrated gaming consoles are. 

give a boy a wooden "Bear Grylls" knife made by dad (foreground in bottom image), some sticks and branches and you've got a kinesthetic, educational (cause/effect, problem-solving, construction, design, resource management etc), physical and enjoyable entertainment pack.

and again, i am deeply grateful to be living where we do. we most likely wouldn't be home schooling if we didn't have this space.

Dee~

(for the record, Ty is as much drawn to video games as the next kid and could very easily become quite obsessed if given half a chance! and so, we don't give him half of a chance. the end :) )