Nearly there... a Blessingway.

We are nearly there, i'm 38 weeks now, very tired and over it but all is well and i'm happy for bub to join us when he's ready. i've finally experienced Braxton Hicks, strange as they weren't painful at all, i was expecting sensations similar to what i felt when i was in early labour with Loki, but it wasn't like that at all, literally just felt like my uterus tightening, funny that, considering that's exactly whats happening, lol.

Well, i guess i should blog about my blessingway! considering it was a week ago! i'll let the pictures mostly speak for themselves, i was too overwhelmed by the vibe of the day to verbalise anything that would do it justice...

My beautiful friend, neighbour and birth attendant, Jenni, hosting the day.

A circle of women.

Just a few of the beautifully crafted quilt squares that were gifted to me. These will all be put together to make a blanket for my birth space.

  

I put everyone to work colouring in mandalas to make a collage,

more pretties for my birth space.

My henna belly, before, during and after.

My blessingway bounty! including beads for my blessingway necklace that i will wear in labor, quilt squares, mandalas, candles, affirmations flag, and the beautifully handcrafted blessings book made for me by Kint, everyone left me the most wonderfully inspiring and uplifting messages in it, i will treasure it forever.

Belly Buddies, Ebz and I, sharing a laugh and some afternoon tea.

 My gorgeous boy, later that night, decided he needed a blessingway necklace too.

I want to thank everyone who came and contributed to the day, it was truely amazing.

what we made last week...

Last week, Mum and I made a few more softies and some vintage inspired bibs...

This is Hector the Giraffe from the 'Softies' book, he's so cute!

A toadstool rattle, it looks a bit demented, i made the pattern up myself. It has the capsule thingy out of a Kinder Surprise with a bell in it.

These bibs were so easy! i made the pattern up myself, i'm pretty proud of them, lol.

I did a bit of artwork to honour my pregnancy yesterday....

it's oil pastels on canvas, i'm really happy with the colours, but learned why real artists mount their own canvas after they have finished their work, the frame underneath shows in some areas, ah well.

Bubs' corner of the room is slowly taking on a life of it's own...

We'll be co-sleeping, that's why the side of the cot is missing, it's actually butted up against my side of the bed as a sidecar.

here is what i'm working on today....

it looks nothing like my original sketch... some of the branches moved, not sure how that happened, i hope it still looks right.

that's all for now. ta-ta!

34 week Midwife visit...

okay, so this was last weeks news, i'm getting behind on my blog already! lol

Had my midwife, the lovely Andrea, visit for my 34 week 'check-up'. We mostly just chat about how i'm feeling, what's been happening, my thoughts on the birth etc.. but this week we decided to do the whole 'check-up' business as well. 

Blood pressure, good.... Check!

Belly measurement, spot on 34.... Check!

Baby's position, bum up... Check!

Baby's heart rate, happy and healthy... Check!

So we're chugging along quite nicely, apart from a serious case of SPD (pelvic pain) and Diastasis Rectus (separtion of the abdominal muscles) both of which i am receiving weekly physio at the hospital, and am now in a pelvic brace and a tubigrip (an elasticated tubular bandage) to support my belly muscles. After a serious case of constant 'morning sickness' to start with and lasting till 18 weeks, and now these issues, I admit this pregnancy hasn't been fun, but i'm so looking forward to the end and birthing my little man, there's finally light at the end of the tunnel xxx

Vegie Burgers and Apple Upside-down Pudding...

Loki loves helping me cook, and we love vegan food, so here's what we got up to yesterday....

  

Apple Upside-down Pudding

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1-2 sliced apples

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup self raising flour

Grease or line a round cake tin. spread brown sugar over the bottom then arrange sliced apples on the sugar. In a mixing bowl whisk together all other ingredients until well combined then gently pour over apples and sugar. Bake at 170C for about 45 mins. Let cake sit in pan for 5 mins then turn out onto serving plate.

We didn't have brown sugar so just used white, so it didn't turn out quite as nicely as it should have, hence the rough edges. But we served it warm with yummy stewed apples, was delicious!

While our pudding was in the oven i lost our little helper to Bob the Builder, lol, but got to work on some chickpea patties to have in our vegie burgers for lunch.

Chickpea Patties

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas

2 tablespoons wholemeal flour

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon fresh chopped herbs (we use parsley and Thyme)

Drain and rinse chickpeas, then mash in a mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix together. Make into four patties, lightly coat with flour and fry on a low heat in a little oil for about 5-8mins each side.

These ones are a bit darker than usual because I used a really thick soy sauce, not the one we usually use.

Serve with salad and cheese if you wish, in a crispy bread roll with some tomato sauce.

Were our burgers and pudding a hit?

I think so!

Look at what Mum and i made today...

Mum and i have been having sewing days on Mondays to make things for our second bubba due in spring. Today we made some softies....

The gnome is the 'Pocket Gnome' from the book 'More Softies'.

 

I made the taggie ball from a pattern i made myself which is just four football shaped pieces of fleece, with four ribbons or 'tags' sewn into each seem, you can find a tutorial for a similar one here. i filled both the gnome and the taggie ball with scraps of material and the bits that get chopped off from the overlocker, and the ball has a bell inside it for a bit of extra sensory stimulation.

Mum made the vintage looking bear from an old rolled oats sack. these came out in like the 60's or something apparently, as a pattern on the sacks of rolled oats, you could collect the set apparently, front and back. we only had the front but Mum used the other side of the oat sack for his back which i find quite cool...

cute, huh?

The birds a for a mobile like this one on SpoolSewing, and the pattern for the birds is here.

well that's everything we got done today, lot's more to do before bellybabe joins us though! here's what we look like today at 33 weeks and 3 days...

well, enough from me for now, hope this has been a good first post, night all xxx