Silent Sunday

In pursuit of the peacock

One of the things on the pre-baby bucket list was to get out and about as much as I possibly could with E. She treated me to a bit of a lie in this morning, allowing me a cup of tea in silence after D left for work... Bliss... So I treated her to a slightly damp (OK, it ended up pouring with rain, we were pretty soaked if truth be told) treat out to Kirby Hall to search for conkers. I was more excited than her about this, obviously. 

We gave up our National Trust membership in favour of English Heritage membership at the end of the summer for two reasons. Firstly, we're lucky to have a lot of EH nearby, and less NT. Secondly, more EH properties are "ruins" and therefore there are no expensive vases to be pulled off tables and broken by overexcited toddlers. Kirby Hall is undoutably my favourite locally, because of it's versitility. When it's dry there are gardens to explore and grounds to run around in. What remains of the house makes for a great game of hide and seek with nooks and crannies to nosey around in even when it's raining and there are always some super confident peacocks to pursue, if you're 18 months old and think they're oversized chickens. And, luckily for me us, there is an avenue linked with conker trees, for your conkering pleasure. And it's all free when you're a member. Fantastic.

So we threw on our crocheted hats for their debut trip out, warmest jumpers and wellies and set off. On arrival we were greeted by a peacock, who, it would seem was named Tyler. (Tyler is E's best friend at nursery, I think. She talks about him ALL THE TIME) So, after a slightly nervous chat with him, we started looking for autumnal treasure. It wasn't hard to find, the place was littered with them, but E was really curious and fascinated about what I assume is her first experience of conkers. She enjoyed picking some up that had already parted company with their little shells and popping them in a bag to take home. She disliked the really spiky shells, but we soon found some that were smoother that she was able to pop open to discover what was inside. The novelty however was certainly in how many she could find and put in the bag. While counting isn't quite on the cards for us yet, this would have been a fabulous opportunity to do so... The spiders at home are packing their bags as we speak.

By this point however it was pouring so we got inside to have a run around. Interestingly the only other visitors were also mums with their toddlers! There were lots of big windows to look out of and lots of stairs to climb (each one anticipated with readyyyyyyyyyyyy, steadyyyyyyyyy, gah!), so it by no means felt that we had had a wasted journey. Conker collecting had taken longer than I had anticipated due to the sheer number of them for the picking, so we were soon headed home for lunch. At least I thought we were heading home, but E had other ideas as we have to repeat the conker search on the way back too, this time with less concern about spiky shells and giving a couple a taste test. Needless to say we were pretty mucky by the time we were almost back at the car, and the rain was coming down in sheets. Nevertheless, E took it upon herself to chase 'Tyler' around the car park for several minutes in the rain before eventually choosing a snack over him. Thank goodness we had a welly bag and some wet wipes in the car! 

Before I had E, one of my biggest hang ups about doing the parent thing was having to go out in the rain, my hair going frizzy and getting filthy. I've always hated having dirty hands, even as a child not much older than E, and I can't STAND it when the back of your trousers gets soaked though. Its another of those things that I've had to embrace, especially now she is bigger and soaking wet with frizzy hair and soil all over hands and face is the name and the game... But what I've realised is that she doesn't care if my hair looks a state or if my mascara has run down my face, and she doesn't feel like she's being judged for eating stones or conkers while sitting in a pile of damp leaves. She's having a great time and some of the best memories are made this way. We can go home, dry off, and put our pj bottoms on after the fun has been had, and she benefits far more from exploring outside than going to softplay again because the weather's a bit miserable. Even if my jeans are damp, she's loving spending the time with me, and I am loving the time with her... This is what childhood is all about right?

It's funny because now I look back at the last 18 months and there have been some awesome parenting moments... I miss that squishy little new born, and am excited about doing that bit again soon... But some of my best parenting moments have been days like today, and I'm so looking forward to E being able to take her little brother and sister back in two autumns time and for her to start teaching them what it's all about too.

And anyway, I totally rock frizzy hair. Fact.

Silent Sunday

18 weeks.

I cannot get over how quickly this pregnancy business is flying. I'm very nearly half way, and I only blinked. I've got a tap dancer on board who seems to be awake a lot of the time and a bump that I'm pretty sure you can't miss, yet it seems to have gone unnoticed by many of my colleagues. Maybe I have always been rounder than I thought.

Bump is starting to feel tight and a bit itchy so it's time to get moisturising religiously. If the stretch marks do what they did last time, it'll be just before baby arrives that they suddenly pop... Better be safe than sorry. I'm giving Cussons Mum & Me a whirl this time, having loved their stretch mark fader (which works a treat on C-section scars too!)... And it smells lush. And I have an irrational love of pump bottles. Time to get out more.

So exciting news this week is that I have a date for No. 2's arrival! We're keeping it a secret, but it's a smidge early and I'm due 22 weeks today, so you can probably start working it out. Very exciting, but we have SO much to do before then. We're swapping bedrooms around as the kids will share once No. 2 is sleeping through and it currently looks like a dumping ground. It will be vastly improved when all our university stuff (!) and a lots of the books that we don't use all that often get boxed up in the loft. Their room is going to be grey and rainbow - it looks SO much better than it sounds I promise - and my attention has turned to thinking about what blanket design I'm going to crochet. 
          
In other news, all of E's Christmas presents, along with presents for most of the significant children in our lives, God son and daughters and the like, are purchased. I'm thinking about toddler Christmas crafts (potato printing wrapping paper anyone?) and scratching my head about what to get D... 

I like to claim I'm organised. This post has made me realise that I'm probably not quite as organised as I thought. Time to make another list. 

                                                      

The Bucket List

So last weekend in the euphoric state of enjoying pregnancy, a fellow blogger promptly kicked me and reminded me that my days of having one child were numbered. I got a smidge emotional about it. It wont be me and her anymore, our double act. It'll be me, her and someone else. Someone equally as amazing, I have absolutely no doubt, but our double act becomes a trio in less than 22 weeks time and things will never be the same again.

This sudden pang of guilt, sadness, loss, I'm not sure what, was firmly cemented on Wednesday when I met my consultant. After quite a difficult appointment talking at length about E's birth and the ins and outs, he picked up the phone and booked my caesarian. So, at 17+4 weeks, I found out my unborn child's date of birth. Exciting, hugely exciting, but that means that there are only 22 weekends left and, as I've just kissed her goodnight for today, 21 Fridays - mummy days - left. Oh my word. I genuinely never thought I could feel this teary about it.

So, it's time to start a bucket list of all the stuff I want to do with her in that time. Just me and her.

This is how it looks so far:

• Rinse our Sea Life annual pass while I can still walk and before it expires shortly after baby arrives.
• Go on a Train Journey
• Go to Winter Wonderland this Christmas.
• Get a new battery for my camera remote and ensure that we get a lush photo of the two of us.
• Sign up for some Tumble Tots sessions.
• Join the Library
• Buy face paints and go mad.
• Go puddle splashing (must buy myself new wellies for this!)
• Have a proper PJ/duvet day - no boys allowed.
• Bake together.
• Master the scooter.
• Go to the beach. Preferably Southwold.
• Build a snowman (snow pending)
• Get out and enjoy as much outside time as the weather and my hips allow.

But that's as far as I've got so far. This list will grow.

Anyway, to kick start the bucket list we went and signed up at the library today and brought home nine books to enjoy. The highlight of the trip for E was taking as many books out of their boxes as possible and piling them on the floor, before "rearranging" the older children's books on a nearby shelf. She also was somewhat flummoxed by the reflective panels on the outside of the building, and enjoyed racing her reflection on the way home.

So we're both fully fledged members and E has her first stamp in her BookStart passport. She's enjoyed some of her new reads this afternoon, and I've loved discovering new stories with her.

21 Fridays. We've got a lot of fun to have.

"The Alexander" - Crochet baby blanket pattern

Back in July I learned to crochet. I've made a few bits so far, but I wanted a big project to work on... What better than a baby blanket for my lovely friend Charlie over at Learning Lessons in Mummyography's baby who is due in just a few weeks time! Charlie and I know each other from when we were pregnant with our daughters who were both born in March last year. She's been a great friend and a real inspiration both as a photographer and blogger over the last 18 months... And she's a sucker for a blanket.

Charlie doesn't know what she's having so I chose wool colours to match her nursery. They are James C. Brett Cotton On in CO12 (a sage green) which is a cotton acrylic blend, and CottonSoft by King Cole in Jade and Oyster which are both 100% cotton. I love the colour combination, it's really fresh and most importantly, super soft for that delicate new born skin. I love to support local, independent retailers, and all my wool came from The Laughing Yew in East Carlton.

It's far from perfect, but I've loved making it and mastering some new skills too. The product tester will have to report back when he/she arrives. I name it "The Alexander". Here's the pattern!

The blanket is larger than a baby blanket you might buy in the shop. I didn't use all my wool but to finish the project I needed:

2 x Jade

3 x Oyster

3 x Sage but I only just cracked into the last one!

Needle size 4.5mm

Chain 140, then double crochet (DC) for the entire blanket body.

• 10 rows Oyster
• 2 Sage
• 4 Oyster
• 4 Jade
• 4 Sage
• 4 Jade
• 10 Oyster
• 4 Sage
• 4 Jade 
• 4 Sage
• 4 Oyster
• 2 Jade
• 4 Oyster
• 4 Sage
• 4 Oyster
• 4 Sage
• 4 Jade - this is the middle of the blanket!
• 4 Sage
• 4 Oyster
• 4 Sage 
• 4 Oyster
• 2 Jade
• 4 Oyster
• 4 Sage
• 4 Jade
• 4 Sage
• 10 Oyster
• 4 Jade
• 4 Sage
• 4 Jade
• 4 Oyster
• 2 Sage
• 10 Oyster

This means that all your loose ends are down one side, all being well, so you can just nip up and stitch them in. 

After stitching them in, I ran a DC edging in Sage all the way around (this helped tidy up my sides which weren't always super straight!!) then went round again with a triple crochet (TC) edging in Jade, to finish it off.

It's a simple pattern, but I think it looks really effective, and of course you could substitute your colours - a super girlie version in a dusky pink and burgundy/wine with the Oyster would be divine, or tones of blue for a boy, or even varying neutral shades - coffees and toffees for example.

So this is off in the post to Charlie this week and it's pay day tomorrow... Which means it's time to start thinking about a blanket for my baby! Charlie and Baby A, I'm sorry this didn't arrive in time for your baby shower, but I hope you love it as much as I do and that it will keep you both snuggly on cosy days in and crisp journeys out this winter!

xxxxx

Silent Sunday