newborn photography: hannah

A week after taking these photos of Helen, little Hannah entered the world early on a Sunday morning. I went to visit the new family of four when she was just five days old. A tiny little thing (weighing under 3 kg!) with the sweetest cheeks and pouty lips, she made the perfect model. I could have photographed her all day (and did take around 300 photos - culling for this post was hard). It was almost enough to make me clucky, almost...

newborn photography: Phoenix

Last week, I had the pleasure of photographing 3 day old Phoenix. The baby who used to live in this belly and who belongs to one of my dearest friends. He's their 3rd son, and he slept peacefully while family life carried on around him. Those sleepy newborn days are so precious and I'm glad I could be there to capture it.

my cloth diapering tips and tricks

I'll be the first to admit that I used to think cloth diapering was too much work. Now, I'm a total convert and what's worse… I'm a proselytiser as well. Cloth diapering is just not. That. Hard. It quickly becomes part of your everyday rhythm and it makes an enormous difference to your child's environmental footprint (it takes approximately 500 years for one disposable diaper to biodegrade in a landfill). I really believe that even using cloth diapers part time, as we do, is better than nothing.

We've been cloth diapering on and off since Clementine was a few weeks old. We started with a nappy service, then went travelling and used only disposables. When we came back, we borrowed a stack of different brands to try, and now, finally, I'm happy to say we have a system.

After trying the 3 different styles that Bumgenius makes, I decided that my favourite was their one size pocket diaper, the 4.0. I bought 15 of them - half with snaps, half with velcro. I do wish we had a few more, and I'll probably buy another 3 or 4 sometime soon. They're so simple to use, the colours are great and there really is nothing cuter than a cloth diapered bum.

Here are a few tips and tricks I've learned so far. This is by no means an exhaustive how-to post; if that's what you're after I would recommend this one, this one and this video.

• Liners are your best friend. If you have a baby who poos as often as ours does, these will make your life so much easier. They catch the mess, and you simply pick it up and flush it down the toilet. 
• Snaps vs velcro. You'll hear a lot about snaps versus velcro, and because they each have their advantages, I bought half and half. I have to say though, that for now, I prefer the velcro. Clementine is tough to change because she hates holding still, so I just find it easier and faster with velcro. I also find the velcro makes for a more secure fit with Clementine's skinny legs.
• Wash every other day. This will keep the smell at bay, and ensure you don't run out of diapers!
• Separate the dirty insert from the diaper before placing in your bucket. This means that when you're doing laundry you won't have to go through the dirty diapers one by one taking the inserts out (if you're using a pocket diaper, that is). After they've been stewing for a day or two, you do not want to do this. Trust me. 
• Line dry. We live in an apartment without a balcony, but I always line dry our diapers. I hang them on a drying rack in our living room, and they dry in 5 or 6 hours.
• Size properly. The reason I wanted to give up on cloth diapers initially, was that every time I used a cloth diaper on Clementine, it would leak and I'd have to change her whole outfit. I know now that this was because I wasn't fitting them to her properly. 
• Go up a size in clothing. Cloth diapers are much bulkier than disposables, and you'll probably find that you need to go up a size to accommodate them.
• Don't be afraid to leave the house. So many mums I know won't leave the house with their baby in cloth, and while I don't either if I know I'll be gone for more than 8 hours or overnight, I find it pretty simple for any kind of regular outing. I have an awesome wet bag that Kate gave me, and if I need to change Clementine I put the dirty diaper in the wet bag and that's that. 

If you have any other questions feel free to ask in the comments and I'll do my best to answer you...

appliqué initial singlets: a tutorial

My crafting time is pretty limited these days (mostly because I can't be bothered to clean up the inevitable mess) so it sure is nice when I can find little pockets of time to sew. Today, while my husband took Clementine out for a walk, I quickly gathered up some supplies and made these two initial appliqué singlets for a soon to be born baby boy. They were so quick and easy to make that I thought I'd share a tutorial; this would be a perfect last minute baby gift. If you keep a few plain singlets on hand, you can whip these up faster than a trip to the shops. Promise.

You will need:

- a plain singlet, I used organic Pure Baby singlets but Bonds does nice ones as well
- a small scrap of fabric for the appliqué
- a small piece of fusible interfacing
- an iron
- scissors
- a sewing machine, but you could easily make this by hand with just a needle and thread

Instructions:

1. Take your piece of interfacing and draw your letter on the papery side (the other side is the glue). You will have to draw your letter backwards.

2. Iron this piece of interfacing onto the back of your scrap of fabric.

3. Cut out your letter (the interfacing will remain attached).

4. Carefully peel the interfacing away from the fabric, leaving the glue attached. Now iron this letter onto the front of the singlet. Either with your machine (I would recommend a zig zag stitch so the edges don't fray) or by hand, sew around the outline of the letter.

Wrap in paper, tie with a string, and deliver to a new mum!

on becoming a mummy blogger

I can't help but notice that ever since I became a mom last month, my blog has morphed into a never ending series of photos of Clementine. I feel kind of bad that when you come here now it's all baby, baby, baby!

I suppose I've always struggled to define exactly what my blog is about. When people ask me I've always answered simply, "It's about my life." And right now, as my life is all about motherhood I suppose it's only natural that my blog reflect that as well. That said, I do hope to find a better balance of baby/non-baby related content. I know that as Clementine grows bigger and less dependent on me I'll have more time for adventures and creating, and when the time comes I'll blog about that.

I'd love to know if any of you have experienced the same thing with your blogs. What would you say your blog is about? And has this ever changed with time?

Photo by Gui Jorge

love to dream swaddle up

 

One of the very first things the midwives taught us after Clementine was born was how to swaddle her using two hospital blankets. In fact, the first portrait I posted of her as part of the 52 project features tiny Clemmie, swaddled up like a burrito. We learned quickly that left with her limbs free, her startle reflex would wake her up as soon as she fell asleep. Not fun for her. Definitely not fun for us sleep deprived new parents.

The problem was that when we got home we could never quite replicate what they did at the hospital. In her sleep, our squirmy little one would break free and so I started researching other options. I figured that the solution was some kind of suit, so when Love to Dream contacted me and offered me one of their swaddles to review I jumped at the chance.

This Aussie company, founded by a mum of course, makes these suits which allow you to swaddle your baby with their arms up, for self soothing. And my favourite part - all you have to do is Zip. It. Up. So much easier than trying to negotiate two blankets and a wriggly baby at 3 am! And as a complete stripe-aholic, I also love this new design of theirs.

As I type this, the little one is fast asleep in our bed in her stripy swaddle. Sleep tight Clementine.

my newborn survival tips

In many traditions, new mums stay home for the 40 days following birth to rest, recover and bond with their new baby. While I found the idea inspiring, I knew that I wouldn't be up for 40 days of strict confinement at home. But I loved the idea of staying close to home and resting as much as possible. For the first two weeks especially, my husband and my mom took care of all of the housework and cooking. To be honest, I needed it. Clementine's birth was long and difficult, with my pre-labour lasting for 4 sleepless days and nights before spending 24 hours at the hospital in active labour. I was totally unprepared for how hard and painful recovery would be and I spent most of the first week lying down.

 I know that it hasn't been long since I became a mother, but my memory of the first 2 weeks is already quite hazy. Days and nights blended together into a whirlwind of diapers and sleeplessness, kisses and coos. I remember in our first nights at home, being up at 3 am frantically downloading womb sounds apps on my phone and willing, begging the baby to sleep. Since then, I've been jotting down my newborn survival tips and I've included them below in point form. I'm no expert, but here are the things that I've found helpful:

• Cosy Pajamas - bring the softest, cosiest, most flannel pajamas you own to the hospital. I would recommend a dark colour, ahem.
• Underwear - Bring big, black, unsexy underwear to the hospital.
• Pads - Make sure to have on hand lansinoh cream for your nipples, and lots of pads, maternity and nursing. 
• Newborn sizes - Buy baby clothes in various sizes. Several people told me not to bother with size 0000, and guess what? One month old Clementine is a slight little bub who still only fits into size 0000. You just never know how big or how small your baby will be.
• Baby carriers - I would recommend having at least one baby carrier. We were given 2, and bought one second hand and all three have come in handy. Your baby will love to sleep on you, and this lets you have skin to skin time while being hands free. More on this in an upcoming post.
• Bendable straws - It sounds strange, but when you're nursing you'll end up in some funny positions where it's hard to drink from a glass, and you will be thirsty. Having someone hand you a drink with a straw is so helpful.
• Coconut water - When I began breastfeeding, my thirst was unquenchable. I still get thirsty now when I nurse and my favourite drink is a fresh coconut.
• Toilet paper - Have soft toilet paper at home. Enough said.
• Salt baths - To heal your perineum post-birth, aim to take one salt bath a day. Just add 1 cup of table salt to your bath; a few drops of essential oil is nice as well. I love lavender or rose geranium.
• Ask for meals - At my blessingway, my friends organized a meal rotation with everyone taking turns to bring us a meal. I expected to receive one simple dish, but each of my friends has gone above and beyond dropping off amazing 3 course meals! It's made my life so much easier.
• Fit ball - We learned this tip off a friend, who holds his new baby while bouncing on a fit ball. It works a treat when Clementine is unsettled or needs a nap. 
• Sleep when the baby sleeps - Everyone will tell you this, because it truly is important in those early weeks. I had at least one nap a day for Clementine's first 3 weeks.
• Accept help - If someone offers to watch your baby so you can sleep, buy you groceries, vacuum your house or bring you food, say yes! It takes a village.

What's your best tip for new mums?

p.s. these photos were taken by my good friend Sonja, of Jelly Babies Photography. I can't wait to share the rest of them soon.

oh my darling

Our baby girl arrived on Sunday May 5 (cinco de mayo!) at 7:45 am weighing 6 pounds 13 ounces. Her name is Clementine and we sing her her lullaby at least five times a day.

She's the spitting image of her dad with a mop of dark brown hair and a pouty top lip. We've spent every day since her birth staring at her in wonder and enjoying getting to know her.

Birth story to come but for now I'm going to go snuggle my baby.

nesting: the beginnings

- Enjoying a hot drink with friends at the addison road markets chait tent.

- A baby project in progress. It will be a mobile with a moon in the middle.

- Beautiful, beautiful kale for our daily green smoothies.

- A yellow carrot! Made into a yummy juice that I'll blog about soon.

- This week's flowers; I love how they look like mini pom poms.

This weekend, at 35 weeks pregnant, the husband and I finally starting nesting. To be honest, I haven't felt the nesting urge kick in yet but I'm a procrastinator so I suppose that's hardly surprising. You'll probably find me at 40 weeks pregnant scrubbing the bathroom with a toothbrush. In the meantime, we decided we better get down to business, instinct or not.

Over the weekend we visited Bunnings, Target, the Bower and Woolworths. We bought cloth nappies and face cloths to use in labour, cozy flannel pyjamas to pack in the hospital bag, baby singlets and other bits and bobs for labour and birth.

At home, we took advantage of a council pickup and de-cluttered like crazy. Best feeling ever. I also cleared out our spare room - a task I'd been avoiding for months - and got it all ready for my mom to stay. Of course, there was also some sewing for baby. A sweet little project I'll hopefully be sharing here on Thursday. Right now we're waiting on a chest of drawers I ordered online to arrive; when it does all of the baby's things will be put away. This week I'll go to Ikea, pack the hospital bag, and write some more lists. Oh so many lists...

p.s. this is my 501st post, wow!

how did you choose your baby's name?

{via}

We are having such a hard time thinking of names for this here baby of ours. My husband and I have wildly different taste in names; it's something we've been joking about for years. I suggest something like Cedar (for a boy) and he counters with, "what about William?"

Luckily for him, my taste in names has evolved and I now find myself mostly drawn to old fashioned English names, as well as French and Spanish names. But there's still a fair amount of compromise involved when we get talking about naming the little one. I have to sacrifice anything remotely unusual and he has to consider the possibility of names that aren't currently in use by an English monarch.

I chose this photo because we do seem to gravitate towards what are considered 'hipster names.' But I'm getting frustrated because a lot of the names we agree on are becoming more and more popular. Husband doesn't care at all whether or not a name is common; I really do.

So... how did you choose your baby's name? Do you care if your baby's name is common? Did you try to find a name with meaning? Did you name your baby after someone? Do you have any name suggestions for us? Pretty please...

babies and minimalism

So far, everything we've bought, received or made for the baby fits into two small drawers. Actually that's not true; I bought a pram from gumtree and that definitely doesn't fit in a drawer. I was feeling ok about this, until I had a minor panic attack a few weeks ago when I realized that I would be holding a baby in my arms in 3 months time, and we've hardly prepared for his/her arrival.

Actually, that's not true either; it's just that my preparation has mostly involved reading what feels like every book under the sun on the topic of birth and doing lots of prenatal yoga. It's the logistical and material things that have been put on the back burner. I think perhaps what made me worry about this was looking around at other soon to be moms and seeing that they have nurseries set up, names chosen, and carseats installed.

But that's not really how the husband and I roll. We're more fly by the seat of our pants (read - disorganized), and we're also trying to keep baby things to a minimum. I truly think that those lists of what your baby needs are ridiculous. This resolve was only reinforced when I stumbled upon The Minimalist Mom. I bought her e-book immediately and finished reading it the next day, at which point I breathed an even deeper sigh of relief. Her list of must-have baby items has 6 things on it. No joke. And I nearly have all of those 6 things!

So for now, I'm repeating to myself, "reduce, reuse, recycle." Our pram is second-hand; we'll borrow a bassinet from a friend when the time comes (no crib for now); I'm buying a baby carrier from craigslist; I will do my damned hardest to cloth diaper etc. Finally, we won't be setting up a nursery because babies don't need much space and we need our spare room to remain a spare room so my mom has somewhere to sleep.

I know that our baby doesn't need much, and everything that needs to get done will. We still have 12(ish) weeks...

p.s. Photo of my friend's newborn, because that's what this is all about, right? Babies. Not stuff.

more baby booties!

I sure do like my baby booties don't I? I just can't help myself - small and easy to make, baby booties are the perfect instant gratification crafting project. At least this is a new pattern for me; I usually make these ones. This pattern is from the first Meet me at Mike's book. They're not quite as professional looking (I do hate to have unfinished seams!) as the Anna Maria Horner ones I normally sew, but they are a lot easier.

These oh so girly booties are heading to a baby girl named Summer, as soon as I can embroider a onesie to match.

purl bee baby blanket for my babe

Back when I first found I was pregnant, I was feeling a bit anxious and overwhelmed and all I wanted to do was start a project. Something simple and rhythmic using my hands, something that would make me feel like I was indeed growing a baby, even if I didn't look/feel any different. I had seen this pattern for a super easy baby blanket floating around the internet, and it seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I first mentioned it way back in September (I also hinted about it here) as a goal of mine before 2013.

Well, I wasn't in a rush and I didn't finish it until a couple of weeks ago. For the last few months it's wandered from couch to couch, being pulled out whenever I felt like knitting a row. It's so simple that other than keeping track of the number of rows, it required no brain power at all. Just the rhythmic tap tapping of the needles. Now that it's done, it's still in the living room where I can admire the beautiful colours and enjoy the incredible softness of the baby cashmerino whenever I want.

I now have my eye on this rad Hudson's Bay inspired baby blanket, which would be oh so perfect for my Canadian winter baby!

The details: It's the super easy baby blanket from the Purl Bee. Knit in Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino, in 7 colours I chose because they remind of the sea.

my creative space: my go-to baby gift

There was such a long stretch there where I never posted anything crafty. My fabrics were in storage, my sewing machine gathered dust and I never got beyond flipping through my beloved craft books. I'm so happy to be making again - finding pockets of time here and there to make things for myself, my home, my friends, and my tiny squirmy baby.

This post is giving me some major déja vu; I've made these baby booties several times now and posted about them here and here. They're just such a perfect gift for a new baby - pretty simple to make, oh so cute, and who doesn't love baby feet wrapped in flannel?

This time I decided to be super efficient and make one pair for my husband's cousin's new baby (got that?) and one pair for my baby. The pattern is from Anna Maria Horner's book Handmade Beginnings, and all the fabric came from my scrap bin. But my favourite part? Well that was choosing the buttons of course! I love buttons, and since I'm yet to conquer my fear of sewing button holes, any project requiring buttons without the hassle of corresponding holes is right up my alley. I picked up both these pairs last time I popped into All Buttons in Newtown. That place is my favourite.

p.s. linking up here today

my creative space: a baby sleep sack

Last week while my husband was away for work, I occupied all my free time with the making of this baby sleep sack. The pattern is from Handmade Beginnings by Anna Maria Horner, a book I've made so many projects from. This little sack is ace because it's lined with flannel so it's nice and cozy, and the patchwork looks pretty damn cute too. I made the patchwork front with fabric from Maze & Vale that I got at the Finders Keepers market. The fabric on the back is from Ikea, and the lining I got at Spotlight.

So, my thoughts on the project... It took forever! I actually thought I could have it done in a night, and instead, it took me a week to finish. There are a lot of steps (especially if you patchwork the front) and I found the instructions sometimes hard to follow.

If you do want to save some time, skip the patchwork front and use one piece instead. Or you can get that nifty fabric that looks like patchwork but isn't. If you do want to piece the front yourself, this tutorial is awesome. I also thought it strange that after so much work, you sew the velcro on right through all layers, leaving the seams visible from the front. Instead, I left the bottom open (you're supposed to baste it) and sewed the velcro to only the front lining. Looks much nicer. So there you go, let me know if you make one yourself!

Linking up here

a doll for a baby
baby singlets & a beanie
bibs
flannel booties
gifts for a babe

my black apple doll and gender predictions

On Tuesday night I all of a sudden had an urge to be productive and make something. So what did I spend the next 2 hours making?

A doll.

Yup. Probably the least useful thing I could've made, and yet, it made me undeniably happy. I've said it before and I'll say it again - starting with a bunch of scraps and ending up with something pretty never ceases to amaze me. I followed this tutorial from Emily Martin of The Black Apple, and then added a cape and a mask based on this doll.

I did, of course, think about the baby growing in my belly and wonder whether this doll could be for him/her. I know you're not supposed to say this, but to be perfectly honest, I would LOVE to have a girl. All the names I like are girls names (and I can't think of any boys names!) and I'm just a pretty girly gal myself. Dolls, dress up, sewing... that's a language I speak! Both husband and I are convinced though, and have been from the start, that it's a boy. And we're not finding out; we I want the surprise :)

my creative space: making

Me oh my have I missed my sewing machine! I don't think I had made anything in, oh, 3 or 4 months... I hate when that happens.

Feeling inspired last week, I set up my little sewing corner at home and started on some simple projects. Over the next couple of days I made up this little beanie, embellished 3 baby singlets AND made a top for myself (coming to the blog soon). It felt so good to sew again, to create something from nothing. 

Last week the beanie & the ampersand singlet made their way over to the precious little one who belongs to him and her. The remaining singlets will head off to other newborns, and the top has been in rotation ever since. Yay for making!

p.s. I'm linking up with 'our creative spaces' here, for the first time in ages. So nice to be back!

p.p.s. Oh my goodness have I loved reading through your comments on my last post! You all have some hysterical terms of endearment for your loved ones. Definitely worth a read through.

x

my creative space: gifts for a baby

It finally happened! After nearly 2 months of being completely ignored, my sewing machine finally saw some action this weekend. My unofficial sewing club friend and I got together in my little sewing room downstairs (I have my fashion design studying roommate to thank for that one!) and made stuff.

I made two bibs and appliquéd one teeny singlet to send off to a very special baby on the other side of the country. Both were inspired by patterns in Kelly Doust's The Crafty Minx. The little birds that I used for appliqué are from some old Ikea fabric and I'm the other fabrics were small pieces from my stash.

I have to say, there's something so satisfying about sewing for a baby. And imagining the little baby boy, who I haven't actually met, with a handmade bib around his neck, well that's even more satisfying.

My life in iphone photos: round 10

my yoga notebook, blooms in my home

taking care of Ziggy, love him

photo on the left by Ziggy, my new Black Milks!

Friends, friends make mustaches out of hair while I fail to notice

My friend in Australian Yoga Journal, husband and I reunited in NZ

Fox Glacier, birthday pancakes

kayaking!

Queenstown sunset, Mt Cook sunset

heading home, sydney sunrise

morning swim, beer and popcorn

babies!

opening night of the Sydney festival, macarons

another morning swim with a friend

a book I'm coveting, mexican with friends

what vegetarians eat for breakfast, the lovely book my friend gave me for my birthday

All of these are instagram photos and if we're not instagram friends already, we should be! Leave me your username in the comments section. My username is thislittleport.

I also just realized through Elsie's blog that you can see instagram photos online, find mine here.