French Knots

July already?!

Goodness where has the year gone, I spent the winter and spring in hibernation gestating and suddenly it is summer. Perfect weather, unless you spend a lot of time holding a small hot water bottle baby! We have both been sweaty bettys the last few days and nights, thank goodness for fans.

 

Despite being up a couple of times a night I'm finding it hard to go to sleep during the day. I finished off this little jumper  for my newest niece the other day - I started it before she was born and then once The Baby Brother arrived it languished in the knitting bag. So while he was asleep I whizzed through the last bit of sleeve and sewed it together, hopefully it will fit her - otherwise she'll have a well dressed doll!

July is a birthdayfest for us - 11 in total! I have a list ( now there's a surprise) of things I want to make but time is short and I am distracted by an idea I have for someone who has a birthday in August and I want to get stitching on that. Two of the Birthdays are The Big Sister and My Little Helper so I'm party planning, one riotous bouncy castle and games party in the church hall for 6 year olds and the other a more grown up 10 year olds' trip to the cinema followed by a nosleep over - no doubt the 4 of them will spend most of the night giggling and chatting but as I'm up so much anyway it doesn't really matter!  It old seems a matter of moments since The Big Sister was asleep in my arms, the size of The Baby Brother and now she's going to be 10, how quickly it passes. One of the joys of blogging is recording all the small things that would otherwise be lost in the mists of time and rushing through life. 

The Baby Brother is 9 weeks old today and since his first smile 2 weeks ago has discovered the joys of interaction, smiling his open mouthed toothless smile at people and discovering they smile back. His little chuckle is wonderful and often comes prompted by my silly faces. He is trying to roll over but that pesky arm keeps getting in the way, but an enthusiastic wiggle/shuffle on his back propels him to the top of his cradle, where he finds he can't get any further and grunts till I appear - very sweet but not a game I want to play at 4am. Bless him, it's such a treat to be marking the new discoveries he makes, remembering the older two at the same age and thanking my lucky stars I was made redundant opening my eyes to the possibility of a third child. So thankful.

Have a wonderful weekend!

ps Thanks for all the chicken advice, we are weighing up the best place to put a coop and run in the garden and then, once we get back from holiday, will be taking the plunge I think!

Chicken advice

We are measuring and researching, planning and dreaming. Perhaps there is a little corner of the garden for a chicken coop after all! How exciting! Instead of a bit of weedy flowerbed and by stealing a few feet from the edge of the lawn I think we can do it.As I know some of you have already got some feathered friends in the garden I thought I'd ask your advice.

Which breeds are most friendly/healthy for the beginner to keep?  If I have the coop/run against the fence will the ivy that covers it do them any harm? Any websites/books that we should read?

I'm assuming that if we give them free range over all the garden they will eat all my plants so I've found a coop that looks like it might fit and give the hens a happy life, but as the run doesn't look very big they might have to be let out to play on the grass too.  

 

Do you think it looks foxproof enough? I would hate to take on some chickens and then be responsible for their demise through lack of planning - of course you already know how much I love a list!

The thought of being able to walk into the garden and collect a few eggs for breakfast is tempting and suggests a life removed from the usual rushing about, a more relaxed pace with time to breath.

All good

After a few days of the blahs I woke this morning ( well was woken by the hungry fella that sleeps in my room!) at 5am to glorious sunshine and decided to change the pattern and look for the good.

The Baby Brother enjoyed his first breakfast ( naturally starving again, after his 2am late night snack) then went to sleep in my arms, lovely and snuggley and didn't prosecute - this is The Big Sister's word for possetting and I haven't corrected her as it makes me smile every time she says it.

     

Am wearing my comfy old Dr Marten sandals, survivors of many holidays and hot summers that look really tatty but never rub no matter how hot the day. And I painted my toenails last week - bit chipped now but I spend my days with a 7 week old who can't see as far as my feet.

The Baby Brother smiled at me last week, a real smile with his eyes and his little mouth grew wider and wider in a wonderful smile as I smiled back at him and he tried it again as it felt so good. My  heart almost burst with the joy of it.

The wonderful sunshine prompted me into action and I tackled the laundry mountain, third load has just gone on the line so I feel virtuous and in control ( ha! until it's dry and the pile sits around again waiting for the laundry fairy to put it away!).

 

As I hung it out I could hear the children in the school next door singing through their open windows, My Little Helper and his friends are rehearsing the Infant Production. He is to play a Cool, Organic Sheep! Costume requires white top and trousers and of course cool shades - can't wait to see it and will no doubt need a discreet tissue as usual.

The towering self seeded verbascums are starting to flower, as the rest of the garden has a look of the Lost Gardens of Heligan before they were rescued I am ignoring it!

 

ok end of the Pollyanna moment - have a good day!

Creating

While 'he whose tummy is always empty' had a quick nap between feeds I rustled up some thank you gifts for friends who had kindly passed on some nursery furniture.

It was Pebbledash who posted about recycled Toast and it lodged in my brain. In the wee small hours as my mind drifted during feeding I came up with an idea that was quick to make but, hopefully, touching to receive.

I stamped some wooden pegs, backed some pleasing images from the aforementioned Toast brochure and chose some of my sweet hearts - lavender filled sachets made from recycled fabric. I stiched the hearts inside brown paper parcels instead of wrapping them in the usual way. Once the notecard was pegged to the parcel I was pretty pleased with result.

 

If I get time I'm going to make some more for the end of school year teacher's presents from the big children as they have 5 teachers between the 2 of them I need a simple solution. Though Mr L might not appreciate a lavender sachet.....!

Snuggled in love

A wonderful package arrived, filled with snuggley cardigans for The Baby Brother. Amazing, intricate knitting, complicated patterns and all soft against his skin.

 

 

I love the colour of this one, so vibrant

but this one is my favourite, it has a real vintage feel to it. I could imagine a '50s baby in a cute little jacket like this

 

Hasn't he got a clever Grandma!

The weeks are flying by in a bit of blur, I keep trying to remember to take photos of his tiny baby days as they are so fleeting but one day blends into the next without a proper night time to differentiate it. He has a wonderful range of grunts and groans, accompanied by lip pursing and gurning.  He smiles at opportune moments too, which I know is not a conscious act yet but his timing is so good it melts my heart, and when his lower lip does it's little wobble......! 

What day is it......??

How on earth did I forget that newborn babies don't sleep at night??! After two children you would have thought that fact would be carved into my memory - seemingly not as the lack of sleep over the last couple of weeks surprised me! That said if he's snuggled in my arms he'll happily sleep for ages, which means the rest of the household gets some sleep and I get to overdose on cuddles with my baba. Much better than wasting the night hours sleeping.

Thank you for all the good wishes and kind words of welcome to our little fella, it already seems as if he has always been here. I have written several witty and amusing posts in my head in the wee small hours and of course now that I'm grabbing a few minutes while he's asleep all I can think of is ' humm I could just eat some chocolate, or some jelly beans!'  - just what you've called in to read!

Lovely flowers have been delivered from kind friends

 

 

 

 

and the creative and generous Lesley aka Moogsmum sent me a wonderful surprise parcel

  

needless to say the chocolate has long gone! Thank you Lesley!x The bib is so cute and as for the sweet little booties..

 

Off to lie down with my lavender scented pillow and relax for a minute................

Love is ................

When you ask him to mow the lawn but to leave the patch of daisies because they look pretty.......

 

..................and he does!

Happy 21st Wedding Anniversary Mr FK xx

Welcome!

We are now a family of 5!

Welcome to Benjamin Alexander, born 1st May. 6lb 7oz of perfection.

 

nearly, nearly

 

Primula denticulata. When I was growing up we lived next door to a lovely retired couple Mr and Mrs Milsom, I remember going round to visit always being told to ask if 'it's convenient' and spending time with Milly and Mr Milly. He was a keen gardener and I remember being about 9 and and working on a project for school, a project on flowers. Mr Milly told me the proper name of purple pom poms and for some reason it embeded itself into my brain for evermore. Primula denticulata such a lovely spring flower.

Tomorrow is a big day, THE big day, I go into hospital and our family grows. Surreal really, whilst I have a bump that could house a baby elephant, have seen and heard the baby there is still a lingering feeling that it's all too good to be true. So I can't wait to meet it, those magical first moments falling in love, fierce piercing mother love. I'm also looking forward to seeing all three children together as they get to know the new baby. So I'll be back some time next week. Thank you for all your good wishes and kind comments over the last months.xx 

Just in time

 

Way, way back at the beginning of January we ordered a new small settee and sofa bed to replace the old settee that we have had since we got married ( 21 years ago next week!). As we don't have a spare room now the sofa bed was for visitors, with a deadline for it to be used when the baby arrives - so planning ahead, plenty of time we thought. Sadly Habitat had other plans, inefficient, lack of communication blah, blah, blah. Eventually they sorted themselves out but I'd just about forgotten what the blummin things looked like! 

Just in time they arrived, fitted in the room and needed making homely. So a spot of rummaging in the fabric mountain resulted in a few new cushions.

 

Just managed to squeeze myself in behind the sewing machine!