baby boy quilt 2

Yesterday you saw my inspiration for LG (Little Gentleman)'s quilt. Today, I went to work to find out where I could buy the fabric I needed to make it happen. Oh, being in the USA! Where capitalism reigns and everyone can get a good deal (hey, why not help their economy, right?). I found www.fabric.com which had amazing deals on some of my favourite fabrics. We're talking $7/yard for Amy Butler fabrics! Those exact same prints run you about $15/metre (basically a yard) in every shop I've been to in Canada. I wish I had more cash to just stock up to my hearts content, but I settled with 1.5 yards of two fabrics I enjoyed and will match well in the kid's room.

I may make accent pillows or a valance or fixed roman shade. I really don't know yet. I've decided to make the kid's bedding (once they're out of cribs, that is) since I can't seem to find anything I like in my price range. Making a duvet cover is basically one of the simplist sewing projects known to man woman humanity, same goes for pillow cases, so it shouldn't be too hard. Plus if I can find some Queen or King sheets that are the colours I want, it would probably be less money than using fabric - and already hemmed! These fabrics would make a nice trim accent though. They'll be put to use somehow :)

It's also where I found my brown gingham for the backing of LG's quilt.

I like how this gingham is on the vertical. Wasn't initially my choice, and there was a smaller gingham for only $4/yard, but this was larger, and more bold - which is what I'm going for - so it was worth the roughly $8/yard. Still amazing compared to fabric prices in Canada.

And as always, the shipping (domestic in the USA only) was free. Golden.

baby boy's quilt

I mentioned before, my fabulous sister is making baby No. 2 a quilt just as she did Lily. COMPLETELY not necessary (we chose gender neutral colours for Lily's so they could share), but that's Lisa for you. She lives to go above and beyond. Anyone who knows her, knows that.

Anyway, we've been brainstorming and we still want to do the same colour scheme of Lily's - green and orange - since they'll be sharing a room and all. But we want his to be a bit more masculine and bold. Lily's has very small patch work (incredibly intricate!) and many of the non green and orange pieces were lighter fabrics/colours/patterns. With the boy's quilt, we're going the opposite - large pieces, bold colours and fabrics, and adding darker accent colours.

My inspiration:



The large back piece will probably be a brown and white gingham as you see in the bold patchwork above. I love the brown with the green and orange, plus it adds that boy-ish look we're going for, while keeping the quilts the same since their living space is shared.

We still have a lot of leftover fabric from Lily's quilt and the DIY onsies I made and the fabric hoops (a little fabric goes a long way...never throw out scraps!) plus I picked up some sweet fat quarters from a local quilt shop when I was home for the worlds-shortest-visit for Lisa's bridal shower last week. I'm heading to Joann's to get the gingham - I'm sure they'll have some, it's a basic print and pretty universal - and I'm so excited!

I love quilts! I love my sister! I love this little gentleman!

phewf!

EXHALE.

relief sweeps in... which of course makes no sense to you all because you weren't in on the pregnancy scare I just experienced... but a scare it t'was. Being pregnant is not scary (hard but not scary). Having another baby this soon is not scary (hard but not scary). Having an unplanned pregnancy is not scary (hard but not scary) But missing the weddings of my TWO bests.... horrifying!

For a while there I thought I may have been... The baby would have been due on September 2nd. Precisely 1 week after Lisa's wedding and 4 weeks before Missys. And if the second time around was to be anything like the first... I'd have missed both.

Lily came a week early, so there goes Lisa's wedding, and my recovery was SLOW and PAINFUL and breastfeeding was VERY DIFFICULT and EXTRAORDINARILY TIME CONSUMING (Lily would go on 6 hour binges because I wasn't producing enough upfront to satisfy her) making driving to Ontario for 7 hours to be the maid of honour in a wedding when the baby was 3-4 weeks old also, impossible.

But alas, NOT PREGNANT!

And evermore excited for the event{s} of 2011: Wedding bliss for Lisa and Missy!

Love you girls, and can't wait ti share in your special day{s}

xoxo

MM's 2nd Party!

Me and MM were given our second baby shower yesterday -

what an AMAZING day!

Any day when 25+ people you love and have known all your life want to shower you with love, encouragement, and gifts is easily the best day of that week, but what made it extra special were the little things:

1. my sister hand-making a gorgeous baby quilt from all my favourite fabrics
2. the sun hats that were provided for EVERYONE in the back-yard tea party shower
3. the 8 different kinds of tea offered
4. Alysha spraying everyone's hot legs and ankles with iced-water from a spray bottle
5. celebrating with some friends who I've known since I was born, in grade two, or elementary and high school
6. the favours: a bag of blend 103 tea from the Tea Emporium with a tea leaf catcher and a small satchel of lavender (my favourite scent) for under your pillow :)
   

boys and girls

Most of you know that I'm a girl's girl. My hobbies include shopping and baking and I have never even thought about the reality that I could be the mom of boys, or even all boys.

I think it all began when my parents didn't have sons. And then my aunts and uncles closest to us didn't either. It was a girl's party. My cousins Maggie, Sarah, and Alysha were the extended family we spent the most time with, leaving zero room for boys to enter the brain. Then there were my dolls/barbies/imaginary friends: ALL GIRLS. Noticing a trend here? Not to mention I've never been the girl who's best buddies with guys... All my closest friends throughout the years have been Caily's, Tess's, Missy's, Catherine's, and Jamie's... GIRLS.

Naturally this is could all change in 6 weeks and I think it's just hitting me recently. Of course Brad is probably the most comfortable with boys since he has only brothers and I'll be thrilled no matter what the sex is, but part of me is a bit nervous of the potential of having a boy, or down the road, all boys. Can I swing it? I'm no hockey mom and I don't really "get" boys. But who knows?

At church I taught Sunday school today and there are two boys (brothers) who I adore. Miguel and Manuel. I thought to myself today: if my kids are like these, I could do boys! Often I get epiphanies like this, you know seeing the great things that boys bring to the table that girls can't, or thinking about how great it would be to "gain a daughter instead of lose a son" as they say in marriage, or the possibility for my future daughters having an older brother always looking out for them. I never had that and always was slightly jealous of those who did.

So we'll see. My 20 week ultra sound where I get to know the sex is in 6 weeks. I'll keep you all posted, and in the meantime, any advice on boys is welcome!

LOVE!

Mom and Lisa are here all weekend and I can barely contain my excitement!!!!

We're picking them up at the train station in 1 hour, and I've had 1 nap today and am trying for a 2nd...staying up late doesn't happen naturally anymore! And by late I mean 10 o'clock.

Happy weekend everybody, I know mine will be :)

cravings, hope, and mom.

This week has been the same as the last for the most part. After getting my hopes up for the end of nausea and vomit, it returned with abundance. Still sleepy, still moody (but getting better!), still being spoiled by Brad (this week's gift was a plug for our bath since it never came with one and is a smallish bath so I've actually NEVER bathed in it). Same same same.

Although, as I enter into the 9th week of this pregnancy and almost the end of the 1st trimester I'm filled with hope. Hope that the baby will be healthy. Hope that I won't miscarry. Hope that I can do this whole, terrifying, natural birth thing. Hope. This part has made my days so much more joy-filled. When has Hope not been connected with Joy anyway? Think about it. Brad and I have spent a lot of time praying not only for a healthy baby, but for the right attitude in the midst of trial - miscarriage, complications, birth defects, the whole slew of potential problems. And since we've been praying not just for "our way" but for "the right heart if God's way isn't ours", my heart has been much more calm. And it's marking a huge difference from the previous weeks of anxiety.

Another change is that my cravings have changed yet again. I'm OFF meat. Like haven't had any in 2 weeks. Poor Brad. We're making a lot of pasta and eating a lot of eggs to get protein and I may be willing to have small bits of meat such as meat filled pasta or meat on a pizza, but the thought of cooking a whole chicken right now ... barf. literally. Thoughts are that powerful these days! And I was hooked on fruit for a long time, anything fresh basically, but it doesn't leave you will the satisfying fill that carbs and warm meals do. Case in point, mangoes. My obsession lately. I was eating one today and Lydia was eating a yummy spicy tomato soup and I was coveting it like no tomorrow. So long mangoes. Hello delicious hot soups.

And finally, MY MOM AND SISTER ARE COMING THIS WEEKEND TO VISIT ME!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited it's hard to put into words... I have missed them both so much since this pregnancy began. Not being able to share all my thoughts with them (hence, this blog was created), not being able to relax around them, or have them serve me (which they both love to do, read: SPOIL) with yummy meals, cuddles, advice, etc. And of course they're not just thinking of me, Mom has even said "we're just so excited to spoil Brad since he's been taking care of you so much, make him great meals, have red wine with him since you can't, etc". Isn't my family amazing? And did I mention they're COMING TO MONTREAL IN 4 MORE SLEEPS?