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Thanks to everyone for the lovely comments on the last post, we got home yesterday and Evangeline is a gorgeous little baby, settled and calm, happily feeding and snoozing the days away with her unsettled periods far enough apart I don't mind.

Both Isabella and Liam are like little Mother Hens, checking what is wrong when she cries, making sure she is all covered, even standing on the sidelines making sure we change her as quick as we can because she is not a fan of being nude and cries and they don't like her upset.

After a rather rough pregnancy with Eva with Insulin Dependent Diabetes, severe Asthma needing steroids for 2 months, Acid Reflux and some nasty pelvic pain (SPD) making me walk like a penguin for the last 4 months, we weren't overly confident on a good delivery and recovery, but out of the three cesareans I am so much more comfortable on getting home. I was very lucky to have a fantastic team of doctors and specialists constantly monitoring me in the week before heading to hospital and also daily whilst we were in there which I think really made a difference or maybe my body just decided I deserved a break! The only complication was some anemia, which I had with Liam but I narrowly avoided a blood transfusion this time, unlike his birth when I had four.

So now it's time to get back into "normal" life. No more tea lady bringing me morning and afternoon tea and hot meals delivered three times a day with all the dishes and laundry miraculously disappearing.

Our first outing today to the local mall for the boys to get haircuts.

Liam did not leave Eva's side.

1.5 days home and Dean has already been doing crafts with the kids (making pop-up cards... thanks Mister Maker for that idea), has the afternoon Berry Smoothie making down pat, and tonight is taking the two biggest off to the school disco by himself. We are loving having Daddy home for the next 5 weeks and I'm sure we won't want to let him go back to work!

Introducing Evangeline Rose

Evangeline Rose

Born 24th March 2011

9.37am

3.725 kg / 8 pound 2 ounces

50cm long

Bunting

Last night, I cleaned the fabric cupboard. Throwing out fabric I'm sick of seeing and never using, sorting out the "good scraps" from the "why in the world did I keep these scraps" and re-folding and boxing my fabric.

That sounds like a big job, but really wasn't, I generally buy fabric and use it straight away so don't have much of a stash.. and before I get all the "nesting" comments, no it's not nesting.. the cupboard door was refusing to shut from explosion of "bits" and with the Mother in Law arriving tomorrow, last thing I needed while in hospital was her trying to sort it out and be "helpful", cause you know, Mother in Law's just can't sit and do nothing when visiting.

So with a nice pile of "good scraps" sitting in front me, instead of re-boxing them, I got straight into cutting and this afternoon made up some bunting for the kids bunks...

One of the last things now sitting in my WIP drawer is some half finished matching duvet covers for the bunks. Sitting there forever, they are probably another thing that if I set my mind to it I could finish in an hour... let's see if I get time tomorrow between Liam's soccer, getting my hospital bags packed and all the other last minute things to do before I check into hospital bright and early Thursday morning.

Pants, pants, pants, pants, pants AND more pants....

We are in the mist of a baby boom in our little neighborhood. Living in a block of 12 units, we have 1 baby about to turn one, 2 babies turning 3 months, 1 baby a week old and our little girl coming in 2 (!!) days. That's alot of babies in 12 units... plus the 5 other kids aged 3-6 in the block (2 being ours of course), lucky our neighbors love being surrounded by kids!

So yesterday, trying to make the most of my last child-free day, I decided to make some pants for our little girl, and while I was at it I made a pair for each of the others. Six pairs of pants all up, all using the Made by Rae Basic Newborn Pants pattern and cut, overlocked and hemmed in less than an hour....

for Chloe

for Frankie

for Caleb

and finally for our little one

The Block Cushion

A new cushion made from nine squares from the 200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton book.

Top row from left: #13 Circle in a Square block, #9 Arcadia block, #47 Queen Anne's Lace block

Middle row from left: Christmas Rose block, #189 Willow block, #3 Square Target block

Bottom row from left: #18 Traditional Granny block, #165 Coffee and Cream block, #19 Lacy Cross block

Yarn: Patons UK Diploma Gold DK in 6187 White, 6237 Taupe, 6167 Navy and 6136 Denim (just under a ball of each)

backed with a traditional granny using three rows in each colour

and seamed together using a double crochet the whole way around in navy, then a double crochet in taupe and finally some simple shells in the taupe.

I must admit these blocks have sat in my crochet/knitting WIP drawer for far too long, but during last week's clean up I pulled them out and was determined to finish it off. I should have done it sooner, it really took no time to finish off.

Baby Beanie

Pattern: New Baby Beanie by Sundara Stitches

Yarn: Hawthorne Cottage Yarns English Leicester Longwool in colourway 38

One for our little girl and another for our new little neighbour. A great free pattern and managed two beanies out of one skein, finished in less than an hour each.

Presents for little girls

Some beautiful things for my little girl (who will be here this time next week... eeek!) from my lovely US friend Ellyn. I can't wait to wrap her up in this flannel blanket and crochet hat... Thank you Ellyn for the surprise!

Early this week one of our lovely neighbours had a beautiful baby girl so I spent yesterday working on some girlie presents for her...

Play mat/blanket using a charm pack (from the lovely Bianca)

Road tested by Isabella

appliquéd bibs

and a Pretty as a Picture dress from the Handmade Beginings book by Anna Maria Horner

The day I attacked the craft corner... Part 2

Testing out my new comfy craft chair after tidying up, I whipped up a couple of new projects....

Felt St Patrick's Day Badge for Isabella to wear to school

a new bag using Kristen's Gypsy Caravan panel and some of her green fabric for a couple of large pockets, big enough for nappies, wipes and bottles

and a Tea Party skirt for Isabella from the Make it Perfect book

The day I attacked the craft corner... Part 1

What started as purchasing a new sewing chair, ended up being an afternoon, while the smallest were watching ABC, cleaning up my craft table...

re-organising drawers...

making something to hang my pretty handmade brooches up...

adding some new decorations...

and attacking"THAT" bottom drawer that all things are banished to when I need to finish them off....

elastic in shorts for Liam

testing out my new snaps and snap pliers to finish baby's bibs (thanks for the source Jennifer!)

weaving in the ends of a knitted Milo top (Ravelry link) for Isabella

hemming my Modkid Yoga skirt (embarrassingly sitting in the drawer since pre-pregnancy)

hemmed my Smashing Smock from Seams to Me by Anna Marie Horner (another item 99% finished pre-pregnancy)

and I also hemmed a new dress (also made pre-pregnancy) for me, but that needs ironing before photographing. Voile sitting in a drawer for six months apparently creases terribly.

I did achieve some NEW projects too while enjoying my nice clean craft area... but I'll leave them for a post of their own

Spoilt

Today I was totally spoilt with a lovely gift from my lovely friend Kristen at my last Craft Group pre-baby-arrival...

I got a sneak peek of Kristen's new brooches this morning and they are ALL devine, but I just LOVE the Granny Square brooch. Apparently I am the proud owner of the first one... shucks I feel super special (especially appropriate since I was crocheting a large granny square this morning to back a cushion I am working on).

Thank you Kristen for a lovely morning, your gorgeous gifts and an excuse to eat cake :-)

Versatile Wrap Skirt

Made yesterday and already crinkled after wearing it to the doctor's this morning... super comfy even on my 36 week pregnant self and really quick and easy to make, no wonder it is such a popular pattern.

Pattern: Make it Perfect Versatile Wrap Skirt

Main Fabric: Anna Marie Horner Good Folks Small Gathering in Citrus

Ties: Amy Butler Love Sunspots in Wine

Bedding for Baby

When Isabella and Liam were born, I didn't know how to sew, so I am loving being able to sew things for this little girl. Planning her little outfits, soft toys, bedding etc. When we first found out that it was a girl, Dean and I sat down (I love my husband who takes an interest in things I love) and we picked out a fabric range that we both liked, It's a Hoot by Moda from Quilthome.

Now her quilt (a simple tied quilt using dimensions from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones) and a pale pink flannel backed blanket are both waiting for her. I still have a nice little stash of fabric from the range and when she moves from her cradle into the cot I'll be making up a matching bed skirt.

I couldn't stop at one quilt of course, I mean these small people have a tendency to either poop or spew on everything from memory, so when Bianca posted a picture of a quilt she worked on using the Sherbet Pips range, I grabbed myself a charm pack from Retromummy and with some cream homespun for the sashing and aqua homespun for the back, made another baby sized quilt.

Sherbet Pips Baby Quilt

Proud big sister wanted a photo with her baby sister's quilt

The quilting is just simple running stitches around the 4x4 squares in matching perle 8 thread, and for something different I decided to try stitching the binding on using running stitches in perle 8 thread as well. I love the real "handmade stitches" look, especially on such a simple quilt.

So now the babies bedding is all ready for her to arrive...