Today is special

Today I am 37 weeks pregnant. The baby is now classed as "full term". Yay to that I say.

I am so grateful to have made it this far, as our dear daughter, Abbey, was born at 35 weeks and 3 days. It was a bit of a shock at the time, we were not ready, no hospital bag had been packed, I hadn't even finished work! She was in a hurry to meet us, being born early, and her birth was rather quick for a first timer (just under 6 hours)

The doctors said she was a good size for a 35 week premmie, weighing 2.585kg at birth. But she was still tiny. Size 00000 baby clothes were too big on her in the first few weeks. She had to stay in hospital in the Special Care Nursery for 15 days, 12 of those after I was discharged.

I am pleased to say Abbey is a completely normal 3 year old, and has suffered no ill effects for being born early.

So who knows when this next baby will arrive? Here is a 30 week scan image of our new baby, smiling at us, as he/she only knows when he/she will be born.

This time I am ready.

I made this today.

I am well chuffed I made this today. I actually finished a project, in one day.

Feels like it took me 5 hours to make one small zippered pouch/pencil case, but I had lots of distractions and managed to fit in a few house chores along the way too. One small step at a time.

Abbey chose the fabric if you hadn't already guessed.

Thank you to Amy Karol's book Bend-the-Rules Sewing for instructions on how to complete this project.

Look what Abbey made me today, a lady bug! I love it.

Fairy Dress

Last week I made this Fairy dress for Miss Darcy's 4th birthday. Abbey already has one, in a smaller size, that I made for her 3rd birthday back in April. Miss Darcy is a regular play mate of Abbey, and they have both enjoyed wearing this Fairy dress.

The pattern is McCalls M4887. It is very easy to make, just fiddly cutting out and sewing with this material. I was very grateful for the overlocker also, made sewing this so much easier.

Another one of my unfinished sewing projects is a purple Fairy dress like this for me. I really should do some thing about that soon.......

What is going on?

This week, I am craving all these. Some how, Chris is also now craving the fruit fizzers and sours squirms. I have not had many cravings this pregnancy, except for red meat (and lots of it)

These are amazing

Have you ever tried a new food, and you end up thinking about it all the time? You want to make it all the time? You can't get enough of it? You tell everyone you know all about how yummy this food is.

Well, this happened to me recently.

I had a catch up lunch recently with the lovely Raenette and some friends who we used to work with many years ago. Raenette kindly offered to make lunch for us, which I was rather excited about - she always cooks such yummy food. This day was no exception.

She made these amazing Goat's Cheese and Asparagus Tarts. I could not stop eating them, they were so delicious.

Raenette has kindly shared the recipe with me, and even allowed me to post it here. I have been making them every opportunity I get to entertain. They are yummy hot or cold, but really best right out of the oven. Nice and easy party finger food, and I can imagine talking them along to picnic's when the weather improves in Melbourne.

These tarts are really some thing special, and I hope you enjoy them (even half) as much as me

Goat’s Cheese & Asparagus Tarts

Makes 24. Preparation 20 mins. Cooking 20 mins. This recipe can be made a day ahead; reheat in a moderate oven for about 5 minutes before serving.

3 sheets ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
10g butter
150g asparagus, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
150g goat’s cheese (hard or soft)
2 eggs, beaten lightly
2/3 cup (160ml) cream
Salt & freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to moderately hot (200C/180F fan-forced). Grease 24 holes of patty pan trays (2 tbsp, 40ml capacity).

2. Cut 24 rounds from pastry with a 7cm cutter. Place rounds into patty pan holes.

3. Heat the butter in a small frying pan. Add the asparagus, garlic and 2 teaspoons of the chopped thyme; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the asparagus is soft. Allow to cool down for a few minutes.

4. Combine eggs and cream, season with salt and pepper, then stir in the chopped/crumbled goat's cheese and asparagus mixture. Combine well. Divide among the pastry cases.

5. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining thyme leaves.

6. Bake, uncovered, in a moderately hot oven for about 15 minutes or until browned lightly.

Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.

I would love one of these.

I have been spending lots of time reading other blogs, and found this amazing creation by Missie Krissie. How clever is she? Check it out, and enter her competition to win one. They really are special, what an amazing way to store and display your jewellery.
I wish I could make stuff like this.

I can't live without......

Yoga!

Every Wednesday Paige and I go to yoga class taken by the amazing Jane.

Last Wednesday I was uncomfortable. At the time I was 34 weeks pregnant and a little over it on that day. For most of this pregnancy I have loved it, it really has been a dream pregnancy. I have had so much energy, and not much to complain about - I am very grateful I have been keeping so well. I also want to enjoy every moment of being pregnant this time, as this will probably be our last baby.

But, back to last Wednesday. I was uncomfortable. I could not catch my breath, I felt so tight in my chest and the baby belly. I was not able to bend down and pick anything up off the floor, I could hardly walk with out waddling. My back was aching. I was cranky. I was tired. I wanted my body back.

I was feeling so awful, I was ready to stay at home and miss yoga. But I made myself go. It is "my time", a very rare time of the week devoted to me. It is also a special time for Chris and Miss Three to spend together.

I am so glad that I went to class. Of course, there are many poses I can't do at the moment, but there is still so much I can do at yoga, many other poses I can do with modifications to accommodate the baby bump.

After class, I felt incredible, the best I had felt all week! I could breath again. I felt energised and so calm and happy. Most of all, I felt like a belt had been let loose from around the baby bump, I was so much more comfortable and at ease.

So, this reaffirmed (again) how I can't live without yoga in my life.

These are a few photos that were taken when I was pregnant with Abbey in 2006, just before she was born, and just before Jane started classes at her beautiful new yoga studio.

Namaste.