Where has the time gone?

Wilbur is already a week old, unbelievable. Mr. T.'s paternity leave went by way to quickly and now it's the start of life as it will be. The week has been massively up and down as we learn how to be the best parents to little Wilbur. All his clothes were too big, we couldn't get him comfy, we had a hard time trying to get out of hospital and he is too small for his cot! But my God, I never knew how much love it was possible to feel, so much it overwhelms me and fills me up with feelings. Hazards are everywhere and I just want to watch him all the time, to listen to his breath and watch his eyes flicker under his lids.

Wilbur George T

Born Sunday 13th December at 10.59pm. Weighing 7lb 4 oz. We LOVE him.

Elephant biscuits!

And I was even organised enough to make double volume dough, so there is a ball of dough in the freezer! Yay!

Day Zero.

Mr T and I are busy compiling Day Zero lists, life lists of plan and motivation. 101 things to complete in 1001 days. By the time we complete them Baby T will be 2 and a half! Wow!

Object of Lust

From French Connection, okay pricey for FC at £295, but oh a white leather dress. Yum.

Winter Garden

Today we went to Savil Garden, which is free for the whole of December - well now we know why, it's DEAD. DEAD DEAD DEAD. With the exception of the Temperate House, which had about three plants of interest. Ah well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, etc,etc...

Also, found this peacock decoration in the shop, which will make a great Christmas hat!

The family are coming up tomorrow, for Mum's birthday lunch, so I've made her a Turkish Delight Mountain cake!

Yum!

Capes?

Okay, I'm not usually one to completely write off a whole category of fashion item, there are usually some exceptions to the rule that show you that you should not poo-poo things wholly as a group, however the mini-cape / capelet / shrug / coverlet genre is one piece I really do not get at all.

Herein lies my beef:

- A cape is a lovely item, a romantic, countryside, tussle in the woods kind of clothing. One which makes the wearer look like a certain type of person, a little eccentric perhaps, but definitely confident and in charge of their own sense of style. It is a poncho made good. Given a backbone and pulled out of its stroppy, awkward teenage former years.

This Junya Watanabe for Comme des Garcons is, for me, the perfect example of "good cape".

However, the cape's little sister is a poor wannabe of an item and one with little style, no mind of its own and not really even any purpose. A capelet can not keep you warm, it does not immediately brush you up, it usually adds an extra cheap layer to a cheap and flimsy outfit (probably from Lipsy), you can't put a coat over it, yet you will wish you could and it will inevitably just end up bunched around your neck, with you looking like a loon, fiddling with your collar and scratching at your ears all night. Look here...

Just wrong. Don't be tempted this Christmas.

Today was

mainly muffinalicious with these yummy jammy muffins:

Also, check out my tail. Funny things can happen when you are heavily pregnant. No, I haven't grown a tail, but I did manage to put both legs inside one pyjama leg, leaving this crazy tail, to go with my crazy balloon bump!

Jeanne Moreau

rocks. Innit.

How did this happen?

I have no idea,, but my camera phone clearly has an arty soul.

Today

Before I forget, yesterday was mainly...

Anyway, yesterday saw a good bit of organisation, as I wrapped up all of the Christmas presents, as well as putting our little Christmas tree. And yes, I am aware that it is totally chavalicious to put up decorations on the 30th November, but we do really want the baby to come home to a Winter Wonderland (in case he thinks that we are a poor reflection of good mummy and daddy!). The little fellas on the tree are four keychains from Habitat, an Eskimo, an Indian Princess, a Sumo Warrior and a Geisha Girl, I have also wrapped an string of antique Chinese beads around it.

Now all that's left is for Mr T to put the newly bought lights up!

Today we exercised our "Right to Choose"

"All women should be involved in planning their own care with information, advice and support from professionals, including choosing the place they would like to give birth....."

National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services, pg 5. Department of Health 14/9/2004

We visited ( and booked into) a lovely birth centre in Petersfield, where we are guaranteed a water birth - as long as no complications arise. And where everyone has a private bedroom. It was quiet and private and basically lush, everything I could have wanted and a million miles away from the horrible factory style birth at St Peters. So after all that positivity and reassurance today was...

x x x

Today was...

Today was...

Yesterday was...

What needs done...

With yesterday's hospital appointment concluding that Baby T is definitely head down (yay, well done baby!), it now seems very real that this baby will count as full-term on Friday and could come anytime from now until New Year's Day. But, there is still so much to do! We can't do the whole setting up the nursery, as we are moving house in January, then he'll get his proper nursery. However, there is still so much, some practical and some, I admit, a bit selfish for me and Mr T.

THINGS TO DO

- Set up bedroom with crib.

- Pack second hospital bag for car.

- Complete yoga practise.

- Clear out baby box.

- Write, address and stamp Christmas cards.

- Wrap Christmas presents.

- Practise birth breathing.

- Send off for homeopathic birth box.

- Send off for Bach's Flower Remedies for birth.

- Sort out car seat.

- Get big pants for after hospital.

- Increase Raspberry Leaf Tea.

- Put up decorations (first weekend in December).

- Get mum's birthday card.

- Wrap mum's birthday present.

- Blow up and set up baby nest.

- Store up frozen food.

- Get Tens machine.

- Use up cinema vouchers.

- Go out for "couple" dinners.

- Book haircut for due week.

- Swim.

- Get plates and extra table and chair for Christmas.

- Colour swatches for new house.

- Check out Ikea stuff.

- Buy snacks for labour.

- Ensure work for course is up to date.

- Visit cats.

- Visit Savill Gardens

- Visit Christmas lights at Wisley.

Yesterday was...

It's late! Blue Babe by Dulux.

Colouring books and Paper dolls

Over on the Things We Love site, I came across the most amazing grown-up versions of my favourite childhood pastimes, Colouring Books and Paper Dollies.

Check them out...

Agyness Deyn Doll

Kate Moss Colouring Book

Lily Allen doll

Today was...

Today was...

Zaha Hadid

This week saw the unveiling of this rather splendiferous dream work by Zaha Hadid in Rome. Eventually, it will be filled up with modern art and architecture trinkets, but at the moment is a stark and beautiful blank canvas. As we have vowed (for the sanity of other passengers and for his own eco credentials) that we will not be taken Baby T on a plane for at least 5 years, the only way it seems we will get to see this is if we make the train journey down to Rome at some point. Hhhhmmm, I've done that journey, it's a loooooooong way!

Today was...

Today was

Orange - Barry M

Graham and Green - Top Picks

Today was...

Mellow Mocha

Helios Childbirth Kit

Whilst reading this book: I came across the Helios Homeopathic Child Birth Kit, which contains 18 remedies to use during and after childbirth. The kit is available online here. Now, while I already have arnica tablets in my hospital bag, I was wondering whether the kit was worth looking into? It contains:

Aconite - For anxiety and fear.

Arnica - anti-inflammatory

Bellis per - for trauma wounds

Calendula - for healing of cuts and lacerations.

Carbo veg. - for extreme tiredness

Caulophyllum - to speed up a slow labour

Chamomilla - to treat heat and irritability

Cimicifuga - for fear

Gelsemium - for aching muscles

Hypercium - nerve healing

Ipecac - for nausea

Kali carb- sharp and cutting pain, backache

Kali phos. - mental tiredness

Phytolacca - mastisis

Pulsatilla - weepiness after baby

Secale - cramp and bleeding

Sepia - uterine remedy

Staphysagria - pain after birth

Sounds good, but would I actually remember to use it?

Cookies and Clothkits

After last NCT class last night we ended up in the pub till 11.30, so ended up having a very lazy day today. But, after supermarket delivery came (with free bar of Greens and Blacks - yum yum), I decided to make some cinnamon biscuits, only problem is they are so very moreish.

I have also been enjoying a blast from the past, perusing the wonderful Clothkits website. In the early eighties, my mum used to run up some really fab dresses from the Clothkits catalogue, as well as these great dolls as Christmas presents. Clothkits disappeared for 17 years, but made a comeback a couple of years from a base in Chichester, West Sussex, with many of the original patterns being updated and still available ready-made or ready to run up yourself.

Here are a few of my favourite things from the Clothkits site, which I hope to be making in the next year or so.

Nanuq

VW Dungarees Bustle Skirt

Daddy cool.

It is official, Wilbur is officially -1 month and 2 days young. Eeekkk. Please come on time baby!

Anyway, just a quick one today. Today's outfit is a simple jersey dress with a lace panel at the front, bought for about £25 at Urban Outfitters over a year ago. Yay, no extra expense. I saw it hanging in my wardrobe today and thought-yeah, why not? And it works. Hurrah!

Oh and also there is a picture of MR T looking very "trendy daddy," in his new Uniqlo tank top and our Muji dog Ferdy.

xx