Photography

Currently, I am borrowing a friend's digital SLR and I am LOVING it. It means that I can take photos like this:


And this:

One of my targets for my maternity leave (other than the obvious having a baby thing, of course) was to start taking more photos and experimenting a bit more with photography. I am really enjoying it and am now hankering after my own SLR. The lovely husband has said that I can have one for my birthday if I like. I do like. Alot.

Now, which one to get? Like so many things in life there are so many choices that it can be very overwhelming. Almost like picking a pram (forward-facing, rear-facing, lies flat, car seat attachment) or a highchair (wooden, plastic, detachable tray, converts to a table, grows with the child, cheap, needs a second mortgage).

As with all the baby kerfuffle, I think I will go down the route of getting a good recommendation from someone I know takes beautiful pictures. So Caro, I'll be after some advice sometime soon please.

And, while I'm here

I thought you might like to see how much my little man has grown:

Inspiration

I am finally inspired to start blogging and creating again. It was mainly Jill who inspired me with this playhouse. I have started on making one for Jack for his 1st birthday. I am very excited about this project but just need to find the energy and time somewhere in order to get going on it. I have already received some felt wildlife (butterfly, ladybird, bumblebee, caterpillar, snail) from an excited family member. [Photos to follow soon]

I have also embarked on some wardrobe refashioning. I am just about back to my pre-pregnancy weight, although am now a slightly different shape. So, I now have a wardrobe of post-pregnancy clothes that are too big and pre=pregnancy clothes that dont quite fit. Instead of buying new clothes I am refashioning some of the too large clothes into new and exciting items. So far, I have cut up a lovely red cardigan that was far too large. Must find the time to do something with it!

Surprise

I have a huge backlog of things to post about (baby shower and lots of things that I have been making for Eddie) that I was going to catch up on this week. But Eddie decided that he wanted to come and meet us 4 weeks early!

Yesterday, at 1.02pm, Jack Edward Whiting made his appearance into the world weighing 6lb15.5oz. He is gorgeous and perfect and more details and millions of photos will soon follow!

Here he is at a few hours old. How beautiful is he?

The Fear

Not panicking at all. Not even a little bit. Its just that out of the 7 couples in our antenatal class, one had her twins at 30 weeks, one had her daughter last week at 33 weeks and one is due to be induced this week at 35 weeks. Crikey.

Feeling the need to leap out of bed (admittedly it is 1pm so probably time to be getting up) and get on with all the things that still need doing...

Practising

Last night at our antenatal class the ladies talked about pelvic floors and other such things while the men were sent out of the room to complete a challenge.

They returned each with a doll in their arms. They had had to put a nappy on, select outfits from a large box of clothes and dress the dolls.

I am very proud to say that Simeon managed to put the nappy on the right way round, put on a vest and a babygrow and find a hat and mittens that matched the babygrow. He then sat with the doll in his arms like a pro.

I am supremely impressed!

Where to begin

So, I have returned from 5 days in Dunstable where I was helping a friend out with wedding preparations and now can start with the serious business of maternity leave. Problem is, there is so much to do that I don't know where to start. In addition to the list of things I want to make, I need to rearrange the spare room and dining room, do all the laundry, tidy the guest room, get the bed fixed in the guest room, clear the cupboard in Eddie's room, do some grocery shopping.... the list goes on. I also need to find the time to do some relaxing.

But first, a cup of tea and a cupcake.