Paper Pie

Patiently Waiting

I hope you are enjoying your weekend - moment by moment. We are doing a lot of walking, enjoying each others company, and staying well hydrated and nourished.

34 Weeks

day lily belly taken by Ryan, 34 weeks, Los Angeles Arboretum

Queen Anne Cottage taken by Ryan, 34 weeks, Los Angeles Arboretum

Ryan and I spent the day together strolling beautiful landscapes. There were blooming flowers, exotic plants and plenty of photo ops. In between doctor appointments, childbirth classes and nursery prep, we are making a conscious effort to savor these last few weeks while it is still just the two of us. We are beyond excited and ready to hold our daughter in our arms, but we also know that in our new roles as parents we will be very busy and may not have the abundant time together that we have now. So while we can, we are just enjoying being together, as we look to the future and all of the joy and excitement that it holds.

32 Weeks

She's kicking and dancing up a storm! She's head down too, did you know that? Relaxation has become a must for me. It is right up there with eating. Walking around the neighborhood again and again. I am still feeling really, really good! But my sandals are really hard to buckle. Dreaming about looking in her eyes and holding her in my arms. It's the home stretch, but still 8 weeks to go. It's another waiting room. Feeling excited to start our childbirth classes next week.

Have a wonderful weekend and Memorial Day, if I do not check in before then!

Pudgy Cheeks

Did you know that our baby girl has pudgy little cheeks? She does, and a square jaw just like me. At least that is what her incredible photo shoot revealed to us this week. We'll have to wait and see. This is her face looking right at us and almost resting on her folded arm. This is the most realistic picture of her yet and we are so excited to see her! The doc says that she looks great, which is sweet music to a pregnant mama's ears.

I love this photo from a few weeks ago. It is her little knees, shins and feet. So precious.

27 Weeks

Little Girl moves around A LOT, especially at night or when I am sitting still working at the computer. Ryan felt her kick the other day and said, "It's like magic." I knew just what he meant.

Special Delivery

If you stopped by our place right now, you would notice little signs here and there that we are expecting a very special delivery in the coming months. You might see receiving blankets, an assembled crib (sans mattress), a fetal stethoscope so we can hear her heartbeat. Things are changing and we (including Zipper) are starting to notice.

This past week I received a wonderful delivery of LuSa Organics products. I have read about how great the Booty Balm is for diaper rash and had been meaning to order some. To my delight I happened upon a special offer from LuSa over at Sew Liberated. If you act quickly you can get in on it too! LuSa is offering $10 off an order of $40 or more when you enter the coupon code "Sew Liberated" at checkout. The offer ends April 24. I ordered a few things for Little Miss and a few things for myself. So far I have only tried the Belly Balm to soothe and moisturize my expanding tummy. It is wonderful! It smells of lavender and leaves my skin really soft. I have notoriously dry hands and it seems that in pregnancy they have been even more dry. We don't have a dishwasher and I do all dishes by hand, with gloves of course, but my hands really pay the price. I applied some of the Belly Balm on my mitts before bed and they were tons softer and smoother the next day. Can you tell that I like this stuff? I also bought the Postpartum Herbs, Booty Balm, Calendula Baby Soap, and the Baby Wipe Juice. The Baby Wipe Juice is a mixture of all natural ingredients that you use with paper towel for a better baby wipe, free of synthetic fragrances and preservatives. You can check out all LuSa Organics products here. Also, Rachel, the woman behind LuSa, has a really informative and inspiring blog all about organic, crafty, baby goodness. It's called Clean. Check it out, friends.

25 Weeks

And I am so happy, and for the most part pretty comfortable. I have been sleeping well, so that is a huge relief. Miraculously, I can still see my toes and bend over without too much effort. Maybe the most challenging thing right now is keeping my sweet tooth at bay, it seems to be exaggerated now more than ever. I've just been thinking a lot about her and what she will be like, who will she be? My list of things I want to make for her is longer than the day. Every time Ryan mentions something that she needs, I say, "Oh, I'm going to make that." I won't stress myself if time runs out, the birth is not a deadline it is in fact just the beginning, right? Ryan and I finished the registry, it was pure comedy. It feels like a big accomplishment though. We really focused in on what we truly think we need and what we can do without, knowing full well that all we can do is our best to prepare. When she gets here, she will decide, not us. I'm walking a lot and my hair grows fast. My nails too, and they are stronger. We went to a concert a few weeks ago and I wondered if she could hear and if she did, if she liked it. All these thoughts keep me smiling.

It's a Girl!

And we couldn't be more excited, thrilled or happy. I also could not be more excited, thrilled, or happy with this dress. My first official baby dress. It's not perfect by any means, but I am quite proud of myself for making something that actually looks like a piece of clothing. I attached the binding around the neck and armholes without a hitch and even trimmed the seam allowances with pinking shears. I also accomplished a pretty straight hemline, but I was nervous the whole time. You betcha.

This is the Simple Dress pattern from the book, Simple Sewing for Baby by Lotta Jansdotter. This is the first project that I've tried from the book and I will say that the pattern and the instructions were quite easy to follow, simple indeed! One of the options in the pattern is to include the little pocket friend that I attached with ric rac. See, she can take it out of the pocket, play with it, bat it around and it stays right there. Last nght, Ryan was reading something about how tethering things to the baby is a good idea. So, I gave her this little tethered pocket friend. It is so cute I can barely stand it! I think she will love her pocket friend and name him something like Spinach or Cat or something as equally adorable. 

Here is a view of the top of the back of the dress. You can't really tell from this photo, but there is a small opening there. I created the button loop with embroidery floss and attached a bright yellow vintage button. The button loop was really fun to make and much sturdier than a ribbon or elastic strap. Because sturdiness is in important I think. I imagine her running around the yard, barefoot, chasing the puppy that we don't have yet. I want this dress to be worn over and over and maybe some day her little pocket friend will need to be reattached, or perhaps we will get rid of it all together when it proves to be too bothersome for the wash. All these little dreams, all these little thoughts, they comfort me when I am up in the middle of the night because my belly is expanding and I have to toss and turn to find just the right position, just the right spot that pleases me. Anyways, this dress only took me a weekend to complete and I have so many more ideas for little clothes that I want to make for little miss. Bloomers and smocks and gingham, oh my!

Cheerful Gifts

I've been working on a collection of gift wrap, gift bags and cute-as-ever gift card holders complete with ribbon and tags. It's been a little challenging folding up these boxes just so, but after a lot of trial and error, I think I am there. It is really fun to wrap boxes that have nothing in them, because when you are done making them pretty you get to keep them. So now, it seems like there are lots of beautiful presents just for me in my studio! It has been really fun mixing these patterns up and applying them to something different. This blog is called Paper Pie after all, not Fabric Pie, or Fabric Scone. Fabric Scone doesn't quite have the same ring, does it? I'll show you more of this stuff as I create it and get ready to put it in the WonderFluff shop.

Today I am 20 weeks pregnant. It is pretty hard to believe that we are halfway there already. On the other hand, it does seem like I have been pregnant for a long time. Well, I have. 20 weeks, to be exact. I know so many ladies that are pregnant right now. This morning I counted 9! We are all due between May and October. High school friends, work friends, college friend, dear friends, and guess who else? My sis!! Yes, she is just 2 weeks behind me. My due date is July 22 and her's is August 6. My mom is beside herself with thrilled anticipation, 2 new babies at once. It has been fun going through pregnancy with my sister, though she is a couple thousand miles away. You know, Skype helps out a lot.

In The Oven

18 weeks

Yes, there is a bun in there and it is starting to show! It really does depend on what I am wearing these days, but I can tell that I am definitely expanding. Just yesterday I bought my first pair of maternity jeans. I was hesitant, but when I tried them on I realized how much more comfortable I will be.

One thing that I read and hear all the time is the importance of sleeping on my left side. There is a big artery that the uterus puts extra weight on if I sleep or lay on my back, which in turn limits blood flow to me and the little one. I have been ok with the left-side-sleeping for a while now, but my left arm is really starting to protest. I wake up in the night with my arm feeling sore and crampy. I can imagine this is probably not going to improve so I think I need to start making myself a nest of pillows to sleep in or invest in a body pillow or something.

So, that is my pregnancy ramble for today. Things have been going great and I feel really fortunate to have moved this far along, without much queasiness or morning sickness. Ryan and I are both so excited and thrilled and the reality of the pregnancy and our future roles as new parents is really starting to sink in. I can't wait to feel that first kick! Ah, it's so fun!