4 Simple Goals

-1-

Take body measurements

I'm a totally different shape and size than I was before I became pregnant. So it's time to get the old measuring tape out and see where I'm at size-wise. Not particularly looking forward to this one.

-2-

Cut out dress patterns in different sizes

I've bought a pattern, but I want to be able to make dresses in all sizes from it. So I'm going to  trace out a separate pattern in each size. A boring goal, but it will make life so much easier in the long run.

-3-

Make test dress 

This is just going to be a bog standard t-shirt dress with an elasticated waist for me to wear around the house. It's also a chance for me to practice sewing with this fabric and get a feel for it.

-4-

Cut out pattern pieces for second dress

This is the dress I want to make eventually, but without the sash and perhaps a little shorter. This pattern uses darts to shape the bodice which I may or may not leave out. Once I've made the t-shirt dress above, I'll then move on to this one, starting with cutting out the fabric pieces. Baby steps folks!

My first Simple Goals post since Pip was born. Needless to say I'm not going to try and set myself monthly goals any more. I'll get these done as and when I can, but as I'm finding it all to easy to fritter away my days without achieving anything dressmaking related, I'm hoping these posts will act as an incentive to get things moving again. And here's how I got on back in March..

Previous Goals

1. Make curtains for our room
I hated making these curtains. The blackout fabric is so thick they don't hang properly, but they work really well at keeping the light out so I guess they're a winner.

2. Make curtains for Pip's room
I didn't hate making these as much, but that's because I (happily) ran out of blackout material so didn't bother with it. As a result I was able to crank them out in about an hour, by which point as I was all curtained out. I never want to make curtains again.

3. Finish course
Words cannot explain how proud I am that I accomplished this. And the date on the certificate is the date Pip was born which makes it proper spesh. I'm giving myself major brownie points for this one.

4. Get garden ready for spring

Well. There always has to be one that I don't achieve!

Alessi - 3 months

I was going to post this yesterday, but as it turned out, yesterday was a mammoth fail. I was supposed to be at my work's away day, but I got my days mixed up so couldn't go. To say I was mortified was an understatement! The day unfortunately went down hill from there so the post got shelved, as did brushing my hair and putting on deodorant. Like I said, mammoth fail.

Anyhow. My girl's now three months old and so for posterity, here's another update.

The colic has gone. I repeat, the colic has gone! Words cannot describe what a relief this is. To not have to listen to her cry from 5pm to around 10pm almost every night is like living the dream people. I mean, babies or no babies, you know how you feel when one starts crying? Your heart rate rises as does your stress levels, you wince and grit your teeth?
Well imagine being trapped in a room with that. For hours. No break.
Now imagine, the crying is coming from your offspring and there's sweet bugger all you can do to make it better even though they're looking to you to make it all go away. It's both frustrating and heartbreaking at the same time and it's also one of the many reasons why we won't be having more kids, but that's a post for another day.

On a brighter note, the kidlet is getting stronger day by day. She can hold herself steady when carried now which is a relief. I won't tell you how many times she caught me out by suddenly throwing herself backwards causing me to nearly drop her. Before you all go calling social services, I didn't. I caught her every time. Go me.

Speaking of being dropped though, she did launch herself out of her crib the other morning.  I heard a thud and when I turned around, saw her crib upright and Pip face down on the floor, looking sleepy, surprised and more than a little pissed off.
Again, before you reach for the phone, I can't stress enough that she was absolutely fine. She actually fell straight back asleep after we scooped her up off the floor. That night she moved from the rocker in our room to her cot bed in the nursery. Probably the worst night's sleep I'd had since she was born. I think I must have panicked over not hearing her breathing over the monitor only to go and check her to find her looking toasty (and very much breathing) in her big girl bed about a thousand times. I'm sure she did it on purpose.

What else is she doing? Well she's been smiling for some time now and laughed for the first time on Father's Day which was insanely cute. She hasn't really done it again since. She'll give you plenty of gummy grins, but the coos and the laughing are harder to come by. Hopefully this will change fairly soon because things got so much more fun when she started smiling. You could interact with her more and it made me feel like I was doing something right!

The only thing I've got to complain about is the fact that while she's great at sleeping during the night, she's pretty demanding during the day. She wants to do all this stuff, but can't work out how to do it so she shouts at me until I pick her up and put her over my shoulder where she can see everything that's going on.
This wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the fact that it makes the pelvis pain I suffered from during pregnancy return in full force. On a bad day like yesterday, I find it difficult to walk from room to room so carrying her just isn't an option. Try telling her that though.
I guess I ought to go and see the Dr about it, but to be honest, I don't hold much faith with the medical profession these days. GPs, midwives, nurses, surgeons, health visitors..we've been failed by each and every  one of them at some point and I've just had a gut full. But again, that's a post for another day. Maybe.

All in all though, things are really good here right now. Everyone kept telling us that things would get easier once she hit three months and so far, they all seem to be right. Long may it continue!

While the sun shines

We've not had the best start to the summer so when we do get a day of sunshine, I'm quick to get out in the garden. 

The other day was the first decent sunny day we'd had in what felt like forever so instead of lounging around, I got all productive making a fire pit in the middle of the lawn, painting our picnic table and transferring the last of the sunflower seedlings outside.

Maureen and Margot, being nosey old birds..

..before getting bored of watching me work and going back to sun worshiping instead.

 Maybe next time I'll take a leaf out of the hen's book and just enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.