Coffee and Cat Hair is dead!

I'm changing the blog's name to match my shop. Also I no longer have cats, so.

Vive le Small Things!

Alessi - 4 months

Is it that time again? It doesn't feel like a month has past since the last update!

Ho well. Another month gone so here we go. The biggest change (at least for me and Dan) is that over the past couple of weeks she's started sleeping through the night. I don't trust it though. It just feels a little too good to be true so we're making the most of it while we can!

She's still up into everything. Or at least, she makes you help her be up into everything. While she's conquered the head holding up thing, she still gets frustrated at not being able to do the sitting up thing, the standing up thing, or the be high up and see everything herself thing. So she shouts. A lot. Until someone picks her up and then it's like she's watching a tennis match. Her head will whip from side to side so fast I'm sure she can't actually see anything, but she's got to see EVERYTHING. ALL THE TIME. It's as if she's afraid that if she takes her eye off the world for one second, she'll miss something amazing. 

She's also started teething. I didn't think that this wouldn't happen until at least six months so it caught me by surprise. In fact I kept denying it, every time Dan suggested it I just fobbed it off as her having discovered her hands. There's no denying it any more though. If the constant drool and gnawing on anything she can get her hands on aren't clue enough, we can now actually see the teeth just under her gums. I think it will be a slow process though so I'm strapping myself in.

She's started taking regular naps during the day too which is making my life a whole lot easier! They give me a chance to get things done like oooh, brushing my hair and putting on deodorant. I may not get much done each day still, but at least I don't smell. They don't last very long though, half an hour tops so anything I want to get done has to be quick. 


She's still not laughing yet. She smiles a huge smile and looks as though she's about to giggle at any second, but nothing actually comes out. She'll get there in her own time. I'm just impatient because it feels so great each time she smiles at me. Hearing her giggle will be like crack.

While she may not be laughing yet, she is discovering her voice. Her new favourite sound is a high pitched squeal that would put Mariah Carey to shame. It's really cute. It's also quite painful if she does it right next to your ear. Her other favourite thing is blowing spit bubbles. Oh how I love that one. It's like having a baby shaped slug as a daughter. Bibs are an important part of her daily ensembles.


And that's it for now. Here's where I blink and find myself writing update number five..

The week I got some things done.

This week I finally had a burst of productivity and got some things done. 

I moved back into the sewing room after deciding my 'nook' in the bedroom was too small. I washed and ironed the fabric that finally arrived, made two test dresses and then decided that as my sewing machine wasn't up to scratch, I'd go and buy myself an overlocker, Y'know. As you do. 

This was the one I plumped for in the end. 

Isn't she a beaut? I'm getting quite excited about this project now as I've got to admit, I've been climbing the walls a little lately. Please don't get me wrong, I know how lucky I am and I love that I get to watch Pip grow a bit more each day, but for my own sanity I do need something else to focus on other dirty nappies and Mr Tumble.

That said, I will always put my sewing machine down for Gigglebiz. It makes the nappy changing more fun.

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!