KissKus

No fool

I'm having none of this!

Slightly better...

Aaah, the real thing!

The posse and I

Michel went back to work yesterday and so now it's just me managing our clan and household.

I told myself that I wouldn't set crazy goals. As long as everyone is happy and fed then I consider my day a success. So far so good. I even managed to do the washing and did a bit of tidying up. Oh, and I bathed Linus all by myself and he didn't even cry once!

We've been blessed with lovely weather these past days, so that we've been able to spend lots of time in the garden, which I must admit makes it a lot easier to manage our clan!

By the way, the top photo was taken two weeks ago and the bottom one this morning... what a difference already!

32=3+2=5

Today's my birthday.
My first birthday as a mother of three.

Except for the usual birthday ingredients like cake and presents, this time there were other highlights as well.
I took a shower with Linus this morning, which was really special and we went on our very first walk. It was lovely weather and it was wonderful to be outside.

Apart from a serious lack of sleep things are going very well around here. Linus is such a sweet, easy baby. He is so soft and pink and cute and cuddly... I'm happy just to hold and watch him all day.
Amber and Simon have adjusted very well to the changes too. Simon had a little trouble initially, but he's back to his old self now. It's no small thing to become an older brother overnight!

Look at my two boys taking a nap together... aren't they adorable?!

Ok, just one more photo of Linus then!

I'm amazed at the way he looks around when he's awake. His eyes are so curious and wise... it really seems as if he's absorbing everything. As I said I could look at him all day!

Well, I think it's almost boobtime again and then hopefully some sleep!

Room's ready

Let me share some photos of the finished nursery on this cold and wet day... it's the first day of spring and it's snowing!! Thankfully I took some photos earlier in the week.

First of all the cot, which is completely sewn up by my Mum as she did with the other two children. Each time it turned out very differently and I think it's looking fantastic again. By the way, this is the cot that my sisters and I used to sleep in as well.

The colours we used for the room are green, blue and white, which gives the room a nice calm feeling to it. The colours are in fact a little less harsh than in this photo. Isn't that onesie adorable... I bought it months ago, now it will finally be used soon!

This blankie was finished last weekend by my Mum. It covers a not so pretty, but very comfortable chair that will undoubtedly be used for many breastfeeding sessions.

Funnily enough, for this baby we bought our first proper changingtable. For the other two we simply used a chest of drawers. However, since it's Ikea it can easily be changed into a normal cupboard when the baby has outgrown it. What I really like about it is the fact that you're able to face the baby without having to twist your neck into an awkward position.

So far there's not a lot of evidence visible of my original idea to have a nursery in Matryoshka-style, but in the meantime this cute little matryoshka is keeping the honour up. It was a lovely present from Heleen... thanks again, Heleen!

If there's any theme at all then I suppose it's trees, because of the curtains and this lamp:

So everything's ready for baby's arrival... now when will it happen? Perhaps it'll be a little Easter baby, alhough my feeling says that nothing will happen before Wednesday. 
We'll just be patient and wait and enjoy the long quiet weekend that lies before us. I hope you'll all have a wonderful Easter (with better weather than here)!

Still going strong

38 weeks and still pregnant, thankfully.

The belly is too big to be covered now as you can see.

I'm sorry I haven't been blogging lately. Enough reasons for that: we've been working like mad trying to get the house finished AND we've all been sick AND I dropped Michel's laptop from the table!

I hope to be posting some more this week; I have lots to show and tell.
The house is more or less finished (I'm coming to terms with the fact that it will never be completely done), the nursery is ready. Now I would LOVE to be able to relax and catch up on some sleep, hopefully that will still happen. I did read two books these last days... that hasn't happened in a loooong time.
Come on, relaxation, overwhelm me!

Good things

Another weekend came and went, which means that lots and lots of decorating has been done. Just ONE more week before my self-imposed deadline and then the house will have to be finished!! Will we make it in time?! Stay tuned ;)

Anyway, this has made me so happy. We finally started painting the nursery and I think the colours turned out wonderful! My Mum turned up with the curtains yesterday and they look great too (tick of the list). She's now frantically sewing away at the cot, which will be finished on Sunday... go Mum, go!

We also managed to buy a new secondhand but perfect Maxi Cosi, which is a great relief to me, because I was freaking out that we wouldn't be able to transport the baby if I needed to go to hospital (another tick of the list).

We're also truly enjoying our new dining table and chairs. The table is so big and light... we love it!

And, it's perfect for folding the washing! Especially baby clothes... look at me go (washing baby clothes... another tick of the list)!

So, I'm 36 weeks and I think I'm finally starting to unwind. I've been feeling very stressed lately, because we were still so unprepared. However, I'm at last starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. I can now start to look around and enjoy all the progress we made instead of only focusing on all the jobs that still need doing. A very nice change!

Physically, I'm feeling pretty well too and I'm actually feeling less pain than a couple of weeks ago. Getting out of bed is a challenge though, but once I get going things are alright. I'm actually really surprised that this pregnancy I'm in better shape than with Simon, even though I'm much heavier. I have no complaints!

The baby isn't moving around so much any more (since there's no more room), but when he does the kicks are very powerful. It sometimes makes me jump up from my chair. This baby also has the hiccups a lot! Five times a day is normal! I'm really looking forward to meeting this new little person that's been keeping us all busy for 8 months now... just a few more weeks!

Upside down

*Edit* Hurray! The scan showed that baby's head was beautifully positioned down! We'll never know whether he/she decided to take a tumble last night or was falsely accused, but I'm very relieved! No more obstacles between me and my homebirth :)

Also, I wanted to add that the mirror pictured underneath has been cleaned since the photo was taken!!

Today at our check-up the obstetrician noticed that baby has most probably turned upside down, which means that its head is now placed under my ribs (which explains that crushing feeling there) and its feet are way down south. NOT GOOD, BABY! Please, take a dive and go back to the way you've been for all those months!!

Tomorrow morning I'm going in for a scan to make sure of its position and if it's confirmed then I suppose we'll start making plans on how we'll be able to turn this baby around. That process will probably involve a lot of pushing and shoving... yay!

I do actually believe that the baby has turned. My whole belly feels and looks different. It's definitely larger on top and it feels as if there's a melon stuck underneath my ribs. Bending has really become a challenge now! I'm not too stressed yet though. The obstetrician said there is still enough time (I'm 34 weeks) and room for the baby to move again, so for now I'm just going to assume that that will happen.

Other babynews.... we think we've finally found a boy's name that we like! Or that we like just a little bit more than the other names that we like, you know?! Deciding on a girl's name was easy, but for a boy we both find it much harder. I think we'll now have to repeat this name to ourselves a couple of times a day so that that it'll become familiar to us.
Phew... until yesterday we had no nursery, no cot, no pram, no birth announcement and no name yet. Now that we can cross out that last item, all we need is for the baby to take a tumble and we're back on track!

Multi-tasking... all day, every day!

It's a celebration!

We had something to celebrate last week, because Simon and I decided that we were done with his diapers. We had both been too lazy to quit them before, but all of a sudden it was time. He can't be wearing diapers when he has to go to school (in September, but still...) and I don't want to have to wipe two children's bottoms!

So anyway, we needed cake of course! Simon was allowed to pick out the cake himself and this was his choice:

Doesn't it look lovely? I can tell you that it tasted delicious too!

Simon was very happy to have his best friend over to celebrate the occasion with him.

Being diaper-less is going very well. I just have had to buy a whole lot of underwear for the little accidents that sometimes occur. However, most of these accidents happen when he is on the toilet and when I'm being completely clumsy. I can tell you that it is VERY different to potty train a boy... a LOT more difficult than a girl! All tips are  welcome :)
Because of this he also desperately needs some more trousers, which I intend to make myself (this week?).
Any way, I'm really proud of my little big boy!!

With a bang

Well, 2008 has been quite eventful so far...

It started on New Year's Eve. Having spent a great time with friends, we woke the children to go home around 2.30 a.m.. We all got into the car and waited for the windows to clear. It didn't take long for us to realise that they were perfectly clear already, and that we could not see further than our car's bumper was due to the "killer fog" that had emerged in the hours before.
Against better knowledge I started to drive, guessing which way to go and hoping we would not bump into anything. After about 50 meters we gave up and Michel walked in front of the car to guide us back to our parking space.
As a modern day Joseph and Mary we knocked on our friends' door and asked for shelter. We crashed on their floor and that was the first night without sleep.

Tuesday night I lay awake worrying a little about the next months of my pregnancy. I was convinced that the baby had turned and was now continually kicking at my stomach... it was soooo uncomfortable!! When I had to rush to the bathroom to throw up I was still under the impression that it was the baby's doing, but after my second, third, fourth, etc. trip to the bathroom it became clear that I had caught some kind of stomach virus. Sorry, baby, for falsely accusing you! That was the second night without sleep.

After a whole day in bed, being sick and nothing else, I went to bed that night with a back so sore it woke me up every hour. That was the third night without sleep.

Yesterday, I still wasn't feeling up to much and luckily my sisters came to help me out with the children and cooking. My body wasn't aching so much anymore though and I longed for a good night's sleep. Once in bed however, I was awake thinking too many things, also the baby was having a kick-fest. When I had finally dozed off Simon called for me. It wasn't long after that that he called again and when Michel went into his room, found that he'd been sick all over himself and the bed. The poor guy had woken up being sick... he was so shocked! After emergency cleaning and showering, we tucked him into his fresh bed and then he was sick three more times in the following 45 minutes. After that I just couldn't sleep anymore. And that was the fourth night.

Today has gone by rather quickly. The washing machine and dryer have been going non-stop. I've been functioning as well as possible. Simon hasn't been sick since this morning.

I'm sure I will sleep like a log tonight -unless someone else gets sick tonight of course ;)

On a positive note, there have been good things too these days, such as Amber's festive make-up

and the new purse that I made and that I like.

I've just been rather occupied. I hope that explains the fact that I haven't yet been round to everyone's blogs to say Happy New Year. So Happy New Year everyone!!

LBD

Here are some photos of the dress I made for Amber. Her Little Black Dress for the holidays.

She picked out the fabric herself weeks ago and I was very pleased that she chose such a chique fabric, instead of the obligatory pink.

This was the pattern, which turned out to be a little weird. There was no opening, no zipper or anything, which made it impossible to put on (the fabric doesn't stretch). I used my creativity and put two little buttons on the shoulder, so that now it is possible to get it over her head.

Amber loved how the dress turned out and was very proud to wear it. She told me:"Mama, I think everybody will be looking at me, because no-one else has a dress like mine!" Bless her little heart... she really appreciates the uniqueness of something handmade :)

The irony is that I myself have not seen her wear it yet at all. Unfortunately I couldn't attend her performance in church, because I had to work. However, it's already packed to come with us for our sleep-over at my parents' house, so tomorrow I'll finally be able to see how it looks on her.

I'll leave with one last photo of Simon... apparently he also enjoyed himself in church!