Preparing...

 My baby's official due date was the 17th, but as I have been told first babies are often late and our little one is no exception. This past week I have kept busy with last minute cleaning and preparations, even though I have been ready for about a month now! : ) I always seem to find one extra thing to sew or organize.

The photo above is our baby's room. If only you could have seen how this room looked a year ago, even less than a year ago, you would be surprised. When Adam purchased our house and began renovations he discovered that many of the old plaster walls were crumbling. This room was truly the worse! Adam spent countless hours re-plastering the walls and ceiling of our baby's room, then painting, insulating the ceiling and he even had the old window replaced. I am so pleased with the end results.

 Last month my sister Rachel hosted a perfectly fabulous baby shower for me. The day following the shower I had so much fun washing the little clothes and tucking them into the drawers.

 Here is the view from the baby room window. I sewed the curtains from some lovely lace I found last year. The lace pattern is flowers and butterflies.

 One of my recent projects has been to hem piece of flannel and make receiving/swaddling blankets. After quickly hemming the edges of the pink blanket I decided to add a little embroidery. I had been given some vintage baby iron-on transfers and thought they would be just perfect!

Another way I have been preparing is by praying for our baby and collecting scripture verses to take with me the day I go into labor. Here are some wonderful resources I found: 14 Scriptures to Pray Over Your Unborn Baby and Preparing for Childbirth: 12 Scriptures of Comfort & Encouragement

Another way I have been preparing is by trying to eat healthy, take my vitamins, walk and drink red raspberry leaf tea. Here is a link to an article I found very interesting: Red Raspberry Leaf Tea ~ Danger Or Help?

 

 Isn't this fabric adorable! I have always loved the artwork of Beatrix Potter, so when I found this fabric I could not resist! It is a simple cotton that I decided to quilt. I like the extra texture the quilting adds.

You may have noticed the little rocking chair in the first photo. It is a barn sale find that Adam and I purchased quite awhile ago for $5. It sat in the garage for about a year in need of some repairs. Adam did a great job fixing the loose arms, cleaning the wood and giving it a good polish. Once I found the Beatrix Potter fabric I knew that would make the perfect seat cushions. : )

And to close this post a photo my sister Hannah took the day of the baby shower.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward."  Psalm 127:3

Maternity Blouse

Recently I found that all of my blouses were becoming too tight through my waist, so I decided it was high time I sewed a couple new summer blouses for myself. When my sister Rachel was expecting he little boy, my mom and I sewed some maternity peasant blouses for her. She wore them quite often and they lasted right through her pregnancy.

 I pulled out the same pattern we used for my sister, and was once again delighted with how quick and easy this blouse it to sew! The pattern is Simplicity 5756. I used some poly/cotton my mom gave me to sew the blouse I am wearing in these photos. Although poly/cotton may not be as breathable as 100% cotton, it is great to have a blouse that always looks fresh and tidy. I have also sewn this blouse from a red and white striped cotton, which looks great with a white skirt. I am so pleased to have some pretty and comfortable maternity clothes!

The skirt I am wearing is not a maternity skirt. I simply sewed the skirt in a size larger than what I usually wear (plus I think the pattern runs a bit big), so I am hoping to use the skirt after the baby is born. After the first trimester I discovered that all of my skirts had zippers and were not fitting very comfortably. At that point I sewed some elastic waist skirts that I am still enjoying. The pattern used to sew this skirt is The Sedona Skirt, I like the panel design.

Another design feature of this blouse that I really like are the back ties. This helps the blouse look flattering, and yet it can still"grow" as I grow.

It is hard to believe I am already 25 weeks along! I am feeling more excited to meet our little one with each passing day.

To end this post I thought I would share a photo the beautiful flowers that have begun to bloom in our garden this past week. This bush is very special, as it was a wedding gift Adam and I received last year. Apparently it blooms right around our anniversary, and the colors are our wedding colors.