Life with a 2 month old

My little man turned 2 months yesterday, its crazy cos it feels like he's been here years, i can hardly remember pre-baby life.
He's doing brilliantly. He's a BIG boy, already in 3-6 months clothes and was even in a 6-9 month vest this morning that didn't look at all out of place!! He's holding his head pretty much on his own now and learning to roll over!

He's also getting the hang of this standing business. He LOVES to stand up. When he's having a paddy, the only way to calm him is to stand him up. That or stick a boob in his mouth!
We've bought him a jumperoo which i'm sure he'll love, gonna wait a month or two to put him in it though.

He's still not interested in a dummy. In a way I'm glad. Theres so many times he starts chattering away, (today to a sheep) that i think, if he had a dummy in his mouth we would never have heard that. 

So theres the little brag over (I can't help it I'm so proud of my little man!) 

Being a mum. It still feels strange sometimes, like when I went to the doctor and said 'I need to register my son' it felt strange yet it made me grin like the cheshire cat. 

I love being a mum. Its the most amazing feeling in the world. It can be tough, don't get me wrong. But for every hour he spends crying, one little smile makes it all better. I love that smile. 

I was getting a tad emotional, i had to go have a peek at him. 

We decided at 6 weeks to begin to get him into a routine. He has a bath, song / story and feed then goes to sleep at 7 (in theory) he has his good days and bad, for example yesterday he woke 3 times between 7 and 9, each time I had to feed him back to sleep. Where as tonight he was asleep by half 7 and hopefully will now sleep until early hours of the morning. He wakes around 1-2 usually then again at 5-6 so all in all we get a fair amount of sleep. We even slept in till 10 today! 

We co sleep. I love it. I know its 'frowned upon' but co-sleeping is the norm in so many countries across the world, as long as its done safely, it can be brilliant for baby and parents and especially good if your breastfeeding. 

Oz wears a 'Snuza' alarm. This is a portable breathing monitor which clips onto his nappy. I got it mainly so I didn't feel the need to check on him before I've gone to bed a million times. Its a great little gadget, I only wish i'd got it sooner.

I can't wait to see what he's learnt by 3 months, and I'm slightly scared to see how much he will grow!

Time for sleep and snuggles. Till next time x

What to buy for babies...

The problem with being pregnant for 9 months is that you have 9 months to spend lots of money on stuff you dont actually need for your baby. But its an exciting time, and with most of this crap being advertised left right and centre you have no hope of avoiding it!
So I thought i'd do a little review of those things that were worth buying and those that weren't.
Unfortunately I'm a bit of an ebay addict, I also like quirky unusual things which aren't a good match!
One bit of advice I will give you is don't start shopping too soon. Or if you can't help yourself, stick to little bits and pieces. People give you a lot of stuff, in my case it was bath stuff and a lot of clothes.
People always buy newborn stuff so if you see nice outfits, maybe buy them in the next size up so you've not got to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe after a couple of months.
So hold back and see what you get given first, if your having a baby shower, have it a few months early so you can see what your given and then have time to do the rest of your shopping.
(I got a lot of vouchers as well which is perfect for getting the rest!)
Ok, 2 bits of advice. Buy second hand. Baby stuff is EXPENSIVE, they know your going to want only the best for your little bundle of joy so they will charge ridiculous amounts for it. Some people would never be seen dead in a second hand shop, me I love them.
Internet sites such as gumtree and ebay are also great for picking up second hand items locally and at least you can see where they are coming from that way.
I bought a lot second hand, especially clothes. Why pay £20 for one baby grow when you can get a black sack full of second hand ones for £10? Of course its nice to get the odd few nice bits but they're not going to be in them for 5 minutes, and when they are they're just gonna poop or puke on them so save your money! Also with clothes bare in mind the season, theres no point in buying 0-3 months snow suits if they're born in June. Our boy is a june baby and has barely worn clothes its been that hot.
In the house its just a nappy, a vest if a bit coolers and shorts and tshirt if we are going out.
Bouncers, swinging chairs, walkers, all those types of things are expensive new but you'll find second hand for £10-20 usually just check they work and are in good condition first. All covers can be washed first.

So i'll start with the good things.

Co-sleeper cot

This thing is amazing! We started with a moses basket and then used a snuggle nest in our bed but this is perfect. I can feed him and put him back to sleep without having to get out of bed. He also sleeps better because he can see us.
Some people think co sleeping is dangerous, but with this baby had their own space and you can't roll onto them (not that you would anyway, I've fallen asleep with Oz in my bed plenty of times and your just subconsciously aware they're there, even when asleep.)
These are about £200 so keep an eye out for second hand on ebay. The only thing you will need is a new mattress which is about £50 on its own.
You can also get the 'maxi' version which is ideal for twins or bigger babies.


Sleepcurve mattress

This mattress is for a moses basket but you can also get them in other sizes. It has a dip where the head goes to prevent flat head syndrome and to help open the air way.
You can buy special sheets for them  but normal sheets fit just fine, don't waste your money.
We use it for the moses basket during the day and also in the cot on the pram.

Delta Baby Shantala Bath

 I love this bath, and even better, so does Ozi. I was expecting a scream fest but he sat there happily, almost as if he was enjoying it! Baby sits upright in the bath as opposed to lying flat, this helps calm them as its how they were in the womb. The water can come right up to their shoulders to keep them nice and warm. The shape also helps keep the heat. My only criticism is that it says can be used from birth, it is near impossible to bath a baby alone, you need two people and I can imagine this will be the case until they can hold their own head up. Also its worth getting a non slip mat for the bottom. But I do love this bath and would definitely recommend it!
We got ours from amazon for £15.99 which may be expensive for a bath but worth it when you see how much they enjoy it!
 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Delta-Baby-Shantala-Bath-White/dp/B003EBPYNA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1374313560&sr=8-5&keywords=tummy+tub

Swing

We realised after the first few weeks that unless asleep in his cot, Oz was constantly in someones arms. No wonder we couldn't get anything done! I bought this months ago after spotting it in a charity shop for £20 ( they're usually around £80) so we dug it out and its brilliant! He will sit in it quite happily long enough for me to sort myself out in the morning and has occasionally fallen asleep in it. Looking round the charity shops I see loads of these so don't waste money on buying new. The covers can be washed and everything else wiped down.

Tummy with mummy


I cannot recommend this enough. After only 2 weeks of using this Oz can already hold his head up. He is happy to go on it for short bursts at  a time. Not only can they practice their tummy time, theres a harness so they can sit in it or lie on their back making it perfect for massage or changing. It folds down do easy to store and portable. They are about £40-50 I found mine in TK Maxx for £30 but if your baby hates tummy time, id say its definitely worth it to make something thats so crucial to their development more enjoyable for them.

Kangaroo care t shirt

This is a t shirt that also acts as a baby carrier. The idea is to strip baby off to their nappy and pop them in it for skin to skin. This means you can do it anywhere and don't have to worry about stripping off yourself! I thought the idea was brilliant, we've used it a few times and he likes it but the weather is so hot i can't use it at the moment or he'll overheat. This would be ideal for premature babies for which skin to skin is even more important. They are however, way to expensive for what they are, they're about £50 new, I got mine for £20 second hand which I think is just about right. Can also be used as a feeding top after so you'll get your moneys worth I suppose!!

Hospital bag

So we're coming up for a month since our little man arrived, the midwife discharged me this morning and it made me really sad!! Not only did we get on really well and she was a fantastic midwife, but she brought my son into the world, thats a big thing! If I could go through the birth again I really would, i know that sounds crazy but it was the most exciting time of my life, Id waited 41 long weeks for it and now its just a distant memory and it makes me sad!
Anyway I don't want to forget any of it so I thought id post about the little details to, such as what you should pack in a hospital bag, so here goes!

For you -
1. Nighties. I'd pack at least 3. I probably only say that as I was in the hospital 3 nights but I only packed 1 and wore 1 so had to rely on someone to wash and bring them back. I went through about two nighties a day due to blood, baby fluids or cos i was so sweaty from the boiling hospital room! I bought mine during my pregnancy to wear to bed when my pyjamas got too uncomfortable so buy them early on to get plenty of use out of them. Also, if you plan to breastfeed make sure you've got ones that have buttons either part or the whole way down. I got cheap ones from primark, they had the good old granny style ones with about 4 buttons down the front, just enough to get a boob out of! Or a little more stylish long shirt type with buttons up the whole way, these were more expensive but easier to feed with and also great for skin to skin.

2. Pants. Take lots of loose comfy cheap pants, don't bother with the expensive maternity ones, primark high rise a size or two bigger will do fine, again buy during your pregnancy when your normal pants are uncomfortable. I think I paid £3 for 5 pairs and bought 2 lots.
I did buy disposable pants but they were too small but may be a good idea if they fit!

3. Slippers. They don't like you walking round bare foot in the hospital and you don't want to put your shoes on just for a trip to the bathroom so slippers are a must. I bought a pair of flip flop style ones so they didn't take up a lot of room in my bag. Also easy to slip on and off during that first 'whole body is aching' day.

4. A light dressing gown. Not essential as hospitals are roasting but I was glad i took one especially as one of my nighties was on the short side!

5. Maternity pads. I took a pack of 10, they were gone in the first day. Take lots.

6. Breastfeeding bras & breast pads  (if breastfeeding). Depending on how long your in and when your milk comes in. Nothing worse than milk leaking all over your bed!!

7 Toiletries.
Pack a little toiletry bag with toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash, deodorant and a flannel, I've never enjoyed baths, but those few at the hospital were heaven. They will make you feel human again! I also put in nipple cream, a nice natural one by earth angel mama baby which worked wonders in those first few breastfeeding days. I also had a perineal cooling spray again by earth angel mama baby, this is for you bits if you tear / are cut to help heal and make less uncomfortable. Brilliant stuff!

For baby
1. Vests. Pack newborn and 0-3 size. My little man barely fit newborn stuff and thats all I packed so I had to send Mike to get bigger stuff. Also, if your sentimental like me pack a nice vest for his first outfit so you can keep it after or make a shadow box (see my shadow box post!) Pack as many as you can fit in.

2. Babygrow. Same as vests, pack both sizes and as many as you can. If its summer pack light ones, winter, warmer ones. Also look for ones with built in mits, the pairs you can buy don't stay on well.

3.  Mits, socks and hats. Few of each.

4. Nappies. We planned to use cloth nappies but that would be too much hassle at the hospital so I packed some 'Naty' environment friendly ones. Problem was they didn't fit with his belly button stump so we ended up having to ask the hospital for some pampers. So grab a few packs of ones you know will fit. The more the merrier, they go through a lot!

I didn't bother with lotions and potions for babies, all you need for nappy changes is water and cotton wool. I wouldn't bother with oils and baby wash, they don't need it so young.

That was the bulk, I also took a few high energy snacks, a book, magazines & headphones. To be honest a magazine would have done fine, I didn't touch half of it. If I wasn't busy with baby or replying to congratulations messages I was sleeping. Don't take loads of rubbish, you won't use it. Its surprising how fast time goes with a newborn! A phone charger is a must though!

So thats your hospital bag. Its really important to pack one. You may think, ill get everything together when I go into labour to kill time before I can go to the hospital but remember things don't always go as planned. I had a home birth so didn't expect to need it. But as we were rushed to hospital straight away, having it there ready to go was crucial!

Shadow box

So lil Oz is now 10 days old! Time is flying, the birth already seems like a distant memory and being a mummy now seems the norm. But I still look at that beautiful little face and can't believe he is mine, he is the result from all that time I spent with a big bump and giant swollen feet, and worth every second of it. I am totally and utterly in love.
Anyway back to the shadow box. This is my first post-baby craft and i'm glad I pulled my finger out and got on with it, these things aren't as easy to get done with a new baby around but I took advantage of his mammoth sleeping sessions and voila!

For those of you who don't know what a shadow box it (and can't guess by the picture) it is a deep photo frame you can put things in, instead of just pictures.
The frame is about 1inch deep so most things fit nicely in there!
Its a lovely alternative to keeping all these little treasures in a box where they'll only be taken out once in a blue moon. This way they can be seen all the time!!!
What you put in it is completely up to you, i put his first vest and mitts, bits from NICU - heart monitor wire, splint, plaster and info card, both our hospital bands, his footprint, 12 week scan, 4D scan and 1st photo, and a little map of our street to show where he was born.

You can put as much or as little in them depending on what you have.

This was one I made for a friend so I didn't have as much stuff but I think it still looks nice although minimalistic.
I got these from a local craft store for £9.99 each after almost paying a ridiculous amount online so have a good look around. These are lovely gifts for new mamas or you could make them for birthdays, weddings, memorials or other special occasions. The possibilities are endless!!

The waitings over!

At last little Ozi is here and i couldn't be a prouder mama! I am completely and utterly in love, he is my missing puzzle piece and no words could express how thankful I am to Mike for giving me the most precious gift in the world.

Oscar Franklin May born 22nd June 2013 at 9.02am 

I wanted to write down my birth story so I never forget the tinniest detail of the most special day in my life, so I thought i'd share it. Unfortunately I will not slack on the details so i warn you now there is a good chance of many 'TMI' bits, so if you are squeamish beware! Ok here it goes!

It was the day before when I had a tiny inkling things might be kicking off. I had almost lost hope of my home birth being only 2 days until I would be induced, so when I say tiny, i mean TINY.
But I thought i'd stay positive and told Mike we should go for a walk just incase things are getting going. So we went to the pub, hey, a walk is a walk! We also went for a walk round the park a little later and walking was HARD. Ok, being that pregnant its hard to do anything, but something just felt different so I remained optimistic, and it certainly paid off.
So we went to bed and watched an episode of the hustle, not the slightest of twinges so a little bit disheartened but as I said I had pretty much lost hope anyway.
As soon as we lay down to go to sleep it happened. Pain. It was pretty intense for the start, bearable, but I couldn't sleep through it. Mike wasn't all that convinced, I think he'd lost hope too. It was even me who suggested timing them whereas every other bout of practice contractions he was quick to whip out his phone and start timing. So we timed a few and they were coming fairly often and like clockwork, where as before they had been a bit all over the place. So Mike suggested texting Barbara (our midwife) to give her a heads up as it was getting late and she'd probably be going to bed soon. She got right back to us asking for the timings so Mike sent them too her and informed her i was 'peeing like a race horse' and her response was 'I'm on my way!' I was praying this wasn't more practice contractions and I was dragging her out of bed for nothing, its a good job Mike insisted we text her, if it was left up to me id have waited until you could see the head, just to be sure!
She got here shortly after and observed, by this point I was having quite strong contractions which I couldn't talk through which is a good sign of labor. She checked to see how dilated I was and I was about 4cm so things were definitely kicking off! So we started preparing, Barbara went and picked up her student and Mike pumped up the pool. Before I knew it a few hours had passed, time was really flying and I was soon in the pool to help ease the contractions.
Oh, if you haven't figured it out by now, I had a home birth. I always liked the idea of a home birth, Mike was very anti it at first and it was only when the midwife suggested it and told us a bit more about it we decided to go for it.  I knew Mike wasn't 100% convinced, but it was the only way we could guarantee to have a pool, which he knew I really wanted.
Anyway, back to the story!
The pool was AMAZING it eased the contractions immensely and was so comfortable. I just wore a strappy t shirt in which was perfect to cover up a little without having something way me down too much.
I had previously got a few DVD's I thought id watch to take my mind off the pain but all I wanted to do was sit in the pool quietly. I talked a little with the midwife, student and Mike but those little bouts of silence were nice and relaxing and the midwife clocked on to when I didn't want to talk.
Did the pool really ease the contractions that much? Let me put it this way, I got out for a wee a few times and every time I had a contraction on the toilet. Almost every one of these contractions made me throw up, the first a rather violent projectile vomit at the toilet, covering half the bathroom in the process. So I would definitely say the water eased it immensely.
Considering things all kicked off at about 11pm, I was getting pretty tired so although I'd learnt all about exercises to keep moving during labor in my active birth class, I just didn't feel like doing any of it.
Mike went for a nap at one point, I thought it was important for him to get some rest, he would be more use to me then!! After an hour or so we had to wake him to get some more warm water for the pool, he was shocked I was now 7cm dilated! The contractions were a lot stronger at this point and it was nice to have him back for support. Not long after they got VERY strong, only just bearable with controlled  breathing (this really works, id definitely recommend a birthing class to learn these techniques) and the midwife offered me gas and air which I thought id give a go. It was brilliant! Although the contractions were still painful it took the edge off, it also made me very spaced out and in a way I wish I could have done it without because the rest of the birth is a bit of a blur. The contractions got PAINFUL, but I breathed through them with help of the gas & air and stayed as relaxed as I could.
As I said, this bit was a blur so i'll tell you what I do remember.
The door bell rang a lot. I think it was only twice but it seemed like loads, i wondered if someone had called the police! Not that I was really making any noise. It was only mum then the 2nd midwife Kerry, but I don't really remember them coming in.
Wanting to push. I was pushing a bit with each contraction as they got strong as it helped relieve the pain slightly, but I remember telling Barbara I felt the urge to push and she went 'oooooo!' Possibly checked me again at that point I can't remember.
My waters breaking. I was pushing and felt a pop, it was quite a relief, Mike noticed first and told Barbara.
Mum. Mike called mum, I can't really remember her coming in but I can remember her holding my hand throughout and telling me how good I was doing. I'm so glad she was there, her support during the birth was just brilliant and after at hospital, well I couldn't imagine it without her there, she was a lifesaver. Oops spoiler alert!
Mike. Like mum he held my hand throughout and never left my side. He was my rock and I can't believe how fantastic he was throughout the whole birth.

Then the gas & air ran out. I was a little worried id have to deal with the worst bit without but I was so focused I soon forgot. Looking back I'm glad it did because I can remember a bit more about the most important part. Pushing.
Pushing was hard. By this point I was exhausted and it felt like I was never going to get him out. I had my eyes closed throughout and kept swapping between being on my back with mum & Mike holding me up (I kept dunking my head in the water and shouting at them to keep my ears out!) and on my knees leaning over the side. I pushed and pushed and I could sense the midwife wasn't happy with how things were going and eventually she asked me to get out of the pool and come lie on the bed, I wasn't sure what was going on but I obeyed.
His head was stuck and he was getting stressed. The midwife did a episiotomy, I didn't feel it, i was just concentrating on pushing, but Mike said the sound alone was horrible. And then out he came! It was the weirdest sensation him coming out, I remember it so clearly.
The atmosphere was a little tense, he was whisked off to the other side of the room. Time stood still until I heard those first little cries. They were strong but you could hear the bubble sound of the muck in his lungs. Someone said ambulance and I panicked. I kept looking to mum asking if he was ok, she did her best to reassure me he was fine but I could see the worry in her eyes.
Barbara explained he had inhaled the meconium he had passed on his way out from the stress and needed to go to hospital, two ambulances were on their way, one for him then one for me after as we were waiting for the placenta to come. He was put on my chest for some skin to skin briefly but he was wrapped in towels and I couldn't see him. just feel his little warm body squirming.
The paramedics came, I was lying there butt naked but I couldn't have cared less. Kerry the midwife and Mike took Ozi in the ambulance and my placenta came out just as they left. Luckily I managed to tell the midwife I wanted to keep it and mum got it in the fridge for me.
There was a LOT of blood. Mum was great grabbing all the last bits I needed to take (luckily I had packed my hospital bag just in case!!)
The second ambulance arrived and off we went. The paramedics were interested in all Mikes foam stuff he was building, they were really nice and kept me laughing all the way to the hospital. Once there I was wheeled into a room to be stitched up. Mike came in, he said Ozi was doing good but was taken to NICU to start antibiotics as a precaution. He had two photos they took.

Seeing your child in a photo before you see them in person is weird, i mean really weird. One was a close up of his face. My first thought was he looks like me, also he's huge! The second picture was his full body, but he had wires and all sorts stuck to him and I didn't like looking at it.
I stared at his beautiful face as I was being sewed up, it was painful but just looking at my son, for the first time took my mind off it.
After she finished she got me some tea and toast, boy did I need that! and had a bath. I was so eager to meet my little man, but it was nice to make myself feel slightly more human first!
They put me in a wheelchair as I was struggling to walk and getting very out of breath and off we went to NICU. If you've never been to an baby intensive care unit, its not a nice place. Sick little babies in incubators wired up to machines, most too sick to move or cry, but there at the back was a little body wriggling and screaming at the top of his lungs. There was Oscar. He wasn't in a full incubator, just the bottom bit but was still had lots of wires on his little body. He didn't really look like the picture, he was much smaller, he was beautiful.

So thats pretty much my birth story, as I said its mainly so I can remember as much as possible, but its a good read if your thinking of a home birth.

Would I have another home birth? Definitely, although we had a few problems with getting hold of midwives and stuff, we always had a number to contact someone. Mike got a bit pee'd off at times but everyone needs time off! Our main concern was what if something went wrong and we wern't in hospital, but everyone was so quick, knew exactly what they were doing and I couldn't fault them.

 I love my midwife, id even go as far as to request her if we have another and ill be sad after her last visit.

Am I happy with who I had there? Yes, Im so please my midwife wasn't on holiday! I was getting worried he'd arrive on her day off and we'd have some stranger! I was happy to have her student there, although when she first asked I thought it would be a little weird it was good to have an extra pair of hands and I like to help out where I can, I don't know how many births she's attended but i'm sure the experience helped her out. Obviously Mike was going to be there, he really really impressed me with how calm and supportive he was, and i'm really glad he went to the hospital with Ozi so he had someone familiar with him. Mum, although she only came towards the end I'm so glad she was there for his arrival. She was extremely supportive and invaluable once he was born and Oz was rushed off. She got together the last bits I needed for the hospital, she was really helpful getting me bathed and stuff once we were in hospital and she even came and sorted out the pool and tidied up the house the next day bless her!!! I'm sure seeing her grandson being born was an amazing experience too.

Pain relief - I'm so glad I had no pay relief (other than gas and air) to be honest, I don't see the need for epidurals and stuff. Although it was painful I can't imagine not feeling it. In fact I regret using gas and air a little as there are now parts I can't remember as clearly as i'd like too. I understand people have different pain thresholds and deal with it differently but I would recommend an active birth class to learn some good breathing techniques as thats what got me through it.

Would I change anything? Of course the obvious, i'd want him to be well and now have to rush to hospital but even something good came out of that, the support I received from the hospital was great (mostly) especially with breastfeeding so maybe if we hadn't gone to hospital i'd have had a problem feeding. As for the actual birth I don't think i'd change a thing, I would have loved to have him in the pool and avoided being cut open, but at least I got my home birth.

Whats it like being a mama? Amazing. I cannot find the words for how much love I feel for this little man, every little smile (even if it is wind) brings a tear to my eye and every cry breaks my heart. Im so relieved he is healthy and am so excited to watch him grow and learn.

And lastly I want to thank Mike, for helping me create this amazing little life, for being there for me every step of the way, for being amazing during the birth and now being the most amazing dad. Seeing the love in his eyes for our boy only makes me love him more. He took to it so naturally, Oz is one lucky little boy to have him as a daddy.

                                                                               ♥

Upcycled T shirts

My parents recently had a massive clear out from which I gained about 4 bin liners full of old t shirts (my dads a bit of a hoarder!) My sister has been helping to add to the collection, as well as my other half and as much as I've been trying to make a dent in my collection, it just seems to grow!

In an earlier post I posted a picture of a baby vest I made for my sisters work mate out of one of their work t shirts, the tutorial is fantastic http://www.youcanmakethis.com/products/featured-products/onesie-pattern.htm and although I usually manage to sniff out a free pattern for most things, for $6.50 this tutorial was definitely worth the money.

So here is a few of the before and after shots.

Forgot the before shot here!!    

Using a t shirt to makes these makes life a bit easier as you can use the seams that are already there which makes a nicer finish. T shirt material also doesn't fray which makes it a lot easier to work with.

I had a few shirts which wouldn't really work as vests so I made some shorts instead! (Just in case we actually get any nice weather this summer!!!)

                                         

The pockets were even the perfect size! I was aiming for 0-3 months size but I always seem to make things bigger if not using a pattern, its hard to get measurements right without a little mannequin to get measurements from!!!

Oscarsaurus

Some may say i'm getting a little ahead of myself, but halloween is only 4 months away and my little man (who STILL hasn't made an appearance and is 3 days late) is gonna need an awesome costume, and I can imagine I'm not going to get a lot of sewing done in the early days so I thought this would be fun to do!
I love dinosaurs and since seeing an awesome tutorial for making a dinosaur hoody on pinterest I knew I had to try it! So when I was in town the other day and popped into peacocks and this was in the sale i knew it was a sign!

Mike wasn't too hot on the neon green haha.

So I got some red fleece fabric and cut out some diamonds for the spikes using a template so they're the same size

Next your gonna sew them down the onsie through the centre

Then pull the 2 triangles together and sew around the edges

I made them all the same size, but you could have different sizes, big, small, different colours, anything you want! Making the spikes this way avoids cutting down the back of the top (which I've seen in some tutorials) and also makes the spikes stick up and not flop over.

Sew on as many spikes as you want down the back, and on the hood too! 

Now for the tail.

I used the tutorial from this fantastic blog
http://www.running-w-scissors.com/2011/03/dinosaur-tails.html
I halved all the measurements and it was the perfect size for the onesie I used (3-6 months) I left off the straps as I was attaching it to the onesie.

I decided to make the tail removable as I wasn't sure how well it would go through the wash. I also thought it was a good idea as its quite a chunky tail and would get in the way if he were to sleep in it.
I used poppers, you could also use velcro or just sew it on.

Next was the front which is pretty self explanatory, I made a template to ensure both sides were the same size.

And here it is finished! Now all I need is the lil guy to put in it!

Oh, and no outfit is complete without matching booties now is it?

Teenie Tiny Toms

Theres definitely room for improvement here, but not bad for a first attempt. I love the personalised touch!!!

I got the tutorial and pattern from this fantastic blog right here
http://www.homemadetoast.com/

The tutorials free but the pattern is a few pounds, or there is a free pattern but it doesn't give you sizes, you just work them out for yourself! You can buy the little tags from her etsy shop (although I don't think she posts to the UK) but they were really easy to make with ribbon and transfer paper.
These are size 0-3 months so were very fiddly! I found a gorgeous birdy fat quarter in a little craft shop in Totnes the other day so I have a feeling some little birdy shoes are next on the agenda!
All I need now is the little feet to go in them!!!!
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Here they are! Birdy toms! I love this fabric so much I'm gutted I only got a FQ! These ones went a bit smoother than the last ones. I also purchased some sherpa fleece fabric to line them with so they're nice and comfy on lil O's feet!!

Gonna make a few more pairs, just to practice really, probably do some bigger sizes so he has some to grow into! 

Ablutions!

Now if you knew me when I was little, you'd understand why I was in my element with this next project! You know all those ghastly bath sets you'd get for christmas and birthdays? Not just the one but about 6 of them? Well i'd spend hours over the bathroom sink mixing these things up and creating what was knows to my parents as my 'ablutions'. For weeks after these hideous coloured liquids with added glitter or petals would be lined up along the side of the bath no one daring to touch them (except my dad, he's not scared of anything!) for fear of what they might mutate into after.
Eventually my mum would have a clean up and all my hard work was washed down the sink. Literally. Of course this just freed up the bottles for more ablutions! (if I could dig them out the bathroom bin quick enough!)
I also enjoyed eating bubble bath... but thats a story for another day!
So hoping these skills wernt lost along with being able to climb a tree without breaking anything or eating a family pack of oreos in less than 2 minutes, I decided to have a go at making my own baby bath products. Now, call me a hippy but I don't believe all the chemicals they stick in baby stuff is really necessary. Not even just baby products, any bath products! I've been using soaps, deodorants and moisturisers free from all that rubbish for years so why would I suddenly start sticking it on my babies delicate skin?! Now I'm not going to try and scare you with what these chemicals are and do, these plenty of places on the internet you can find that if your interested but its definitely worth thinking about this. Nicotine patches. Think about how they work, one little patch and so much crap absorbed into your body from it. Enough to stop one of the strongest cravings there are. Makes you think doesn't it?
I don't let it rule my life, I still use shop bought washing powder (granted it is ecover so I am trying) when I know I could quite easily make my own or use soap nuts or something much more natural, I also have lots of cleaning chemicals under the sink (again amongst the 'more natural' variety) that I wouldn't dream of looking at the ingredients list for, when I know full well a bit of vinegar would do the job just as well.
Sorry, I'm rambling, I didn't write this post to start preaching but sometimes I just can't help myself!
Lets have some pictures!

So here are the baby products i've made so far, with a few more ideas let to come.
We have a body wash / shampoo, baby powder, nappy wipe spray and bottom cream.
I needed to put labels on so Mike (my better half) wouldn't get confused with whats what and end up whipping out the johnsons! At first I was just gonna do boring sticky labels but thought what the heck, i'll go all out and made some simple ones on print shop.

 These are the labels on the back which are the 'ingredients' labels. I made these so when I need to make some more I can remember what went in them and how much will fill each container.
I had a bit of a job finding a container I was happy with for each, especially for the baby powder but in the end I just used herb jars which do the job fine! I put the wash / shampoo in a foam dispenser (was rather expensive from amazon) as the soap isn't very 'soapy' but using the dispenser is brilliant! Plus makes it go further.



Here a close up of the label. I called it 'Little OM' as this is little mans initials as well as the sacred hindu symbol (also spelt OHM) The picture was from google so I have no rights to it, but I'm not planning on selling this stuff so its not going to hurt!






Recipes -
Baby wash and shampoo
1 1/2 cups castile soap (I used the baby mild one which has no scent)
4 1/2 cups water
10 drops lavender oil
5 drops tea tree oil

Any essential oil can be used (would be worth looking up those that are baby safe though)
but I picked these for their antibacterial benefits but any other or none at all would work too.
This is not tear free so careful of getting it in babies eyes.
This was enough to fill the big blue bottle but I can't remember how much that holds.

Baby wipe solution
1 tbsp olive oil (could also use almond oil)
1 tbsp castile soap
2 cups of water
2 drops lavender oil
4 drops tea tree oil

This is to spray onto cloth wipes to be used at nappy changes. It could also be poured over them in a container if you prefer to do it that way. Again any or no oils can be used but any antibacterial oil will help with nappy rash.
As far as I'm aware this is safe for cloth nappies.
This made roughly 350ml

Bottom balm
1/2 oz beeswax
3 1/2 oz coconut oil
2 drops tea tree oil
5 drops lavender oil

To make this melt the wax in a double boiler then melt the coconut oil in with it. Once melted together completely, allow to cool a little and add oils.

Apparently this is good stuff to put on cuts and scrapes as well!

Baby powder
200g Arrowroot powder
30 drops lavender oil

This can also be made with cornflour but apparently it feeds yeast infections so I just stuck with arrowroot.

As you can see, you don't need loads of different ingredients for everything, most use the same, especially if you use the same essential oils. That way its not all that expensive and quick and easy to put together. Plus it doesn't need to be only for baby, you can use some of them too!
There are loads of different recipes for natural baby products on pinterest (or anywhere on the internet I'm sure!) just pick the one you like best and give it a go!
I'm going to have a go at making my own vapo rub next!

Toys!

So although we've got enough baby stuff for lil O plus two more if they decided to pop out (sometimes i wonder with how big I've got!) I realised we didn't really have any baby toys for him! Babies are pretty easily amused, shapes, faces, colours anything hanging within view will do the trick so I thought id see what I could come up with. Back to pinterest!!!

Personalised baby blocks!! These are real easy and you can have so much fun with different fabrics and filling each one with something new for baby to discover! Great for using up scrap fabric as you can make them whatever size you like and have as many different fabrics as you like! There are loads of tutorials but I used this youtube video.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2LTzG_eQro
Will definitely be whipping up some of these for baby shower gifts when my friends start popping them out!

Here are a few others I tried, a little black and white pram book (babies love black and white images apparently!) These I made out of felt and just made patterns and put some crinkly stuff in the middle. They aren't that neat but I'm sure that won't make a difference to lil man!
I love ring stackers, but the plastic ones don't impress me so I thought id make my own.
I couldn't find a free pattern so I bought this one
http://www.etsy.com/listing/62803900/ring-stacker-soft-toy-immediate-download?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_search_query=ring+stacker&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_search_type=all another great one for baby shower gifts or even birthday / christmas presents!

I LOVE campervans, so unfortunately Lil O has no choice but to love them too! I'm proud of these cos I made them all on my own! For the purple one I took the idea of the blocks, made each side resemble a camper then added the pom poms for wheels after. Theres quite a lot of detail gone into this one which is hard to see in the picture but I wanted it to look as real as possible. The number plate has his name on and I used buttons for the lights. I wasn't sure about the whole buttons on a baby toy but i thought it would be good for texture so I sewed them on REALLY well with embroidery thread and even I can't rip them off! The surf board can be removed as it is peppered on.
The green one is a taggie blanket type thing with crinkly stuff inside made to the same design.

This one isn't really a toy, but I can think of loads of great uses for them. I only made a little one as a trial before I cut up loads of material but even this took a while so haven't got round to a bigger one yet. Its meant to be a 'bubble quilt' but I want to make a few more of the same size in different colours and use them to pad the wall in his little play corner. Could also be used as a play mat, cot bumper or as this one currently is, a sofa cushion!


Thats all I got time for now, I'm off to the range to pick up supplies for my next project! Exciting!!

Clothes for cloth bums

fd So making a few cloth nappies and covers is all well and good, but what are those bulky cloth bums gonna fit into? We have quite a wide range of different nappies to try out once lil O makes an appearance and some of the all in one type look as if they will fit under normal clothes, maybe with the help of a vest extender (something i intended to make but ended up buying cos I couldn't for the life of me find the right size snaps!!!)
But a terry style with a fleece cover? How the heck is that gonna fit under a baby grow?! So i thought better to be safe and whip up some clothes I know his lil fluff bums gonna fit into!
I have dabbled in baby vests and shorty onsies but i'll be honest, they take so long and I almost always end up sewing a sleeve on inside out! Here are a few i've tried

This was my first attempt and I used this pattern http://www.feathersflights.com/2012/04/baby-shortall-from-adult-t-shirt.html
It turned out ok, especially for a first attempt but up close you can see the flaws. Also on this site its only the 1 size you can make which I think she says is 6 months but mine came out more a 12 month size some how!!

 This was from the same pattern and again, turned out ok (although one of the sleeves is on inside out) both these are made from adult t shirts.
So hopefully these will accommodate a cloth bum quite nicely as they're loose.









This is the latest one I made as requested by my sister. One of her work colleagues is pregnant so she asked me to turn one of their work shirts into a vest. I ended up buying a pattern for this one as I wanted it to be good as it was a present.
http://www.youcanmakethis.com/products/featured-products/onesie-pattern.htm
So i bought this pattern and I'm so glad I did! not only was it easy to follow and has patterns for 9 different sizes, it also has a second pattern for each size for a 'comfy / baggy' type fit which I'm sure will be perfect for cloth nappies! Oh and 3 different types of sleeve!! For just over £4 for all that you can't go wrong!! Im also sure this would make the perfect t shirt pattern, just cut it off before the leg holes!
This one took me the best part of 4 hours so I haven't rushed to make another yet but I have quite a few old t shirts that will make excellent vests so when I can handle sitting for that long I will definitely give it another go!




So next I needed something to go over the vests, some big bum trousers!
I love making baby trousers cos they're quick and easy. You can either use a pattern, or just use a pair of trousers you already have and add a seam allowance.
These were a few I whipped up -

These are harem style so nice big baggy crotches, perfect for cloth bums and really comfy too! The shorts I made using a pair I had already as a template.









http://www.theribbonretreat.com/blog/pajama-pants-tutorial.html
http://www.made-by-rae.com/2010/08/big-butt-baby-pants-sewing-pattern/
http://thealisonshow.com/2013/05/tiny-harem-pants-sewing-pattern.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fAyx-_byh0

All these are pretty helpful sites but they're such an easy thing to make once you try that you'll probably end up making your own pattern and play around with it.

So there you have it! Clothes to fit over cloth bums! There are specialist shops you can buy cloth nappy clothes from, but they are VERY expensive! This is a much easier way of getting round it and then you can make the exact style you want too! And don't forget fleece longies are also perfect to put on top of a cloth nappy!
Some of the nappies we have are so pretty it seems a bit of a shame to cover them all the time, so another good idea is leggings made from knee socks!

http://www.craftquickies.com/lucky-legs-how-to-make-baby-leg-warmers/

I found it hard to find knee socks that wern't that girly (I suppose men don't really wear knee socks?!) but in the end found some and made some leg warmers, then went and lost one of them! So i found some more for only £1 a pair (black and boring but will do the job) so will make some more soon.

Hope this helped, if you'd like any help, give me a shout!