Illyria

Has been busy! Jamie had his eight week check up and he was so brave with his injections he barely cried! Thanks to Auntie Jackie who was a sanity saver and kept Mira occupied throughout!

Jamie now weighs almost six kilos and Mira is thirteen. She has also grown three centimetres this summer.  Her favourite activity is giving Jamie kisses followed by painting…

This is a giraffe and a tiger. We had been to the zoo so she is having an animal theme at the moment. I have also had a few creative moments as I keep running out of thank you cards…

The card blanks themselves are recycled material and so is about half of the decoration.

Today I went for my check up at the hospital and was unexpectedly sent for another scan. I was quite happy about this, although the registrar was worried that my placenta was in the wrong place. But all was fine, and no I didn’t ask if it was a boy or a girl, just the weight which currently is 7lb 12oz, so already 9oz bigger than Mira. I am quite uncomfy, and happy if there is an early appearance!

This is the patch of nasturtiums that she helped dig and plant! The lupins are doing less well… but here is my purple patch

And a friendly snail!

It just keeps getting better!

Where did the time go?

Eight and a half months pregnant with number two now…

Very blessed!

Honestly it feels like there are two of them in there, and they’re constantly wrestling! I thought Mira was quite active but this is something else! I was assured at my scan there was only one…  Plus Mira is being very bouncy and doesn’t seem to understand why Mummy is a bit fragile right now, but she’s so cute we can’t wait to meet no. 2!

I’m rather forgetful now and  I can’t fight the fatigue anymore -  why bother, my body knows what it needs and the world won’t fall apart without me. The dentist can wait! I feel encouraged to ’seek peace and pursue it’ and was given this wonderful picture last week which blesses me so much in this way!

When I look at it for even a short time, I feel like the qualities of the deepest meditation wash over me and I’m transported to a realm of rest. I’m so grateful for this gift!

We have had some gorgeous weather lately…

I am now in my last trimester, and really it doesn’t seem so bad compared to the sickness! Constantly trying to do less and not really succeeding. Mira is absorbing new and surprising vocabulary like a sponge  - we have chatter about antennae and Gary-the-builder and the A-Team. Today’s word was ‘alien’. We made our first necklace together and love garlicky chilli food.

Ben is tired out by all this female freneticity. But he gets lots of kisses, cuddles and tickles to cheer him up.

• The guy in the wheelchair whose son killed himself a fortnight ago, singing ‘Blessed Be Your Name’ with all his might at church last week. Those lyrics came out of a similar choice…

• Mark Hadfield from Inverness who came out with me to interpret dreams at the weekend.  Check out http://www.underthecanopy.net/

• This quilting blog http://www.filminthefridge.com/, and this one http://oneshabbychick.typepad.com/one_shabby_chick/, and this one http://aquiltisnice.blogspot.com/

We have had some gorgeous weather and spent loads of time outdoors, on the slide, our pink car, pushing teddy in a pram, digging a flower bed for nasturtiums and lupins, and generally running like mad and shrieking!

More birthday presents…

I have been trying out various methods of joining my Babette squares, and the simple overcast stitch is my favourite for smooth, non-ridgy secure joins.

This is the centre panel with a new 12-round square.

I agree with the user comments on the web that suggest crocheting the 2-round squares witha smaller hook, otherwise they don’t fit! You can see where mine are supposed to go in the botton right corner…

But other than that I am so happy with the colourful sunshineyness!