[cybele727]

Ooh babies! No more for me! 🙁 and my 3 y/o finally got her first hair cut. She “wooks all gwowed up.” Boo hoo.

I will probably be less around. I haven’t been able to find employment. The curse of restarting a career after staying home. I am opening up my own business and won’t be able to enjoy this forum as much. But until I get busy, I will still be around and I will keep sewing! It won’t be a sewing business though. We all know how icky the profit margin is in that. 🙁

[needlewoman]

Oh rats, Cybele, so sorry to hear this. Agree abt sewing for money though; I’m always asked “why don’t you sell your stuff?” Very flattering but complete waste of time. If I get some money for material/notions/postage, I’m grateful but it’s impossible to charge properly for the labor involved, as we’ve discussed in this forum before. Glad to know you’ll be with us for a while yet, and I hope your new business is a success!

[Sarvi]

I can hear Spring outside — the birds are going nuts, the apple tree’s bursting out with buds on every branch, and the morning fog has burned off to let the sun shine through. It’s a beautiful day and there’s so much for which to be grateful!

[Tamara]

We have certainly had cooler weather – to the extent of choosing to wear and be comfortable in jeans rather than shorts. I hope we get the drop of rain that is predicted for us today, despite the fact we have sheep in the yards and a team of shearers going hammer and tongs to get them all done.

Sarvi, I think Spring and Autumn are my favourite times of year – I love winter here too! It isn’t too cold but unfortunately is very short – I grew up in south west WA and we had rain and cool weather right through until October or November a d it hardly ever got above 40 degrees in summer – you could feel it when it did though

Cybele, So happy for you to branch out and start your own business. What an exciting time for you. I am sad though that you have to “give us up”. Hopefully once you find your footing, you will be able to pop in more often than first thought. Wishing you every success in your venture!

[Emily]

I’m back at my sewing machine after a prolonged absence… the baby was born at the end of December and I’m finally surfacing for air! It turns out that two are more than twice as much work as one. Who knew? (All you moms with multiple kids are shaking your heads and laughing at me, I’m sure… 🙂 We’re waiting for kindergarten acceptance letters here. They’re supposed to come in the mail and email about noon tomorrow, and I’m driving myself crazy waiting for them. I’m dying to find out where she get in!!! I’m trying to channel the nervous energy into productivity, though: I’ve finished a Roller Skate dress and a Family Reunion dress, and I’m halfway though the hand-finishing of a quilt binding. Noon can’t get here soon enough!

[Lightning McStitch]

Oh Emily I agree! I’ve only got two and that’s enough for me! 🙂 I find that first 10 months really challenging. Sure they’re cute but crikey mine have been hard work as babies. Still, now they play together and two is definitely easier than one. I can sneak out of the room sometimes and no-one notices….

[Tamara]

Oh Emily! Congratulations on your baby. Yes I found that in the beginning but have since been told that three is the number to avoid. I am the kind that refuses to listen and plan to get to that number very soon (hence the mission to shrink before expanding again but not by half as much!) and then quick march to four as this is the golden number for me.

I would like to say it gets easier but I won’t because it may not – you will have moments (and I definitely know this) where everything is bliss and other moments where you wonder why you made such decisions but they last seconds compared to the joy of being a mum to two beautifully original children. I love how they are almost yin and yang with two together – it is fun and hard work at the same time.

We are going out on Tuesday night to look at the stars! Our school grounds have been selected to be the venue for a project conducted by the state University (UWA) and a few other scientific organisations to show families a few precious pieces of our skies. I’m rather looking forward to it but Murray can’t come as we are still shearing and that means long hours for him. So I need to make some Field trip outfits for the kids to wear while looking at the stars.

[Jennifer1568]

Emily, congratulations! Those first months are difficult for everyone. I found so much joy in those months as well. It went right along with the agony. Now I sort of wish I could relive it. I hope there is some one who can help you.

[Nicole]

Congratulations Emily.

I love the first few months but they are busy.

I hope you are getting some sleep.

xx Nicole

[meleliza]

Oh, yes, somehow 2 is more like 10 times the work. I’m not laughing, I had no idea either. I figured I’ve done this before, I know what do to. Nope! Number 2 turned the world upside down and I didn’t even see the light at the end of the tunnel until he turned 1. It was the hardest most awful year! In fact, he’s still a difficult child but once they get to 5 it gets a lot easier to deal with. Second children are very often difficult. I did an extensive survey on the subject! Mine had colic for like 6 months and he has total second son syndrome. Oh, and middle child syndrome. Sigh. He’s lucky he’s beautiful.

The good news is that a third is not that much harder. After you’ve been through the trenches with a second, the third is a cakewalk. I feel like a total expert this time around. Of course, it helps she’s a girl. So very very much easier!

[Sarvi]

Congratulations, Emily! How wonderful to have a sweet new baby. Lots of work, but lots of reward.

[Emily]

Thank you everyone, for all your well wishes! We’re absolutely smitten with the new baby (George). Eleanor is 5, so thankfully she’s able to manage a lot of self-care (getting dressed, toileting, fixing a snack, etc) by herself or with minimal direction from me. She also self-directs her play, which makes it pretty easy to attend to the baby. I expect that it will become more difficult when he becomes mobile… For now, he’s a pretty easy baby. Nursing like a champ, sleeping well, and calm and happy when he’s awake. E was a *very* difficult baby, which was part of the reason we waited so long for #2! If I had know that it would be like this, I’ve have done it ages ago! 🙂

We received the kindergarten letters. E got into our 2nd choice school, and is waitlisted at our first choice. So that will give me something to stress about and occupy myself with, as if I don’t have enough on my plate… ha!

[meleliza]

Watching the race in Melbourne today and thinking of those of you in that part of the world!

[Tamara]

What race is that? Meleliza?

Busy keeping cool and having a bit of a tinkle on the piano – my “Adult piano course” book came today and I opened it up and started playing what I thought was the first piece – it ended up being the second! Oh well, I have decided I know how to do the whole thumb under thing so…. NEXT!

My paper patterns came today also – only about 20cm to lose before I can actually fit the largest size of the new pattern! Would really love to make this for Easter!

Oh well, I think I may have to be a “Duck on the pond” and go and deliver lunch to the man who works too hard! I still haven’t seen him for food yet! Oh wait here he comes! Good that means I can go and sew shortly!

[needlewoman]

I’m pretty sure that Meleliza is referring to the Grand Prix @ Albert Park, Justsewit. Adelaide hosted the Clipsal 500 last weekend, and it seems to have gone well, despite the very hot weather, and the plethora of other major events on over the same weekend. I hope you get clear skies for the star gazing, and that the kids have a good time. BTW, thank you for posting pic of lawn at Spotlight. I must get to town soon so at least I’ll know to look for it – whether or not the store has it is another question.

Off to Melbourne for Easter, and a few days afterwards which I’m looking forward to; lot of sewing to do before then. Afterwards, I have to get cracking on tablecloth sized quilt that I’ve been asked to make for a charity raffle at a Melbourne school’s Fair on the first wkend in May. Checked with my quilter, and she can do it if I get the top and backing to her asap.

Did a first today; ordered a corsage/buttonhole to be delivered to a very dear friend who is the star of a book launch this Thursday, in Melbourne. My friend is very ill, and this will be his last hurrah as an author, so I thought something special was warranted. Not sure whether he will wear his “good” jacket to the occasion as it may be quite warm and, because he’s lost a lot of weight, the jacket might be too big now. But I think he will get a kick out of my gift whether or not he can “wear” it. Interestingly, the florist I rang had never had such a request before but was nevertheless extremely cooperative about arranging it all quite inexpensively, and very sweet about investigating it just in case I’m setting a trend.

Mel, I think your communion frock, and the roller skate are just great. Congratulations!!! And the same to Nicole for the Pinwheel, and the blazer – both are just gorgeous. Very inspiring!!