[cybele727]

Oh Nicole…. we are good. I wanted to give @justsewit some support, some hugs.

The stats on maternal mortality around the world are truly terrifying. We are so lucky to live in this world today, compared to even a few generations ago, when pregnancy and delivery were truly life threatening.

@nicole, you are clearly one of those glowy pregnant women. As my best friend once said, “you glow alright. You glow misery.” We laughed hard.

I certainly am very grateful for my babes though.

Well onto happier topics!!

My daughter’s room is almost complete. She wants to help. Which means of course that everything is taking much longer as I subtly undo her assistance. But I don’t want to crush her enthusiasm and ownership over my needs for control, efficiency, and “perfection.”

Selfishly, I want efficiency, because once her room is done her old room becomes my sewing room. I can’t wait to get started on that. The paint is fine, so basically it is just cleaning and arranging my stuff.

She was so excited to sleep in a big girl bed that she kept asking to go to bed. Hahahah! I don’t know how long that will last.

[jay_1965vw]

Well, I’m back!
First thing’s first though – congratulations,Tamara, on the eventually safe, but traumatic arrival of baby Chloe! Getting some counselling to deal with it sounds likes good idea if it is bothering you.

We’ve now been in Virginia for a week. We’re currently in temporary accommodation in crystal city, but we’re looking for a house in Old Town Alexandria. We have an application in, and we’re waiting to hear back from the landlord.
I’ve been to the local Hancock fabrics and bought two lengths of wool blend for a skirt and a pair of trousers, but I can’t start sewing until a) I buy a sewing machine, and b) we move into a house and have our stuff delivered (namely my patterns!).
We came from 32 C to 32 F, so adjusting to the weather is. Challenging

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by jay_1965vw.

[Nicole]

Jay, I hope you adjust soon. What an adventure.

Jenny, enjoy your sewing space. I hope young Missy (Gigi? love that name) likes her new room.

[Tamara]

Thankyou Jenny for your support and for sharing your story, i don’t feel so alone now. But I am still going to research and have good long conversations with obstetricians and specialists to get the absolute bottom line of the whole thing. Having them tell me the God’s honest truth of what can and will likely happen will help me to let go (if I have to) of this need for another and final baby – gosh it sounds like I am so selfish and having just gone through a traumatic birth and when others (and I have lots in my family) long for a child (or in some cases another child). However, it has been with me for as long as I can remember. I feel as though being a mum is the only thing that I am truly good at and to be blessed with the number longed for would be a pinaccle. However if it can’t be I will have to learn to accept it. The doctor said yesterday that I would be high risk but I could still successfully have another one and it would pay to talk to the specialists about it in a year’s time so that it gives me time to really think about whether I can cope with it all or not.

Thankyou Jay for your congratulations! I am so glad you have arrived safe and sound and that you get the house you have applied for. This year seems to be the start of a new adventure for you and your family. I am looking forward to hearing more of your time in your new surroundings as you settle in. Stay warm! Just think, you don’t have to deal with bushfires for a while! But I bet you miss the beach a d I am sure that come the northern summer time you will have acclimatised beautifully.

[Robin]

It’s funny isn’t it Tamara? I couldn’t have children, (too many fibroids, no where for an egg to implant) somehow got pregnant, had far too many complications, was told I miscarried, delivered a healthy baby girl and marvelled at the wonder of it all. And yet when the doctor told me not to have more children I was devastated. Which seems ridiculous because one blessing was far more than I ever thought I would have. I had a really good cry and talked to one of my very pragmatic friends about it. It’s a tough time.

Be kind to yourself.

[jay_1965vw]

We got a call yesterday to say we have a lease to sign for a house. Hooray! We need to get it checked by the embassy before we sign it, but hopefully we will sign it this evening and start the countdown before we move. We also need to find out where our shipment of stuff is – somewhere between here and Australia, but where?! 🙂

[enajybbil]

Hey! Can anyone tell me the coupon code that is available right now for the o+s best of 2014? I got the email but now it’s saying “message has no content”. Blerg! Thanks for any help!! I saw the new Bento tee tutorial on the blog today and was reminded that I need to snap that pattern up!

[jay_1965vw]

Jan15 🙂

[Nicole]

@jay 1965vw, you bet me to it! 🙂

I am so glad you have found a house, machines next.

[cybele727]

@Justsewit, it will come in time! My #2 ended being higher risk than #1 (having contracted H1N1 during the pregnancy, and having taken a belly flop in a parking lot, and having developed a life threatening sinus infection, and having developed serious anemia) and Gigi (@Nicole- Thank you! That’s short for Gabriella Genevieve) was my end result. Modern care has managed lots of risk, and while she has some health issues, they are minor! They don’t think her “issues” were a result of the risk either and her delivery was, other than exposing scar tissue and coming 3 or so weeks early, uneventful.

Thankfully at her last cardiologist appointment, her PFO was almost gone. I am hoping the next one says, closed and DISCHARGE! Which reminds me… must make check up appointment.

You will know if more is right for you in the right time and the right way.

Well ladies, this other issue is entirely your fault. I hadn’t realized there was a code. And now, I ended up buying 4 patterns, which is like buy 3 get 1 free. Sheeesh. Enablers.

Looks like my bedtime reading is pattern directions. Yeah, I do read them over a few times before I actually begin. Because I get excited about it.

[needlewoman]

Happy New Year, forum members. I hope it’s a great year for families, and sewing, and that dramas of the unpleasant kind are few, and far between – as we know they can never be avoided altogether.

Thank you, T for your story about Chloe’s birth, and of course, for all the other women who have shared their experiences. I’ve never had a child, and am too old now so I cannot begin to imagine what it’s really like to give birth but I feel privileged to read about the willing surrender to vulnerability, and humility that all mothers make in order to bear, and raise children.

Moving on, I noticed you mentioned another surgery date, Nicole – I hope that all goes very well, and that you recover quickly.

I haven’t done any sewing since New Year as I’m working on the many jobs around my unit that have been neglected for many months. I was able to cut out about 20 outfits while I was house-sitting for friends, during December. They have a marvellously big table, but useless chairs for machine sewing. So lots of projects to look forward to but I am determined to finish/restart various unfinished/overdue projects before I resume my O+S work. As always, I get lots of good ideas, and much enjoyment from everybody’s work shown, and discussed on Flickr.

[Nicole]

Welcome back Fee, I hope you have fun sewing up all those little things.

I must admit, I love a birth story, you would have think I had had enough but they always thrill me. If anyone else is inspired to write theirs, feel free. (Or post links)

Thank you for your best wishes, just a straight forward Gall Bladder removal, I fit the criteria of fat, female, forty, fair and fecund.

The downside it pool builders starting the day I come home from hospital. I have frozen several large curries, for meals, but the Twins will be kept busy doing meals as Hugo has his white card and will be working with them.

[Tamara]

How will it all work with nursing Trixie Nicole? Hope it goes smoothly for you.

Thank you Fiona, you are a darling!

@cybele727 kindness is my middle name! To others but not to myself – sounds like such a martyr I know but it is how I work myself is second always.

We are hopefully getting new air con put in tomorrow – if they have the right fittings. It means quieter white noise in the girls’ bedrooms and hopefully a cooler living area. Heats kills airconditioning! Correction! They just rang and said they are coming out today! Yippee!

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by Tamara.

[Nicole]

My son passed his driving test, so excited for him!

Thanks @Justsewit, I am sure all will be fine.

[lattemama]

Congrats to Hugo!

My husband finished building his 3D printer last night and did a few test prints. It is so cool!

He promised to print out some buttons for me and the girls have both commissioned loads of stuff. My 7 yo wants Barbie armour, hangers for her Build-a-Bear armoire and she started designing a castle in the design software.

He’s found a cool stand for my tablet that may be next in the print queue.