Rose's Rocking Chair

It was pure chance that I came to meet this special rocking chair, which Rose has kindly lent to us for a couple of months.

I was pushing Thomas in the pram past Rose's unit when she called out to me as it had been a month or so since she had seen Thomas. I asked if she wanted to hold him, and as it was especially windy that day, she invited me inside. While we were chatting this rocking chair caught my eye and I exclaimed 'Oh! you have a rocking chair, where did you get it? We've been looking to buy one.'

The chair is 34 years old and had been used when Rose's daughter Halley was a baby, and Halley had recently returned it after using it for a few months for her 8 month old son Harry. Rose offered to lend it to us while Thomas is little, but I said I was afraid to break it as it's so special. But Rose insisted it was alright, saying it was a cheap old chair that doesn't get used much, but I think this chair is very special. I've been using David's computer chair to rock Thomas to sleep but it's just awful, developing a horrible high pitched squeak as it's just not meant to be rocked.

It was a special set of circumstances that found me inside Rose's house and the recipient of such a generous loan. I've been asking David since before Thomas was born to help find a rocking chair, we found some on ebay but they weren't right.  But I was really worrying about breaking the rocking chair though, and after I imagined some worst case scenarios in my head, I was then able to tell myself 'the amount of useful worry is now done'. No good can come from worrying more, there is a limit to the amount of useful worry. It was a moment like an epiphany that went off in my head and I was finally able to stop the worry. That was new. And all because of a rocking chair and a windy day.

Sea Green Beanie

The beanie I made on Mother's Day is too big for Thomas, so I made this one to fit him now. I made it the same as the Mother's Day one, but used a 4mm hook  instead of the 4.5mm, so it's slightly smaller. I used Wangaratta Mill yarn that I got from Lincraft on special. There was nothing on the label to say it was a natural fibre so I guess I'll have to assume it's acrylic.

I've made a bunch of beanies already, but they are all too small by now, because he is growing so fast! Thomas is now 5 months old! I can't wait until he is 6 months old, or sitting up on his own. Because he is 2 months premature, he is at the developmental stage of a 3 month old. I hope he is sitting up for my 40th birthday in July when he'll be 7 months old - we're hoping to go to Yum Cha and have him sitting in a high chair. People say babies grow up so fast, that we shouldn't wish the time away, but these last few months have been going so very slowly for me and I can't wait for him to be just a little bigger ...

My First Mother's Day 2011

Happy Mother's Day to all mums, now including me! David made me pancakes for breakfast with a scrummy berry sauce, and Thomas did his bit by being very cute!

All the beanies I've made so far are too small for Tom, yet it's starting to get cold and I think he needs to wear one. So I made this one this morning, using 100% Australian merino wool and a 4.5mm hook. I usually use the 4mm hook but the bigger hook made it slightly bigger, I also added an extra increasing round. So this hat is a bit on the big side, but he'll grow into it! Now he can keep warm in this cold weather, and I'm feeling like making him some more beanies now I know his size!

Handmade Easter Box

My mother made this clever cardboard box, she gave it to me for Easter filled with little chocolate eggs. The lid is part of the box, when you lift it reveals an opening in the middle. After the eggs were removed, I peeked inside and saw more pretty eggs printed inside!

Green Dress for a Doll

I thought I'd make a post today as I haven't written for a while. It's been challenging to do everyday things and feel normal again. Even though Thomas is being a perfect baby it's still hard, I wonder how we would cope if he wasn't!

I recently made this green cotton dress for a doll on an impulse. No reason really, just felt like finishing something quick. I have several projects on the go at the moment, and they are all rugs so are taking me a while to finish. For this dress I used a 3mm hook and some light green cotton that took my fancy. The doll is one of three I got in a bag for $2. I haven't restored her hair because it's too much of a big job, but she needed a dress all the same.

Another thing I did today to feel more 'normal' was to paint my toenails bright pink while I sat on the deck and worked on my vitamin D deficiency. When I was an early childhood teacher in Darwin, I wore open toed sandals so painted my toenails bright colours like green or pink and topped them off with some glitter. The children sitting at my feet would notice, it was all a bit of fun and seems like a life time ago. It seems like another life completely, but remembering nice things like that helps me feel more 'real'.