Chatiryworld

Bagl Reads: Baby Shapes

Here's the first in what I hope will be a regularish series about what we're reading. Jon bought Baby Shapes 4 Books and Mobile Set a few weeks before Bagl was born. It's one of those high contrast black and white numbers that I used to be unsure about. Why? Well not because I thought they were a con, but I wonder if some parents might think that's the only books you can give small babies and don't introduce them to lots of other fun books. I'm probably talking rubbish though and no one actually thinks like that.

Well, he loves it. The mobile in particular is The Best Thing Ever. We have hung it above his changing table and he blisses out staring at it and kicking his legs. The set also comes with four little books, each one with a different theme progressively getting more complicated (relatively speaking). Jon introduced them the first week and Bagl stared away at them. They are paperback books so easy to prop open in the pram or crib so that your baby can look at them. This also means they can easily be taken out and about to try and combat boredom.

We also claimed another black and white book for free via one of the Bounty packs (the newborn one I think), Spots and Dots (Baby Sees). This is a sturdier board book that will probably stand up more to being eaten, chewed and thrown around than the Baby Shapes books.

5 weeks

5 weeks old and Magnus is growing fast. Here he is wearing one of my favourite outfits, made by a dear friend in Orkney.  He is lying on a quilt made by one of my sisters (he has another quilt made by a friend, what a lucky boy).  I must try and photograph all his handmade gifts at some point.

Absolutely nothing prepares you for life with a newborn, no matter how many friends tell you how hard it can be!  But he's beginning to smile now and babble a bit, these interactions make it all worthwhile. 

We had a horrible week when we were told that he probably had cystic fibrosis, this was from the Guthrie heel prick test babies have when they are 5 days old.  This was a total shock to us, it had never shown in either of our families (we didn't know of anyone who was a carrier), and left us in a kind of limbo.  If he had cystic fibrosis, our lives would be very different than if he didn't.  We were told that the test was rarely wrong, but as the week wore on we discovered this wasn't necessarily true and there could be false positives.  We didn't want to cling on to this but last Monday morning we got a phone call to say that he was absolutely fine.  I cannot describe how relieved we were.  The prognosis for cystic fibrosis can be pretty good these days and we would have really stepped up to give him as great a life as possible, but we are so glad that he doesn't have it and is a healthy baby boy. 

Who knows what the next 5 weeks will bring!

He is here

Magnus David Peter Nagl was born on 31 March 2012 at 0709am after 53 hours of painful early labour, 6 hours with an epidural and then an emergency c-section after he got himself into an odd position. Nothing can prepare you for the first weeks of parenthood and we're all getting used to each other, but he is absolutely amazing and we are both totally in love with him. Jon has written his thoughts here.

Magnus is named to keep an Orkney connection (although being atheists it would feel a bit odd to name him after a saint!), and also after his great-grandpa and one of Jon's uncles.

Baby's first bookshelf

He may not have multiple changing bags to match all my outfits, an all-singing all-dancing baby gym and entertainment centre, or scratch mitts, but Bagl does have a bookshelf all of his own. We've bought him a couple of board books (The Baby's Catalogue of course) but the rest are from our collection.  Jon's a bit more willing to share than I am, my mum will have to have a word with me about this! I'm also planning that one of Bagl's first trips out will be to Aberdour Library to join up, maybe he needs a Belle and Boo library bag to carry his books in? (Actually we already have a cute book bag that I bought to give as a present and then couldn't stand to part with it.)

I'm planning on blogging about the books we read with Bagl, I've dabbled a bit over the years with blogging about children's books but actually having a child should spur me on a bit - I hope.  I'm very much of the mindset that you can't introduce books too early and the children's work I did at Leeds Libraries is the only thing I really miss about being a public librarian.  Yesterday The Guardian published an article on favourite authors to mark the first anniversary of their children's book site, which is a fantastic resource.  And if you want to read a great blog devoted to children's books, Playing by the book is most definitely one of my favourites, and includes loads of links to other similar blogs.

Symphony of the Magnetic North

 

Just been alerted to this via Radio Orkney on Facebook, a new album out in April from Erland Cooper of Erland and the Carnival. Entitled Orkney: Symphony of the Magnetic North, it is a series of gorgeous songs about the islands.  Hopefully BBC 6 Music will pick this up because it really deserves attention.  You can read more about the album on Folk Radio.

The video above includes lots of shots of Stromness, where I used to live (I was in the same class as Erland's older brother at school).  Hopefully we can take Bagl up for a trip sometime soon so he can enjoy it too.

Latest baby knitting

Here's a Vertebrae cardigan that I started late in December and recently finished (I am also working on a Robe of Glory, thanks to Nancy The List Writer).  It doesn't have much of a front so when the baby is in a sling or snuggled on your chest they don't get all hot and bothered.  I used the rest of the mystery yarn that I made the leaf hat from, I was convinced that I wouldn't have enough left and scrimped on a few rows here and there.  Of course there was plenty left though!

I've also started washing Bagl's clothes.  We don't have a chest of drawers for him yet so I'm using a big Habitat fabric storage bag thingy as a makeshift one for now. The other day it felt very spring-like so I got the newborn sized stuff washed and out on the balcony (the pegs are in case of blowing away, I don't use them indoors on the clothes horse!).  Don't they look sweet?  Most of the babygros were from the Boots and Asda sale and everything else was from eBay.  I much prefer brightly coloured clothes than the pastelly baby blue stuff that all the shops seem to think boys should wear. The next day I did a batch of navy and white stripey stuff from one of my favourite (but expensive, thank you sales and eBay) shops, Polarn O. Pyret and that included a teeny pair of socks, awww. We've tried not to buy too much stuff as often people give clothes as presents, but I can't resist organic babygro bargains on eBay and stripey stuff in sales.

32+3

Hello! Anyone still reading? I am now in the third trimester, the joys of heartburn, indigestion and general aches and pains are kicking in, but as you can see, I do now have a bump.  Yes, it is quite neat but that's what weeks and weeks of throwing up does to you!  We had a growth scan last week because I was measuring a bit small at my 28 week appointment.  Measuring your bump with a tape measure is notoriously unreliable (but great that they do send you for checks if in any doubt) and Bagl is the right size for dates etc.  We'll have another one at 36 weeks to double check though.  I had been led to believe that we wouldn't see much at the scan as he would be quite squashed up but we got a really good look at his face and saw him waving (I hope!) a finger. His spine looked amazing too!

Still knitting stuff, but mainly concentrating on a traditional blanket with lots of colourwork so it's taking a while.  The mums are both knitting lots too, which is lovely to see.

Hope you are all well!

The year in Chatiryworld

1. New hat, 2. Ellen's birthday beret, 3. Emily's 4th birthday cardigan, 4. Travelling Woman shawl, 5. My first quilt, 6. Mother's Day shawl, 7. Moor shawl, 8. Gooseberry hat, 9. Bressay hap shawl, 10. Strawberry tea cosy, 11. Baby's first blanket, 12. Bagl's first hat, 13. Bagl's first mittens, 14. Bagl's first booties, 15. Leaf hat, 16. Isabella's hat, 17. Baby's first cardigan, 18. Bunny blanket, 19. Baby Bunting, 20. Clothkits jacket, 21. Sleepy Monkey

Normally I do separate 'year in knitting', 'year in sewing' and 'year in Chatiryworld' posts but I'm feeling tired and lazy so going to combine them in one.  Also I barely blogged for the second half of the year!

In the first half of the year however, I blogged about Edinburgh's independent shops (already out of date...), the worth of libraries, a trip to the Black Isle, a quick trip to South Wales and the Forest of Dean, making my first proper quilt, seeing my brother perform with the National Youth Orchestra and visiting one of our favourite museums, moving to Fife and having a fabulous view, my craft spaces and the demise of Habitat.

Then I got pregnant and then I started being very sick and didn't really blog much. I've not found pregnancy very easy, in fact it's pretty much the hardest thing I've ever done. I know that sounds melodramatic and people pop babies out all the time but I can only go on my own experience. I cannot wait for our baby boy to arrive next year (due end of March) and to get my body back, even if it's battered and very tired!

I seem to have got plenty of knitting done this year, there was a dry patch in the early days of pregnancy when, to be blunt, I was worried about being sick on it so didn't do anything. I've made three gorgeous shawls but my favourite item is most definitely the monkey blanket I made to welcome baby Caius into the world. I didn't do as much sewing as I intended to, but loved the quilt course I went on in Glasgow.

It's been a funny old year, but we did manage to achieve our two big aims for the year, move house to Fife and get pregnant. Who knows what next year will bring, apart from a small person who will totally change our lives, exciting!

Knitting catch up

I've managed to get a load of knitting done in the last few weeks but hadn't blogged about it, so here we are:

This cardigan is Korrigan by Solenn DRN. I would have liked to have knit it all in green but didn't have enough, this whole set helped me use up some more of my Rowan 4ply Soft in my stash, not much left now. I did try and make it with some Shetland yarn to begin with but I think this was just a bit too fine.  The booties are Sartje's Booties, the mittens are Teensie Weensie Mittens and the hat is from Erika Knight's Natural Nursery Knits , which I had out from the library.

Next up was a leaf hat that I had someone at my knitting group make.  It's called Baby Hat with Leaf Edging by Lauren Eade. I'm afraid I don't know what the yarn is because I won it a couple of years ago and the lable gives no indication as to where it's come from, it's lovely and soft though.

This bunny blanket is going to be used as a playmat on the floor.  It's Hip Hop Blanket by Jennifer Lippman-Bruno from Stitch 'n Bitch Superstar and I knit it up in SIrdar Tweedie Chunky.

Here's Baby Bunting, or Sweet Bunting by Laura Chau. This is supposed to be for next winter as it's warm and cosy, hopefully he won't only fit into it in August or something! I used Rowan Pure Life Organic Wool DK (great shame that it's discontinued). I love the way the bunting string continues onto the ties.

Finally, a gift for a friend's new baby, this is Lacy Julian Hat by Raya Budrevich, knit in Rowan Milk Cotton. We've recently found out that several good friends of ours are expecting babies next year too so there should be some knitting for them as well as our own baby.

Saturday 24 December 2011

It's Christmas Eve, yay!  I wanted to take a better photo of the tree with presents round it and everything but the lower set of lights has decided to give up so no more tree photos this year.  Neither of us can face doing anything about it so we're just going to leave it and get another set next year.

We're having a quiet christmas together, watching films, eating and wondering what next year will be like.  Hope you have a wonderful festive season.