Elegant Baby.

Handmade crocheted vintage style baby hats by ME!!
Available at:
http://www.heatherbays.etsy.com
and
http://www.heatherbays.artfire.com

My Normal.

Adelaide is already 3 weeks old. On one hand I feel the time has flown by, but on the other, it seems so slow. Weird. My life has definitely changed for the better...but ask me in the middle of the night when I am up breastfeeding a baby who doesn't want to go back to sleep...I may have a different answer for you, lol. My bedside table has taken on a different look. No more crosswords, wii remotes, empty cans of cola and craft supplies. Just diapers, wipes, gripe water and anything else I may need at hand in the middle of the night to sooth an upset baby.

Bug sleeps with us, mostly in our bed. I have a bassinet next to the bed that she usually starts off in, but then by morning she's curled up in bed with us. I have become a master of breastfeeding. I can now do it laying down so in the middle of the night I don't feel like my sleep is really disturbed. Thank god I don't have to worry about getting up to prepare and heat bottles, I am sure I would feel way more sleep deprived. Over the past 3 weeks I have learned a lot about breastfeeding, which means I have learned a lot about baby poo, lol. At first I thought breastfeeding was gonna be a breeze, and then her poo was green, which I thought was due to a belly ache, so I started omitting things from my diet that may not be agreeing with her brand new digestive system. After eliminating the common things (citrus, broccoli, spicy food) I was starting to think it was a milk allergy. If you know me well, you'll know that dairy is my favourite food group. What would I do without ice cream? So before I went ahead an rid of that, I did more research. I learned that there is foremilk and hindmilk and the foremilk is lighter and good for brain development and the hindmilk is darker, heavier and fattier which is good for growth. Some people produce too much foremilk causing the baby to get full and feed little but often. A sign that she has too much foremilk will be green poo. Ah ha! So, I started just feeding from one boob each feed instead of switching it up. It worked! Her poo is mostly back to a yellow curry like colour. If you are having trouble breastfeeding, don't give up! Research it. More often then not, it's either an allergy, a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance or it's normal for your baby.
http://www.justmommies.com/articles/baby-poop.shtml

Being a new parent is kinda worrisome. Every little thing she does I wonder if it's normal. But I have learned that babies are very resilient and most things are normal. So I should stop worrying so much. These past few days I have decided to just go with the flow because although new babies are a lot of work, they're quite simple really. They cry because that's their only way of communicating. It either means they're hungry (usually means this) or their diaper needs changed or their tired or have gas, (unless your baby suffers from colic.) Needless to say, at our past midwife appointment, which was 2 days ago, Adelaide weighed 6lbs 7oz...so I must be doing something right, lol.


We have introduced her to a soother since she started sucking her thumb and was using my boob as a pacifier...not sucking, just holding the nipple in her mouth as she fell asleep...not cool when this happened in the middle of the night! I was worried about nipple confusion, but it did no such thing. She loves her soother as she's going to sleep which means I love it too! I also read that it reduces the chance of SIDS. The way I see it, you can throw out a soother, but you can't throw away a thumb! So I was sold!



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Cherpumple Pie Cake!

Last night we had a lil' dinner party with our friends as we do every week. Only this time I wanted to make something epic for dessert because they have been extraordinarily helpful over the past couple weeks since we had a baby! I remembered this video I watched online a while back about the Cherpumple pie cake. Here is that video. If this doesn't make you wanna make this cake pie, then I don't know what will!

Here is my attempt at it. I altered it a little bit. My bottom layer was apple pie baked in a spice cake.

The second layer was strawberry rhubarb pie baked in a chocolate cake, and the top was pecan pie baked in a white cake.

I stacked all three layers on top of each other separating them with cream cheese icing.

Then I frosted the sides and sprinkled some cocoa on top just to make it look...nicer?! lol.

Turns out I'm not very good at icing cakes! We cut in to the cake and it was messy!!

A piece of cake was like 3 pieces and after a couple bites I was certain I had given myself and our guests diabetes!

Needless to say, I learned a lot about making this ridiculous cake and know what I would do differently next time...but I don't think there's gonna be a next time.

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Adelaide Dorothy Von Bargen

It's a new world...for Julian and I. On November 10th we gave birth to our baby girl right here at home in our Toronto apartment. It was an amazing and surreal experience. It was everything I wanted...except we didn't have the birthing pool because it hadn't been delivered and set up yet. We were to get it the following week. I was sure Adelaide would come later rather then sooner, but she proved us wrong. I am so glad she came when she did because had I gone in to labour just 2 days earlier, I would have had to go to the hospital because I technically wouldn't have been "full-term". Here is my story:
On November 9th in the evening I started feeling like I was getting the flu. I was experiencing some menstrual-like cramps as well. I didn't take much notice because many women feel these cramps weeks before they actually go into labour. As the night went on they started to actually hurt but they weren't happening very close together, it was just randomly. By about 1am I thought I would maybe time them as they seemed to happen more often. They were still minor cramps that were about 7-10 minutes apart and lasted like 20 to 30 seconds. They were making me more uncomfortable then usual but I tried not to take any notice because I knew there were things that still needed to happen before I went in to labour, like losing my mucous plug and I still didn't feel like I had that "nesting" urge. In fact, my place was kind of a disaster. I suppose I had been baking and crocheting more the usual over the weeks leading up to that day, but still, was that "nesting"? At about 3:30am I had to pee, so I went pee and noticed a wee bit of blood on the toilet paper. I looked in the toilet and there was this gross weird thing that came out of me. I wondered if that was my mucous plug. So, I got on the internet and googled it. Of course there were images, lol. And those images definitely resembled what fell in the toilet. Oh boy, I started getting a little nervous. We were SO unprepared. We hadn't gotten anything on the list the midwife told us to have. We didn't even have diapers. The babies stuff was still in boxes and the place was a mess. I did some reading and read that some women lose there plug up to 2 weeks before they actually go in to labour. So, I calmed down and decided to get some rest. I slept for a few hours and woke up at 7am with my husband. He was getting ready for school and I told him all about my night and what happened because he was sleeping while I was going through that. He wondered if he should stay home. I told him not to worry and just go to school. I was convinced I wouldn't go in to labour for a while still. This was our first baby which means it will most likely be late, right? So, after getting his stuff together, off he went. I had a google chat date with one of my best pals back in Winnipeg. We must have been chatting for 20 minutes when all of a sudden these minor cramps I was still getting that were about 30 seconds long and about 7 minutes apart got pretty intense. She told me to call my midwife and I said I was fine and it wasn't a big deal because they weren't super intense and they weren't 5 minutes apart yet. Not long after that I was on the ground breathing through the pain of them and they were getting stronger and stronger. So I called the midwife. She told me to only count the intense ones and when they were 5 minutes apart to call her back. I asked her if I should alert my Mum as she wanted to be at the birth and she was in Winnipeg and would need to jump on a plane. She told me that now would definitely be a good time to notify her. (That's when I knew this was really going to happen.) So, I did. She packed her bags and headed to the airport to get a flight ASAP. Mean while I was still on google chat with Meghan who was luckily keeping track of my contractions. When they got worse and closer I contacted the midwife again and she said she was on her way. Meghan had our friend Sheena text Julian at school to get him to come home. He was just arriving in class and settling in when he got the text. So, he informed the prof and headed back home. In the 50 minutes it took him to get home my contractions had multiplied in pain to the point where I was most comfortable on all fours swaying my hips. When the contractions would stop, I would pace up and down my apartment as I talked to Meghan on google and was encouraged through phone calls from my cousin Fiona, my sister Christine, my brother Mike, and my Mum, (sorry if I missed anyone, it was a blurry day.) Thank you all for the support. Not long after Julian got home, the midwife showed up. She checked me and sure enough, I was 3cm dilated. She said because everything seemed to be moving fast that she would stay and see what happened. My midwife, Aimee was a god sent. She was so cool and calm and made me feel so comfortable. She pretty much stayed out of mine and Julian's way and just let us do what came naturally. She would remind me to breathe deep and hard when I felt I couldn't go on. She would make suggestions when it seemed I was struggling. Because the labour was so quick it was SO SO intense and I couldn't build up a tolerance. But ya know, it wasn't AS bad as I thought it would be. It really wasn't. Women are AMAZING!!!! At times I would close my eyes and breathe and make noises I never thought I could make, lol and I would find strength by thinking about all the other women in the world who was doing what I was doing at that very same moment. I personally found that being on all fours in my bathtub while Julian applied pressure to my lower back as I swayed my hips, the best way of getting through all the contractions. In between contractions I had some moments and I would lean against the wall and start falling asleep and then all of a sudden another one came and what I thought was a dream for a moment became very real again! I was in the tub when my water broke. When it finally broke I felt SUCH a release of pressure and it felt so good. But then all of a sudden I just needed to push! I couldn't help it, my body just naturally pushed when I had a contraction. Amiee recommended I get out of the bath and on to my bed to push because the bathroom was so cramped. So I slowly got out and made my way to the shower curtain that Julian took down from the bathroom and placed on the bed. She had me lay on my left side and told me to breathe through 3 contractions without pushing. It was SO SO SO hard not to push. Then she had me roll on my right side and do the same, only this time I just couldn't help it and when the first contraction hit I just pushed. It was so intense I can't even describe it. As the head was coming out Julian just lost it and I have never seen him SO excited in all my life, lol. She told me to make sure I didn't push for the next contraction and Julian breathed hard with me (like hee hee hee hee hee) it was one of the hardest moments through the whole labour. Part way through that contraction I screamed bloody murder ha ha ha...and I tore a bit...OUCH! (I now understand why they call it "the ring of fire".) But then a couple more pushes and all of a sudden this purpley blue thing covered in gunk was thrown on my body and I was actually in shock for a few minutes. She started crying and Julian was just laughing and saying oh my god. I will never forget that moment (obviously.)



It was 4:48pm when Adelaide was born and she was 48 cm long weighing 5lbs 13oz. A friend of ours said, "5lbs of baby and 13oz of hair", lol. I just knew she had a head of hair. I had terrible heartburn through my pregnancy, especially the last trimester. I love her hair, it's so soft and fluffy.

Because my hemoglobin levels were low to begin with and the labour was so fast the midwife shot a needle of something in my thigh. She said my tear wasn't very bad and as long as I promised to stay in bed for 5 days with my legs together then I didn't need stitches. So I opted for that because the idea of 4 stitches in my hoo-ha sounded worse then the birth, lol.

Eleven days have past already and I am doing much better! Healed up nicely! The first few days were painful and gross, lol. But everyday after that gets easier.
It took us a few days to name our daughter. We had a list of like 20 names we liked and hoped that when she was born, one of them would just stand out. But nope. None. My cousin Fiona informed me that our grandmother (on my Mum's side) who we have never met because she passed away when my Mum was only 8 years old, would have celebrated her birthday on November 10th! Her name was Dorothy. And Adelaide was a random name we saw on the internet and both really liked. We couldn't decide if she would be Dorothy Adelaide or Adelaide Dorothy. But she just looked like an Adelaide. So on Monday November 15th, we made it official. Because for 5 days she didn't have a name and she was so tiny, we called her "Bug" and I am sure that nickname will stick forever. You can see in this photo that she wears that nickname well. How adorable.

She is so tiny. All the newborn clothes that we thought were so tiny don't even fit her. She drowns in all her clothes, lol. I am sure that won't be for long. She is doing VERY well. She is very calm and content. Nights have been great. She feeds every 3 hours on average, so I go to bed around 1am after feeding and changing and then she wakes around 4 for another feeding and changing and then again at 7 and then we sleep until about 9:30-10, so I feel pretty rested. I would say the hardest part is dealing with the gas. Burping her can sometimes be challenging, but i am getting the hang of it. I love how gas makes them smile, lol. It's so adorable. She has the cutest dimples!

Adelaide caught on to the boob after a bit of effort, but once she latched she became a pro. It was awkward at first, I had to find a good position for us and everyday I get better. Breastfeeding is magical. I really don't know why women who CAN breastfeed choose not to because seriously, the bonding that goes on is wicked. Not to mention how GYNORMOUS my boobs are!! (Man, people pay a lot of money to have boobs this big and hard, lol) I also couldn't imagine having to get up and prepare bottles and warm them. Sounds like a lot more work. And also the fact that your body bounces back faster if you breastfeed is really a good enough reason for me! I can't believe how fast my stomach disappeared. A few sit ups here and there and I will be right back to normal. I am already back in my pre-pregnancy jeans! YES!

Sadly, since my labour and delivery was short, my Mum wasn't able to get here in time. She arrived at 11pm that night, but was so helpful! She took care of us as we adjusted for the first week. It was wonderful to have her here for those days because I was bed ridden and a little clueless. She gave me great tips and advice and boosted my confidence so that when she left I knew I could do it.


She cooked, cleaned, did laundry and helped with Bug. She is the master burper, so she tried teaching me and I've gotten pretty good, and will get better.

Our friends were so ridiculously helpful and generous. They came over and brought heaps of gifts and food so we wouldn't have to cook and could concentrate on baby! The gifts were beautiful and the food was and is so delicious. We feel SO loved. Julian's Mum was also here over this weekend to meet her first grandchild. She was amazing as well. Made pizza, cinnamon buns and other food! She restocked our cupboards and bought enough diapers to last us 'til we go home to Winnipeg which is when we'll stock up on AMP diapers. She is still under 6 pounds and AMP diapers suggest your baby is at least 7lbs otherwise they won't fit properly. So at the moment she is wearing preemie diapers. Oh so little.


Adelaide has the cutest lil' gas smiles.

She also has adorable elf ears, that are unfortunately starting to look less elf like.

When she's waking up and stretches, she makes the sweetest kissy face.

And she looks so amazed as she's discovering her hands.

This little girl is blowing my mind. I'm in awe every moment of everyday. We left the apartment for the first time yesterday and went for a walk to the grocery shop.


The world really is a different place!!

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Full Term...We Made It!

We made it! Today I am full term...37 weeks, which means baby can come at any time! Since I am planning a home birth, this is fantastic news, because had I gone in to labour any earlier then this, I would have had to go to the hospital. So, phew! She is still in. I don't think she'll be making her debut anytime soon, but you never know. We still have 3 more weeks to wait until the actual due date. But if she decides to come before the 29th, I will be THRILLED! I am ready to have this baby out of me and in our lives. Well, not really yet, lol. The birthing pool hasn't been delivered, I haven't unpacked much of her stuff, and I don't have any disposable diapers, just cloth at the moment. So I would like to get a pack of disposables so I won't have to do laundry in the first week while me and baby heal and rest! My midwife last measured me 2 days ago and she said I was measuring 2 cms on the small side. She said that doesn't mean much considering all women and babies are different. I have yet to find a stretch mark though, so that's great news. In the photo above I have placed some clothes in the position that the baby is laying. I am getting more excited and more anxious and scared with every passing day. I know I can do this...I just don't want to...but I have to. There is no turning back. Once the actual labour and delivery is over I will be relieved. Keep your eye on the prize right, lol!
Julians' Grandma Bargen sent us a parcel with some baby things like socks, a book, some of her yummy cookies and some cloth diapers along with the AMAZING blanket she made for our baby! I am so in love with it. It's so soft!
This is the front.

And this is the back.

I have also pulled out some of her shoes that I started collecting when I found out I was pregnant. I just love baby shoes, they are too precious!

These 2 are my favourites. They are old european style shoes that cost me all of 50 cents! I got them from the MCC in Steinbach, Manitoba. I really love that place!

I continue to bake and crochet. I wish the cleaning part of "nesting" would kick in, LOL. Here are some more crocheted items I have made this week. Bah! They are so cute.
These are black booties with light pink vintage buttons for babies age 6-9 months.

These are milk chocolate brown booties with seafoam vintage buttons for babies age 3-6 months.

These are navy blue high top booties with brown ties for babies age 3-6 months.

These hats are so sweet and elegant! Vintage style crocheted baby hat for newborns to 3 months. Snow white with a red lace ribbon and bow!

And this one is red wine with a sage green ribbon and bow. This one I am keeping for myself and I will take some gorgeous photos of my baby in it when she gets here. She's gonna think her mother is a one-eyed robot because I am certain I won't be able to stop photographing her!

See what's available in my online stores.
http://www.heatherbays.etsy.com/
OR
http://www.heatherbays.artfire.com/
And remember, I take custom orders, so if you need a certain size or a specific colour, I can make it for you, just email me:
heatherbays@gmail.com
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"Oh say, cute boots!"

I was up VERY late last night learning a new crochet pattern. Sometimes I find that crocheting can be addictive...very addictive, especially when I learn a new pattern. It's exciting. So I say, when you are feeling inspired, no matter when that may be, take advantage of it.


I have 2 pairs of these warm boots available which you can find in both my online shops:
http://www.heatherbays.etsy.com/
OR
http://www.heatherbays.artfire.com/


They both measure 4 inches long, which is a size 2. They also have vintage decorative buttons on the sides from the button collection I inherited from my grandmother. Well, I gotta clean my place, then go grocery shopping (restock for baking, so stay tuned) and then I can return to crocheting! YES!
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