Sometimes thirty minutes of fun looks like this…a couple of necklaces and some giggling on Mama and Daddy's bed.
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Wednesday, 1 October 2014
Mama-made: Cross Back Shweshwe Dress
I found the pattern for this darling little dress while browsing over Pinterest (as usual!) and I fell in love with it. I've never made anything so detailed but I was up for the challenge. I made a lot of mistakes and the dress is full of hidden flaws but I'm very proud of how it turned out.
This was my second attempt at sewing with shweshwe fabric and I think I have a lot to learn. I find it quite stiff, even after washing and ironing. I'll have to find out how to soften it because after playing outside, the dress was all wrinkled up and stiff again. That didn't seem to bother the happy recipient though!
This was my second attempt at sewing with shweshwe fabric and I think I have a lot to learn. I find it quite stiff, even after washing and ironing. I'll have to find out how to soften it because after playing outside, the dress was all wrinkled up and stiff again. That didn't seem to bother the happy recipient though!
Link for the pattern over here
Friday, 19 September 2014
Raising a sensitive child
You may (or may not) have noticed that I haven't been blogging much lately. There are a few reasons for this, the most obvious being the busy-ness of juggling work and family life. Yet there's much more to it, as we have been experiencing emotional difficulties as a family, especially related with Olivia. If you have followed this blog for a while you may have noticed that I mostly like to share the precious moments with her. After all, that is why I created this space - to capture and share such moments with loved ones near and far. This however certainly does not mean that we do not face challenging and difficult times as well in our family.
Our beloved little girl has been battling emotionally, and consequently so have Mama and Daddy. We've always known from when she was a tiny baby that Olivia is a very sensitive child, but never did we imagine that toddlerhood would be as challenging as it is right now. We got some alarm bells at the beginning of the year when we arrived home from a month's holiday in the States - when her reaction to the change seemed quite drastic. She suddenly became very clingy, anxious and emotional, both at home and especially in social settings. We thought it would just last a few weeks as she re-adjusted, but it actually accelerated to a point that she started having what seemed like small anxiety attacks when in social settings. Honestly, I'm not exaggerating! Whenever she was feeling anxious and around unfamiliar people I would see the expression in her face changing, followed by her holding on to me tightly, literally digging into my skin with her nails as she would begin to shake. We jokingly referred to this as her "silent tantrums", but we couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to it. We didn't know how to deal with this and I definitely made a lot of mistakes in my attempts to "make her more sociable". At times I reprimanded her for her behaviour, but I soon learned that this was not helping her at all. What seemed to help, rather, was to remove her from the situation or environment that was making her anxious. Sometimes this worked well, though sometimes not so well.
After spending hours on Google, Facebook parenting groups, having chats with other moms, etc, I tried several things to help Olivia deal better with her emotions, with some attempts yielding positive results and some not making much of a difference. We've gone through various stages this year, between promising times when we think she's getting better, and then sudden reversals when it seems she she's getting worse again. Currently we are experiencing the most challenging times we've yet had with her. To give you an idea, she is probably frustrated with accompanying emotional outbursts sixty percent of the time. The smallest things can set her off, from being scared of the wind blowing on her face to seeing an upsetting picture in a magazine or TV (and yes, she probably shouldn't be exposed to TV!). Last weekend we were at a social gathering at another home with some friends and colleagues, and she was terrified of a little dog, along with a zebra carpet on the floor. She also went ballistic out on the deck when she looked down, saw the gaps between the wooden planks, and seemingly feared that she would fall through the gaps!
We certainly don't have the answers to all of this. But what I've realized is that we can so easily fall into the mode of trying to fix our child, thus causing both us and her frustration, anger and disappointment.
Why do I feel I need to fix her? There are a number of reasons for this - Because I have believed a lie that there is something wrong with her; because I have let my own insecurities with my personality cause me to fear that she will be like me; and because I have a preconceived idea of what an ideal personality for a child should be: carefree, fearless, friendly, sociable, etc and I unknowingly have tried to force such 'ideals' on my child.
The truth is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with her, and I do not need to fix her. She has a beautiful and sensitive spirit, with an accompanying strong will, and sometimes she simply needs help and guidance on how to handle her strong emotions. And all the while, we trust that in that beautiful way of God's Kingdom, such "weaknesses" will prove to be her greatest strengths as she continues to grow and develop!
So as much as we are battling at the moment, I know that she will be okay, as will we. We pray for God's supernatural wisdom, love and grace for this. After all, He has entrusted us with the life of this beautiful girl, an answer to our prayers, and so we trust Him to likewise give us everything we need to nurture Olivia into all that He has called her to be.
Dearest Olivia,
You are a beautiful and perfect creation. You are made in the very image of God. You carry a facet of who He is that no one else does. May you always know and be confident of who you are in Him. We love you and are so, so proud of you!
Our beloved little girl has been battling emotionally, and consequently so have Mama and Daddy. We've always known from when she was a tiny baby that Olivia is a very sensitive child, but never did we imagine that toddlerhood would be as challenging as it is right now. We got some alarm bells at the beginning of the year when we arrived home from a month's holiday in the States - when her reaction to the change seemed quite drastic. She suddenly became very clingy, anxious and emotional, both at home and especially in social settings. We thought it would just last a few weeks as she re-adjusted, but it actually accelerated to a point that she started having what seemed like small anxiety attacks when in social settings. Honestly, I'm not exaggerating! Whenever she was feeling anxious and around unfamiliar people I would see the expression in her face changing, followed by her holding on to me tightly, literally digging into my skin with her nails as she would begin to shake. We jokingly referred to this as her "silent tantrums", but we couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to it. We didn't know how to deal with this and I definitely made a lot of mistakes in my attempts to "make her more sociable". At times I reprimanded her for her behaviour, but I soon learned that this was not helping her at all. What seemed to help, rather, was to remove her from the situation or environment that was making her anxious. Sometimes this worked well, though sometimes not so well.
After spending hours on Google, Facebook parenting groups, having chats with other moms, etc, I tried several things to help Olivia deal better with her emotions, with some attempts yielding positive results and some not making much of a difference. We've gone through various stages this year, between promising times when we think she's getting better, and then sudden reversals when it seems she she's getting worse again. Currently we are experiencing the most challenging times we've yet had with her. To give you an idea, she is probably frustrated with accompanying emotional outbursts sixty percent of the time. The smallest things can set her off, from being scared of the wind blowing on her face to seeing an upsetting picture in a magazine or TV (and yes, she probably shouldn't be exposed to TV!). Last weekend we were at a social gathering at another home with some friends and colleagues, and she was terrified of a little dog, along with a zebra carpet on the floor. She also went ballistic out on the deck when she looked down, saw the gaps between the wooden planks, and seemingly feared that she would fall through the gaps!
We certainly don't have the answers to all of this. But what I've realized is that we can so easily fall into the mode of trying to fix our child, thus causing both us and her frustration, anger and disappointment.
Why do I feel I need to fix her? There are a number of reasons for this - Because I have believed a lie that there is something wrong with her; because I have let my own insecurities with my personality cause me to fear that she will be like me; and because I have a preconceived idea of what an ideal personality for a child should be: carefree, fearless, friendly, sociable, etc and I unknowingly have tried to force such 'ideals' on my child.
The truth is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with her, and I do not need to fix her. She has a beautiful and sensitive spirit, with an accompanying strong will, and sometimes she simply needs help and guidance on how to handle her strong emotions. And all the while, we trust that in that beautiful way of God's Kingdom, such "weaknesses" will prove to be her greatest strengths as she continues to grow and develop!
So as much as we are battling at the moment, I know that she will be okay, as will we. We pray for God's supernatural wisdom, love and grace for this. After all, He has entrusted us with the life of this beautiful girl, an answer to our prayers, and so we trust Him to likewise give us everything we need to nurture Olivia into all that He has called her to be.
Dearest Olivia,
You are a beautiful and perfect creation. You are made in the very image of God. You carry a facet of who He is that no one else does. May you always know and be confident of who you are in Him. We love you and are so, so proud of you!
Thursday, 21 August 2014
Fun Learning: Sorting and Matching
We had such fun this afternoon learning sorting and matching using shoes. Initially Olivia didn't quite get the concept, but as I demonstrated she got the hang of it and grasped the idea. She'd exclaim, "Good girl Lili" every time she correctly paired the shoes…or thought she did!
I'd say this activity is suitable for toddlers from 18 months old up to three years old. You'd probably have to make it more interesting and challenging for older toddlers. For example they can sort the shoes into different types (e.g. boots, sandals,etc), then pair them up.
Monday, 18 August 2014
Dear Olivia
I love,
That you are so full of life.
That you are such a passionate little girl.
That you have a thankful heart.
That you have a unique and special personality.
I love,
Your warm hugs. They don't come by often, but when they do they are so warm and intimate.
Your excitement at helping mama with house chores.
Your funny stories. You make me laugh my funny girl!
Your made-up songs.
I love,
How you love your little brother.
How you imitate and copy me. It is so adorable.
How you jump without lifting your feet off the ground!
How you sometimes spontaneously dance without even realizing that your body is moving to the music.
You are so precious my sweet girl.
Love,
Mama
Owen at four months old
The past couple of months have been a bit hectic and overwhelming at times so I took a break from blogging. My camera, which I usually use at least ten times a day barely made it out of the camera bag even for weeks at times! Well, things seem to be calmer now, so I'll steal some moments here and there, whenever I can to take pictures, bake, sew, crochet, read and update the blog. Hehehe, wishful thinking never killed anyone!
In the midst of it all, our little boy is growing beautifully. I missed his three month update and I almost missed month four! He is currently closer to five months now! Goodness me, I cannot believe how fast he is growing!
Growth: He weighs 8.5kg and is 68cm tall which means he has grown by 4.3kg and 18cm since birth. It amazes me that their little bodies not only survive, but thrive on just milk! We will introduce solid food in two months or so if he shows interest and readiness, in the mean time he is growing so well on mama's milk.
Appearance: He has chubby legs with squishable baby rolls just like his sister had. His eyes are still blue and not showing any signs of getting darker, although I read somewhere that they can stay blue for up to six months to a year. His hair has curled up quite a bit in the last two months and I suspect the curls are still going to get tighter.
Development: E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G goes straight to the mouth! Big sister is so fascinated by this and is always more than keen to offer her sticky fingers, until she is thanked with a nasty gummy bite!
Loving: He still gets so excited by his big sis. He laughs at her (and with her sometimes!). He absolutely enjoys her singing and dancing, it cracks him up! Sibling love is so beautiful to watch.
Disliking: The dummy (pacifier). He gets so angry when I try offering him one. We have actually stopped trying now. No more dummy for Owen.
Mama is loving: I am just amazed by the miracle of life. Every time I look at this precious little boy I am in awe of the goodness of God.
In the midst of it all, our little boy is growing beautifully. I missed his three month update and I almost missed month four! He is currently closer to five months now! Goodness me, I cannot believe how fast he is growing!
Growth: He weighs 8.5kg and is 68cm tall which means he has grown by 4.3kg and 18cm since birth. It amazes me that their little bodies not only survive, but thrive on just milk! We will introduce solid food in two months or so if he shows interest and readiness, in the mean time he is growing so well on mama's milk.
Appearance: He has chubby legs with squishable baby rolls just like his sister had. His eyes are still blue and not showing any signs of getting darker, although I read somewhere that they can stay blue for up to six months to a year. His hair has curled up quite a bit in the last two months and I suspect the curls are still going to get tighter.
Development: E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G goes straight to the mouth! Big sister is so fascinated by this and is always more than keen to offer her sticky fingers, until she is thanked with a nasty gummy bite!
Loving: He still gets so excited by his big sis. He laughs at her (and with her sometimes!). He absolutely enjoys her singing and dancing, it cracks him up! Sibling love is so beautiful to watch.
Disliking: The dummy (pacifier). He gets so angry when I try offering him one. We have actually stopped trying now. No more dummy for Owen.
Mama is loving: I am just amazed by the miracle of life. Every time I look at this precious little boy I am in awe of the goodness of God.
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Mama-made: Monkey pants for my boy
Thanks to my awesome hubby, I've been getting a few minutes every day to practice some sewing! I've been wanting to try sew up a few pairs of monkey pants for my little boy or big-butt pants as some call them so I was thrilled when I came across this free pattern. (Yay for awesome generosity from the pattern makers.) These kinds of pants work really well with cloth nappies as they have a little more room in the butt area than some pants. I used old t-shirts and scrap fabrics to make these three pairs and I love how they turned out!
Sunday, 29 June 2014
twenty-six/fifty-two
"A portrait of my babies, once a week, every week, in 2013"
Olivia: You come alive when surrounded by nature. You excitedly skip and hop, picking up dried leaves as you make up silly songs.
Owen: This face, this adorable squishy little face just shouts out "kiss me!".
twenty-five/fifty-two
"A portrait of my babies. once a week, every week, in 2014"
Olivia: Sweet face.
Owen: Let the fun times begin!
Saturday, 21 June 2014
Mama-made: Cloth nappy
I was inspired by a very creative friend of mine to try sewing nappies. At first it looked rather daunting, especially considering I had never used a sewing machine before, except for once when a friend gave me a mini sewing lesson, ,surprisingly though, it was much easier than I thought. The first two nappies I made are probably not even usable, but I got better after that. This particular nappy is my fourth one that I've made and I'm so happy with the outcome, not be mention how proud I am of myself for learning a new skill.
I got the pattern for the nappy from this website and the soaker pad template from here. I used stretch terry for the outer part, a thin fleece for the inner part and t-shirt material for the hidden layer. And for the soaker pad I used flannel and t-shirt and covered it with more stretch terry and fleece. And the best part about making these nappies is that I can use materials that I already have in the house. We use cloth nappies full-time during the day and I've been experimenting with some night-time solutions but we are still working on that. Yay for saving money! (so I can buy more pretty clothes!)
I got the pattern for the nappy from this website and the soaker pad template from here. I used stretch terry for the outer part, a thin fleece for the inner part and t-shirt material for the hidden layer. And for the soaker pad I used flannel and t-shirt and covered it with more stretch terry and fleece. And the best part about making these nappies is that I can use materials that I already have in the house. We use cloth nappies full-time during the day and I've been experimenting with some night-time solutions but we are still working on that. Yay for saving money! (so I can buy more pretty clothes!)
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Owen at two months old
Oops, I missed Owen's two month snapshots so he's about 2 and a half months in these pictures. I've been busy having fun with my two little beauties, don't I wish that was the only reason! Either way, I bought the monthly growth stickers for him so I'll stick to my commitment :-)
Growth: He weighs just under 7kg at this point. I'm not sure if that's average or a little over that, but he sure is starting to feel heavy. I haven't measured his height recently, but he looks taller than his sissy was at this age, which probably means he's average height because Olivia was way below average. I hope he takes after Daddy's height and not mine!
Appearance: His eyes are still a greyish blue (I wonder if they'll get darker as he grows?). His hair is getting lighter and curlier and he's sporting a lovely bald patch :-) I've never seen a single strand of hair on his bedsheets or his clothes so I wonder where it goes!
Development: Those muscles are getting stronger, making bath time a whole lot easier. With all the exercise he gets from tossing and turning and wiggling I'm sure there's a six pack under his chubby pooch! His sight is also developing rapidly. I can tell he notices when someone walks into the room and he definitely can see when you walk out of the room, even if you were sitting far from him. Yep, and he announces his unhappiness at you walking out with a frown and a cry! And…wait for this…HIS SLEEP HAS IMPROVED!!! Praise. The. Lord.
Loving: His big sister. He adores her. It's so beautiful to watch :-)
Dislikes: He still doesn't like taking afternoon naps, especially on his bed. He sleeps okay when he's held or carried in a wrap or carrier, but wakes up as soon as he's put down. BUT thank goodness for improved night sleep!
Mama is loving: His smile. Aaahhh, it melts my heart!
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