{these days}

it seems easier these days to just throw on a bunch of photos and hit publish. my head's too fuzzy to formulate words and one-hand typing while feeding doesn't aid motivation either. 

thank you for your patience with copious baby photos and your faithful, 'he's-so-delicious' comments. 

i've enjoyed these slow weeks with Sawyer and our babymoon. i feel like i'm almost back to earth (reality?) but am still determined to take it slow and give myself the freedom to say "no" without having any specific excuse. this time more than ever, i am aware of how easily i could spread myself too thin. there are certainly no "supermum" heroics happening here :)

we're finding our new rhythm slowly and it feels good.

~d. 

 ps. you want a chin encore? here you go:

{cue the 'he's-so-delicious' comments.../wink}

(sawyer's Seat) 1 month

{1 week}

wew, somebody sure has blossomed!

the stats:

born: 4.44kg (9lb 13oz)

now: approx 6kg (approx 13oz)

i am not kidding! do you see that chin?? (chins)

it's (they are) so impressive i've considered joining a support group for 'mothers of multiples'. 

you be the judge...

all the more to nuzzle and smooch, right?

~d.

{4kids.1room} part 3: Ty

are you following along on the room switch? - or are you totally lost? (oh, you are? good news! i have included a video tour of the new room at the end of this post just for YOU! how nice, and as a bonus you get to hear my choice kiwi accent.)

today you get to see where Ty sleeps. he's our Bear Grylls fan who loves the outdoors and deer.

so, imagine you're standing at Jada's bed, then you spin around. this is what you'll see - Ty's bed. 

...or, 'Ty's Bivy'. 

yep, JR did this one day while Ty was away.

the kid all but passed out when he came home.

(can you imagine?!)

(looking back to Jada's bed)

and if you want a filmed tour:

disclaimer:  this was taken when i was still pregnant and before JR decided to win all the Father-of-the-Year awards, which explains a) the very heavy breathing (i'd just hauled myself  walked upstairs), and b) why Ty's Bivy is missing (this is what it originally looked like).
i should also say, this is about as close to a vlog as i'll get.../wink.


Details:
Antlers - gifted from neighbours/friends.
Large letters - JR made them when Ty was a baby
bedside table - made by JR
Deer cushion - handmade by me
camo strips - handmade by me
wooden toy rifle - handmade by JR
deer embroidery - birthday present from Jada
wooden bowls and deer pictures - thrifted

sunshiney

us NZers were extremely ripped off with our "summer" this year - it rained a lot (and in fact it's raining again now...) so it was extra summer-sunshiney to receive this gorgeous hand-knitted helmet hat in the mail from Kristin, and then to receive a sunshiney award from the inspirational Jodi at Che & Fidel. thank you both! 

with the award came some questions (which remind me a little of when 'Friendships Books' were all the rage - remember them? ):

::favourite colour::

this question always makes me nervous ever since the night JR came home raving about a simple but VERY accurate personality test he'd done and encouraging me to try it. so i did. and when i came to the 'fave colour' question i was tossing up between green and white for ages. finally i went with white and it turned out to be the difference between a reasonably pleasant personality and a really really UNpleasant one!! so from now i'm sticking with green (although i do really like white)

::favourite animal::  

between 5 kids, the rats in my ceiling (vermin season!), the cat that eats baby chicks, chooks that poop on my deck and the pet lamb that shreds our young fruit trees, i prefer just pictures of animals at the moment!

::favourite non-alcoholic drink:: 

my morning flat white coffee made by JR.

::favourite number::

7 seems pretty perfect at the moment :)

::favourite pattern::

i find it hard to pass up a vintage floral 

::favourite flower::

this is an impossible question but for scent it is hands down, no questions, freesias. i wouldn't mind if the very air i breathe smelt like freesias. 

::favourite day of the week::

when JR has a day off and we skip school.

::facebook or twitter::

i'm really enjoying making new connections on twitter.

::passions:: 

mothering, intentional parenting, raising adults, promoting the value of male-ness and affirmation of boys, positive childbirth, being the wind beneath JR's wings ;).......etc etc etc

::giving or receiving presents::
both! equally ;) 

and passing on some sunshine to a few of those who've been with me from the start:

Widge / Angela / Megan / Briar / Allana

~d.

X

{wardrobe wednesday} dress restyle

hello! the WW theme for this month is handmade so...

here's a restyle i did this week using a dress and striped top (both thrifted) in the same way as this dress. 

while i liked it as a dress, my 'point-of-bust' was never gonna be where it was supposed to be (the dotted white line is where the tie belt was. mmhmmm...)

initially i was concerned about making this high waisted having a post-baby belly. turns out i should've been more concerned about the post-baby twins. woah~! yeah, will probably wait a bit before wearing this out in public...i wouldn't want any Fonterra shareholders to get nervous about the competition. /wink.

i added an adjustable (positive thinking!) belt with a bow to cover the seam where i joined the top to the skirt.

ps say hello to Dee*Luxe Doll #2.

linking here:

{the birth notes} Sawyer's Story

(i hit "publish" by mistake, if you follow via google reader, you'll have seen this twice. THIS is the finished version. real sorry 'bout that.)

....

one month ago today our fifth child was born. this is the story of his birth.


Four out of four times I have laboured with little variation from the text book – early  labour, active labour, transition, pushing, hello baby! 
Sawyer’s journey, however, was entirely different. 
And yet, it was exactly the same - it just took a different route.
I have written this birth experience as a reminder that variation from the textbook doesn’t necessarily mean ‘wrong’. As a reminder to trust the birth process (and The One who created your body to birth). And mostly as a reminder that childbirth involves the journey of two people, not just the mother.

now we are 7

{sleepy babe in his basket}

{sweet baby lips. and nose. and cheeks...}

{our very own cricket team!}

{...like a diamond in the sky...}

{i'm sure i'll get used to seeing this bunch of Five, but it still catches me out at the moment}

we're slowing stretching and adjusting to being 7 now. we're zooming towards the one month mark (already!) and i'm still taking my time, sticking close to home and doing lots of baby-smooching.

i've been overwhelmed with the kindness and generosity of the blogging community. thank you for your kind welcome of our #5, it means so much.

~d.

new

it's be cool if you did a little squeal of delight and clapped your hands gleefully to help me welcome the first of a new limited range of  

dee*luxe

dolls i've been working on this year (there have been some distractions so progress has been slow...)

i'm so excited about them - they will have more focus on detailing and fashion. join my Tiny Eyes facebook page to see the rest of the dee*luxe dolls as i make them.

~d.

ps. i'm happy for you to pin these pictures if you like them or are inspired by them...but please don't copy them (or, if you do plan on copying them - uncool! - at least don't write that you are "so going to make these!' underneath your pin. for my sake, be subtle. it's my design and income you're pilfering. ta~)

coming soon

i'm working on it.

(and it's long!)

~d.

{4kids.1room} part 2: Jada

if you turn around from Monte and Danny's area, you will be facing the magnificent octagonal window.

and then, if you go around the corner to your right and you'll see Jada's area.

on the left is the top half of a very old wardrobe that belonged to some great, great relative.

(Danny had moment of glee in the pic below just as i took the photo! also, can you spot Sawyer?) 

and on the right is the lower half of the wardrobe - a drawer - which we turned into a sunny reading seat. and yes, that's the wall we had built!

(the cushion cover is made from a thrifted Billi Tees t-shirt)

and then, Jada's 'room':

details:

::large girl and puppy print - thrifted $10

::cabbage patch dolls - 1 gifted, 2 thrifted

::assorted quilts - thrifted & handmade by my mum.

::doll - designed by Jada, handmade by me.

::bedside cupboard - JR

::drawers - salvaged $10

::curtains - thrifted $7

:: large dolls house - secondhand, gifted

::'faux quilt' duvet cover - handmade, here

:: large doily cushion - gifted, handmade by Mollie, 13.

::cat tapestries - thrifted

::horse tapestry - Trade Me

::horse figures - Schleich, mostly gifts.

::vintage fabric/doiley/crochet bunting - Leonie Kiwi

::mustard crochet circles bunting (ceiling) - Paisley Jade

::Holly Hobby pictures - thrifted

::assorted figurines - from my childhood & thrifted

did i miss anything?

Jada loves her area and sharing a room with her brothers. most mornings she is either in Danny's bed or he is in hers reading a story. i love seeing them developing their friendships as well as being siblings.

~d.

a documented first outing

today was the first time:

:: i've been outside the front gate for 3 weeks.

::Sawyer has been in a car

::Sawyer has been outside of our home!

::there have been 5 of my own kids in our car 

(and yes, it takes approximately 5 hours to get them all in and buckled. urgh.)

i was SO nervous, but we survived!

(all photos by Jada (8) except the ones she is in)