Birth Blessings

I beaded this birth blessing necklace tonight with beads gifted to me by my dear friends. I will wear it on Birth Day to remember all the well wishes and blessings surrounding us.

Here are a few messages that were included with my beads~

~Dear Mama, May these beads made of shell bring you calm and tranquilty... the way the ocean always makes me feel. I wish you a wonderful birth day. Whether you need pink or blue, know that you are being thought of and wished nothing but happiness.~

~May the light of your world embrace this new life with peace and truth.

May the tiny heart that beats within be ever open to receive your infinite goodness and wisdom.

May this precious soul grow to love all your children as you do.

Bless this child with the gifts of joy, laughter, health.

Grace this child with a sense of wonder and curiosity.

Grant this child abundant love and devotion, now and for eternity.~

~I chose this bead because the Venus of Willendorf represents a woman full of life, a woman full of child, a woman as she is meant to be.

My wish is for you to have a peaceful birth, an empowering birth, the birth of your dreams.

Love and light~

We love Olivia!

the Pig that is! Esme' and I are crazy about Olivia the Pig books, so when we saw Olivia fabric at the craft store we couldn't pass it up... even though I don't really sew! Luckily my friend Paula came to the rescue and, in exchange for some hand dyed yarn, she took our bag of fabric pieces and magically stitched them up into the most beautiful Baby quilt!

This will surely be treasured for years and years! Thank you Paula!

So BLESSED!!

My cloth diapering girlfriends had a Blessing Shower for me last weekend! We had a wonderful meal at a favorite restaurant of mine, then settled at Starbuck's for dessert, coffee, and... what else but... KNITTING! I received the most beautiful, thoughtful gifts! Just about everything this lucky Baby needs. Here is a picture although I must say, a picture is nothing compared to oogleing over all the precious little things in real life! There are hooded towels, washcloths, mama and baby soap, sitz bath, cloth wipes, little clothes and a little hat, knitted booties, burp cloths, blankets, wet and wipe bags, knitted soakers, teeny, tiny cloth diapers, hand spun yarn for a Baby hat,

and this little frame made by my friend Jamie~ it is currently home to a sonagram picture of Baby!
I AM CERTAINLY BLESSED INDEED!

What I have been up to...

...not blogging, thats for sure! Hmmm, does that say "the daily ramblings of a creative Mama" in my blogs description? Maybe it should say the occasional ramblings, or the far and few between ramblings~

I have been getting ready for Baby's arrival! Washing little clothes and diapers and neatly stacking them in the drawers, deep cleaning every room of the house, and getting rid of nearly everything in my path!! I have also particiapted in a couple swaps recently.

This was for an expecting mama/new baby swap. Below is the package I sent out: 3 back issues of Compleat Mother Magazine (my favorite!), yarn that I kettle dyed so she can knit for her Baby, a jar of lanolin, a box of Pregnancy Tea, and 3 CD's that I burned for her to listen to during her waterbirth at home.

Here is the package I received: 12 cloth baby wipes, a red wet bag for diapers, 2 sets of nursing pads, and 2 Mama made Baby outfits, one of which is sewn from bamboo velour and so soft!! I should have probably taken this picture agaist a dark background so everything would show up a little better. Everything is lovely, trust me!

I knitted and dyed this headband for my new beautifully dreadlocked friend in exchange for some sewing~

She made me these super cool nursing pads and a little Mei Tai for Esme'. I plan to give Esme' the Mei Tai when the Baby is born. I figure since I will be using mine all the time she might like one of her own! I will post pics of her wearing her babies very soon!

I also finished embelishing these foam clogs for Esme' and I (please ignore my swollen preggo ankles!!) I still need to get a pair done for Niko.

I have also cast on a couple last minute knitted items for Baby. I figure I will just keep knitting til this little one decides it is time to join us!

I love Spring!

Spring is so wonderful! We have flowers in full bloom! And, I am already planning my vegetable garden! I think I will keep it small and simple this year because I have a feeling with a brand new Baby the garden may not get as much attention as it should. I became pregnant at the end of the growing season last year and let's just say my poor plants became the most neglected garden in history.

These are the Primroses Tony brought home from the store the other day. I helped Esme' plant them this morning, to add to "her garden."

Here is Esme' digging for Roly Poly bugs in her little garden. Right now she has some Grape Hyacynths and a few Tulips that have yet to bloom in there.

Notice the Build-A-Bear shirt she has on over her own shirt! *sigh*

And, here is my little herb garden that is in serious need of a clean-up! That will be my next project for sure!

Oh, and I can't forget my profoundly pregnant shadow!!