Saturday, May 14, 2016

Baby's Little Nest

Can you tell that with the school year finished, I have more time to blog? :) I have been having fun preparing for baby in my extra time.

We needed to get a new bassinet, but I wanted to just use a Moses basket this time around because it is much smaller, more portable (since baby might need to nap in different rooms on different days), and non-toxic. I absolutely detest that virtually all baby products in the US come doused in flame retardants, which are known carcinogens, and are what I believe the biggest culprit behind SIDS. Whenever possible, I try to avoid them. 

Amazon carries a really nice Moses basket. They also sell an organic mattress pad for it, but that may or may not mean it has been treated with funky chemicals, not to mention it looks thin and stiff because it is covered in plastic. The bumper pad I found was nice, but too pricey.

Instead, I opted to buy barrier cloth and wool to make a mattress, and flannel and sateen tape to make the bumper. I already had wool batting in the house for the bumper, so my total cost was far less than getting these items ready-made, plus I had fun making them.





Thinking about getting a Moses basket reminded me that back in Germany when my brother was little (he is 16 years younger than me), my mother used a special hanging cradle for him, which he loved. This contraption basically consists of a soft spring attached to the ceiling that moves very gently up and down and side to side if the baby stirs at all, with a net hanging from the spring that holds the Moses basket (or a pram top or car seat - recommendations in the Old Country are not subject to the same safety concerns as here). Sadly, amazon.de does not ship this item to the US, but I was able to get it from a different online vendor in Germany. I was getting nervous that it would not arrive in time, but it did get here in less than 3 weeks total.



This beautiful hanging cradle now adorns my room, though we do also have hooks in the ceiling in two other rooms of the house should it need to be moved for a nap. The motion of this cradle is almost magical. I like to bump it when I lie in bed just to admire it. It swings/rocks about 70 times per minute, mimicking mom's heartbeat and motions. I can see why babies would love it! 

For now, Boaz gave it a little test drive, and certainly enjoyed that.




As I mentioned in a previous post, my mother-in-law had given my bedroom a fresh coat of paint on her last visit here, and had also decorated the room with some new pictures and other items. She did not hang any pictures on the walls above the bed, because she knew they were likely to get knocked down by little people sleeping in my bed.

One morning this week, I woke up and thought, "I should stencil something onto this wall!" and did just that. It took me all afternoon until almost midnight, but I got it done in one sitting. There really was no other option as I was using a projector, and there would have been no way to get it to line up exactly a second time if I took it down in between working on the project.



This is not the room I plan to give birth in, but these verses always make me think about pregnancy, birth, and child rearing. 



 A look around the rest of the room. It is the smallest bedroom in the house, but I really like how it turned out. This will be my little quiet retreat during the postpartum recovery.



The girls were all impressed with my art work, but one of their big brothers quickly gave me a reality check when I overheard him telling his sisters, "It's not like mom is some great artist or anything, she just used a projector to throw it on the wall, and then drew it on." Oh-kay! I agree it's not the Sistine Chapel, but it was tedious work, and took a lot of time.


In addition to the bassinet, I also wanted to make a quilt for baby. The fabrics I had on hand had actually been picked out for a blanket for Boaz, but I never did get around to making him one, so I was going to use it this time around instead. However, once the quilt top was assembled, I realized it was far too big for a little baby, and would indeed be better suited for Boaz, who is now in his own toddler bed (and mighty proud of it). 



Miriam really has an eye for making things look pretty. She not only put the quilt on his bed, but then went on to decorate his little "den" by matching the safari theme of the blanket with a stuffed elephant, a book about a giraffe, and a tissue box of the same color. Then she snuggled up with Boaz in his bed and read stories to him. :)



Miriam and Becca have been wanting to learn quilting, which I thought they are just a tad too young for, so instead I picked up some pre-printed/quilted flannel top for them that they could use to practice just the layering, quilting, and binding part on, without having to actually do any piecing. Once they are done, those little quilts will be plenty warm for the baby - not like we really need much in the way of blankets in this summer heat.



Yesterday, my husband and I finally also settled on a girl name, after already having chosen a boy name some time ago. This is pretty unusual for us to do ahead of the birth, especially because both names were picked by me this time. Don't ask what they are, though - we won't tell until after baby is born and named. Announcing baby names ahead of time is a rookie mistake that seems to invite others' unsolicited opinions. ;) Both are New Testament names, so you can have fun guessing if you like.

And with that, we are all set for baby here, and are just waiting for his/her arrival any day now. :)

22 comments:

  1. I love the stenciling. What do you use? I'm not familiar with stencils. Is it paint or marker? And do you coat anything over it to keep the wear and tear off? I'd like to try my hand at it.
    Also, I homeschool my daughter and do you use any guidelines for curriculum? Do you have a book you use? Or do you create it from scratch?
    I'm struggling in that area. Any help would be appreciated.
    Praying for you and that you have an easy birth and congratulations on the new member of your family.

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  2. How exciting! For a girl I'm guessing Lydia, and for a boy, Paul.

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  3. Elizabeth and Matthias ??? :)

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  4. Joe and I are already betting on your name picks. :)

    Lovely stenciling - I love your little room! Beautiful!

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  5. Your room is beautiful! Oh my goodness I love love love the cute Moses basket and how you have it hung up...way to cute! The verses on the wall what a great idea. God bless y'all :) I pray you have a safe and quick delivery.

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  6. Phineas! And I think Lydia for a girl.

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  7. I have a grandson named Titus, and I love the name, so I'm going to guess Titus for a boy.
    I'm undecided about my guess for a girl's name. I first thought Lydia, but I've always liked the name Bethany. You said it was a New Testament name, but you didn't say it was a person's name. It could be a place. Best wishes to you on the upcoming birth of your baby. He or she will be a blessing.

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  8. Do you have a source you like for organic bedding? I have tried Coyuchi, and Cozy Pure. I was not satisfied with the quality. Coyuchi, I do not fully trust them. Cozy pure, I think makes a pretty honest product as far as organic cotton and free of flame retardants, but the stitching is just horrible.

    My guess for a girl name- Phoebe. Thanks!

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  9. May I ask why you allow your son to speak so disrespectfully? I hope you corrected him for that. :( He should be taught to be respectful of all women, but most especially his mother.

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    1. I did not find what he said disrespectful. He is fully entitled to his correct opinion that it takes very little artistic skill to paint over an outline on the wall in solid color.

      Should he have used a little more tact? Maybe. I am not the kind of parent who listens in on every one of the kids' conversations, and then corrects them for such a ridiculously minor non-offense as having an opinion that, while accurate, hurts my pride.

      And no, all women are not deserving of respect, and that is not something I will teach him. People should be judged based on their own merits, not implicitly respected because of what gender they are.

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    2. Well said, Zsuzsanna!

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    3. This is awesome. I agree. I parent the same way. :)

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  10. Zsuzsa you're the energizer rabbit!!! Whoa!! That must mean any day. Near the end I always get a burst of energy. Excited to see your new little one. I love the stenciling. You've more patience than I. I used a Moses basket with one of mine and loved it. We moved it on a regular basis and took it places. Cute post. Love, Jessica

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  11. That Moses basket is so neat! How easy is it to take the baby in and out for night time nursing? Or do you co-sleep and just use the basket for naps?
    For what it's worth, I thought your son's comment about your stencil was hilarious. I taught preschool before having my own kids and nothing's funnier than the harsh truth coming out of the mouth of a child, before they learn to become all PC.
    Praying for your little one's safe arrival!

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  12. All the best to you and yours in the upcoming birth. Prayers your way. :)

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  13. It's almost time - but if I remember correctly, your babies are usually late??

    I'll go with Elizabeth or James. I'm partial to James - my dad, his dad and great dad were James and my son is James.

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  14. I'm going to say.....Luke or Martha

    Love the stencil!

    Exiting times!

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  15. Luke and Martha are my guesses!

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  16. Congratulations on your new little girl!! I heard about her arrival yesterday when I was listening to the Wednesday evening service. Get plenty of rest and enjoy your little baby! :)

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  17. Congratulations! r

    Just So You Know - you're blog is so beautiful - [I mean the content, I don't pay attention to design much, a blog is a blog]. You and Your Family are inspiring. Your kids are very blessed to have such wonderful parents - the love just radiates out of all of the photos.

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Your KINDLY WORDED, constructive comments are welcome, whether or not they express a differing opinion. All others will be deleted without second thought.