Piper's 1st Birthday Party

I was remarkably relaxed about Piper's birthday. Perhaps because she's too young to give feedback.  I think limiting it to family only helped a lot as BYO coffees and a plate of muffins would kept everyone happy, so the pressure was off.  I had wanted to make her a flower crown and dress her in a little not-too-pretty romper.  I wanted to make a dream catcher with scraps of white lace and orchids. I wanted edible flowers in the salad and atop cup cakes. I wanted to finish renovating the exterior of the house and blah blah blah, the list goes on. But in the end, we can only do what we can do.  

I work long hours and as it all-too-often happens, time caught up to me and energy was lost to me, so I had to pare back my plans. Thanks to a beautiful friend (heartfelt thanks must go to Elizabeth for the beautiful cake bunting and party hat); a party dress purchased on line (and on-sale); a Saturday morning at the markets; an afternoon of baking; and an evening of printing and snipping - a beautiful sunny day was created for our beautiful girl.

Once I decided on the adorable Kelli Murray invitations (delivered by hand or left on doorsteps and tied with fine gold thread and sweetpeas), I had the basis of my colours (creamy/muted pretty) and cuteness.  That little owl's face, I just loved. So she was cut out and pasted on straws and sat in little quilted preserving jars awaiting ginger cordial.  The tee pee straws were made for sipping sparkling water from mini bottles. A dispenser for cordial and pretty paper cups and plates for the kids followed.  Making only a large salad I delegated the food duties, buying quiches and taking up Piper's nan on her offer to make sandwiches.

Mr took the bubs for a walk the day before so I could bake a blood orange cake (that's how I got the pink coloured icing - I was after white but embraced my mistake) and a choc-vanilla layer cake (this one was from packets) topped with fresh flowers with the left over batter made a little teepee cake for Piper's 'smash-cake'.

As I don't have drawer fulls of plates and cutlery, napkins (Fine Little Day from Lark) were used for quiche and cake and vintage saucers and cake forks for salad. Paper cups (left over from our wedding & labelled thanks to a sheet of sticker paper from my mum's office) served us well for tea and coffee.

I thought our babe would be too young to understand, but she soaked it all in and knew it was her special day. There was a little bit of magic in the air.

This is Not a Birth Story

I wasn't ever going to do this post. I felt my pregnancy and bringing our babe into this world was for me, an intensely private thing.  I'm so grateful that our little one arrived safely, happily and healthily that I feel safe to share a little of my experiences of new motherhood. These photos were taken the day before Piper was born.

Less than 24 hours before she was born

I was lucky enough to have had a very easy pregnancy.  I felt a little bit queasy early on and light headed but otherwise felt better and more energised than I did normally. By the end, I didn't get over it either; the fear of birth made carrying her around in my belly quite comfortable. In the last few weeks after I had stopped work to wait full-time for spontaneous labour to hit, I would pace around the house unable to sleep, wondering when I would be struck and how would it feel. It turns out it wasn't spontaneous at all and I had to be induced.

33 weeks pregnant

Pregnancy - Little things I wish I worked out earlier
Start using stretch mark cream from the beginning. Even before you're showing. Morning and night.  I changed between bio oil and a lavender mama cream because I got sick of the smell of bio oil on me day and night.

Avoid the part of the supermarket where the seafood section meets the deli and the meat section.  Actually avoid the whole seafood side of the supermarket. Blurgh.

Get a little wedge pillow for your belly.  I spent $70 on a super long maternity pillow which completely cut me off from Mr in bed and didn't help at all.  The wedge I found in a baby shop for $10 (of course I found it after I had the baby).

Advice is annoying
If people wanted to give me advice (I was so over hearing horror stories among the usual, "your life will never be the same again", "get ready for sleepless nights", blah, blah), so I would ask people if they could tell me only one thing what would it be.  A few good ones were:

"In the first few weeks, you can't spoil your baby by snuggling or feeding it too much."  This was in a booklet from antenatal classes. This made me never feel guilty for holding my bubs when people would tell me she needs to put herself to sleep.

"Don't even bother with a routine until after 3 months, and then try one if you feel you need it". From my sis who has 3 kids and knows how to support a new mum better than anyone.

"As long as you don't intentionally harm you baby, everything you are doing is right."  The clinic nurse told us this and I felt that everything I was doing was just fine.

My top two are:
"Its' common sense."  It really is.  Before you have the baby you don't know what it will be like or what they'll need from you, but once it arrives, your instincts kick in and you 'feel' what they need and it all starts to make sense.  Just try different things and you'll work out for yourself what works for the both of you.

"Buy a 12 pack of cloth nappies."  I followed this and it was awesome.  They are so great to have on hand to mop up spills, and there are lots of types of overflows when you have a newborn, trust me.  But even just to use as a towel to lay them on to change a nappy in the car or a public place when you don't want to use your beautiful blankets.

Piper - 1 hour new

The gift of an easy baby

I know. It almost sounds like an oxymoron, but she is such a placid, cruisey, content kid. As a first timer, I was guided entirely by her - she knew what she wanted and she would make it clear. She gave me signs starting from the day she was born. 'How can a baby give signs? She would use all her might to push herself back to keep feeding and try and lift her head and sit herself up when she needed a break and a burp.  She would try and climb up my shoulder when I was sitting which meant stand up and walk me around to help me get to sleep. I did as I was told and she fed and slept like an angel.

In saying that, my baby was very placid, happy and healthy. We were blessed a million times over. She loved her milk and her sleep, so my challengers were few.

I guess you develop your own language of understanding with your little one from being with them all day and night. Mr has been at home with her now for 2 weeks and he understands new signs which he translates into words for me.

On becoming a mum:
Loving Piper and being a mum is the highlight of my life. She has been such a delight and a pleasure to meet and get to know and love and kiss and snuggle and nourish. I tell her I'm proud of her everyday.  She has been a breeze, a beautiful sunny breeze.

My Little List of Loves

If you read my post from yesterday, you'll know my favourite part of the profiles on The Grace Tales  is the mothers' list of loves.  I thought about mine and here they are.

My little list of loves
Our morning routine - A big feed in bed, a warm bath, a cute outfit and a big sleep to follow
Long hot showers morning & night
A morning walk and a large coffee
The feel of her warm head against my cheek
Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit & Nut chocolate. I'm not sure what happened but my love of dark chocolate is now long gone.  Dairy Milk Rocky Road slides down extremely well too.
Listening to her breath
Mr putting his glasses on whenever he comes toward her so he can see her little face clearly
A glass of wine with dinner

Instructions for Piper

One more week at home with my babe, then I am back to work.  Mr is taking over the primary carer privilege for the next 6 months. He asked me to write down some instructions. Um, we just hang out all day and she she eats when she's hungry and sleeps when she's tired. I started telling him she needs a bottle every 4 hours but that day she she fell asleep an hour before she was due for a feed and slept for 4 hours so her feeds were 10am and not again til 5pm.

It may look like a long list but it just details what makes her happy and encourages him to enjoy her and give her extra kisses from me (you can read the full list of instructions on Instagram). I can't image how much I'll miss her.  I think all the tears shed in the first few weeks will be mine.

The idea behind sharing the caring was so Mr would understand the day's work looking after a baby.  But it really must depend on the child and little Piper has been very easy.  She is just heaven to spend all day every day with.  I'm excited for him to really get to know her and for them to essentially have a 6 month holiday at home together.

Spring Time

The little possum has the spring time florals ready rock.

Home Baby

Some images of our first few weeks at home together. She's such a good little companion. 

p.s. thanks little cousins for the cool neon outfits.

The Virtual Family

We received so many beautiful messages and gifts when our little one was born, but the one I was most touched by was the exquisite hand made gift from fellow blogger Squeak & Squirrel.  I opened it so slowly and photographed every step of the way - from the wrapping to the beautifully stitched contents.  My parents were there when opened it and mum was trying to explain to dad the family that is the blogging and instragram world.  For all the negative press social media gets, there is a lot of beauty about it in the safe, kind and encouraging world of the blogosphere and IG. She makes the most beautiful baby clothes and floral neckpieces, her shop is here.

Boathouse Baby Shower

I had a few weeks of before bubs was due and while I was fretting about the impending labour (cold shiver) and change to our lives, I managed quite a few lovely lunches and coffees.  I didn't want a baby shower but my best friends took me to lunch and showered my bump to gifts (a lovely surprise) and my mum and sister took me to Balmoral Boathouse for a feast and gift giving, which is where these pics were taken. What baby girl doesn't need a bikini from Copenhagen and beautiful new sheets for her cot from Pottery Barn kids. Thanks mum & aunty BB. Oh yer, I also found time to make some mini carrot cakes and fit in regular sleep ins til 10am.

Our Baby Girl Arrived

Our baby girl arrived on her due date a little over 2 weeks ago now.  I have so many beautiful things to update you with.  A few new places I tried while waiting for her to come along and some of the beautiful gifts she has received along with mountains of love and well wishes.  Mr and I feel so blessed. We named her Piper and she's a little angel.

Sorry I haven't been around here much lately.  I have been trying out instagram and lovingly it.  Find me @concretehoney or here on webstagram.

RH

Farewell flowers and a gift for bubs from overseas so beautifully packaged (cruise around Restoration Hardware online, looks like an amazing store and their baby & child catalogue is stunning).