new projects

I decided that I want to make Sara's Xmas stocking myself, and my goal is to have it done for her first Xmas this year... I found these fun fabrics, and will be doing a patchwork quilted front with the red chenille (left) as the back. I couldn't find a free pattern online, so I'm going to try tracing my own stocking and adding a seam allowance.
I also picked up some felt to applique a circle in the middle with her initial, and some rick rack so that it will look like an ornament hanging in the center. I'm still in the "ambitious beginner" level of sewing, so wish me luck!

And here's a stash of fabric I've started, that's waiting to become a patchwork quilt for Sara's bed when she's out of her crib. It's ages away, but that's how long it will take me to do it! Here's the little pile so far...
It's funny to be thinking about her next room already (I even have a binder to collect ideas!), but it's really important to me that it be as unique and individual as she is. I don't want it to be all matchy and straight out of a store... I want to find different pieces and make what I can. There's a new canvas on my easel today that I'm quite excited about too.

In some ways it's really hard to find time to be creative with a little one, but in other ways I'm more inspired and productive than ever. It's the less time = do more stuff effect. Making things, especially things for Sara, is a necessity for me. And sometimes being creative just more important than having a spotless house!

the tooth and sitting up fairies

It was a big week of milestones as Sara turned 6 months old. She rolls around constantly and is sitting on her own now for several minutes at a time! I guess all of the back arching when I sat her down before was because she didn't feel steady or ready to sit independently, and now she does. It amazes me how one day babies aren't able to do something, and the next day they are. I still keep a pillow behind her for now, just in case! Here is my rock star baby, sitting down doing her best Jimmie Page impression.
And, after 3 months of drooling and chewing on anything in sight, plus 3 sleepless nights this week, I was overjoyed to rub my finger on Sara's bottom gum yesterday... and feel a sharp little tooth poking through! With all the buildup, you'd think I would have been prepared for a painful process, but no... so when our babe who has slept through the night so well since she was 2 1/2 months old had three sleepless nights in a row, it was not pretty. I won't lie, it was a tough week. She wasn't upset the first two nights so we weren't sure what was going on. She was just awake and 'talking' loudly in her crib. She also lost her appetite, which was concerning and almost landed us at the doctor's office. On the third night she was crying inconsolably, which made my heart break for her, and Ian rocked her in the chair while I tried cold teethers. Finally a dose of Tempra helped her for a few hours, and the next morning, there was the tooth! Her appetite came back today too, thankfully, and she seems just as relieved about the whole thing as we are.

The funniest new trick is that she has figured out how to play Peekaboo. She does it with the cloth book I made for her, by holding it and then bringing it down into her lap fast and laughing after we say "Where's Sara?...." The best part is that she doesn't always cover her face with the book... most of the time she holds it on top of her head like a hat, so we can actually see her face the whole time!!

Oh, and the best new development? Sara gives hugs. They are the best hugs in the world, and make me oh so happy to be a mom.

the great pumpkin

We've been nurturing another baby this summer -- a pumpkin in our backyard -- and yesterday I introduced it to babe #1. I was simmering a pot of turkey stock on our stove with leftover turkey from the Thanksgiving dinner we hosted on Sunday (Sara's first big family holiday!), so we couldn't go far.... but after a rainy morning I still wanted to take her outside when the sun came out. So we sat on our front porch where I had proudly put our pumpkin on display, and I let her touch it. She immediately lurched forward in my lap and tried to eat it, like she does with everything these days! She was quite interested in this new smooth orange toy so we had a nice time outside listening to the birds and watching leaves fall from our trees. When we came back into the house we were greeted by the most awesome, warm turkey aromas from the kitchen. Finally, it's Fall!

Zoo and Markham Fair

I'm a little behind in posting, but here are a few photos from the Zoo and Markham Fair last week while Ian was on vacation... Sara was interested in some animals at the zoo, but apparently this friendly gorilla couldn't even catch her eye by banging on the glass!
Sara and Sophie meet the real giraffes!

I was so excited to bring her to Markham Fair, it's amazing to bring her to something I've attended every year since I was 8... first for the animals and rides, then for the beer tent, now with our daughter. Amazing! My diet for the day was coffee, apple cider, Tiny Tom donuts, fudge, and fries with gravy. Mmm.
like mother, like daughter...


These outings were the perfect kick-off to fall. I'm counting down the minutes to turkey, stuffing, gravy, and pumpkin pie... happy Thanksgiving everyone! I think it's obvious what I am most grateful for this year!

fun with baby food

So far Sara is loving her food - she leans to the spoon and squeals in between bites for more - and I really enjoy making her produce. There's something very rewarding about selecting local produce from a farm, preparing it and watching her happy face as she takes her first bites. She loves the rice and oatmeal cereals now, and sweet potatoes are a big hit.

Now we're trying butternut squash. I bought a BIG squash at the Markham Fair, and after cutting it (which is an art, and at some points I wished I had a saw) I quickly realized that it would make about 30 servings of baby food.... so, since I was making a casserole for dinner anyway, I came up with this recipe that would feed us and our babe. I was quite impressed with my domestic ingenuity :)

Roasted Vegetable Pasta and Butternut Squash Puree

1 large butternut squash
1 large red pepper
1 large yellow pepper
20-25 large cremini mushrooms
2 cups dried pasta (any medium pasta will do, I used macaroni)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pkg Goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Peel and chop up the butternut squash. Reserve about 1/3 for the casserole, and start steaming the rest (takes 15-20 minutes in the steamer).

3. Cook pasta, until just al dente. It will soften further during baking.

4. Chop the other veggies into chunks, and place in bowl with reserved squash. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Spread veggies on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes, until slightly golden. Stir once or twice during roasting.

5. When the squash is cooked, reserve the steamer water in a measuring cup and place squash in food processor. Puree until smooth, adding cooking water as needed.

6. Fill baby food containers with puree, and let cool. I filled 8 2tbsp containers for freezing, plus one serving in a dish. Let cool before freezing.

7. Place pasta and vegetables in a large baking dish. Pour the remaining squash puree over top and stir.

8. I put the casserole in the fridge at this point, to bake just before supper at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, covered with foil. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 more minutes to brown the top. Otherwise, bake immediately for about 20 minutes at the same temperature.

9. Serve with goat cheese on top (I like a lot of goat cheese)... Yum!