Quiet Days

Things have been really quiet around here as we wait for our Little Bean's appearance. Since we have pretty much finished organizing all the baby things time seems to suddenly be at a stand still. Before we had everything ready for the baby, time was flying by! Maybe it was because I wanted time to slow down so I could hurry and get the baby clothes ready and things like that, maybe it's because I'm near the end of the pregnancy.

We have 9 days until the due date so I'm trying not to get too antsy!

To keep myself preoccupied I've been knitting some more little baby things. I've knit 3 pairs of baby socks in a couple different sizes. They are SO tiny and cute!





Yesterday I had some strong contractions for about an hour but they eventually stopped. It was so exciting then so disappointing! We will keep you guys posted on any news of the baby, so stay tuned here and follow me on Twitter for quicker updates. Until then, I am trying to content myself with my last days of pregnancy. Me and Phil have a date planned and I am really looking forward to that :)

I have the best husband ever.

xoxo
Talia Christine

Nursery Sneak Peeks

Phil and I have sorted out the baby room last week. It looks so lovely and serene. I love just peeking into the room and envisioning putting it to use.

Last night we went through all the baby clothes, sorted them by size and put them all away. We decided on what clothes and things to bring with us to the birthing center. We laughed and held up little outfits to each other and imagined how we would dress our little one.

This is how we spend our Wednesday nights together.
I wouldn't want it any other way.

I love you, Mr. van der Wel!

Love,
Talia Christine

Dreamcats

Lately, I've been trying to woo some of the neighborhood cats into being my friend but to no avail. In lieu of needing some cat companionship, I just visited Dreamcats instead. There I can get my fill of all manner of kitty cat goodness.

So I thought I would share. Enjoy.







For more cat love visit dreamcats.tumblr.com!
Pretty much my favorite website.

xoxo
Talia Christine

Baby Shower

This weekend I celebrated the coming arrival of Beansy with my girlfriends and family! My friends were dear enough to throw a baby shower for me. I was really nervous. I'd only been to one other baby shower in my life but I should have been doing this all along because it was awesome! It was so lovely to be surrounded by such loving and supportive women. It meant a lot to me, especially being so far away from my Mom, my Grandma, and my sister. Plus, the girls had a special surprise in store for me. We Skyped with my family and magically it was like my Mom, Grandma, and sister were there! It was the best.






We got some lovely and thoughtful gifts! I feel more well prepared for the arrival of the Bean. Speaking of which, I need to finish organizing the baby room (pics soon!) and start packing our bags for the birthing centre... but a slice of leftover cake and a cup of tea sounds much better.

A HUGE thank you to Jess and Renee for making me feel so loved and throwing me the baby shower! I can't thank you girls enough.

♥
Talia Christine

The Final Countdown: 3 weeks

I've officially made it to 37 weeks. If Beansy were born now the baby would be considered full term and not preem. I am so proud of my body for making it this far. I am so thankful to God that all is well. For now we continue to wait and pray for our baby.

We are literally on the brink of changing our lives forever. These are the last few weeks it will be just me and Phil. Not long and I will be in labor. We'll be able to hold our baby in our arms. We will be parents. It all makes me a little emotional just thinking about it all. It's a little overwhelming but I'm trying my best to soak up these moments and these feelings before they are gone forever.

I have been feeling great! 'Great' is really an understatement though. My hips miraculously don't hurt and click anymore. The baby has moved down and is fully engaged in my pelvis which took the pressure off my back and hips. I can walk up and down stairs! I don't need help getting in and out of bed. I can move and be without wanting to cry from the pain. It's incredible. I feel the best I've felt in my whole pregnancy. It really is amazing.

Even though my pregnancy hasn't been easy, I will miss it. I've grown to really love my belly and the curve that it makes. I love feeling the baby move and roll around. I love that I can feel where the baby's tiny feet are (usually in my ribs, oof!) and the tiny little baby bum. My favorite is when the baby gets hiccups. It's so precious and sweet being able to feel the constant thump-thump of the hiccups that belong to the new life within me. I will miss rubbing my belly and wondering what the baby will be like, but soon we will know. I look forward to seeing whose eyes and whose nose will be passed down. I look forward to seeing what sort of personality the baby will have and what things interest and shape them.

I also look forward to the little things, like being able to bend over and pick up shoes off the ground without groaning and straining. I can't wait to lie on my stomach again. I can't wait to wear my old clothes again. I can't wait to have an egg sunny-side up. It's the little things.

Not long now. I can't believe all of this and more is about to happen.
Somebody pinch me.

♥
Talia Christine

Call For The Crafty

All right, folks! I am in need of a stylish and cute diaper bag for carting around the Bean's things, however, it's just not in the budget to go out and buy one at the moment. So with that option out, I'd love to make my own! That's where you crafty guys and gals come in. Do any of you know of a reliable pattern so I can make my own? I'd love to know!

Thanks!!

♥
Talia Christine

The Vintage Stroller

We picked up this little beauty at a garage sale for 10 bucks.
It was the find of our lives! I am sooo in love with this vintage stroller.

We plan on using it as a bassinet for our little Bean.
Convenient too, because I can wheel it from room to room! Love.

I've given it a good scrub inside and out and fitted a new mattress into it. It's gorgeous and cozy. One day I'd like to fully restore it to its original beauty, but that's a job for another day.






3 weeks and 2 days until the due date! Last night I had a dream that we had the baby and sent out an announcement email announcing Baby vdW's arrival. In the dream I kept trying to access and read the e-mail so I could finally find out whether it was a boy or a girl! SO silly. Ah well, we will find out soon enough and I can't wait!

♥
Talia Christine

DIY Frozen Burritos

I love food. So with Baby vdW's due date a little less than 4 weeks away I've been making a few extra meals to freeze for after the baby arrives. I'm lucky to have a bit of extra time so why not, right? However, when I stumbled across a recipe for these homemade freezer burritos I knew I had to give it a try. They could not be simpler or quicker to make! Once I had all my ingredients it took less than half an hour to get everything assembled, wrapped up, and put away! Brilliant! Anyone can do these!

This is how I did it but you can customize them any way you like! You can add meat or just stick with a plan bean and cheese burrito. You can make them spicy or keep em mild, just how you like it! What a treat.










According to the original recipe, you can pop these straight in the microwave for a few minutes or heat them up in the oven for 40 minutes and you've instantly got a delicious meal ready to go! I made 12, but only 11 made it to the freezer. They are divine.

Pretty genius, right? Give them a try, you'll thank me later.

xo
Talia Christine

Guest Blog Post: A Beautiful Mess

Hello, lovelies!!

In case you missed it, I did a guest blog post over on Elsie's blog A Beautiful mess!

I posted a sweet treat recipe for mini-banoffee pies. They are SO tiny and cute! Head on over and take a peek.

♥
Talia Christine

First Blanket

I finally finished spinning and knitting the blanket for Baby vdW! I love how it turned out and it's incredibly soft. I've put the blanket in the bassinet and I can't stop taking little peeks at it and imagining our little one snoozing in it.

Today marks 4 more weeks until the due date! One more week and I'll be considered full term. We are getting so close!








With the leftover yarn I made a little matching hat (Phil's idea) so when the Little is all swaddled up he or she has a little hat to match! CUTE! I think I'm going to work on some little booties tonight.

Total yardage spun: 646 yards 3-ply
Weight: fingering/worsted
Blend: merino/tencel

xoxo
Talia Christine

Color Mood Inspiration - Gray

When I'm shopping or browsing I often find myself being drawn to a color over and over. I'll have a handful of clothes and look down and realize that everything I picked out was the same color. It's hard to break! I call it being in a color mood. It changes all the time and it keeps me inspired!

Right now I find myself being drawn to and inspired by the more monochromatic gray tones. They are so so lovely. I want to surround myself in these gorgeous subtle gray tones both in my home and in my wardrobe.







1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

What colors are inspiring you lately?

♥
Talia Christine

Car Seat

We installed the car seat this weekend!
Phil did all the hard work. I just stood around for moral support snapping photos to document the occasion. Car seats are complicated business, folks! I had no idea.






Ta-da!



We got it checked out by a local Plunket nurse and double checked by a garage to make sure it was installed safely.

So exciting!!

♥
Talia Christine