Sugar ‘n’ spice, and everything nice
I WANT: Janie and Jack’s pintucked swiss dot dress
Over at GirlsGoneChild, it seems like Miss Fable is the best-dressed baby in Los Angeles — as you can see firsthand in her daily outfit pics.
The brand she seems to wear most often is called Janie and Jack, so I checked out their website … and promptly fell in love with the gorgeous outfits.
After mucho drooling, this is my favourite outfit so far. This little dress is practically giving me a toothache. Yipes.
Girl, girl, girl. Please!
Jean machine
I used to be a little … snotty … about maternity clothes.
I once knew this pregnant woman, and it always bothered me that she rotated between three outfits for most of her pregnancy.
It was so bad that I used to think, “If I see that stretched-out sweater one more time! Aughhh!”
This makes me sound like a clothes-obsessed chica, which I swear I’m not. I like clothes, but I am not into trends. I rely on Best Friend and Little Sis to help me pick things out.
However, I do own a lot of clothes — because when you don’t really follow trends, things don’t really go out of style. So I do have a problem when people are re-wearing items too often.
I realize that when you are about to have a bebe, money is tight because you are buying high chairs and booties and stuff. So you don’t want to shell out for an entire preggo-wardrobe.
You don’t need to buy it all. But I think the key is having a really good pair of maternity jeans. You can dress ’em up with blouses and sweaters, or dress ’em down with tees — making (ahem) plenty of different outfits.
I found a pair of awesome maternity jeans I (will) want. They’re from Motherhood Maternity, which seems to be in most big malls. They have a dark wash, are nice and stretchy, and have a nice tall inseam.
If only regular jeans came in this forgiving style!
A tentative plan
It is an interesting thing, trying to figure out the best time to get preggo. You have to think about your job, finances, whether you are ready, etc.
But it is also interesting to figure out when is the best time to actually have the baby. You have to think about when are the worst months to be pregnant, when you want your baby’s birthday to be, etc.
Since I have sworn not to get knocked up before a certain date in July, Darling Husband and I have been toying with the idea of trying in August.
Oh, and by “Darling Husband and I,” I mean I have been sweetly suggesting it, and he has not run from the room.
- August — Conception / First trimester
- September — First trimester
- October — First trimester
- November — Start of second trimester
- December — Second trimester
- January — Second trimester
- February — Start of third trimester
- March — Third trimester
- April — Third trimester / Birth!
Hmmm. Seems to work. I would miss the hottest days of summer — when my mother was pregnant with me, and says it was miserable. I would be a nice rounded shape by Christmas — nice for photos — but not too grossly huge yet. And our baby would have a nice spring birthday. They wouldn’t be the oldest in their class, but they also wouldn’t be the youngest.
Now of course, I probably won’t get pregnant the first month of trying, so even if we push the schedule to September or October, it still works …
- October — Conception / First trimester
- November — First trimester
- December — First trimester
- January — Start of second trimester
- February — Second trimester
- March — Second trimester
- April — Start of third trimester
- May — Third trimester
- June — Third trimester / Birth!
June would also be a nice month for a birthday. I was also born in the summer, and enjoyed that I was the same age for a whole school year. It makes things easier when you can think, “Eight years old … Grade 3,” in an instant. Is it weird that I like that kind of simplicity?
Things get iffy-er if it gets pushed until November or December — that means a July or August birth, and I am not someone who does well in the heat. I get crabbier and bitchier than usual, and that is without carrying around God-knows-how-much extra weight.
But can you really plan these things? I mean, things looks great on paper. But am I trying to over-plan? Am I putting too much pressure on the timing?
OK, new vow: to think about this schedule, but not to obsess over sticking to this schedule …
…
… Yeah, who am I kidding? Obessing!
xoxo
Something to talk about
We already know I have baby fever, but now I know my family and friends are just as obsessed as me!
So you already know about The Necessary Hold-off — a.k.a. My Best Friend’s Wedding — which is this summer. I swore to my friend — and in writing, at the bridal boutique — that I would not get knocked up before her big day, therefore rendering my sleek matron of honour dress un-wearable.
And of course, you already know how I “jokingly” — totally not a joke — said to Darling Husband that we should make our first attempt on the night of Best Friend’s wedding. He laughed it off, but agreed that we would begin trying at some point after the wedding.
Then things went a bit haywire …
On Friday night, at a family gathering, Tiny Niece presented me with a beautiful handmade card. I am so the favourite aunt — hee hee — and she is alway making me things. So as usual, I praise her drawing skills, admire her printing, etc., etc. And then I open it up and read the inscription …
“CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW BABY. I WILL BABY-SIT ANYTIME.”
I almost choked! “New baby”? Surely she must mean … Little Dog?
“Oh … my new baby,” I stammered, as everyone watched me for my reaction. “Well, there’s no new baby yet.”
“I know, but soon,” she insisted.
Tiny Niece handed me the handmade booklet that came with the card. I opened it up to find “instructions” for everything my new baby needs.
“A crib, and a playpen. And a doll, and doll clothes. And a bottle,” she chanted as she turned the pages.
It’s one thing for a little girl to dream up something like this, but the writing was mostly in adult script. Someone had helped her print the words “new baby,” knowing I was not pregnant. Uh, creepy!
So I thanked Tiny Niece, and had a little more white wine — making sure everyone took note that I am not pregnant yet. Then I headed into the kitchen only to hear Best Friend having a whispered discussion with my mom.
“I bet you anything, she will be pregnant within a week of my wedding!” she was telling her. “Well, maybe a month!”
Auuughhh!
The first of many
Had a marathon sewing session today, and am happy to report that I’ve finished my first baby item …
I made the dress using a great pattern I found over at MadeByRae. I didn’t print out the pieces, since she said the pattern was for a preemie-sized dress. But I did look at the screen and “guesstimate” as I traced something similar onto wax paper. I have used newspaper in the past, but the wax paper was way more durable.
I love this design, because it doesn’t require buttons or zippers — two things I have never tried sewing, and am not sure I could handle. I wonder if I can make the baby’s entire wardrobe using nothing but little ties, haha.
It was really exhilarating to finish something like this, knowing it’s going to be for someone very special who isn’t even here yet. It’s like getting a glimpse of the future.
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Heather's Handmade Life 