Baby, baby, baby oh...

Let me see, where HAVE I been... after feverishly promising to keep blogs updated, blah, blah, blah I discovered all my energy was needed to grow a baby! Yes, we are expecting baby number 3 at the end of July (currently we're heading into week 14). I imagine my blog may become somewhat baby focused, but bear with me, I am still staying crafty...

We had pretty much 'decided' that we were not going to have any more after baby number 2, but we changed our minds. This was after donating/giving away and sending a great deal of our baby gear (especially blankets) to Christchurch following the earthquake.

Sooo....One thing I am inviting friends, family and followers to do is knit or crochet a wee peggy square for baby's blanket. It can be in any style as long as it fits the dimensions (11.5cm x11.5cm in 8ply (DK) wool). I think it would be absolutely special to have a blanket contributed to by friends and family - and names can be sewn onto the squares for an even more personal touch.

Wool is Crucci 8 Ply DK Machine Wash 100% pure wool - Shades: 59 (green), 71 (burgundy), 73 (blue) or 75 (orange) - any one of those colours would be appreciated. The pattern suggests size 5 needles (cast on 20 and knit until it's 11.5cm long), but if you'd like to share a square, then any size needle/cast on that gets the right tension is just perfect.

Let me know if you're keen to knit up a square (Miss K has started on her own garter stitch one) or just your thoughts/experiences and growing baby number 3 (and all the chaos I can expect), I'd love to hear from you!

With thanks

Just had to post this message on facebook from the team in Japan... Thank you to all those who helped make this possible.

Today we received 3 large boxes from Yumiko Olliver Gray's knitting pals from New Zealand. Check out those chic black postal boxes! The best part was inside though, more mittens, caps, mufflers and cute little creatures than you can shake a stick at! These are all hand knitted, obviously a lot of love and care went into making them. They will be appreciated more than the knitters will ever know. A...s we enter December it's already very very cold here in northern Japan. Nearly everyone that lost their home is now in temporary housing, but unfortunately these "houses" are thin walled and do little to keep the occupants protected from the extreme cold. Winter is harsh here, these items have come just in time. A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU. Please count on us to get these to the people who need them.

Thank you again!

John Lofgren & members and friends of Sendai Earthquake & Tsunami Relief Group

 

 
You can read more about their work and see pics of our parcels here.

Back and one last blast

I seem to have had a bit of a hiatus from blogging recently. Life got really busy. I'm pleased to say that we've knocked Miss K's eczema pretty much on the head (I'll update proper later) and the family headed off to Oz for a much needed 'reconnect' holiday after ther rugby world cup.

The FromNZWithLove project has been AMAZING. I have over 150 hats, scarves, gloves, slippers etc ready to send off next week to Japan. Our contact there tells us it is very cold and that people are living in thinly lined accommodation, so these items are really appreciated.

My last project for 2011 is Xmas4Christchurch. We will be sending Christmas (gifts, food, goodies etc) to a Mum and her two children (daughter aged 4 and son aged 3) who have had to relocate from Christchurch after the earthquakes. So... I'm collecting items (ideally handmade, but new is absolutely fine) for the family - clothing, toys, toiletries, home made baking for 'Christmas and beyond' (think too of the things they might need in the coming year).

If you'd like to help out (even contacting a courier company would be appreciated!) then please email me on hapachica at gmail dot com or leave a message below!

Let's get into the spirit of giving!

Could this be recovery...

Does anyone else have laundry mountains/volcanoes (that threaten to explode) instead of laundry piles?

this is my laundry mountain

This was my post on Face Book last night - it drew quite a few responses and I know that I am not alone!

Admittedly it's not quite as bad as it looks, because there are two duvets and a few sheets bulking it up... but there is more on the washing line! I've come to the conclusion there are at least three constants in life: taxes, toilet paper and laundry!

But the washing pile is somewhat metaphorical, and representative, of how life has been for us lately. It just feels as if things were getting bigger and bigger and bigger - growing almost out of control (not helped by erratic weather). BUT - when I took a deep breath and looked at things, and took some of the 'big things out' - it was manageable. More so when my two wee children pitched in and started to help. Miss K has even come up with her own solution: "I'll stop wearing clothes Mummy"!

And yes, things seem to be getting more manageable. Even though the lack of sleep is catching up with me tonight, even though there are million things I should be doing to prepare for Miss K's birthday party on Friday (she turns FIVE!), I am not stewing myself into a big ball of stress, and amazingly, we seem to be having a break through in Miss K's eczema, which I put down to several things:

1. Me - I am on annual leave from work (perfect timing). This has made coping with the long nights and demands of a needy sick child, who has missed more than five days of kindy over the last two weeks do-able I do have one other contract to complete, but that's ok. A more relaxed Mummy, means I am not reacting negatively to Miss K's scratching.

2. Healing. Last week we had a consult with a Natural/Spiritual healer, who as well as providing us with a lovely aloevera and emu oil cream, various natural remedies, and tapping into Miss K's energy, she has given me great support and a sense of being held. Since I've come across Rachel Tomkins "Jenna's Journey" she has amazingly stepped back and let us follow this advice, so not as to contradict it or to confuse us. I hope there are more healers like her in the world.

3. Discovering Rachel Tomkins 'Better Bods diet' through reading "Jenna's Journey". I spoke with Rachel yesterday and it was like talking to a food/allergy guru. All these lights keep going on in my head - it all made sense. I realised that when we found Miss K probably had a dairy intolerance, we took out dairy and replaced it with soy and rice milk - products that also contain a lot of what Rachel calls 'Goo'. Then we went wheat free - more introduction of foodstuffs that Miss K's system couldn't cope with. No more soy or rice milk. No more gluten/free flours etc.

Since Saturday I have been 'de-Gooing' our household, and increased some foods for Miss K that can help heal her little system. Tonight there has been no screaming in the bath. There has no prolonged itch fest before sleep. Her wee arms are dry, but they are clearing...

But de-Gooing isn't all that easy, especially when parcels from Japan arrive with sweet treats for her birthday. So, while I"m de-Gooing for the most part, we will de-Goo de-tox proper once the birthday weekend is over.

Add to all this mix is something Rachel said about Miss K: "she's a messenger" about our health and well being - this resonated profoundly with me. I am finding new ways of coping and thinking about life as we embark on this journey. I can proudly say, today I was a good mother. I mothered how I want to mother and I loved it.

In the interim you can see how Better Bods or as Rachel calls it FAITH  detox style (food as in the heavens) smoothie fares with my kids (raw milk (will be using coconut milk for Miss K in future), banana, frozen berries, raw cacao, raw honey and flax seed). Stay tuned for updates.

Happy days with berry smoothies

check out that smile and the berry smoothie, second helping next to him!

Miss K models her smoothie mustache. You can see the eczema on her neck a little.

Now... to finish folding that laundry.

Lemons dished out, lemonade made!

It was 5am before Keilani made it to sleep. 5am! I don't think she slept before I found her scratching incessantly at 10pm, so we cuddled up and suffered through hours and hours of trying to drift in and out of sleep until I sort of exploded at 5am.

It seemed to be what was needed to 'clear the air'; within minutes, she was curled up fast asleep and slept until 11am. So no kindy for her again today.

Akira, bless his soul, woke up at 5:30am and no amount of convincing would get him back to sleep. He missed out going to his favourite play group.

But I made the most of a morning at home, playing with my boy. I threw a meal in a slow cooker for a friend who is having more to deal with than me. I hung up laundry and I talked with friends. A friend dropped by for a cuppa... it was lovely.

Despite the grumps and grizzles of Miss K.

I cleaned the bathroom.

There were smiles from my friend when she collected her meal. My two children had been AMAZING angels in the supermarket when we went to collect some forgotten items.

I have only really yelled three times today.

No body bid on the haircut auction on Face Book for 100in100 Days and .. BUT I can auction it off on Trade Me (auction 401925294) (it's ready to go and I may get more bids!).

My host sister in Spain has just had a baby girl. I spoke with Rachel of Better Bods (Jenna's Journey) - INSPIRATIONAL. Our natural doctor called to provide support and advice. There are real caring souls out there who love and nurture me.

And despite a ridiculous amount of sleep, I am somehow managing to blog while my daughter is nestled in my lap, and I am ok.

They weren't really big lemons but the lemonade sure is tasty!

Get a haircut for...$????

Auctioning off a hair cut with the lovely Amber at Hair on Rosetta (Raumati) tonight at 8pm on Facebook on 100in100Days Challenge.

It's worth $51.50 - you could get it for a bargin, or you could be generous for the FromNZwithLove and Xmas for Christchurch projects.

Could be a lovely treat for your or a friend - and you'll be doing a good deed at the same time!

Blog for smiles, blog for help!

I usually blog when I am feeling upbeat and excited and full of smiles. That was last week. This week I feel like I'm scraping  the bottom of the barrel with too little sleep and worrying myself silly about Miss K.

We have been dairy free for about 7 to 8 weeks and wheat free for about 3 - 4. There has been some improvement in the folds of her elbows, but little else. She is still scratching herself silly at night, and I am dry-wrapping her to try and keep some of the moisture in.

Her back - this is 'good' compared to the rest of her!

I have recently taken her to both our GP (who is holistic in approach) and she has been given some sulphur tablets; we are also seeing another natural healer who provides us with wonderful support and natural remedies. There are days when I want to take the short road, apply the steroid creams and other ickies and move on, but I know that these 'fix the itch', they don't get to the root of the cause, and there can be long term side-effects.

The challenge is that her eczema, given it's winter, is quite hidden. At present it ain't on her face, hands or feet, but it's mad everywhere else!

Sleep is a forgotten luxury (isn't it for all parents lol!). I don't remember the last time I had an uninterrupted sleep. When I finally have Miss K back down (usually after a bath to cool her skin, more emollients and a good cuddle and rub to sleep), Master A wakes up. I remember when he was in-utero, he used to wake up at 2am and play the bongos for about an hour at least. That pattern continues even though he's 2 and a half. Some nights it's just a wake up, other nights, it's a cuddle and lie there chatting for 2 or 3 hours! Some mornings, 4am is the new 7am.

I am hanging in there. Mr T is in what he calls his 'full on phase' with four major works in progress. I am proud of the amazing events he gets to be involved with like WoW and Kowhiti. There are nights when I wish he wasn't in the arts and was home more as we maneuver this struggle, but he's amazing at what he does and he supports me the best he can.

I discovered a book called 'Jenna's Journey' that described a huge shift in the way Rachel (her mum) engaged with food and cured Jenna of her eczema and 24 allergies. The photos alone were enough to convince Mr T that this was something to try. So we are - I'll blog my progress as we go and you'll probably notice new meals coming out on my dinner@mikos blog!

In my quest to understand allergies and eczema I've learnt that it can take upto 72 hours for a food allergy/intolerance to become apparent and that it can take at least 5 or more weeks for the body to detox from that allergy/intolerance!

My causes linger in the back of my mind - I don't have the time or energy at the moment to chase up other bloggers, crafters and Facebook pages... but they are still ticking along. I have faith that what is needed will be provided. There's going to be two online auctions coming up on 100in100Days Challenge -one for a haircut at Hair on Rosetta in Raumati, and then there are two sets of tickets to the Cocktail Evening of the Premier of Kowhiti (valued at $100 per person each) - that should make you smile if you win! And if you feel so inclined, share the word, spread the love :-)

This post is a long one - but I'm smiling. I know others are having a harder time of it than me in some places...I feel better. Yup - blog to smile!