Sunday, February 24, 2013

Anxiously Awaiting

I've had a lot of anxiety lately. As I'm sure every soon-to-be-new-mom has. We are so close to actually meeting this.... person that's been growing in utero these last eight months. So close.


I wonder about the physical.  What will she look like? Will she have J's eyes or mine?  Will she have dark hair like me? J was a blond as a babe.  Though truthfully, we all know brand new babies tend to look like little grandpas more than anyone else.


I wonder about her personality, too.  The longer I teach children, the more I realize that so much is biological- personality wise, that is.  Will she be like we were as kids?  I think we were both really laid back.  J is type A.  I'm type whatever.  She may be high maintenance.  You never know...
 

I wonder about her interests.  We both love art so much.  We giggle about how she'll probably want nothing to do with art when she gets older.  What will she be interested in? What will she want to be when she grows up?
 

I have this fear that I won't be able to take care of a baby.  Like basic needs.  I've had a recurring dream lately where my little calico cat packs up her bags and leaves because I forget to feed her.  Yes, it's actually a dream where a cat packs up a little hobo bag.  You know, a bandanna tied to a stick.  It sounds funny (it is), but I wake up really distressed.


I worry about being a good parent.  Teaching her to be a good person.  Teaching her right from wrong.  Teaching her to care for others.  Setting a good example.  Being patient and kind.  I especially worry about being patient after working a full day at an elementary school. 

  

Being a working mom weighs on my conscience, too.  But that's topic for another day.  Or not, I know it's a touchy subject.


But now I'm getting ahead of myself.  She'll be here before we know it.  Even with all my anxiety, I'm pretty confident we can cover her basic needs.  I mean, I think we can.  We should have no problem feeding her.  And sheltering her.   And God knows I can clothe her.  Hehehe...


That is the point of this post, in case you were wondering.  I sat down the other weekend and went a little nuts making some baby clothes.  With a little help from Winifred Aldrich's Metric Pattern Cutting for Children's Wear and Baby Wear and a few baby patterns I own,  I made a little bodice pattern.  It either snaps at the shoulders or ties.  All of these outfits are sized for around three months, though I suspect they will fit more around six months.  She should be able to wear them this summer.


This outfit is made from leftover fabric from previous projects.  How fun is it that baby things take so little fabric?  Glad I saved all my scraps.  The little pantaloons came from a McCall's pattern.


This dress is my favorite.  The striped fabric began life as a cowgirl shirt complete with purple pearl snaps.  I tried to salvage the snaps but couldn't.  The bloomers and lining came from a favorite linen skirt that I can no longer wear.  The linen is worn and soft and the most wonderful faded peach color.  It was serendipitous that it matched the shirt so well.  Does anyone else save old clothes because they love the fabric so much?  I have a bucket full of old things I can't bear to giveaway because I want to re-purpose the fabric.  It was fun to dig though my bucket and put some things to use.

  

Like this last little dress.  It was an embroidered airy tunic I never wore.  It looks better as a pretty little sundress anyway.  Sewing little bitty things is so satisfying.

  I'll continue to focus on the clothing part of taking care of a baby.  It seems to help the anxiety a bit.  We'll figure out the rest later....


39 comments:

  1. Aww---those are adorable. I've been trying to work up the oomph to make baby clothes, as my bestie just had her first, but I feel totally blocked and unthrilled about it, sigh. Maybe I should just wait for summer.

    I had lots of nightmares before my first was born, about forgetting to feed her, forgetting her at the mall... (I won't tell you about the one after we watched Silence of the Lambs...). Fortunately we're much more competent awake than asleep. My favourite thing about my kids, to this day, is watching them become the people they are. I mean, they're born with personality, of course---but watching how that develops, how their interests form, how they tackle their problems and take on the world---it never gets old. Every new age is my favourite.

    I am so excited for you. And your daughter is incredibly lucky in having such wonderful, loving, artistic parents. :)

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  2. What lovely little things you have made her! I think I like the tunic to dress the best - I love orange on babies! I'm afraid that the worry won't go away. I have recurring nightmares about leaving my girls unattended somwhere and then the whole dream I'm trying to get back the them. But they are surprisingly resilient - I wonder more about all the times they don't get hurt with their clumsiness and curiosity. I hope your busy sewing hands continue to settle your nerves!

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  3. Sewing kiddie clothing can be so rewarding. You get the freedom to add lots of cute little details on even cuter fabric. Best of all - NO FITTING ISSUES YAY! Just in case you weren't aware, don't waste your time sewing dresses or skirts for the 7 month to 1 year old child. Sure they look pretty but they can't crawl in them. They end up crawling on top of the skirt and get stuck and frustrated. Not fun for anyone. Happy kiddo sewing!

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    1. Now that's great advice! I never would have thought about that and would have ended up making lots of pretty dresses that didn't get used. Thanks!

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  4. Your baby clothes are wonderful! I love them all.

    I think we're due around the same time, and I'm starting to be very anxious as well. How will I manage two kids? Will I ever sleep again? How will this baby change our family? How will my daughter influence this baby? And then the delivery ... will everything be okay? All these wonderings plus the normal pregnancy discomfort equals not a lot of good sleep.

    Thanks for your post. It's good to be reminded that anxiety is normal. And if we didn't feel any anxiety, that would probably be a problem.

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  5. The little clothes are gorgeous, I love the fact you've repurposed the fabric from other clothes or used scraps. I must confess to also saving old clothes that are made from lovely, soft, worn fabric. I can't bear to part with some! Having your sewing space sorted out before baby arrives is a great way to help calm anxiety.

    I totally agree with the others. What Tanit said about watching them grow up is so true, and PoldaPop's nightmares and always worrying about them. Having 2 boys myself, they were always in pants so never had to encounter the dress/skirt problem when crawling, but I remember seeing other baby girls being very frustrated.

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  6. Sooo sweet. I'm obviously not a parent but I'm sure your anxieties are very normal. You will know much more than you realize, come time to care for her. You two have each other and your instincts, your existing knowledge of children as a teacher, and, uh, this vast resource we call the Internet! She's such a lucky girl to enter a home that cares about her as much as you already do. I'm so excited for you!

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  7. These clothes are gorgeous! So beautiful to re-purpose cherished clothing for someone you love.

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  8. The clothes are lovely! I was surprised to by the little fsbric they use. But since we don't know the gender it's a little more difficult sewing ahead.
    It's reassuring to read about your fears, since i'm now 10 days late. I was quite in control of my fears untill this week. My newest is that the baby simply won't come out... speaking of irrational

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    1. Oh, good luck! Hope that baby comes out soon! :)

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  9. The clothes are beautiful. Sewing is a great parental anxiety management technique, just ask me how I know. However, I am fairly sure that Mum-made clothes have an extra protective function not found in RTW ;), so you are off to a good start there.
    (I am a big fan of rompers for the crawling stage, no separation in the middle, no catching the legs in the skirt, and you can still use all the cute bodice, sleeve and collar details as if the baby was in a dress)

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  10. Your baby will be beautifully dressed! Re: anxiety, I was a career girl before having my eldest and had barely held a baby, needless to say I was somewhat anxious prior to the birth! Then I followed my baby books obsessively for the first year as I had no idea what to do;) My baby is now a happy 18 year old of whom I am very proud. You can do it, and the fact that you have thought about these questions augers well for baby's upbringing. I suppose the one bit of advice I would offer is accept help with cooking, washing etc., if someone offers. I really appreciated someone making me a meal during the early days. Nearly there - good luck! X

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  11. waww...hepside çok guzel olmuşlar beatiful....

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  12. It's all so sweet! And that you repurposed them is even better.
    A little anxiety is normal. The best is yet to come!

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  13. You've made such gorgeous little things for your baby! Kiddie clothes are such fun! :) Wishing you all the best for a safe and speedy delivery...

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  14. Lovely post. When my twin girls were born, I spent so much of their nap time sewing up little dresses for them; it was so much fun.

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  15. The great thing is, you grow as a parent as your child grows. You'll be ready. The fact you're thinking about it so much shows you will be a throughtful parent who makes well-considered decisions. And you will love her, the most important thing of all.

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  16. As everyone has said before me - the anxiety is normal. And you will be worrying about that precious little one for the rest of your life...even after she's married and having children of her own...it's just motherhood. However, you are preparing for a budding fashionista with the adorable clothing you've just made. Soon sweetie, soon and all the mysteries of womanhood will be revealed along with getting a wonderful & precious present.

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  17. Two things...one, embrace the uncertainty. It is always going to be there, no matter how much you try to control it, so just become friendly with the fact that your best stories will come from not knowing what the day holds. Two, as soon as you see her face, the mom thing just clicks into place. She comes into this world already trusting you, so just enjoy this adventure for everything it is, highs and lows, joy and pain. You are already great at being her mom.

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  18. ah, you'll be just fine, i guess we are programmed by nature to act the right way once the children came.. also, you are going to have the most stylish little girl in the town :)

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  19. Aw hun! I think we've all been there and done that to varying degrees. I think it's a sign you'll be a great mom. :-) I love all your little baby clothes, but the one you made from the blouse you never wore is my favorite, that is such a gorgeous little dress.

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  20. Those are all beautiful. You will do just fine and you will probably screw up and then realize it isn't that bad. Just seeing how anxious you are is a good sign of how wonderful you will be.

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  21. Because you're worrying, you're bound to be an awesome mom! Best wishes for a safe delivery and a peaceful settling in period.

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  22. That little sundress is so pretty! I wish I could find fabric like that so I could make one in my size! She's a lucky little girl with such a talented Mom like you!

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  23. Oh, dear lady ... you are enjoying a magical moment .... expecting a baby ... I'm sure everything will be fine and soon you will enjoy her in your arms ... just enjoy ... the fact that you are concerned about the welfare of the baby is proof that you will be a great mom! Love all those lovely clothes small! This brings me memories rewarding ...

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  24. What a great idea to turn your old garments into baby threads! I've found that old sheets from op-shops (thrift stores) are lovely and soft because they've been washed so often-like the linen shirt you used for your bloomers.

    I don't know from experience, but I think it's totally normal to worry before the arrival of a mini-human, it's a pretty big deal. When people worry dreams can get wacky. This I do know from experience. The fact that you are worrying is an pretty good indicator that you're going to be an awesome mother.

    Take it easy and enjoy the journey :)

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  25. Just want to say I think you are completely normal! It's a GREAT thing that you wonder and ponder and fret about how your kidlet will turn out. The scary neglect dreams are normal (and freaky) too - I've had dreams where I was kidnapping, I mean babysitting, small children, then I forgot to hydrate them, and they turned to stale bread. I couldn't look at that mother without feeling guilty for a long time, even though she had no idea!

    All the best.

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  26. I think you will be a good mother!%)

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  27. What a great way to repurpose perfectly soft old clothes. So adorable.

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  28. Just stumbled onto your blog and really love all these outfits you've sewn together. Congrats on being a future mom!

    xoxo Lorelai
    Seams Unbiased

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  29. Such a sweet little wardrobe! You are right to wonder who the little person will be, but that doesn't really ever go away. I'm still in the process of trying to figure out who my children are and I am almost 2 decades into meeting them! The fact that you are aware that this is a two-way street where you have to be led as well as lead, means you are perfectly set to take care of a baby.

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  30. No matter what, she will be dressed gorgeously. These are some seriously lovely little outfits. All the best for your impending delivery!!
    x

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  31. What gorgeous wee outfits! It's lovely to be able to repurpose old clothes too. Good luck x

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  32. What gorgeous outfits. Don't get too anxious, there are so many things you imagine, think, dream of when you become a mother. What surprised me most about motherhood was not the things I taught my children but the things they taught me about myself. Just have an open heart and you will be a fabulous mother.

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  33. These outfits are so sweet! I love them! I can't speak much to parenthood since I don't have any children, but I can say pretty firmly that if you put in as much thought to raising baby that you have to preparing for her arrival, you're going to be A-OK. :)

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  34. Oh those are all soooo lovely! You'll be a phenomenal mum I'm sure. I think when she is here, you won't have time to worry about whether or not you can do those things, I'm sure you'll just be doing them. xxx

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