It was a made-to-order Autumn day with the end of summer still teasing us with warm days and cooler nights preparing us for the colder months ahead. Our big maple tree was clinging to its green hues not succumbing to turning into the shades of the season. The perfect backdrop for a relaxed afternoon tea with a few girlfriends to celebrate the arrival of our baby girl.

It was a stretch at 34 weeks pregnant preparing for a high tea with mostly homemade treats. My sister Kath came to help the night before and friend Sabrina was a Godsend arriving early so she jumped in to help before the girls arrived. We had an early start at the flower markets which were insanely busy. The day following my baby shower was Mother’s Day so it seemed like most of Sydney had decided to head to the markets to buy a bunch of flowers for Mum. What would have been a one hour round trip ended up taking almost three! Needless to say we were then a little pushed for time. But it was worth the effort because these imported peony roses were a fabulous statement piece on the table.

  INVITATIONS

My foray into the business world was destined to be as a maker and creative. Having always loved the medium of paper I started making handmade greeting cards. This led to making stationery for weddings and special occasions. I love the tactile feel of receiving an invitation that has taken time to design and make. I wanted to make something special for my baby shower invitation – something which would become a keepsake and for my baby girl to have in her memory box. The star of the show was a divine Princess Swan with a silver glitter crown. The swan sat gloriously with glitter eggs and photographed – this became the postcard style invitation. The invitation was slipped inside a velum envelope stitched on each side and tied with twine and a hand glittered feather.

MENU

Ricotta, Cherry Tomatoes, Thyme & Parmesan Puff Pastries

Chicken, Aioli, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Walnut & Parsley Finger Spelt Sandwiches

Seasoned Egg Khorasan Finger Sandwiches

Cheese Board

Spelt Scones, Strawberry Jam & Vanilla Cream

Vanilla Pannacotta, Fresh Figs, Candied Orange Rind & Rosemary

Potted Banoffee ‘Pie’

Spelt Raspberry & Coconut Cupcakes

Cookies n’ Cream Macaroons baked by Nat from House of Harvs

Caramel Slice by my dear friend Vivi

Shortbread, Rocky Road & Marshmallows (from Sweetness the Patisserie)

Raspberry, Pomegranate, Strawberry, Mint Refresher

THANK YOU GIFTS

Each guest received a little thank you gift to take home. I love a good foot soak especially one that has peppermint – it gives your feet a lovely refreshing tingly feeling. Using organic ingredients a rosemary, lavender and peppermint foot soak bottled in a vintage style flask bottle and dressed with a thank you tag with tulle detail. I made a few extras which are available for sale in my etsy store. A sweet hostess gift, a nice touch for a house guest, a baby or bridal shower. My head is spinning with excitement with all the pretty parties I can plan for my sweet Madeleine.

In all things beautiful,

Lyn xx

Little M’s Baby Shower

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I have been otherwise pre-occupied with baking our sweet baby girl for the past 40 weeks and 2 days to be precise. No one can prepare you for pregnancy, birth, the fourth trimester and becoming a mother for the first time. No two stories are the same, well there are similarities but each is unique and a gift to embrace wholeheartedly. I feel blessed to experience the joy, beauty and wonder of growing another human inside my belly. At the age of 43 it truly was a gift from God because only 1% of women conceive without medical intervention at my age. I believe minimising stress, keeping fit, eating organically, seeing a Chinese traditional medicine lady and having acupuncture helped my body prepare to grow our little one. A promise I have waited almost a lifetime for and I am blessed beyond measure and my heart filled with praise and gratitude at how loved I am by our Creator to be Madeleine’s mama.

After a long 18 hour labour and only dilating 3cm baby and mama were in distress so we had to have a c-section. One thing you can count on is that you can have the best birth plan but it really is only the most desired outcome and there is no guarantee that it will go perfectly to plan!. Over the years I had heard many a story from girlfriends and the only consistency was that no story is ever the same. My plan was to have a drug free natural birth but would assess the situation as needed and always put our safety first. One of the best decisions we made was to do the Calmbirth course which had been recommended by a number of mums. We had a lovely weekend away in the Southern Highlands doing the two day pre-natal course. Calmbirth taught us techniques to manage labour, to work as a team and how I could be supported emotionally, physically and on a practical level during the birthing experience. I could not recommend this course enough for all those preparing for birth and labour. Pregnancy, giving birth and beyond really takes love, encouragement and support from your birthing partner.

Our little girl officially arrived on Friday 10 June 2016 at 12.40pm weighing 2820 grams and measuring 47.5 centimetres in length. Little M and I are at home in our warm love cocoon and hiding away from the chill of the cool winter air. I cannot imagine life before her. She was meant to be here to join our family. I may be biased but I think she is perfection. Her little face keeps me going. Breastfeeding on demand every 1 1/2 – 3 hours, doing everything one handed, being sleep deprived, eating, showering and going to the bathroom when I can, ignoring the pain from my c- section and chronic carpal tunnel lingering since my third trimester. She needs me more than ever right now and these days are precious and she will grow so quickly. I am thankful to have this time with her and watch her develop and grow.

In the meantime my gorgeous girl has been such a divine model for her mama! With a stylist/photographer mum her ‘portfolio’ is going to be filled with lots and lots of pics so stay tuned for more coming your way! Here are just a few to brighten your day – Madeleine Rose, 11 days old.

Calmbirth Unit 1, 19 Lyell Street Mittagong NSW Australia (02) 4871 1806

In all things beautiful,

Lyn x

ps. A special thank you to my mum who has filled our freezer with lots of nourishing food. My brother Simon who has kept us in supply of the best organic produce and to Elaine and my sister Greer for cooking a couple of meals. The best gift to a new mum is prepared meals! Coming a close second is having someone mind baby for a few hours so I can eat, shower or take a nap. It is the last thing on your mind when you are 24/7 tending to the needs of baby. Being pretty much house bound and not able to drive having my Aunty Wei, sisters Greer and Kathryn running around town for consumables and groceries has been my lifeline. THANK YOU my angels! It has been difficult relying on others especially because I am so independent and like to just get things done. xx  

NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS: Planning and timing is of the essence when photographing newborns. Plan your shoot straight after their feed when they are super chilled and drunk on mama’s milk. Have all your outfits and props ready and dress the little one before feeding if the ‘costume’ allows. If you are shooting with natural light work out the best time of day to do this and click away because you only have anywhere between 5 and at a stretch 20 minutes before baby becomes restless.

Introducing {Miss Madeleine Rose}

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