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Month: September 2008

Because We All Have Boobs

You all know about my Twitter obsession right? Well, thanks to Twitter I caught a message from Cass linking to this post.  Cass recently had a little scare and because of it, she is donating $3 per comment to breast cancer research.  But, that’s not the best part.  Her FH and Mom are matching it, so now $9.00 per comment is going to breast cancer research.

Breast Cancer is a very, very scary thing.  My mom is a two time breast cancer survivor and I live with the fear every single day that I will have to go through what she has.  But even worse is my fear that my daughter will have to go through it.  Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could find a cure before she has to worry about it?

This weekend my friend Amy is participating in the Portland Race For The Cure.  I’m sending her a donation today.  I’m so proud of her for doing what she can.  Now it is time for the rest of us to step up.

I want you to do two things for me today.  I don’t ask for much, but today I need your help.  First, go read Cass’s story and leave a comment.  Then, if you are able, go donate a few dollars on behalf of my friend Amy for the Portland Race For The Cure.  Every little bit helps.

Do it for your mom, your best friend, your sister, for me, for Evie, and every other woman and baby girl out there.  We can make a difference.

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Evie – 6 Months

Dear Evie,

You are six months old today.  As I watch you grow before my eyes I really wish you would just stop.  Well, maybe just slow it down a bit.  Life moves very fast and I feel like I’m missing so much of your baby days.  I know the memories will all melt together soon and I’ll have a hard time remembering the softness of your sweet baby skin and the feel of you rooting toward my chest.  I took some time tonight to go back and read about your brother when he was six months old and it felt like it was decades ago, yet it also seemed like it was just yesterday that he was doing many of the same things you are now.

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Physically, you are developing so fast.  You can sit up on your own now.  You haven’t quite learned to pull yourself up to a sitting position, but if I sit you up you can hold yourself up for while.  This seems to work better when you have a toy in front of you.  Otherwise you just topple right over so you can roll toward something interesting.

You are trying really hard to figure out how to crawl.  You can get up on your hands and knees now and even get your belly off the floor, but you haven’t quite figured out how to move once you get there.  That’s just fine with me really.  I’m not in a big hurry to get the baby gates out.  You also seem to really like being on your feet.  If I hold you up you will stand and jump up and down until my arms give out.  I’m sure it is only a matter of time before you are pulling up on your own.

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Over the last couple of weeks, you seem to have figured out what to do with those two bottom teeth you have.  I’m not sure if your brother told you or if you figured it out on your own, but teeth are for biting.  Now we just have to teach you that they are for biting food, not people (or cat tails).  Those two little bitty teeth?  They are sharp!  Just wait.  It won’t be long before you get some real food that you can use them on, but until then let’s save the biting for the teething rings and toys, okay?

Speaking of food, you are doing just fine with the eating.  You are weighing in at just over 20 pounds now.  You love your food and are starting on the number two baby foods now.  The only thing I’m a little concerned about is that you have started refusing your bottles sometimes at day care.  You are ready to nurse as soon as I get there to pick you up, but you just don’t want the bottle.  If you keep it up, we’re going to have a bit of a problem because you can’t go eight or more hours without your milk and I can’t drive across town in the middle of the day to nurse you.

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You are getting more and more vocal and I can tell you want to talk so badly.  I don’t think you’ve uttered any real words yet, although it does sound like you “hi” every once in a while.  A couple nights ago you said something that sounded like “maaaa” but there wasn’t a second “ma” to finish it off.  Don’t worry, you’ll get it soon.  Reaching out your arms and crying as I walk by is good enough for now.

Even though I wish you would stay tiny forever, it is so much fun watching you discover the world around you.  You are very observant these days.  You love watching yourself in the mirror.  You also love your toys.  I have to move them all out of the way to change your diaper because you will twist and turn and stretch until you have a toy in your hand otherwise.  You love your dolls and stuffed animals, but you seem to love your brother’s toys even more.  He’s not too thrilled when he catches you slobbering on his cars though.

Who Says Tools Are For Boys?

Over the last month we’ve been trying to enjoy the little bit of summer we have left.  We took you on your first trip to the lake where you enjoyed riding on Grandpa’s boat.  You attended your first Royals baseball game (and then your second).  We also made a trip out to Deanna Rose Farmstead where we saw lots of cool animals.  Out of all of those, I think you probably enjoyed the boat the most.  You got some great naps out there on the water.

I can’t believe half of a year with you has already zipped by.  I know I always say it in these letters, but time really does go by so very fast.  I need to remind myself to slow down and enjoy every moment just a little bit more because I don’t want to miss a thing.

Love always,
Mama

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Slow Week and a Halloween Sneak Peek

I really hate when I go this long in between blog updates because then I have so much to say I can’t decide what to write or where to start.  Plus, sometimes I make no sense.  There has been so much going on this week, yet nothing really blog worthy.

The hardest part of the week so far is that I’ve gotten very little sleep.  I’ve been getting up an hour earlier than usual every day so that I can pick my mom up for work.  She hurt her knee and can’t drive so I’m giving her a ride to and from work.  Plus, my kiddos are revolting against sleep schedules.  Evie no longer wants to go to bed at 8:00 and Zachary just doesn’t ever want to go to bed.  They’ve both got stuffy noses as well which isn’t helping with the whole sleep thing either.  On top of that, every night I seem to want to read just one more chapter of my book before I nod off which is keeping me up later than usual.

Evie is showing signs of wanting to be mobile, so (even though I’m not sure I’m ready for that) I’ve been trying to give her as much floor time as possible.  She’s pushing up on all fours and getting her belly off the ground, so it is only a matter of time before the baby gates have to come back out.  The best part though, is that Zach actually plays with her more when she’s down on the floor.

Other than that I’ve been keeping myself busy with some reading, using up the pears from our tree, making Hubby a Saints blanket for his football watching, and working on my Halloween project that will soon be featured over at Getting Crafty. Want a little sneak peek?  Sure you do.

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There will be a post up soon about these along with a big announcement so make sure and check in over at Getting Crafty or just subscribe so you can make sure not to miss it!

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Tutorial: Fleece Tie Blankets

Football season is here again and that means the cold winter months are just around the corner.  One of my favorite things to do in the winter is to snuggle up on the sofa with a warm fuzzy blanket.  My son has also adopted this habit of mine so we’ve collected quite a stack of warm blankets in our living room.  Why so many?  We have two dogs and two cats so most of the time half of the blankets are in the laundry waiting to be de-furred!

In my search for the perfect cuddly blanket, I discovered no-sew fleece tie blankets.  They are the perfect blanket to snuggle under when those cold days hit and they are super easy to make.  I can finish a large one off in about an hour (while watching TV) and a small one in even less time.  They make great baby or toddler gifts, and would also be a great craft project for kids to do on a snow day.

The best part is you can find fleece in so many different patterns that you can easily customize them for that special person.  My favorite is my Boston Red Sox blanket.  My son loves his Cars blanket.  And my husband?  He’s about to get his hands on a brand new New Orleans Saints blanket to keep him warm while he hollers at the TV this season.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 pieces of coordinating fleece fabric (1-2 yards of each depending on size you want)
scissors (or rotary cutter and cutting board)

Seriously, that’s it.  If you are obsessive about straight, even lines then you may want a tape measure or yard stick to help but I just go for it and they always look fine.

Here’s what you do:

Lay the two pieces of fleece out flat with wrong sides facing.  Cut fleece to preferred size.  I generally use 1yard for a baby blanket, 1 1/2 yards for a toddler/child blanket, or 2 yards for a teen/adult blanket.  Keep in mind that you will reduce the size by 3-4 inches in all directions when you do the ties.  Trim edges so that they are even.

Cut a 3-4 inch square through both pieces of fabric in each corner and discard.  If you want the ties shorter do about 3 inches.  If you want them longer you can go 4 inches (or however long you want them to be).  Be aware that the fleece stretches a bit in one direction and not the other. If you make shorter cuts you may want to cut a bit longer on the non-stretchy side.

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Next, cut the strips for your ties.  Again, cut through both pieces of fabric.  Cut each edge into 1 inch wide strips, 3-4 inches long.

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After you are done cutting (and your hand stops cramping) start tying the two pieces of fabric together (one strip from each fabric).  I do double knots to keep it from coming apart in the wash.  Some suggest tying every other strip, then flipping the blanket over and tying the remaining strips to keep things even.  I’ve never done it that way, but it can’t hurt to try, right?

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When you have tied all the strips together, you’re done!

This is such a fun and easy craft.  I’ve made tons of them and have even had special requests.  You can easily adapt the size to make pillows (tie 3 sides, insert pillow form, tie remaining side).  I even made a tiny little snuggle blankie for my daughter using some left over scraps.

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Something Old Becomes New Again

*tap…tap…*

Is this thing on?

Oh, hi there.  Glad to see someone is still checking in here even though I haven’t updated in over a week.  I’ve been a little busy doing some scholarly research about teenage vampires.  That *cough* research has kept me from doing much of anything else including laundry, housecleaning, or crafts.  Fortunately, my sister has the rest of my books so I can’t read any more until I get them back in my possession this weekend.

So, while I have a few spare moments, I wanted to share a few of my favorite finds this week.  I always dreamed of making cute little dresses and hair accessories for my little girl and these crafty ladies are making it so easy for me.  The best thing about all three of the fun sewing tutorials I discovered this week is that they all re-purpose old items to create something fun and new.

  • These easy headbands from Maya Made are just perfect.  Not only do they re-use old t-shirts, but you can custom size them.  Store bought headbands never seem to fit me right so I can’t wait to make a few of these for myself.
  • A Room Somewhere has a great tutorial for the popular pillowcase dresses.  Of course using an old pillowcase gives more of a vintage look, but she gives directions to make it out of regular fabric too.  I’m hoping to make a couple of these in a mini version for my baby girl next summer.
  • Over at The Long Thread there’s a super easy tutorial for some adorable t-shirt dresses.  I know a couple of little girls that would look very cute in them!
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Tangled Up In You

I am so in love with this song. I can’t stop listening to it.

Aaron Lewis – Tangled Up In You (Acoustic @ Peppermill)

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