6 month-er

I know I said I would take more breaks from the blogging world but I just HAD to post today.

Because our little miss C. turned 6 months old today! WOWZA!

We didn't throw a big party or anything (though I secretly wanted to..) but instead Jonathan let me buy her some new clothes (which she needed anyways..she's growing so fast!) and we all went out to eat. It's been very hot here- in the 100s range- and our apartment has no AC. It's fine in the evening but during the day it gets very sultry and we all sweat our clothes off (soooo glad our complex has a pool!). Today is one of those days. So the idea of going out in a nice cooled restaurant and enjoying a home cooked meal not cooked on my own sauna-inducing stove was very appealing...

 T was tired and didn't want to take pictures :( poor kid. ha ha ...

Some things about our 6 month-er:

~has her mommy's big blue eyes and daddy's spider-leg eyelashes.
~when she meets someone new she instantly likes or dislikes them. Her stranger-anxiety is off the charts.
~grabs her toes every time she lies down on her back.
~rolls and rolls and rolls...
~is a hysterical laugh out loud-er. She laughs the hardest at her brother.
~has the very same cry as she did the day she was born. It is the sweetest cry ever.
~loves sweet potatoes, squash, and bananas.
~takes 3 naps during the day and sleeps through the night like a rock unless she wants to be re-swaddled.
~still takes a bottle every 2 hours. It's a lot of work...and I feel like I'm constantly feeding her. I'm kinda glad I'm not breastfeeding anymore...can you imagine?! I asked the pediatrician about it and she says its actually better for her to eat smaller portions frequently (her bottles are always 4 oz). So we're sticking to it for as long as she likes it this way.
~sits supported by her boppy.
~is so so close to talking. She moves her lips and seems to mouth "dada" but doesn't make noise...we crack up every time.
~as much as I hate it, she is obsessed with the tv. If its on, her eyes are glued. Even if she's preoccupied she will turn her face to the screen, despite the awkward position it puts her neck/body in. what a ham.
~favorite toys are Sophie giraffe and teether fruits. and anything that crinkles (such as the paper on the patient's table).

It's been a wonderful 6 months. C truly completes our family. I am so excited for the coming months and years! Watching your babies grow is by far the most fun thing in the world. :]

spare time

I've incorporated some changes into my life.

One of them is a goal to spend less time on the computer. So if from now on I don't post as often that would be why.

I feel so much more productive and focused on better things when I take a breather from internet. I am one of those people who gets so caught up in everyone else's life (aka blogs & Facebook) and it makes me feel I'm swimming in cyber-space, which in turn kinda zombifies me to my own circumstances. I know- it's weird. I'm weird. What can I say?

Plus, Facebook has been especially annoying lately. But that's another story.




What have I been doing with all my free time? A couple of things.

Exercising. Finished week 1 of p90x. It was torture. I told Jonathan this morning that I don't think I can go on- in fact I told him I was quitting. Flat out. But in the next moment when my skirt fit a little more easily over my hips I thought twice. So maybe I'll keep it up. Maybe not. We shall see!

Calling people. Anyone that knows me knows that I am NOT a phone person except when it comes to a select few people, my husband included. I made a few phone calls to some friends and family members that I needed to talk to, and it was so worth it.

Sewing. It's so therapeutic (for the most part). I made another dress for C and have lots of fabric for future dresses. I love to outfit the kids in matching get-ups for Sunday. They are just way too cute not to be matching :D

Almost moving and then not. J accepted a job across the country, and a few days later we felt that it wasn't right for us- so he called them back and told them no. By that time I had already turned in our 30 day notice, found an apartment and sent in the deposit, made moving arrangements and was so close to buying plane tickets. We even started packing. But the Spirit was strong and we knew he needed to pursue the job hunt. (ps-I hate the hunt. The hunt can stick it where the sun don't shine for all I care.)

And here are some pictures of miss C, since I know that's all that the grandparents want to see :]

Until next time! It could be a while...

roly-poly

Yeah, she looks sweet...

but just try and change her diaper without those chubby little cheeks rolling elsewhere!

Our Charly has become quite the champion roll-arounder. She rolls from one side of the the room to the next in a matter of 10 minutes. Back to tummy, back to tummy, over & over & over.

I do not remember Talmage rolling this much. Or do we moms just tend to forget all of the little things our babies used to do as they get older...

Ah well. It's cute anyways :]

blankets 101

We have a LOT of baby blankets around here. A lot of them homemade, and each one with its own special significance.

The first sewing project I ever did was a tiny little blanket for my baby boy (I mean really tiny, it was about the size of two tablecloths put together, perhaps because the material I used was suuuper expensive). My friend Jill helped me, and she was the first person to introduce me to actual sewing on my own. Oh how scared I was!

and that's when I learned that even to a first-time sewer, making blankets is really easy!

I get a lot of comments from people like, "I wish I could be crafty and sew." But the thing is, you don't need to be crafty to know how to sew. You don't even need to know how to measure. A lot of times I don't measure my fabric when I make pillows and blankets and burp rags, etc. And if you don't happen to own a sewing machine, get a friend who does and collaborate to make this easy project! Make it a girls day. (I so need more of those...)

I still have my own baby blanket. I laid it in Charlotte's pack n play to sleep on at night. It's light cotton material and doesn't make her hot at night.

Don't you just love the randomness? clowns, horses, bunnies and bears. haha!

Ever since C was born she has been in love with this blanket, made by her auntie Layla. She can't go to sleep without being swaddled in it. I'm not even kidding. I have tried to swaddle her in other blankets but she just squirms and tries to wriggle out.

But I don't want to take it away, because its special to us. Not only was it made by her aunt, but the fabric itself is from my grandmother's stash. My grandmother that passed away some years ago. It's a wonderful sentiment to know that my baby is wrapped tight in something that her own great-grandmother hand picked and kept for so long. We love this blanket.

Sadly, C is getting too chunky to be comfortably swaddled in this blanket. The time has come to make her a bigger swaddler. (She will always be snuggling up to the first one, though, I'm sure!)

Truth be told I've actually never made a blanket for C. Among all those other little crafts that kept me so busy while awaiting her arrival, I didn't make one single blanket. Go figure. I guess it's long overdue!

For those of you that just had babies, are expecting, or would like to make a great baby shower gift, here are my tips on the perfect swaddle blanket:

*must be square. The one we currently have is 1 yd x 1yd.
*made from lightweight fabric, such as cotton. You don't want that babe to get too warm when they're all wrapped up. I like to do one side cotton and one flannel- its thin enough yet so very soft.
*One word... pre-wash!  Always pre-wash your fabric. If you don't, then when you wash your blanket it will come out billowy and slightly distorted. Especially if you use two different kinds of fabric like me.
*buy a print that you just love! That makes it much more fun :]

Don't know how to swaddle? Here's my step-by-step routine that I have to do about a dozen times a day with miss Charlotte.

Lay blanket flat. Fold one corner over so that it's about as long as the length of your baby.

Place baby on the folded corner, making sure that the edge of the fabric meets their shoulder line. 

 Take one side and wrap over baby's chest. Tuck it in nice & tight. she always gets cranky when I start tucking.

Repeat on the other side. Keep it very tight.

 It should look something like this.

Then take the bottom and fold up to baby's chest, tucking the excess around baby's side. I like to make a point with the bottom corner.

and there you have it. That's how I swaddle though I'm sure other techniques work just as good.

Now to make your own swaddle blanket!
*I realize this is a beginner level project, but I wanted this to be for those that are new to sewing. Shoot, I'm still a beginner sewer!

First, get yo fabric!
And if you do buy flannel, buy about a 1/2  to 1/4 yd extra, because it shrinks terribly in the dryer.

ps- this fabric is from Joanns. They have a groovy collection of designer prints, and yes they are more expensive but that's what those coupons are for, ladies :) You can get Joanns coupons through the mail AND through text as you enter the store.

Wash, dry, and iron fabric.
Lay them out flat on the floor. It's up to you how big you want it. I made this one just a little bigger since C is growing.

Put right sides together and measure your length and width to make sure they match. I like to trim off any excess fabric with my rotary cutters, just so its all nice and even.

Pin along the edges.
 
Sew 1/4 inch seam along all 4 edges, leaving a hand's width open. If you have decorative stitching I suggest doing a small zigzag, which will hold it together better.

Snip the corners. This makes them pointy! (be careful not to cut the thread)

Turn right sides out and check the stitching to make sure its even and that there are no open spots. Loop stitch the opening by hand, making sure the raw edges are turned IN.

See? It's that easy! Now you have a blanket!

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If you guys like this tutorial, let me know. I don't usually do them and I will be happy to do more if anyone cares to read them :D (and if you have a request about how to make something, let me know that too! It doesn't have to be sewing related, and if it is, I probably got it from this blog.)

Happy sewing!

lately...

 I haven't  been able to take my eyes off of   this little one.

She is just pure fun all around! So much personality and spunk.

We started her on solids the other day. She's been having brown rice cereal for a few months and I decided it was finally time. BIG MOMENT!

We gave her sweet potatoes, and from her lack of expression I'd say she liked it. and was probably thinking, "geez, it's about stinkin time, yall." She showed more enthusiasm in the proceeding feedings :]

lately...

I've gone NUTS about BERRIES. I already mentioned this in my last post...but I don't think I'll ever get over how easily accessible they are in this state. We got blackberries this time. They're in all the ditches around here but we went to our ever favorite u-pick farm instead. I like supporting local farmers when I can, especially the ones who treat their customers so well. The farmers we meet here are always friendly, and they don't care at all that my 2 year old is stomping through their strawberries or gobbling a bushel of blueberries while we pick. In fact they welcome it. How nice is that?!

The blackberries are harder to pick, and we got some good size scratches to prove it. At one point I even had to pull a thorn out of my foot.

But in the end we got soooo many juicy, tart blackberries- and it only cost $3!

There was a garden for the pickers to enjoy, so we let Talmage run around and get all his toddler jitters out.

Charlotte sat in the back seat of the stroller for the first time (my girl is growing up...sigh). She actually was really quiet and observant the whole time. Just smelling the flowers I guess!


lately...

Jonathan has been applying for jobs like crazy and we're anxious to find out where the Lord is taking us next. He only has 4 more days  left of his internship! His coworkers are sad to see him go and are throwing him a little party on his last day (it's in a bar, so I will be staying home with the chillins). I couldn't be more proud of how hard he has worked and the relationships he's established. It's no secret that my husband is kind of quiet and shy, so this has been a HUGE milestone for him. Plus I'm way impressed that he has spent his days with criminally insane patients then come home to me, his nearly mental wife. Amazing. I couldn't do it.

It's also really stressful- not knowing where we'll be moving to in so short a time. We haven't packed a thing, we have no money to move, and we've gotten comfortable here in Oregon. So moving seems like a pretty radical thing to do right now. But we have no choice...he needs to work  somewhere.

So. that's our life right now. INSANE.

but good...always good.