Holy Smokes, What a Year: 2010
Life-changing and blog-changing this year has been. Excitement, challenges, and new priorities, and I wouldn’t trade it for a thing. Top posts for this past year include:
The newest addition to our family and how it all went down
My monthly rants on being pregnant {loved it, but holy shizballs it had it’s moments}
Before and After Dresser {I still LOVE staring at this dresser morph. The PERFECT color}.
Handmade Crib Bumpers and Crib Quilt
Needless to say, my new role as ‘mom’ has bumped my role of ‘bi-weekly blogger’ to ‘whenever-I-have-something-interesting-to-say blogger’. I’ve dumped my sponsor bar and laid low, posting only when I’ve completed a project. Thank you for your comments, you’ve kept me going during a busy busy year!
Sweet Little Feet
In LOVE with this gift from Face to Face Framing! Brigitte so generously sent this frame with a picture of my little bugger from Nicole Hoxie Photography.
I almost boobed a little when I got it because I already forget how tiny those little feet were. These little feet can hardly stay still now…
I’m a Bright Girl
… but why did I think I could iron this shirt when I bought it?Please tell me there’s another option…
Owen’s First Pictures
I promise this blog isn’t turning into my baby’s blog, or even a kid blog at all, but at 2 weeks old, that’s just where all my attention is at the moment! My good friend Nicole took some adorable photos of Owen. You can see them on her blog, nicolehoxiephotography.blogspot.com.
I also have another giveaway I’ll be posting on Monday!
40 Weeks: What I Know Now
- Tomorrow’s my due date. I have a feeling we’re going to see it come and go.
- At my 39 week ultrasound my doctor saw the baby’s head and said, “Holy Moly!” I knew he was thinking “holy moly that’s an adorable baby!” because I can’t bring myself to think that meant anything else.
- This due date thing is kind of like saying that Christmas may happen on December 25th, but it could be a few weeks before or a few weeks after, so just be ready. Oh, and you may be getting 7.4 gifts, or you may be getting 8.14 gifts… but if you get over 9 gifts, they won’t fit through the chimney, so we may need to get them in another way…
- After being frustrated for a few weeks at no sign of an early delivery, I decided to just ENJOY. Once I realized it was COMPLETELY out of my control, I embraced each day, and even got a whole night of uninterrupted sleep! {ne’er one trip to the bathroom!}
- It’s bizarre being pregnant. Somehow the goings-on of your uterus and cervix are fair game for anyone to talk about. Your coworkers, your distant relatives, strangers…
- I have Shrek feet.
- The “last two weeks of pregnancy” warning I kept hearing has come to fruition. You weren’t kidding. My shoes don’t fit, my shirts don’t fit, my rings don’t fit, my feet are so puffy I can’t bend my toes, and I’m losing energy by the second. I can hardly breathe for most of the day… clamoring to get air in. It sounds like I’m operating heavy machinery, but I’m really just trying to catch my breath even sitting at the computer.
- Even when strangers aren’t talking directly to me about my pregnancy {rare}, they are still talking. I was in line at Old Navy and after a moment of silence, the lady in front of me leaned over to her friend and said, “Did you hear ‘so and so’ is pregnant?” Not ten seconds later did the lady behind me say to her husband, “Becky had her baby last week, a boy!” Subliminal?
- I’ve heard of ShrinkxHips, but what about ShrinkxFeet, ShrinksBoobs and ShrinksFace?
- I think it’s funny that doing the dishes after you use them and keeping up on laundry constitutes as “nesting.” I’d love to hire someone to do the ‘nesting’ for me.
- I went to the library to do some last-minute research on labor techniques. The books were on the BOTTOM SHELF. Are you kidding me? I probably looked like I was practicing the all-fours form of delivery as I tried to get to the books.
- I’m kinda sorta dodging a few phone calls that I know are people asking “how I’m holding up”… All 190lbs of me are trying to just keep moving and enjoying my last days with my hubby without feeling anxious or having expectations. But if *you’ve* called and can’t get ahold of me, I was probably in the shower.
- I can’t WAIT to get skinny. With a 5lb growth spurt in one week that my nurse likes to blame on the water-weight and I like to blame on my McFlurry “medicine,” I have gained 41 lbs. I’ve seen numbers on the scale I never thought I’d know. I’m really excited to get back down to normal digits {and will never take them for granted again!}.
- Growing up, I always wanted to have my kids close together {my sister and I are 14 months apart}. I tell you this so you aren’t surprised when I get pregnant again soon after, or so you can point and laugh when I finally realize how lofty this idea sounds.
- My husband has been so supportive of me through the ups, the downs and the really downs. We went to the beach last weekend and he even dug a {sizeable} hole in the sand so I could lay on my stomach for the first time in months. And though it was a process getting lowered down into the hole, it felt great and I loved him for it. If we could see what our future would be like with our spouses on our wedding day, we’d be even more excited I’m sure of it. I love my hubby more today than I ever have.
My pregnancy, month by month:
36 Weeks
32 Weeks
28 Weeks
24 Weeks
20 Weeks
16 Weeks
14 Weeks
20 Weeks: What I Know Now
- All my pants shrunk
- The popular ‘Kids Meal’ will heretofor be called the “Kids/Prego Meal”. I crave cheese, and kids know how to do cheese right: grilled cheese, mac ‘n cheese, quesadillas…
- 3 of my good friends are pregnant which is more than awesome. I lent my pre-pregnancy pants to one of my friends so she can wear them DURING her pregnancy, which is less than awesome.
- After watching several episodes of “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant,” I’m scared to go to the bathroom.
- Half-way there and I’ve only gained 8 lbs. {I know, don’t burst my bubble, I’m enjoying it while it lasts}.
- I have a headache at the same time everyday. Hormones, my doctor says. Only Tylenol or Diet Coke can cure it.
- My little boy doesn’t like it when I sit down. He leaps into all sorts of acrobatics while I’m at my desk at work, watching television, or doing my precious crossword puzzles. I guess he feels that I should be working on his room instead.
- That same little boy kicked for what felt like 8 hours straight one day. Toward the end of the day I was feeling annoyed by this constant motion, then cried all night for being a horrible mother who is annoyed when her perfectly healthy baby wants to tell me he’s here and is ready for me to sign him up for team sports.
- If my pre-pregnancy panties were XL, where do I go from here?
- I still haven’t puked once. {Did I just jinx myself?}
- I’ve been having wild dreams. My husband tells me how I talk of all things crazy: giftwrapping and giggling, in the middle of the night.
- I had a dream that the baby kept sticking his little precious arm out of the top of my shirt so I would hold it because he was scared. He had a name in this dream too! *secret*
- When I bend over, I emit an involuntary grunt {you were scared of where I was going with that, weren’t you}.
- I understand crawling babies in jeans, but I just don’t get newborns in jeans… what am I missing? Okay, yes, it’s adorable, but can they really be comfortable with that muffin top? {I know I’m not}
- I’m in the “honeymoon phase” where, for the most part, I feel normal. I had been feeling crampy and achy for about a week, and it didn’t go away until I tried a pair of maternity pants on in the dressing room. I guess if mom weren’t cramming her roly poly-ness into her normal jeans, this could have been avoided.
- This week, the ultrasound technician said each one of these phrases: “hyper baby”, “exhibitionist”, “playing with his ***”, “wants to keep showing me his ***”, “is that a gun show?” and then finally, the words I longed to hear: “head size on the smaller end of the spectrum”.
Pant Alteration Tutorial
Preggo pants. *sigh*
I’d love to have some cute ones but I don’t want to spend the money on pants that I’ll wear for less than a year.
My friend gave me these Junior “Jolt” brand jeans that were comfortable, but made me look like a moose {especially paired with a tent-like top}.
So. I. Fixed. Them. I had nothing to lose.
Here’s the before:
Step 1
Put the pants on inside-out. Sit on the ground and take a pen to mark the inside of the leg you want to trim down. You can do anything… boot leg, straight leg, skinny, etc. It was easier to do this sitting down with legs stretched out, rather than standing up. These jeans had cute button pockets that I didn’t want to mess with, which is why I chose the inseam to trim.
Step 2
SEW! Be sure to reinforce the seam in the crotch {ugly word, I know}. My stitching didn’t go all the way to the end of the pantleg, I left the bell shape at the bottom.
Step 3
Trim the excess fabric and flip right side out.
Here’s the result:
And in honor of the great fashionista Maegan…
I’ll Be on the National Geographic Channel!
Okay, I made that sound more exciting than it is.
Months ago I was filmed assembling Ikea furniture for an episode of National Geographic’s Ultimate Factories. The Ikea episode is airing tomorrow night at 8pm in my area.
While you’ll be laughing and pointing at my diligent building and reading the famous Ikea wordless instructions, I’ll be reminiscing the time when I had a waistline.
You can see some Vanna White-isms in this video below {you’ll see me at about 1:20 in}.
{If you’re reading this from your feed-reader, you may need to click over to the post to see the video.}
Funny Online Garage Sale
I thought you would enjoy this as much as I did…
My brother Lane (yes, the sweater horse brother), put a few items he is selling on his facebook account. I thought you would like his descriptions. Do you feel this way about your furniture?
“Meet Hank. Hank is a dependable and sturdy young fellow who is a whiz at alphabetizing. He’s a pale putty/grey with silver accents for that distinguished look and loves long walks on the beach.
$10 takes Hank home with you.”
“Hank’s details.”
“This is Martin. He was quite a chatterer in his day but has slowed down with retirement. Most recently Martin had a come-back cameo in this award winning film http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PPbl-2Y4VE (though sound has been disabled.) Now Martin likes to be coaxed into typing Love letters and poetry though he has a tendency to drop he’s “e’s” but I think that’s cute.
$5″
“All up in Martin’s grill.”
“Say Hello to Claire. Claire is a tailored working girl with a lot of versatility and pinache. Note here, tucked into a corner she makes for a beguiling chaise, perfect for curling up with an old movie and cheese doodles.”
“Complete and total reclination…Ahhhh.”
“But Claire also has an austere look as noted here, leaning against a wall. This look says, ‘I will help you study or get those reports in order. no slacking until you’re done.’”
“Claire also stands her own as the center of the party, possibly residing between the fireplace and the sofa. She’s a good mingler and can work a party from both sides. And if the party goes late, Claire is the size of a twin bed and has a secret trundle to make the night a double. Let down your hair, girl.
$25″
“Carl is an optimistic fellow who gets down to business but isn’t afraid to show some flair. His naugehide is in pristine condition and how sharp are darted epaulettes? Yes, Carl is quite a catch.
$20″
“Get a load of those gams! Harriet may not be much of a looker up top but with 5 graceful legs and a sexy steel foot rest, she knows how to keep your spirits up. And, she spins. Be an architect or just look like one sitting atop this beauty.
$10.”
“Grace has been with me since my college days. It’s hard to let such a beautiful friend go but alas, I only have one seat. She is the perfect kitchen chair and step stool disguised in a tremello of graphic lines. Doesn’t she just look like her harps strings are singing?”
“Lovin’ you is easy ’cause You’re beautiful.
La la la la la…
Her polish is a bit chipped but that can either be treated or enjoyed.
$10″
“True, Gwen has seen better days. But don’t discard her functionality based on a few nicks and bruises. She’s got class a smart secret to boot. Her drawer is really a keyboard rest. She’ll work hard for you as you type up those memos or check your facebook, Or due to her slim stature, she can just as easily stand guardian over your key dish and fresh flowers in the entry way. A well placed doily and she instantly cleans up to her former beauty pageant days.”
“A few lines are a sign of character and life well enjoyed.”
“Surprise! bet you didn’t expect that.”
Sweater Recycling
This. Blows. My. Mind.
It started with a facebook message from my brother:
And then I got this in the mail:
Can you believe this was made from these? My brother told me that he googled an image of a horse, printed it out and created his own pattern. Inside the horse is a bell… and it’s our little secret that it’s in the shape of a ghost. He finished this project in one day. It sure looked like it was a cozy sweater, but it makes an even cozier stuffed horse!
Thank you LANE! You are a genius! I LOOOOOVE this… by far one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten. If we lived closer to each other, we could make some cool stuff! You could recover my furniture and paint murals on my walls, and I could… eat all your food! Miss you…
{ohbaby} Shower
Because she lives in Chicago, we haven’t actually “met”, but Jessica and I have talked on the phone and emailed frequently. She is the mastermind behind many of my favorite pieces of jewelry, JessLC.com, and we all love her Make Under My Life blog.
Thank you Jess for the ohbaby shower!
Many of you have left comments that have been encouraging, thoughtful, and outright funny. I have loved every one of them, and am delighted as I get these little gems in my email throughout the day.
Here is what I received at the ohbaby shower:
From Jess, an adorable letterpress print {from See Saw Designs} that matches the nursery perfectly. I love this!
Whitney, maker of all things paper-crafts and colored bakers twine, sent me this note of “practical advice” {it’s perfect!}:
The eloquent and beautiful Julieta sent over this cute note… probably the first time I realized that I’ll be having a BOY! {a real teach-him-how-to-pee-standing-up BOY!} Oh, and if you haven’t read how her blog got its name, read here, and you’ll love her as much as I do!
And Natalie, whose talent never ceases to amaze me, made a print with her advice. And she should know… she has three girls, two of which are TWINS!
16 weeks… What I Know Now
- I didn’t appreciate that little waist when I had it. I’ll never do that again.
- My computer was buggin’ out the other day and I couldn’t figure it out. Until I noticed my gut was resting on the space bar.
- Still haven’t *tooted* in front of my husband! Is there an award for this somewhere? Can I add a badge to my sidebar because of it?
- I can feel the baby kick, and my husband felt it too. A good reminder why we’re doing this… because seeing my veins through my skin and my belly button through my shirt, are not.
- I don’t know if I’ve gained energy, or I just don’t have time to nap.
- I can cook Stroganoff, Chicken, and Spaghetti – usually, without burning it. Since I’ve been prego, I’ve been able to make new dishes, and haven’t burnt a SINGLE thing. My husband is astonished.
- My sweet hubby will make me macaroni and cheese at 9:00 at night. {Ew. I know. But sombody on TV was eating it!}
- I have the overwhelming urge to get rid of EVERYTHING in my house. Too. Much. Clutter.
- I have dreams about letters. One night it was “S”. Last night it was “T” and “C”.
- Naming a boy is infinitely harder than naming a girl.
- My hubby doesn’t know it, but I think he needed this baby to be a boy. We’re thrilled.
- Some weeks are good, some weeks aren’t. I spent most of last week uncomfortable. I wanted to take my belly off, sit in the hot tub, and take a nice long nap… on my stomach.
Perfect Day for Sewing
TORRENTIAL downpour in my hood today, but couldn’t help swim by my local quilt store.
THIS had me salivating. Doesn’t it have new-baby-boy-crib-bedding written all over it? Oh, you should see my mind spinning right now.
… and I can’t help but want to put the crib on top of some super-soft and fluffy rug. Yes, I know it’s white, but my baby’s not gonna spit or poop. Where can I get one for cheap, cheap, cheap? Does Ikea have this kind of rug?
Homemade Halloween Decor
Fall decor at my house is generally pretty easy, because there is no shortage of orange. But since I didn’t want to spend money on decorations, I found stuff around the house that I could use for Halloween Decor:
1. A sketch from my college drawing class {You could find something online or find images from a magazine}
2. The magnet board I just made with a picture of a spider I found on the internet and tricked out in Photoshop to make it look creepy. {You can download it here for yourself if you want it.}
3. Those goblets are Christmas decorations
4. I covered a canvas with paper and cut out letters for “Boo”
5. Black foam and white-out creepy gravestones
I used the same foam to cut out bats and hang them from my chandelier. Fishing wire would have been great, but white thread is what I had. Love free decorating!
Psychic Crossword
I’m an old grannie and love doing crossword puzzles. A few hours before we found out what the sex of the baby was, I broke in my new crossword book with the first puzzle. Check out the clue…
It was RIGHT! It’s a BOY!
… I’m off shopping!