What can Brown blog for you?

Harrison

2012-01-30T09:09:00.000-05:00

I've been doing some babysitting lately for a certain little guy, who is the son of some of our good friends. He's three months old.

Yep, it's busy with two little kids. Yes, we totally rock out a double stroller when we're out in public. And yes, it's fun to spend time with a baby who actually likes to snuggle.

Anyway, I had a little fun with him + my camera this past week.

How adorable is this child?

Dimples!

He's totally sweet.

Tough guy pose.

The bumbo seat was a new experience for him. Clearly.

But he warmed up to the idea.

It provides a great angle from which to watch a very busy 14-month-old.

Diaper blowout = new outfit!

This one makes me laugh each time I see it.

And this one's my favorite:

Favorite Baby Hat

2012-01-29T20:17:00.000-05:00

When Caroline was an itty bitty baby, we had a go-to hat choice for her.

We got complimented on it every time we took her out.
It was warm and soft and fit her sweet little newborn head perfectly.I'd gotten it as a gift from my cousin Christina at one of my baby showers. She'd just started making them at that point.

And now, wouldn't you know, she sells them. On etsy. Right here! You can get your own, or else purchase one as a baby gift. And she actually has a bunch of adorable baby clothes for sale. And you just might see a certain Brown baby used as a model for one of the dresses.

Check it out, y'all. Adorable handmade baby hats.

No mama in sight.

2012-01-06T16:13:00.000-05:00

She's 13 months now. Closer to 14, actually.

She's in that unique in-between stage where she's not quite a baby, not quite a toddler.

She mostly walks, but still crawls from time to time.

She's great at feeding herself at every meal, and yet still drinks milk from a bottle (yes, we are those parents).

Her vocabulary (both signing and speaking) grows weekly, but she still often resorts to whines and gestures to get her point across.

She can walk on her own, but still needs to be carried into stores and restaurants.

She wears shoes every day, but still sleeps in blanket sleepers. And in a crib.

And MAN is she busy.

The second I wipe finger prints off of the bottom of the fridge, she's over there kissing her reflection. As soon as we put books away, she pulls them from the shelves. Her tiny fingers are constantly grabbing at silverware out of the dishwasher and laundry out of baskets.

And the wheels are always turning. I love seeing a look of concentration on her face. She's so fun these days. And a lot of work.

Okay. Back to that vocabulary.

In terms of signing, we've got the following:
More.
All done.
Milk.
We're working on water, book, please, and thank you.

And real words?
Da-da
Ah-da (all done)
Ca-ca (cracker)
Na-na (banana)
Uh-oh

Notice anything missing from that list?
Yeah, me too.

But I guess we'll keep her.

What I loved about Christmas 2011.

2011-12-31T19:14:00.000-05:00

No order to this list. Some are serious, most are not. Each one brings a smile to my face as I remember it.

1. Celebrating God's greatest Gift with these two (numbers 2 and 3 in my book!)

2. My girl started walking. Like, for real.

She started taking a few steps in early December. But they were few and far between. During our week in Michigan, however, she became a walking fool.

She that proud grin? Yeah, she bit it on the sidewalk right after I snapped that. Check out the red mark on her forehead in some of the other pics.

3. Aiydan and Gray (my cousin's son) were so adorable, playing together on Christmas Eve.

Yes, I included a blurry picture on purpose. That's because it's how I remember the two of them.

4. All of us kids got new PJ's.But Ben's stole the show.

Adult footie jammies. With a back hatch and everything.

Caroline's were too long, but Montoya fixed that with a pony-tail holder.

6. We met Mia, who is the new daughter of Josh's cousin Lacey. Now that we've got a active, often-destructive, big girl on our hands, it's fun to hold little bitty babies that are so sweet and snuggly. Here's Mia, Baylee (Lacey's older girl) and Caroline. And "Lovey Dog," who is Caroline's constant companion.

5. Starting in early December, we attempted to sit down daily as a family and pieces of the story of Jesus, starting with his ancestors. A Jesse Tree devotional. Each day we'd sit down and read a different story - Abraham and Isaac, or Moses, or some other piece to the larger story. We didn't do this perfectly, by a long shot. But it's important to me to build traditions in our family, especially as Caroline gets older. And those times of prayer and remembering and preparation for Christmas were precious to me this year.

7. Caroline loooooved Opa and Oma's Christmas tree. We were lame at our house and didn't put one up. (Don't judge! By the time we got around to it, it was a week before we were scheduled to leave for Michigan. AND now we don't the hassle of taking it down to look forward to.) Anyway. Caroline thought it was way cool.

8. On Christmas night, we went over to my aunt and uncle's house for my cousin Natasha's birthday party. A big group of aunts, uncles, and cousins sat around and told old family stories. Stupid pranks. Grown-up shaving cream fights. Hand stand contests.

What a fun, if slightly dysfunctional, bunch of folks. I'm thankful to be among them.

9. My brother's new girlfriend impressed everyone with her ability to slice the top off of a champagne bottle with a butter knife. She fits into our family real well, that one.

10. Christmas in Grand Rapids is what I grew up with, and on some level just seems right. I so enjoy being at my parents' house, opening presents in the same living room that I did when I was six. The late-night drive through East Grand Rapids (where they put up luminaries) on Christmas Eve is a long-standing tradition. As is having certain cousins over on that night.

Actually, growing up, we used to pile in a minivan, sitting on top of each other, and do the luminary drive. During which time we both sang Christmas carols as loudly as possible and criticized everyone else's light displays. But our numbers have grown and babies make it difficult to all get out late at night. So we kissed that part goodbye for this year. But the cousin part was mostly still there.

A late Merry Christmas to you, Internet. Here are a few more pics of our festivities.

GIngerbread House 2011

2011-12-20T22:27:00.001-05:00

My mom is a gingerbread house queen. In general, she's not a person to have many hobbies. In November and December each year? Well, you can find her in craft stores, looking for just the right touch. Or else rolling out fondant. Or perhaps leaning over a miniature yellow house, piping bag in hand.

Perhaps you remember this series? It's our family's tradition.

Well, this year's house was the cutest ever. Like, ever.

Just look at her. She even lights up from the inside. But even more cute things than that.

A little bench near the front door.

Holly in the windows.

A "stone" chimney and Christmas lights.

A little bucket of apples near the door.

Wreaths on the fence.

Yup, it's the cutest ever. So fun.

Caroline's One Year Photos

2011-12-08T10:33:00.001-05:00

A few weeks back our friend Jess took pictures of Caroline (and Josh and me) for Caroline's official one year shots. And, you know, a Christmas card picture too.

Despite the fact that it was a gray, cold, drizzly day, the pictures turned out super cute! Thanks, Jess!

The evolution of a fuss

2011-12-06T21:44:00.001-05:00

This is totally random.

I took these pictures back in October. Back when my baby could play outside in short sleeves.

Every time I see these, I chuckle.

Have you ever seen such a drama-riffic face?

Lord, have mercy.

Fall 2011 Randomness

2011-12-05T09:28:00.000-05:00

Now that we're out of the fall season (yay, Christmas season!) I thought it'd be fun to do a little recap of sorts as to what we've been up to. You know, since I would someday like to look back on Fall 2011 and not have to guess as to what we did.

1. Caroline has new tricks every day. It's exciting to sit and watch what new things she does. And then amusing-meets-aggravating the next moment, as she learns to pull all of the freshly-folded laundry out of the basket and into a heap on the floor. Or how to go after the toilet brush EVERY TIME she's in the bathroom. Love that kid. This post includes a gratuitous helping of pictures for any who are looking to pass the time.

2. I've started to do Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) for the first time. It's been way too long since I've done an in-depth study of the Bible and I'm grateful for the opportunity to do so now. AND they offer fabulous, FREE childcare. A huge, enormous, blessing. I need to add those ladies to my Christmas gift list.

3. Our girl was Eeyore for Halloween. We enjoyed some "Boo at the Zoo" the weekend prior and then had our friends over for some quick Trick-or-Treating on the actual day. Our friends' baby, Mateo, was dressed as a lion, and mostly the kids sat and looked at each other.

Girlfriend loves her the aquarium.

Is it bad to go Trick-or-Treating for the following reasons: A) show off your baby, and B) get candy to eat yourself? Because that's exactly what we did.

4. Josh's parents got Caroline (and us) a membership to COSI, the local science center/children's museum for her first birthday. We're big fans. It'll be so nice to have a place to bring a rowdy toddler this winter when playing outside isn't an option.

The water table is Caroline's one true love. I strip her down to a diaper and let her splish-splash away to her heart's content.

5. My friend Jamie (from college) made her annual visit in October. I's so nice to have friends that are willing to take their own time and money to come to visit you. Among other Columbus-area adventures, we went apple picking - a must!

Two years ago we went up to Cedar Point, which was a BIG bunch of fun. Last year I was 8+ months pregnant, so that wasn't going to happen. This year I was still nursing so didn't want to leave Caroline all day long. Maybe we can make another Cedar Point pilgrimage next year?

6. Caroline and I flew to Chicago in late October. Who knew - flying with an 11 month old is different than a 3 month old? My mom met us there to she could watch Caroline while I did some work stuff. And then we also got to see my cousin Michelle and her little girl, Inez. So fun.

And yes, I call Caroline the "purple people eater" when she's in her winter get-up.

Caroline was an old pro at the plane ride. For the first 45 minutes. I was just thankful that the flight to Chicago was only 50 minutes.

7. We discovered rotten subfloor in our master bath, next to and under our existing shower. So we've embarked on a very slow, mostly DIY bathroom project. What I've learned so far:
A. Demo is therapeutic.
B. It's always more expensive than you think it's going to be.
C. Drywall is a challenge.
D. The Internet is a DIYer's best friend.

Post-demo shot:

And here's where we're at today:

Done:
1. Demo of old shower and tile floor.
2. New subfloor is in.
3. New fixtures and drain are in.
4. Toilet taken out.
5. New shower pan installed.
6. New shower walls are in.
7. New drywall is up.
8. Drywall patching/mudding/sanding/etc is still (clearly!) in process.

To Do:
OH MY STARS TOO MUCH TO COUNT. But this list includes:
1. Finish drywall repair.
2. Tear out existing carpet.
3. Tile the entire floor.
4. Hook up the toilet again.
5. Paint the walls.
6. Take out the existing vanity.
7. Create a vanity out of a piece of furniture from IKEA. (I must be crazy.)
8. Replace light fixtures.
9. Install base trim.

Have you noticed that a simple problem of the need for a new subfloor, shower, and a very small amount of tile has ballooned into a full blown remodel? It's true. I am BOUND AND DETERMINED to do something about the ugly-as-sin vanity + light fixtures + curtain.

If you made it to the bottom of this post, I applaud you! In summary, Fall 2011 was a blast for the Browns. And we may never get our master bathroom back.

Washington D.C.

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Have you ever written a blog post, edited pictures, and then realized two months later that you never hit "publish"? Yeeeaaaahhh....

Our family recently spent an impromtu long weekend in Washington D.C. Josh had a work-ish thing to do for a couple of day, and Caroline and I tagged along.

The work-ish thing was actually pretty cool. Nickelodeon puts on an annual Worldwide Day of Play and shuts down its programming for the afternoon, encouraging kids to get outside and play. And the actual event is in front of the White House on the ellipse.

Josh's company, who produces lawn and garden products, had a booth there and gave away mini-greenhouses. Their booth was next to a big Zumba party, near a PGA activity involving "golfing" into a dinosaur's mouth, and down the way from the stars of iCarly.

We were shocked that anyone would bother with the greenhouses, quite frankly. But they did. 5,000 kids went home with them.

Anyway.

We got into town Friday morning, and embraced the rain. I bought a child-sized raincoat because it was all I could find on short notice. We walked down to the Air and Space Museum and checked out the planes, then headed out to dinner at a pizza place behind the Capital.

The wetness on Josh's pants cracked me up... who manages to keep their knees dry only?

We were making the trek back to our hotel after dinner, when...

The clouds parted. The rain stopped. The sun shone magnificently on the Capital. And we got to witness the sunset overlooking the Washington Monument.

Further highlights:

Breakfast with one of my very oldest friends, Rachel.
Exploring the Newseum. American history as told through newpapers, television coverage, photographs. It rocks.
Enjoying a visit with Jamie, my friend from college.
Watching the Michigan game at an alumni bar in town. We work vacation time around football games in our family.
Visiting the monuments. At night. The very best time to visit them. Who needs regular bedtimes where there are sights to see?
Arlington Cemetery. I was there as a kid and remembered NONE of it. So it was worth another visit. There's nothing like viewing row upon row of those little white stones.
Lunching in Georgetown.
And taking a solo bike ride around town, courtesy of a public co-op bicycle system.

First Birthday Party

2011-11-13T14:25:00.001-05:00

Well, it's that time. Time for the littlest member of our family to turn one.

[Yes, we were trying to win the "hipster baby of the year" award with the too-short skinny jeans and Chuck Taylors. Or perhaps she's just getting tall and her mom loves baby shoes?]

Her real birthday isn't until Friday the 18th. But we hosted a birthday party on Saturday to celebrate with friends and family.

You know, because somebody in our house is driving up to the Michigan/Nebraska game next week Saturday and we couldn't possibly have a party that would interfere a Michigan football game. We were fabulously blessed to have both sets of grandparents AND Montoya and the kids in town for the shin-dig. And then some in-town friends came over as well.

We decided on a simple "rainbow" theme. Who are we kidding? I decided on a rainbow theme. And, thank you Pinterest, there were lots of fun ideas to copy from the Internet. Layered Jell-o, marbled cupcakes, no-sew bunting, multicolored cake-pops, a potato stamp tablecloth, a bib-meets-apron pattern, etc. I could have gone crazy but *tried* to keep it in check. My mom and Montoya helped out big time the day before with all of the last-minute details.

I thought I was all clever, planning the party around her nap schedule for optimum mood. And then the time change happened and the party was smack dab in the middle of nap time. But despite being a bit tired and cranky, she held it together pretty well.

However, she would have nothing to do with her matching headband.

Or party hat.

Ah, well. She was loved on, played with, and spoiled with presents. As any party girl should be.

And her first taste of cake?

At first she was more interested in the candle.

Then she tossed the whole thing on the floor.

We tried again, this time cutting it up.

And it went down much easier.

And some even made it into her hair. No surprises there.

Happy birthday, most precious of girls. You are pure joy, and we're thrilled that we got to spend the last year with you.

Almost Done!

2011-10-19T14:22:00.001-04:00

Even Josh had to ask me, "are you still taking weekly pictures of her?"

Why yes I am.

Maybe they sit on my camera for weeks. Maybe she's too wiggly to get good shots. Maybe I take them in bad lighting just to get 'em done.

But wouldn't you know it? I've got them all good and updated. A certain someone is turning one in a month, and I'd like to involve the pictures somehow in her party decor.

Although I've had moments of UGH when it comes to this project, I'm so thankful that I've done it. Now that Caroline is crawling/climbing/sippy-cup using/into everything, it's precious to me to look back and remember her rocking on all fours (34 weeks) and sitting in a Bumbo seat (19 weeks) and learning to hold up her own head (8 weeks).

These past few sessions have been extra fun since I've gotten to capture a little more of her personality. She loves, loves, loves to play in the dishwasher (45 weeks) and spoons of any size and shape are her personal favorites. She's also particularly hard to photograph because she's so dang mobile (44 weeks). Last week she started clapping (48 weeks). A lot. As in, pushing a button on a toy and clapping to the music. Even the 42 week shot will be fun to remember someday, because I find her standing in her crib so very often. Because she's a terrible napper and would rather stand there than go to sleep.

At this very moment, it's not so heart-warming. But I'll look back on it and smile, I'm sure.

The 47 week shot will never be heartwarming for me, since the Michigan-Michigan State game is on the in background. We lost. Again.

And there we have it. Just FOUR MORE WEEKS!

Promises

2011-10-10T21:42:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, before our church family, Josh and I promised to teach Caroline to follow Jesus as Lord.

We promised to model our own faith before her.

We promised to demonstrate God's faithfulness to us by being faithful to each other.

We promised to set an example of how to love others.

Our church promised to support us and pray for us and come alongside us throughout this parenting process.

Our parents came into town to be there for the ceremony.

During the middle of the ceremony, Caroline decided she didn't want to be held, and would rather crawl up the stairs.

While all of Caroline's grandparents surrounded her, her dad and grandpas prayed for her. Again, she didn't want to be held. So during the prayer we all got on the floor with her.

It seemed right.

I'll never forget it.

God is so good.

James read-along, Chapters 3 & 4

2011-09-30T14:17:00.000-04:00

So I'm a little behind on the read-along. Who's surprised? Not I.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. James 3:9

The Tongue-Taming section of James. My-oh-my. The verses prior to this talk of how a big ship is controlled by a small rudder and forest fires are started by a single spark. What we say has huge consequences for all of the other parts of our life. How dare we both praise Jesus AND speak poorly of others? Jesus, help me.

And I also think that the words that come out of us are very telling of what's inside. Jesus says in Matthew, For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (12:34).

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:13

There's a significant link here between wisdom and humility. I love the description of true wisdom, a couple of verses later:
peace-loving
considerate
submissive
full of mercy and good fruit
impartial
sincere

Lord, let these things be said of me. Just thinking of difficult relationships and issues I've had with others, I ask myself, was this list true of me in that situation?

Not exactly.

But praise Jesus. He gives wisdom generously without finding fault - if we just ask for it. (James 1:5)

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sisteror judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4:11-12

Hmm... doesn't this sound familiar to the first verse I listed? Yes, indeedy.

Leave the judgment to God, and don't speak out against others.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:14-15

A reminder of the fact that my life isn't my own - it is in God's hands and he determines the specifics. Lest I be too boastful, too quick-to-map-everything-out, too prideful. Nope, it's God's will for me that matters.

Lora's Baby Shower

2011-09-18T15:03:00.000-04:00

A year ago or so my friends Lora and Meribethe threw me a beautiful shower.

And last week I got to return the favor for Lora! Her baby is due next month and I'm so excited for her and Patrick.

Lora's professional life has centered around reading, learning, and school, so I thought that it would be fun to incorporate some "bookish" elements into the decor. Also, they're going with mostly primary colors for the nursery, so I wanted to keep that for the shower too.

So...

Alphabet blocks seemed logical - and fun - choice.

And each guest was asked to bring a favorite childrens book as a part of their gift.

I also had fun with the food... like cake pops!

One week before the shower I received a cake pop maker for an early birthday present. I was already planning on making cake pops for Lora's shower, so it was a perfect, timely gift! And it made making them SO easy.

Anyone who knows Lora knows of her Aquafina love! I almost bought Dasani water bottles (gasp!) but thankfully caught the mistake before I left the grocery store. They were easy to "spice up" with paper and ribbon.

Lora also has a soft spot for cakes from Dairy Queen. When I ordered this one (yellow, bottom left) I asked for stripes. I thought the result was an interesting interpretation of my order.

Here's the mantle... who knew kids books could be used for decorations?

I had so much fun planning this shower! Can't wait to meet Baby Kaiser in another few weeks!

James read-along, Chapter 2

2011-09-16T23:00:00.000-04:00

There are some hard, kick-you-where-it-hurts passages in James 2. The words are downright blunt and nothing if not sobering.

But, as someone who believes that Bible is true, perfect, and God's Word, I've got to deal with Chapter 2. It'd be easy enough to skim over it.

Here's what stuck out to me:
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. James 2:10

Marla calls this a classic "we're all screwed without Jesus" passage. Totally true. I step one toe out of line - one harsh word, one moment of pride - and I've failed God's high standard. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

What's especially convicting to me about James 2:10 is that, if I truly believe this, I have no business being judgmental. Why think of others are their sins when mine are just as bad? We all are guilty of breaking all of the law. It's so easy to think of "big bad sins" and "little somewhat-passable" sins. That's nonsense.

I'm praying God protects me from pride and judgment as I dig back into James. Just because I happen to be spending a little time in my Bible doesn't mean I'm better than those who aren't. Any sin of mine puts me on completely even footing with every other person on earth... screwed without Jesus. Small moments of time with Jesus have nothing to do with that.

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:15-17

The second part of James 2 was the real kicker for me this week. At least four times it mentions that faith without action is dead/useless/no good.

These verses are really easy to misunderstand. Don't put the cart before the horse. James is not saying that a bunch of good works/obedience/mercy-toward-the-poor makes for salvation, or a relationship with God. Nope, that only comes through a relationship with Jesus. [See above comments about being screwed without Him.] James is saying that true faith - the type that leads to life with God - naturally overflows into action. Just like an apple tree makes apples. Mercy, service, and giving-'til-it-hurts should spring forth from a life with God, and a true understanding of what He's given me.

The example in the text above is helping the poor - those without clothes and daily food. In a world where thousands of children die daily from malnutrition and preventable disease, this one hits me. As in, thousands of Carolines die daily. A sermon I listened to this week even encouraged me to think, before I make purchases, is this more important than feeding a child?

Yikes. I don't think much about getting a Starbucks or ordering a cute pair of shoes for my non-walking daughter. And while it'd easy for me to write that question off as "holy-cow-way-too-radical," isn't faith supposed to be radical? Lukewarm has never been a good thing.

So, where does that leave me? I don't know. I'm wrestling through it. Starbucks in hand or not. Sigh. God's mercy, grace, and forgiveness toward me is there. Freedom is there. But chapter 2 of James is there too. Lord, help me.

I don't think deeds should be done out of guilt. That's not the point. They should be the overflow of joy and freedom in Jesus. And out of a relationship with Him. So for now I'm going to focus on that relationship-with-Him part. It's needed - I'm rusty. We're going to pray as a family for direction on our actions, and our spending.

And for the official discussion questions...
1. What one verse stood out to you as oh-my-wow (or however you would say it)? See above.
2. What do you think of this quote from DP–”People who claim to be Christians but fail to help poverty-stricken believers are, in fact, not saved.” This is so hard. I listened to that sermon for clarification and was convinced that the man had a point. Faith in Jesus - the true kind - bears fruit. Mercy and forgiveness and love and patience and a host of other things. When we truly know and love Him, we can't help but be led toward these things.
3. What questions/concerns do you have about this chapter? Jesus, what does that mean for me? For us? Right now? In your grace and mercy toward me, show us the way.

An apple core. Also known as...

2011-09-14T11:31:00.001-04:00

... 15 minutes of pure entertainment

... delicious

... an excuse to use those two teeth

... and 15 minutes during which her Mama can get dinner ready.

also known as a win-win.

It gets me.

2011-09-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

I was sifting through a bunch of newly-printed pictures of Caroline from her 9 month shoot.

And I kept thumbing to this one.

It isn't the kind of shot I'm going to print in wallet sizes and hand them out to family members. I'm not going to hang it on my wall. It wouldn't feel quite right in that context.

But I keep coming back to it.

The sweetness.

The eye rub.

The baby-ness.

The bib overalls and board book.

The tired baby.

But mostly, the innocence.

An innocence I desperately want to protect. An innocence that's been entrusted to us. She's so sweet, so trusting, so joyful. I don't want anything to take those things from her. I just want to protect her.

Like, until she's 30.

It's daunting. We don't want her to grow up too fast, and yet we don't want to her to be so sheltered that she's clueless. How do parents do it? What boundaries to you set? When do you set them? How do you raise a child to be wise, but still protect that little heart?

Lord, help us.

Lord, help us, indeed.

Random musings about friends, fall, and football.

2011-09-12T22:26:00.000-04:00

1. College football season is upon us again. Holla! It's my favorite time of year.

2. We've seen some slices of delightfully cool weather. Jeans weather. Sweatshirt weather. It reminds me of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, apple picking, and a host of other fall goodness. And then today I was boiling in my long jeans. Come back, cold!

3. Life can change a lot in one year, can't it? We hung out with our friends, the LeComptes, on the first Michigan game of the year last year, on Labor Day weekend. I was 30 weeks pregnant, and DeeDee was 39. We were both wearing our husbands' shirts in this picture. DeeDee and Chris' twin boys were born the next day.

And then we saw them again this past Labor Day weekend, for the first football game. 3 kids later. And, DeeDee and I are wearing Michigan t-shirts of our own this time around. Gratefully.

I can't speak to what Noah (big kid in the background) is doing in this picture.

I watched all four kids solo for an hour or so. The LeComptes helpfully dressed Drew in blue for me. Will is in "maize", while Caroline is sporting a cheerleader outfit. We start 'em young.

4. The rest of Labor Day weekend was spent on the West side of Michigan, with my family. Caroline went on her first Big Whitefish Lake boat ride.

She was seriously harassed by the life jacket.

And really now... how cute are these kids? Caroline with cousins Aiydan and Aiyannah.

Aiydan drove the boat with my dad.

And then Caroline felt the need to check out uncle Ben.

All in all, a great holiday weekend.

5. Michigan just had them one of the BEST COMEBACKS EVER against Notre Dame. My heart still races just to think of it. I don't know if I've ever felt such a range of emotions in a mere 72 seconds as I did in the last moments of the game.

6. Go blue and happy fall.

James read-along, Chapter 1

2011-09-08T10:07:00.001-04:00

Let me first make a confession:I really, really struggle with cracking open my Bible on a consistent basis.

Do I believe it's God's Word, His story of love and redemption? Yes. Do I believe it has immediate, important, practical application in my life? Yes. Do I believe that His love for me is splashed throughout the pages? Absolutely. And yet, I still struggle.

Praise Him for His abundant grace.

Anywhoo, by that same grace I had a desire to break open my old Bible last week, and was casting around for ideas about what I should read. And what do I stumble upon? Marla's blog post about a read-along about the book of James. Basically, it's a group of people connected via the internet, all reading and discussing the same book of the Bible. One chapter per week.

Marla posted her thoughts yesterday. Great insights.

Here are some thoughts/insights/challenges that struck me as I was reading James 1 this past week.Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1: 2-3

Really, pure joy? I've read this verse before, but the sheer audacity of it is startling to me this time around. And, the reality of just how much I fall short. Would I consider it pure joy if we lost our jobs and our house was foreclosed upon? Probably not. Or if Caroline got really sick? Sigh... no. Heck, I get grouchy sometimes because the Diet Coke I just bought at McDonalds is flat. But true joy is different from happiness, from comfort, from security. It's rooted in trusting God for His provision, His goodness and His blessing.

I also appreciate that in this verse it's obvious that trials aren't a sign of God's displeasure. Rather, they're simply inevitable. And they come in a variety of forms. Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds. That's comforting.

Also, the ideas of "trials" and "temptations" are linked in the first part of James 1. Ordinarily I think of those as separate concepts. But as I pondered those verses, I realized that embedded in each trial is a temptation. Perhaps a temptation to think more highly of myself than of someone else. Perhaps to harbor anger in my heart. Or - most importantly - to doubt God and His plan for my life.

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19b
and
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. James 1:26.

If those two verses don't punch a double-whammy against a loose tongue, I don't know what does. Very, very convicting.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

I don't know many orphans or widows, and certainly don't actively care for them very often. My heart is still for adoption someday, and this verse comes to mind when I think of it. But a potential future adoption doesn't check this verse off of my to-do list.

And then that second part... polluted by the world...

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

If i find it difficult to study my Bible, that difficulty is multiplied many times over when it comes to personal, real-life, gritty and un-fun application.

Yes, I actually need to be caring for widows and orphans. Not just talking about it. Yes, I need to be slow to anger and keep a tighter hold on my tongue. I can't just read this, check my "Bible time for the day" box, and then go about life as usual. I think I'd miss the whole point about why diving into the words of the Bible is so important.

All in all, it's a bit of a breath of fresh air to dig back into the text. There's zero chance of me perfectly executing each one of these lessons into my life. But isn't that the point? I strive a little more after God, realize how far short I fall of His high standard, and are left with open hands, ready to receive his steady stream of grace. A grace that's that much more meaningful.

And here are my answers to the posted questions:
1. If you could remove one verse from James 1 and never have to deal with it again, which one would it be, and why?
That one about doing what the Bible says.
2. What one verse would you like (or feel compelled) to focus on/live out in the coming weeks, and how do you envision it playing out in your life?
"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." This is one that I'd like to make a conscious effort toward... and I plan to start in my own house with my own husband.
3. If you could ask James for clarification on one verse/topic, what would you ask him and why?
How to I keep from being polluted from the world? I'd like a 5 step program, if possible.

9 Month Pictures

2011-08-18T13:29:00.002-04:00

A certain someone is 9 months old today...

My friend Lora was gracious enough to take time out of her busy life to help snap some pictures yesterday. She's the one who helped me with Caroline's 3 month shots.

Get ready for a whole bunch of pictures, since I can't possibly decide on my favorite.

I'm guessing I'll enjoy most of Caroline's ages and stages, but this one might be my favorite so far.

She crawls. Not too quickly yet, thankfully. She's curious. She can turn the pages of her board books... and then shove them into her mouth, of course.

She still loves to swing, and giggles every time we put her in.

She's got two teeth now. And man can she shovel in the table food these days. It's best to strip her down to a diaper prior to dinner.

I made this dress. Thank you Prudent Baby for step-by-step instructions. The material is from a duvet cover I bought on clearance from West Elm years ago. You may have also seen it used in our kitchen.

On a more serious note, let me just tell you that I've never experienced the hand of God in my life like I have with this child. I have no greater proof that He exists. He grew her, out of nothing, right inside me. Knit her together. Perfectly. I had very little to do with the process. And then God gave her to me and Josh.

I'm not even speaking about our infertility struggles, and the low chances we had of conceiving. Nope, I'm talking about the miracle that is every baby. Perfectly formed features. A little body that moves and breathes and eats... and smiles. And snuggles. And laughs. And grows.

Nothing and no one but a very powerful, very loving God could do that. There's a lot I don't know about Him and this world, but this much I'm confident of.

We're humbled and thankful that He blessed us with this child. We've so enjoyed her these last nine months.

Reflection

2011-08-12T10:42:00.003-04:00

There's a true joy...

In discovering...

A full-length mirror in your parents' bedroom.

Quebec, QC

2011-08-10T22:40:00.005-04:00

So remember how we went to Canada for the Fourth of July weekend? No? Okay.

Well, after enjoying Montreal for a couple of days, we headed up to Quebec, which is about three hours up the road.

Montreal felt like a normal North American city that just happened to speak French.

Quebec, on the other hand, felt like someone dumped a charming French town next to the St. Lawrence River. There were city walls, historic battlefields, winding streets, and charming old gabled buildings. Delightful. Who knew?

And all sitting on a cliff up above the river. Totally picturesque.

Our trusty jogger stroller got a workout. Hills... cobblestones... more hills... and that time I made Josh carry the darned thing down about 300 stairs.

Thanks, honey!

One evening we were eating in a little cafe off the beaten path. Caroline was cranky, and they didn't have any high chairs, so we were juggling her on our knees while trying to eat. This very nice couple from Edmonton was sitting next to us and offered to bounce our baby while we ate. YES PLEASE. Then they told us about a free Cirque Du Soleil show that the city puts on a few days a week. FREE? I've wanted to see one of those shows for like, forever. FREE? And wouldn't you know, the venue was a half mile walk from our hotel. And actually under a highway overpass.

There was a tightrope walker. A trapeze... er. (Trapezist? Trapezeman?) Trampoline guys. Fire tricks. And a girl who did amazing things with hula hoops. Incredible!

So, couple from Edmonton, WE OWE YOU ONE.

TWO, actually.

Do you see that picture of the waterfall? Josh wanted to go, and it was just on the other side of town. Tall and beautiful, yes. But do you see that bridge going across? I have all kinds of irrational Mama-fears about my child falling off a high point somewhere and tumbling to her death. So you can imagine my pleasure at walking Caroline across that bridge above the thundering falls.

Josh made it up to me by finding an ice cream spot that served, hands down, the best cone I've ever had. Hand dipped in a LOT of dark chocolate.

In conclusion, Quebec was totally awesome. Thank you, Josh, for talking me into going there.

Getting some photos off the dang computer.

2011-08-05T13:18:00.001-04:00

As you're probably aware, I like to fiddle around with my camera. I especially enjoy capturing the little life of our girl - as many moments as I can.

But then, I get SO MANY pictures. Like these. And these:

Sure, they're fun pictures of Caroline. But if I have them all printed in 4x6's I KNOW they'll just sit in a folder and rot.

Let me tell you, I get really overwhelmed by a bunch of pictures sitting on my hard drive. So overwhelmed that they sit there for a long time, untouched. I can hardly bring myself to even weed out the bad ones. Clearly, it's not the best strategy.

However, I'm making a few strides. Here are some things I'm currently working on, and am pushing myself to keep up with:

1. Caroline's Baby Book. A traditional scrapbook, which I'm trying to keep simple and sweet. Birth stats. Milestones. A few notes about each month. Pictures with each grandparent and great-grandparent.

[Don't mind the grainy iPhone shots, by the way]

2. Shutterfly Photo Books. I'm just starting this one, but it gives me a chance to get a bunch of pictures into a single book, QUICKLY AND EASILY. For 2011, I think I'll make a Caroline-specific one, and a broader book of our family's adventures.

3. Up on the wall. I, along with the rest of the Internet, was inspired by this post. So we took a baby step and put up a few photos. I wanted family shots, and Josh wanted vacation pics. You see the result.

We've included a variety of pictures, including three from Rome, one from Oregon, one from Paris, and another from Copenhagen. As far as family shots go, we've got one of Riley in our backyard, one of me and Josh in Bloomington, IN, and two of Caroline.

We figure we can add to it here and there with updated photos, and expand the collection.

This is a stretch of hallway that connects the front door with the kitchen.

And do you remember my Charleston photo project? I enjoyed putting those together so much that I couldn't choose just one or two. So...

So we just added to the wall this week:

Both the Charleston collage AND one from Caroline's 6 Month photo shoot were added.

I look forward to adding to this wall... and hope to add some non-photos, too. A big "B," perhaps? A framed key to our first house? Caroline's future artwork? Extra-special concert tickets or something? We'll see.

So, those are the steps I'm taking to actually, you know, use our pictures. And I'm curious... what do you do with all of yours?

Montreal, QC

2011-08-04T07:20:00.001-04:00

We went to Canada last month, over the 4th of July weekend. It was super patriotic of us, don't you think?

Our first stop was Montreal. Love that city.

I was there once before, when I was about 13. This was Josh (and Caroline's) first trip.

We walked all around.
Saw the view from atop a hill.
Bought picnic food at a market and ate it at a park.
Enjoyed our girl.
Checked out the old Olympic park. It was painfully deserted.
Ate at a bunch of the local favorites. Thank you Urban Spoon.
Took the Metro all over town. Too bad for Josh they didn't have elevators, and he had to haul the stroller up and down stairs a lot.
Watched street performers.
Tried out our French. And failed.
Walked some more, until I got grumpy.

Internet Love Fest

2011-08-03T19:10:00.002-04:00

1. I have recently discovered Pinterest. LOVE. Join me.

From the website: Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Collect the things you love.

This means that I can "pin" house decor ideas/recipes/DIY directions/cute stuff for Caroline up on my "pinboard" and be able to come back and see them all organized nicely. MUCH BETTER THAN BOOKMARKS. Because I can see snapshots of images. I'm totally visual like that so it's super helpful for me. And I can access my "pins" on any computer I want.

Even better than bookmarking-on-steroids? I can see what others are into -- my friends, total strangers, and people whose blogs I regularly stalk. And get even more inspiration. Very fun.

2. On the subject of sharing ideas and getting inspiration, I got a super sweet comment today on this post:

We wanted to thank you for these great directions! We used them to make our own shelves for our nursery and we love them! You can see them here: http://mplusjequalslove.blogspot.com/2011/08/tysons-nursery-tour.html

It warms my heart that someone, somewhere out there, stumbled across this here blog and used my idea. And her nursery looks fabulous.

3. I go in waves when it comes to photography and sharing it on this blog. I get all inspired to take a bunch of pictures and use them in this blog, and then I get tired of it and forget I have a blog for a couple of weeks. I'm currently revving up to start picture-ing again here. Basically I just get inspired by the work of others and get back in the picture-taking/photoshopping/blogging saddle. We're almost there.

4. That's all. Happy Wednesday evening.

A book review: Receiving David

2011-08-01T09:39:00.000-04:00

Tender. Sweet. Profound.

I loved this book.

It's an inspirational story of David Knol, born prematurely and with significant special needs.

Faye Knol invites readers into her family's story of raising their son. The terrifying, nightmare-ish birth. The struggles. The health concerns. The awkward questions. And the profound achievements that David was able to make. From his first triumphant steps, to his public profession of the Christian faith, David grew to overcome significant obstacles and inspire an entire community. Not only that, but his friendly, opinionated, and curious personality charmed everyone who took the time to get to know him.

The love of the Knol family, and the trust in an almighty God, shines through each page.

And although this is a serious story of a family, and a young man, I found myself laughing out loud at David's antics. He had a variety of quirks, from a passion for wood chips to a love for spatulas.

I grew up knowing David and his siblings. My mom took care of David from time to time, and his family was good friends with my cousins. I remember how he loved to sit on my parents' couch and listen to my mom working in the kitchen.

I appreciate that this book perfectly captures the story of God's faithfulness to a family. It tells David's story in vivid, delightful detail. And it is a wonderful read. Not just for parents of special needs kids. Not just for family friends.

It's a truly uplifting, God-honoring work. You'll be blessed to read it.

Overheard at our house...

2011-07-21T19:40:00.001-04:00

Me: You know how I make our own laundry soap?
Josh: Yeah, why?
Me: Well, I thought we'd try some DIY dishwasher detergent.
[pause]
Josh: I only know of two other people that make their own dishwasher detergent: Procter and Gamble.

So, you may think I'm nuts. My husband does! But I thought it was worth a shot. It's inexpensive, it's all natural, and it's super easy to make.

These are the ingredients:

Yes, that's Kool-aid. Yes, it seems really weird. That's because you need citric acid and it is otherwise hard to find.

Here's the recipe, from this blog.
2 cups of Borax
2 cups of Baking Soda
4 small packets of lemonade Kool-Aid (you can also use 4 tablespoons of citric acid--if you can find it)
White Vinegar

Mix the dry ingredients together and put in a jar.

Use 2 tablespoons per load. (1 tablespoon in the open cup and 1 in the closed locking cup) Pour some White Vinegar into your rinse aid receptacle and your glasses will come out sparkling!

The cost savings? It's less than half the cost of purchasing detergent at the store. More like 1/3 of the price. And, no harsh chemicals.

AND - most importantly - it works great. Very clean, very shiny dishes come out of the machine each time.

80 Years

2011-07-18T14:03:00.003-04:00

My mom's dad is 80 today.

I love this man.

He calls randomly, just to chat.

He is an Ohio State fan and likes to rub it in.

He calls me "Jess-tica."

He is on Facebook.

He once had me convinced that I was going to fly to Florida on a "bi-plane" and that I'd need to get old-school Amelia Earhart glasses and a scarf.

He was - and still is - a tease.

He used to ask if I wanted to go to "the Springs." To me that meant a pool/lake. To him? Bed springs. Meaning a nap.

He remembers that I love grits and makes them for me for breakfast.

He used to like to tell me that my grandma had bought my cousins diamond earrings, and didn't buy me any, just to get a rise out of me.

He loves produce markets. We've visited a variety of them together, from New York City to Montreal.

I'm so thankful for him. He loves his family very well.

Wordless Wednesday: Polka Dots

2011-07-13T09:43:00.001-04:00

[St Lawrence River, Quebec City, QC]

Through the weeks.

2011-07-10T07:30:00.003-04:00

A number of you have asked whether or not I've continued to take a weekly photo of Caroline.

Okay, I'll admit it. By "a number of you" I mean to say my mom, my grandma, and my husband. So about 30% of my overall readership.

But the answer is yes.

Mostly yes. I'm not super strict, but we're still at it. And no, I still don't know what we'll do with all of these pictures once the year is up. Baby book, yes. But hopefully something beyond that, too! I'm cooking up some ideas.

From day to day and week to week, I don't see changes in her. Like, at all. As in, I feel like I could fool all of you by just posting pictures from the same day.

But I'm thankful I have this little project to look back on. I mean, from week 3 to week 8? TOTALLY DIFFERENT. From week 12 to week 18? CHANGES. I also like to capture little details that are a part of our life at certain times. Around week 19 she liked her Bumbo seat. That was a short-lived phase. By 24 weeks she was juuuust starting to sit up on her own. For seconds at a time. A love affair with Sophie the Giraffe came around week 27, and by week 32 she was trying her darnest to move forward to grab toys.

She's still not super successful at it, by the way.

So through this we've got a little chronicle of our growing girl... it is a joy and an honor to behold.

Road Trip, Stop #3: Savannah, GA+

2011-07-09T08:13:00.001-04:00

[Okay, since we've now been on a second road trip, a certain husband of mine suggested I finish the posts about the first one.]

After meandering around the low country of South Carolina, including a lunchtime visit to Beaufort, we made our way to Savannah, GA.

Wait. Let me just say that Beaufort was a darling little gem. I'd really like a double-decker porch like this someday:

Savannah was a different kind of charming from Charleston. Stately, historic houses, yes. But a bit more of an eclectic feel overall.

Plus, I had no idea about Savannah's squares. Dotted throughout the city are these little city squares/parks. Like, everywhere. So unique and picturesque! They were so fun to happen upon when walking around town. The squares were specifically planned by the much-loved city founder, James Oglethorpe, a name we saw all over town.

Any fans of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil out there? Here's the famous Mercer House.

And the Pirate's House from Treasure Island? We ate there. The food was only so-so but the history was cool. Built in 1753, and still in business? Crazy.

Caroline enjoyed the swings.

And the hotel pool.

And some snuggles with her dad.

The beach (Hilton Head Island, a side trip while we were there) only got mixed reviews.

And in closing, I'll leave you with this very ladylike picture of our girl. She does this the entire time she's in this stroller.

Next stop: Atlanta. Then home again!

Road Trip, Stop #3: Greater Charleston

2011-06-28T08:15:00.001-04:00

There's more to the Charleston area than awesome historic architecture.

Old military posts.
Swamps.
Plantation houses.

We visited all three.

Josh is a big history buff, and so a trip to a nearby fort was a must-do. We'd been told that the famed Fort Sumter wasn't actually all that interesting, so we decided to check out Fort Moultrie instead. Since it was free to visitors.

Despite the summer heat and humidity, we checked out Cypress Gardens and went on a boat ride around a real, live swamp.

And my, was it gorgeous.

Have you seen The Patriot or The Notebook? Both had scenes filmed there.

Caroline put up with the big yellow life jacket pretty well.

Can I just say that I'm in love with Spanish moss? Because I am.

And lily pads, too.

And the flowers were totally incredible too.

We also toured an old plantation house, Drayton Hall. Complete with a hidden staircase for slaves to use. It had never been updated with plumbing or anything, and was left pretty well untouched since it was built in 1738.

Here's the entrance from the road.

Here's the other entrance, which was used more, because it was off of the Ashley River. Because people frequently traveled by RIVER back in the day it was built.

The interior had all kinds of fancy wood working. I can't imagine how much time that must have taken.

And, of course, slave-wrought iron work too.

The grounds had numerous big old trees on it. Way cool.

Okay, built in 1738?!? Like, when the residents were still English citizens. The sheer history is crazy to me. And the fact that hundreds of humans were once enslaved on that plantation is very sobering.

Cloth Diapers

2011-06-25T10:35:00.003-04:00

*Warning: I make several references to baby poop in this post*

As I've mentioned in the past, our family uses cloth diapers.

Most of the time, that is. We use disposables when we travel, or every once in awhile when we have to change a diaper on the run. I keep a few up&up's handy in our diaper bag.

Here's a freshly-laundered stack of clean diapers. They come in a bunch of adorable colors! Now that it is summer, we can coordinate Caroline's dresses with her diapers for an extra-cute, extra-easy outfit.

For us, cloth diapers are a cost-saving measure. The initial investment was substantial, but it will save us money over the years. We're all for saving money on things like this. You know, so we can go on vacation more often and such.

Josh calls me a cloth diaper salesman. It's probably true. But that's only because I've had a number of people ask me about them -- friends who are potentially interested in doing cloth diapers with their own children. And cloth diapers work well for our family, so I'm happy to share about our little system.

I'll do my best to answer the questions here.

What kind do you use?
We use bumGenius 4.0's, the kind with snaps instead of velcro. We'd heard from friends that velcro can wear out after multiple washings. Snaps don't. At $17.95 each they aren't the cheapest cloth diapers on the market. But we have a few friends that use this brand and they've been happy with them. Plus, we figured that if we were going to go with cloth diapers, we wanted some that worked. Like really well.

These particular diapers are called "pocket diapers" because (obviously) there is a pocket involved. There are two parts - the cover and the insert. The covers come one-size-fits-all with all kinds of adjustable snaps. And every diaper comes with two inserts, one that's small for infants, and one that's larger and adjustable for bigger kids. Caroline didn't stay in the infant size for very long, and now we use the larger, more absorbent insert. For overnight needs, we stuff her diapers with both inserts for super-duper absorbency. It looks like the world's largest diaper, but IT WORKS.

So yes, we've been really pleased with them thus far. They...

A) Keep poop and pee in. The most important part, of course!
B) Are cute.
C) Will expand to fit Caroline as she gets older.
D) Wash clean and dry quick.
E) Have different absorbency options for small babies and big babies, daytime and overnight.

When did you start using them?
Although the diapers claim to fit babies as small as 8 pounds, I don't think they're the best for itty bitty babies. They're just a little big for newborns. We put Caroline in cloth around 6 weeks old, when she was between 9 and 10 pounds. We'd thought we would wait a little longer, but disposable diapers kept failing us, again and again. Pampers. Huggies. Newborn and size 1. Daily blowouts. So we tried cloth, and found that our blowouts decreased SIGNIFICANTLY. Yee-haw.

Do they leak?
No diaper can keep it all in, all the time. But we've been really pleased with just how these work. Our blowouts went way down when we made the switch. She rarely pees or poop out of them.

What is the cost savings?
I've read that families spend $1500-$2000 on diapers by the time their kids are potty trained. On the flip side, we have about $500 worth of cloth diapers and they'll last the entire time. And, they can be re-used for future kids. Bonus.

What about poop?
There are no two ways around it. You have to get a little more up close and personal with your baby's poop when you're using cloth. Most of the time, you'll need to get the baby's poop out of the diaper before you wash it. But really, it's not that big of a deal. Aren't you already more up close and personal with somebody else's poop than you ever thought you'd be?

When your baby is on an all-mama-milk diet, dirty diapers are no big deal. You don't even need to get it out of the diaper before you launder it. Just take the poopy diaper off your child, store in somewhere, and throw it in the wash with the others, come time.

It all changes when your baby starts on solid foods. Her poop is no longer water soluble.

One of our friends turned us on to these little beauties: Flushable liners. We put these between Caroline's botton and her diaper with each change. And then when we've got a dirty diaper on our hands, we can just pull a corner of the liner off of the diaper, and dump it into the toilet. And flush it away. EASY.

They're usually a little residue left in the diaper, but the washing machine can handle it.

What about diaper rash cream?
Our diapers don't recommend you use diaper rash cream with them, because it can worm its way into the fabric and decrease the absorbency. Obviously this can be a bit problematic, since rash cream comes in handy. However, when you use diaper liners, you don't have to worry about it. They protect the diaper from the cream.

Are they hard to use?
Nope. The process of changing them is really similar to changing any other kind of diaper. Since we use liners, there's a very small extra step involved. We also use baby powder on her little bottom - the cornstarch-based kind. Traditional baby powder uses talc, and that can be bad for babies' lungs. So I read, anyway.

What about wipes?
We also use cloth diaper wipes (why not?) and have been pleased with them thus far. We use this kind, which we like because there's a little bit of texture involved. It comes in handy for scrubbing! They really look and feel like little washcloths. We keep a little bucket of water + a squirt of baby soap + a squirt of baby oil near her changing table. When we're ready for a change, we just dunk a dry cloth wipe into the bucket to get it wet, and then wipe away.

When we don't have the little bucket handy, we just dunk the dry wipe under a running faucet to wet it down. It works just fine.

Where do you store them?
bumGenius recommends that dirty and wet diapers be stored dry (no water or solution involved), which is great because it's super easy.

We've got two places where we keep them in our house, mainly because we have two floors and it's convenient to have two spots.

First, we've got a little plastic trash can/diaper pail in the garage.

The other spot is right in her bedroom. We bought a big wet bag online and put up a little sticky hook on her dresser. It is lined with something waterproof, and zips on top. And it does a great job of keeping all the smells in.

And - bonus - I just toss it in the washing machine with the diapers and clean them all at once.

What about the smell?
Of course used diapers smell. We just do our best to manage it. Diaper pail in the garage. Zipper bag in Caroline's room.

And on diaper washing day? Especially since our washer and dryer are right off of the kitchen? We burn candles. And sometimes just take off for an hour.

How do you launder them?
This part isn't too hard. First, pull the inserts out of the diaper covers and put them all in the washing machine, along with the wet bag and diaper wipes.

We have a fancy-schmancy washing machine (thanks to my in-laws!) that has a "Sanitary" cycle built right in. It's a looooong wash cycle (2+ hours) and we give it an extra rinse as well. Once per month we add a half cup of bleach to the load, which nicely takes care of lingering smells.

If you don't have a crazy washing machine, it's still totally doable. First wash the diapers on cold (to get the poop off, basically). Then wash on hot to get them nice and clean. Then give them an extra rinse before drying.

We line dry the diaper covers and use the dryer to dry the inserts, the wipes, and the wet bag.

You're supposed to be super careful on what you use for detergent, since dyes and certain chemicals can break down the diapers over time. We use a scoop of Charlie's Soap and a half scoop of Baby OxiClean.

And there you go. More than you ever wanted to know about cloth diapers! Anything I'm missing?

Any further tips and tricks that I should know about, all you veteran cloth diaper-ers?

Also, there's a bunch of resources on the internet (of course!) so feel free to check out these links for more info:
Cotton Babies FAQ
Pin Stripes and Polka Dots

Wordless Wednesday: Blue

2011-06-15T08:56:00.001-04:00

Road Trip, Stop #2: Charleston, SC

2011-06-13T16:22:00.004-04:00

How did I live for 27 years and NOT know just how cool Charleston is?

I had no idea.

The old, majestic houses. The iron scrolls. The history. The side porches. Oh my goodness. Incredible.

We also enjoyed the food. No surprises there.

We stayed with one of my best friends from my childhood - Laura. She actually lives in a darling historic house on the north end of down town. I loved getting to spend time with her in Charleston. We haven't had much of a chance to spend time together since high school. You know, ten years ago. And two weeks after we left? This girl got married! So happy for them.

When we were in town she asked me to take some photos of Charleston that they could use to hang up in their living room. She wants 4 of them, and for them to be square.

A photo project? FUN.

So we walked all around town. Caroline strolled.

And was sometimes fed a bottle as we went.

So, if you were Laura and her husband, Adam, what Charleston pics would you choose?

A. The Battery. Apparently Charleston and the surrounding areas played a pretty important role in both the Civil and Revolutionary Wars. I don't think I really knew that.

B. Totally awesome iron gates. They're all over town.

C. Window grates. This one is a classic "harp."

D. The iconic pineapple fountain. They even let you play in it!

E. The side porch is classic Charleston.

F. Can I have this house, please?

G. Local women sit and weave these on street corners. Beautiful work.

H. I forget the significance of this house. But it is OLD. Like, 1700's.

I. Pineapples are big down there. I think it's a symbol of welcome.

J. Another fabulous house with a crazy-cool iron gate.

And then we've got more choices for Laura and Adam. Do they want color?

Or perhaps they want them in black and white?

What about a retro vibe?

I'm fond of this faded effect:

Road Trip!

2011-06-11T16:41:00.001-04:00

We've had ourselves a good old fashioned road trip.

Just the three of us, the open road, and a Subaru packed to the gills with diapers, a pool floatie, and Mum Mums. I usually try to be minimalist when I pack but OH MY STARS I failed miserably this time around.

Ah, well.

First stop: NORTH CAROLINA. Where we have some dear friends. They were sweet enough to let us stay with them, and then proceeded to feed us with an awesome assortment of Southern favorites. Including BBQ and homemade strawberry ice cream. They've got four darling little boys, and we loved spending time with all of them.

Seriously. How cute are these two? Whitman is just a couple of months older than Caroline.

We picked strawberries together.

We enjoyed some fellowship. And Wii Super Mario Bros. (Let's face it. That was mostly Josh. Jack experienced my skills, and then didn't ask me to play with him again.)

We even took a day trip to the coast, explored an old fort, took a car ferry, and ate dinner by the ocean. MMM.

Thank you, Caroline and Whitman, for cooperating so nicely.

And, to our delight, this family is going to stay with us soon, when they're on a road trip of their own. Perfect!

We're completely blessed to have friends and family in all corners of the country. So, you know, we can pop by on road trips. And catch up. And eat. And love on each others' kids.

And we had a fantastic time with this family. Loved them.

Next stop: CHARLESTON, SC

6 Month Pictures

2011-06-05T21:42:00.003-04:00

This is 6 months:

Constantly kicking feet.
Interested in what's going on around her.

Eating copious amounts of baby food - everything but avocado.
All toys inserted into the mouth. The ones that crinkle are always nice.

Lots of poop.
Lots of drool.
Lots of swinging in the back yard.

Open-mouthed kisses. That involve tongue.
Tooth-less grins.

Bare feet since shoes don't stay on.
Exersaucer.
Mum mums.

Family vacation.
Dumb baby songs always make for a smile.

Violent splashing in the bath.
Rolling all over.

Little interest in sitting up.
Constant babbles.

Attempting to sit, falling over, and laughing about it. Standing up is much preferred.
Trouble with naps.

Early morning nursing in bed with mama and then falling back asleep.
Not much hair.

13 pounds, 4 ounces (4th percentile)
25 3/4 inches long (41st percentile)

Lots of work, but very fun.

[A huge, gargantuan, everlasting THANK YOU to Sarah for taking such incredible pictures - the last 7 included in the post - of our family!]

Six months

2011-05-20T09:25:00.002-04:00

okay, so I'm 2 days late in posting this...

5/18/11

Dear Caroline,

Today you are six months old. And what a sweet, smiling, darling little baby you are. Your big blue eyes dance when people talk to you, and your gummy grin melts my heart. And your laugh, oh that precious little chuckle. It almost takes my breath away. Family, friends, and strangers alike stop to tell me how beautiful you are. And of course I agree 100%.

Although I’m excited for your next steps (sitting up, teeth, and crawling) I’m perfectly content to enjoy your babyhood in the “now.” You’re such an easy baby. You go with the flow, each and every day. You love your Exersaucer, your Sophie toy, and anything that crinkles – including the bag of chips you dumped over yesterday.

You also love the swing in our backyard, and we'd use it more if it would EVER stop raining.

You’re SUCH a good little eater, and you eagerly open your mouth for each new food we try. You’re even starting to feed yourself, with Mum Mums and and a little mesh bag I can put bananas in. And you're a complete disaster after each and every meal.

This week we’ll take you on our first family vacation, and we can hardly wait. We’ll even dip your little toes into the ocean! I wonder if you’ll like it. You sure do love your baths! You kick and kick and splash to your heart’s content. And then roll around naked in your towel afterward. It’s a favorite time of day for all three of us.

And by the way, your nude Elvis-inspired butt-wiggle is the funniest thing anyone has ever seen. Not very ladylike!

Life with you is so very sweet. Your daddy and I love spending time with you. We praise God for you and seek His guidance for how best to raise you. I’m sure we’ll make mistakes along the way, but we so hope to grow you into a loving, kind, adventurous child.

But for now, stay little for a while longer.

Love,
Mama

Motherhood

2011-05-09T08:59:00.003-04:00

God has given me the desire of my heart: A family of my very own.

I don't have words. But I'm so deeply thankful.

I love it. Almost every moment.

The Lord has richly blessed me. I don't deserve this based on anything I've done. It's pure grace.

I'm forever grateful.

In our backyard...

2011-05-06T09:26:00.000-04:00

Me: She's too little.

Josh: No, she's not. Look at her. She likes it.

Me: No she doesn't. Look.

Josh: Yes she does, you just have to push her.

Me: Not too high! Her little neck...

I was wrong. Or course. Once she started going, she was all smiles.

To quote my friend Amy, "this is why kids need dads."

The contents of an Easter basket for a 5-month-old.

2011-05-04T09:34:00.000-04:00

At the last minute, I decided to throw practicality to the wind and get Caroline an Easter basket. A non-negotiable tradition, right?

And then my practical side kicked in again.

She needs nothing. Of course. I buy her stuff on a regular basis. Onesies. Rice cereal. Fast flow bottle nipples. A clip-on high chair. Etcetera. What's the difference between that and piling goodies into a basket for her to "open" on Easter Sunday? Not much.

But for the sake of taking pictures of her "first Easter basket", I did just that.

I found an unused basket in our house, and padded the bottom with a towel.

Then I loaded the following into exciting items into it:

Oatmeal cereal. We were running out.
Baby food jars/packets of fruit. When you can't eat candy, fruit is the closest thing, right?
Spoons. Because we were always running low on them.
Sippy cups. We'll need them eventually.

And then a few gifts more for fun. Books, of course.

A book about baby sign language. Can't wait to start that in a couple of months!

And my personal favorites: Two "Indestructibles" books. Yes, that's right. Bite proof, rip proof, chew proof, and completely washable. AWESOME. My friend Kendra had brought some to Indy for the Hoosier weekend, and I was totally impressed. I picked out Humpty Dumpty (because it seemed Easter-ish) and Mama and Baby.

I love the colors. The artwork. The fact that there aren't words and I can just talk with Caroline about each page. I highly recommend them!

Cousins!

2011-04-25T23:00:00.004-04:00

Look at these two.

Telling secrets already. Nothing but trouble.

Michelle is my cousin. Inez is her little girl. She's just two months younger than Caroline.

Michelle and I grew up together. We were very close. We're hoping that these two get numerous chances to spend time together over the years. You know, playing Barbies. And American Girls. And more Barbies. Like their moms used to do.

Caroline and I tagged along on Josh's business trip to Chicago. That gave us the opportunity to hang out with Michelle and Inez for the day. Way fun.

The weather that day was terrible. Cold and rainy. But you wouldn't know it in the Garfield Park Conservatory.

We actually met up at a great downtown coffee shop. And then walked the babies, in the rain, to the green line. And then kind strangers helped us heave the strollers up the stairs.

We rode the L out to Garfield Park, and enjoyed the warmth and beauty of the conservatory.

And it was so fun to catch up.

The girls cooperated nicely by sleeping.

After walking around the gardens, we took the L farther out to Oak Park for lunch. Quite the adventure! We loved it all.

Michelle and Inez, we can't wait to see you again soon!

Wishing you and yours a blessed day.

2011-04-24T16:52:00.001-04:00

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

Hoosier Weekend

2011-04-22T09:23:00.004-04:00

Josh graduated from Indiana's Kelley School of Business almost two years ago.

TWO YEARS.

While he was in school, we made so many great friends. It was awesome. I miss them. Most of us were new to Bloomington at the time. Most of us were on an adventure. Many of us were pre-kids. We were all a bit short on cash. We clicked for those two years of business school. And then graduation happened, and we scattered to different locations for different jobs.

Some of us landed in Columbus. Praise God for Kelley friends here! It made moving to Columbus so much easier.

But others landed in Minneapolis. Indianapolis. Chicago. And, sniff sniff, we haven't seen some of our friends since graduation.

And you know what? Many of us have gotten busy since then. As in, busy making babies. When we graduated, one of us was pregnant. Now between us there are five babies. And more on the way.

It took months of planning. And emailing. And coordinating car seats and pack & plays. (Most of that was done by our terrific hosts, the LaRue's!) One family took their nine-month-old twins on an airplane. The rest of us drove, and met in suburban Indy for a reunion weekend.

It was baby central: Ryan, Oliver, Tyler, Stella, and Caroline.

I love how Tyler is gnawing on Oliver's arm, and how Stella is stealing Caroline's pacifier.

Stella: Haha, I've got it!

Moms and babies. For the record, Lora (in pink) is holding one of Kendra's twins.

Oliver - isn't he handsome?

Love the baby blues.

Stella, Oliver's twin, has awesome cheeks.

And she learned to crawl that weekend!

Krueger twins! Adorable.

Cute family!

Tyler is a month older than Caroline and can now sit up on his own. She was impressed.

Ryan was the "old man" of the group at almost 2. His baby sister is expected in the next month. And he wasn't a huge fan of his mom holding Caroline.

He warmed up to her eventually, however.

Tracy and Kendra with their sweet little boys.

The LaRues were fantastic hosts. They opened their home to the baby madness, made all kinds of food, borrowed extra baby equipment, and overall made all of us feel right at home.

This is what we did most of the time.

Adult hung out; babies played.

Actually, the men played too.

Little kid basketball. Ryan's toys. Plus beer. In the mud room. For hours.

The boys felt that they needed a "team" photo.

And we girls went with a more normal shot.

You know you have good friends when, after two years of not seeing them, it feels like nothing has changed.

You know, except babies.

The Basement Project: Trash Removal

2011-04-08T22:10:00.003-04:00

Random unrelated tangent: Blogger tells me I've had 600 posts! Holy Cow.

Back to the (somewhat boring) basement update.

Remember this? See the first picture in particular.

Well, we had a bunch of junk down there. Random 2x4's (thank you previous owners!) Boxes of childhood memorabilia (thank you Mom and Dad!) Assorted old suitcases, furniture and books (thank you us!)

Oh, and materials that we were replacing. Floor tiles and ceiling tiles, mostly. And an ugly bathroom vanity + mirror.

All this adds up to a serious need to purge. We saved a lot of mementos from our childhoods and our wedding, and stored them neatly in the unfinished room. And then what was left - and salvageable - went to Goodwill. But my old Psychology 100 notes? Stained ceiling tiles? No one wants those. We needed a trash strategy, as we had a crap-load of, well, crap to get rid of. Enter Bagster.

We picked up two of these bags at Lowe's. I think they were $29 each. They come in these very manageable packages, and then it's up to you to set them up in your driveway.

Setting them up is super easy. It basically involves unfolding a large green bag.

And then, we filled 'em up.

And then, we let them sit in our driveway for two months. Yes, it was classy.

Thankfully our next door neighbors were doing a remodeling job of their own, and had a tub and toilet in their front yard at the same time.

We were teaming up to raise property values in the area. Clearly.

When we FINALLY got around to it, we went to Bagster's website and arranged for a pick up of the bags. The first one was $89 and the second was $69. If we'd had a third or fourth, they'd have been $69 each, too. Just over $200 seemed pretty reasonable to us for major trash pick up!

And then, we were left with a clean slate in the basement. Ready for painting.

My favorite shoes.

2011-04-01T09:37:00.004-04:00

Let me tell you about my favorite pair of shoes.

They're red. They're Reeboks.

At this point, they're faded and dirty, too.

I bought them from Plato's Closet about five years ago for under $20. I continue to wear them all the time. They've been around the country, and the world, with me. I had fun going through some old pictures this morning, looking for my red shoes. Climbing trees in Chile, spring of 2008

Horseback riding in Argentina, spring of 2008

Big hair. Ouch.

Apple picking in Indiana with my friend Jamie, fall of 2008

IU tailgate with our buddies in Bloomington, fall of 2008

Palace of Versailles, France, with Josh, my mom, and my brother, Ben, summer of 2009

Waterfalls in Oregon, fall of 2009

New York City, winter of 2010

Such a cold, cold day.

Washington D.C. with my friends Jamie and DeeDee, spring of 2010

Baby Noah? You're looking the wrong way.

Hocking Hills, Ohio, spring of 2010

Bergen, Norway, summer of 2010

Tallin, Estonia, summer of 2010

St. Petersburg, Russia, summer of 2010

Yes, I was pregnant in that picture. Yes, I do realize it is unflattering. Yes, this is why you haven't seen this pic before.

Olso, Norway, summer of 2010

I'm totally impressed that these shoes have lasted this long. But, not surprisingly, they're losing more and more tread. And getting more and more dirty and faded. It's time. For a new pair. Or perhaps these? Help me choose! When I originally thought of this random little blog post, I had planned to end it there. But oh. my. word. Looking through these pictures. Remembering all of those moments. I'm struck with renewed thankfulness that we've had so many opportunities to travel. We so enjoy exploring new places and discovering new things. And we've been ever so blessed to partake in our favorite hobby so often over these last few years. It's humbling. Thank you, Jesus. For enabling us to go so many places. And for my red shoes.

Four months and some change...

2011-03-29T08:08:00.000-04:00

Um, I think that face is getting rounder by the second.

I think those baby blues are here to stay.

Her eyes are totally expressive.

I'm finally getting better at capturing smiles on camera. Thank goodness!

I still don't recognize that nose.

She's got an awesome bald spot in the back. And under that is a nice mullet.

She now likes her Bumbo seat and Exersaucer. And still hates that adorable swing that sits empty in our living room.

Sometimes I think her hair is blonde. Sometimes I think brown.

Sometimes I think she looks like me. Sometimes I think Josh.

And yes, she's still little:

11lb 8oz (8th percentile)
24.5in (56th percentile)

Also known as...

2011-03-28T08:23:00.000-04:00

...lack of willpower.

Don't call the baby police...

2011-03-24T10:23:00.001-04:00

... but may have started solids 'round here.

We may have started a few days prior to the four month mark.

We may have done zero research on it.

I may have given her mashed banana out of frazzle and in the hopes that it would stop her fussing one evening.

She may have eaten several spoonfuls that night.

We may have fed her solids every day since then.

She may be a mess each and every time.

But man does she love it.

More, please?

Finally!

2011-03-23T15:09:00.003-04:00

I have a confession to make.

Josh got me these frames for Christmas, and I haven't put anything in them until now.

And no, not Christmas 2010. Christmas 2009.

Which means that we've had unfilled picture frames hanging over our bed for well over a year.

A year of seeing only the basic IKEA messaging. A year of unfinished-ness. A year where we traveled, worked on other house projects, and took lots of pictures.

Part of the problem was indecision. What to fill them with? We originally thought vacation pictures. Then family pictures. And although we looked through countless folders, the right photos never presented themselves. And we'd always thought that they should be somehow related, and close-ups. And then that made the picture hunting even more difficult.

The other part of the problem was the fact that we mostly don't care what our bedroom looks like. We don't make our bed. There are usually dirty clothes on our floor. There is a layer of dust on the furniture. I know, I know. I'm a terrible house keeper. Judge all you want. It's the simple truth. We'll work hard to clean the main floor when we have company over, but no one besides us ever sees our bedroom, and so we just lack motivation to keep it neat.

Maybe someday.

I have hopes of changing my ways. Hasn't happened yet.

Anyway, where was I?

Frames. Yes.

We finally, finally settled on the idea of a pattern instead of a photo. Once again I drew inspiration from these guys, who reminded me that you can just fill frames with paper. Who knew?

So Caroline and I headed over to the nearest Archiver's and bought $9 worth of coordinating paper. I didn't choose them all from the same brand or line of paper so that they'd be different. Not too matchy-matchy. And I tried to choose a few different kinds of patterns. I'm a sucker for polka dots and have to force myself to choose other patterns from time to time. I was hopeful that they'd just flow together.

For the record, Archiver's has WAY better paper than Michael's or Hobby Lobby.

I took 'em home and started cutting a bunch of circles using my handy dandy circle cutter. Then I experimented with a bunch of different configurations and ended up with a set that I liked.

And here's what I came up with:

Paper circles + glue stick + brown paper.

Simple. Easy. I'm not 100% in love, but I sure am relieved to have something in those frames. Especially something that only cost $9.

One of these days I'll take a full bedroom shot so that you can get the full effect.

But since the room is messy (see confessions above) you'll just have to wait.

This girl.

2011-03-22T11:04:00.003-04:00

Curious.

Mischievous.

Learning.

Exploring.

Solemn.

Smiley.

Every day I whisper to her...

Life with you is so sweet.

Thank you, Jesus.

I Heart Freezer Meals.

2011-03-16T10:39:00.001-04:00

I like to cook, but only sometimes. The daily grind of figuring out what to do about dinner is stressful for me. When I was pregnant, I got especially bad at it, and usually just asked Josh to pick up Wendy's or pizza on his way home from work. Now that I'm getting back into the swing of things, I've put meal planning back on my to-do list.

But still, I don't really enjoy it.

The missing ingredient. The run to the store. The messy kitchen. The dirty dishes. Every night. Ick.

So lately, I've gotten more serious about making meals ahead of time and freezing them. My friend Erin is a freezer meal queen and got me started with a bunch of helpful tips and recipes. It's been great. I can just pull the meals out of the freezer the night before, thaw them, and heat 'em up for dinner time. Sometimes the dish requires me to boil up some pasta. Or warm up some veggies to serve on the side. I can handle that.

In any case, it's bliss.

Every time I pull a meal out of the freezer, I'm thankful for it.

Thankful that all of the ingredients are there. Thankful that I don't have to completely destroy my kitchen that evening. Thankful that I don't have to put mental energy into the age-old question of what's for dinner. Thankful that, for that day, I can serve up a hot, home cooked meal to my sweet husband when he gets home from work.

It's also a pretty economical way to cook. Buying in bulk and catching sale prices works out well in my family's budget. And when I'm cooking a lot of food in one day, I actually use most of the ingredients I buy. You know, instead of buying a whole bag of cheese and only needing a small portion of it.

So far for me, I've found that it's most helpful to just spend a day making all of the meals. I know that others make freezer meals as they go, and that can work well, too. And this last time I invited a friend to join me in that endeavor. We split the groceries and meals down the middle between us. And spent an afternoon cooking together.

It's way more fun that way. Let me just tell you.

We chose 5 recipes, and doubled them all. Then split them up into 2-3 person servings. And from those were able to make 12 main dishes each. And the cost was just over $50 for each family. Just over $4 per meal on average? Yes please!

And now, here's our freezer:

Please disregard the baggie of breast milk cubes. Then again, I suppose it is another example of a freezer meal!

Here's the fridge, and what we're having for dinner:

Here's some leftover pesto + asiago cheese from Sunday.

MMM Good.

In case you're curious, here's what we made this time around:
1. Chicken Involtini (we just used chicken instead of steak in this recipe)
2. Short Stop's Chicken Tetrazzini
3. PW's Enchiladas
4. Pesto
5. Chicken Potpie Empanadas

The Basement Project: Tour

2011-03-15T09:38:00.000-04:00

We've been itching to work on our outdated, semi-functional basement for a while now. Like practically since we moved in.

There's a lot of space. The entire footprint of our main floor is down there, and 3/4 of it is finished. So that's always been really nice.

However, in no way did we ever want to go down there.

The problems:
1. Lighting. Dim/broken florescent tubes behind dirty sheets of plastic.

2. Flooring. Stick-on tiles that had lost their stick.

3. Walls. Lots of fake wood paneling. Yuck.

4. Ceiling. A drop ceiling with old, stained panels. And a dark brown metal grid. Awesome. Oh, and since a water pipe to the outside burst last year, we'd lost a few panels to water damage.

5. Filled with junk. As seen in picture #1. Some of our own, some left behind by the previous owners. Lovely.

We set out to tackle each of these problems. On a budget, of course. And we'll cover the various aspects of the remodel in subsequent posts.

But first, let me take you on a little "before" tour. Squint your eyes and think about what could be.

First, you walk down the stairs. Steep ones! You a little taste of paneling and ugly lighting on your way down.

Turn right. You're in the biggest of the three finished rooms. Someday we'll put a couch and a bunch of toys down here.

Walk into the room and to the right, past the wrapping paper, and you'll see a door to the little half bath.

Walk back into the playroom, and you'll find a door to the unfinished room. Yay, storage! This one isn't changing much. Save adding some of our storage stuff from the other 3 rooms. You know... suitcases, Christmas decorations, half-used paint cans, sentimental wedding paraphernalia, etc.

If you head back to the bottom of the stairs, and turn left (instead of right) you'll find yourself here:

We're not sure what we'll do with that space. If we're here long enough, maybe will spring for a ping pong table? We'll see.

And then if you walk through the ping pong room, you'll find finished room #3. This picture was taken when we toured the house for the first time. Apparently the previous owner used it as putting practice. We'd like to find some used exercise equipment and put it in there.

If you walked through the exercise room and opened the far door, you'd find yourself back in the unfinished space. Clear as mud? Good.

Sibling Rivalry

2011-03-02T09:59:00.000-05:00

Me: Okay, Caroline. It's time for your weekly photoshoot!
Caroline: I gueeesssss.

Me: Put your hands in your mouth.
Caroline: Done.

Me: And another?
Caroline: I'm all over it.

Caroline: But what is that I hear?

Caroline: It's coming closer. And I don't like it.

Riley: Why does she get all the spotlight? I want in!

Riley: If she can be on her back, so can I.

Riley: [sings] Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you.

Caroline: I'm not so sure about this.

Riley: Head shots? I'm in!

Caroline: Mom, I should be the center of attention, right?

Riley: Nope, you've got to share it with me!

Caroline: Mom, can't you make him go away?

Riley: Nope! In fact, I'm just going to butt you out of here, Caroline.

Caroline: He's getting hairs all over my pretty quilt!

Riley: Ha ha, suckers!

Hats and Hands... Caroline's 3 Month Pictures

2011-02-22T10:26:00.000-05:00

My friend Lora and I teamed up to take some 3 month shots of Caroline last week.

We had hats. Cute ones. To me, there's nothing cuter than a baby + diaper + hat. And maybe some booties. Who needs more clothes than that?

And then we had hands. In almost every shot. These days, it's impossible to keep Caroline's hands out of her mouth.

They're her new toys.

We tried for a smile. And failed. And got more hands shots.

But you know what? Right now she likes her hands. So it's appropriate that her 3 month pics are largely shots of Caroline trying to shove both fists into her mouth.

I know I'll look back on these and smile to remember this passing little quirk.

Unrelated: I'm in love with our cloth diapers. Isn't this green one adorable?

And okay, we did manage to snap a couple of non-hand pictures, too.

Are those blue eyes here to stay? Time will tell.

We drool a lot around here.

Pretty in pink.

And you know how this girl was skinny last month? Well, she's still pretty scrawny. Even more so, actually! We may have to invest in suspenders to keep her pants up one of these days...

3 Month Stats:
10lbs 11oz (10th-ish percentile)
23 1/2in (50th-ish percentile)

And for the record...
The pink hat + booties were a gift from my cousin Rebecca, and the multicolored hat was a gift from our friend Kendra. Love them both! And the diaper is a bumGenius 4.0 with snaps.

Growing Girl

2011-02-19T17:07:00.002-05:00

Yep, she keeps right on getting bigger. And stronger. And (slightly) chubbier.

And I'm dreaming up ways of using all of these weekly photos - especially once there's 52 of them. Wall collage? Photo book? 52 photo mugs? Okay, probably not that one. But for now it's fun to look back and see little changes week to week.

Traveling with a baby.

2011-02-14T07:43:00.000-05:00

The very idea seems to strike fear into the hearts of new parents. It was certainly a daunting thought to us a couple of weeks ago!

What should I pack? Will my baby cry on the plane? How do I navigate security with an infant? Can I bring milk or formula on board?

These are the questions that keep us new moms up at night.

We've now been to Phoenix and Orlando in the course of a couple of weeks. Those trips involved three different flights, a long car ride, and several different accommodations. Before our first trip, I asked the collective wisdom of facebook about their tips on flying with an infant. I received at least 20 responses in about five hours. Fantastic insights! They were super helpful to us as we traveled. And along the way, we gathered a few more tidbits.

Since we've been back, we've already had a number of friends ask for our tips for traveling with a baby. I figure there might be more of you out there wondering the same thing. So here we go...

1. Flexibility is your friend.

If you're a schedule nazi, I think you'll need to drop it for the duration of your trip. Go with the flow. Rock your baby to sleep, even if you're a cry-it-out-er at home. Feed your baby when she fusses, even if you usually feed on 3 hour intervals. Roll with it. Knowing upfront that everything will be haywire will make you feel better about life.

2. Nurse on the way up and nurse on the way down.

Or use a pacifier! Or feed a bottle. This was the #1 piece of advice we got on facebook, and it worked super well! I've heard that it helps equalize the pressure in their ears. I don't know if Caroline had any issues with pressure or not, but since we didn't have any crying fits during take off or landing, I'm going to assume it worked.

3. On that note, get used to nursing in public (if you nurse, obviously).

This is a fairly controversial/personal issue, I realize. Personally, I nurse Caroline everywhere. Park benches. Friends' houses. Restaurants. The backseat of a car (that is parked). Rides at Disney World. I don't like to isolate myself from my friends and family just because I need to feed my baby, so I cover up and nurse in all kinds of different locations. This was especially helpful when I was traveling, since good private locations for nursing just aren't always available. I personally use a nursing apron/cover, akin to this one so I'm always covered and discreet. If you sew at ALL, you can also find great patterns for them online. In any case, it might be my most-used baby item.

4. Leave your pump at home.

Because of my thoughts on #3, I was comfortable with kissing my pump goodbye temporarily. It's just a big space hog and not 100% necessary to a trip.

5. Buy pre-mixed formula.

We don't use much formula around here, but found it to be a very handy backup option for travel. Especially the ready-to-go cans. On one of the flights, Caroline got super cranky. Since we were confined to the seat, we weren't able to calm her down using normal methods. She'd recently nursed, so I knew I didn't have much mama milk for her to munch on. So for the sake of the other passengers, we gave her a formula bottle and it did the trick! We also found it helpful to have formula on hand for car trips. We were able to tide her over here and there if she fussed between stops.

6. Leave your car seat base at home.

Okay, first check your own car seat and make sure you can buckle in the carrier without a base. Read the directions and find out how to do it. And then save space in your luggage and leave the base in your own car at home. We have a Chicco Keyfit and it works perfectly to simply buckle it into any car.

7. Check with your airline about their allowances for checking car seats and strollers.

For our first trip, we used US Air. They allowed us to gate check either our car seat or a stroller for free. We knew we'd need both in Phoenix, so ended up stuffing an umbrella stroller into a duffel bag, and then packing our clothes in around it. That way we were able to just check (and pay for) one item instead of two. But that's just us and our cheap ways. The third flight was with AirTran and they allowed both a car seat and a stroller to be checked for free, either at the ticket counter or the gate. I found none of this information on the airline's website, and had to call them directly.

8. Put a cloth diaper cover over the disposable diaper on your baby's bum.

We have blow out issues at our house when we use disposable diapers. That was part of the reason we switched to cloth when we did. But we still use disposables for travel. Two different facebook friends recommended taking a BumGenius cover (no insert, just a cover) and putting it right on top of Caroline's disposable diaper for an extra layer of protection. It worked like a charm! It saved us from more than one blow out during our travels. I actually forgot to pack cloth diaper covers for Disney World, and had to deal with the consequences more than once. Not so fun.

9. Swaddle your baby into their car seat or stroller.

This was a trip from my friend DeeDee, mother of 3, two of which are twins. If you're a swaddle-r, you may have noticed that your velcro swaddle blankets have a hole near your baby's rear end. This is for car-seat swaddle ability. Simply lay the swaddle blanket into the car seat/stroller, and pull the bottom strap through the hole. Pull the wings through the arm holes, and the put your baby in. Buckle the car seat/stroller as usual, and then arrange the swaddle blanket around the baby. I've found that this strategy really helps Caroline sleep longer and better when she needs to nap on the go. This was great for both our car trip to Florida as well as our Disney World adventures.

(And please don't call the baby police on me for putting Caroline in an umbrella stroller prior to her 3 month mark. We didn't feel like dragging our big jogging stroller across the country. We also used that yellow cushion, which helped stabilize her little head.) Also, the swaddle blanket is the primary colored one with the planes, boats, and cars.

10. One heavy blanket and one light one should cover your blanket needs.

The heavy blanket doubles as a coat (with a car seat) or changing mat, in a pinch. The light one can be used as a sun shade, a burp cloth, a swaddle blanket, etc. Or, if you're my mom, a scarf.

11. Make do.

Don't haul all of the baby crap you own with you. Since Caroline is so young, we left all toys and books at home. She's just as fascinated with colorful dishes and people's faces as she is with her teddy bears. She was also bathed in a variety of sinks, and toweled off with whatever was available. And she survived without her beloved bouncer seat.

12. If you need to bring a baby bed with you, spring for a Peapod.

You're probably already aware of just how heavy and bulky your pack and play is! The Peapod bed is light (just over five pounds) and fits into carry-on sized luggage. We just took along one of her crib sheets and covered the little air mattress with that. A perfect baby bed for travel!

13. Hands-free carriers are great.

Caroline spent some quality time in her Moby Wrap while we gone! A Bjorn or Ergo would work just as well, I'm sure. It was great for navigating the airport on that third flight when Josh wasn't with me. The only drawback for flights is that they'll make you take it off when you go through security. It was also great for navigating the buses and boats and rides at Disney World. More on that later.

One of these days I'll do a post on Disney World with an infant. But for now, there are my top 13 tips on traveling with a baby. All of these things worked well for us, but I know that each baby and family is unique. Do what works best for you! And on that note, I'm super curious to learn just what that might be.

So, bloggy friends, do share!

Disney World 2011

2011-02-12T12:44:00.003-05:00

Disney World continues to have a special spot in my heart. Since a good chunk of my extended family lives in the Orlando area, I've had the opportunity to visit "the place where dreams come true" many times. And it never gets old!

So when my parents suggested that Caroline and I accompany them on a trip to Florida to see family and visit Disney I jumped at the opportunity. What's maternity leave for?

We stayed for 4 nights in the cabins at Fort Wilderness Campground. If you're traveling with a larger group, especially if that larger group includes kids, I totally recommend this option. There's a full kitchen (so you don't need to eat out for every meal) AND a separate living room/bedroom. That gives you the ability to put kids to bed in the bedroom and then CLOSE THE DOOR and hang out in the living room for the rest of the evening. Genius. It's also pretty reasonable, and even more so if you're willing to buy a few groceries and eat a few meals in the cabin. We're all doing Disney on the cheap in our family.

Silly me, I forgot to take any pics. But they've got plenty at Disney's website.

We spent two days in the Disney parks this time around. The first day we went to Hollywood Studios, and I felt terrible the entire time and went back to the cabin early. Ugh.

Two days later I was on the mend, so my mom, Caroline, and I headed to the Magic Kingdom (my personal favorite!) for the day.

I've NEVER been to Disney on that kind of day before.

Perfect weather. No lines.

WONderful.

Caroline is such a little bitty thing that she obviously had no idea what was going on.

But that didn't stop us from introducing her to the characters. Pluto is my favorite, by the way.

And even though she's totally too young to truly appreciate Disney World, there were a bunch of rides and attractions we could take her on. That way at least we adults could enjoy them, and bring her along.

Do you see that "scarf?"

It's totally one of Caroline's blankets. My mom wore it around her neck the entire time we were at the Magic Kingdom. I don't think I'll let her live that one down.

The last time I was at Disney, I was pregnant. So no rollercoasters for me! This time, however, I enjoyed a few favorites...

Caroline made sure we didn't miss any attractions.

Good-bye for now, Disney World. I can't wait to come back when Caroline can actually appreciate you. And wear Minnie Mouse ears. And potentially get her hair done at the Bippity Bobbity Boutique.

Grea-Nana and Poppa Brown

2011-02-11T16:51:00.004-05:00

Not only did Caroline meet her grandparents (Nana and Poppa) on our trip to Phoenix, she also got to spend time with her great-grandparents.

Josh is an only child. His dad is an only child. And thus, Caroline is the very first great-grandchild for these folks:

Every time I tried to snap a picture of Nana with Caroline, she cried. (Sorry, Nana!)

Poppa had the special touch. And a pacifier.

So fun!

Baby's First Trip

2011-02-10T21:54:00.002-05:00

The first big one, that is. And a very, very important one for this girl.

Caroline met her Brown grandparents for the very first time.

Josh's parents would have loved to meet our little bundle much sooner. In fact, they'd even toyed with the idea of buying a condo in the Columbus area so that they could spend a little more time with all of us. But then Josh's mom received a serious diagnosis a just a couple of weeks before Caroline was born, making her unable to travel.

We spent the first two months of Caroline's life sharing pictures and videos, and chatting regularly over Skype. But it wasn't nearly as good as spending time together in person. Well, we recently got to change all of that.

Let's just say it was wonderful to see them together for the first time.

I think... I think they enjoyed it.

They commiserated with her cranky moments,

bounced her,

kissed her,

and made all kinds of faces and voices in attempts to make her smile.

It was so sweet to behold! Brand new grandparents doting on a little girl.

Two Month Stats

2011-01-25T08:19:00.002-05:00

You see this kid?

The one with the crazy hairline? (It's exactly like her dad's.)

She's two months old now.

And now that she can hold up her head, she thinks she's pretty big stuff.

She's slightly on the scrawny side:

9lb 14oz (23rd percentile)
22 1/2in (53rd percentile)

Maybe petite is a better word. In any case, she's doing great. And she's so much fun.

Ta Da! The laundry nook is complete.

2011-01-24T13:52:00.003-05:00

Yay, laundry nook. You work so much better now!

We've got a clothesline. Perfect for drying diaper covers.

We've got a designated diaper pail spot. Nice and tucked away.

We've got some organization. Laundry soap isn't scattered everywhere anymore! Score! This little blue box/basket was a little Target find. It holds all of the essentials: homemade laundry soap, Baby Oxyclean (great for getting out stains!), a bleach pen, etc.

We even have a little bucket in the corner. For clothes with "special cleaning needs." Read: they have recently been pooped on.

The candle is non-negotiable on diaper day.

And the work surface? Aaaahhhh. A great spot for folding a few towels. Or boxers. Or frilly little girly clothes.

I think this project cost us around $60. The MDF was $25, the clothesline was $13, and the blue box was another $10. We already had the paint. It's our beloved West Highland White that's splashed all over our house.

Whew. So glad to have this little project complete! It's a great little spot.

In case you missed it, here's segment one and segment two in the nook saga.

I'm over it. Mostly.

2011-01-20T08:47:00.000-05:00

When I was pregnant, I spent all kinds of time researching baby gear. And why not? It's a fun way to pass the time. At that time I cared a lot about the aesthetic. The design. The color scheme. Did it fit with our house? Or Nugget's room? Did this shirt meet my criteria for cute baby clothes?

And now that I'm enormously experienced at this motherhood thing (ha!) I've come down from my high horse and realized that I just don't care as much as I thought I did. Rather, I care about other things.

Take bottles, for instance. I though these ones were cutest. And I almost paid OVER $10 EACH for them. They were extra special glass and had those cute covers. My baby needed the best, right?

Well then I realized that glass bottles are HEAVY. Who wants that? And my practical (read: cheap) side kicked in and I bought bottles that numerous folks had recommended. Dr. Browns. Because they were supposed to be the best at keeping air out of my baby's tummy. And who doesn't want that?

And then when Caroline finally came along, she decided that she didn't like Dr. Browns. *Sigh*

So you know what I did? I went to the store and bought some of the cheapest, most basic bottles on the market. The Playtex drop-ins. Nothing new or fancy or special about them. In fact, I think my parents used this kind of bottle for me. But you know what? She eats from them! And the drop-in liner is pretty dang convenient.

Basically, I don't care what she drinks from as long as it works for her. Cute bottles? Who needs 'em?

Then take equipment. All babies are so different in this area! In her two months of life, Caroline has taken little interest in her swing, which in my opinion is adorable. If she's already awake and happy, she's fine in there. And if she's already sleeping, she'll stay that way. But it doesn't soothe her. In fact, she'll get pretty PO'd if you try and stick her in there when she's fussy.

We also got the matching bouncer as a shower gift. Also adorable! It plays music and nature sounds and vibrates nicely. However, it likewise doesn't solve any of her problems.

(Mary Kate, I know you're reading this. If you want to borrow the bouncer once your baby comes, you're welcome to it! You can save your $ for cute clothes.)

In fact, we get more use out of the play mat I picked up for $2.50 at a garage sale than out of either the swing or the bouncer.

When we were visiting friends last week in Michigan, Caroline sat in another kid's bouncer seat. That seat was more basic than ours, and actually bounced when I kicked it rhythmically with my foot. And you know what? It soothed her! She liked it!

So a quick trip to Target and $25 later, we ended up with this guy. And lo and behold! I can unload the dishwasher (while bouncing her with my foot) and she's content in there! Or read a book on how to get your child to nap during the day (while bouncing her with my foot.) Is it particularly cute or soft or sweet? Does it play music? No, no, and no. Does it flow with the decor of our house? Nope. But IT WORKS.

Then there's baby clothes. Call me a snob if you want, but always I thought I'd be picky about what she wore. And I kind of still am. But I have very different criteria these days. I used to drool over all kinds of kids clothes from all kinds of different companies. We bought a few things here and there for fun, and also received all kinds of clothes from generous friends and family.

I used to care about only what the clothes looked like on the hanger, or in the box.

Now it's way more important to me to see how they fit her. Dwell Studio clothes (which I love the looks of) have thus far been too wide for my string bean-ish child. They look awkward on her. I do have a Dwell Studio outfit waiting for her in the next size up, and I'm hopeful it work at that time. We have the same issue with Janie and Jack. Carter's clothes, on the other hand, fit her like a glove. And thus, they end up being my go-to clothes for her. I never disliked Carters, but I wouldn't have considered them my favorites, either, prior to Caroline's arrival.

I guess I'm just learning that motherhood is just big fat trial and error experience. A humbling one at that.

And I love it.

Laundry Nook in Progress

2011-01-18T07:38:00.000-05:00

So, after cleaning up the area, here's where we were at to start out the project:

The trash can-ish thing is a diaper pail.

Step 1: Add a clothesline to the area.

Where does one go to purchase clothesline? I couldn't find it in stores around here, and so quickly navigated my way to Amazon and bought it there.

(On a side note, I bought 200 feet and only need about 20. Does anyone need some clothesline? We've got some to spare.)

We bought some simple "screw eyes" from the hardware store and screwed one into each wall of the nook. Then we tied the ends of clothesline into those "eyes."

Depending on our ongoing diaper needs, we may add another line to this space, or else string some up in the nearby garage. But for now one line works for us.

Step 2: Put in a big flat workspace.

The idea was simple. The reality was slightly more complicated.

The idea: buy a piece of wood, get it cut at the hardware store, paint it, and set it on top of the washer and dryer.

The reality: a tight fit, slightly uneven walls, and a few cords/hoses to work around.

First we measured out the dimensions of our nook, and planned out just how big we wanted our wood to be. We decided that on one side it should extend to the wall, but on the other side leave some space for the brooms and mops to be stored. We also wanted it to extend to the back of the nook so that junk couldn't fall behind the machines.

We bought a piece of MDF (medium density fiberboard) at the store and asked them to cut it to our basic dimensions.

Then we brought it home and used a jig saw to cut out some areas for the hoses and cords in the back.

Then we used some leftover trim paint to paint it white.

The right side butts up against the wall.

The left side ends where the dryer ends so that we've got a spot for the brooms and mops. You can also see where we tore up the wall putting it in.

I thought we'd need some additional stabilization so I'd added L brackets. As it turns out, the MDF is wedged in so tightly that the L brackets arent' necessary.

So far, so good. But that view above? It's ugly. There's a lot going on back there and it's just not the best look.

We dug in our basement (which we've been cleaning out lately anyway... stay tuned for that project!) and found some old "art" that we could use to hide the unsightly cords and pipes.

Oh yes. Go blue, baby.

I like the fact that the cords and such are still easily accessible, but hidden from view. Also, having these here will prevent little things (bleach pens, pencils, key chains, etc.) from falling behind the machines through those cut outs.

But then, don't washers and dryers vibrate? Won't those frames slide forward after a while?

Solution: Dowels. These cost under $1 and we just attached them onto the MDF with some wood glue. Easy! And they'll hold the precious M Go Blue art in place against the wall.

Aaaaand we're almost done! Stay tuned for the "big reveal." In the meantime, I've got another coat of paint to put on this sucker.

(And the fact that I just mentioned a "big reveal" for our little laundry nook makes me laugh... )

How we got her name.

2011-01-16T09:17:00.003-05:00

First name: Caroline

Our favorites early on were Caroline, Charlotte, and Georgia. Oh, and one I'm not sharing because it's still in the running for a future baby.

Charlotte was a front runner for a long time. And then we started thinking about it... Charlotte is a beautiful name, but what nicknames can be derived from that? Lottie? Not our favorite. Char? Sounds like she's 60. But the one that really made us nervous?

Charlie.

For this reason:

And then there was Georgia. We loved it. Classic, but unique. Spell-able and sweet. And then we googled it. And found that there's a song by the name of "Sweet Georgia Brown." An obnoxious song. The Harlem Globetrotters song, actually. And we didn't want people whistling that to her for her entire life.

And then there was Caroline. Cute nickname options (Carrie, Cara, Callie - but please don't call her Carol) and another classic, spell-able name. We were also shooting for name that wasn't in the top 50, according to the Social Security Administration. Our last name is so very common that we didn't want to pair it with a super popular first name. Check. And besides, we love it.

Middle Name: Hannah

We chose Hannah about 3 days before she was born. Keep in mind she was 10 days late, so we were clearly cutting it close on that one.

After tossing around lots and lots of options, we decided to shoot for a Biblical option for the middle name. For those of you who aren't familiar with feminine Biblical names, let me just tell you that the pikin's are slim. Boys names WAY outnumber girls. And then there are the obvious rejects:

Bathsheba (adulteress)
Rahab (prostitute)
Delilah (temptress)
Dorcas (I assume I don't need to explain)
Etcetera.

Plus, we wanted a Biblical name that connected to us and our story.

And then we came across this verse:

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.
1 Samuel 1:27

And I was reminded of the story behind this verse. The story of a woman who couldn't have children. A woman who cried bitterly over that reality. A woman who fervently prayed for a child. And the Lord heard her prayer.

She gave birth to a son, Samuel.

Her name was Hannah.

And we knew it was the right name for us.

Caroline Hannah.

For I know the plans I have for you, laundry nook.

2011-01-14T20:06:00.001-05:00

Is that a sacrilegious title to this post? It was the first thing that popped into my head when I thought about writing this.

With the addition of Caroline into our family, the amount of laundry we do on a regular basis has changed. Expanded. No surprises there! Clothes. Hers and ours. Burp cloths. Crib sheets. Blankets. Aaaandd diapers.

You know how I said we were holding off on cloth? Well, I lied. We'd been having blow out problems with all the various disposable options we have around the house. Pampers Newborns. Pampers 1's. Huggies 1's. All the same. So we tried cloth diapers once again. And what do you know? They fit. Barely. Our blow out problems haven't completely gone away, but we've seen a bit of an improvement thus far.

Obviously, the addition of cloth diapers into our lives increases the amount of laundry we have to do each week. However, we also need to figure out where to store them while dirty and where to line dry them once they're clean.

Remember our laundry nook? The shades we put up still work great for tidying up the area quickly. Actually, they just hide the mess. Still very useful. But now I'd like to take the space to the next level.

Here's where we're at now:

Messy (my fault!) and disorganized. It's a dumping ground for things like mittens, laundry soup, and the dog's leash. And then once the machines start up, some of the junk falls off to the sides or behind them. Awesome.

Here are our needs for the space:

1. Dirty diaper storage. We spray off the really dirty stuff after they're used, but we still need a spot to dump the yet-to-be-cleaned diapers before they're chucked into the washing machine.

2. Clothes lines. The Bum Genius folks recommend line drying the diaper covers (the inserts can go in the dryer) but as of now we've got nowhere to do that. Nowhere that doesn't involve hanging them over the backs of the chairs in our eat-in kitchen, that is.

3. Broom/mop storage. We already use the corners of the nook for that very purpose, and we'd like to keep it that way.

4. A big flat workspace. Right now I use the tops of the machines, but it's not a great option because stuff can fall off. Plus, it's not perfectly flat. I'd like to be able to use that space to do some folding, some storage, etc.

5. Organization. Right now we've got a mess of laundry-related supplies jammed up in the cupboards and sitting hapharazdly on top of the machines.

Quite the laundry list, huh? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Oh, and we need to keep it cheap.

Stay tuned to see what we come up with!

DIY Diaper Wipes

2011-01-10T08:37:00.001-05:00

Back at this shower my friend Erin an intriguing gift:

Supplies for making my own baby wipes.

This included a cylindrical air-tight container, half a roll of Bounty paper towel, baby oil, and baby soap.

Those of you who know me know I love a DIY project. Just look at this blog. And many of the folks who were at the shower this summer have since asked me how I liked them. Especially those guests that also have small children and get tired of purchasing baby wipes on a regular basis.

Well, let me just tell you -

I'm a fan!

A) They're easy to make.
B) They're great to use (the paper towel texture seems just right for wiping baby bottoms).
C) They're cheap.

Here's the link to Erin's blog, where she includes pictures and play-by-play instructions on how to make these little beauties.

Erin had received the diaper wipe kit at her baby shower, and then gave one to me at mine. So what did I give to a friend this past weekend at her baby shower? You guessed it. Pay it forward, baby.

6 weeks old

2010-12-31T07:49:00.001-05:00

Current skills/parlor tricks:
Sleeping through the night most of the time (praise Jesus!), holding up her head (Ray Charles bobbing style), pooping a lot, smiling

Likes:
Laying on her back and looking around, eating, being spoken to in a high and squeaky voice, car rides, getting held airplane-style on our shoulders with her legs held out straight, kicking one leg at a time - marching band style

Dislikes:
Waiting to be fed, going down for daytime naps

Stats (at her 1 month appt):
9 pounds, 1 ounce (41st percentile)
21.75 inches (69th percentile)

Operation New Year, New You

2010-12-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

We've got classic goals around here for 2011:

A food diet & and cash diet.

Food diet

The problem: we both have some baby weight to lose! Me especially. Remember these shots? Well, some of it stuck around. And I was a terrible influence on Josh throughout the pregnancy since I always wanted either hamburgers or pizza for dinner.

The plan: Weight Watchers, baby. I've done it before and saw some success. Also, they have a nursing mom plan so that's helpful. This will be a first for Josh but I think he'll do well with it. Bonus: his employer helps pay for it!

Cash diet

The problem: we let our budget fall to the wayside for November and December. Who wants to have a strict budget the month they bring home a baby? Not us. And our credit card bill bears evidence.

The plan: Dave Ramsey style envelopes. We spend way less $ when we're working with cash. It's just a pain to keep track of sometimes, and we get lazy. But, come January 1, we're going to get back on that horse.

The exception: The basement. We're going to do a low budget remodel/spruce up over the next few months. BUT we're going to set a budget and stick to it. It currently looks like this (only MUCH messier!) and we're excited to get started on it.

The one we're waiting on: Cloth Diapers

I had fully intended on starting this up after the holidays, but Caroline's skinny chicken legs don't fill out the leg holes of the diapers quite yet. As much fun as it would be to have several blow-outs per day, I think we'll wait another few weeks. Once we do make that transition, it will help the whole cash diet thing...

I may be alone in this...

2010-12-29T10:17:00.004-05:00

...but I love baby overalls.

For either gender.

For every age. (We have at least 8 pairs in various sizes and colors.)

I don't care that I found these in the baby boy section of Once Upon a Child.

Caroline will often be dressed in overalls until she's big enough to choose her own clothes.

And hopefully after that, too.

Antique Cradle

2010-12-28T22:30:00.000-05:00

We've got an awesome antique cradle at our house. It isn't any antique, either. My mom slept in this cradle. So did I, as well as a number of other family members.

How cool is that?

While beautiful, it did need a little bit of TLC when I first got it. Not much, thankfully.

It's been a recent project of mine. A fun one, I might add.

First up, the mattress was in a bit of disrepair. The solution was a waterproof tablecloth. I just taped it in place with some packaging tape.

That way if she spits up/pees/etc. when she's in there, it'll be easy to wipe off.

Then I just needed to make a sheet for it. I thought flannel would be nice and cozy, and it was on a major sale at JoAnn's the day I went in there.

Unfortunately it was just a little too narrow to fully wrap around.

The solution? A simple patch. The one i made is pretty crude, obviously. But since it'll only be on the underside of the mattress, it works just fine.

Also, the cradle swings. A lot. Too much to be safe for a wiggly little girl. So we bound it to the frame with some plastic ties.

And then covered those in ribbon.

And now?

It's beautiful. And functional. And I love that this cradle has been used by many of us over the years.

We've got a great spot for Caroline to hang out.

Or have some tummy time.

Or nap. Or gaze at Christmas tree lights.

She likes it.

Great Grandmas

2010-12-26T23:15:00.000-05:00

Remember this?

Well, Caroline got to meet 3 of 4 of those ladies last weekend.

My mom's mom (Grandma):

My dad's mom (Oma):

And Josh's mom's mom (Nana Wallace, who was in the hospital recovering from a surgery):

Nana Brown, she's looking forward to meeting you too!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T15:09:00.004-05:00

We're soaking up the simple blessing of our little family today, and we wish much joy to each of you on Christmas.

And, for your enjoyment, here are some of the many attempts at a mama/baby Christmas picture.

... and my personal favorite:

Christmas Card Craft

2010-12-16T15:39:00.003-05:00

I love, love, love Christmas cards. Especially the kind that come in the mail. For me, they're a wonderful reminder of the incredible blessing of friends and family, and I so appreciate each one. I get so excited for the mail to come every day, it's like I'm a little kid.

Since they cards so cheerful and colorful and fun, I feel it would be a shame to keep them in a stack, box, or basket. The solution around here?

Hang them over the doors in our kitchen. With mini clothes pins. Festive ones.

They're very easy to make. Crazy easy.

Step One: Buy clothes pins. This was the hardest part!

Step Two: Find some paper you like. I found these in my scrap box and figured they were all holiday-ish enough to suit me.

Step Three: Cut strips of paper to the size of the front of your clothes pin. Mine happened to be 1 3/4 inches by 1/4 inch. Once I'd cut some of the paper I realized that the pattern didn't translate well onto such a small space. So I didn't use those.

Step Four: Glue the paper onto the clothes pins. Let it dry some.

Aaaannndddd.... DONE!

To hand up the cards, I cut some ribbon and tacked it to the door trim with clear push pins. Then my little clothes pin beauties keep the cards in place.

Fun and easy.

We're in awe.

2010-12-12T15:56:00.003-05:00

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together

in my mother’s womb.

I praise you

because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

Psalm 139:13-14

Surprise Baby Gift

2010-12-05T14:16:00.003-05:00

I opened the mail today and found an extra special gift for Caroline.

A "Little Fluffy" blanket.

Completely personalized.

Extremely soft.

Very thoughtful.

Love it.

Years ago I used to work with the person who makes these blankets. Since our time together as bank employees, Kelly has not only opened up an Etsy shop, but also has had four kids of her own! Busy girl!

And I love, love the stuff she makes.

Thank you, Kelly!

Two Weeks

2010-12-02T14:15:00.004-05:00

Random thoughts:

Why are the sleeves on the onesie in the 2 week photo so dang short? Are we going for a "fashionable" 3/4 length look? Or does she just have monkey arms?
Does anyone know how to locate the origins of a fruit fly home in your kitchen? I can't seem to shake them and feel there must be a nest somewhere.
I could be either doing all kinds of housework or else showering, but somehow taking and editing pictures of Caroline always seems way more fun! No surprises there. But since some nice lady from church (who I haven't yet met!) is dropping a meal off this afternoon, I should really make myself and this house presentable.
If you want to see more pictures, click here for my flickr page.
I made my first turkey last week, and I think it turned out pretty well! At least, my family claimed it was good. They may have been lying.
For the sake of comparison:

First Week

2010-11-26T22:10:00.001-05:00

We're loving every moment. I want to bottle up every snuggle, every funny face, and every whiff of her sweet-smelling head so that I can revisit these moments for years to come. Since I don't have that ability, I'll do my best to describe some favorite moments on this here blog. No order. No rhyme or reason. Just a download of things I hope never to forget.

[And feel free to pass this post by if basic baby-related info is boring to you. I understand.]

Josh as a new dad.
Coming into parenthood, I have had the lion's share of baby-related experience. I've been relatively comfortable and confident around infants for years. Josh? Not so much. But he's jumped right into dad-hood and is eager to learn how to take care of his precious girl. I love watching the two of them together. Especially when she starts to root around and attempts to eat his arm.

Feeding her.
I'm incredibly blessed to be able to say that nursing this baby has gone really well. I didn't know what to expect going in, and have heard that this can be really difficult for some moms and babies. But with us, by the time she was a day old she was eating every 2-4 hours, and she hasn't slowed down since. It's such a special time for the two of us to snuggle up, skin to skin, every couple of hours. It gives me another excuse to just drink her in.

Sleep.
She's a pretty good little sleeper, praise the Lord! Hopefully she continues this way. While she does wake up every 3 hours or so in the middle of the night, she's usually happy to nurse and then go back to sleep. Every night she gets wrapped up in a velcro swaddle blanket (bless the person who designed those!) and it seems to keep her nice and content for a few hours in her crib.

Outings.
I'm not one for staying inside the house, and Caroline has been quite a few places in her first few days. Her first outing was to North Market, a old warehouse-turned foodie paradise downtown Columbus. It's her Daddy's favorite spot to grab a Belgian waffle. She's also been to Easton mall, Buy Buy Baby, Whole Foods, the doctor's office, and Old Navy. Those first couple of days the weather was unseasonably warm (some days at 65!) so we could take her outside without worrying she'll be too cold.

First Checkup.
We were pleased to find that she'd gained 2 oz since leaving the hospital. Way to go Caroline! Pack it on. As of Monday, she was at 7lb, 14oz. Nice and pink and bright eyed, too. Our very nice doctor answered all of our new parent questions and assured us that we have an extremely healthy girl on our hands. The only small bummer is that Caroline has a decent sized cephalohematoma on the back left part of her head. They're pretty common in infants; they sometimes develop as a consequence of birth. We're thankful that it's not at all dangerous or problematic for her, and will fade away on its own over the next couple of months. If that's the worst problem we have, we're doing well.

Diapers.
Rolling through them like a champ. Josh has been grossed out to find how baby poo can seep up her back AND all the way up her front to her belly button. At the same time. We're holding off on cloth diapers until after Christmas, since A) we're new at this, B) they'd be a little big on her, and C) we were given lots of disposables as gifts.

Visitors.
Oma and Opa were first to visit in the hospital, just a half hour after she was born. They stayed for a couple of days, went home, and then returned for a day to celebrate Thanksgiving. The second visit they brought Uncle Ben, Montoya, Aiyannah, and Aiydan as well. We all had much to be thankful for this year! Caroline has also enjoyed visits from friends and neighbors here in Columbus. We hope to introduce her to her other grandparents (who are unfortunately dealing with illness right now, and can't travel to see us) around Christmas.

Snuggles.
Our favorite moments with her are simple. They involve a sleeping baby and an adoring parent who gets to hold her. We love it when she sleeps all curled up in the crook of an arm, or else stretched out on one of our chests. We've watched a lot of football together this way in the last week - and it even makes us feel better about Michigan's awful season.

I get all sappy/teary-eyed just thinking about this past week with our treasure. I'll try and hold it together for future blog posts. But for now just chalk it up to post-pregnancy hormones coupled with a incredible sense of awe and thankfulness.

Wordless Wednesday: Lazy Morning

2010-11-24T14:25:00.003-05:00

Caroline's Birth

2010-11-22T22:05:00.001-05:00

As you know, I was overdue. And large. And a bit impatient. My induction was scheduled for Wednesday night, and I was so looking forward to it.

And then Wednesday morning rolled around. I was surprised to wake up to contractions. Contractions? Me? Could it be true? It was around 4am, so it actually took me the better part of an hour to realize what was actually going on. By that point I was wide awake and watched a few episodes of 30 Rock to pass the time. Eventually I crawled back into bed and told Josh I'd been having contractions for the last two hours, and that they were coming every ten minutes.

And then?

I fell back asleep and stayed that way until 8. Weird.

But they kept right on coming - regularly, but not super strong or long or painful. I told Josh I wanted to get out of the house and stay on my feet to keep things moving. No use walking in circles around the living room - too boring and not nearly distracting enough. So we took Riley out around the neighborhood. And then I convinced Josh that a shopping trip would be a nice way to pass the time. He thought I was crazy. But we went anyway.

Target was the first store to provide some much-needed distraction. We bought cleaning supplies, hospital snacks, and Christmas presents. And the contractions kept coming... and started to get closer and closer.

Josh: How long now?
Me: That one lasted 30 seconds.
Josh: Time between them?
Me: Um... 3 minutes.
Josh: 3 minutes? I don't mean to be dramatic here, but shouldn't we do something about that?
Me: They're not lasting for a full minute yet. We're still good.
Josh: [worried/annoyed/unbelieving look]

Then I told him I wanted to go out to lunch. You know, to pass more time. So we headed to Panera.

Worker: What would you like today?
Me (mid-contraction): Cheese broccoli soup [breathe breathe breathe] in a [breathe breathe] regular bowl with a baguette. And a [breathe breathe breathe] oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.
Josh: [scowl]

It wasn't until we spent 20 minutes at Barnes & Noble that he finally convinced me to go home and pack up for our hospital trip. I just didn't want to go in too early and get sent home. That would have been depressing. But eventually I gave in, and by 3:30 we were getting checked in.

I was 4cm, 90% effaced.

YIPEE!!

By 6, my epidural was in place and I was blissfully unaware of any more contractions. I read. I watched TV, chatted with the nurse, and ate ice chips. I even took a couple of naps. It was wonderful. I know there are lots of opinions on this subject, but let me just say this:

EPIDURALS ARE AWESOME.

My parents showed up around 10 and kept us company during the labor progression. Every once in awhile I'd glance at the monitor and see contraction after contraction in the shape of regular bell curves. And I didn't feel a thing.

I woke up from nap #2 around 1 am, and was given the go-ahead to start pushing at 1:15. While not painful, they were still a lot of work! But well worth every moment. She was "sunny side up" so the doctor worked to flip her around, little bit by little bit. As she was emerging, we discovered that her umbilical cord was wrapped around her little neck twice. Thankfully they got her untangled quickly and the rest of her little body came right out. It was 2:30 am.

She was beautiful and healthy and pink and blessed with a great set of lungs. They put her right on my chest, and then quickly tucked her right into my hospital gown.

Love.

Her daddy go to hold her soon after that.

Love.

She's so beautiful, we whispered to each other. We marveled at her perfectly formed hands and soft, sweet cheeks. A line from a hymn soon came to mind:

Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me
bless His holy name.

We know we've been blessed beyond measure. We're praising God for this little miracle.

Introducing...

2010-11-20T14:39:00.003-05:00

Caroline Hannah
Born on Thursday, November 18 at 2:30 am
8 pounds even, 20 inches long

We're head over heels in love and on cloud nine.

Light at the end of the tunnel

2010-11-11T22:07:00.001-05:00

I went in for my post-40 week check-up today.

And it appears, as it has for weeks, that Nugget is perfectly comfortable and happy staying put.

She still moves around. Her heart beats normally every time they check it. We're so thankful for those things. Praise Jesus she's made it to full term and that she continues to thrive in her warm little cocoon.

And yet she is not making any effort to join her loving parents in the outside world. As my mom would say, "little stinker."

However, we have a date. An induction date. Next Wednesday evening, if she hasn't already arrived, she'll be given a little kick in the pants in the form of Pitocin.

I'm not thrilled at the prospect of 6 more days of waaaaiiitting. I'm a big, fat (pun intended) impatient wimp. I also don't love the idea of circumventing my body's natural process. And yet, I know there are risks associated with waiting too long. So, a Wednesday induction it is. Barring any action prior to that point.

For me there's peace knowing that the end is in sight. The end of the waiting game. The knowledge that we'll get to greet our little Miss mid-next week at the latest. We're so excited to meet her that we can hardly stand it.

Thank you for your excitement, your support, your prayers, your good wishes. We can't wait to introduce her to the world.

Taggie Blanket

2010-11-11T17:09:00.000-05:00

Continuing on with my sewing streak...

We've got a "taggie blanket." Blanket seems like a stretch to me since it is somewhere around 1 foot long. What else do you call these things?

Easy, easy, easy to make. Try one. Directions here.

All you need is 2 small pieces of fabric + some ribbon. I had these fabrics on hand, and ribbon was 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby this week.

I think I'll wrap this one up and give it to her for Christmas. Just for fun.

Baby Bump Progression

2010-11-09T07:39:00.000-05:00

We've seen - and passed - the 40 week mark 'round here. And we're so, so thankful for a healthy and safe and uneventful pregnancy! Lately I've had my share of grouchy "will my baby EVER come?!?" moments, but over the last few days I've absolutely felt a heaping dose of God's goodness to me in the form of trust, patience, and an overall joyous attitude.

Praise Him for that. I know it doesn't come from inside me.

As I was working through our Europe pics I came across a number of belly bump shots, some of which I've already shared. But to celebrate a full 40 weeks, I thought it'd be fun to see them all together.

Clearly, I put zero thought into taking these in any regular intervals or in any consistent location.

10 weeks. My first belly shot. I could tell there was a little more... something... 'round the middle. But clearly no one else could. I was proudly wearing brand new maternity pants here. I made that switch early on! I couldn't make my normal pants button after about 7-8 weeks.

14 weeks. A leeettle more to show off here. We went to visit Josh's parents in Phoenix, and he snapped this shot while we were out there. I was in all maternity, all the time by this point.

And yet, looking back, I'm oh so small!

17 weeks. Next to the harbor in Oslo, Norway.

18 weeks. Just a week later. It was somewhere between these two weeks that a stranger first asked me about my pregnancy. Meaning that it was obvious to more folks than just me.

25 weeks. Me in my messy bathroom with my iPhone. Really out there by this point.

29 weeks. In a hotel in the Chicago area. Bowling ball time. This black shirt from Gap Maternity remains my single favorite item of clothing.

34 weeks. In a hotel in Tennessee. My last business trip. And clearly, my rain coat wasn't working so well.

35 weeks. On my own doorstep. Looking and feeling absolutely enormous. Hardly anything fit anymore (even my maternity clothes) by this point.

This was the effort it took to look at my own feet.

Yesterday. 40 Weeks. What you can't tell is:
A) I have a sty in one eye. Yuck.
B) My sweater is technically too short, and I have to bridge the gap with a tank top. See comments on the 35 week shots. But at this point, I'm not purchasing any more maternity clothes.
C) I'm wearing black work out pants. I rarely wear anything else.
D) I'm not wearing make-up AND having a bad hair day. Thus the reason I blurred out my own face :).

Favorite Moments: Scandinavia, Part 3

2010-11-08T07:05:00.000-05:00

Our second Europe post happened a month after our trip. This is our third (and last) post about our European adventures this past summer. FIVE months after our trip. I was 18 weeks pregnant then. Now I'm fully 40. Oh my, how little my belly was back then!

In case you're curious... here's post #1 and #2.

And here's Josh's recap:

These two places were our favorite stops on the trip. Copenhagen was our favorite city, and the “Norway-in-a-Nutshell” tour was the most beautiful experience of the trip. As they are so different, it’s hard to determine which one we liked better, so we’re not going to try. We’re just going to put them both here at the end.

Norway in a Nutshell

When we were planning our trip, we thought that it would be a crime to travel all the way to Norway and miss the fjords. We ended up adding a couple days onto the front of our trip before the cruise so that we could make it up to the west coast of Norway. We chose to do the fast-paced and popular “Norway-in-a-Nutshell” trip to make the most of our time. This train-boat-bus-train journey from Oslo to Bergen (both cities were featured earlier in this series if you can remember back that far) goes through the countryside and gives the traveler a glimpse at Norway’s diverse landscape. I’ve heard that this route can get packed with tourists in the late summer, but it honestly wasn’t too bad when we went in early June.

Leaving Oslo by train, we first went through a beautiful lakes district and climbed steadily in elevation as we traversed the mountain range that runs through the center of the country.

The next leg had us descending into the Flåm valley via the Flåmsbana train, one of the steepest train routes in the world. The valley itself was beautiful with numerous waterfalls trickling down the cliffs on their way to the Sognefjord. On the way down, we stopped to enjoy the Kjosfossen, a robust waterfall of over 700 feet that falls right next to the track.

After we reached the town of Flåm at the base of the train, we caught a boat that took us through two spectacular fingers of the fjord. At this point, there’s really not a lot that I can say that would add to the pictures, but suffice it to say that it was a highlight. The boat delivered us to Gudvangen, our next terminus.

From this point on, it was a somewhat more mundane bus and train ride, but maybe we were just too tired to take it all in. After a little sleep on the train, we were ready for the rest of the night in Bergen before hopping the night train back to Oslo.

We left from Oslo first thing Friday morning, and then the train dropped us off at 6:00 AM on Saturday. It’s crazy what you can see and do in a 24 hour period. While this trip cost us almost as much as the 7-day cruise we took later that week (in case you forgot, Norway is crazy expensive), it was completely worth it.

Copenhagen

We loved Copenhagen.

Unlike some of the cities that we’ve visited over the past few years, we didn’t come to Copenhagen with much of an itinerary. Let’s face it, there’s no Hagia Sophia, no Notre Dame, no Pantheon, no Hermitage, and no Tower of London in Copenhagen. As we effectively had less than 12 hours in Copenhagen (one of the major drawbacks of the cruise), it’s probably a good thing that there weren’t tons of sights to see. We were able to spend our time just walking around and experiencing the city.

From the pedestrian mall of the Strøget to the canals of Christianshavn, Copenhagen was one of the best walking cities that we’ve ever visited. Over the course of the day, we did see some “sights” such as Rosenborg Castle, Christiania, and the view from the top of the Church of our Savior, but we spent the vast majority of our time walking fairly aimlessly.

I must make a specific mention of the Nyhavn district. This “New Harbor” was actually built about 100 years before the United States came into existence and consists of a main canal surrounded by rows of multi-colored buildings. This bustling pedestrian area is lined with cafes and the wide sidewalks and numerous bridges allowed for easy navigation. It was a great place to relax and spend the last couple hours of our long day in Copenhagen.

We really didn’t have enough time here to take everything in, but we loved the time that we had. I hope that we can make it back someday.

Baby Shoes

2010-11-07T13:02:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm still sewing. No, our baby hasn't yet arrived.

There's a significant connection there, not surprisingly.

My latest focus: baby shoes. From this pattern. Oh, Internet, how I love your free sewing ideas.

Here's the first pair I tried, for our Nugget. The trial run. I made them to go with a shirt I made for her... but since the shirt displays the first initial of her first name, I'll refrain from posting it here.

And, once I realized I could successfully construct baby shoes, I tried making some for friends, as a gift. I sent them along with a sushi-roll changing pad to match, for a certain baby boy named Drew.

Since I haven't actually tried them out before on a real, live, child, I cannot speak to their durability, fit, or any other practical piece of this equation. I'm just hoping for the best. Hopefully baby Drew likes them okay.

After sending those off, I figured that Nugget needed another pair. I love the orange and yellow, but let's face it, her wardrobe tends to include quite a few pinks. So of course she needs another pair to match. Right? Because nothing says "practical" like shoes for a child that can't walk, even if they do match the rest of her wardrobe.

For this pair I thought it'd be fun to try out some applique. It turned out to be a fun addition to the project. However, as I turned to Josh to show off my latest completed shoe yesterday over football, he asked me, "Now how many shoes have you made today?"

"Um, just the one."
"Wow, those take a long time."
"Yes, yes they do."

But really, I don't mind.

Halloween with the Browns

2010-11-01T13:54:00.002-04:00

So our trick-or-treaters came Thursday night. I know -- weird.

I wrangled Riley into his pumpkin get-up, a hand-me-down from neighbors a few years back. He totally rocks the look.

And then I put on my own costume. We matched!

Oh, pregnant face, I'm looking forward to seeing the end of you.

Riley was a cul-de-sac hit. Every time the doorbell rang, he bounded up and wagged his way to the door to greet the kids. Wag, wag, wag. Pet me, pet me, pet me.

I had originally planned to wear my pumpkin shirt on Friday night, too, to Josh's work Halloween party (at his boss' boss' boss' house). Simple, classy-ish, normal. I didn't really want to go overboard, especially since I haven't met a bunch of these people before.

No one needs to see a very pregnant woman going overboard on Halloween. I had no interest in belly painting.

But Josh took one look at my costume, and informed me that it was lame. I told him I disagreed.

By the time trick-or-treaters stopped coming by, it was 8pm. Josh told me the pumpkin shirt was still lame. I informed him that if he could come up with a better idea - the day before the party - I'd wear it.

So we headed to Goodwill. 30 minutes before it closed Thursday night.

And we found this little beauty. An Ohio State trucker hat.

Josh was already going as a trucker, and thought that a pregnant red neck would be the perfect companion. As a big Michigan fan, I fell in love with the idea of wearing a junky OSU hat as a part of my redneck costume.

We purchased a flannel shirt to go along with the hat, and then on our way home decided that I also needed fish net stockings (to be worn under cut-off jeans), and headed to a Halloween store (5 minutes before it closed) for that particular item.

And here's the final result:

Sadly...
-this was one of those "oh shoot we forgot to take a picture" moment at the end of the night, and all I had was my phone
-we'd blacked out some of our front teeth with paint, but it had worn off by this point
-you can't tell that I drew a Confederate Flag tattoo on one of Josh's arms, and a barbed wire tattoo on the other
-we're missing our props: a oversized can of cheap beer and a pack of cigarettes each

But you get the gist.

And we were a hit. And came in at #2 in the costume contest.

And now hopefully I'll have another chance to make a positive impression on Josh's coworkers.

Sewing.

2010-10-21T09:27:00.009-04:00

I've really been enjoying sewing lately. These days it's a great way to ~~kill time before~~ lovingly prepare for our baby's arrival. I have also discovered that the Internet provides a wealth of easy ideas, patterns and tutorials. Go figure!

Not surprisingly, I really love making baby stuff. Cute little items for Nugget? Absolutely. But I also truly enjoy making simple things friends, too. A couple of years ago I started making burp cloths. Very fun. Since then I've enjoyed finding cute flannel and experimenting with the designs - it's more interesting that way.

Frayed edges = fun.

I've also started experimenting with applique onesies. Like this one. I actually made a little set of these - one for our baby and two for the LeCompte boys. I'm hoping we get a chance to line all three babies up together wearing these.

And it's fun to use scraps from burp cloths and other larger projects and turn them into a coordinated little set.

Last night I tried something new. My parents got me this great messenger bag for my birthday (I'm TOTALLY a sucker for messenger bags, btw) and thought it might work well for a diaper bag down the line. I agree! We have a more traditional diaper bag too, but it'd be nice to go out with the baby at times and just look like I have a large purse. Right?

Yes, those are my snowflake pajama pants you see there. And no, this picture wasn't taken first thing in the morning. PJ pants are simply more comfortable than my maternity pants these days.

Anywho, I saw this Sushi-roll changing pad tutorial online last week, and was immediately interested. And thought it might be fun to make a changing pad that coordinated with my new messenger bag. I mean, before I can start making these as gifts I need to try one out on my own family, right?

So I bought some material (on sale at Jo-Ann's), batting, and elastic.

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I was hoping for some decorative/colorful elastic, but alas Jo-Ann's only had white and black. Oh well.

I cut out the "pattern" (a 18x22 inch rectangle of two coordinating materials + batting) and ironed it.

And then, following the very easy instructions, and watching old 30 Rock episodes at the same time, I sewed it together in no time. I love projects that take an hour or less... and those that are super duper easy... and those where I really like the result.

To store in your diaper bag/purse, just fold in half and roll.

A perfect match? No. But they jive.

Next I'd like to try...

-Headbands

-This bib

-These shoes

-These letters

-Pretty much all of this stuff

I've got my work cut out for me. Who knows how much I'll continue to do one Nugget arrives, but for now I'm having a lot of fun. Anyone have any favorite crafty websites to share? Any fun projects I should try and tackle? I need then to be easy. Leave some suggestions for me!