crafty gifts

 A couple dear friends had babies and I was in a crafting mood. I googled some sewing gifts and made some stuff :)

A glorious "alone time" trip to JoAnn Fabrics

Followed this first easy blanket pattern to make a blanket for baby Micah, son of my friend Missouri Jill. 

Quick and easy, and very soft with that minky dot fabric.

Then followed this one to make some ribbon binky clips, made one for each babe. 

Very easy. If I made this again I wouldn't use a silky ribbon, but they were ok.

Made a couple of these headbands for my friend Josh's new baby girl Callie. 

They were very cute and soft. 

My pretty model!

And then made a hat for little baby Micah. I wanted the dino pattern on the top but I guess I needed to get a wider width of that fabric since my pattern went horizontal not vertical #beginnersewerproblems

Finally made these cute little rattles, one for each. 

Their cat face is way cuter, lol! I tried!

My rabbit face turned out better.

Micah's pile of gifts!

Callie's pile!

Very fun to combine 2 of my favorite things, crafting and gift giving :)

3

My sweet boy is 3.

Wow, that was fast.

Man I love this boy so much. I feel so blessed to be his mama.

I was rocking him in his chair last night before bed, he doesn't sit on my lap anymore, no, "next to mama", but we sing and he kinda lets me snuggle him. I was thinking about his birthday coming up and just how quickly time is going. And I started to tear up and was talking about him growing up and how one day he's not going to live with me anymore, and he said "I don't want mama be sad" and I told him (and mostly told myself) that I am happy he's growing up, that's what he's supposed to do, just that I'll miss him.

Motherhood has been challenging, and I'm sure we have some of the toughest parts ahead. I'm just not in any rush. So many people tell me to treasure every moment and how they can't even remember their kids being young. And I'm trying. I keep my 5-year-journals and have one for each kid now, and I work on a family yearbook for the year, and write about them in this blog because one day I'll want to look back, but for now- I am trying to treasure it.

I'm so thankful for my healthy, happy son. And the lyrics aren't exactly right, but right now I've got this song in my mind as I hold my boy.

baby Daniel

Welcome to the world sweet baby Daniel!

My bf Liz had her second son last Friday and I had a front row seat! (back stage pass??)

She was due yesterday, my work weekend, and I was praying she'd have him Friday so I could be there. Thursday I texted her and she said nothing was going on, wake up Friday am to a text they were off to the hospital! Earlier in the pregnancy she said this time she wanted only her husband in the room, but closer too she made a best-friend exception, woohoo! I was also lucky enough to be present for her first son. It is such a miracle to witness new life coming into the world!

We had a couple things on our schedule that day that I ended up skipping, August's first chiropractic appt (I was interested to see what they would do for a baby?!) and there was a special Christmas thing at Meadowbrook Mansion (built by one of the Dodge brothers) we were supposed to go to with Doug's parents. But I was so glad I was able to be there with Liz, as I said, it's such a miracle.

It was also cool that the anesthesiologist let me watch her give the epidural, she was teaching these two medical students and I asked if I could watch too and she was explaining everything she was doing. Cool! It's like I could do it now too ;)

Anyway, after a long journey for Liz, little Daniel (or big 8# 1oz Daniel) was born healthy and with loud little lungs!

Doug was a huge help watching August alone an extra day, I know it's hard when I have my work weekends, of course we love August, but "single-parent" 13+ hour days are very long feeling. He brought August to the hospital at one point since I hadn't packed any pumping stuff and was feeling the pain. So that was appreciated too.

The new family is settled back at home and off to a good start. Thank you Lord for this new little blessing!

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

sewn gifts

A couple things I've made lately.

Inspired by this on pinterest:

I made a quilt for our friend Fran who is expecting a little boy. I thought I was going to have to miss her shower, so I wanted to make her something really special. It turns out I get to go anyway. So bonus for Fran!

One nice thing was I had a lot of blue fabrics from another quilt project I did a couple years ago, so I didn't buy more than $16 of supplies.

I didn't have a pattern, I just kinda cut up triangles, sewed them together, then laid out my pattern so it wouldn't be too much of the same color in one spot, and kept sewing

Many hours later it was all sewn and ready for the edging

little mistakes like this always seem to happen :(, but a cute neutral gray soft backing.

all done!

Somehow I didn't notice until the end that her color gradating was from top to bottom and mine is from side to side. So I actually like hers better. And hers is a little bigger. But oh well, lesson learned, and just a cute little blanket to throw down and let baby play. August was proud of me.

One more thing I made was a sweet little baby bonnet from a pattern I found online for our friends from our Apologetics class having their first baby.

Once again using mostly scrap fabric from old pillowcases I used back in massage school. I worked on it over a couple bedtimes so I don't know how long it took exactly, not too long. It was the 0-3 month size so August's head is way too big to test it out. Hopefully they will have a cat-sized headed baby girl :) September approved!