Monday, June 30, 2008

Crafty Challenge #7 ~ Itty Bitty Beanie




This hat was originally suppose to fit a 2 year old, but I made it too small. It is more of a new baby size, so I will be giving this to the new itty bitty baby that will be here anyday of my cousins. I'm going to make a matching one to go with the 2 year old so the cute little sisters can have matching hats.

1 Christmas Present DONE!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Crafty Challenge #6 ~ Cutting out a bazillion mama cloth


Wow.. what a ton of work it is cutting all the cloth for these pads. You have the top, the bottom, the two pieces of inside. Makes for lots of cutting. LOL But now they are all cut and I can sew them all up to give to a super awesome woman that really helped me out.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Crafty Challenge #5 ~ Butterfly Bookmark



I had some yarn from "The Spotted Box" and didn't know what to use it for. It was just a small hank of wool, so I couldn't do anything big with it. I decided I had a friend that could use a bookmark and had to come up with some type of cool looking one for her. I made this butterfly with a tassel. I really like how it turned out and I LOVED working with this gorgeous and soft wool.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Crafty Challenge #4 ~A dishcloth for T's Speech Therapist


I made this pattern up as I went. I really liked how it turned out. It has three lines of thicker, bubbled areas that will help in scrubbing.

I call it the 3 way road dishcloth!

Chain 28 - turn & start in 2nd stitch
1: SC 27, chain 1 at end of row and turn
2: 2 DC bobble in each stitch (Work 2 double crochet into one stitch leaving the last loop of each on the hook. Yarn over and draw through all the loops on the hook. chain 1 at end of row and turn
4-5: SC 27, chain 1 at end of row and turn
6-9: DC 27, chain 1 at end of row and turn
10-11: SC 27, chain 1 at end of row and turn
12: 2 DC bobble in each stitch, chain 1 at end of row and turn
13-14: SC 27, chain 1 at end of row and turn
15-18: DC 27, chain 1 at end of row and turn
19-20: SC 27, chain 1 at end of row and turn
21: 2 DC bobble in each stitch, chain 1 at end of row and turn
22: SC 27 & fasten off at end.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Creative Challenge # 3 ~ Applique Hippie Skirts



The one with the leaves is almost finished. The one with the tree is for my sister and has a long way to go yet. This is my first real time appliquing besides trying (and failing) with Niko's monster shirt. Not too bad for my first time with that and my first time making a skirt too!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Creative Challenge #2.5 - Dragon's Done!



Ditching the Healthy part of the challenge

Cuz ... who needs healthy anyway?

LOL

I'll work on the decluttering and the creating. :)

Creative Challenge #2 Soap - Declutter Challenge #1 Containers

In an attempt to do something creative today, I pulled out all my soapmaking supplies and went to work. Once I get it all dry and cut I'll take some more pics. :) I used some nummy scents today. Polo, Apple Cinnamon, Citrus Basil and Butter Cream. Mmmm :) My house smells awesome right now.



**

And, not to be forgotten! I did succeed in doing some decluttering today too! I threw away 5 huge jugs that were in my cabinet that held miniscule amounts of soapmaking oils. I used up all the oils in them and tossed them. I also went through all my gladware containers and tossed a bunch with mismatched lids.

Lack of sleep = cranky wife

Ummm... my dear sweet husband, I know that you didn't want one of the boys to sleep in our bed last night, but you know by now that we cannot put T & N to bed together or they stay up all night long. I know, I know, this doesn't bother you any, because you snore away in our bed with no cares. I, however, have to reprimand them over and over to please be quiet. Please go to sleep, etc. I wonder if you wonder how long I was up last night with the kids that refused to go to sleep. In case you do care, it was 4am. Yup, 4 a.m. You'd think these sweet little boys would then sleep in a little for me, right? Umm... no. 8am they are up and raring to go! *sigh* So that means I didn't get much sleep (especially because you woke me up at 5:30am yourself. So, be prepared for a very cranky wife when you get home. Iz Tired.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Creative Challenge #1 Dragon parts

Here is what I created today! It isn't finished. I still have to make 2 eyebrows, finish the current wing and make another and then put it all together, but I'm pretty impressed with how far I got! :)

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Birthday Boys

Adrian had a special gluten free cake made for him at not one, but two birthday parties! Niko turned 3 and Adrian turned 2 this week. *sigh* My babies are growing up so quickly. We had a birthday party with my family at my sister's house and then another at my mother in law's house. They had a blast at both parties. :)

JV has challenged us to challenge ourselves!

So I'm going to.

Here are 2 challenges I'd like to take part in this summer.

1. CREATIVE CHALLENGE: Create something new every day. This could be to cook a recipe I've never made before, craft something (even if I don't finish it, just at least do SOMETHING crafty), create a new song or game for the kids, just keep my creative juices flowing by doing something new everyday.

2. HEALTHY CHALLENGE: Do something healthy everyday. Water, walking, food, whatever... do something healthy. Even if it is making a choice to NOT eat something bad.

**EDIT!!**
Adding #3, thanks to Miriam!
3. Throw away something everyday in an attempt to declutter our house.

So there you have it ... my challenges. I'll try to update everyday! :)

Monday, June 16, 2008

My poor boy must have some tasty blood.


Niko had a horrid reaction to a bug bite. :( We ended up taking him to the ER because it was so bad. They said just some benadryl. I took him to the ped today and they gave us something stronger than benadryl so that he won't be in so much discomfort. Poor sweetie.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Father's Day Couch Potatoes



I made these two remote holders for my dad (Nascar) and my father-in-law (WWII airplanes). My dad's is Dale Earnhardt Sr fabric with pockets enough to hold my Dad's 7 remotes. My FIL's is WWII fabric with just one large pocket that can hold his remotes, medicines, or perhaps his chemo bag.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Reminiscing ... Adrian then and now

My smallest little baby has turned 2! Wow ... I cannot believe my sweet little babe is 2 already! Ahhhhh!!!!!

Adrian's birth was so quick. LOL He practically flew into the OB's hands and that was it. He actually came so quick through the cervix that his entire face was swollen and bruised. He too, had to go up to Buffalo Children's NICU. Ugh.. it is so hard to see your babies be so sick when they are born. I guess that is what happens when you have them a little early.

Adrian is my stubborn imp. :) He is also my baby. :) My sweet, sweet itty baby. :)

He's my celiac baby. It took a long time to figure out what was wrong with him, but once we did, he just prospered soooo much.

Without further ado .. pics of him then and now.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Crossword Veggies & Fruits

The boys cut up my old kitchen curtains. EEK! So I had to whip up some new ones. I didn't have enough of one fabric to do them all, so I used these coordinating ones to create a bright and funky look to my kitchen. I LOVE THEM!! :) And I had a little left over so I whipped up some cloth napkins to match!

Monday, June 9, 2008

I did it! :)

After receiving a crochet "how-to" kit from a swap I picked up some cotton yarn and went to work on a dishcloth. Woot! In just a little bit of time this is what I got:

Friday, June 6, 2008

Reminiscing ... Niko then and now.

My sweet little boy has turned 3. His birth day ... gah .. it was such a bad and dark day for me. The only light that came from it all, was my sweet beautiful baby.
My water broke at home and we went into the L&D. Labor was slow. The epidural kept messing up and not working right. Then his heartrate was dropping. When he started coming out he was blue and the OB quickly cut his EXTREMELY fat cord that was wrapped around his neck a couple times. It took them a couple minutes to get him to breathe. They wrapped him up and gave him to me and I held him tight. I heard him grunting as he breathed, though, and let the OB nurse know. She brushed me off. When my fave nurse came in, I let her know and she came over to listen and took him right into the nursery. A few minutes later my mom came in and told me that Timmy had had a seizure. He was staying with my cousin while I had the baby and he ended up having a seizure. They were taking him via ambulance to the hospital.. a different hospital than the one I was in. My poor baby must have been so confused and scared ... and I couldn't even go and hold him. I cried and cried. Then the pediatrician came in and told me that my new little baby was having difficulty breathing. He was going to keep monitoring him, but there was a chance they may have to send him to Buffalo Childrens. So I cried and cried some more. My husband left to go be with Timmy in the other hospital. My mom, that had been with me through the birth, was a wee bit busy because my sister was giving birth in the room across the hall from me. Yes, our babies were born in the same hospital, on the same day, by the same doctor, 51 minutes apart.

Gah, I felt so alone and scared and I couldn't hold EITHER of my babies. It was such a horrible time for me.

The next day they took me up to get a tubal. They tried to put the stuff back through my epidural to numb me for the procedure. Right after they put it in, my husband and a nurse came up to me and told me that the pediatrician had called the NICU at Buffalo Children's and they were on the way to pick up my baby and do a transport up there. I started crying (again) and said I wanted out. I wanted to go so we could go to that hospital. They said I couldn't because they had just drugged me up. Thankfully, though, the epi failed and I was able to walk out of the hospital within 2 hours of getting the news. We got up to the NICU in Buffalo only 45 minutes after Niko did.

(Oh, and by the way we found out that Timmy's seizure was febrile due to a severe ear infection that we had no clue about).

Up in the NICU they were pretty great. There were a couple moments where we weren't sure if Niko was going to be able to get the strength to breathe on his own or not. :( He had 3 doses of surfactant. He was on double antibiotics. They even found out he had a broken clavicle. Most likely done during birth... which was understandable because the OB wanted to get him out fast since he was blue.

I have to say, it was a glorious day the day we got to go home. Here are some pics of my boy, then and now. :) He is my emotional, super loving and thoughtful, adventurous, mischievous little boy. :)