Punkin Decor

We spent the evening with some of our "special friends", as Drew calls them, last weekend. My girlfriend never seizes to surprise me with new creative projects. This is a sweet idea for fall decor, and it's a lot of fun to put together with a buddy.

Silly Spaghetti

I'm back to cooking and thought I'd share a recipe. I don't like to share many, not because I'm greedy ;), but because I like to cook for others and what kind of surprise would my meal to you be if you know how to make it yourself?!
This is yummy and I'd like to share because its a simple weeknight meal. Don't judge the appearance, I was in a hurry!

Wheat pasta (80z dried)
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup parmesan, shredded
10 oz frozen package Spinach...thawed and drained ( I use a lot more than this because I love spinach)
1 lb beef
onion
garlic
Sketti sauce (I  make my own using canned tomatoes, diced and paste and Italian seasonings)
3 oz mozzarella cheese
1 green or yellow bell pepper

Preheat 350 and grease 13*9 pan

Cook the pasta, drain and toss with egg and parm. Place in bottom of dish.
Cook beef, onion and garlic. Drain grease. Add your spaghetti sauce and spinach. Mix.
Spoon mixture over pasta.
Sprinkle your cheese over the dish.
Cut your bells into funny shapes (a smart one would use small cookie cutters, I don't have any of those). Add to top of dish.

Bake 45 minutes.

Word from the "wise"

Don't make red velvet cake balls whilst wearing a white shirt....especially a new one.

Projects will resume next week!!

Creative-less

The point of this blog was to make note of creative, fun, innovative ways/products/creations I've come across as a mommy. Seeing that I just had a baby, I've discovered nothing of the sort lately! The only creativity that exists within is coming up with ways to prevent getting sprayed on. Yes, by "sprayed on" I mean peed on - something that is happening multiple times a day. I was an expert diaper changer with Drew....don't know where those skills went? 

So this blog will remain post-less for the next few weeks. In the fall I hope to resume all normal activity with sewing, MOP's and motherhood in general. Speaking of Fall...this fall I'll officially be "soccer mom" :) Drew is signed up and more than ready to run the field!

Dillon Update

We had an appt. Monday and got some updates. I just needed a little time to settle my emotions before I wrote an update. First, let me note the upside to this, and it's huge --> We officially have a "term" baby!

I'm still (as of Monday) sitting at 2 cm dilated, almost fully effaced....Same place I was 3 weeks ago (which isn't unheard of for a normal pregnancy). But for over a week I've had contractions no more than 30 minutes apart, certain activity increases them to 10 minutes apart but those moments seem to be few and far between lately. I only count the ones that stop me in my tracks or wake me up from my much needed sleep since those are the ones that should help me dilate. Unfortunately, they aren't doing what they are supposed to!
I asked my Dr. if he thought the medicine had done to me what it does to many women....prevent me from going into full labor on my own.... "I've seen it happen. I just didn't think it would happen in your situation." He decided to schedule an induction date for July 12th. He assured me I could still go into labor on my own and he believes that will be the case. I'm not so positive though, and I'm not so happy! However, I'm leaving my feelings out of this post ;)

I've heard from the Dr. and read on the internet that this medicine has a reputation for preventing full on natural labor. It's hard for me to put myself in a situation from hearsay. Well just the other day we heard from one of Rob's acquaintance's that his wife (who just delivered a few weeks ago) experienced the same thing from the same med. And her need for the med was much more crucial than mine. She ended up laboring on her own 2 days before her induction date. Hearing a similar story from a real person and someone we know has somehow eased my mind. I absolutely do not regret taking it, I'm confident we would not have made it this far without it. I only pray that I go into labor on my very own!

If I do make it to July 12th, Robbie will never struggle with remembering birth dates....we'll all be on the 12th. December 12th, May 12th and July 12th!

Keeping Busy

Months can go by without your doorbell ringing, but bring a new baby home and the buzz never seems to stop buzzing! I remember making little last minute notes, usually out of post-it notes, to give a heads up to the neighbor, postman, etc. that the baby was sleeping. While I sit here and await Dillon's arrival, I think about little things I can do to make life a little less hectic when he finally arrives. 

 

When I painted Dillon's letters, Drew was very impressed. "Wow mom! That looks great!" He's my biggest fan :) He wanted his letters for his room, and when Nannie came she picked up the supply.

 

Summer Salad

You'll notice the cottage cheese. I know a lot of people don't care for this stuff, but trust me when I say it's an ingredient that's discrete! And a healthy one too!

• 1 small container cottage cheese
• 1 small container cool whip
• 1 small package jello - strawberry or orange (do not prepare jello)
• 1 can crushed pineapple
• 1 can pineapple chunks
• 1 can mandarin oranges
• grapes (I have a little guy in the house so I quarter these)

Beat the cottage cheese until the curds (I'm not a fan of that word) are tiny tiny! Add the cool whip and mix until blended. Add the package of jello mix and all fruit. Mix well and refrigerate! Wha-laa.
You can eat it right away but it's better once it's set a little.

Move over Udder Cover!

I haven't actually tried the Udder Cover, but I've tried several cover ups. And to you boys who may be reading this blog, sorry but you may want to bypass this one.

I have an awkwardly long torso, which always made for awkward feeding in public. I had a couple covers that were adorable, the cutest prints! But, inevitably my stomach, bellybutton and all, would hang out. And if it wasn't the lower tummy, if I were wearing a nursing specific top that covered that area, it was the sides of my body. Always re-adjusting the cover in attempt to cover all necessary parts. Do I need to mention that re-adjustment of the cover led to readjustment of Drew's position. SO! I made my own feeding cover. It's 28" long and the upper sides have an additional 5.5" of wraparound fabric.

Dillon Update

Thank you for all the calls, texts and emails. Although his actual due date is not until July 20th, Dillon was expected to be here last week... but he is still holding strong! I have so many emotions: excited, relieved and PROUD! It wasn't the most ideal pregnancy but I had many "up" moments, I've learned to let go of a lot, I've had more reflection time than I've had my entire lifetime. Because of the restrictions, rest, worry, etc. I was forced to sit back and think about what's really important. Not that I'm one to just fly through life ignoring the special moments, but now I cherish things in a deeper manner. Overall, this has all been for the best. All 3 of us have grown and our little family is stronger than ever.

With that said, I want to update everyone on what's going on, why Dillon was expected 5 weeks early and why he is staying put! A long story short:

I am a candidate for delivering pre-term, in more than 1 way. I'll spare those details, but they are the reasons Drew arrived 5 weeks early. We started this pregnancy off with several preventative methods - blood work, ultrasounds, progesterone shots. Things went smooth and I was confident this pregnancy would be different...then 19 weeks came and there I was hooked up to a machine counting my contractions. I immediately started the weekly shots and bed rest. At 26 weeks I was given a prescription , a yucky med that is usually administered in hospitals to stop contractions. When that wasn't working, I was given a slightly stronger med, but luckily the side effects for this one were almost non-existent.

This medicine is known for preventing pre-term labor by relaxing the uterine muscle so that it can not contract. Most women notice the effect immediately and are relieved of the contractions....often until PAST their due date! They end up being induced. My case was a little different and it became clear that without the medication daily I would go into labor. The dr. let me take this med an extra week, something he's never prescribed, so that we could get to 35 weeks. He was certain that 48 hours off the med and I would be in labor. We all were certain.

Last Tuesday was my last pill and my mom came up to be here in preparation for Dillon's arrival. Now that we were in the clear and Dillon was safe to come I was finally able to enjoy my last days being pregnant. Everything was set! And, my biggest concerns of labor were relieved by this preparation - Drew's comfort and Rob being in the room with me. Well, as I have learned over the last few months, things are not going to go as planned :) Note the smiley face.

"Bahaaa" are the laughing words of my dr., me, Rob, Nannie, the whole world. 2 days off that pill and my contractions were close to non-existent. A week has gone by and Nannie has had to go home. No Dillon! On top of that, Drew was supposed to be in Dallas this morning for a GI specialist, not a missed appointment to be taken lightly. So, I'm not going to lie, the last few days have been a bit stressful, a feeling of pressure. I've had feelings of bitterness and outright sadness that we don't have any family near by. Not the way I had intended to spend the end of pregnancy, which, by the way, is to cherish every waking (because I don't know what sleep means anymore) moment, every kick, every move, every painful tightening, every potty trip.

After an emotional few days, I've gathered my thoughts and, I think, I'm thinking clearly! I'm so lucky to have such amazing friends who assure me that Drew WILL be taken care of, he WILL be comforted, when Dillon makes his debut. I have been assured that Rob WILL be in the delivery room with me. And Drew will definitely be ok until we can get him to Dallas. I'm back to fully enjoying the rest of this ride, knowing and trusting that everything will happen the way it's supposed.

So Dillon's arrival is anyone's guess at this point. It's become clear that just because I needed the medicine JUST last week, does not mean that I am out of the bracket of women who go beyond their due date and end up being induced. It's unlikely but not out of the question at this point.

For those of you who are familiar with pregnancy terminology: On Monday I was 2cm dilated, 80% effaced and Dillon is sitting very low. On Wednesday morning at 1am the contractions started coming 30 minutes apart, and are still coming about 30 minutes apart....sometimes closer. All I know is I want to and need to soak up every second of this and that's what I'm headed to do! We'll be in touch!

100%

As of yesterday, we are 100% ready for Dillon's arrival.

After a great "date" with Dr. Flanagan, we are emotionally ready. At 35w 2 days Dillon is definitely on the upside of 5lbs, maybe even more like 6lbs. I'm officially 2 days more pregnant than I was with Drew!

The final touches to the nursery are complete after yesterday, as well! Furniture was moved around and put in it's final position. My AWESOME girls from MOP's were so sweet to gift us a rocker for the nursery, which sweeties Tara and Greg delivered yesterday. And for one last deco piece, I placed some flowers on the changing table.... if only that guaranteed a pleasant diaper changing experience.

After a serious deep cleaning session my house, for the first time since winter, is organized.Spotless. CLEAN! Appealing to the eyes and nose.

I've had a good friend on call 24/7, but knowing that the possibility of something happening during the night was causing anxiety. As of yesterday my fear of care for Drew on the big day has been 100% relieved - Nanny arrived! 

So here we are, just waiting!

I guess I'm not 100% ready physically, but now that I can do some water exercises in the pool (convenient, right?!) I can try to gain some muscle tone over the next few days :)

Puddles and Bugs

I have to brag on a friend for a bit because I love (and look up to) her creativeness! 

A friend from sewing class recently opened up her Etsy shop Puddles and Bugs after discovering her niche - she is making the cutest baby booties. The first pair I saw her make were these adorable yellow girl booties, I was so impressed! The next pair she introduced are now, I believe, her signature pair. Named after her flirt of a toddler, the Judson resembles cowboy boots and who can resist a little guy in boots?!  After laying eyes on them I knew I had to have her create a pair for baby Dillon. Puddles and Bugs also makes super cute onesies, and many that can be purchased with matching booties.

I thought it would be fun to have her create some Texas Longhorn booties that Dillon could sport throughout the summer, so I picked up some burnt orange fabric along with football printed fabric. After the fact, I realized the print might be too large to fit on an infant's foot, but Angela proved me wrong! The placement of the print fabric shows just how creative this girl is. And for an added surprise, Angela made an additional pair (one's that will fit for football season!) with some extra touches - little football buttons AND Dillon's name!!! They are so special :)

Puddles and Bugs has a facebook page as well. If you have an upcoming baby shower to attend these sets make perfect gifts. Or, perhaps, you (?!) are expecting a little lovebug, check out Puddles and Bugs...prevent your babes from showing up to mother's day out wearing the (gasp) same outfit as another! Unique and nothing short of darling, I am definitely a fan!

I've mentioned my "love" for my camera's ability to do an excellent job at distorting colors. Nothing's changed so I just want to say that the color is a true burnt orange!

What's in a name?

Everything! That's why it has been SO difficult deciding on Baby Crain #2's official title. Andrew was too easy. We both loved the name from the very beginning, there wasn't much conversation about alternatives. Maybe being the first child is easy..."we'll put in to play other likable names with the next baby/babies". Knowing (now) that this is probably our last little offspring put more pressure on deciphering a name. At least on me. From the beginning of this pregnancy I've had a "thing" for this chosen name, as did Rob (yes, he has liked it all along!). There were several others I liked but, for one reason or another, couldn't come to LOVE. We sat down with ALL of my in-laws - Poppy, Nana, Kel, Aaron, all 3 nieces and even a longtime friend, Sam. Poppy went through every name in the book and I'm not joking when I say I had a reason NOT to name this baby a single one of those mentioned. They gave up on me! I can't blame them, but I also can not explain my aversion to 98% of names. It didn't help knowing that deep down Robbie really did like the chosen name.

Many of you know that we originally were not finding out the sex. That was until I went nutty making the bedding and decided I wanted to find out so that I could A) plan accordingly: colors, theme, etc, and B) have some of the paneling monogrammed. As you can see from previous posts, nothing was monogrammed. Why? We had no name! It came time to hang the name on the wall, which brings us to a couple of weeks ago - game time. It was time to buy the wooden letters to get painted and hung. These are the letters we came up with:

Dillon: A welsh name (nope, we have no welsh in us), meaning "born from the ocean" or "born near the sea". Of course, we didn't know this until after making the final decision, but (!)  the meaning is very appropriate due to our love for the ocean. We spent many of our best times as a couple on some beach, somewhere. We were married on the beach. I certainly wish our son could be born on the beach. So while the meaning can't give credit to our decision, at least it's fitting to our relationship as a couple ;) And I'm sure we'll instill the same kind of love for water in this little boy, Drew definitely favors being on the beach than anywhere!

We're expecting this baby soon and I have no "belly" shots of this entire pregnancy. I got to sit poolside and watch my boys play this Memorial Weekend and we got a shot! 33 weeks:

Baby Crain #2

Introducing No-Name Baby ;)

I've wanted to get this stinkin picture up for days. My scanner decided to break right when I needed it most. After hours of sitting on my closet floor (our new office - thank you baby Crain), un-installing and re-installing software, I gave up. Just went in to print something for my work-a-holic of a husband and guess what decided to work?!

I get ultrasounds every other week, and therefore have bonded with the ultrasound tech. I have the first appointment after their lunch every other Thursday, which allows for plenty of goofing off with the machine. She switched it over to 4d last week (30 w, 4d) and after nudging my tummy several hundred times he moved his hands away from his face. Sadly, the nudging sent me in to a contraction spell. Yes, it's true, "irritable uterus" syndrome really exists.

I think he looks like Drew!

Nursery Update

My latest project for the nursery was making new bedding for the Cali King. I LOVE Nate Berkus bedding but this particular set had to go - it was more than clashing with the nursery bedding. After weeks of dealing with online order exchanges and wait times for Nannie's return to Tyler, I finally had all fabric in my possession!

***  Nesting on bed rest is excruciating! ***

Because I'm such a nit-pick, I can't let go of the fabric I originally wanted. Does this sound familiar? I know, I know. I just want you to see what I had in mind at the beginning of this project. Of course, the fabric in the color I needed is non-existent. I wanted this in brown for the middle of the duvet.

 

Let me just add: This color (Ivory) is NEW! Oh I would have loved this color! 

Back to the point of this post - the completed bed set.

Here it is in its final form. I'm afraid the lighting is distorting the colors just a little. That green truly is more a hunter green. It's the same green silk used on the crib bumper. The brown taffeta is looking a little gold-toned in the photo as well....it's actually chocolate. No gold's for this room ;)

Enjoy!

(I sure hope our guests will)

 

 

 Somehow our nurseries always end up better looking than our own room. I wouldn't dare share pics!

When Robbie finishes the walls I'll take a final pic.

Latest craving:

(Aside from Villa Montez oversized burrito)

Spinach Mushroom Omelette

3 eggs

Fresh spinach leaves

Sliced mushrooms (I slice em thick)

Handful of diced onion

Cheese (I use a slice of Swiss or PepperJack)

Few slices of tomato

Saute spinach, mushrooms and onion with a dash of salt. 

Beat eggs and pour over soft veggies. 

I'm not attempting to give advice on how to actually cook the omelette. Mine are quite the joke.

Before folding the omelette, add your cheese to the middle.

Broil sliced tomatoes for a few minutes and place on top of folded omelette.

Drew is 3!

I have come to terms that my baby is, absolutely, in no shape or form, a baby anymore. Of course, he'll always be my "baby", but he's entered a new phase of life that includes more independence from me than I thought could come at such an early age. He's made me so proud in so many ways, I am a very lucky mommy. I'm in love with his personality and I pray everyday that he is surrounded by people who will help preserve his humorous, loving ways. I could go on and on, just as all mommies could! I know we have many more phases to experience with Drew but this one is having such an impact on me because he has clearly evolved into his own little person, at 3! I am beyond grateful for having such a great family, as well as caring and involved friends and teachers who, unknowingly, help me everyday in molding him into this angel of a child.

Happy Birthday Drewbug! I guess I'll retire the nickname big guy ;)

Party Album

Just a little note to say I'm not giving up on this blog! I actually have a lot to post about, it has been one of the best weeks of my pregnancy and I'm back to the sewing/random projects I abandoned a couple of weeks ago. I just haven't gathered the best pictures and some (several hundred) projects aren't 100% complete but they are on their way ;) It's been difficult trying to get all this bedding done...especially when ordering fabric off the internet always FAILS! I've ordered and returned more than time has allowed. But I am confident this will be done before No-Name baby gets here.
No-Name? Yep. That's right, still no name has been decided. I mean, if you ask me, the name has definitely been chosen. I guess you could even ask Rob and he'll, too, tell you the name has been chosen. The 2 names just won't exactly match up. Yet.
Have no fear. The baby will be named before he gets here. (that rhymes)
Did I tell you I saw Sarah Story on Broadway the other day? Pretty sure we're soul mates. That's just weird, but WHY is the person becoming apart my weekly routine?!

I have to mention, my baby turned 3 this week. A huge contributor to making this week one of the best. A post to come!

Nursery Sneak-Peek

It's done! The hard part anyway. I've finished the bumper, crib skirt and valance for the nursery. I still have a ways to go to get the room the way I want it. Honestly, I'm coming to terms with the fact that this room may never be the way I really want it. I can share a list but it will only send me into an anxiety attack. I will, however, share the projects that are in progress and very likely to be completed (especially now that I've made it public ~ determination): crib blanket, curtains, throw pillows and duvet cover.

You can get an idea of the overall bedding from this pic. As much as I love love love our crib, I also am holding a slight grudge....it hides my crib skirt.

The crib skirt is identical to the valance so here is a pic of spoken valance. It's not 100% in this pic but I won't reveal that until I get the curtains hung.

 

This is wa-ay off topic but I can't get over these stinkin' dinner rolls we were talking about at dinner. You can thank my mommy's group for this one :) I'll just go ahead and dedicate this to them!

Straight from the Sister Schubert's website:

Upside down Banana Pecan French Toast

• 2 packages Sister Schubert's Wheat Rolls with Honey Butter (I knew about the "beanie weenie" kind, but not HONEY BUTTER?!)
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 4 medium, ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Maple syrup
• Fresh sliced strawberries

Preparation
Butter bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Slice rolls in half and set aside.
In mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter and corn syrup and mix until smooth. Spread mixture into an even layer in bottom of prepared baking dish. Slice bananas thinly and place over brown sugar mixture. Scatter pecans over bananas. Place sliced rolls atop and sprinkle with cinnamon.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half and vanilla, and pour over rolls.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly, run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen sides and carefully invert pan onto a large platter or slice and serve.
Serve with warm maple syrup and sliced strawberries.

In the news...again?!

KLTV's Sara Story (how appropriate is that last name?) just can't get enough of us. A couple weeks ago she stopped us at Rose Rudman and asked to interview us on breastfeeding. After explaining the embarrassing lack of makeup and inability to feed after 4 months of trying she insisted my story was "perfect". So there we were on the 5 O'clock news. Believing that most of my lady friends here would be tending to other activities I thought I was safe...no one would see! Wishful thinking. Got some good chuckles out of that one. Flash forward to this afternoon. We are having our picnic at Bergfeld park, Drew's face covered in chocolate pudding, when I glance over and see a familiar looking camera. "NO. WAY." came out of my mouth louder than I had intended. "What mom?!?" I quickly scanned the street and sure enough there was the KLTV suv....and headed our way is Sara Story. She's great (she's from Austin, enough said), she remembered everything we had talked about before and was quite inquisitive as to what's been going on. Drew adores her and begged to be "bidio taped" again. Now here we are again, on the 5 O'clock news :) "See you at Faulkner in 3 weeks?" her camera man joked... The sprayground opens in 2 weeks, so if they make it out there it won't be a shocker if we are in the news once more!

Changes to Texas day cares stir controversy

Breast feeding saves lives, money says study, East Texans agree

A Day with Daddy

Drew has been a sweetheart and incredibly understanding towards my lack of ability to play, play, play. However, with only 2 half days of school, we're running out of restful activities to keep us busy during the week! Rob has started taking Drew along on some of his outdoor work adventures. Saturday he was able to help daddy deliver scholarship awards to a livestock auction in Mineola and attend Rob's company's crawfish boil in Hawkins. I was so sad to miss out on the fun, and even more teary that I couldn't witness my 2 boys on their daddy-son day...if only I could have been a ladybug on site! Today, Drew tagged along with Daddy on a spring site visit. Here he is playing in the actual spring. They both came home so happy, I absolutely love seeing them interact like this. My heart melts!

Kicks

Rob likes to point out all the food "kicks" I take on, whether I'm pregnant or not. But, being pregnant definitely intensifies my weird eating habits. I find something I like and I'll eat it/drink it everyday until I eventually burn myself out. I didn't see the problem with this...I didn't even really understand why he's so fascinated in my temporary addictions.....

Until today. It hit me today while I was making my tower of french toast - something I've made every single day this week - that maybe this is a bit strange. It doesn't matter what kind of food/drink it is and when it's "supposed" to be ingested. For example, french toast piled inches high with nana's, strawberries and blueberries has been eaten at 9am, 11am, 4pm, and even 1130 pm this week. Bowls of cereal loaded with nana's, strawberries and blueberries have been eaten at least twice a day from 630am until midnight. Bagels....oooh bagels, and ONLY from Einsteins, have been eaten at least twice a week (usually more like 4) for well over 3 months now. I've recovered from the pickles wrapped in swiss cheese and roasted garlic coated steaks and moved on to more "normal" food. I've discovered it might be a bit strange that other than dinner, all I'm consuming is whatever my temporary "kick" is - absolutely no variety. 

I wish this could be one of my daily eatings:

The Cake Jar!  (How do you like that my dear techy friends!)

I've been on this mass french toast consumption kick since I was last in Katy, thanks to my father in law ~ he makes the best french toast for Drew (which I end up sneaking bites of). So, it's only natural that when it came time to contribute breakfast to our mommies group, I just made a variation of my french toast. I don't know what people thought, but I loved it! So enjoy this little recipe at the bottom, as its simple and yummy :)


On a side note ~ Had a great dr. appt. yesterday. Thankfully, nothing has changed on my status so I am able to continue my routine, an already very suffocating one, but it could be worse! And for the baby, well he's doing awesome! He already weighs almost 3lbs. Maybe this is why I'm getting so many obnoxious comments. Yes, people, I know I have a large belly. I'm pregnant. Here he is puckering his lips.

French Toast Casserole (?)
French bread (not exactly fresh), cubed
5 eggs
2.5 cups milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
lots of blueberries.

      Mix all these together and pour over bread. Pour in a greased pan. Refridgerate overnight (8 hours).     
      Sprinkle some crushed pecans over the mixture. Combine brown sugar and butter and drizzle over   
      mixture. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Pull out and sprinkle blueberries on and bake 10 more minutes.    
      Waa-la!

Baby steps? No thanks.

I've put my dress project to the side. I'm too scared to touch it without the supervision of my sewing teacher (who, by the way, I absolutely adore). The ignorant, beginner sewer that I am bought super stretchy jersey fabric...not very friendly for a wannabe seamstress. Anyway, between class cancellations and my own personal issues preventing me from getting to class, I haven't been able to touch the dress in over a month. 

But I'm not too sad! And that's because I've started my very first bedding project! What possessed me to make my baby's bedding when I've only completed 1sewing project ever?? I could have at least attempted to make the crib blanket before starting the bumper, but no. I'm impatient and what to see what I'm made of! I'm super excited and so far have really enjoyed my time on this project. Unfortunately, I'm only able to work on it in the evening, once Drew's tending to his dreams. This could take a while, but here's the start of my project. 

I think about my dress a lot.

I'm not neglecting her. Just postponing... 

My workroom - you think this is messy? You should see the other side.

~The Fabric~

 

 

I'm not sure why I do this to myself, but here are some of the original fabrics I wanted. I wanted and couldn't have. Grrrrr.

So, if all goes well with this project, and you like what you see, come to me when you are expecting a boy and I'll then have a chance to use them!

Could this be?

Could we really be at a crossroad on what to name our child?! While this has all been in good fun, I'm starting to get feisty. This poll is completely anonymous, so (family members!) here is your chance to cast an honest vote without hurting anyone's feelings.
The poll is to the right pane!

Edited to say
Dear friends,
Please, I welcome you (!) to vote. I only  mentioned family members above because they seem to be the ones who are shy to respond out of respect to our feelings, kindly :). Now get on it!

***OH! And I believe you can leave comments. Please do, if you choose! We will both be excited to hear***

A drive down our street...

Take a drive down our street this week and this is what you'll see! There's a reason we chose this neighborhood and these pics will give you a glimpse as to why. We live in the Azalea District here in Tyler. Our home base is along the 8 miles of Azalea trails, of which thousands of people visit every year during the week (maybe 2) long bloom of the Azalea's and Dogwoods. Our neighbors pride themselves on their yards, and rightfully so. The sight really is unbelievable, but because they die off so quickly I'm often left wondering "why was that such a big deal?". But then the next year comes around and BLOOM (!) there they are...so beautiful, so serene.

Several events are brought throughout the neighborhood thanks to the Azalea season. We just had the Azalea 10K (Ozarka sponsored!), the Historic Home Tour where all the young ladies are dressed in their Cinderella-like gowns, and soon enough we'll enjoy the arts and crafts fair. We absolutely love this neighborhood this time of year!