Easy Tie Scarf

When I went back to the Joann's the other day to buy some elastic, I couldn't help but look for some other fabrics. I want to make some more baby shoes, so having some extra prints wouldn't hurt. And also having a bit thicker fabric for the soles may make the shoes a bit more sturdy. We'll see. Anyway, I always love checking out the remnant baskets when I go. Great for smaller projects and getting a good deal. I found some fleece fabric with Raiders print. Scott is a Raiders fan, so I thought that I can come up with something for him.

When I laid the fabric out at home, it was very long (on the stretch) and not very wide. It was just right for a scarf. I knew exactly how I wanted to do it, too. Tristan has one of those blankets that is tied together all around the edges. Fleece seems to be perfect for this. I got Tristan's blanket from a friend at my baby shower for him three years ago! It is still in great condition, too. It just shows some wearing from a little too much love and trips to the washer.

I thought that this idea would be perfect for the ends of the scarf. So, here is my end result:It was very, very easy to do.

All you need is:
cut of fleece fabric (the length and width are really up to you - double the width you'd prefer plus an extra 1/4-1/2" for seam allowance - add 8" to the length to allow for the knots)*
thread
sewing machine (you can hand sew if you are good at that)
pins
scissors

1. Fold your fabric in half. If your fleece has a "right" side (mine was printed, so I wanted the printed side to be on the outside), then fold the "right" side in so only your "wrong" sides are showing.
2. Pin in place along the open side - I did about a 1/4" seam, so that's where I put my pins.
3. Starting at 4" from one end, sew along the long end. Stop at 4" from the end. I did a reverse stitch on both ends to reinforce the stitching.
4. Carefully turn the scarf inside-out.
5. Flatten the ends.
6. Cut the folded edge up to 4" from the end (Do both ends). Now you'll have two flaps.
7. Line up the two flaps and begin cutting "strips" that are 1" wide and 4" long. Do this to both ends.
8. You'll have about five or six strips (depends on how wide you made your scarf, it could be more or less) dangling from each end. In pairs, double knot the strips so that the ends are completely enclose.
9. Voila! You are finished!

*You could make your scarf with two different prints/colors of fabric (one side solid, one side printed might look really nice). When you get your cut of fabric, instead of getting double the width of one fabric (plus enough for seam allowance), you just get the width and length of your scarf (plus 8" to the length for knots and 1/2" to 1" to the width for seam allowance) for both prints/colors. When putting together, line up the right sides together. Sew both long ends with 1/4" seam allowance and stopping 4" from both ends. Flip scarf inside out and follow from step #7.

This project took less than 15 minutes for a beginner like myself. The longest part was pinning in place. I might have to go and buy some more fleece to make myself one. :P

More sewing fun!

Alright, so I've been at it with the sewing machine and here is my latest creation:

I don't have the elastic yet. Two places I went to didn't have elastic and I forgot to pick it up at Joann's. Maybe I'll go today since we're eating lunch with my dad. Anyway, I first saw the idea at Chubbas & Boop, a stay-at-home mom who is all sorts of crafty and artsy. She linked the pattern she found at Star Dust Shoes. While the pattern I used was basically the same, I grabbed mine from On Pins & Needles. I found it easier to follow her step-by-step instructions, especially since this week was my first time on a sewing machine since Home Economics in middle school.

I did mess up, though. I did a 1/4" instead of 1/8" when attaching the sole to the heel and top pieces. This may mean that it might fit a smaller foot (the pattern is for 6-9 month feet). It was very easy to do, though. So, if you're new to sewing or don't have much experience, like me, you can still do it. Just follow the instructions - it is all very straight forward. Although, I did have to look up a few terms, like baste.

Oh, I think I made two left feet, too. Good thing I intend to make a second set and have plenty of fabric. I just have to make a mental note to make two right feet. :P

Christmas Giveaway at Bagladee

Are you into arts and crafts? Well, check out this giveaway at Bagladee! It is super easy to enter.

Sew much fun!

Okay, so the last two days I've been at it with the sewing machine and managed to get three projects finished. I went to Joann's on Monday and picked up a bunch of supplies and fabrics. I was so excited that I decided to started right away. Now, I am by no means good at sewing. All of this was trial and error. I didn't really do any real measuring and most of my sewing is crooked and not centered. But overall, I did a decent job of putting something together.

Monday's project:

A replacement bag for my friend Dani. She and I got these cheap drawstring bags at a benefit walk for Multiple Sclerosis earlier in the year. She and I love using them as a replacement for the standard over the shoulder diaper bag. They are light and, honestly, with a toddler, you don't need much on short trips. So, I've been want to try and make one myself, since the ones we got are quite plain (solid purple, black drawstring) with white lettering on it, spelling out the name of some drug to help MS patients.

Dani is really into Oriental decor. I am, too, but she's into it more than I. So, I set out for a fabric that would appeal to her style. I found this simple black and red (with some gold) fabric that had kanji written all over it.

So, here's the final result:
There are two pockets on the front. The solid red panel is one large pocket (about half the size of the bag itself) and on that is a smaller pocket. I put one large flap just above the pockets to keep things from falling out. I used iron on velcro but will have to go over it with hand stitching because the adhesive didn't want to stick. I reused the cord from my bag (even though I bought cord at the store), since it was already cut to the perfect length. I had a picture of it flatten out so you could see the pockets better, but it keeps loading in sideways into blogger.

Things I would do differently:
I don't have a serger, so I have to finish the edges myself. Unfortunately I didn't get all of the edges.
The flap that goes over the pockets is unfinished on the inside. So, when you open the flap you can see the "wrong" side of the fabric. Next time, I will sew a lining to it, so there are right sides on the inside, too.
Speaking of lining, I might do that to the inside of the bag itself, too. I used interfacing to make the bag a bit more rigid, but didn't think of putting in lining, too..

Tuesday's projects:
Crayon roll-up for Tristan and Dani's daughter. I don't remember where I first saw this idea, but it was on a blog. A cute little pouch with slots for crayons rolled up for traveling. The best idea I saw was to use triangle-shaped crayons. They are perfect for restaurant outings where regular crayons are bound to roll onto the floor. So, with that in mind, I picked out fabrics appropriate for both kids (would you be surprised if I told you that Tristan's fabric has elephants?), bought two eight packs of triangular washable crayons, and set off to work. I initially want a flap to cover over the top of the crayons to prevent them from falling out. I started with Tristan's and tried out the flap to find out that it wasn't absolutely necessary (at least with triangle crayons).

Anyway, here is Tristan's:
I found out that with the flap, it was pretty bulky. I made eight slots, but since they fit triangle crayons, two normal size crayons will fit just fine. Although, here is where I should have measured: the crayon slots are a bit too deep - with regular crayons, you might not be able to see the tip since the triangle crayons are longer and fatter than the regular ones.


Okay, so lesson learned. Here's my second attempt:This was faster to make and so much more basic than Tristan's. I liked using a solid fabric to coordinate with the printed fabric. I didn't have any coordinating fabric for Tristan's. All edges on this are "finished", meaning most of it is layered on the inside. I really like this one much better than Tristan's. It'll take up less space in the diaper bag and it holds the crayons just fine.

Anyway, that's about it. I forgot to buy some elastic for the baby booties, but I might make a run for that tomorrow. I should buy some thicker fabric, too, but I think I'll just double up on the flannel fabric I bought. The blue fabric in the crayon roll-up above also coordinates well with this cute girly print fabric I found on sale. I still have tons of left over fabric, so I'll be trying to come up with other cutsie projects. Maybe a coordinating hat or shirt to go with the booties? This is where I'd really like a serger. Making clothes would be much better if I could finish the edges. I am only saddened by the fact that my time at home is running short (only two weeks left!) and I won't have as much time later on to do things like this.

On a side note, we've been trying out cloth diapers on Melayna for the past few days and its actually been pretty cool. We bought a trial package (we pay for shipping and a refundable deposit) to try out several different types of diapers available. So far, I'm not sure if I like the two piece method (cloth diaper with a cover), but that's because I had some leakage. I might be doing something wrong?? Anyway, I really like how soft they are. Because the trial package doesn't come with a large amount of dipes, I'm still alternating with disposables. So, I missed the chance to experience a poopy cloth diaper so far. Maybe tomorrow?? I think that'll be part of the factor in deciding to go completely cloth (with disposables for care provider and maybe outings). I mentioned in an earlier posts trying gDiapers. It is a hybrid, so to speak, of cloth and disposable. The inserts are disposable (better yet, flusable) while the diaper itself is cloth. Only problem is that they are really expensive (you're buying liners like you would disposables and the cost per liner is much more than the cost per disposable - especially if you go with a brand like Luvs or genericc). And Melayna grew out of the small size too quickly. So, we went back to disposables. After seriously talking with Scott, I told him that we should at least try it. So, he agreed to it. :) We've got the trial package for two weeks. Just in time for me to go back to work. Scott have to try this out first hand, too, before I go back since he'll have her for half the day before Dani watches her (at which point we'll put her in a disposable - don't want to put poor Dani through having to wash off a poopy diaper - she can barely stand disposables with poop).

Sunday Funnies

Wow, I went a whole week without updating my blog (with the exception of Grosgrain's fabulous giveaways)! I'm slacking. I've had so much on my mind lately and so much to do, that I've been too distracted and busy to update my blog. For instance, last night was my work's holiday party. So, our friend watch the kiddos for the evening while Scott and I got to dress up and mingle with my fellow coworkers. A perk of working for the big guys: sitting at their table where the drink tickets are obsolete and we could have whatever we wanted and how much we wanted. I was going to drink but deciding against it because a night and day of pumping just didn't sound like fun. But Scott got to enjoy a few Tequila Sunrises, while I sipped on Sprite.

I've also been busy with my Craigslist postings. I've been trying to sell a bunch of Tristan's outgrown clothes, now Melayna's outgrown newborn clothes, and other odds and ends that we don't need or use. Scott let me go through our video game collection and drastically downsize it. So, I've got over forty games I'm trying to sell.

Oh, and my sewing machine is working! I have a few handmade gifts that I've been wanting to try. I'm not sure if I'll be any good, but it is worth a try. Hopefully, tomorrow, I'll have a chance to go to the fabric store and pick out some cute fabrics. I want to make some baby soft-sole shoes (2 pairs, one for a friend who is due in January and one for Melayna), a crayon-keeper (it stores your crayons and rolls up for easy transport and storage), and a drawstring backpack.

Alright, so I go back to work in two and a half weeks. I'm very saddened by this. I don't want to leave home and leave my babies. But I have to make the most of it. So, what has made me laughed so hard this week that it made my cheeks hurt?


My son, of course! We can get him to scream with joy and laugh just by opening our eyes wider and pursing our lips. It is hilarious to get him going with this. Well, tonight, as I was putting him to bed, I got him going with the funny looks on my face. Then, all of a sudden, he said, "Mommy, look at me!" He was doing the same thing! I was full of laughter when he would give me the "look". It was so funny! So, I asked him if he wouldn't mind me taking his picture and he happily agreed to it. I'm not to stoked about the self portrait with Tristan just below. My hair is a mess and I'm all gums from such a large smile. But, I don't have many pictures of me and Tristan together. And this one, he and I, both, were having tons of fun! Enjoy the silliness of the young and the young at heart!

My cheeks were hurting from laughing so much! Oh, no! Not the "look"!He's got to have that elephant nearby. The boy is obsessed with elephants.

My first layout!

So, I've done some scrapbooking before - it is still a work in progress (very slow progress). However, I've come across bloggers who do digital scrapbooking. This piqued my interest and I thought I'd take a stab at it. There are so many resources on the web that it was quite overwhelming.

First off, I'd like to give credit where credit is due:

Pixel Fairy Princess (see link under Blogroll in the sidebar) was one of my first encounters with digital scrapbooking in it. The author of this blog is a professional photographer (she takes the most amazing shots) and a digital scrapbooker as well.

A Work in Progress - This is where I found a ton of layouts, links to kits (tons of freebies which is great for someone just starting out & testing the waters), and tools and tips. She collaborates with a few other digital scrapbook bloggers out there. A few of my favorites: Kimmy's Keepsakes and Sweet Blossom Designs.

I used the elements and papers from the following kits (click on the kit name for a direct link to creator's blog):

• Breakfast at Tiffany's
• Baby Boy
• Framing Workshop

I use Paint Shop Pro (most folks use Photoshop). I'm still getting used to the software, so adding in all this scrapbook stuff kind of made things a bit more challenging. I found an awesome tutorial on how to blend your picture in with the background at Kimmy's Keepsakes (click here to view tutorial). With this new trick up my sleeve, I based my layout on this technique. I went with some pictures of Tristan I took when he was three and a half months old. I went nuts with the camera that day! Who could resist those big brown eyes and adorable chubby cheeks?

Alright enough rambling, here is my layout (click on it for a much bigger view):

Yay! A banner!

So, I haven't posted in a few days because I've been working on my banner. I've been almost obsessing over it. I got new "Photoshop"-like software that I had to learn how to use. I've never used Photoshop, nor any other program like it. The closest I've come to using photo-editing software (besides Paint) is Microsoft Publisher. However, Publisher has nothing compared to these programs.

Anyway, I've been spending what time I have to myself (and while feeding the baby), learning about this program. Layers, Vectors, and all sorts of tools. At first, it was difficult to figure out what everything did, how to manipulate different layers, and get everything the way I wanted it to be. Once I got the hang of things, it was smooth sailing (except for when my pc locked and I had to restart the whole thing).

Well, now that I have a banner that goes with my new title, I can now go back to blogging. :P
Not like much has been going on. Melayna takes up most of my time with feeding. Tristan is being a pain in the butt - his behavior has gotten much, much worse (Terrible two's anyone?). Tomorrow is clean up and catch up day for me and Scott. He's got Friday's and Saturday's off, but this Saturday he's going to be at a friends house most of the day. So, tomorrow - no games, no WoW (that's World of Warcraft for you non-gamers), no goofing off (except with Tristan), and so on. Just clean-up, laundry, organizing, and sorting what we don't need. Maybe we'll break out the rug cleaner. As much as it is drag to have to clean, I'm looking forward to it. I feel like I'm living in a pig pen (just kidding - it isn't that bad in here - just disorganized and in need of some tidying).

Well, I hope you like my banner. I put lots and lots of work into it. Least to say, I'm very proud of my work. My friend, who is my website expert (she rocks at HTML) helped me with figuring out the photo editing program and making the site look a bit more organized (my new banner messed things up a bit). So, Dani, thanks a bunch! I couldn't have done this without you! She keeps joking with me that I should start my own craft store. Apparently she thinks I have talent with making cards and other little crafty goods. I just always had fun with it. It may be an idea to ponder. In the meantime, I'll just keep having fun with whatever I do. :)

One week postpartum

Yesterday was exactly one week since Melayna was born. It already seems like forever ago. Or perhaps it seems that way due to the late night feedings and having to care for two children now? Either way, my little girl is doing well. Feeding is still a struggle with her, but I'm still trying my best.

Now, I seem to think that I'm cursed. Let me explain...

When my son was born, I was living with my mother, who was also pregnant. Five weeks after Tristan was born, my beautiful sister came into this world. Unfortunately, a few weeks after she gave birth, my mother passed away. Partially due to the pregnancy and a pre-existing condition she had. That was a tough time to face in my life. All of us had a really difficult time understanding why it had happened.

Alright, so why am I cursed? Well, just a few days after giving birth to my daughter, my grandmother was taken to the hospital. Her health issues are too numerous to mention. Basically, she's lived long enough that her body is slowly shutting down. We already had known that this day was coming soon. A little over a month ago, my dad and I were getting papers notarized (POA and such) to prepare for the inevitable. So, this situation is a little different than what happened to my mother. But either way, I'm afraid to have another kid. I'm running out of relatives to lose. But in some way, this is one of those plans that God has for us (I'm not very religious, but I have some inkling that God has some part in all this). We bring in a new life into this world (with my mother's case it was two lives - my son and my sister). But new life needs tending to and looking after - a guardian angel, I guess. My mother watches over my son and my sister - at least I like to think so. When my grandmother walks the valley, she will look after Melayna. In fact, I think she was waiting to see her - that way she knows who to look after. Is it weird to think that? I know that we were crazy to do so, but we took the kids to visit her in the hospital. For half an hour, Melayna slept in my grandmother's arms. My grandmother just adored her. She wanted to lay there forever just holding her great-granddaughter. My dad told me that it was all she could talk about when he visited her later that day. He told me that he believed she was waiting for that and now that she is happy, she can leave in peace. I confirmed with him that I thought the same thing. The hospital has done all that they could for her. She'll be discharged in the next day or so. After which, she will be in a nursing home. We only hope that she goes peacefully in her sleep - no pain or suffering. While I will be saddened to lose my grandmother - my last grandparent, I know that it is her time and that she is ready.


Well, I can't end things on a low note, so here's what Tristan has been up to. Big brothers have it tough with a newborn around. I try my best to squeeze in "Mommy" time, but most of the day I have Melayna to tend to - feeding her, changing her diapers, and rocking her to sleep. So, his time with me is very limited. He's been acting up lately and not listening to what we say. Fortunately, it hasn't been in the form of aggression towards his sister. He's going stir crazy I think - so, we try to get him outside for at least 30 minutes a day. Today, I took him out to blow bubbles. Even though he's been acting up a bit more than before Melayna came along, he still amazes me with his talent.

Here are his latest magnadoodle creations. Below each one, I've labelled them with what he told us he was drawing.

Alligator

Cat

Elephant

Elephant

Turtle

His drawings are becoming more and more recognizable. He's learned, I think, by watching us draw. He is constantly asking us to draw elephants, turtles, giraffes, and every other animal imaginable. He loves animals and he loves art. I often wonder what he'll grow up to be. If he sticks with what he likes now...a veterinarian or animal caretaker (hopefully not like Steve Irwin though - that is a little too extreme for a mother's worrisome heart).

Well, I gotta go and make cookies with Tristan (more "Mommy" time).

Still waiting...

...for Melayna.

Okay, so I've survived another day of work and contractions (more intense, a little more frequent, but not close enough). It seems these last two days have gone by sooooooo slowly. Even sleeping. I keep waking up (not just to go to the bathroom). I look at the clock and realize it has only been a few minutes or half an hour since I last woke up. Well, tomorrow is the day. I go into the hospital at 8:00pm to be prepped for inducement. So, I'll work my normal hours. I'll leave work at my normal time. We'll have a semi-normal dinner (my dad is joining us for dinner since he'll be taking Tristan home with him). We'll give Tristan hugs and kisses before he goes to Grandpa's. We'll double check our bags for the hospital. Then we'll head out. It will be the last time our home will just be occupied by three (plus the cat). It will be the last time our son will be an "only" child. It will be the beginning of a newer family. It will be the beginning of our family of four. It will mark the three month "stay-at-home" mommy-ness that I'll get to cherish (our finance and work situation doesn't allow for me to stay at home - oh, but how I wish I could).

Well, in preparation for our newest family member, I decided to get a bit crafty! I fished around for ideas for adorable, handmade birth announcements, took a trip to Archiver's for some cardstock and other essentials, and then, I got to work.

So, here's my prototype (please keep in mind, I used my son's picture - he's only a day old in it - I can't believe he was ever that small! - Oh, and of course the date, weight, and height are subject to change).


Materials I bought were enough for 60 announcements (you may have to adjust depending on how many you need).

Materials:
12"x12" double sided scrapbook cardstock - heavy (qty - 10 sheets) $0.99 per sheet at Archiver's
8.5"x11" neutral tan cardstock (qty - 8 sheets) $0.29 per sheet at Archiver's
100 count pack of gold paperclips - $1.79 at Office Max (I wanted to get tiny pink ones but couldn't find any at Archiver's :( I'm sure Creative Memories or Stampin' Up! has 'em).
double sided tape (SNAIL adhesive from Stampin' Up! or something similar works great)

After baby is born - 60 wallet sized prints (black & white or sepia tone preferred) & baby stats (I plan to upload one of my favorite shots on Walmart.com - you can use whatever photoprinting service you like or order extra wallet sheets when you get baby's pictures taken at the photo studio)

Here's what it'll kind of look like (I didn't use the tan cardstock for my prototype since I don't have all of baby's stats yet). I have instructions after the images if you'd like to re-create it. Its a great idea I found in a scrapbooking catalog (Scrapbooks etc. - Baby).

How to make file folder announcement:

1. Using a paper cutter board (I use a Fiskars paper cutter - very basic one, nothing fancy) cut out 6 retangles from the 12"x12" cardstock (each measures 4"x6").
   
2. If your paper cutter has a scoring tool, score your cards at 2.75" (this will leave a bit of a lip at one end when folded which will be trimmed to look like a file tab). Note: if you score at the half mark (3"), then you won't have the file folder effect.
3. Using your scissors (unless you have a tool that can help with this), trim the lip to look like a file tab (as shown in second picture).
4. Using Microsoft Word or some other software for writing up text, create the inside print. Your text box needs to measure at most, 2.5"x3.5". I found a free typewriter font online, but you can use whatever font that suits your fancy.
5. You can vary the text however you'd like, but for the classification file folder theme, this is what I have:
6. Name, Date of Birth, Description, Accomplices (aka Mom & Dad), and suspect profile - click on the image to bring up a larger version to read the text.
   
7. You should be able to fit 9 copies of the text box on one 8.5"x11" cardstock. Print 7 pages with 9 text boxes on each on tan cardstock. Test print on regular paper to be sure the dimensions are correct and that your printer doesn't cut off any text.
8. On the last piece of cardstock, you will print out 60 text boxes with the words: Classification: Cute (or some variation). I suggest putting a border around the text box so that it looks like it was stamped on. 1.5"x.5" is plenty big (you can go smaller). Fit at least 60 copies of the text box on one sheet and print on tan cardstock.
   
9. Using paper cutter, cut out the text boxes just printed.
   
10. Using double stick tape adhesive (or some glue dots if you prefer) to adhere the front cover text box and inside text box. I suggest having the front cover text box at an angle (as shown in first picture).
    
11. Using paper clip, clip baby's picture to inside of card (don't adhere - using a paperclip gives the recipient the option of taking the picture out and putting in his or her wallet or album). I suggest using a black & white photo or sepia toned since it would add to the classification folder effect. My son's picture doesn't really go with the feminine tones, but you can see how the colors can easily clash (even if it was a little baby girl's picture).
    
12. Voila! You are finished!
    

You can do these on a larger scale (to fit 4"x6") but paper usage goes up, photo printing cost goes up, and you'll have to adjust your measurements. Since most people only mail out wallet size, I figured that these mini announcements would still create a big impact.

Let me know what you think. I'd love to find out if this is good idea or not.

Still no baby...

I know, it is still early. I'm officially 38 weeks pregnant as of Sunday. So, she could come anytime from this point forward. I found out that I am 1 cm dilated as of Friday. My doctor told me that she doesn't want me going past my due date. In other words, she'd like to schedule inducement sometime during my 39th week. We'll see what happens at this Friday's appointment. I've been getting contractions still. Some intense, but nothing too painful or long. Nor are they close enough for me to be considered in labor.

Alright, so what did I do if I didn't have the baby yet. Saturday, I had a prenatal massage. That was very relaxing and an interesting experience for me (it was my first massage ever). We did some shopping for last minute baby and hospital essentials. I washed all of Melayna's clothes and packed her diaper bag for the hospital. Next goal: pack my bag for the hospital and pack Tristan's bag for Grandpa's.

In the meantime, we got some interesting snapshots of Tristan.

Scott must have worn him out on Friday. He fell asleep partially standing up.

A close-up...
We got this magnadoodle thing at Wal-mart this weekend. We figure it would be a great thing for Tristan to have...use less paper, make less mess, it's all good.

I asked him what he was drawing as I took the pictures. Here are two of the many he drew.
This one is a "girl"Here is a "parrot" (although at one point it was a giraffe, too)

Okay this was just too funny. I was trying to make his hair stand up with the suds in it. When I asked him to smile for the camera, he gave me this big, cheesy grin! LOL
Alrighty, well I must be going. I'm tired and worn out. Just think how I'll be in a week or two with a newborn and Bubbies to look after. It'll be tough.

My shower postponed...

This week is a very solemn week at work. An employee of over 15 years passed away from cancer. While we knew it was eventually going to happen, it still is a shock to many of my colleagues. I didn't know the employee very well nor did I work with her before. I am saddened by what has transpired but not near as saddened as others who have worked with her. At least now her pain and suffering has ceased and she is, I hope, in a much better place.

I had told my friend, who is doing my shower, that if she would like to reschedule the shower, I would understand. She worked side-by-side with the employee that passed away this week. I could not celebrate when such a sad event has occurred. And I wouldn't expect her to do so either. As such, my shower has been postponed until the following Sunday (14th). I'm not sure if I was ready for it anyway. I always feel awkward receiving gifts.

One of my three bosses (I technically have one, but I'm just outside the offices of three executives), came to me today and said that he and the two other bosses would like to get me something for the baby. He told me that once my shower is over, he told me to tell him what we still needed. I'm not sure what he's planning, but I told him that he and the others didn't have to. Regardless, he still wants to do something nice for me and the baby.

This week was Tristan's first week of no daycare. I am really sad about this. He loves playing with his friends, always looked forward to seeing his teachers, and the activities they do. He's learned so much and his day is nicely structured. In fact, they were already putting him in the preschool room during his last week there. The benefit of keeping him home is mostly monetary reasons. It'll really help us save money having our friend Dani watch him. Fortunately, he has a playmate, Arianna. I'll have to get some pictures of the two of them playing. Scott watches Tristan in the morning until he leaves (around 1:00pm). Dani takes over and she watches him until I get home (between 5:30 and 6:30). The nice thing about the set up we have is that Scott gets plenty of "Daddy" time with Tristan - despite his new evening schedule. Another nice thing is that Tristan is only watched four days a week (Scott is off Friday's & Saturday's, I'm off Saturday's & Sunday's), and for only 5 hours a day. In order to keep him busy and learning, I've been spending my evenings with him reading, doing art time, and taking him outdoors (the weather has been mild - 70's for temperatures and no rain). I try to emphasize with Scott that he needs outdoor time when he has him, too. And if he can do activities with him, that would help. I don't want him to grow bored, especially after having most of his days full of art, singing, reading, learning, and so much more.

Today, I guess he was a bit of a handful for Daddy. He kept getting into stuff, disobeying Daddy, and more. I told him that it is the social interaction and the activities that he misses. Since he isn't getting it, it is probably confusing him and causing some frustration. Well, since Daddy went to gaming tonight, I decided to let my son have some art time before winding down for bed. Here are some pics of my beautiful boy painting:

After art time, we cleaned up, hopped into bed and read a few books. He's gotten up three times since. :( Some nights he's great, other nights he keeps coming out of his room. Tomorrow, if the weather is okay, I'll take him to the park. He loves the slides and the sand pit. It'll help him get rid of that energy he's been building up inside all week. Sunday, he's going to the zoo with Grandpa.

Well, I'm heading out for the night. I'm tired. Although, I need to step it up, I've only got 5,200 steps on my pedometer. Actually, I usually don't get more than 4,500 steps, but yesterday I walked on my lunch break and broke 7,000. I'll explain the pedometer thing some other time, though.

Scrapbook

So, after Tristan was born, I started a scrapbook. He is now 2 1/2 years old and I've only managed to finish 14 pages.

I really need to get on top of things if I want to start one for baby girl. But....I'm out of ideas.

Here is what I've done so far (these aren't in any particular order and not all pages are included):

Page 1: Birth of a Baby Boy
(the picture was taken at the hospital - we tried waking him up, but it was no use)

Being a new mother, I couldn't resist the urge to take as many pictures as possible. Every coo, smile, funny face, I wanted to capture on camera. These 12 photos were part of a larger group of 50 or so photos. He was just absolutely adorable!


Besides my own joy of having Tristan in the world, here were a bunch of cards from my shower welcoming him to this world. Two of which were hand made cards - I love the personal touch.

Baby Shower!
It was somewhat of a disaster -my friend that was putting the party together backed out less than a week out from the event - so my mom, my good friend Sharon, and I put the party together - I know it mostly goes against etiquette but my other choice was to cancel - the invites had already gone out.
Anyway, despite the setback, the shower went well. It was mostly co-workers that came. We had a ton of food, games, and prizes. Some of my favorite gifts from the shower were hand made blankets. Tristan still uses both of them to this day.

Ultrasound
Of course, I couldn't forget to include my ultrasound pictures. It is very subtle, but the border I chose for this layout is shaped like an ultrasound arch. I probably should have chosen a darker border color, or a darker background color so it is more noticeable.

A Brand New baby
Cradling Tristan in my arms, I took a few pictures of his peaceful slumber. I can't believe that he was ever that small!

I wanted to display our hospital bands somehow. Using leftover clips from the baby shower, some twine, and two brads, I fashioned a make-shift "clothes line" to hang the bands from. The little bottles and "It's a Boy" scattered throughout the page are actually confetti from the baby shower.

This layout is mostly Tristan's birth story. From first contractions to delivery. I thought it would be a nice addition to the scrapbook.

So there you have it. They aren't the best layouts, especially since this is my first real experience with a scrapbook. Now, I really need to get out my picture box, my scrapbook materials, and start up again. I only have two+ years of pictures and experiences to chronicle.

My goal is this: to get his first year done before baby girl comes. Then we can see about the rest.

To reach my goal, I'll need to dedicate a few hours each week to my scrapbook, search around for ideas, and probably spend a bit of money on printing out photos.

As I get a page done, I'll take a picture of it and post it.


To be continued...

Tristan's Puzzle

If there is one thing that Tristan really loves, its animals. But put those animals on a 24-piece wooden puzzle board and he's all smiles. His first attempt really didn't go so well (this was about a month and a half ago). A week or so later we tried again. This time we showed him - turn the piece around, try it in a different spot, and if those don't work, get a different piece. Without our help, he managed to get it halfway done by himself, before asking for help. Instead of pointing out where the piece goes, we asked him questions. Eventually, he figured it out to the point where he can do the whole thing without assistance. I suppose we need to get a new puzzle or two to challenge him even more.

Here is a video I compiled of him putting his puzzle together. Please excuse the runny nose and occasional coughs. He hasn't been feeling too good lately. Oh, and sorry that the video is a bit long. It still takes him about seven minutes to finish the puzzle (with interruptions).

To Be Continued...