Kent, Mariam and co.

I know this might sound strange, but I have felt guilty about posting fun things about my family. So many of my friends and family are going through so many difficult trials right now, and I don't want to seem heartless and insensitive to their pain. That said, I know these people that I love are also excited about our new little guy. So, please know that despite the happy posting, I am still thinking about you, praying for you and worried about you. Baby H is growing well, at his 2 week check-up he weighed 5Lb. 9oz., and I am sure he weighs even more now. He is a pretty needy baby. He likes to be with mom all the time (but truth be told mom likes to be with him too). I just say that he and I went through a huge ordeal together, and we understand one another. As needy as he is, he is pretty good. He has already established a night-time routine (that is not to say he is sleeping through the night, but he doesn't need to play at night, just eat change and back to sleep f...

Our little miracle baby is finally here, safe and happy. This has been quite a journey. I have witnessed many miracles in my life, but the experiences I have had with this pregnancy and delivery are some of the greatest miracles in my life. If you are like Kent here is the short version: Our baby H was born Jan 29 at 6:00. He weighs 5 lbs. 6 oz. and was 18" long. He has dark hair and is perfect and sweet. (now you can scroll down to the pictures if that is all you want) For those who want details, like me, here you go. Last Mon. an ultra-sound reviled that our little guy was not growing again. The Dr. recommended coming back in a few days for a non-stress test. Those few days were so hard. Finally on Thurs. we went back, the baby looked fine, but something was still nagging us and causing us anxiety. The Dr. had initially planed an induction on Feb. 5, but after talking to us he called the perinatologist and agreed that it was time to get this baby out. So, the next da...

Recently I have found myself awake at night having contractions for several hours (annoying contractions because the Dr. says nothing is really happening, just pain, discomfort and lack of sleep.) With all that time I have been busy crocheting lots of things (because it is quiet and not too messy). Baby hats, booties, sweaters...., and it got me thinking. Can I really use these things, are my kids going to look too homemade? You might think I am being crazy, but we have all seen that unfortunate child. You know the one with the crochet hat, jacket, shirt, skirt, leggings and socks (and why is it that the person making the over the top outfit is usually color blind too?). They look so uncomfortable, and frankly, frumpy. You know that when their mom/grandma made it for them they thought it was adorable and so cute. Am I falling into that trap too? Looking around at boutiques and on-line stores, I see that the "homemade" look is kinda popular, but when is it too much. A ...

I'll be honest, I have really struggled with the idea that we will be bringing a baby home soon. I think all of his heath scares along with other tragedies involving close friends have made me nervous about getting things ready. That said, I finally got a few things done for our new arrival. And, I think emotionally I am finally getting there. Everyone has different things they "need" to get done for a new baby. Here are a few of mine. I made this little hat and bootie set for our little guy. I am hoping it will fit him well enough to bring him home in it. I thought the hat might be too big, Kent thought it looked small. I reminded him that I hoped the baby's head wasn't too much bigger. It is always hard to make wearable things for a baby that is not here yet. I really do LOVE the way this quilt turned out. I fell in love with the "Fun with Dick and Jane" print before I had a pattern, but I had to buy it anyway. (The light blue has small ill...

I good friend of mine came across a K look-a-like the other day. Tell me what you think. (the red head on the left of-course). Even the look on her face reminds me of my little K. Since I posed a picture from their site, thought I should give them a plug. It is a pattern from http://izzynivydesigns.blogspot.com/ . Check out their Jack and Jill hat. I have the pattern and I can't wait to try it out.

Here are a few highlights of our holidays. Mom, Lizzy, K and I went to a local production of the Nutcracker in Ogden. K was sooooo, excited. She danced around for days humming the different Nutcracker tunes. She was excited to put on her special new fancy dress (made to her specifications, no zippers or buttons, long enough to reach her toes and a pretty bow) and go have a girly night. It doesn't look like it in this picture, but she was so excited. (She was just angry that we took her out of the theater to take a picture). She was so excited when the lights dimmed and the music started that she started shaking. So cute. K loved the show (it was definitely an amateur production, and we had a laugh at some of the show). She also loved going out to dinner after the show. The giant fudge pie was her favorite. The rest of us loved the bread pudding (at Union Station if you were wondering). Here we are at our Christmas Eve gathering at Aunt DeAnna's. There were 3 famili...

Have you ever seen a toy or kids kit and thought, "(So-and-sos) kid would love that! And ohhhh what a mess it would make." You might even get that super villain laugh in you head when you think of the mess the little recipient would make. There are sooooo many nasty gifts to choose from. This weekend I saw a "make your own lip gloss kit" and a "make your own perfume kit". Are you kidding me? Give a kid a mess of wax and dye or vats of smelly liquids. Both truly diabolical gifts. There are also things like, tubes with 6 feet of bubble gum balls (excellent for the 3-4 yr. old on your list), Sand art (this one backfired on me when K got into the kit I was giving to someone else), anything with non-washable paints and glues, and really almost any "kit". I hear that little super villain in my head each time I see one of these nasty gifts. While I was thinking about my evil schemes, a memory of my Grandpa C came to mind. He loved a good pract...