Sick world

I woke up to a Facebook post from one of my cousins, that had the caption, "For Real? Why would anyone let her be a mother again?" and decided I had to check out the link that went with the post.

Sure enough, some sicko, from a "world news" trash website, made up a story about Casey Anthony adopting from Romania.

Even though I knew better than to believe it, it still put a pit in my stomach and reminded me of that missing part of my heart. I read the story about how she applied in 2010, during her trial, none-the-less, and offered Romanian authorities triple the cash to expedite things.

Sickening, I tell you.

...and definitely not true, thanks to a quick check on validity over at snopes...but still, it makes my blood boil, that fabricated stories like this one are out there. Who thinks of this stuff? How do they sleep at night?

I think the reason this one hits home so much for me, is because I have watched friends struggle through the adoption process, whether it be domestic, through fostering, or international. It's not for the faint of heart. It takes a strong family to be able to weather out the process, which is somehow cheapened and made to look so easy that even Casey Anthony could do it. I wonder how this "story" makes them feel?

a fan'stache-tic onesie

I don't post many pictures of my ol man on here, but he has been sportin' a handlebar 'stache that's been making ladies swoon since March. At first people assumed that he was a participant in some sort of monthly mustache contest, but now however many months later, they are realizing that the 'stache is there for no other reason than the fact that he likes it..and why not? He rocks it like no other.

The mailman brought us a gift from our friends, the Hefleys, today--only fitting for my husband's son.

Even the eyeglasses match!

[NZ and nephew #3..April 2011]

And that's not all.... remember my post about the hounds tooth boppy pillow that was sold out on etsy when I went to buy it?? Look what was also included in the fan'stache-tic package!!!! My friend Liz sent me an email shortly after that post, stating that she had grey hounds tooth and would make me one...this one is far better than anything I could have ordered from etsy.

Thank you Hefley family!

visit Liz over at acraftyb.com

Make it: Starbright Wreath

Oh Dollar Tree, how I love thee...

Take a look at my $3 wreath.

All it took was:

• styrofoam wreath form ( $1)
• 2 packages of starbright mints ($1x 2 bags= $2)
• glue (already had on hand)
  
• Clear coat spray (already had on hand)

And as with anything I do, there was a learning curve while making this wreath. I decided to cheap out and use a thin coat of modpodge, instead of using a glue gun to adhere the mints to the wreath.

It worked, but the drying process was long and slow ( took about a week), and the wreath lived on my kitchen table during that time. Had I used a glue gun, it would have qualified as a one evening project, hook, line and sinker.

So, although my wreath was made using modpodge, I will do the tutorial as though a glue gun was used. Seriously, it would have been soooo much easier had I used one. My Slurpee definitely helped manage my frustration levels.

Instructions:

• Clear workspace
• Line workspace with wax paper
• Unwrap mints
• Starting at the bottom inner edge of the wreath, start gluing mints side by side.
• As you start the second row, alternate the mints so that they fill in the little gaps
• 
• Continue until entire wreath is covered in mints
• Spray clear coat spray over wreath in a well ventilated area ( outside!)
• Let dry, and repeat clear coat making sure every nook and cranny is coated. This step is super important so that the wreath does not get sticky when hung in damp weather.
• Pin a ribbon into the back of the wreath form, and enjoy!

Coral Tree: Black Friday sale

Just thought I would pass on another great Black Friday deal for anyone in the market for unique, handmade baby items.

My sister-in-law's etsy shop, Coral Tree, is hosting a Black Friday sale today!

15% off all receiving blankets, and 10% off bibs. All sale items are listed at the DISCOUNTED price....

..and just to tempt you all a little bit into visiting her shop, here's a sneak peak into her shop

.

[All images property of Coral Tree]

So go ahead, hop on over to Coral Tree and shop from the comfort of your computer. No need to mess with parking, and you can even do your Christmas shopping in your P.J.'s (I promise I won't tell!).

THIRTY ONE weeks

How far along? 31weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 27 lbs

Maternity clothes? Still pulling out hand-me-downs from my stash..Even found a couple dresses that will work for my baby shower next weekend...without stepping foot in a maternity store. SUPER awesome. Now the hard part will be deciding which one to wear, and praying to the weather Gods that it isn't cold, and doesn't rain next weekend! Otherwise I will have to re-think my wardrobe. I was just joking with NZ that my least favorite thing to do every day is get dressed. If I could stay in my ugly pink polka dotted fleece pj pants and one of his XL sweatshirts, it wouldn't be an issue...but anything else, is a crap shoot. Often times, what fit the belly yesterday, doesn't fit the next. Those cave women had it right, just walk around naked and let it allllll hang out.

Stretch marks? Still clear, but they're probably going to make their debut here pretty soon. My skin is itchy and tight.

Sleep: Can't get enough. I got up at 8:00 and ate this morning, and went back to bed till noon..and that was after a good night's sleep. Again, I am so very thankful for the opportunity to quit working and be able to stay home and sleep, rest, do whatever it takes to grow this baby. I've gained respect for those who work up until their due dates, or even close to it.

Best moment this week: having NZ home for the 4 day weekend has been the best thing this week. I have to admit, it gets lonely being home all day and not really having the freedom to leave the house for more than an errand. Anderson Cooper does his best to keep me entertained for an hour a day, during his talk show, and yes, I admit that I watch it solely for the fact that he's a silver fox.

Miss Anything? my Diet Pepsi max... and for the first time this entire pregnancy, I miss being able to knock a few beers back with my ol man on a Friday night.

Movement: Oh boy, is there ever. And he's everywhere, up/down, right/left, ribs, bladder...he leaves no organ untouched.

Food cravings: Frozen grapes.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Braxton-Hicks, some days more than others.

Symptoms: Same as last week.

Belly Button in or out? It soooo wants to poke out, but it's hanging in there, just even with my belly.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody?: Iam thrilled to have hit 31 weeks!!! There have been times I didn't think I would see this far in a pregnancy, EVER. And here I am, on Thanksgiving day, ever so thankful for this opportunity to carry our child. I am well aware that there are so many couples out there, still struggling, still waiting, and still wanting.

I'm a bit more emotional this week--don't know if it's the Holidays, hormones, or what. As I pulled into my driveway yesterday, a George Strait favorite came on the radio, and although I really had to pee, I sat in my car out in the garage and cried my eyes out. The song was " The Best Day", and it's about a father and son, and their relationship over the years. It's never hit me that way before, but it sure ambushed me and my makeup yesterday afternoon! I was a slobbering mess by the time I got into the house.

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving supper with the Zentil side of the family today, and another 3 days with my sunshine.

Make it: Cheater Burp Cloths

Although I am in LOVE with my sister-in-law's etsy shop, Coral Tree, and all her baby things, I still couldn't resist making a few of my own burp cloths for the boy. Really, if you haven't already, you need to check her shop out---the cutest stuff, ever. I ran across this easy, peasy, tutorial over on Happy Together for oval burp cloths.

I admit to being an impatient seamstress. I hate pinning things, making sure edges are straight, cause even when I use a straight edge and a rotary cutter, I still somehow manage to go askew. So, when I saw the tutorial for flannel burp cloths on Jessica's blog, it definitely put some float in my boat. She didn't have straight, squared edges or nice sharp corners ( my nemesis is making nice pointy corners), but instead was oval shaped, and didn't need to be turned inside out, pressed or have a topstitch sewed. One stop sewing. I like that!

I made a rectangular template with xerox paper. I then traced a CD to make the corners rounded on my pattern piece. I placed my template on the fold of my flannel, and repeated the process with a complimentary solid for the second layer. I placed the layers of flannel together, wrong sides touching ( right sides out), pinned and serged around the edges.

Voila! Done. 5 minutes from first cut to finished burp cloth. I even made some as a gift for one of my friends from our fitness competition days.

We've gone from gluing each other's butts into tiny rhinestoned bikinis, to preparing to clean the butts of our newborn little boys within weeks of one another. She's a dog lover, so I found this adorable print at Joann's and immediately thought of her. Hope her little guy likes them too!

THIRTY weeks

How far along? 30 weeks! ( Crossing off another short term goal...fist pump!)

Total weight gain/loss: 27 lbs ..a little higher than what we aimed for at this point, but I'm an overachiever, what can I say?. I also found out that my thyroid took a nose dive for the first time during this pregnancy ( I have an endocrinologist watching me closely) and I am somehow VERY hypothyroid, so we upped my meds, which will hopefully combat some of my sluggishness, and the puffiness that has overtaken my face. I should have seen the signs, but it's hard to distinguish between the two.

Maternity clothes? I bought a couple of clearance rack Liz Lange long sleeve T's at Target. They should suffice for the remainder of this pregnancy.

Stretch marks? Still clear.

Sleep: Better this week. I can sleep all day. I am reallllllly perfecting the art of a 3 hour cat nap mid-morning.

Best moment this week: Being able to see the Boy's face. Up until now, he's been holding out on us. That's 29.5 weeks of hiding his face with each and every ultrasound we've had. Seriously, kid..I was starting to wonder if you had eyes, a nose, mouth and ears! And of course, hearing that his estimated weight is 3lb 7 oz., definitely put smiles on our faces.

Miss Anything? Sounds silly, but I miss my energy. I thought that by quitting work early, I would be able to galavant around town--make some trips to see friends and family, and basically be free from responsibility of work. Not the case-- I have ZERO excess energy to do anything, and every time I do, I find myself getting B-H contractions. So, this week, my OB swore off ALL exercise, and unnecessary trips out and about. Now, I'm not on bed rest, but basically, no strolling around the mall just for the heck of it, or taking any walks down the street.

She's erring on the side of caution, since we've gotten this far, and her goal is to help keep the stress levels down for me until we reach full term.. As much as I groan about it, and feel like this puts me in lazy a$$ category, I understand, and I am thankful she is looking out for us. Time to spend even more time with daytime TV and my iPad.

[ Remote, Phone, iPad & water. My "spot"]

Movement: Yes, we can even see him flip from front to back now.

Food cravings: Anything lemon flavored. Frozen grapes. Potato chips and cottage cheese.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Chicken. Blech.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Braxton-Hicks when I do too much, but otherwise no. Our MFM said everything else looks great, baby is currently breech, but should flip in the next few weeks.

Symptoms: Hip aches, back pain. Pretty usual.

Belly Button in or out? Still teetering. I bet if I ate a huge Alamo Burrito, it would poke out.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. We reached another of my short-term goals, of 30 weeks. Andd......drumroll.....I can lift my self imposed ban on shopping for the boy now! Which is great and all, since I am not supposed to go out shopping any more then necessary. I doubt that Gymboree counts as the Supermarket, eh? Actually, I admit to doing a little shopping earlier this week, which was 2 days shy of hitting 30 weeks. I made it to Carter's outlet and bought 3 onesies for $2.99 each!!! I couldn't pass that deal up!

Looking forward to: Still being pregnant for my Birthday (11/19), Thanksgiving, and the baby shower. Finegrs crossed!

Gathered clutch

One of my sister-in-laws just had a birthday, so I whipped up one of my make-up brush rolls, and a cute little gathered clutch to match it. I followed the tutorial over on Noodlehead for the "gathered clutch", and it was surprisingly easy. I did alter the pattern slightly. Instead of installing a zipper ( I was in a bind, and didn't have the right size/color zipper, or time to go get one), I used velcro to close the pouch, simplifying the project even more.

Both are perfect for throwing into an overnight bag or purse without taking up too much room. I'd say the gathered clutch doesn't just have to carry make-up. It could work for coupons, cash, or to store kids toys in a purse so they don't sink to the bottom.

He has a face!

We had another MFM appointment today, and as I had hoped, it went well. The boy is weighing in at 3 lb 7 oz. That makes my 4lb weight gain this week not seem so dramatic. That being said, I still probably shouldn't have eaten a donut for breakfast this morning, but it's a surefire way to get the boy on full display for his screen time. And boy was he ever! He wouldn't cooperate for the tech, but as soon as she finished her measurements etc, and took the transducer off my belly, the boy flipped.

Literally, from facing my spine, to facing forward, and NZ stared at my belly in utter amazement and asked, " Does that happen all night?" LOL. Yes, sunshine...it does, hence my 2 a.m. words with friends games from the living room, until he chillaxes a little bit so I can actually lay down without feeling alien-like movement from my insides. I love every minute of it though. A moving baby is a living baby, and that's all that's important to us.

My fedora wearing MFM came in( again, what's with the hat?), and as soon as he put the transducer on my belly, there the boy was, showing his perfect little mugshot... a nose....lips..ears..chin..eyes..mouth...all there. All so baby-like, and REAL.

I have trouble wrapping my head around it some days, after the years we've wanted and tried, and lost, to see ourselves so close to being able to bring a baby home, it's almost surreal. I'm sure the surreal-ness will wear off by about the 3rd diaper change, but for now I am looking forward to continuing to bake this baby until he's ready to make his grand entrance into our family.

TWENTY NINE & ??? to go

How far along? 29 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 24 lbs

Maternity clothes?I have mentioned in earlier posts that I was fortunate enough to be given TWO wardrobes from friends, and I have so many maternity clothes that they reside in two separate dressers. When I first started wearing maternity clothes, I split the wardrobe in half, since some of the stuff seemed like I'd never fill them out, and others fit just right.

Fat Guy in a Little Coat




Tommy Boy

— MOVIECLIPS.com

Fast forward to NOW--the stuff that fit just right?? Yeah---getting tight. Feeling like Chris Farley's character in Tommy Boy, and can hear " Fat man in a little cooo-at" every time I shove myself into a too small shirt. So, yesterday, I did a little rearranging, and tried on the rest of my once-too-big clothes, and to my surprise, I've surpassed the stretch capacity on some of those already! I did find a few non-midriff-exposing shirts, and a roomier pair of jeans, so I was a happy happy girl with my "new" clothes.

Stretch marks? None yet, but that dark line (linea negra) has now crossed the threshold of my belly button and is headed northbound. I am hoping that since I was once heavier then I am now ( back when I was first diagnosed with Graves disease during college, I gained 35 lbs in about 6 months time), that my skin remembers being stretched out, and hopefully we'll avoid the stretch marks. A girl can hope. But really, if I get them, and a healthy baby, then it's worth it.

Sleep: Terrible. Nightmares, peeing, and being karate chopped are all to blame. The positive side?? I sleep like a baby from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., so thank goodness for an open schedule! I am fortunate enough to be able to catch up on sleep when I can get it.

Best moment this week: Finding out that a couple of my girlfriends are flying in from the Bay Area to make it to the baby shower my sister, mom and sister in law are hosting. I didn't expect them to be able to come!

Miss Anything? The gym. Big time. My treadmill is just staring at me. We shall meet again, I promise!

Movement: Oh yes. He loves to party around 3 a.m.

Food cravings: Frozen lemonade from Wetzel's pretzels.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Just a few Braxton-Hicks, if I find myself doing too much---anyone notice all the sewing projects I have posted?? I can't stop! But, after a while sitting at my machines and getting up and down from cutting pattern pieces out on the floor, I do start to feel tightening, so I make myself chill out for a while before going back to it.

Symptoms: Nothing new.

Belly Button in or out? Teetering. It wants to poke out, but it's pretty much flush with my belly for now.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on, but getting tight.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. Still trying to figure out "my place" now that I am not working--but it's a good thing. Excited to be close to my next short-term goal of 30 weeks. Feeling confident.

Looking forward to: An ultrasound next week with our MFM. Hoping the boy has plenty of room to keep growing, and that he is still on track. I'd like to hear that he's pushing 3 lbs, but anything over 2.5 lbs will put a smile on my face as well. Also looking forward to my OB visit to discuss my previous medical records, and decide how we're going to deliver this kid. Hopefully we'll get a better idea whether it's 8 more weeks till a c-section, or 11 till he comes on his own.

How to: Salvage powdered makeup

Oh pinterest, how I love thee...

I have a train case full of make-up, mostly thanks to my days of working in an office..and not just any office, but for a Doctor that was triple boarded...One of his boards being a plastic & reconstructive surgeon. It was important to look the part for our cosmetic patients, so when I started working for the Doctor, my make-up repetoire turned from basic mascara (on a good day)to the works. It wasn't mandatory, but I just felt like I fit the part a bit better with a bit more make-up on...and my stash of make-up grew. I am like-so-in-love-with-Sephora now, I could spend an entire paycheck there if I wasn't so cheap.

Anyways, back to my train case full of make-up. A while back, I dropped my entire case. Most of my makeup survived, but a few of my favorite MAC shadows broke into small pieces, and I have been scared to open them for fear of losing all of their glittery goodness on my vanity counter. Sometimes I get brave and try to dab a little bit of the shattered powder onto a brush, but to be honest, more ends up on the floor or counter than on the brush. It's maddening...yet, I won't throw them away or buy replacements...why?? Because again, I'm cheap.

And am I ever thankful I held out and kept those powdered shadows. Pinterest came to my rescue last night, and resurrected my two favorite MAC shadows. Hallelujah!

How'd it happen?

Here's how:

• carefully open broken powder compact ( works for any powder, including foundation, bronzers, shadows, etc)
• drop a couple of drops of rubbing alcohol ( mine was 70%) into your compact
• You'll see the powder start to soak up the alcohol
• Use a clean finger or the back of a spoon to mix the powder/alcohol until it makes a paste
• spread evenly throughout your compact

• leave open to dry out overnight ( the alcohol evaporates quickly). 12 hours later, and mine was dried out and ready for use.

And that's it. It may look ugly, but it works!

Here's the pinterest tutorial link I followed....

Happy salvaging!

Make it: Carseat Carrier Blanket

These blankets have many different names, among the most popular; the boring " car seat carrier cover" or, my favorite, "greeter deterrent" . You know, to keep all the Grabby McGrabberson's from reaching in uninvited and grabbing those little cheeks with their god-knows-where-they've-been-germy-hands. Don't get me wrong, I know that germs are something kids need to be exposed to, but if my baby is sleeping, and we must be out and about, I'd really like to keep him cozy and hidden. Call me crazy, but I doubt I'll be a fan of random people touching my kid.

There are a ton of tutorials out there to make these blankets. I came up with my own, loosely based off the measurements of the Chicco Keyfit Car seat we intend to use.

You'll need:

• 2 yards of coordinating fabric. (1 yard= main print, and 1 yard = underside)
• Scrap fabric to make 2 ties. ( 4"wide x 8" long per tie)
• velcro
• thread, pins, scissors, and a sewing machine

This project is easy, even for non-sewers. Really, it's worth a try.

Making the Blanket:

• Place both fabric right sides facing one another ( not pictured), and iron wrinkles out.
• Even out edges with a straight edge
• Fold in half lengthwise, and again widthwise
• Using a CD or DVD as a template, trace to make uniform rounded corners.
• Cut rounded corners
• Unfold fabric, pin, and sew with a straight stitch or serger, leaving a 4" gap on one side of the blanket to turn the fabric through to make it f
  ace right side out again.
• Turn the fabric right side out
• Press with iron
• Topstitch 1/4" margin around the blanket ( this will secure the 4" gap we left open in a previous step)

Pictured below, the blanket is turned right side out, and pressed.

Once the top stitching on the blanket it done, it's time to address the ties.

Making the ties:

• Fold your tie fabric in half lengthwise, right sides facing each other.
• Sew lengthwise along the edge, creating a "tube"
• Turn rightside out
• press with iron
• Fold ends of tube inwards
• Topstitch around all 4 sides of the "tube", creating a long rectangular tie.
• Repeat for second tie.

Attaching Ties:

• Fold blanket in half lengthwise, and again width wise to find the center of the blanket.
• From the center, measure 4" from the center in both directions to achieve correct tie spacing.
• Ties will be 8 inches apart from one another, and 4" from the center of the blanket
• Pin ties to blanket
• Top stitch into place with a straight stitch.
• Attach velcro ( I used velcro glue to adhere my velcro to fabric) strips to ties.
• **Remember** Place loop side of velcro on one side of the tie, and the grabber side on the other side of the tie, so that when it wraps around the handle, it attaches to itself.

If you used velcro glue, give it time to set up ( usually 12 hours) before using the blanket. My sewing machine really HATES sewing on velcro, so I found the glue at Joann's and it has made my life so much easier!

Here's a picture of it hanging and waiting for it's new car seat.

Make it: Newborn Pants

I recently went through my fabric stash, the one that was hidden under a guest bed in a tupperware bin , that I may or may not have forgotten about and found a bunch of polar fleece that I had left over from a project I did last football season.

I went through my pattern box, and found a pattern that was posted on made-by-rae.com's website for a basic newborn pant.

Her website has a free PDF pattern for home use--check it out. She has a ton of other tutorials and patterns to share.

These little pants are so simple to make, and use very little fabric. I whipped up 3 pairs of pants in less than 15 minutes. I made 2 pair of polar fleece ( one gray, and one yellow) and 1 shark print pair out of board short material I picked up for $2/yd. at the LA textile mart during my last trip there in October.

Look at those big butts--roomy enough for diapers! And, at a cost breakdown of something like 50 cents per pair, how can I beat that? Not so sure how I like the shark ones now that they are sewn up, but we'll try them out.

Lullabies that rock

I spent the better part of my morning cruising through youtube videos, and got the idea to make my own lullaby playlist, of non-annoying songs that NZ and I like, that might work to soothe the boy to sleep after he arrives. I have a good start on my list, but then it dawned on me...I bet there are already compilation CD's out there of say--lullabies sung by country singers.

So, I hopped over to amazon.com and was I ever surprised at the amount of lullaby CD's out there! Why kill myself downloading MP3 files and making my own compilation when the Hushabye & Rockabye Series exist?

These 3 are my favorites, and the George Strait one is extra special because it has our first dance song on it. Patsy and Johnny are just classic, I never get tired of listening to them.

Click HERE for link to Amazon.com's Hushabye site.

Hushabye also has compilation CD's of multiple country artists available, so then you don't have to decide on just one artist's songs.

Below are my favorite Rockabye CD's. Metallica, well...because it just reminds me of good times with my ol man, and Weezer because I loooooved them during high school, and the CD has a rendition of " Island In the Sun" which is from Billy Madison, one of my all time favorite movies.

click HERE for amazon.com's Rockabye store.

There are many many more to choose from, including TOOL, Pink Floyd, Beach Boys, Kanye West ( huh? He's considered rock???), the Beatles, Aerosmith, Guns-n-roses...the list goes on.

The hardest part is not buying them all!

Make it: Changing pad cover

I initially set out to follow the tutorial over on Dana's blog, MADE, to make a crib sheet for the bambino's future crib. I went to Joann's and purchased some simple dark gray with white polka-dot fabric, since I have decided to do a predominantly gray and white nursery, with splashes of color here and there. I feel like this simplified color palette leaves me lots of options, and since I won't be setting up a permanent nursery until the boy's about 3 months old, it gives me a base to start from without being too committed to a theme. As of right now, I am totally LOVING this nursery, pictured from spearmint baby's website. My favorite thing about it?? The gray sheets & the polka dot changing pad cover. Seriously, I love gray. Oh, and the crib. Even better, the crib is from Walmart, baby!

Anyways, long story short, the pattern for the crib sheet requires 2 yards of fabric. After being pre-washed, the instructions call for a rectangle to be cut out measuring 45" x 67". My problem? After pre-washing, my fabric was only 43" wide. Time for plan B.

Plan B: Changing Pad cover. Tutorial used: Prudent Baby DIY changing pad cover.

Their tutorial states that this cover will fit a standard changing pad (32"L X 16"W X 3-4"H).

So, here's how my intended crib sheet ended up becoming a changing pad cover instead...

1)Cut out a rectangle measuring 48"x 32".

2) Fold fabric in 1/2 length wise, and again width wise, leaving you with a smaller rectangle with all four corners together in the left upper corner.

3) Using a ruler ( I like to use my trusty carpenter's square as pictured below), cut out an 8" square through all 4 layers.

Unfold fabric, and you're left with one large rectangle, with all 4 corners missing.

I then serged the straight edges of the fabric ( leaving out the cut out corners) because I like the finished look it provides, and it keeps the fabric from fraying , plus, I am really not that great at ironing, so the less I have to fold and press, the better my projects turn out.

Match up the cut out corners, and sew together. In my case, I serged them together. This creates the "pocket" to go over the corner of the changing pad.Turn the "pockets" under, and then it's time to create a casing for your elastic.

Get your iron out, and press a 3/4" casing around the entire sheet. Pin to keep in place.

Sew a 1/2" casing around the sheet, leaving an opening to thread your elastic through at one of the corners. I used blue thread to make it easier to see ( that's a lie--I was too lazy to change my thread out, and since it will be the underside of my sheet, who cares?) Thread 36" of 1/4" elastic through your casing. I like to use a safety pin on the end of my elastic to help ease it through. Once it's been threaded all the way around, sew a few stitches to keep the ends secured to one another. Once the elastic is in, you can finish straight stitching the casing closed.

And, there you have it, a fitted changing pad cover. I'd show it to you on our changing pad, but we don't have one yet!

If you want to see the "finished project" check out prudent baby's tutorial. They got fancy with theirs and made it two toned.

TWENTY EIGHT weeks

I got bored with my previous updates, so I found this update format on another blog, titled, Little Baby Garvin. She does super cute chalkboard updates for her pregnancy that were so cool that someone pinned them over on pinterest.

How far along? 28weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 23 lbs

Maternity clothes? All of my xs tops are now officially too small. Can't tell from this picture, but my belly was trying to bust loose out the bottom. Time to bring out the smalls and mediums. Now that I am not working anymore, my days consist of yoga pants, and maternity jeans....always comfy.

Stretch marks? Not yet, thank goodness! Been slathering on the Alba Botanicals Kukui nut oil, but I know that it really doesn't "do" anything..if you're prone to stretch marks, you're gonna get em no matter what...but at least I smell good and my skin is soft.

Sleep: Same ol story. I added a 4 a.m. kitchen raid to feed my belly. I was trying to stretch it till 6:30 a.m., which is when I get up and make NZ breakfast and pack his lunch, but I just couldn't do it this week--so, breakfast #1 has been a stick of string cheese at 4:00 a.m., then back to bed till NZ's alarm goes off.

Best moment this week: Probably when NZ was getting ready to leave to go dirt biking with friends for a couple days, and he was laying with his ear on my belly, talking to his boy...all of a sudden, he got a kick to the face--made both of us laugh. I think the kid likes NZ's manly voice better than mine, either that, or he's already sick of hearing me talk all day. I don't get the same response. I pretty much love any interaction that we have with the baby, and he is starting to show patterns of movement which is pretty neat.

Miss Anything? Not really. I'd say I miss shopping in regular clothing stores, but really--I don't need new clothes --pregnant or not. I suppose I miss my Diet Pepsi Max the most.

Movement: Much more consistent, and we can see movement from the outside now.

Food cravings: Still anything lemon flavored. Also, frozen grapes.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really. We had steaks the other night, and mine tasted too salty ( this coming from the girl who adds salt to everything) for me to finish.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Just a few Braxton-Hicks, here and there.

Symptoms: A touch of heartburn if I eat hunched over ( note to self: eat sitting at the table instead of the coffee table, you lazy a$$!), and also having trouble catching my breath some evenings when I am stuffed up.

Belly Button in or out? on the verge, and it was deep to begin with. Gives me the creeps to see if emerging.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on, but getting tight.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Fairly happy, actually. Aside from moments of anxiety--this week brought to you courtesy of daytime television shows. Remind me to never ever watch any baby related shows while pregnant again. Of the three shows I watched, two of them featured families with previous FULLTERM losses! Granted, they had successful filmed births on the episodes, but just hearing the word FULLTERM STILLBIRTH got my panties in a bunch. The seriously need to put viewer warnings on that $h!t! You know, something simple like, " this will scare the crap out of you if you are currently expecting after experiencing your own loss. Not suitable for all viewers"..Or, I could simply not watch TLC anymore, probably easier that way.

Looking forward to: Lots of Birthdays this month--including my own. Thanksgiving with family & seeing my Pop (dad) soon!

Inspiration Board...SOS!

So, I have been perusing the web ( pinterest, mostly) for ideas to use in The Boy's future nursery. He'll be getting his very own nursery in March--so there is no rush, as when he first arrives, he'll sleep in our room with us. Lucky, us! I say one step away is better than 10steps across the hall when round the clock feedings are in order.

Anyways, I also found OhDeeDoh, laybabylay online, and they have such wonderful, modern nurseries pictured. I have pinned so many ideas from both sites, but really really want to make an "inspiration board" that is a conglomeration of ALL of my ideas on one page.

Anyone know how to do that?

Here's an example of an "inspiration board":

I should also mention, we don't have photo shop, which is what I am starting to assume is what people are using to create such a board. Any tips or free "board making" sites are welcome! I have scoured and not found anything.

a tree-mendous weekend

For a Southern California back yard--ours is considered larger than average. Also larger than average, is the monstrocity of a Eucalyptus tree that has been the primary eye-sore of our outdoor space ...never mind the current state of our dead grass and overgrown retaining wall--we have plans for that--just.you.wait. It's going to be awesome,in due time. We decided that instead of having it professionally cleaned out every two years, and resigning to the fact that no grass in it's right mind would ever grow under it's shade and droppings, that it was time for it to be turned into firewood. This would also open up endless possibilities for landscaping, a real patio, and grass! GREEN grass! without having to fuss over the tree any longer. Besides, I am convinced half the neighborhood's raccoon population resided in it.

Here's THE tree on Friday @ 2:00 p.m.

By Saturday @ 8:00 a.m.

Saturday afternoon

NZ and our neighbor, an "official" tree guy

( aka: knows-wtf-he's-doing)

And, by Sunday afternoon...

It's down. The trunk was at least 5 feet tall, since that's how tall I am

( and by the looks of it I may also be that wide soon !)

..Firewood anyone?