Birthday Traditions & Candy cake

Wee One turned 3 years old in October, and we started a new birthday tradition to celebrate. The night before his birthday I decorated the house with balloons and a banner, and when he woke up on his birthday he got a balloon with a dollar in it for each year old he is.

Score! He thought it was pretty cool to get all those dollars! It was a nice start to a special day.

Later that morning we had a simple brunch birthday party with his friends. The boy loves chocolate and candy, so I made him this chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, Kit Kats and M&Ms. Needless to say, it was a big hit with the kids. 

I got the idea from Recipe Girl. 

Does your family celebrate with any special birthday traditions?

Don't cry over spilled...cheerios?

I have a 2  1/2 year old who makes messes.

This morning the mess was spilled cheerios (see them behind him?).

That same toddler also refused to pick up said cheerios.

Rather than freak out, what do I do?

Give him a string with tape on one end and a cheerio tied to the other. 

All of a sudden he has a fun game of making a necklace and 

he's working on fine motor skills and inadvertently picking up the mess.

Everyone wins. :)

We are in the middle of the "Terrible Twos" here in Michigan, and I'm about ready to tear my hair out some days.

 I don't know if it's just my little man or all toddlers, but this little boy is a holy terror for me, yet sweet as sugar for others! He charms everyone he meets, yet at home he enjoys tormenting me by  biting, kicking, licking my face, and doing whatever else he knows will push my buttons. I REALLY hope this is just a short phase he will be growing out of soon! He was mid-tantrum tonight, flailing on the floor because I put a lid on his sippy cup (the nerve of me!), and I found myself on the verge of giving in and letting him roam around the house with an open juice cup. I caught myself, and said out loud, "I'm the mom here and I make the rules! We don't negotiate with terrorists...um...toddlers." It's not a good day when you confuse your toddler with a terrorist.

Spring has Sprung? Potty Time!

I love days like today. The sun was shining, it was 40' outside, the snow was melted, and the birds were singing! I know it is just a little spring tease, but a taste of spring is all it takes to boost my mood! I insisted that we go for a walk as a family to enjoy the weather, and despite the cold wind, it was nice! My wee one really likes being outdoors, just like his Mama. In fact, after we came home and ate dinner he went to the door and kept trying to go back out. He cried and looked so dejected when he couldn't get the door open, so I took him out onto the deck, and he was happy as could be!

On a completely different topic...I have to brag. For the past month or two we have been sitting on the potty and on occasion he will happen to pee or poop while he's sitting there. Well, yesterday he signed "potty" to me for the first time, then tooted in the potty! It may not sound like much, but I was thrilled! Today, he again signed potty, and then he peed in the potty!! It's one thing to happen to catch a pee/poo, but he initiated it himself! He realized he had to go, then he went! I'm over the moon excited! My little 16 month old is growing up so fast!

Doesn't he look fancy? He loves wearing those beads! Please note the jazz hand. I'm pretty sure he's going to be a star! : D

10 Things I've Learned Raising a Boy

1. Cardboard does not digest well. If it is red and says "Crayons" going in, it's going to be red and say "Crayons" coming out.

2. Reading material inside the poop isn't as fun as it sounds.

3. Crayons don't digest well either. Who knew?

4. If he can catch a moving ladybug then I'm pretty sure he has earned the right to eat it!

5. Eating food off the floor isn't as gross as it used to be. Just don't do it in front of company, ok?

6. The "Death Roll" isn't limited to alligators and crocodiles, it also applies to diaper changes.

7. Naked makes everything ok again.

8. Nothing brings Mommy and Daddy to their knees faster than the Two-Fingered-Nose-Hook-Bloodbath move. Except maybe purple nurples.

9. It doesn't go without saying that we don't eat poop. Say it. Often. We. Don't. Eat. Poop!

10. Sleeping Daddies are meant to be woken up. Smacking their head while squealing is the ideal method.

 and most important, little boy grins and loves make everything right in the world.

The big One!



My first time holding him.



I year ago my son was born at 7:11pm weighing 4 lb .8oz and 17 1/4". He was 9 weeks early and spent 35 days in the NICU fighting to live. He is such a sweet, handsome little boy, and he brings joy to all who know him. My husband and I have truly been blessed to have this sweet little baby boy in our lives.



1 Day old.

 But look at him now. He's our clever little go-go-go man, always on the move, always with a smile on his chubby-cheeked face.

Now who could resist that smile? Happy Birthday Wee One!
We love you.

Adventures in Boyland

Boys sure do keep you on your toes, don't they? The other night, the wee one (11 & 1/2 months old) went to bed very early (we have all had a cold this week), so, naturally he woke up in the middle of the night. I brought him into our bed to nurse and go back to sleep. I did, he didn't. Once I drifted off to sleep, the little bugger crawled out of our bed, down the dark hallway, and sat playing in the pitch-dark living room. When I came upon him at 1:30am(!) and turned the lights on, didn't he give me the biggest, cheesiest, toothiest grin I've ever seen?

Sigh. At least he seems to be feeling better.

What stories do you have to tell?

Smart Boy!

My 10 1/2 month old son just used his first sign! I asked/signed if he wanted "milk," and he smiled and signed back "milk!" I'm so excited and proud!

Shared with:

Lyndsey and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

We all have these days, right? Well, today was my turn. First, I change the wee one's diaper, and notice he has a little chafing on his thigh, so I let him air out for a few minutes. Naturally, he poops on the carpet when I'm not looking and smears it all over and eats some. Yum. Mommy is extremely grossed out, I immediately put him in the tub, and he manages to smear poop all over me. I clean out his mouth, rinse him off, but of course out tub doesn't drain very well, so he's sitting in poop soup, which is completely pointless...he grabs his toys and pulls them into the poop soup along with him. Aghhhhh! I spray him down, and transfer him into the kitchen sink to really get him clean. As I finished getting him clean, he spits out more poop he somehow hid in his mouth. Ugh! Round two of mouth cleaning, tooth brushing, and rinsing.

Sigh

There was more, but this is already too long.

Motherhood and my Creative Self

Donna at Funky Junk Interiors shared her story of how she came to be where she is today, being the creative person that she so obviously is. This woman is such an inspiration, her projects are so amazing. I had assumed she has always been this artistic, design guru who can turn trash into treasure in her sleep, but as it turns out, that is not the case. Her story encourages me to keep on doing what I'm doing. You see, I used to be a very creative person. I used to create art. Then life got in the way and I stopped. Now, I'm staying home raising my baby, we are broke, and I have been forced to get creative again. Thank goodness. First, creative with resources, with teaching my son, then creativity through diy projects, and maybe soon, creativity for the sake of creativity again. It sounds so cliche', but  being a stay-at-home-mother is actually allowing me to "find" myself again. I thought that I would be lost in Motherhood, but just the opposite has happened. Being broke is tough, but truth be told, this is a wonderful life, and I wouldn't trade this time with my son for anything. The fact that my creative side is slowly awakening from its slumber is just a wonderful added bonus.

Baby stuff you "Need"

When I was preparing for our wee one, people would ask me what we still needed. I would run down the list of stuff we already had, at a loss for what more we could possibly need for this little person. Clothes, diapers, a place to sleep, a way to transport him, hold him, keep him warm, what else is there, really? Well, there's tons if you buy into all the consumerism.

I just stumbled upon a list of "Must Haves" for your child's first year. The list had nearly 80 items on it! Really? You know that this little person spends the majority of it's first year eating, sleeping, and pooing, right? Naturally, I felt compelled to compile my own minimalist list.

It goes without saying that your baby will need a variety of clothes to wear. I'm not going to list everything that you might want to get for him or her to wear, just the specific items that I think are handy for infants.

Clothes: socks, anti-scratch mittens, onesies, gowns, sleep 'n' play outfits

Eating: Mesh feeder, rubber/plastic spoons, bottles, pump, breast pads, nursing bras, bibs, burp cloths, high chair/booster seat, Gripe Water


Travel: Car seat, stroller or a wrap/sling, bag, changing pad

Bath: Tub, nail clippers, soft hair brush, gum/tooth brush, baby wash

Potty: Diapers, wipes, powder, rash ointment, potty chair

Toys: Teething toys, swing, bouncy chair, hanging toys, ball, sensory blocks, books, mirror toy, Bumbo chair

Bed: Crib, sheets, blankets, noise machine, swaddler, *angel care monitor/movement sensor*

Safety: gate, outlet plugs, thermometer, infant motrin, first aid kit, snot sucker

*My one real indulgence on the list is the angel care monitor and movement sensor. Truth be told, it's not a necessity at all, but it gave us great peace of mind when our wee one finally came home from the hospital. If he ever stopped breathing, we would know right away- and he did. Twice, in my arms.  We wouldn't have been able to sleep nearly as well if we hadn't had this monitor. (No, they aren't paying me to say this, but if the makers of Angel Care would like to, I'd be more than happy to accept payment! haha)

That's all that I think you really need for baby's first year. You don't need special towels or washcloths, normal ones work just fine. You don't need shoes for your baby (hello, they aren't walking!), or fancy toys (he's going to be more interested in the newspaper, empty box, and shiny formula can anyway), nursing cover (just use a light blanket), or fancy Moby wrap (you can make the same thing without sewing for about $15 worth of fabric). Many of these items could be hand-me-downs or used if you're on a budget, and some of them the hospital will give you (assuming you have a hospital birth).

Easy Peasy Seat Belt Covers

Sorry for my absence (not that anyone noticed it but me), life has a way of trumping blogging.

I haven't spent much time crafting or sewing this week. My most recent project was seat belt covers for the little man's carseat. The straps tend to dig into his neck, and it looks mighty uncomfortable, so these were my solution.

My, how serious he looks!

I used one of the million receiving blankets we have as the fabric. They are very simple, but effective. I didn't use any batting between the flannel layers because I didn't want them to be too puffy and hot, but I should have I think. This doesn't provide any cushion on his shoulders, just a softer, more comfortable fabric against his skin. I didn't take any pics of the process because they were so easy they only took about 15-20 mins from start to finish. Here are my steps though:

1. measure the width of the belt, triple that number then add your seam allowance

2. trace a bowl about the size you need to get a perfect circle

3. cut out 4 of these circles

4. pin and sew two circles together with right sides facing in, leaving an opening to turn right-side-out

5. turn then topstitch, I used a zig zag stitch

6. fold into thirds to figure out where you want the velcro, then sew it in place.

Voila! Easy peasy seatbelt covers!

If I were to add batting then I would just layer the fabric and batting how I intended the final product to look (right side out), hem around the edges, then sew two seams up each circle 1/3 of the way in from the edge (to keep the batting from bunching, and to make it easier to fold in thirds), then add double bias tape around the edges for a neat look. You could use the same technique for regular size seat belts as well.

In fact, I think I might do this when I get my sewing machine fixed. Oh, speaking of which...my machine is broken!  :( Somehow my bobbin case twisted out of place, it jammed up, broke a needle, and a tiny (but important)  piece of the case broke off. Boooooo! Do you know how expensive those are? Almost $50! Holy cow! It's going to have to wait.

Now, for the big news! I am happy to announce that the wee one is now sleeping in his own crib! Today is day 3 of him sleeping there, and I'm shocked to say that it was a short transition. He cried for about 50 minutes the first time I put him there to nap (it was torture for me, and I checked on him every 10-15 minutes of course), and ever since he is just fine! I lay him down and he actually sleeps!

 ::Cue the chorus of angels singing::

Who'da thunk it?

Linked up to the following parties:

Cloth Blocks

Please excuse my tardiness, but I wanted to show off the cloth taggie blocks I made the wee one for Easter. It was my first sewing project in a few years, so they're far from perfect, but I don't think he minds. One has jingle bells, one rattles, and one crinkles.

Sweet Innocence

There are specific moments in mommyhood that just make your heart melt. They usually aren't triggered by any grand statement or gesture, but by little things. Things like finding a tiny pair of feet on your side of the bed, or being on the receiving end of a big ol' grin, or a sigh from a peacefully sleeping baby. This was one of those moments.

Container Babies

It always catches me off guard when I get compliments on my wee one's "nice round head," "not flat like so many these days." You would be surprised how many women notice and comment on it. Is it such a rarity to have a normal shaped head? I admit, I was a bit paranoid about his head shape in the NICU. Preemies are notorious for long, narrow heads, and I swear- I could tell when his head had elongated, even by a little in the hospital. I was on that like white on rice. As a result, he never had the "preemie head." After he came home he spent very little time laying on his back in order to develop a flat head. I'd love to take complete credit for that, but truth be told...even if I wanted him to be a container baby, (i.e. always in a bouncer, car seat, swing, play pen, etc.) there is no way he would have tolerated it! As a result..."How cute! Oh, look at that nice round head!"