A Beautiful Court Date...

I was in court today.

For an INCREDIBLE reason.

No no, I wasn't contesting a traffic ticket (never even been pulled over - holla!)

It was for a much more beautiful reason.

Remember my awesome sister Rebecca? Yaknow, the one who had a precious baby girl only three weeks before her newly adopted 6 month old son was brought home from Ethiopia by her husband Dusty?

( psst! You want to see some grown folk cry the Boo Mama coined "ugly cry"? Force them to witness a newly adopted child be brought home and placed into his exuberant and loving new Mamas' arms. Yep, ugly cry. But a GOOD ugly cry.)

Today, I witnessed my Father in court (haven't seen that since I was probably ten), who represented my Sister and Brother in law, as they finalized/re-adopted their sweet baby boy...my nephew!

It was an awesome day.

Except when Bubbalu bonked the JUDGE on the nose with the balloon airplane toy he was given right before entering the courtroom.

This Mother? Mortified.

The Judge was cool about it. After all, he's worked with my Dad for many years and has a heart for children. He was wiping away tears with the rest of us.

(Besides, I don't think you can hold a 2 year old in contempt of court.)

Welcome to the family Isaiah! We love you and are honored to be your family.

(psst! And your Auntie Amanda ALWAYS has cookies for you. ALWAYS!)

A

Clearing Out The Draft Folder...

A smattering of often pointless but nevertheless hopefully entertaining shorts in the draft folder:

***

My almost 11 month old daughter gained four pounds in less than a month. This daughter, who is currently lying prostrate on the ground so as to teeth on the piano pedals, is a CARB-AHOLIC.

Wonder where she got THAT from?

***

Would you rather change EIGHT medium sized poopy diapers per day or ONE insanely impressive ginormo poopy diaper per day?

YES, you have to pick one.

We are currently on the EIGHT medium sized poopy diapers per day plan. And by "we" I do mean Lil Chick. She is going through more diapers now than when she was a newborn. If I had a nickel for every poopy diaper I've changed...well, I could buy these:



I'd call them my poop boots. Nice ring to it, no?

However I am now completely disgustipated. They are actually Girls boots, not Womens boots. What does it say about me that I prefer Girls boots over Womens? Is it just me or are those seriously cute? Please, someone justify my thought processes here.

***

And going WAY back to summer:

My take on the annual, held-in-my-small-town Fair:

I detest crowds. I get crabby at people who walk slowly and then stop in the middle of a walkway forcing everyone to walk around them. However, since I am now one of Those Mom's who push a gargantuan double-wide Bob stroller around I fully realize I am now part of the crowd problem. My penchant for speed walking and whipping around people with the double-wide Bob doesn't help. I'm pretty sure I startled eighteen or so peoples, whom surely though that there was an emergency or a Poffertjes stand that I was rushing towards.

(hint: it was the Poffertjes. Surprised? Didn't think so.)

***

ALSO: Vintage Dutch Girl now has a fan page on Facebook. So, if you are on Facebook, do check it out HERE and become a fan.

A

Hello, I Am A Dodo Brain...

I made a set of burp cloths and an iron-on onesie applique for a baby shower gift for a friend a few weeks back.

I used a car and truck flannel which turned out quite adorable.

However, I was SUPER busy trying to whip the last stitches in. Sometimes you're too close to the project, ya know?

I couldn't figure out why all of a sudden it just didn't look quite right:



WHY does my 'C.A.R.' letters applique look like 'CPR'???

DOH! (insert head slap)

Guess SOME dodo brain forgot to reverse the 'a' when freehanding it, backwards, on the reverse side of the third peel off layer of see-through webbing stuck to the wrong side of the fabric which needs to be read correctly.

Clear as mud.

No WONDER I messed up.

No worries, I seam ripped that pesky, rebelliant 'a' off the decal and stitched it back on CORRECTLY.



Tina, I'm sure you never really noticed, but the poor little red, green, orange, blue and half of a yellow car are sadly driving around upside down.

I planned it that way. That way when your little guy wears it he can look down and SEE the cars smiling at him and driving right side up.

(wink)

A

Stuck At Home...

Lance and Bubbalu are gone for the day. Mama and Lil Chick are having a lovely Saturday at home.

By at home I mean I am stuck.

I would LOVE to be out and about crashing the garage sales in town scooping up some fabulous finds....but my darlin baby girl is sick. Methinks hauling a feverish, coughing, snotty-nosed pajama clad 9 month old around town might not be the greatest of ideas. Besides, I'd have to do my hair and get out of my jammies.

I may still make an emergency run to the hardware store as I am in the midst of a spray-painting frenzy.

I'm the fiend causing the frenzy.

My wedding ring has red speckles, my fingernails are quite possibly permanently stained light green and my garage looks like a hardware store EXPLODED in there...but this Mama?

She's happy...

A

Leaps And Bounds...

Lil Chick is growing by leaps and bounds. All within the last week.

I was so proud of my sweet baby for pulling herself up to a kneeling position. She pulled herself up on the piano:



On the side table:



and on the bistro chairs:



Pretty much anything that has a hand hold has been used for kneeling practice.

THEN, she did this:



Notice her smug, "check me OUT Mama!" expression?



While still proud of her Lil Chick, mother hen is starting to worry about this escalation of movement that is occuring.

Fast forward two days.

Ding dong! Can I come in?



Uh, why are there pudgy TOES in your living room?



I don't mean to pry, but WHAT is peering through your third story window?



Ahhhh, that's why:



When we say "she's playing in the dollhouse" we mean literally IN the dollhouse.

It's our version of 'King Kong', or 'Honey I Blew Up the Kid'. You pick:



However, we're not done yet.

Yes there IS another fun thing she learned.

Oh yes she did:



Uh oh.

A

Spunky Repurposed Ruffly Baby Top...and Tutorial!...

So, apparently I have some addictions.

1. I am addicted to naps...for my children. Mama is a better Mommy when the kids take naps.

2. I am addicted to sewing. I have experienced some major sewing binges over the course of my life. I am experiencing a sewing binge currently.

3. I am addicted to cutting up t shirts and repurposing them. Guess what? Jersey does not require finished seams. COULD. IT. GET. ANY. EASIER!?

Mash them all together and you get: Mama on a mad cutting up t shirt sewing during nap time spree.

First it was the maternity shirts. And don't even think I'm through with them! I have an entire pile in my bonus room awaiting their turn at my sewing machine.

Next up was the 'donation' pile of clothes. I may never donate another article of clothing in my life.

So, I'm just going to go ahead and warn my husband that his closet may soon be raided. Any t shirt that you haven't worn for a few months may be subject to my Fiskars, sewing machine and whim. Consider yourself warned.

During today's mad cutting up t shirt sewing during nap time spree I cut up an old shirt that someone had given me. It was old, didn't fit, and screaming to be sliced up. So I obliged.

Old blah shirt:



SLICE!



After an embarrassingly long time of hemming and hawing (tee hee, pun intended!), I cut out a simple front and back dress shape using the finished bottom shirt hem as the dress hem. I sliced long lengths to use as ruffles, one arm cuff to use as a headband, and some small pieces of the bottom hem to use as shoulder straps:



I sewed front to back and tacked on the straps. Next up I basted then scrunched up the ruffles:



Then started adding them wherever I felt like it. First up, the sleeves:



Don't be stingy with pinning, folks! They are necessary to achieve a nice seam with ruffles!



(p.s. it's MUCH easier to sew on ruffles BEFORE you finish sewing them to the back.)

(p.p.s. - yes, that IS coffee I was consuming in the afternoon. Don't judge me!)

Then I got so preoccupied sewing on ruffles that I forgot to take photos. So I made a quick little tutorial for you:


Here is the finished ruffly dress/shirt and headband:



Melikey RUFFLES. Melikey sewing ruffles.

Besides, Lil Chick was starting to feel left out of the yellow invasion and needed some spunky yellow wear:



See? She's already feeling decidedly spunky:



Off to chop up some more t shirts...

A

Ruffly Buns...

I heart ruffles.

I heart ruffly buns even more:



Throw on a ruffly hat and you're in ruffle heaven:



Link up to an easy peasy Baby Ruffle Butt Onesie Tutorial and now you too can be in ruffle heaven right next to me...

A

Surfin USA...

Everybody goin' surfin', Surfin' USA!



We teach em young over here.

A

Welcome Home...

She was completely and all-encompassingly focused. You could try talking to her, but you wouldn't get far.

She stood amidst a swarm of strangers not seeing them or caring about them. It was busy and loud as families, spouses and friends were reunited. She couldn't hear them. She stood staring at the exit of the escalator waiting to see a familiar face. She was quiet. She was focused. She was waiting.

She's been waiting over a year for this moment. This moment that will forever be etched in her heart and mind.

She has a three week old precious baby girl. She has been a single parent for over a week as her husband has been gone on this journey. She is tired and emotional but eager.

Her brother whistles and motions that he can spot them coming up the escalator.

The video cameras start rolling...the cameras are turned on and ready to go.

Her heart is ready.

She first spots her husband's brilliantly smiling face. He has never smiled so brightly before...not even on their wedding day. It is a proud smile. A tender smile. A fatherly smile.

Next she spots a little dark head that he is carrying in his front pack. As he nears the top you can see two little dangling arms, two dangling legs.

She runs forward and clings to her husband and her new baby boy. They fumble with the many straps, struggle to lift him out and then finally, finally FINALLY she is at last holding him in her arms...and in her heart. She is sobbing and shaking as she holds him, the enormity of the moment overwhelming her.



She kisses her husband and turns to face her waiting family.

She walks over, shows him to us and says, "this is our son!"



He is introduced to his little sister. Their family has doubled in less than a month.



Welcome home Isaiah Melkiso. Welcome home and welcome into our hearts. You are muchly loved.



Love your Auntie,

A

Crinkle Crinkle...

Yesterday was once again overcast and chilly. A perfect day for soup and hot chocolate...except that it is JULY. Hello!? Summer? Wheredya go? I wasn't finished with you yet!

Because I've been getting bit by those pesky sewing bugs, I gave my husband the 'I must create something or I will freak' look and bolted upstairs to the bonus (craft) room.

I've been trolling the crafting sites recently and feeling completely inspired. However, time and prior commitments (aka children) put a damper on my project list. Every time I'm ready to turn my sewing machine on someone needs a diaper change, to be fed, or I don't know...has POOPED ON THE FLOOR...again.

Which reinforces my my thinking that I need a week or two long staycation. The first few days to clean and get back to normal...whatever that may be...then the rest of the time sewing and crafting to my hearts delight. Sounds like a grand plan to me. As long as no one poops on the floor. Cause no one likes poo on the floor.

However, I did get a few hours to play and craft yesterday. Here's what I managed to create:



Aren't they great!? Aren't they awesome? Don'tcha just LURVE what I made?

What?

Oh.

You can't tell what they are?

No, it's not just a jumbled pile of flannel and ribbon!

Here's a better look:



and:



They are Crinkle Square Taggies for itty bitty babies thanks to the crafty genius of Joy's Hope. Find the tutorial HERE and get craftin your own Taggies . These are quick, only use a teensy bit of fabric and ribbon and turn out great. Joy suggests using old wipes packages for the crinkle material. I used them as well as a super crinkly shopping bag I had. I put up to three layers in a few of them, and while it made the sewing a bit more challenging, the crinkle-age is worth it!

Lil Chick has been super grabby lately. She loves diaper wipes packages, but I have an issue with her sucking on a bag of wipes that are used to wipe up poo. Just doesn't sit right in my brain. The Crinkle Square Taggies? MUCH BETTER:



And yes, I may have gotten a wee bit carried away and made a few more than necessary.

Like seven.

But who's counting?

A

Sweet Bundle Of Pink...

One of our siblings finally managed to produce a sweet bundle of pink who joined us June 25 weighing in at a perfect 6lbs 15 oz. While this is definitely unusual for our families and we aren't quite sure what to do with a baby girl, we'll just have to suffer through it and figure it all out.

Wouldn't YOU want to be an Auntie to this darling baby girl?:



Could her lips BE any more kissable? (*Heart squeeze*)

Welcome to our family Gabriella! Congratulations Dusty and Becca!

I am predicting many hours of tea parties, dressing up, dolls and one maybe two matching outfits for Gabby and Lil Chick.

We love you already Gabby...

A

Purple Polka Dots and Petal Ties...

Those persistent crafty bugs have been biting again. I think there might be an infestation.

This time it resulted in a purple polka dot and white eyelet edged itty bitty dress for Lil Chick.

Of course, my model was taking a morning nap, so you'll just have to imagine how cute she looks in it, mkay?





Love love LOVE the petal ties in the back. I might have to kiss them now and again cause they are super adorable. And most importantly, effectively eliminates the need for snaps, buttons or zippers. What could be better?

Next up, some matching bloomers or diaper cover with a ruffle butt. Then maybe a white crocheted hat with purple flower off to the side. Then maybe some matching itty bitty crocheted purple and white Mary Jane shoes.

See? I told you there was a craft bug infestation...

A

Excerpts from the Bubbalu and Lil Chick Instruction Book:

*Lil Chick Sleep Hints*

She will probably need a light burp after her bottle, but it is OK to put her to bed kinda awake. It is OK if she cries. She has a harder time falling asleep if you purposely try to rock her to sleep after a bottle. Lately she also seems to be waking herself up just to play and "visit" with us (little stinker is so cute it’s hard to ignore her) so check on her if you must, but don’t pick her up and let her woo you into playing!

*Bubbalu potty training hints*

-our RULE OF UNDERWEAR, “You can wear underwear if you don’t get it wet or dirty”. Ask him the rule, he knows it and should tell you!
-don’t listen to him if he tells you NO when you ask him to go potty. Just tell him, “Bubba, it’s time to go potty NOW”.
-DO NOT LEAVE THE TP WITHIN REACH!
-he always takes off both his shorts and underwear when going potty
-If he says, “NO, (pause pause pause)okayyyyy" that means yes.
-If you don’t have his padded toilet seat with you, you have to hold him on the potty or he’ll fall in!
-Give him a book or three to read while sitting on the pot. Or else he’ll start exploring and find things to play with (bleach spray, TP handles, etc.

Yeesh, this might be an interesting weekend...

A

Yammy...

I quickly whipped up some baby food for Lil Chick the other night.

I made all of this food:



From only THREE yams (sweet potatoes, whatever). I paid a total of $3.76. In the grocery store that would have bought approximately 8 pre-made baby food servings. I made close to 60 servings.

Those were some BIG yams. I think one may have been bigger than Lil Chick.

Who is in fact growing like a weed and is more pleasant and fun than I thought possible for a baby:



My little weed went from 13lbs 6oz to 14lbs 4 oz in ONE WEEK. Talk about a growth spurt!



However, I'm sure 1/2 a pound MUST have come from those yams...

A

Pureed Peas Make Me Happy...

I'm a home baby food making Mama and proud of it.

I chose to make my own baby food for Bubbalu when I discovered that not only could I control what when into his food, but that is was CHEAPER and EASY.

And we all like saving some serious money.

My theory this this:

If I can purchase the product (say sweet potatoes) for less per pound in the grocery store produce section (or food co-op, farmers market or whathaveyou) than the prepackaged food then it is worth the hassle.

I have multiple gallon sized zip top bags full of baby food in my freezer. I just grab a bowl and open the door. SUPER easy. If I'm heading out for the day, I put two or three cubes in a small plastic container. When eatin' time rolls around they are usually completely thawed and ready to go. If not? A bit of boiling water and some rice cereal do the trick.

Here are a few of my favorite baby foods to make at home:

Sweet potato - BIG DOUBLE YES. I make huge batches of sweet potato and use it daily as a starter base for meals. Peel, boil until soft, puree, spoon into ice-cube trays and freeze.

Apple - Home-grown apples made into home-made applesauce lovingly donated by my parents are pureed to perfect consistency and frozen in ice-cube trays. SUPER easy. Lil Chick loves it. I usually mix in a bunch of oatmeal baby cereal. Applesauce oatmeal? Yes please!

Squash - Oh my lands, it's got to be the easiest thing around. Directions:
1. Go to grocery store
2. Purchase frozen cooked brick of squash (in frozen veggie section)
3. Defrost and spoon into ice-cube trays.

Voila. See? Not too difficult.

Pumpkin - I was wrong. Pumpkin is easier than squash. You can buy canned pumpkin and freeze it in ice cube trays. SUPER easy. Just make sure you don't buy Pumpkin PIE mix instead of plain pumpkin. Baby might be hopped up on the sugar for a good 18+ hours if you mix those two up.

Banana - Squish it around a bit before you even peel it. Then open, mash with a fork and spoon it in. Beware: Banana is slightly constipating. Might need some pureed prunes as a side dish with this one.

Avocado - Purchase, peel, mash and serve. Tons of healthy fats to help grow a baby's brain. Best to freeze in slices to prevent browning.

Peas - I buy frozen peas, microwave and puree them. Once again, spoon into ice cube trays and freeze. Watch the skins, they can be tricky. Add enough liquid to make sure it is truly a pureed consistency.

There are many many many more foods to make at home for the babes. Just think, with all the money you've saved making your baby food at home you can finally purchase that ferrari! Or a new washer and dryer. With the pedestals. And forgo the normal white and pick a COLOR.

I would love a happy and bright washer and dryer set. You KNOW that the green, blue, brown and red ones have more fun and are more satisfied (read : happy) with their appliance existance. And a happy washer and dryer means happy clothes.

And you NEED happy clothes, what with all the pureed sweet potato, apples, squash, pumpkin, avocado, banana and peas that your perfect baby will fling on you.

And where do I get all my home baby food making information? Right HERE at WholesomeBabyFood.com. Go check em out...

A

Baby Clothing System...

I went over to help my baby sister set up for her two babies who will be arriving this summer.

I forgot how much fun it is to go through tons of baby shower gift bags and set up a brand new nursery. It also reminded me how badly I need to reorganize Lil Chick's room.

Being that I have six different sizes smashed into her changing table/dresser, it's no wonder Lance gets confused when trying to dress her:

No, not those light pink 3-6 month pants, she's WAY too small for those. And not those light pink 6 month pants, they are way too short for her. No, not those light pink 0-3 month pants, they fit her funny on her legs. Here, put these newborn light pink pants on her, they are a perfect fit, can't you tell?

Honey, what's the problem? What, you don't understand my Baby Clothing System?

Let's start with the basic onesie.

Onesies:

The onesies on the front left side of the top drawer are reserved for occasional, they-don't-match-or-fit-great-but-are-there-for-emergencies onesies.

The onesies in the front middle of the top drawer are my favorite in not only style, but fit and color as well, but usually aren't there because they are either:

• in the laundry
• washed and folded and waiting to be put away on the floor of the living room, or
• in the diaper bag.

The onesies on the front right side of the top drawer are long sleeved or unisex onesies, best used for layering purposes.

The onesies and random tops in the back top drawer are matched sets that should NOT be desecrated by pairing them with non-matchy-matchy pants. If you do, then the pants are left lonely and sad, while the shirt marches on without them, getting stained and wash worn in an uneven ratio that completely upsets the system.

Unless you use that one pair of super cute minimally decaled jeans that are oh-so-cute and bootcut, THEN you may use the onesies and random tops in the back top drawer. But make sure you put on those Mary Jane shoe looking socks on to complete the look, or else it doesn't go.

See? Clear as mud.

I could go on, being that I have five dresser drawers, two shelves within the dresser, a five tiered shelf in the closet, two hanging rods, the shelf above the closet hanging rods and the entire floor of the closet worth of Baby Clothing System to share with you, but I won't.

Why?

I'm starting to get a wee bit confused...

A

Paper Globes...

I found an awesome tutorial for paper globes over at the talented Heather Bailey. I decided that since I have a ton of scrapbook paper and zero hangydobbers for Lil Chick to stare at instead of sleeping, I deemed the project necessary.



I was extremely pleased with my results and enjoyed the project. I make three varying sized coordinating paper globes for Lil Chick's room and hung them at staggered heights with clear thread to act as a mobile:



Oh wait, who's that cutie in there!?

Hi sweetie...



(sigh)

OK, back to the paper globes. I got bit by the paper globe bug and proceeded to make another two sets of three for my sister who is expecting two babies soon. I coordinated the paper with the baby crib bedding colors she had already picked out and got to work. At 20 circles per globe, that is 120 circles folks! I liked how they turned out even better than Lil Chick's.

I hung them from lights in my house as decor during her baby shower:



So why don't you try your hand at paper globes?

My hints and tips for success:

• When coordinating papers and patterns, go outside the box a bit. Sticking with one hue leads to a boring paper globe . I prefer the globes that have an extra pop of intense color or a striking pattern. And no, they don’t look too wild or crazy. It just works. Trust me.
  
  
• Get thyself a paper shape cutter. If I had to cut out twenty circles by hand for each globe, this post wouldn’t exist and my baby girl would be staring at nothing but the ceiling. However, it would be a perfect ‘the kiddos are in bed and I need some therapy’ mindless task. Maybe something to do while watching Friends reruns over and over again….not that I do that (every night at 10:00).
  
  
• Use a glue stick to affix the circles to one-another....and make sure you have PLENTY of glue sticks proportionate to the project at hand before you begin. Make sure said glue sticks are NOT the seven year old glue sticks you purchased on a thrifty stock-em up clearance sale that have since turned to stone. These don't work so good. You may even have to make an emergency late night trip to Rite-Aid to remedy the situation...not that I did that (night before the party, 10:30 PM).
  
  
• Use the never-used-forgot-I-had-it paper scorer attachment on your paper cutter to make the folding super easy and crisp.

And WHERE is the tutorial? Download the pdf file off of Heather Bailey's site. Scroll down, bottom right under FREE Patterns. Not only is the pattern free, but scrapbook paper? C'mon, it's SO cheap...especially if you have one or three tote bins full of it just sitting around, right?!

Enjoy!

A

Tuesdays Unwrapped - Itty Bitty Baby Spit Up...

How many more days will I have itty bitty baby spit up somewhere on me? Why does it always reappear after I've left the house? I find stray puddles on my shoulders, back, under my neck or on my pants.

I was feeding Lil Chick today when she choked, coughed, gagged and spit up her milk. I could feel it making its slimy path down my bare side towards the waistband of my jeans. Most of the time this really makes me upset. I do not enjoy the stinky sour milk scent. Nor do I favor cleaning it out of my clothing, upholstery and bedding.

Today I felt differently. I looked at the little baby in my lap and smiled. How many more days will I have a sweet baby girl to feed?

I picked up Bubbalu's baby book tonight and read about his developmental milestones. Lil Chick is neck and neck with her older brother. Will she really be scooting herself forward in just a few months? Do I really have to find those soft baby spoons so soon? Will you really be able to suck on your toes soon?

Savor today. Squeeze every drop of life out of it. Even if those drops make their way to your sholders, back, neck or your pants...

A

Suncreen and swimsuits...

I put sunscreen on Lil Chick for the first time yesterday. There's nothing like that greasy iconic baby sunscreen smell to bring about thoughts of swimming pools, baby sun hats and beach umbrellas. Please spring, stay around a bit?

Rubbing sunscreen in gives a great mini-massage for the little punkin'. Lil chick grinned at me the entire time...it warmed my heart more than the sun did.

Now comes the bathing suit search...no, not for me. Although, it is likely this may the first year of the tankini.

Lil chick needs a swimsuit. Preferably an adorable one. With ruffles. And a matching sunhat, sunglasses and flip-flops. Because really, what's cuter than a baby in swimwear? NOTHING.

This one from Old Navy is rather cute:



And this one satisfies the criteria:

And I can get impractical itty-bitty baby matching flip flops:



And matching ruffly sunhat:



So cute it hurts.

I also found this adorable sundress for only $7.00:



And this cute suit for only $8.50:



However, I'm thinking the two piece options are more practical considering the inevitable changing of the barely holding it in poopy swim diapee hullabaloo.

OK, no more e-shopping for me. The sun is out and I need to soak up some Vitamin D. We are seriously deficient over here.

A