Sue me, I'm a slacker

Once again, I have no excuse for not blogging lately. I usually have down time at work but just never bother with my blog. I haven't even been writing anything in my pregnancy book since 15 weeks. I have been taking belly pictures to put in there but they are all just sitting on my computer, waiting to be printed. I have been keeping myself busy with a daunting to-do list that seems impossible to complete before the baby comes. I'm still trying to get used to the fact that I will have a baby sometime in the next 5 weeks.

We started birthing classes at the end of February. We are taking a "new and improved" version of the Bradley Method. It's called Brio Birth. It's a 10 week class versus the normal 12 week class that you would do with the Bradley Method. We have our last class next week and then the instructor comes to our house to walk us through laboring at home and how we can use what we have at home to help with that.

Our house is a work in progress right now. We used most of our tax refund to get a few pieces of furniture. We got a new vanity for the bathroom. This one is bigger (to hold more stuff) plus the sink is big enough to bathe the baby in now. We also got a new medicine cabinet thingy to put above it. Again, it's bigger and able to hold more stuff. Now if we could just get a new tub and get rid of the ugly tile in there.... We bought a rolling island for the kitchen and I can't begin to say how much I love it. We have about 2.5 feet of usable counter space for cooking/food prep and to have this island is absolute heaven! Plus it has storage in it so that came in handy. We got a new buffet type cabinet thingy to put near the front door. It has cabinet space in it to store stuff and a shelf to hold mail and paperwork. Finally we bought an armoire for the nursery. Storage is limited in that room so that is holding all the sheets, blankets, pads, bibs, hats, burp cloths and some toys. Plus the record player and records are able to go on top since it's not very high. All of the furniture was stuff we had to put together and it's not high-end by any means but it looks nice for now and we will get our money's worth out of it. I'll have to get some pictures.

My husband had two projects to tackle before the baby comes and he's finished one. We live in a small, two bedroom house and the closets are a decent size but the doors limit the access to them. I'd guess the closets would be about 6 feet long but with a regular door right in the middle. You can't see any of the clothes hanging on either side of the doorway. He's finished widening the doorway (he put in bi-fold doors) in the nursery and has begun the one in our bedroom. Our bedroom is also getting a bigger closet. Our room is adjacent to the kitchen and the kitchen has a nook for the fridge which happens to butt up next to the closet. So, we took the fridge and put it on the opposite wall and will be closing off the nook and expanding the closet into that space. Then I can take all my clothes, which have been in the nursery closet, and put them in there. I'm so anxious for him to finish this. Right now we have an empty closet in our bedroom with the door and framed removed and a big, ugly opening in the kitchen where the fridge used to be. I'm taking a breastfeeding class at the hospital tonight and Courtney said he would be working on the closet tonight. He better.

I've been working my butt off to tackle the to-do list and while I haven't been able to cross off too many things, I have been working on a few things. Slowly but surely wins the race, right? I primed the crib this weekend and have managed to get a few coats on a few pieces. If I can do at least one coat of paint on one piece (it's taking about 3 coats) per night then I think I can get it done in a reasonable time. I just don't seem to have enough free time. Monday nights we have our birthing class. I have a breastfeeding class tonight. This Saturday I have an all day conference for work and a baby shower to go to on Sunday. There is simply not enough time in the day. I also wanted to have some down time to relax before the baby comes but I honestly don't see that happening. We'll see.

People keep asking me if I'm ready to be done being pregnant and I can honestly say that I'm not. And not just because I have too much to do before I'm ready but I'm really enjoying being pregnant. Overall it has been a smooth and easy pregnancy. I had no morning sickness, unless I waited too long to eat, then I would get a little queasy. Or if I ate too much too fast then I would get queasy again. I threw up 4 times total and felt fine afterwards. I was tired during the first trimester and have had heartburn but really nothing to complain about. I'm almost 35 weeks and still fairly comfortable. I can sleep through the night and get up once, maybe twice to pee but there have been nights where I've slept all night long. The baby moves a lot but I haven't had any painful kicks to the ribs or head butts to the bladder. I honestly have no reason to complain. I am ready for another 5 weeks. I need another 5 weeks!

The state of things

So, I know it’s been awhile since I mentioned anything about the whole foster care thing.  Well, after a few mail mix ups we finally received the paperwork from the Department of Social Services.  Most of it we can easily fill out ourselves but we had to both get a physical and TB test and all of our animals needed to be up to date with their rabies vaccines.  As of today, both Courtney and I are finished with our physicals and Penny got her rabies shot.  Beaker will get his before next Wednesday because that is when we are going on vacation.

After all the paperwork is filled out, which will also be done before next Wednesday, I will mail it in and await a call about a home inspection.  I think all we need to do (other than cleaning and basic childproofing) is to get a fire extinguisher for the kitchen.  Once the inspection is finished we get signed up for classes which are about 8 weeks (I think) in length. 

I feel prepared for a child.  Whether it be biological or otherwise, I feel prepared emotionally, physically and stuff-wise.  I’ve been hording and collecting baby things for quite some time but after the miscarriage, when we started talking about foster care I’ve been going crazy.  I can safely say I have plenty of clothes thanks to Goodwill, Salvation Army, yard sales and flea markets.  You might think of stained and dated clothing when you hear Goodwill or yard sales but believe it or not I’ve found a TON of brand new and very gently used clothing at these places.  Plus, I’ve also picked up a few bargains through Babies R Us when something goes on clearance or on a really good sale.  I got this brand new Boppy Travel Yard:

on clearance because it was the floor model for $60.  It retails for $180.  It was on clearance for $119 (I think) and I had two coupons, a gift card and my measly 10% discount.  Not too shabby.

I have two Bumbo seats. 

Those little suckers retail for $40!  I found one at Salvation Army and one at Value Village.  They were each less than $4!  I love thrift stores!  You never know what you will find in there!    

Someone let their child wear this??

While browsing through my favorite Goodwill (the SUPER Goodwill, if you will) on Super Saturday (all clothes are 50% off) I stumbled upon this shirt and my jaw nearly hit the floor.

Yes, this is a CHILD’S t-shirt.  What are we bringing up our children to believe???  That money is the end all be all?  That it’s ok to be with a man (or woman) only for their money?  I guess it’s a good thing it was donated to Goodwill but I think it would have been better off burned.

I did happen to find a bunch of baby clothes, a few t-shirts for me, a funky duvet cover for our bed and a bunch of yarn.  Not sure what I’ll make yet but they were nice colors and only $.50 a ball so I’m sure it will be put to good use.

In other shopping news, while I was working (at the baby superstore) I was putting away some blankets and noticed that the ENTIRE collection designed by Amy Coe was 75% off!  If you haven’t seen her stuff, it’s kind of modern with lots of bright colors.  I don’t know why it was being clearanced, probably because they are discontinuing the bedding line maybe?  Anyway, I scooped up this bedding set:

You can’t really see the bedding but it’s white with brown circles on one side and brown with white circles on the other side.  The bumper is brown with white circles.  Up close it looks like this:

 

I also got 4 brown fabric covered storage bins.  All for $57!  I really wanted to make my own stuff but I couldn’t have made it for that cheap!  On the plus side, the set came with a comforter with a duvet cover so I could always make another cover if I wanted a little change.

My new plan for the nursery (you can read about my old plan here) will be yellow walls….something like this shade:

I want to paint the crib either a shade of red like this:

 

Or a shade of turquoise like this:

I just love that shade of turquoise.  I found these pictures through a google image search and the last one was on a blog whose owner sold stuff on Etsy.  If they hadn’t already been sold, I might have scooped them up myself!

Even though I LOVE red, I’m thinking the turquoise will look better with the yellow and brown (from the bedding set).  It will be gender neutral and definitely NOT babyish but still cute (in my opinion anyway, which isn’t worth much).  I’m not big in to the whole pastel colors for babies.  Just not a huge fan.  Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a choice for colors outside of pastels when it comes to baby clothes.  I do have a couple of patterns for baby clothes but haven’t made anything yet.  When I do, you can be sure that it won’t be pastel.

Somewhat informed

The orientation/information session about foster care and foster-to-adopt care was tonight. A lot of the questions I had were answered but I still have more. Overall, I am still interested in pursuing it but I think Courtney is still hesitant about it. We need to sit down and discuss it to see if it is what we want to do.

In other, but similar news, I've been stocking up on baby stuff. Can I just say how much I LOVE Craigslist! I am bordering on obsessed. So far, I've bought a travel system for $65 (a Graco Quattro something or other...I just loved the pattern and the reviews just happened to be good...lol), a crib for $125 (converts to a toddler bed and then full size bed) and a moses basket for $15. I'll post pictures soon. I'm thinking about painting the crib. Something bold and bright like fire engine red or turqouise. Hmmmmmm.....we'll see. I also plan to make new covers for the pads in the moses basket. Once I decide on the bedding (which I plan to make) and the theme of the nursery, then I will figure out if I want to go through the trouble of painting the crib.

Since spring is kind of in the air, it seems that yard sale season has begun! I don't know about you but I love going to yard sales. Most of what I find is just junk but every once in awhile I find some keepers. This weekend I got a new soccer ball for my dog.

He really loves his soccer ball.

Courtney is usually the one who plays soccer with him. But sometimes he doesn't want to play.

Beaker doesn't care. He just wants to play soccer.


When I got home with the new soccer ball, Courtney and both dogs were still in bed and Beaker was so excited to see his new toy, he flew out of bed to grab it and tried to run out the dog door with it but it didn't fit. Too funny.

His second love is his frisbee. He is partial to the ones from Old Navy.


After an afternoon of frisbee, Beaker is exhausted.


So is Penny. She doesn't really care about the frisbee, though. She just likes running after Beaker.


I found some other random stuff but the soccer ball was the highlight. At least for Beaker.

Cloth diapers and how to make one

I've wanted to use cloth diapers once we had a baby and was cringing at the cost per diaper (around $12-$18 per diaper, give or take). I know it would save money in the long run but my cheap ass puckered at the thought of my child crapping in an $18 diaper. That is when my search for an affordable cloth diaper began.

The old fashioned cloth diapers crossed my mind but they aren't fitted, which can lead to leaks and worse...stains. Yuck. They are definitely affordable (usually around $12 or so for a package of 10 or 12). Plus you would need to buy the plastic pants to go over them. I'm not sure how much they run but they aren't much.

The only other thing I could think of was to find a pattern and make my own. Problem solved! I found a great pattern at Mama Bird's Website. She has a basic pattern to use and instructions on how to make a fitted diaper, an all in one diaper and a pocket diaper. I've only made the fitted diaper (and made one addition of my own) but if I can find the right material (called PUL) I will try the all in one.

I decided I would do a step-by-step post on how I made the diaper but if you want to try to make one, I would go to her website. Her pictures are better. By the way, these pictures are in no way an attempt at photography. I haven't even cracked open those books yet. These pictures, to be quite blunt, suck. My craft room is in my basement and it has awful flourescent lighting. But, enough about that.

The diaper has two layers plus a soaker pad in the middle. I made the inner layer from a Good Will t-shirt ($.99 and I'll get about 4 or 5 diapers from it). The outer layer is flannel (I always check the remnant section for good deals. The remnant I used here cost me less than $2 and I'll get 2 or 3 diapers from it). I folded both fabrics in half and traced the pattern on to the t-shirt.

Now, both layers are cut out (I use pinking shears) and I've marked where the elastic goes.

I also marked where the soaker pad is placed. It should hit the two small marks and then it is centered in the middle.

Next, I cut out the material for the soaker pad. I use 6 strips of flannel. I always save scraps from sewing projects and now it can be put to good use. Also, I check the remnant section for ugly flannel to use. It's cheap and it won't be seen.

Ok, so I made two additions to Mama Bird's pattern. I added three layers of batting in the soaker. It should help it dry faster, especially if it's put in the dryer.

This is what the soaker should look like...three layers of flanne on the top and bottom with three layers of batting in the middle.

Then I sewed the soaker together. I just did this to make it easier when it came time to sew it to the inner part of the diaper.

It obviously isn't even but it doesn't matter. It won't be seen and it's only purpose is to hold piss.

The soaker is placed in between the two markings I made earlier and centered in the middle.

Now it's ready to be sewn on.

Be careful while you are sewing and don't sew the diaper to itself like I did. You can't see it because it is a crappy picture.

If you do then you'll just use a seam ripper to remove the offending stitches and begin again.

This is what it will look like (or better if you are a better seamstress than I am, and you probably are) once the soaker pad is sewn on. I went around it twice, hence the framed in look.

Next, I cut the elastic for the leg openings. When cutting, you need to stretch it from marking to marking so that once it's sewn on it will gather the fabric. Make sure to cut two...one for each leg. Duh.

Sewing on the elastic is probably the hardest part of this little project but if I can do it, anyone can. You kind of just stretch and sew at the same time. This is what one finished side looks like.

And with both sides finished. See how the sides are gathered up? That's what holds the poo in!

Then, I stitched on the ends of the back elastic. I'll sew this down once the diaper is sewn together.

Next, I pinned the two layers together, right sides together.

Now the two layers are sewn together.

I left an opening so that I can turn it inside out. It will be sewn up later.

This is the diaper right side out.

I then sewed the back elastic through both layers. Again, you kind of have to stretch and sew at the same time.

Then I sewed up the opening I had left to turn the diaper inside out.

Next, I cut the hook velcro (the scratchy side) for the tabs of the diaper.

Here they are sewn on.

Then I cut the loop velcro (the soft side) for the front of the diaper.

Now that the velcro is on the diaper is almost finished. I decided to add one little feature though.

I decided to add fold over pockets/tabs/whatever to the tabs of the diaper to protect the velcro while washing. This way it doesn't get fuzzies stuck to it and it doesn't create a chain of diapers in the washer or dryer. First, I lay the tab on a piece of folded over flannel and traced it.

Once it's cut out I placed it on the inner part of the tab.

Sew around the round part of the tab but leave the straight edge open.

So now the tab cover thingy is sewn on and while in use it will look like this.

When it's time to wash the diaper, just flip the tabs over the velcro and wash.

So that's it. It's really not hard. I've made three so far and it usually takes about 45 minutes or so to make a one. Seeing as how I'll probably need about 20-30 of each size (give or take) it's probably good that I start now.

Total cost for homemade fitted diaper: Around $1...probably less.

Now that is something my child can crap in.

P.S. Please ignore the chipped nail polish. That is the main reason I never get manicures. I'm terrible about taking off the polish once it starts chipping. I got my nails done for Valentine's Day. I'm guessing it'll still be on my nails come St. Patrick's Day.

Pictures...finally!

Hello, My Love,

Here are the pictures I've been saying I would add. I'm not the best photographer but I think they turned out ok. You can't really tell, but the hat is light yellow with white "feathers." I call it the Big Bird hat.
I'm not too crazy about this one. It looks too 70's or something.

Just a red hat.
This yarn is so soft. Love this hat.
I made your dad a hat out of the same yarn. If he hasn't lost it then you'll have matching hats.
This is more of a beanie...didn't make it long enough.
The sherbet hat.

Nothing really special about this one.
One of my favorites....so very soft and green...my favorite color.
I like the colors in the yarn.
Don't really like this one either. Too loose.
I like this one a lot...kinda punk rock.

A burp cloth...love the fabric.
This is one for my friend's baby.
Haven't decided if I'll give this one to her or keep it...probably keep it.
Just another hat...
You can't really see the colors of this hat very well but it's a light celery green and an iredecent purple...so pretty. I made it for my cousin's baby but never got around to send it to him.

Burp cloths I made for our neighbors. Your dad is building a cabinet for them and they just had a baby girl who they aptly named Kate. So my little tag worked in their favor.
A blanket I crocheted for you. It's been so long since I made it I don't even remember how to crochet now.
The blanket I'm making for my friend's baby. It matches the crib set perfectly. Can't wait to see it finished.
A scarf I started last winter. It has little beads in the yarn. Again...can't wait to see it finished. Hopefully I will finish it before this winter comes!
This one I'm keeping. I have a thing for pirates and skulls...lol.

Well, that's about it. I have another couple of blankets I'm working on but there's not much to them yet. As you can probably tell, I have a habit of starting projects and not finishing them. I have knitters ADD. I have to finish that baby blanket for my friend though. Her shower is next weekend!