Ten Months

Baby Update

I can't believe we're fast approaching to my little girl's first birthday! She is almost ready to walk on her own and has established herself as the foodie among her peers, she's even been known to steal food off of others' plates. She's extremely social and loves meeting new people but is choosey when it comes to who gets to hold her. She loves playing to a crowd and knows how to use her cuteness to her advantage.

 TEN MONTHS

15 lbs + 4+  oz and 26"

• Can wave 'hi' and 'bye'
• Is a water baby
• Gives high fives
• Has added "baba" "Nana" "Papa" and "hi" to her vocabulary
• Loves to clap
• Likes to make noises for a game 
• Constantly gives out kisses and hugs to loved ones
• Has four teeth

Eight Months

Baby Update

I've been trying to fatten her up, so she's been enjoying lots of new foods! She has the cutest little personality is really coming through and she loves to be chased around the house and play peek-a-boo. She absolutely loves going swimming and hanging out with Nanny and Papa!

 EIGHT MONTHS

14 lbs 6.5 oz and 26"+

• Is getting a top tooth!
• Loves to try new foods
• Is standing on her own without holding anything (for a few seconds)
• Can wave "HI"
• Knows the words: Up, bottle, wave hi, kiss, smile, the dog's names, more, water and biscuit
• Is constantly chatting and trying out new sounds
• giggles all the time
• gets excited when she's wearing dresses or bows

Happy Easter

From My little bunny

Five Months

Baby Update

She loves her food and has tried sweet potatoes, carrots, berries, peaches, green beans, avocados and bananas! She is crawling and rolling all over the place and has to constantly be on the move. She loves to talk to Mom and Dad but can be quite shy when meeting new friends. 

 FIVE MONTHS

13 lbs+ and 25"+

• Started crawling
• Loves to chew on her toes
• Is sitting up on her own
• Enjoys car rides
• Loves people watching
• Feeds herself 
• Loves to play with books
• Is constantly on the go

Four Months

Baby Update

She stood on her own while holding on to something and loves to stomp her feet when you help her "walk". She practicing crawling and is constantly wiggling around and rolling. At her doctor appointment today she got the thumbs up for food so we can't wait to see what she likes! Mommy got her first giggle out of her a week ago and have only heard it two times since- can't wait until her laugh is more frequent!

 FOUR MONTHS

12 lbs 6 oz and 24.5"

• Just started giggling
• Loves to grab blankets off the couch
• Is a drooling machine
• Enjoys to pet the dogs
• Loves chewing on everything
• Sits up on her own for several seconds at a time
• Loves to meet other babies
• Is constantly observing everyone

Three Months

Baby Update

It just feels like time is flying by! Her little personality is definitely shining through now! She's rolling and cooing all the time and loves to watch the dogs play. She isn't afraid to 'tell' you what she wants but she's usually all smiles all the time. She's working really hard on learning to crawl and I wouldn't be surprised if she masters it by the end of the month!

 THREE MONTHS

11 lbs+ 0 oz and 23"

• Is trying out new sounds
• Loves to grab things
• Likes to be held upright
• Enjoys her exersaucer
• Loves bath time
• Sleeps successfully on her own most nights
• Loves to check herself out in the mirror
• Is watching the dogs all the time

Two Months

Baby Update

I can't believe my baby girl is two months old! She's growing and changing so quickly and we have had so much fun watching her discover and learn new things every day! She's starting to look a little less bald and she's going to have her daddy's hair colour, along with some more of his traits that are starting to become more visible. Although, I do have to say she still looks a lot like a mini-me! 

 TWO MONTHS

10 lbs 10 oz and 22 1/2"

• Smiles all the time
• Can roll over
• Can't get enough of tummy time
• Enjoys car & stroller rides
• Loves funny sounds
• Is sleeping for 5-7 hours at night
• Loves to airplane w/ Daddy
• Is 'talking' all the time

One Month

Baby Update

Our little girl just turned a month old! I can't believe it's already been a month since she was born, it feels like both she just got here and as though time is flying by and we've had her for much, much longer. To commemorate her first year's milestones I'm doing the obligatory monthly photos to be able to watch her grow, but I figured I would spice them up a bit to make for some fun keepsakes later on with themed photos. Here's her very first one, she's cooking up a Thanksgiving feast!

ONE MONTH

9 lbs13 oz and 21 3/4"

• Loves to cuddle with Mommy & Daddy
• Has a big smile complete with two dimples
• Loves warm baths
• Hates the cold
• Likes to watch the dogs
• Can lift her head up on her own
• Likes to sit in her swinging chair
• Loves back rubs

DIY Baby Blanket

A Quick & Easy Project

This was a blanket I made while I was counting the days for my little one to arrive. The blanket stitching at the end was the perfect way to pass the time until my girl decided to make her debut! It's a great project to customize yourself for a baby shower or your own little nugget. 

What You'll Need:

1. Three prints of flannel (I used these great one sided receiving blankets here) 
2. Pen & Paper
3. Scissors
4. Pins
5. Needle & thread

Here's What to Do:

• Trace any letters and designs onto your first desired print and cut out. If you're not the best doodler you can print out images or bold letters and use those as easy stencils!  

                                 

• Place your cutouts as desired on the fabric you want for the front of your blanket and pin into place. 

                                                                              

• In a contrasting or coordinating thread (I went with hot pink) stitch around each cutout to securely fasten it to the front of the blanket.                    

 

• Once the front of your blanket is as desired, line up the front fabric with the remaining third fabric (wrong side to wrong side) and sew all the way around.
• With the same bold thread as before use the blanket stitch to go around the outside of the blankets, you can make the stitches as close or as spaced out as you like.

You're All Done!

Finally, gift it or wrap your little bundle of joy in it!

Happy Sewing!

Happy Halloween!

Our Little Pumpkin!

Wishing Everyone a Happy and Safe Halloween 

XoXo

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

DIY Owl Costume

A Simple Halloween Costume for Your Little Pumpkin

With the air starting to turn crisp it's finally starting to feel like Fall, I can't believe October and Halloween are just around the bend. And for me, Motherhood! My little one is going to be here any week now so I wanted a simple fun DIY costume I could make for her while I (not so) patiently wait for her arrival! 

Here's What You'll Need:

• A onsie in the colour of your choice
• At least four varying colours of felt (don't have to match your onsie-mine didn't!)
• Scissors
• Pen
• Needle & Thread or hot glue, whichever you prefer

Let's Get Started:

1. We're going to make the top 'tuft' of feathers. Lay the felt of your choice over the neck of your onsie. Trace the neckline on to the felt, under the neck seam and up to the top of the shoulders. Make a wavy line underneath or however you prefer and cut out! *TIP: only draw half of the bottom then fold in half and cut so it's perfectly symmetrical.  
   
   
   
   
   
2. Next, cut out little 'feathers' from the varying colours of felt. Mine were about an inch wide and I had 17 feathers. 
   
3. Arrange them on your onsie fanning out as you go in the order of your liking. You can pin them into place once you settle on a design and stitch across the top of each to hold them into place or hot glue them down. *TIP: If you're using glue make sure to put a piece of cardboard or something on the inside of the onsie so the glue won't seep through to the other side.
   
4. Next, tack down or glue three little feathers on the backside to make a cute little tail  
   
5. Accessorize as you wish and you're all done!

I accessorized with a knit owl hat from The Daisy Baby and these sweet little lace leg warmers from Huggalugs!

Cutest little owl you'll ever see!

Ultimate Hospital Packing List

Ready or Not Here They Come!

As the "due date" of baby creeps closer and closer the uncertainties and nerves are endless! I'm not sure why the Doctors even bother with a "due date" because let's face it babies come when they feel like it. Only about 5% of women deliver when they were expecting to! When so much is up in the air from when, and where and when family can coordinate a visit it's nice to have some other things ready to feel a little bit more prepared for the moment your baby decides it's time!

I've scoured tons of packing lists and asked family and friends until I came up with the ultimate hospital packing list for me. I divided it up into two, one bag for baby and one bag for mommy. Here is the list for your hospital baby bag. 

• Hats (I packed two for warmth and one strictly for cuteness factor)
• Headbands (Who knows how much hair she'll have- if any, so it's nice to tip people off it's a girl!)
• 1 Preemie onsie (just in case she's early or super tiny!)
• 2 footed sleepers ( NB size and 0-3M)
• 2 onsies (NB & 0-3M) and matching pants
• 1 Sleeper gown
• 1 zip-up swaddle pod
• 1 blanket
• 2 swaddle blankets
• 1 burp cloth
• 2 pairs of socks
• 1 pair of mittens
• newborn pacifiers
• charged camera w/ memory card
• All packed away in a nifty diaper bag!

Now my baby girl's bag is packed and ready for her arrival!

Second Trimester Wrap up!

Baby is the size of a large coconut!

Baby has fully developed taste buds and can not only hear the outside world but can cry! The second trimester was a breeze, it's as I near the last trimester that things are getting a little harder! I think I can kiss my solid sleeping good-bye as I round the corner into the home stretch with my very active little one.

SYMPTOMS: I sailed through my second trimester I had my energy back and I felt great! But in the last week of the second trimester fatigue has hit me hard again, a heavy belly, backaches and extreme rib pain. She moves all the time and I already know she's going to be full of energy! Headaches are back and at night it's impossible to get comfortable and my sleep is very interrupted. I'm finding myself more moody than usual and it's hard to tell if it's from all the unpleasant symptoms or just the increase in hormones. 

CRAVINGS: In the beginning of my second trimester I craved chocolate ice cream. Which before being pregnant I was more of a vanilla girl, but it had to be plain chocolate. No mix ins and vanilla wouldn't cut it, had to be chocolate. Near the end I haven't had any cravings at all.

WEIGHT GAIN: At the end of my 2nd trimester I've gained a total of 30 lbs which sounds like a ridiculous amount but to be honest I don't even care. I know everyone is different during pregnancy and my body is doing what it needs to prepare and support my little one. As long as baby and I are healthy I'll worry about the weight gain after she gets here!

 MATERNITY CLOTHES: I bought maternity shorts and love wearing my Target maternity dresses, I also still fit into a handful of flowy pre-pregnancy tops and dresses. So in combination with t-shirts and leggings I have enough to last me until the end so I'm pleased I spent less than $50 on all my maternity purchases and the dresses I can wear after pregnancy too. 

BABY IS A. . . : A beautiful, itty bitty, baby girl 

BABY IS DUE: Still waiting to see my new Dr. so we only have the due date my previous (and not so great) Dr gave us: October 20th. Although, I wound up being held overnight in the ER last week because I was having irregular contractions and they needed to monitor me for preterm labour. I was released after the contractions stopped and just need to take it easy and keep a watch out for preterm labour signs. Fingers crossed this little active girl holds out at least a little longer!!

BABY NAMES: We've had a boy name and a girl name picked out since the beginning (the girl name before we even knew we were pregnant!) but as it's nearing the end I think our minds have changed and we've settled on a new one :) 

DO STRANGERS NOTICE: Yes! Almost everyone now can tell I'm pregnant, I've had some strangers offer help if it looks like I'm struggling with something which is really nice, but still get the occasional server who offers me the wine menu or offers to 'spike' that lemonade I ordered! 

BABY BUYS: Stocking up on diapers and wipes, preparing for her arrival! Still on the search for the perfect car seat and stroller.

PREPARING FOR BABY: The nursery is almost done! All her clothes are organized, toys and blankets have a place, just a few more small items need to be purchased and a couple finishing decorating touches. I love sitting in her room and can't believe we'll have a new little resident in our back room soon!

2/3 of the way done!!

First Trimester Wrap Up!

Baby is the size of a peach!

Baby has vocal cords, teeth and even little finger prints! The first trimester is notorious for being extremely hard and pretty much the most miserable time of pregnancy, fortunately I had no such experience! I didn't have any morning sickness or even nausea, in fact most of my first trimester I didn't even know I was pregnant! 

Symptoms: Headaches, extreme fatigue, crazy realistic dreams and an occasional bloody nose! Other than that I felt perfectly normal, it was really hard to believe I had a baby growing inside me!

Cravings: Soup- Any kind. Any time.  And sandwiches, I think I mostly just craved the bread which I normally don't eat but since finding out I'm pregnant I'm all about the carbs!

Weight Gain: I gained 11 pounds in the first trimester which was very alarming to me considering that's already half of the suggested weight gain for the whole pregnancy! But truth be told I think most of the weight went straight to my chest I went from an A to a D! Which made all my fitted tops impossible to wear from the get go!!

Maternity Clothes:  None yet, but I did have to buy a new bra. I also bought some cute maternity dresses from Target that I'm excited to get to wear but so far my jeans all fit and flowy, stretchy tops I already own

Baby is a. . . :  Not sure yet, but I am dying to know! The boy and I both thought it was a boy in the beginning (he being the oldest of five boys and his whole extended blood-related family is literally all men- so it just seemed like it was inevitable!) but now we both have strong feelings of a girl- so we shall see! 

Baby is Due. . . : Our given due date is October 20th, but if baby is a bit late they might be born on their Uncle Gage's birthday!

Spreading the News: We told our parents first, then let our close friends know. I had to tell my boss because eventually it would mean I would be leaving to stay home with my own baby. Soon after we announced it to our family and friends that had been invited to our reception which would now be cancelled, because the timing wasn't great and we figured there were many more things we could put the money towards for the baby over food and dancing. Then finally, announced to everyone on Facebook! 

Do Strangers notice: Not yet! Although within the same week I got comments from two servers at different restaurants, the first one said "She sure knows how to eat!" and the second one said, "You need to eat more and fatten up!" They both were funny considering our new news. 

Baby Buys: The only thing we have bought so far is the cutest stuffed giraffe and a turquoise polka dot bow that could used either be for a bow tie or a hair bow! 

Preparing for Baby: We're looking to move when our lease is up at the end of July we will need an extra bedroom now for baby! 

1/3 of the Way Done!

New Job

Starting a New Chapter. . . 

I recently took on a new job that is pretty far removed from the glitz and glamour of fashion. I've traded in high heels and makeup for baby bottles and diapers. I'm officially a nanny of two sweet little boys, a six week old and a three year old who affectionately calls me "Un". I'm still doing design work on the side but I've decided to only take on very specific clients after dealing with a very dysfunctional one previously (One was enough!) so it can remain my passion and be enjoyable not a chore or a means to an end! I'm currently working with a wonderful photographer on a year long project that she is creating, shooting and publishing. I can't wait to share more on that later but I have to keep it under wraps for the time being. Between that project and making my wedding dress, I think that's all I'll take on fashion wise for this year!

Nannying is kind of a big deal on the East Coast, they are very common! Almost every family with younger children has one, which coming from Kansas is just crazy and very, very different. I think the Midwest has a lot more households that have one parent that stays home with the kids all day or if both parents work I think taking the child to daycare is a lot more common practice than hiring a live-in (or out) nanny.

I'm so excited to start this new chapter in my life, something away from the fast paced fashion world and in addition a very rewarding experience. The small taste of motherhood has given me an even larger appreciation not only for all mothers (or stay at home Dads!) but for mine in particular! These little boys have the same difference in age as my older sister and I, so I'm getting a first hand experience of exactly what my Mom went through with us!! And I have to say. . . Sorry Mom!

Both the boys are at such an adorable age and are hitting so many firsts in their little lives, many of which I've already been apart of. The parents are a younger couple and are as sweet as can be, I'm thankful they've chosen me to be with their family during these precious times. Sometimes it's truly like getting a glimpse into the future (however near or far off that may be). Although, this was not a path I ever saw for myself, I think this job fell into my lap at the perfect time and I already couldn't imagine having taken another job to do something else.  I've already learned so much about myself and I can't wait to see these little boys continue to grow and learn every day!

Precious Moments.