Christmas Party

Last night we had our Christmas party for the kids with our good friends who have toddlers/babies all close to Avery's age.  We did this last year too and it's fun to see how much they've grown and changed! This was last year's picture, we had a larger group and little Emmalee was still in Ashley's belly :)

A year later they still aren't interested in having their picture taken. A dozen or so pictures and this is the best I got :(

The kids (and moms) had fun painting ornaments for their trees.  Avery is hard at work!

Opening their presents.  Avery tore right into hers, she had a Christmas party at preschool yesterday as well so I guess she's got it all figured out now!

Typical Avery pose.  This is the look I get (if she looks at the camera at all) every time I try to take her picture.  One day she'll smile for the camera. ha!

We had a great time hanging out with friends, definitely helped me get in the Christmas spirit a bit more. December has been such a busy month I really don't feel like I've had time to enjoy the holiday season.  Hopefully this next week will be a little more relaxed and we can slow down a bit. 

20 Weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 20 weeks

Size of baby:   Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana.

Gender: IT'S A BOY!! 

Maternity Clothes: Ugh, yes I'm wearing maternity tops but they don't really fit.  My normal tops don't fit either though.  I decided that a little too big is better than a little too small at this point :)

Weight gain: 10 lbs eek!! How have I already gained 10 pounds!?!?  Oh that's right, I've had the mentality oh, I'm pregnant, I can eat that! In other words zero self control. 

Movement: Our little guy is constantly moving.  The kicks are still subtle and small but I feel them more often and they are getting a little stronger each day.

Sleep: No problems!

Symptoms:Nothing really, just a growing belly :)

Cravings:  Nothing really.  I actually haven't had much of an appetite the past week. I've been getting full really quickly.

Best moment this week: The best moment of the week was definitely finding out that we are having a boy but I'm also excited that I've already reached 20 weeks and am half way there!! 

We had our anatomy sonogram on Thursday and I was very a little worried Matt would be bummed if we weren't having a boy.  Don't get me wrong, he adores Avery and is a great girl dad but I know he really wanted a boy.  I didn't even look at him during the sonogram until the sono tech froze the picture and there was no doubt our little peanut is a boy! He was grinning ear to ear!!  I think it will be so fun to have one of each, although I have to admit I don't really know what to do with little boys.  I've always been around little girls but I'm sure I'll figure it out :) We have NO IDEA what we're going to name this little guy... Not a clue. There are a few names I like and a few Matt likes but nothing we both love. I know we have time but I like having a name picked out... I want to call him by his name instead of baby boy, I want to put it on the wall in his nursery, I want to buy him a shirt for Christmas with his name on it.  So, hopefully we'll come up with something soon.  I'm not going to hold my breath though.

Christmas Shirt and Skirt Tutorial

We took our family Christmas pictures this morning.  I thought for sure we'd get rained out but the rain stopped for about two hours this morning and we were able to squeeze in a quick photo shoot.  I had a really hard time finding an outfit for Avery this year.  I wanted something festive and sweet but didn't want to spend a fortune.  I found an outfit I loved on Etsy and did my best to recreate it.  This was my first time sewing a skirt and while it didn't come out perfect, I learned a few good tips and am happy with the results.  I wish I'd taken pictures throughout the process but now that I have a better idea what I'm doing I'll try to snap a few photos next time to give better visual instruction!

I started with the shirt because I'm more comfortable appliqueing letters than sewing ruffles.  The shirt was super easy, I used a Cricut to cut out the JOY and found three coordinating fabrics to use for the letters.  I used heat and bond to adhere the J and Y first.  When I was done stitching around the first two letters I added the O and sewed ric-rak and a little bow on it to make it look like an ornament.  Super easy!!

The skirt was a little more difficult.  I didn't have a pattern to use so I grabbed one of Avery's skirts and used it as a guide.  I measured her waist and cut a piece of 3/4" elastic 1" bigger. Start with the bottom layer.  Fold 1/2" and another 1/2" to create a hem, this is the bottom of your skirt.


Now sew a basting stitch along the top of the bottom layer (a basting stitch is a regular old straight stitch set to the widest width your machine will allow, usually a 5), leaving a long thread on each side so you can gather.  Lay the middle layer out flat.  Pull the bobbin thread and gently push the fabric to gather the bottom layer until it is the same length as the middle layer to create your ruffle.

Evenly distribute your ruffles/gathers.  Lay the middle layer face down on top of the bottom layer so right sides are facing. Sew in place all the way across just inside the basting stitch. Repeat the same steps for the middle layer.

For the top layer (waist) fold the top edge in 1/2" and iron, then another 1" and iron. Sew in place at the edge of the casing, starting on one side of the seam, leaving a hole, backstitching and the beginning and end. Feed your elastic into the hole with a safety pin.Sew the elastic together flat with a stretch or zig zag stitch.
Push it back into the casing and sew the hole closed.
 
Finish all edges by serging or sewing with a zig zag stitch. Add the ric-rak detail to the bottom layer and TA-DA:

Like I said, I definitely learned a few tricks and am excited to make this skirt again, it is super easy and can be worn year-round!! 

Thanksgiving Weekend

Etsy giveaway winner:

Comment #9: Jenny Cardenas! Thanks to everyone who entered!! I've learned that I don't really like hosting giveaways because I want everyone to win and I wish I could give a set to each person that entered. Congrats Jenny! I'll send you an email to get your address!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, it was so nice to have a few extra days off from work to spend time with family and friends, eat good food, and relax. What a wonderful reminder of how truly blessed we are.

We left Wednesday evening for Temple to spend a few days with Matt's family.  I was so busy chasing around a certain toddler I didn't take many pictures but I love this one of Avery and Emily.  Em is so good with Avery, I wish Matt's brother's family lived closer so we could see them more often.

Sweet little girl.  She loves being outside.

Matt and the kids.  Not sure what Avery's up to, just being a busy body, I guess!

This picture cracks me up.  Have you ever eaten pomegranate seeds directly from the fruit?? They are delicious but messy! The three of us stood there for close to 30 minutes devouring these delicious little seeds.  I think Em stole some of mine. ha!

We headed home Friday afternoon and had a relaxing weekend.  Sunday we decorated the house, bought our tree and hung lights!

Here is my little helper after waking up from her nap.

Chillin on the couch with her fruit snacks, watching Elf.


Picking out a tree!  Hopefully one day we'll live somewhere (COLORADO) where we can go cut our own!

Fascinated by the lights :)

First time putting up lights on our house.

Have I mentioned how much I truly love this sweet little girl?? 

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

19 Weeks

 .Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 19 weeks

Size of baby:  Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato.

Gender: We will find out at my appointment on Thursday!  I can't wait!!

Maternity Clothes: Not yet but I had to start using my belly band with my jeans. I bought some new maternity clothes but they don't fit yet.  I'm at that awkward stage where I'm not big enough to fill out maternity clothes but most of my shirts are getting too small.

Weight gain: ??? I don't have a scale but I'm guessing about 6-7 lbs.

Movement: I started feeling consistent little flutters Thursday night.  I've been feeling more and more movement each day.  Love it!!

Sleep: No problems!

Symptoms:Nothing really, just a growing belly :)

Cravings:  I'm noticing an increased appetite! I definitely ate for two on Thanksgiving

Best moment this week: I can't wait to find out the baby's gender on Thursday and have an anatomy scan to see our little peanut! Last time it felt so much more real after we knew the baby's sex.  We've picked out names but can't seem to agree on a definite boy's name. We might keep the name a secret... I think it would be fun but I'm not very good at keeping secrets like that!

Also, I started the weekly progesterone treatment a few weeks ago, they haven't been as bad as I expected.  I'm really hopeful they work because I found out the muscle relaxant I was on with Avery was banned by the FDA last year so it is not an option this time around.  Just trying to stay healthy and praying for a (somewhat) normal pregnancy!

Etsy Giveaway!!

Well, I've finally gotten around to hosting my first giveaway!! I am so excited for the holiday season, I can't wait to start decorating my house for Christmas as soon as we get back from Thanksgiving with Matt's family.  I've been working on a few sewing projects for Christmas, I have so many cute fabrics! For now, the only project I've finished are these custom kitchen hand towels.  They are such a fun way to add a little holiday flair to your kitchen.

You have two options, the more traditional dark green with the "C" and the whimsical polka-dot with the "W". Please specify in your comment which you would prefer! To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post.  You don't need a blogger account to leave a comment, you can post as 'anonymous', just make sure to leave your name and email so I know how to contact you!

I will announce the winner a week from today, November 29th.

Thanks for stopping by and please make sure to leave a comment!

Don't forget to check out my Etsy site for custom gift ideas this holiday season.


http://www.etsy.com/people/PetitCadeauBoutique

Wordless Wednesday

18 Months

18 months. A year and a half. Little girl you are growing up too fast.  Some days I feel like I hardly remember you as a newborn.  You are so full of life, full of laughter, full of curiosity, full of energy. 

It’s hard for me to remember when you were still.

When you weren’t constantly on the go. 

When your days were filled with laying in the swing or cuddling with me on the couch.

These memories bring such a mix of emotions for me.  Oh how I miss the days when you were little and I could just hold you in my arms and you were happy as can be.  I was all you needed. 

But I wouldn’t trade these toddler days for the world.  I simply never get tired of watching you learn and explore.  I wish I knew what it is like to see the world through your eyes.  Your laughter is so pure. Your anger so short-lived. Your innocence so pure. Your smile so endearing.  

You truly light up my (and your daddy’s) day.  Often after we’ve eaten dinner the three of us end up playing in your room and you just love it.  You squeal with excitement, you run up and down the hallway holding as many blankets and stuffed animals as possible before throwing yourself onto your daddy’s lap.  You are such a daddy’s girl. 

At 18 months you are:

• A great sleeper!! Most nights when I start to lay you in your crib your body turns to jello.  I can’t set you down fast enough. You get all cuddled up with moo-cow and your blankets and we rarely hear a peep from you. The only exception to this is you’ve learned to place your feet in between the crib slats and enjoy kicking the wall for a few minutes. 
• A great eater!! Nothing has changed from when we first started introducing baby food. You eat just about anything we place in front of you. You can be a little picky about green vegetables but if you’re hungry enough you’ll eat them.
• Still tall like daddy! You had your 18-month checkup last week and continue to be in the 97^th percentile for height (34.25 in) and 75^th percentile for weight (26 lb.).  You are wearing 24 month clothes and size 6/7 shoes
• Learning new words!! You’ve taken your sweet time talking but I’m not too surprised.  You’ve always been a quiet observer.  Currently you say: mommy, daddy, hi, bye-bye, down, all done, more, I did it!! (sounds like didi), juice and dog. I love your little voice, it is so sweet to hear you talking!
• Developing an opinion! You want things done in a very particular way.  If something isn’t just right you let us know.
• Not a fan of bath time! Well, it really isn’t bath time you dislike.  It is having your hair washed.  Baths are all fun and games until we get a little water in your eyes.
• Feeding yourself. I am not allowed to feed you. at all. nothing. No yogurt, no spaghetti, no applesauce.  You are working on mastering using the spoon and want no help from me.  This makes for very messy meal time.
• Obsessed with shoes.  Your shoes, my shoes, even daddy’s shoes.  You want to try them all on and spend a lot of time trying on a variety of shoes. Daddy is seeing dollar signs and is quite worried J

You still love dogs and being outside. You want to help with anything. You seem to be right-handed. You have no idea your world is about to get flipped upside down in five months. You love buckles.

Life is never boring when you’re around.  You keep us on our toes and we love every minute of it. 

Love you to the moon and back,

Mommy

16 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 16 weeks

Size of baby:  about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces.

Gender: We had a quick sonogram two weeks ago but unfortunately the nurse couldn't tell.  We will find out at my next appointment, December 1st!

Maternity Clothes: Not yet, every week I think I will need to use my belly band and every week I put it off.  I'm just not ready! Definitely wearing a lot of loose clothes though

Weight gain: 4 pounds

Movement:I was feeling small flutters a couple weeks ago but I think the baby shifted positions because I haven't felt anything in the last week or so.  Everyone tells me you feel it earlier with the second so I'm hoping I'll start feeling it again soon!

Sleep: No problems!

Symptoms:Feeling good, I was more emotional than usual this past week.  No idea if that was pregnancy related or not.

Cravings: Nothing really. I'm definitely noticing an increased appetite though!

Best moment this week: Last week I had a consult with a hematologist. I've been worried since I found out I was pregnant that I would have to be on blood thinners my whole pregnancy due to a blood clot I had while pregnant with Avery.  My OB told me this would most likely be the case. Thankfully, after reviewing my blood work, the hematologist feels that the clot was solely due to bed rest and that as long as I don't have to be on bed rest this time around he sees no need for me to be on a blood thinner. Praise the Lord, I am so extremely thankful for this news!!! 

Also, I will be starting 17P (not excited about this but I wanted to mention it  so I don't forget the details one day). 17P is a progesterone treatment that has been shown to reduce the chances of preterm labor in women who have previously experience preterm labor symptoms. I will get an injection each week (administered by Matt) until I reach 37 weeks.  This treatment doesn't work in all women but we're hopeful it will help me from having early labor contractions and going on bed rest this time.

Emotional

I was just thinking last week how 'normal' I have felt during this pregnancy.  No morning sickness, minimal fatigue, steady emotions, etc.  (BTW - all of this makes me think it's a boy)  Anyway... I have been surprised at how unemotional I've been. I was a mess during the first trimester with Avery.  I remember talking on the phone with Matt (in tears) and telling him I know everything is fine and I know it's just pregnancy hormones but I cant stop crying. There were days when the smallest thing would set me off.  Up until yesterday, I haven't felt like an emotional wreck at all.

Yesterday something changed though.

I am HOMESICK.  I am sad I can't be home with Avery. I am thankful for my family and friends. I am so in love with my hubby.  I'm stressed about money.  I could go on and on.  I have no idea what changed but it's been a long week. More than anything, I think I'm feeling homesick.  I want to be close to my family.  I want to be able to call up my sister at lunch and invite her and Bryan over for dinner.  I want my parents to be able to watch Avery on Friday nights so Matt and I can spend a little time as a married couple.

I always want these things.  In fact, I daydream about it on a weekly basis but for some reason today I can't think abouti it without getting teary-eyed. Ugh, I spent my whole drive into work fighting back tears because of a song on the radio.  I don't know what is going on with my body but I'm glad it's Friday and I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend with two of my favorite people. 

It also doesn't help that a certain little girl will be 18 months old tomorrow.  A year and a half!! This is going by way too fast.  I'm really loving this age and I wish we could make it last longer. 

Here are a few pictures from last weekend.  Between my birthday and Halloween I'm really behind on posting pictures.  Hopefully I'll get caught up this weekend!

My little helper opening presents with me

Hanging out with daddy.  I love this blue-eyed pair.

Halloween party with friends

Avery loved the tractor! Her daddy was so proud :)

She also loved the candy corn!