She's Here!

Week 27

Week 28

Here's the post that I have been meaning to write for quite some time now! I am not the best at blogging consistently, but I'll try to be better. When I discovered I was pregnant in June, we were first surprised and then very excited! We both felt early on that it would be a girl, but of course, I didn't want to get my hopes up in case it wasn't. I didn't go in to a doctor till I was about 22-ish weeks, I think--something like that. I had a lot of trouble settling on a doctor and we had some insurance matters to settle, both adding to the delay. Also, I didn't realize quite how far along I was, so the doctor was really shocked when I came in and said it was my first visit! We were able to listen to the heartbeat on our very first appointment. It was pretty amazing--it sounded like a tiny, mini washing machine! I loved it. Our second appointment, which was the same week, was the ultrasound, which was my very most favorite appointment out of all! We found out we were having a girl and I was THRILLED! Olaf was happy, too, of course! We both really enjoyed seeing the ultrasound and thought it was amazing. That's when we were given my due date, set for February 25th.

Week 30

Week 33: New Year's Eve

Week 31: Christmas

Week 37; a few days before delivery!

I had a wonderful pregnancy. Although I had some small bouts of nausea during the first trimester, it was nothing too problematic--I just got dizzy and shaky without frequent food and only wanted to eat certain things, like toast. But that part passed pretty quickly, happily. I did have trouble with my sciatic nerve during my second trimester--I thought it was a bad pulled muscle for awhile until I read about it and asked my doctor about it. The trickiest part was our bed was really high at the time--we had it on cinderblocks and bed risers--and it hurt so much getting in and out of bed! Fortunately, that also went away with occasional flare-ups. I was happy that I felt well enough from my second trimester on to be able to exercise; I think it really helped overall. I only gained 26 pounds during my pregnancy and I was so grateful. The hard part of my pregnancy came in my 8th month--I developed bad carpal tunnel in my hands, especially my right; my legs and feet started to swell after long days, and I was much more uncomfortable walking due to how low (I assume) my baby was positioned at that point. Nonetheless, I was amazed how great I felt for the majority of my pregnancy. It was such a blessing! I was able to work the entire time up to the day before I delivered. Granted, my job is fortunately not a physically taxing one! I had a scare in December with some random bleeding and had to go to the hospital, but everything checked out fine and I was really thankful it was a false alarm. I had been truly scared for the safety of my baby; I'm so glad she was okay.

The day I went into labor was an interesting day. The prior weekend had been a hard one for me physically; Olaf and I had been madly cleaning, packing, and moving into a new apartment. It was rough going for me and I felt bad that I couldn't really lift anything and that I got tired so easily. Also, the apartment we moved into was disappointingly dirty; we had SO much heavy cleaning to do before we felt it was acceptable. I had really felt a toll on my body that weekend and my body was very uncomfortable; definitely the most so in my pregnancy at that point. Friday I experienced more unexpected bleeding and a lot of discomfort, but when I called my doctor's office I was told it was probably just pre-labor signs (my reading had said the same). It didn't necessarily mean anything timing-wise, just that my body was preparing itself. The nurses and doctors all kept saying most first-time mothers deliver late, so that was really firm in my mind and I didn't expect she would arrive any earlier than the 25th. I also had a work baby shower on Friday, so I walked uncomfortably over to the library for it and couldn't believe how hard it was to make the short walk. Looking back, I realize I was experiencing contractions on and off all that weekend but they felt nothing like I'd expected. Monday I had switched shifts with a coworker; I usually would work Tuesday but switched so she could enjoy her birthday. Those four hours were the hardest I've ever worked. I was okay for the most part as long as I was sitting down, but every time I had to get up to help a patron, which was quite often that day, I would hobble over to help them find their book or item and then hobble back to my chair and gratefully lower myself into it. The walk back home that evening was especially difficult and it was even snowing! I remember having to stop every few feet to bend over a bit to combat the discomfort. I kept thinking, "Am I going to be able to make it home?" even though it was so close. Needless to say, I was so happy to be home. I had gotten off work at 6 pm and went into active labor promptly at 6:30 pm according to my contractions. Unfortunately, our landlord came over at about 6:15 pm that night to make some adjustments to our door's weather stripping and I sat in the back room trying to be quiet despite my uncomfortable contractions! I was so happy when he left because Olaf was able to help me at that point. I labored in my back which was a very strange and unexpected sensation. It hurt, as all contractions do, but it made me doubt what they were because of the placement, but as soon as we realized the timing and duration we knew what it had to be. I dealt with it at home until 11 pm, sleeping a little here and there and trying to pack a hospital bag, until Olaf insisted we go to the hospital. As we walked in from the parking garage, a man exiting the building looked at me (I think he was wondering if he should help; I don't think it was immediately noticeable I was pregnant as I was wearing a bigger peacoat) and after passing us by, finally hollered, "Congratulations!" Aww. It took a long time to get to the admittance desk. I had to sit often and have Olaf push my lower back to help with my contractions. After we were admitted and in labor and delivery, we were told all the rooms were full and that we'd have to wait. The nurse asked me if that would be ok and I told her I would feel the same whether I was in a room or the lobby, so we waited. After maybe 20 minutes, we were finally ushered into a room where I got all ready and dressed in my fancy hospital gown (those things really need a little revamping) and checked by a nurse to see how dilated I was; I think I was at a 3.5. The nurse left and after only a short time being in the room, my water broke suddenly--I had been sitting on the edge of the bed and it was not a pleasant sensation but I knew what it was right away. However, when the nurse returned a few minutes later, she was surprised to hear it had broken and had to check to make sure. She told me I was definitely going to be having a baby! I already knew that, of course, because hospital policy declares you have to deliver within 24 hours of your water breakage to prevent infection, etc. Haha! Everything went pretty fast after that. I was SUPER uncomfortable and had a hard time being still during contractions. The nurse was so shocked with how fast I was progressing. The big problem was that my baby's heartbeat kept dipping, causing the doctor and nurses much concern. It got to a point where I had to have internal monitors attached and my doctor even said I might have to have a C-section if I didn't dilate to a 10 soon enough (I was at a 9.5). Thankfully, I progressed to a 10 in time but my doctor decided he needed to both perform an episiotomy and use forceps to ensure the fastest delivery possible to make sure she was okay. I was disappointed a bit but I trusted him to do what was best for my baby and me. I pushed about 4 times and she was born at 2:31 am! She was 2.5 weeks early; I couldn't believe it! Olaf said she opened her eyes as she was being born and looked right at him--her head and left arm had already appeared. He said it was both amazing and strange. I remember my doctor saying, "Looks like you have a little blondie!" and feeling so surprised because I somehow assumed she would be brunette, like me! He held her up to me after she was out and said, "Look at your little girl!" I had been concerned before that she would be too bloody and I wouldn't want to see that part, but she looked so sweet even right away! They whisked her over to the warming station, cleaned her up a bit, and got her to cry--what a sweet, tiny sound it was. Then I got to hold her against my chest for just a very short while. She looked so cute and was so tiny, weighing in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces, and 19 inches. I had been freezing and shivering during my whole labor but finally started to warm up a bit when I got to hold her. It was too short and then they had to wheel me out of the delivery room to another. While I was waiting for Olaf and our little Ava to return, I kept thinking over and over how wonderful the experience had been and how delighted I was she was here! It seemed so miraculous and I couldn't believe what had just happened. It went so fast! It had only been about 3.5 hours from arriving at the hospital to her birth; it was so surreal. I am so thankful for our sweet baby.

Ava Melise, just moments after birth

Ava's first diaper and shirt

Proud Daddy

Family of three!

So happy she's here.

Little blondie all bundled up! She kept her eyes shut for most of our hospital stay. We're amazed how much she resembles Olaf.

We're so happy our little darling baby is here! We love her so much and are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for sending her to us. Thank you, our dear friends and family, for all your prayers and support!

Wedding Headpiece

I had the pleasure of making a wedding headpiece for a beautiful girl's wedding, Allison, daughter of a co-worker. She has a very specific idea in mind for it so I tried to get it as close to what she wanted as possible. Everything except for the vintage broach was completely handmade. It was such a joy to make and so fun to see her pictures afterward! She had a lovely wedding and her photographer, Collin Kartchner, is really talented. I think one of my favorite things is to make something for a person and then to see them wear and enjoy it--it's very fulfilling and fun for me! You can see more pictures here, if you'd like!

Bearded Lady

I had the worst dream the other night...I dreamed I GREW A BEARD!

don't worry, this is just a photoshopped beard!

It was a terrible dream--it sounds ridiculous, and yes, Olaf and I laughed tons about it when I told him--but it was not fun to dream about sprouting a beard! I was horrified, in my dream, to find I had rough hairs bristling all over my lower face and I even tried to shave them off with Olaf's razor but my face was still rough and prickly. You know when guys shave with an electric razor and you can still feel the bristlies? That's what I dealt with. UGH! I was so relieved to realize the next morning that I had my own smooth, hair-free face back and no awful scratchy hairs all over it!

Want S'MRE?

When Olaf returned from his training last year, he wanted to show me how to make one of his staple meals from training, called an MRE, or "Meal Ready to Eat." They're actually pretty amazing! The taste is a little less than amazing, but not bad--although Olaf reports some are pretty inedible (I think he referenced some kind of egg dish; guess the eggs never cook properly). Olaf showed me how to make a chicken soup dish:

Here is the MRE !

Opening the MRE--look how many items it has!

I love the tiny sauce bottle!

I guess it's a pretty big deal when you get chocolate in your MRE! OH yeah!

Sometimes you score hot cocoa, too! The package even reminds you to drink it. How thoughtful!

Instructions. Make sure you find a "rock or something!" Preferably not anything flammable...

Putting the food pouch in the heating bag

After filling the heat pouch with water, it begins to get so hot that it steams! The average mortal shouldn't hold the MRE while heating, but Olaf, Man of Steel, isn't affected by such inconsequential things as intense heat...

Make husband pose...isn't he handsome...

...and then eat the MRE! Squishy tastiness! Not my favorite meal, but very impressive! Plus, they make great food storage.

Happy Holidays!

*photo taken by Rebecca; papers & elements from Shabby Princess

Handcrafted

For this past Christmas, I made recipe tins for most of the gals in my family. I used white lunchbox-style tins and covered them with crafting paper, ribbon, and made button magnets for each tin, to be used to attach a recipe to the back of the tin when making a specific dish. The tins are pretty easy to make once you've made a template for yourself. There are some tins that allow you to detach the upper handle, but mine were attached with brads that didn't allow the removal, so I had a little more template-creating work. I don't use a very technical method to make my templates...I measure the height/total width for the body of the tin and cut two pieces to go around (that part's easy; you don't need a template for it because it doesn't matter how tall/short you make your two pieces for the body). If you make a template for the underside and top of the closure snap before, it will make things much easier--then you can simply trace that on the upper body piece.

On the upper lip of the lid, I do the same, again using a template to trace where the top of the closure will go.The top of the lid's tricker because with the type of tin I bought, I had to make two separate pieces to go on either side of the handles. Getting the paper to fit neatly around the handles is the most difficult part...truly, it's a lot of cutting out the template and trimming/re-trimming to get it exactly right.If you look carefully, you can see the seam on the top of the lid where the paper meets.

After I have all the pieces cut, I apply Mod Podge (or simply create your own decopauge with glue & water; it's the same thing) to the underside, allow it to dry (this is important...if you don't, the paper will likely buckle), and then give the whole thing a few topcoats of decopauge. I apply ribbon or paper strips wherever I think it looks good--often on the body paper division--and decorate with buttons or decorated chipboard. By the way, I never buy chipboard...I cut out old cereal boxes or use the backs of paper pads (the back cover) and stick whatever I want over top. It works beautifully.

You can see the button magnet on the inside of the lid, upper left.

I made dividers for the inside of the tin that would be tall enough to tab through easily but short enough to fit in the box nicely. You can make as many of these as you want by just using the same templates over and over; just vary where the tabs sit. I inked the sides of all the dividers with a distressing stamp pad because I didn't have much time; you could do lots of cute things to your dividers, including decorating them with paper that matches your tin. I bought plain recipe cards to go inside--again, you could stamp these, use paper punches, etc. I would keep them fairly simple, however. Pass on bulky. ( ;

If you want to make a button magnet, I would suggest using superglue to construct them--it works really well. Metal and plastic don't really adhere well with normal glues, but superglue lives up to its name. ( ; I do gluegun the buttons together if I plan on layering them, however. I used neodymium magnets, which are super-strength, but you can even recycle the magnets you get stuck to your phone book...just test them first to make sure they'll hold a recipe up.

Isn't she so gorgeous?

For my youngest sister, I made a feather headband--they're so cute but very expensive, if you're trying to buy one instead of make it! I bought a plastic headband and made sure it was a flexible, comfortable one (you can use any type you'd like, but if you want someone to actually wear it, make sure it's a comfy one).

Then I cut a piece of stiff felt in a large teardrop shape for the feather base. You can make your base in any shape you want; just consider how you want the final headband to look. I've seen several different shapes and think many of them are gorgeous!

I bought some natural feathers and layered them over the felt base to get a good feel for what I wanted...that's when you can see what colors and shapes of feathers look best together for your particular headband. I stitched my feathers individually onto the base at the stem of each feather, but you can also glue them down if desired. Gluing would probably be much faster, but as this was my first attempt, I didn't want to deal with the feathers sticking to the glue in the wrong places. With stitching, you have more flexibility if you decide to change placement. I made sure the feathers were going in the same direction so that they would lay nicely against the headband.When I was finished applying feathers, I chose the easy way out and gluegunned the felt to the headband. If I were to make it more professionally, I would likely make a felt sleeve and slip it over the headband and possibly glue or stitch it into place. Then I glued a flat button to the side of the headband where the feathers began. And there you have it!



I love making handcrafted gifts when time allows me to. I find it very fun and rewarding and I love wracking my brain to come up with new ideas every year! I try to choose gifts that I think will be used, if possible. It's even more fun when you see your recipient using/wearing your gift voluntarily, not just when they've first opened it. Hooray for homemade!

My Valentine!

So, this Valentine's Day, as Olaf is in basic training, I felt very stumped as to what I could send him. Most things that are "Valentine-y," like sweets and treats, are restricted. I was told I could pretty much only send him letters/cards and pictures, which are nice, but not very special-ish. Since February 14th is also the day we got engaged, it's an extra-special day for us. And as this is the first time since being engaged that we haven't been able to spend the day together, I really wanted to do at least something a little nicer than just pictures and letters. I was thinking about it when my sister, Natalie, emailed me three pictures of herself signing "I love you" and asked if I could cut the background out and maybe put in something cute instead (she was planning to make little valentines for her fiancee with them). I thought, "That's something I would be allowed to send Olaf that would be fun and special!" So after I fixed hers up--they looked very cute; such a good idea!--I had my youngest sister take many pictures of me and then did the same thing. I printed them out on a super-gloss cardstock and had them laminated and then superglued magnets to the back of each. I am so pleased with how they turned out and hope it's a nice surprise for my soldier!
If any of you girls would like to do this for someone, let me know and I'd be happy to whip them up for you. They're pretty easy to do. For mine, I used a combination of Photoshop and digital papers/embellishments from Shabby Princess. They are a great site with adorable papers! I hope everyone has a happy Valentine's weekend! I love you all!