valentine's

wren attends a program at the local library every tuesday.  they have story time and then they usually have a craft project, coloring or some other activity.  wren loves it and has met a lot of great kids.  they have fun themes and usually do something for every holiday.  today they are celebrating valentine's day of course, and were supposed to bring valentine's to exchange.  

i am sure i was more excited than her to craft up some amazing valentine's but she was pretty pumped when she saw that they were dinosaurs.  if you saw my valentine post, you probably already had an idea that i would do something candy free:)  after doing that post i headed to the dollar store to see what kind of goodies i could snag up.  i had a few ideas in mind and ended up finding a package of 9 mini dinosaurs for $1.00....i snagged two of them.  

that is literally the only money that i spent on these valentine's.  probably my cheapest project ever, and i would be pretty pumped to receive a dinosaur if i was a kid.

i created the cards and printed them on white card stock, because that is what i had.  you could totally do it on colored card stock. i went with a black and white design and went back with my red sharpie pen to add some color, but you could add color if you wish with the printing process.  you can download my card designs below.

i used a single hole punch to punch 2 holes in the cards and wrapped black and white bakers twine around the dinosaur to attach them, i already had the twine.

to make your own dinosaur valentine's, download the design here.

pregnancy update//33 weeks

well i am at 33 weeks now, only 7 more left to go eeeks!  i had a doctors appointment friday and all is going well/smoothly.  this little baby doesn't get worked up about anything, 120bpm (wren was always in the 150s.)  thanks to everything going smoothly i do not go back to the doctor until the 25th of this month which will put me 2 days away from being 36 weeks.  i am sure i will be the size of a blimp by then!

as things are progressing well and smoothly with the baby, wren has been under the weather.  last week she picked up an upper respiratory infection and yesterday i was called by my father in-law to come get my daughter because she was  not consolable.  wren never cries really and she has never done anything like this.  i went to get her and tried everything to calm her down.  then she said she wanted to go home and go to sleep in the car, so we left.  she cried all the way home.  when we got home she continued crying for another hour despite my efforts to do everything i thought possible.  by this point i was freaking out and was ready to go to the emergency room.  i gave her some ibuprofen and called her doctor.  they thought immediately that it was an ear infection from all of the drainage from her upper respiratory infection, they told me i should go to a nearby urgent care center.  after i got off of the phone i started getting us dressed (we had just gotten out of the bath, an attempt to help soothe her) and then instantly she stopped crying.  the ibuprofen had worked!  our poor baby girl must have been in some horrible pain.  we hopped in the car and headed to memorial urgent care center in huntingburg.  luckily for wren, she fell asleep on the way there.  i had never been to this clinic before and i can honestly say that we had an AMAZING experience!  the amazing experience started before we even walked in the door.  when i got there, wren still sleeping, i noticed the parking lot was really crowded so i called and asked them the wait time.  45 minutes to an hour, oye.  i explained to her the situation and told her wren was finally asleep and that i would hate to wake her.  they let me fill out some paper work and sit in the car with wren so she could sleep until they were ready for her.  they even called my cell phone when it was time to go in, AND the wait was closer to 35 minutes.  we walked right in and wren was seen by the nurse, and then the doctor.  this was wren's first time with a male doctor and i was a little nervous but he was so good with her and so genuine about his job and her well being.  he discovered that wren had a double ear infection.  she has never had an ear infection before so that would explain her crying out in pain, i was so happy to pinpoint the problem but felt terrible for my poor little sweet. we left the appointment and headed to the pharmacy to pick up wren's antibiotics.  on the way home, wren became hysterical again, this time exclaiming that her ear hurt, i looked at the clock and realized it had been 3 hours since her does of ibuprofen, time for some tylenol.  we hurried home with her crying all the way.  got her some medicine and fed her a late dinner, and all was well.  i kept her up a little past her bedtime so i could get another dose of ibuprofen in her before going to bed.  the doctor assured me we would have a couple of long nights ahead of us until the antibiotics started doing their thing.  giving her the ibuprofen was a plea for some sleep.  i propped up the head of her bed and laid her down at 9:40 after reading her a kitty book and tucking her in.  she didn't make a peep until 2:00 am.  she called for me and once i got up and got to the door she was already going back to sleep...i can't believe she slept all night but i am sure she was exhausted form her day.  i rolled out of bed at 6 this morning and headed to work, in the dark, to make up the time i missed yesterday for leaving early.  daddy is staying home with his sweet angel today.  i sure hope she continues to improve, it was so terrible seeing her in such discomfort and not being able to help her.  such a helpless and guilty feeling.  

dora fiesta party

wren's second birthday is rapidly approaching!  she turns 2 the day before my due date, oye!  due to her birthday falling so close to my due date and my husband and i's extremely large families, we have decided to keep things super small this year and we are having the party at our house.  we are also having it early so i hopefully do not have to worry about going into labor during the party and do not have to worry about planning and setting up of a birthday party with a toddler and newborn.  

wren of course, has requested a dora party.  

i have been pinning away, and this is the inspiration behind the dora fiesta garden party:)

 mustaches

 garden flowers

 of course food, YUM

 cake

oh boy, so exciting!

Potty Training

i said it wrote it, i said wrote the dreaded words of most parents, potty training.  it was honestly surprisingly smooth for us.  i never even considered it potty training at all.  we have always went with elimination communication.  it was a process we started with wren around 6 months and in the beginning it worked wonders.  we just followed her cues and took her to the toilet (we just used our regular ole' toilet) when she was showing signs of poop or pee.  it went well until about 9 months and then she would straighten her legs and try to push herself off of the potty.  we never forced her to go and didn't want to develop any type of negative relationship with the potty so we would just remove her and go back to what we were doing before.  we didn't make a fuss, if she did go in the potty we usually sang and praised her or did a potty dance.  she would grin ear to ear.  around one year old we purchased a potty chair and placed it in our living room.  again, we continued with elimination communication.  sometimes she would show interest in the potty and sometimes she wouldn't.  we never pressured her but we always praised her when she used it.  it was by no means a consistent process but it was always there visible to her if she wanted to use it.  often times we would just let her run naked from the bottom down, then when she started to pee we would run her to the potty so she could make the connection.  around 18 months we did this often.  some days were better than others.  around 20 months she could say "pee in potty" and that is when it all started coming together.  we started having her run around naked from the waist down almost all of the time.  by 21 months she was completely potty trained and we could start putting panties and/or pants on her around the house.  we would still put diapers on her to sleep and on outings.  now at 22 months, she only needs a diaper at night time.  she does not like to pee outside though, so if we are going on a drive a pull up is nice just to be safe in case we cannot get to a bathroom in time.  she still wakes up really wet in the mornings, so it may be quite awhile before she sleeps in panties but there is no pressure there, it will come in due time!  we are so very proud of our BIG GIRL!

if anyone has any questions on elimination communication or potty training in general, email me.

Pregnancy Update Week 30

so i stumbled upon a blog today, not a new one, but not one i frequent either...she was pregnant and did pregnancy updates pretty often.  i wondered to myself why i wasn't doing the same.  i guess i figure no one cares about my personal life, but then looking back it seems i get more comments on posts that are personal than i do on posts regarding interior design, graphic design, and DIY projects.  not sure why, maybe more people can relate to those posts????

anyhow, so now i am going to do pregnancy updates for you all. (sorry if you are one of those who could care less) too bad i didn't start at as soon as i found out :/  would have been a great pregnancy journal.

i will be 31 weeks on wednesday, my how this pregnancy has flown by.  

i had my glucose test at 28 weeks and all was well, whew!  i totally psyched myself out before the test.  my mom was diabetic with my brother and i totally feared i would get it too.  but no, yay!  also had my rho gam shot and listened to the babies heart beat.  this kid doesn't get worked up about anything.  the heartbeat has never been over 134.  wren was usually in the 150's.  oh and in case you didn't know, we do not know the sex.  it will be interesting to see if the old wives tale is correct.....

so far it seems this pregnancy is pretty much the same as with wren.....weight gain is lower though, i have gained 18 pounds to date. (i gained a total of 50 pounds with wren) 

random tidbits

-i typically wake up once per night to pee

-can definitely tell if i do not drink enough water

-feel incredibly exhausted by 8pm

-just now getting the brown line on my tummy

-baby moves around often

-i have contractions every day, did not have that with wren

-wren thinks the baby is going to come out of my belly button

-wren has started telling the baby every day that she is their sister and also kisses my belly and lays her head on it

-no real cravings per say

-totally slacking on doing my bradley stuff and reading the book

-baby clothes are washed and ready but still need to set up bassinet and swing

-hospital bag is partially packed

-completed my birth plan yesterday

wren's big girl bed arrives this weekend, wish us luck!

little bit of this and that.

so many exciting things going on right now, i do not know where to begin.  i reached the 30 week mark this week......this is the home stretch.  i feel like the last 10 weeks of pregnancy fly by.  i have started packing my hospital bag and this weekend wren is making the transition into a big girl bed (more to come on that).  this will free up the crib so it will be ready for the baby.  i feel like i have so much else to do though.  most of our baby stuff is at my mom's and i am yet to get it and wash everything.  i do have all of the gender neutral clothes washed though!  i am hoping that it all comes together and is ready by week 35 so i can just relax!

this is my attempt of getting a shot of wren "kissing the baby", she moves quick!

some of this amazing amy butler fabric coming our way!

family.

well we are gearing up for the holidays and it has been one busy weekend after the other for us.  i am so stoked that our only plan this weekend is a birthday party sunday afternoon.  i am very excited for the party though, wren typically loves children's parties, and she is particularly fond of this child. 

things are changing a lot around our house, particularly with wren.  it is stunning how much she has changed/grown up in the last couple months.  you never know what to expect with her.  sometimes when you tell her no she is fine and moves on, other times she breaks down crying.  i assume this is the onset of what they refer to as "the terrible twos".  she is also starting to respond to bribery and i am leading the way thinking of new bribes daily!  she is definitely at a miss independent stage so the bribery works in my favor.  i have had to change the night time and nap routine due to her growing older, needing less sleep, less attention, etc. and it is working beautifully (hopefully that continues on through and after the two year molars).  she constantly wants to help, exclaiming "help momma mommy".  just over the past couple weeks we have graduated to mommy and daddy.  she says it super cute but i also kinda miss momma :(

she is expressing a lot of interest in potty training.  yesterday she was crazy good at it.  

well 2012 has brought many changes and i am sure 2013 will do the same, especially with the new baby coming!

CHEERS

eating habits.

 i remember counting my proteins when i was pregnant with wren, packing snacks, and eating healthy.  with this pregnancy i am lucky if i eat.  being pregnant while raising a toddler is a bit different than my first go around.  this week i suffered from it.  i was up with w on wednesday at 5:30 am.  i fed her yogurt and blackberries, what did i feed myself you ask, nada, zip zilch.  I dropped her off with grammy and went into work.  around 9a.m. i started to feel dizzy.  i quickly scarfed down the bagel and bottled water i had in my desk in hopes that would do the trick.  instead i kept getting more dizzy/light headed/cloudy.  i knew i had waited too long to eat and that it may take awhile for the food + drink to kick in.  i asked my boss to take me home where i could be more comfortable.  she got me home just in time, i got sick and then decided to lay down.  i slept over 2 hours and when i woke up i ate lunch.  i was still a  little weak but felt better with every minute.  i guess i will never for sure know if it was a bug or if my baby was taking every bit of nutrients i had in me and i left nothing for myself to survive.  i often find myself not eating enough or not making the right choices because i am in a hurry or haven't made it to the store.  i have found myself searching the internet for meal plans that would support a healthy pregnancy, a growing/picky toddler, and a healthy eating husband.  i have never found exactly what i was looking for...so i have decided to create one myself.  i know that this is much too strict for my liking and i will never be able to stick to such a rigid plan, but it is a guide line and gives me something to look at for ideas, and inspiration.  i hope that it is helpful for you as well.  perhaps i will do more of these in the future:)

please note, i am no doctor or nutritionist, these meals have came from parents.com, babycenter.com and my own personal favorites.

 

toddler thoughts

we have already had a super fun and super active summer, i cannot wait to see what is in store for the rest of our summer.  wren's new thing is sleeping on the couch, usually with daddy.  it is too sweet for words.

 i just ordered her this and i cannot wait to see her face when it comes in the mail. yesterday she started meowing when you ask her what a kitty does:)

and this lovely mirror is for sale, make an offer:)

 

Family/Thank you.

I mentioned we were having family photos taken last Friday.  I was SO super excited to get them, we have gotten professional photos taken of Wren but I wanted her to be able to look back at photos and remember us as a family.  I thought 1 was the perfect age to do this.  Of course, my bestie Lindsey of Lindsey Lu Photography would be the beautiful and creative mind behind the camera.  With doing the photos on a Friday night, and us being working parents, I knew things would be a bit hectic complete chaos. 
-Wren took a late nap and was still sleeping when it was time for us to leave. 
-I was running around like crazy, trying to get ready for a house guest, trying to whip up something to eat, trying to get myself ready and trying to lay things out to make it easy on my husband and daughter. 
-Needless to say we made it out the door an hour late and with only a salad in our bellies.
- We were taking our photos at Lincoln State Park, and we arrived only for me to realize that I had no money and there is a fee to get in.  A huge thank you to Lindsey for picking up the tab.
- Upon arriving at photo location #1, Wren refused to wear the headband I had so carefully made for her, the dog was ALL OVER the place and Wren insisted on holding the leash.....which led to her almost rolling down a HUGE hill and throwing a crying fit. 
-We had poses in mind that included us holding her, but of course, the curious toddler that she is wanted no part in that, there was too much to discover around her! 
-On our way to location #2 she wanted to get in the lake and would not take no for an answer.  We walked to the beach and just let her do her thing.  Which led to a drenched baby and a forgetful mamma who did not pack a back-up outfit.
-We were lugging gear and props here and there, as well as a baby and a dog. 
I was a frustrated mess, my daughter wanted to run wild, my husband i believe was exhausted, and lindsey, not a care in the world (or so she seemed).  I am so thankful for her care-free attitude and positive aura.  Thank you for holding it together for all of us, and amidst all of the chaos, thank you for somehow capturing this!

post 4 of 30: little rascals

this weekend we hauled ourselves up to indy for a much needed visit to see our friends.  we were fortunate enough to be well, so we FINALLY got to meet baby burke.  wren did not know what to think of her, she kept poking her as if she wasn't real!  it was the first time that she saw a baby smaller than her.  lindsey of lindsey lu photography came over as well, with little harper in tow....she got some great photos, of course!



Baby on the Brain

So my husband and I have been talking about a baby A LOT!

I think we are soon to be ready to start the journey:)

AAHHHHHHHH! This is such an exciting stage of our lives!

We have been working really hard on the house to get things ready for our future as husband and wife. We already have the materials to remodel our guest bedroom.

We have this beautiful loop wool carpet that is ivory and butter yellow and we have ivory paint for the trim and butter yellow paint for the walls.

Now that we are talking about a baby, this room will have to be the nursery.

Since we already have the materials, I have been checking out some ideas for

yellow nursery's!

I of course will want to add more color, but the sex of the baby will determine that!

Here are some ideas I have came across for a Girl Nursery!

(I definitely want to add a chandelier and I LOVE the bright pink accents)

(I love the robins egg blue with the yellow, this is what the guest room accent is now)

(A lovely choice of chandelier:) And my favorite girls room photo)

and Boy....................

(The red is such a great accent and SCREAMS boy!)

(The ceiling would be an AWESOME place for us to pull in our accent color!)