This is my awesome IKEA lamp in front of the stripes on the wall.

While Matt is busy painting because *ahem* I’m not supposed to be breathing the fumes, I’ve been busy making little things for my baby boy.
Pee Pee Tee Pees- needed for boys only.

I ordered this material online and loved it so much. I tried to make a quilt with it. Since I only had 3 fat quarters, it turned into a little play may. Its not too big for him to use but it might be a good car blanket. We’ll see.

I LOVE this fabric. I made this little lovey with minkey on the back. ITs about 17” by 17” so its a pretty good size lovey. After I made it, I realized the baby blue MIGHT get dirty easily… oh well.

Nursing covers- more for me.

This is a bib with the guitar on it. So much fun! The other thing is a diaper pouch to carry in the diaper bag. What I loved about this tutorial was that its open on one end, so you can see how many diapers you have left.

This is the BEAUTIFUL map I found on etsy! This goes in little man’s nursery so he can begin to learn about the world.

And this is me at 25 weeks with my little man.

He’s kicking up a storm! Matt felt him kick for the first time on Father’s Day- what a cool present right? The doctor told me yesterday that I’ve gained in the first 6 months what I should’ve gained in the entire pregnancy. SO I have to start exercising. YUCK. But Matt is happy. We’ll see how that goes at my next doctor’s appt. If it hasn’t made a difference, then I will do that no more. I mean, seriously… exercising in the third trimester???

The biggest thing that has happened since then, perhaps, is that I’m pregnant! I found out in February and my due date is 10/10/10- how cool is that???

Today was my 16 week 4D ultrasound and its a…..

BOY!!!! As much as I Love to make hairbows and frilly stuff, I wanted a boy first so all my kids have a protective big brother. Of course my husband wanted a boy so he is over the moon!!!!

Now we have to decide on a name. If it was up to me, it would be Roman but I can’t talk the baby daddy into it. So we’re off to buy a baby name book to see what we can find!

- Mandi’s birthday present- I can’t say what it is yet, but it is due by 11/14

- Jonas’ birthday present- a Batman cape and a toy car take along- due by 11/15

- Cody’s first birthday shirt- due by 11/13

- Elijah’s birthday present- toy car take along- due by 11/17

- Aunt Pat and Aunt Pam’s birthday gifts- due by 11/17

- Lisa’s baby shower present- due by 11/14

- Josh & Jamie’s baby shower present- due by 11/23

- Anna’s baby present- due by 11/21

- Lawrita’s baby present- due by 11/24 for Mom to take to the family reunion

- My established sign- due whenever I can find the time!

- Mom’s Christmas table runner- due by 11/28 so she can decorate for Christmas with it right after Thanksgiving

Plus on 11/20, the supplies for my mom’s Christmas presents will be in and I will need to start working on those too, which will be a LOT!

This doesn’t even count Christmas. I’ve decided to focus on November projects before I think any more about December projects. Oh me oh my how time flies!

Robinsons' wedding gift

Back in June, I visited Creative crate in my google reader and saw her name blocks for her friend. I have a friend Tiffanie who just got married on October 10 and I knew I wanted to make her a sign. Then I stumbled across another website and found Kara, who is AMAZING! I ordered the above letters from her. She worked with me and made samples so I could see the fonts and find exactly what font matched what was in my head. She sent the letters very quickly and they were perfect!

I went to Tiffanie’s registry and got a dipping bowl that matched her kitchen stuff. I used the dipping bowl to match the color red. I got a 2×6 of light pine wood at Lowes, and had them cut it into two, so I could fit it in my car. My dad cut the pieces to fit the vinyl, then I did the painting. The easiest way to get the crackle texture was to paint the base black, which absorbed nicely into the wood. Then I did an overlay of the crackle texture (in the acrylic paint section at Joanns) and when that dried, I did the red over top. The red almost immediately started crackling. After that dried, I sprayed primer (from the spray paint section at Lowe’s) and then when that dried I put on the letters. After the letters, I sprayed primer again to try to protect the letters. I put it in the box and away it went! I hope Tiffanie & Michael love it!

I had so much fun doing that I emailed Kara and ordered MORE!!! I want a sign for my name plus some Christmas presents. Oh and my friend Melissa wants one for herself and another for a surprise. I got the TWELVE signs just days after I ordered them- Kara is just amazing! Another great thing about Kara- she does 20 % off your next order if you send her a photo of your project, so I got 20 % off the 12 that I just ordered! Her prices were lower than anything I found anyway, so that just makes it even better.
Kara- you rock!! I can’t wait until you get back into vinyl cutting; I’m sure I’ll have more for you! You’ve made a lifelong customer in me.

I have already started working on two of the signs. Here is what I have so far. This is the base color for the two different signs. The light brown will then be my top coat for the dark brown and the light brown is the base for the light green. I can’t wait to finish them!

For now, I’m off to finish a project with my niece Dana, which is her prize for being my lovely model for some hairbows. If you visit the etsy store (link to the right in the sidebar) you can see one of the headbands she modeled. More to come on the etsy store- yahoo!

Here is what she says:

“I am looking for your help. Hospitals all across the country are in need of small, very small, baby blankets. In cases of fetal demise, babies are so tiny, even the smallest nursery blanket is much too big to wrap around their tiny bodies. what they need:12″ x 12″ and 24″ x 24″ flannel receiving blankets, in small pink, baby blue, white, and yellow prints. Use your best judgement, we don’t want the prints of the blankets to detract from very small babies.The blankets also need to be double layered. “

Mail them to:

Meryntha Haro

 1301 East Debbie Lane, Ste 102# 162

Mansfield, Texas 76063

I’ll be making my blanket to send over soon. I have the perfect fabric in mind.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The second project is the cornice board for above our picture window in the living room. The window is 120” long and goes straight into the wall, so the options for window coverings are pretty small. I decided I wanted to make a cornice board and then hang the ugly curtain rods that dont have finials behind it.

Here is the cornice board so far. It has been built with plywood and covered in batting. I just have to cover it with the fabric and then my dad is helping us hang it.
*Note the coffee table from my Grandma’s shed being used as an entertainment center until we can find another one to fit the new television.

Here is a close up of the fabric for the cornice board (the brown floral) and the wall (light green) and the potential curtains. They are really pretty, kind of a silk material with lots of variations in the color. I got them on clearance for $7 a panel at Target because they were an online order someone returned in the store. My only concern is the green on green. In real life, not in computer land where colors aren’t accurate, the two greens compliment each other. I’m just wondering if I should try to pull out the yellow color from the floral.

Here is the wall next to the window, so you can see what else is going on.

What do you think about the curtain color?

Speaking of Swaps, only 6 days left to get your entries in for the Christmas Gift Tutorial Swap! We’ve got LOTS of participants, so don’t miss out on the fun! Deadline to sign up is September 27.

I was free to start trying again in April and I found out I was pregnant again on April 17. I was sooo excited. I knew that God was working it all out and this baby was going to be fine. I told my parents, my in-laws, my siblings, and 4 of my best friends (we all grew up together) but didn’t tell anyone else. I decided I would tell my boss the day after my doctor’s appointment, which was April 29. The doctor performed an exam and said I was about 5-6 weeks along and everything looked fine. At my request she ordered a full hormone reading on my blood to make sure my hormones were where they should be and she gave me a progesterone cream prescription, just in case my progesterone was falling. She said that the first miscarriage was a fluke and was not going to happen again so don’t worry.

The next morning I spotted a little bit but I figured it was normal because of the exam the day before. Then after lunch I started bleeding hard- harder than I did the first time. I called my mom sobbing and she told me to go to the doctor and sit in the waiting room until they would see me. Within 5 minutes of arriving, they had me back with the doctor. They did a sonogram but couldn’t find anything at all and took blood. The urine test was negative for a pregnancy. I went home and was on bedrest that night.

They called the next morning and said my blood levels indicated that I had miscarried and they were so sorry. I remember laying in bed, crying. I was so sure that this baby was going to be fine and I didn’t know what to do next. I trust in God completely and I wanted my next step to be in faith and I was just lost. I still start to cry when I think about how lost I felt in that moment. Matt was at work and so I was home alone. I had filled my prescription for progesterone cream and used it for a week before I finally realized that it was not going to help and stopped. The good news was that the miscarriage was complete and I did not have to have a D&C.

I went back to see Dr. Armas the next week and he upped my metformin. He said that we won’t know what caused the miscarriage but he was sure we could keep going. He said when we were ready to try again, in at least 3 months, he would put me on Clomid, to regulate the hormones around ovulation. That makes me nervous because Kate Gosselin apparently used Clomid and I do not want sextuplets!

Right now we are taking a break from trying again. As you can see in an earlier post, we just celebrated our two year anniversary. My husband is studying to take the PCAT and start Pharmacy school, which he will finish in 2014. So for now, we are at peace to wait, the timing is right. But I still believe that God has the perfect child(ren) for us and they will come when He is ready for them to be here- hopefully one at a time, but we will take what God gives. I do not waiver in my faith or my hope in Christ Jesus.

If you thought you knew where God was taking you and you thought you knew His plan and it didn’t happen that way, don’t give up on God. Don’t give up on his mercies, his grace, his plan. Keep going and it will work together in a way you could never imagine. I believe that when I look at that baby one day, I will say that it was worth it to have that perfect baby in my arms.

I threw a little clippie bow in there for her birthday party, because I figured a princess couldn’t wear a headband all day long.

Here is the red headband we made to go with an outfit her aunt made her.

This is the over the top pink headband for her photos. Imagine this with a shirt that says “Miss September” and a tutu made with hot pink, light pink, and teal. So cute!

Happy Birthday Abella!!