Cloth Teething Guard

I never had many issues with our first 3 children chewing on the crib rails. Of course, they'd chew on them every once and a while but G must be part baby girl and part beaver. We bought the plastic/rubber rail guards but she just takes them off and beats her crib with them. Never mind the fact that the guards don't fit particularly well to begin with.

Here's a picture of the area she chewed on the back rail...



I had pretty much given up on saving the crib. I figured it would just have to be sanded down and re-stained anyway. While on pinterest, I came across this teething guard. I seriously wasn't even looking! It looked simple enough, so I ran out and grabbed the material.

My crib rail is 51.5", so I bought:

• 1.5 yards of single face quilted fabric (so I wouldn't have to sew 2 pieces together)
• 3 yards of fabric ( I bought 1 in one pattern and 2 in another)
• Spool of ribbon (so I wouldn't have to make ties)

SN: I did not need that much fabric and have a ton left over.

1. I cut my fabric to size. Since I was using 2 different patterns, I added a few inches to allow for room to sew them all together. My pieces were 18" x 6". I cut my quilted fabric to 51.5" X 5". Then I sewed the 3 pieces of fabric together.

2. I put the fabric face down and placed the quilted fabric on top. Then I folded the edges and pinned into place. I did not iron...just folded and pinned.

3. Instead of making the ties, I just used ribbon. I think the ties would have been stronger, but only time will tell:) I cut the ribbon in 5" strips and pinned them into place. I used shorter ties so that they wouldn't hang down. I put the guard on G's crib and marked where I wanted the ties placed, just like the website said to do.

 4. I used my sewing machine to straight stitch the entire thing together. Placed it on the crib and tied the ribbon.

I think it turned out really cute. I am still working on the back rail. I had to rush through the front rails gaurd since she has really been going to town on it LOL

Update: I ended up adding actual ties to the guard because G proved to be too strong for the ribbon I used.

G's First year

Ancestry.com gave us a promo for a free photo book from Shutterfly. All we had to do was pay shipping and add the photos. Here is G's first year all wrapped up in a photo album for her. I am hoping to get this done for the older children as well.

The book arrived today and I love it! We will cherish it for years to come! Enjoy

Click here to view this photo book larger

Build your own high-quality photo books at Shutterfly.com.

Genevieve's 1st Birthday Party

We celebrated Genevieve's 1st birthday this past Sunday on Oct 2nd! I can't believe she is already 1. Time has flown by so quickly.

Her outfit came just in time. I ordered her a tutu set from Etsy and was really worried that it wouldn't arrive in time. When it finally came on Friday, I couldn't have been happier. She wasn't too fond of all the tulle though LOL

Being that it's a preplanned party, of course Jenna wasn't feeling 100%. She had a rough night the night before and we just knew she was off. She was still happy, except when I made her wear the tutu LOL. I took this pic right before she sneezed...



We just had the party at our house since we didn't want to have to stress about the weather. Even though it was a beautiful day, it was pretty chilly out. We didn't go crazy with the decorations. I made some tulle pom poms, we hung a "Happy Birthday" sign, and I put out a matching table cloth. Woo hoo!

I wanted her to have a special cake for her first birthday, so I found someone that made speciality cakes. She has a facebook page in case anyone wants to check it out ( Coop des Cakes). I told her what the theme was and sent her the invite that I had made. I had no idea what the cake would look like, so I was really excited when it was delivered. 

The cake was perfect and matched the invitation exactly. It was yellow cake with chocolate buttercream in the middle, vanilla buttercream on the outside. So delicious! I should have taken a pic of the inside but totally didn't think of it at the time. I did sort of get a pic while Jenna was have a piece...

I made punch for the drinks. I got the recipe here while browsing pinterest. It was simple and I liked the colors.

Punch In a Punch Bowl Recipe – mix together the following: 1 – 2 liter bottle of Sprite or 7UP 2 cups of orange juice top with scoops of orange sherbet frozen raspberries .

After singing Happy Birthday, G got to smash into her own special cake. She seemed a little shy at first, but it didn't take her long to realize that that cake was pretty tasty!

After cake, she opened her gifts.

Group photo of us and the kids...

It was a fantastic day. Thanks so much to those of you that were able to stop by on her special day!

Mommy and Daddy love you baby girl!xoxo



Tulle Pom Poms

In preparation for Genevieve's 1st birthday party, I came across decorative pom poms while browsing Pinterest. They were made out of tulle and appeared to be very easy to make.

Supplies I used:

Foam board

Exacto knife

Tulle

Scissors

Wire

First, decide what size pom pom you want to make. You can make them small enough to attach to a hair band or as big as the card board will allow you. This will determine the size of your circle and the amount of tulle you will need.

Using the bucket, I traced a circle on the foam board and cut it out with the exacto knife. I cut a small hole in the center and a thin section from the small circle to the outer edge. I did two of these, one using the top of the bucket and one using the bottom of the bucket so that I would have two different sizes.

I got 2 yards of tulle in 4 different colors. After lying the tulle out on the floor, I cut it into 12"-15" wide strips down the entire length of the tulle. So I basically ended up with 15"x6' pieces. I took the strips and began wrapping them around the circles. Wrap multiple colors for a multiple color look. I used 4 strips of tulle for the larger circles and 2 strips for the smaller circles.

Once the tulle was wrapped around the circle, I took my scissors and cut the tulle along the edges of the circle. I then had tulle sticking out on both sides of the circle.

Taking the wire (ribbon/string),I wrapped it around the tulle, close to the center and as tight as possible. Once the wire was secure, I removed the tulle from the middle of the circle cutout and fluffed it out. If there were any long pieces sticking out awkwardly, I just trimmed them up with the scissors to make them a perfect ball.

In the end, I had a perfect tulle pom pom.

These were sooo easy and I think they look very cute. They could be used for birthdays, wedding, showers, or even room decor. The wire was $3.99 and the tulle was $1.49 a yard, so they were inexpensive too!

Out of the 8 yards of tulle, I got 3 large pom poms and 4 smaller pom poms. These will be hung from the ceiling or entry ways (haven't decided yet) with ribbon or string.

Genevieve's Birth Story

One year ago today, was your typical Friday. Ashleigh was feeling under the weather, so she stayed home from school (all week) and I was working. I had a big project that I was tracking through the day and it had to be done by the end of the day. I had to go to the bank to make a deposit, so I figured I'd drive over at lunch and while we were out I would grab lunch for the kids.

I sent out latest report, grabbed the check and keys, and got everyone loaded into the car. When I got to the first red light, I had a contraction. Nothing major, but by the time I had reached the bank, I thought I had actually had alot of contractions. I wasn't really paying attention since I was driving but figured once I got home, I'd time them to see if they continued.

My manager called after I got home to check on the projects status and after filling her in, I told her that I was having some contractions. She freaked and said I couldn't have the baby until the project was finished. We laughed but Genevieve wasn't due for another month, so I told her not to worry about it. I called Paul and he had me time the contractions...they were coming every 5 minutes but not really painful. He works an hour away so he kept asking if he should come home but I didn't want him leaving for a false alarm.

Around 2:30 I finished the project tracking and sent off my final report. By 3:30 my contractions were coming every 3 minutes. Paul's boss finally made him leave and he came home. The kids ate dinner and our neighbor, Jenny, walked around the neighborhood with me. Since the contractions weren't letting up, I called the doctor and they asked me to come in around 8:30. I got a bath and did my hair and make-up. Jenny came over to watch the kids for us and we headed to the hospital.

When we get to the hospital, they tell me I'm 2cm but since my doctor didn't check my progress earlier in the week she can't determine if I am progressing or not. The registration lady comes in and seems upset because they don't have my registration paperwork (I mailed it in when I was 28 weeks since they don't have online registration). She asks a million questions( one of them being "do you feel safe at home?" which was right in front of Paul, I almost said no just for giggles) and finally gives me my bracelets. Paul and I walked around the hospital and when they checked me again I was at 2.5cm. Then 3cm an hour later. I told the nurse that my doctor has broken my water with all 3 of my other children and she tells me that won't happen this time since I am only 36 weeks.

I'm admitted to L&D and my contractions are coming every 2 minutes. Paul fell asleep in the chair and I am so uncomfortable that I can't sleep at all. The nurse finally comes back in at 4AM and asks if I've been able to sleep and when I tell her no, she agrees that I've been having a ton of powerful contractions. I am still only at 4.5cm so she offered me some meds (awesome meds) and I fell asleep almost immediately.

When she comes back in around 6AM, I have to go to the bathroom. The nurse helps me unhook everything and I make my way over to the bathroom. As I am standing up in the bathroom, I notice I am not feeling so good. I start to sit down and I pass out. Next thing I know, the nurse is shoving an ammonia stick in my face. OMG... definitely the worst smell ever. I faint alot and have never had anyone use one of those on me.

She tells me that the Dr will be in at 8 and he's probably just going to send me home. Meanwhile, my mom is waiting to hear from us to see what's going to happen. I didn't want her driving 8 hours if the baby wasn't coming that day and I couldn't get an answer from anyone. Plus my neighbor was still at our house watching the kids. While Paul and I are discussing our options, the doctor comes in, says we're going to get the show on the road, and breaks my water.That moment I knew....I LOVE HIM! My mom starts driving down and they offer me an epidural. Since I am not one for pain or surprises, I am totally all for it.

Once they broke my water, things really picked up. As soon as I got my epidural though, things slowed back down but I was able to get some rest. Right around 11:30, the nurse said it was time. She explained how she wanted me to push and prepared me for a practice push. Practice pushing seemed odd since I had already done this three times but whatever.  As I was getting ready to push, she immediately told me to stop. She said that the baby was right there and that we needed to wait for the doctor. The doctor arrived and the Special Care team for preemies came into the room. The doctor told me to push and with that one push, our beautiful daughter Genevieve was born at 12:04 PM on Oct 2nd.

As soon as the Special Care team heard her cries, they knew she was fine and left. She weighed 6lbs 13oz and was 19 inches long. Perfectly healthy! Grandma Ginny got to the hospital around 3:30 and Jenny brought Ash,Coop and Addy to meet Jenna.

No Sew Fleece Throw

I have always wanted to make a no sew fleece throw, but have never really had the opportunity. Today, while we were in Joann Fabrics (again!), I went to just look and see if they by any chance had any owl themed fleece. I found exactly what I was looking for and Paul was just thrilled that I was starting another project! LOL

DIY: Owl Birthday Invitation

After much debate,  I finally decided to go with an Owl theme for Genevieve's 1st birthday party. I am pretty sure that Paul is just about fed up with my "owl" talk but there are just so many cute ideas out there. I came across this invite and decided I would attempt to make my own.

We went to Michael's and picked up our supplies:

• Card stock
• Glue Stick
• Glue Gun
• Eyes
• Stickers (bow)
• Envelopes

Paul had drawn the template for me and I began by printing it out on the card stock. The worst part was actually cutting out the all the pieces.

• Outer owl
• Inner owl
• Greeting
• Details
• Nose (not pictured) 

Close up of the greeting:

Close up of the details (obviously, I missed my true calling as a poet):

I glued all the pieces together with a glue stick and I used a hot glue gun to attach the eyes. It probably took about 3 hours from start to finish and cost about $25, compared to spending $45 + shipping.

I opted not to make wings for my owl. I didn't want to cover up the flower pattern and couldn't have them sticking out since they were going into an envelope. Ash created her own owl with the scrap paper and she added wings (and a tree):

Toe Fetish?

While feeding Jenna today, she decided that she would rather put her toes in her mouth instead of the food. I was fine with that. One bite of food, one bite of toe. One bite of food, one bite of toe. This lovely pattern continued until she was done eating.

I wiped her off and set her down to play. I sat down on the couch, put my feet on the coffee table and then started to e-mail Mom. All of a sudden, I feel cold little hands touching and pulling on my foot. I laughed and went back to writing the e-mail, and then "Ouch", Jenna just flat out bit my toe!!!! AND she was laughing about it!

What kind of toe monster have I created?

Growth of a Bean-11 Months

11 Months 

Jenna has really gotten great at crawling and now doesn't like to be held  for too long. Taking her pics was a task and I needed a nap soon after. LOL She is on the constant go and we've rearranged the living room into an awkward setup just to keep her enclosed within a certain area. She is very vocal now and say's "What's that?", "Bad" (while pointing her finger), "Addy", "Ash", and "No". She is always repeating whatever she hears! All 4 top teeth are now in and she is working on 2 more teeth on the bottom. She has started eating more "big kid" food and seems to be transitioning away from baby food. We already started her on milk, so she should be bottle free by her 1st birthday! We are in the birthday party planning phase...yay for cake!

10 Months 

At 10 months, Jenna is now crawling! She started crawling about a week and a half before turning 10 months old! Taking her 10 month pictures was quite the challenge since she takes off as soon as you put her down. She's kind of like a puppy...loves shoes and puts anything on the floor in her mouth. One plus, my downstairs has never been cleaner since everything always has to be picked up to keep it out of her hands.Since she began crawling, her nap schedule really isn't a schedule anymore but she is still sleeping through the night.

She recovered from her ear infection and her 4 front top teeth are all poking through. The incisors are more visible and she looks like a little vampire.

9 Months

At 9 months, she has started pulling herself up in her crib, at the coffee table, actually anywhere she can. Genevieve seems to refuse crawling. It appears she would rather roll or pivot to her desired destination. Her newest word(s) is "Nite Nite" and Uh Oh but she say "eh eh" . Whenever she is ready for her nap/bed she repeats "Nite Nite" over and over again. It's totally adorable!

She experienced her 1st ear infection and was put on her 1st antibiotic (amoxicillian). She has been teething (her top right incisor came in), which I think is the root cause for the infection. We were also traveling, which could have also added to her teething congestion.  Her not being her usual happy self was the only clue that she wasn't feeling well.

8 Months

At 8 months, Genevieve looks like she could be starting to crawl at any moment. She doesn't particularly need to crawl though as she loves to roll all over the place. She will roll herself in circles if you let her!  She  has perfected sitting up from lying down, which is making diaper changing slightly more difficult. She now waves Hi and Bye and says "Hi" and "Bye".  When the cat meow's, Jenna make a "meow" sound LOL She pays close attention to what you are saying and trys to repeat it.

7 Months

At 7 months, Genevieve is able to sit all by herself with no worry of her accidentally tipping over. She is beginning to eat very well and seems to love all foods. Her "ma ma's" and "da da's" are directed towards us for sure now. She asks for "da da" all day long, especially right after she wakes up. She gets so excited when she sees that he is home from work!

6 Months

At 6 months old,Genevieve is beginning to sit and roll all over the place. She is now saying
"da da" , which was way overdue for Paul LOL When she has a dirty diaper, she tells us by blowing raspberries! She also had her first trip to the ocean and loved it!

5 Months

At 5 months old,Genevieve cut her first teeth. The bottom 2 teeth came in within a few days apart. She has now officially started to say "Ma", "Ba" (bottle) and "Na"(Nuk). We started her on purees and she had Sweet Peas for the first time. Genevieve also caught her 1st cold, which turned out to be RSV, but she recovered quickly.

4 Months

At 4 months old, Genevieve is really getting good at rolling over. She loves to play with her toys and is always in a very happy mood...always smiling. She is now sleeping through the night from 8PM to 8AM!

3 Months

At 3 months old,Genevieve is starting to play around with the whole rolling over thing. She is very vocal and constantly "singing".  She loves her sisters and brothers and they can always put a smile on her face.

2 Months

At 2 months old,Genevieve celebrating her 1st Christmas by taking her 1st trip to WV to surprise all her Grandma's and Gran since they dan't seen her yet. It was a great month and Santa even found us at Grandma's house!

1 Month

At 1 months old,Genevieve celebrated her 1st Thanksgiving. She began to sleep through the night at about 6 weeks (10-6) and was spleeing until 8AM by 8 weeks.

Birth

During Genevieve's first few weeks, she visited a pumpkin patch and celebrated her 1st Halloween! She already goes with the flow and it feels as though she has always been a part of the family. We love her so much!