Baby Shower Favors

My little sis is having a baby!!!!!!!!!!  Can you tell by those exclamation points that I'm super excited for her?  Over the weekend we had a baby shower for her, and while I can't take the credit for any of these ideas, they were too cute not to share.  Not all of these ideas were party favors but I thought they each could be used as such.

These little baby booties were hand made from scrapbook paper and embellished with a button.  They were filled with candies but those were eaten before I got around to taking a picture.

These seed packets were a great idea, especially since the shower was in the beginning of spring.  I have just started working on my flower beds and will be planting these soon.  They'll probably start to bloom about the time the baby arrives.

These cookies were so darling.  Hand made and individually wrapped so you could easily take them home.

My sister is having a girl (in case you couldn't figure that out with all the pink), but the favors could also be made in blue for a boy.  And speaking of boy, you can check out my baby shower from 19 months ago and get some more favor ideas as well as practical gift ideas.  Just CLICK HERE.

And here's the girls in the family so far:  my mom, her two girls and my two girls.  Can't wait to have a new little girl join our family.  She is already loved so much, we can't wait to meet her.  Good thing my sister is due in the summer when the kids have off school so I'll have lots of time to visit and snuggle that baby without having to worry about being home to get kids to and from school.

photo taken by:  Debbi Granruth

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DIY Pregnancy Ornament

Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays.  We loved being able to sleep in and getting to spend time together as a family.  We were also able to visit with extended family for Christmas and party with friends for New Years.  We've transitioned back to school and work better than I expected (meaning there wasn't much complaining).  

I'm back to share a few more DIY Christmas ornaments that I made right before Christmas.  I prefer to think that I do my best work under pressure, not that I procrastinate.  This one I made for my sister and her husband who are expecting their first child this summer.

I found a pregnancy silhouette design that I like online and cut it out using my Silhouette machine.  I applied the vinyl to a glass ornament that I had poured silver paint into.  To find out how I painted the ornaments, check out THIS post.  I'm not sure how to apply vinyl to a rounded object without it bubbling up.  You can see a bubble on the guy's shoulder and the lady's wrist.  I worried that this bubbling might make the vinyl fall off eventually so I fixed it by cutting the vinyl so it would lay flat.  The second picture shows it laying flat.  It looks wrinkled but that's just where the vinyl overlapped.  It lays flat and I'm not worried about it falling off.

I was planning to add vinyl that said "Parents to be" next to the silhouette, but my silhouette image was so large, I didn't have room.  I added the words to an ornament box so they'd know which ornament goes in that box, plus it made for a nicer presentation of the gift.

Next year I'll have to make an ornament for my new niece.  Maybe I'll do a pink ornament with her name or initials on it.  And since she'll be born over the summer, I'll have plenty of time to make it.  Ah, who am I kidding, I'll still procrastinate.

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Our New Baby Boy

You may have noticed I've been a bit MIA on the blog lately.

Well, it's all because of this little guy:

Born Sunday October 5, 2014

8 pounds 14 ounces

21 inches long

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Be Happy Today (a personal post about pregnancy after miscarriage)

This is a personal post about my experience with pregnancy after miscarriage.  However; I think some of these same feelings could apply to any type of loss or disappointment and our desire to reduce that sadness by reducing our happiness.

After years of trying to get pregnant and going through infertility treatments we were finally blessed with two children via IUI.  Our first was born in December 2002 and our second was born in September 2004.  

So imagine our surprise when I became naturally pregnant in 2007.   After years of trying to get pregnant, surely I would have no problem staying pregnant.  I was wrong.  Sadly that pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.  I was devastated and depressed.

Over time, I felt better and things got better.  Still wanting more children, we began to pursue the route of adoption.  I had accepted the fact that I may never bear another child and I was at peace with that.

So once again imagine our surprise when we found out we had naturally gotten pregnant in 2010.

This time things were different, I was different.  

Having experienced a miscarriage had dampened the joy of this pregnancy.  I mean what if ‘it’ happened again.  I couldn’t let myself get too happy, I couldn’t go through that disappointment again.  As if sadness is inversely proportionate to happiness. 

I kept my feelings in check and worried all throughout that pregnancy that something would go wrong.  I didn’t even want to take pictures of my pregnant self.  I think I only have 2, one being the day I went into the hospital to deliver.  In fact the day of delivery, I was certain something would go wrong.  When my healthy baby girl was born, I couldn't believe it and even wondered what was wrong with her. 

I had clouded that entire pregnancy worrying about the what ifs.  I never allowed myself to feel full joy and happiness because of some possible tragedy that might occur in the future.  It took me a couple of years (which included another miscarriage) to come to this point but now as I look back I realize that reducing my happiness and excitement of the moment, I wasn’t sparing myself pain, I was only preventing myself from feeling happy. 

I don’t want to do that again.  I want to enjoy the moment.  To feel happy, excited and joy when those emotions should be felt.  Yes, pain may come, but it will not be decreased by dampening our happiness.  Reducing happiness will not reduce pain.   I don’t want to miss out on life’s joys because I’m too scared of what might happen later.  I want to love today, I want to be happy today.

I originally wrote this post months ago after finding out that I was pregnant with our 4th child.  It's taken me a while to get up the courage to share my feelings and personal experience, but I do think it's important to share.  I've been much happier this pregnancy, and loving it, and not worrying (so much).  I truly am choosing to be happy and it feels so good to share this happiness with others.

If you are interested in reading more stories from women about miscarriage, still birth and baby loss; here is a link called Breaking the Silence.  

"We speak and we write and we share not only for ourselves (though it is a balm), but also for the ones who will come after us and who will need light in their dark hour."

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A Practical Baby Shower

Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend.  I know I did.  I certainly enjoyed getting to sleep in.  Getting up at 6am to get my middle schooler off to the bus stop by 6:40am has been rough.  Boy oh boy has it been rough.  Last school year I'd get up at 6:30 to get ready before waking the kids up at 7, but getting up a half hour earlier has me dragging the rest of the day.  

 

I couldn't resist adding this picture of me at about 32 weeks.  

You can find my inspiration HERE on Pinterest.

OK, back to what this post is really about....

On Saturday, I thought I was going to a Labor Day cookout at my parent's house.  There was some reason, my mom explained, why they were having it on Saturday and not on Labor Day Monday.  It made sense to me and I didn't suspect a thing.  Turns out, it wasn't a Labor Day cookout, it was a baby shower for me!  

What a wonderfully unexpected surprise.  I didn't expect a shower at all.  This is my fourth time going through this, but because of the age gap in kids, I had gotten rid of most all my baby stuff.  My mom and I had been getting things at yard sales like clothes but there are some things you need to buy new.  So it was super nice to have a shower where I received all the practical stuff I'd need, as well as a few more cute outfits.  If you're looking for some practical baby shower gift ideas, be sure to keep reading.

Here's the sun room and dining room all decorated in blue and green.

In the picture above, the frame between the two bears has the shower invitation.  My mom loves to rhyme her invitations whether it's for our birthdays or family reunions.  This one was no exception.  

Here's what it said:

Christa is having her fourth, a boy

She is over filled with excitement and joy!

It is getting closer to the date she is due.

So we are having a 'sprinkle' of blue.

Since finding out she has been to yard sales

in search of greens and blues for young males.

Practical items are what she will need.

We hope to keep this a surprise indeed.

Please join us on Saturday, August 30th at 1:00

As we celebrate Christa's addition over lunch and fun!

And of course there were delicious desserts like the "It's a BOY" cupcakes and a cake.  

But before we dived into dessert, it was present time!

I received so many nice things.  My friends and family are so thoughtful and generous.  It was great to get some baby necessities as well as some more adorable clothes.  I feel readier than ever to have this baby.  

Practical Baby Gifts:

* Bath products: lotions and shampoos

* Diapering products:  diapers, wipes, rash cream

* Nursing products:  nursing pads and lanolin cream

* Baby toys and books:  yes, you can find these at yard sales but it's nice to have new ones that haven't been chewed up or slobbered on by other kids

*  Plain white onesie undershirts:  sometimes this item is overlooked when buying clothes

* Gift certificates and cash:  always a great choice to help cover the cost of diapers or to get some other needed item that wasn't gifted

*  Hygiene items:  hand sanitizer, baby syringe bulb, pacifiers....

Before the party was over the guests got to take home one of these really cute favors.  They are so simple yet so clever.  It's lotions and body wash bottles with tags that say:

"Thank you for coming!

From Christa's shower

To Your shower"

 Me and my girls.  I love how the Babes hugs my belly.  We're all excited for this baby to come.  Only 6 weeks to go (hopefully less)!

 

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Pregnancy Photos

There won't be any month by month photos of my belly in this post.  I only did that with my first pregnancy and didn't think about it or wasn't consistent in taking monthly pictures in any of my other pregnancies.  

I do however think monthly pregnancy photos can be tastefully done and are a great way to capture the beauty of pregnancy.  So if I were to do them, I might pick one of the ideas below.  All of these were found via Pinterest so be sure to clink the link below each picture to pin the original source if you'd like to.

Here's a simple monthly photo with the same outfit to show how much the belly has grown:

source

I like this one because it gets the sibling involved.

source

 The simple silhouette

source

There are a few comical ways to showcase your pregnancy as well.  Here are two of my favorites:

source

source

 

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