Milestone

Hey blog world!!

Have I mentioned lately that my baby is crawling? Because she is.

Like, legit crawls.

.........

I'm going to go sit in a corner and cry now.

Personalized

I recently ordered some better hemp inserts from Pooters for Malachi's diapers. When I opened up the box there was a handwritten, personally addressed note from "Ma Pooters" clothespined to my order.

I love personal touches on products and almost always return to shop from such businesses. Pooters just went way up in my books and I wanted to brag on them really quick.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Small Space Saver

We have a rather small bedroom for Malachi that doubles as our guest bedroom and it gets cramped awfully fast. So I was brainstorming this weekend about how I can better use the space and make it easier to get Malachi ready in the mornings. This is what I came up with. I took her closet doors off and stuck her changing table in the Jack and Jill bathroom hallway since she'll never use that bathroom anyway (its the master bath). This  set-up allows for us to be able to reach both her dirty clothes basket in her closet AND her dirty diaper bag hanging on the door. Yay! No more leaving dirty cloth diapers on the changing table! Her trash can is also hidden from view and not suck an eye-sore AND we can reach all her clothes, socks, shoes, and bows without having to take a hand off our VERY wiggly baby on the changing table. Added bonus: her room is way roomy now. :)

Craft Time: Bow Board, Etc.

Now, I know it is nothing too impressive, but I simply love making things for Malachi's room. I've almost got all the "fun stuff" up on her walls that I've been dying to have since we found out she was, in fact, a she. :) I just finished up making a her a bow board. I had picked up some clearance frames from Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago and am finally making use them! (Please don't laugh at the amount of craft posts I have with Tacky Glue in them- I really really really do love that stuff!) I wish the bow board was bigger because we already have an outrageous amount of bows and clips. :) I love little girls. I also just glued some of my extra fabric into an empty frame I'm going to hang up in the same area as her bow board. I have one more rectangle frame I think I'm going to glue more of the extra fabric I have on and iron on some letters to spell her name for another spot in her room.... I don't know. I haven't quite decided yet. :) 

Sorry I didn't take step-by-step picks for you, I got too into the project and didn't grab my camera until after I was finished. Enjoy all the same, though!

Tacky glue, spray paint, scissors, clearance frame and scrap fabric, tape and ribbon.

 

Finished with the bows on it!

Matching empty frame to decorate with. :)

Follow-Up: Craft Results

Click for the original post for this project.

Finished canvas! :) I still need to smooth out some of the blemishes, but I'm a little impatient. 

I took an old canvas I had that doesn't go with our decor anymore, wood letters, and tacky glue.

Lay out letters and embellishments on canvas to get spacing (and spelling) set.

Glue each piece using Tacky Glue. I seriously love this stuff. I use it for EVERYTHING. Allow one hour for dry time.

Spray paint chosen color. Use several layers and allow for dry time in between layers. I made too thick of layers and the paint pooled or ran. It wasn't fun trying to cover up the mistakes. Several thin layers will create a smoother, more polished finished look.

 Let dry flat for 24 hours. Hang and enjoy!

Our First Pumpkin Patch

Craft Time: Malachi's Tinkerbell Costume

Here is my gorgeous daughter in her finished costume!

This is a NO-sew costume! It cost me $10 for the materials (not counting in the glue because I already had that) and it took about 45 minutes-1 hour to make it all. :) And yes, this concept was a Pinterest inspired.

Materials: Kids size small tee, sequin ribbon, and some fabric samples

Tools: Scissors, Tacky glue, and time. (Note: Tacky glue, is NOT meant for fabrics that will be washed and re-used)

Cut the neck out. You'll cut the rest of the shirt into strips.

Cut strips out of the t-shirt up to the neck. And then cut the sleeves into strips, too.

Cut off seams along the bottom and sides.

Cut the other fabrics into strips as well.

Tie strips around the neck of the t-shirt.

Mix them around, make  sure the loose ends got tucked in while tying.

Glue sequins around the neck for some flare!

Glue sequins to two shorter pieces of fabric for a belt you can easily tie! 

Tah-dah!

Sneek Peek...

Once again, you just simply cannot go wrong with Sprinkle of Grace Photography. :) I can't wait to see the rest of our very first family photo shoot!

Day One

Today I received one of my birthday presents early... It is called "wreck this journal". Each page asks, or demands, that you do strange and destructive things to your journal as you go through your day, week, life, whatever! I saw pictures of a lady's that did it and I loved the creative open this book gives its owner. So, today I gave the journal to Malachi and let her drool, crinkle, and throw it around... I think she'll take part in many of the activities with me- you know, since she's pretty destructive.

A Giggle Post

TWO giggle videos for your viewing pleasure...

Coming Up Crafts

I'm heading over to Hobby Lobby later to pick up some supplies. :)

I'm taking the idea on the left (wood letters glued to canvas and painted) and the phrase on the right and putting them together for a wall piece to go above Malachi's bed. Finally!

                                                                         

Then, I'm also grabbing a giant frame I spotted on the clearance rack a couple days ago. I'm going to "vintage" it like I did to the frame in my earlier post and put it up above mine and Casey's bed for this effect:

I'll post my finished projects later!!

T-Shirt Scarf

I've been seeing these amazing t-shirt scarves on Pinterest and decided I had to try it out since it wouldn't even cost me a dime!

I used this video tutorial:

And here is my finished project!

I like how it turned out for my first one! I want to make one where it isn't braided, but the only t-shirt I'm willing to sacrifice of Casey's are gray. I need some colored ones! I'll have to hit up the $3 clearance tees at Wal-Mart...

How-To: Vintage Frame

I was feeling crafty and love, love, love vintage frames in photo shoots and as wall accents. So, for our family photo shoot I made a vintage frame for a grand total of $12. :)

Start with a $5 "damaged" frame from Hobby Lobby and crackle top coat paint. I used a regular spray paint for the base, not the special kind sold for the crackle set.

Remove the extra stuff and bend back the metal flaps flat on frame.

Paint base color and give an hour or more of dry time.

Spray crackle top coat. SHAKE WELL! Its oily, so if you don't skake it well enough, it won't cover your base color well. Let it dry over night. Note: Lots of little/lots cracks- don't layer the paint very much. For larger/fewer cracks- layer your paint quite a bit. I think I layered 4-5 coats in less then 10 minutes.

Use your fancy new frame for an accent in pictures, decor, or whatever your creative mind comes up with!

*You can click on the pictures to zoom!*

Malachi Month-by-Month

These aren't her official month-by-month pictures, but they are pretty darn cute!

Newborn

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Four Months

Malachi, Meet the Dogs

We, or rather, I have been hesitant about letting Malachi touch and "play" with the dogs. They are inside/outside dogs so she's seen them everyday since she was brought home from the hospital, but we've never let the dogs near her when she's on the floor playing. Well, we've noticed that Malachi has been fascinated by them lately watching them run and play- she'll even strain and stretch to see where they went when they are out of view, so we decided to officially introduce them all, and it went fantastic. Malachi was so excited, and the pups were both super gentle and sweet (which they always pretty chill dogs as it is) It was fun watching them interact, so I shot a short video of it. Enjoy!

Dairy-Free- Why Must it Be?

I blogged a couple months ago about a health scare we had with Malachi and several very bloody diapers. Well, here's my follow-up: We're still not sure what it is.

We meet with a specialist next week (living in the middle of nowhere in Texas means you're a good 3.5-4 hours from any city with a gestational specialist, so its taken a while to get into one) We're hoping it will give us some solid answers as to what is going on. We're running on the theory that Malachi is sensitive to the milk protein. However, anytime I even have a little bit of hidden diary, she gets a bloody diaper and is all out of sorts for the next 24 hours. :( It just seems like there is more going on to me.

After saying all that, can I vent a little? I HATE being on a diary-free diet. I'll do whatever it takes to keep Malachi healthy and to be able to keep breastfeeding, but seriously, this is no bueno. I've dropped weight like crazy, because EVERYTHING has a milk protein in it. Really. I challenge you to take this list of dairy protein ingredients (courtesy of kellymom.com) and find food that doesn't have it. I never realized how much of my diet was centered around diary products until I had to start keeping it out of my diet. I just want to eat a bowl of Mac and Cheese and not feel guilty... *sigh* On the plus side, I'll take a diary-free diet hands down any day over my original restrictions- diary, soy, egg, and citrus. I was literally eating rice and dry chicken for two weeks. 

Anywho, I don't like writing depressing posts, so I'm just going to wrap this up. Please be praying that the specialist appointment goes smoothly and we can close the book on this stuff. 

Nerds Through and Through

Casey has to post video blogs for his grad class... So we have been forced to learn how to use our webcam for something other then Skype...

We were pretty entertained by all the effects the webcam program contained. :)

Video- Roll Over, Beethoven!

Malachi rolled over for the first time yesterday- belly to back. Afterwards, she smiled so big and looked at me- she knew she had just accomplished something huge! I, on the other hand, almost started crying even though I was so happy for her. *sigh*

*Warning: She does cry a little bit so turn your volume down some*

Video- Playtime with Daddy

I apologize that the video is shaky. Casey was essentially playing peek-a-boo with the camera because Malachi won't smile if she sees the camera. But anywho, he got some great smiles and coos! :)

Thankful

So thankful for my family.

Right now in my house: Our sweet baby girl is sleeping in her crib. Our poodle is curled up next to my chair, sleeping. Our Aussie is laying beside Casey's feet, asleep. Conan is on TV. Lights off. Fans turning.

My life is perfect.
Thank you, Jesus.

Denial

I have been in denial that my sweet baby girl is growing up. But she is. Today was the first day she held her head up and looked straight ahead. She'd been picking up her head and turning it from side-to-side for a couple weeks now, but when she looked straight at me like it was nothing, my heart broke and rejoiced all at the same time.

Please slow down, time!!

10 weeks 4 days

Super Baby!

We thought it would be funny if babies turned their bibs around and became super heros.

Videos

Here are the videos I promised! Like I mentioned before, Malachi gets completely focused on the red light on my camera and forgets about smiling and being cute. But she's still stinkin' cute! (and yes, I do realize I say, "Hi, Malachi!" a ridiculous amount of a lot) Enjoy! :)

Baby Smiles

Like I mentioned in a previous post, Malachi likes to hide her smiles from the camera. I tried to catch her today with pictures and videos, but alas, my camera has a very interesting bright red light on it when I record videos... Malachi was totally entranced. Oh well. Enjoy her sweet baby face! (I'm going to try uploading videos again later- computer fail just now. :(


2 months (9 weeks, 4 days) old