just dandy

A's appy sauce...

2012-02-13T08:47:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but I am always looking for ways to "sneak" veggies in to A's food. Don't get me wrong, A does love him some broccoli, and I want him to eat his veggies by themselves, but you can never get enough veggies, so why not throw it in with some of the other foods he eats!

One such concoction is A's appy sauce (he can't say apple...so he says appy, and I love it...haha).
It's super duper tasty and easy, and pretty darn cheap too. A bag of organic apples at Trader Joes is $2.49, and a bag of organic carrots are $.89. You could do several batches for under $4...not too bad.

So here's what you need to make one jar of A's appy sauce:

3-4 apples

cinnamon
4-5 carrots

I start off by peeling and chopping my carrots, and then throwing them into a steam basket over steaming water, and let them chill until their tender (10-15 min). If you don't have a steamer...throw the carrots in just enough boiling water to cover the carrots, and let boil for 15-20 min. Then toss the carrots (no water) into the blender.

While the carrots are steaming, I core and chop my apples. I usually skin half, but then leave the other half with skins on to get those good nutrients you're missing out on by throwing the skins away. Throw those in a heavy bottomed pan, and add a few Tbs of water, and some cinnamon (I think I usually end up adding around a Tbs or so). The cinnamon is great, cause not only does it add a great flavor, but there are some awesome health benefits to cinnamon as well (http://www.organicauthority.com/health/11-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html). Cook the apples, cinnamon, and water on low until the apples are tender (about 6-8 min). Throw the apples and juices in the blender with your carrots, and blend away to your little hearts content.

Pour the sauce into an old applesauce jar :) and let cool

And then watch your little munckin enjoy the fruits (and veggies...hehe) of your labor. This is the best part!

I've tried this same sauce, but with Broccoli instead of carrots...and he loves it!
There are probably a million different variations you could make, so get creative!

Crocheted Bottle Cap Trivet

2012-01-11T13:06:00.006-06:00

Has it really been 5 months since my last post?! Golly, I didn't realize I was quite this bad at keeping up a blog.

First off, can I just say how crazy, amazing, handsome, and wonderful our little Addison is?! He is going to be 22 months this month, and I can't even begin to explain how I feel about him being so close to 2 years old. Gosh, he's doing so much more now then the last time I posted about him. He has a ton of words, and has started putting 2 and 3 words together. The absolute BEST is when he says "la la Mommy" which means love you mommy. Makes my heart melt every time. He is 100% boy. He loves his trucks and trains, and LOVES to wrestle anything and everything that comes in his path. He's mischievous as all get out, but also can be the sweetest little munchkin.

And of course I have to talk about crafting...haha. My newest completed project is this adorable crocheted bottle cap trivet...

I'm pretty sure I started this thing 6 months ago...but with a little push from my dear hubby, I finished it up over the weekend. I saw this pattern while browsing patterns on Ravelry, and just fell in love with it. I did make a few adjustments to the pattern so here goes:

Materials:
Size 0 Crochet hook
DMC Embroidery Floss (I was able to make 2 covers per package of embroidery floss)
Bottle Caps (preferably twist off)

Ch 6, and then slip stitch in the first chain to form a ring
Rnd 1: Ch 4, 19 tc in ring, slip stitch in top of ch 4
Rnd 2: Ch2, dc2tog around, slip stitch in top of ch 2
*take your bottle cap, and put into the pocket you've created
Rnd 3: With bottle cap in your cover, Ch1, sc2tog around, slip stitch in top of ch1 and tie off

When you've made all of the covers you want (I made 55), turn em over, and start stitching together in whatever pattern you decide (I used a simple whip stitch).

Is it silly that it makes my heart a little happier when I see it sitting on the kitchen table? I'm thinking about selling them in my etsy shop...so if you're not a crocheter...stay tuned :)

Enjoy your Wednesday friends!

Super Easy Super Yummy Turkey Chili

2011-08-17T13:43:00.004-05:00

It's starting to cool off a bit in Nashville. And by cooling off I mean mid 80's instead of upper 90's...haha. One of my favorite recipes to make in the fall, well actually anytime is a super easy, super yummy Turkey Chili. I do not consider myself a cook, but I took a stab at it, and I think it paid off. So here you have it...my super easy, super yummy turkey chili!

Super Easy Super Yummy Turkey Chili

Ingredients:
1 lb Ground Turkey
½ an Onion chopped
1 28oz can of Diced Tomatoes
1 15oz can of Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 15oz can of Corn (drained)

Chili Seasoning:
1 Tbs Paprika
2 ½ tsp Seasoning Salt
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper (Add more Cayenne for a kick)
1 tsp Pepper
½ tsp Dried Thyme
½ tsp Dried Oregano

In a large pan add turkey and onion, and cook until meat is cooked through and onions are soft (about 5-6 minutes). Add chili seasoning,cooking for an additional minute. Add tomatoes, black beans, and corn, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Serve with a piece of sprouted grain toast

Enjoy!

Addison and Friends...

2011-08-02T16:16:00.002-05:00

New friends up in the shop!

Ohjustdandy.etsy.com

Blanketpack

2011-07-31T11:40:00.004-05:00

It's a Blanketpack.
I know, I know, definitely need to come up with a better name then that. Haha.

So I saw this idea somewhere on the interweb. Just can't for the life of me remember where (woops!). But as soon as I saw, I knew I wanted to make something similar...just needed an excuse to try it out! A niece turning 4 years old...I think that's a good excuse.

There are definitely some revisions that need to be made for future bags, but I'm just excited that I figured it out! What do y'all think?

A little sewing in the great outdoors...

2011-07-14T08:37:00.008-05:00

Little man absolutely LOVES to be outside, and I really wanted to finish a sewing project...so I did something I've never done before yesterday...I took my sewing machine outside!! It was awesome!! Addison was happy as a clam, exploring our backyard and throwing sticks for our pup Bodhi, and I actually was able to finish his raincoat...win/win in my opinion.

So here you have it...Addison's raincoat!

My dear sister-in-law told me about this laminated cotton she had seen at our favorite local fabric store Textile Fabrics. When I saw it in person...I just had to have it, and I knew exactly what to do with it! I used the same pattern by Anna Maria Horner that I used for Addison's flannel coat I made last year...

Ugh...look how tiny he looks!!!!

I did make a few adjustments though. The original pattern was a little on the short side, so I added a couple inches in length to the coat. I also felt like the hood wasn't nearly as big as I thought it should be for a raincoat. So I added a little bill to the top of the hood to extend it a bit. I also added snaps instead of the buttons that the pattern called for.

There are tons of imperfections...laminated cotton is somewhat tricky to work with. I really should have done some research and looked for tips on sewing with it...maybe next time. Overall though, I'm pleased with it, and I think he just looks too cute for words...even with no pants on!

This is his new favorite thing to do these days.

He lifts his hands up, and makes a questioning sound, it's pretty hilarious.

Oh yea...the Porter Flea craft fair was last weekend! It was a complete success, and so incredibly encouraging. I'm so excited to start doing more craft fairs...I hope to have a couple lined up within the next few months, so I'll keep you updated on that!

One more thing...just wanted to send out a special HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear sister-in-law Katie Kivett!!! We love you so much and are so, so happy you're officially part of the family!

The life of a 14 month old...

2011-06-15T15:26:00.007-05:00

...through the lens of my iPhone...

...man, that was exhausting!

I just love this little guy :)

Porter Flea...

2011-06-09T11:42:00.003-05:00

I am so stoked to announce that Just Dandy will be a vendor at the first ever Porter Flea, coming up this July 9th!! My good friend Flights of Fancy and I will be sharing a booth, and let me tell you, it is going to be a FUN TIME!

So far they've confirmed some pretty fantastic vendors that you need to check out. So if you haven't already...mark it on your calendars!!

Sneak peak...

2011-06-08T10:48:00.006-05:00

I know summer has just barely started, but for some reason I'm already thinking about fall. Could be that the heat has been sweltering of late, and some cooler temperatures sound amazing right about now. Or maybe it's that I just decided to pick up knitting/crocheting again. It's been awhile...I forgot just how much I love it! Why you ask have I been knitting/crocheting lately? Well, I've got some super fun new baby goodies I'm working on to add to the ole shop. What? You'd like a sneak peak?

Well alright...

Who says babies can't have beards ;)

On a somewhat similar note...I've added a bunch more animals to the shop. And I've got some uber cute rompers for sweet baby girls as well.

Stay cool Nashville!

Bow Ties...

2011-06-02T09:52:00.001-05:00

Bow ties on little boys are pretty stinkin cute

*Want one for your little guy? You can snag one here*

I'm totally going to be that mom...

2011-05-10T16:57:00.004-05:00

...and post a bunch of pictures that I think are really cute of my little guy...hehe

Here in the Hickman household...we're pretty big fans of Hockey. It's been pretty exciting watching the Nashville Predators make franchise history by making it to round 2 of the playoffs! Sadly, their Stanley Cup dreams were dashed with the loss of last night's game...but we're still very proud of them! During the playoffs, the Preds have been hosting a pre-game party in the square outside of the Arena. Very randomly, Russ got asked to play in a Drumline that played during the party. So last night we packed up and ventured downtown to watch Daddy play.

I know I'm incredibly biased, but I'm pretty sure he was the cutest Preds fan out there....

(The shorts are my creation, suspenders from H&M)

He had SO much fun!! I loved watching him walk around, taking in all the sights and sounds. And of course he LOVED the drums. I don't know what it is about drums...but boys just seem to love em!

It's not even over yet, but I cannot wait til Hockey season this coming fall!!

On another note...THE CICADAS ARE HERE!! They're gross, and fly around everywhere...when will they go away?!

First Birthday Bash!

2011-04-08T12:00:00.001-05:00

This past Saturday, we celebrated Addison's very first birthday...Hooray! We were so happy with how the day went. We had beautiful weather, fantastic friends, some corn hole, grilling, and of course Birthday cake. I know he won't actually remember it, but I'd say he had a pretty fantastic first birthday :)

Every birthday party has to have a banner. The theme of the party was Sailing, so for the banner I decided to do bunting (can't get enough of it) I cut out little flags in various fabrics, and appliqued red felt. I wanted the bunting to be different and go along a little more with the theme, so I used large eyelets in each corner, and threaded some twine through them. We didn't get a good picture of the banner at the park, so I took one in our backyard instead...hehe.

Addison's fleet of cupcakes! I must admit, I was pretty pleased with myself when this idea sprung into my head. I had so much fabric left over from the bunting, and wanted to do something with it...cut out a few triangles, glue a toothpick inbetween, and Voila...cupcake ships!

Russ made fun of me for making him one, but I love how his birthday hat turned out. I made a couple, and this was by far my fav. As far as the smash cake...I'm not a baker, nor am I cake decorator, but at least I tried ;)

Trying on his birthday hat...look at those cheeks!!

We have the best friends and family!

A little corn hole action...

And some grilling...

lots of kiddos....

and birthday smooches....

Addison absolutely LOVED being sung to. His face just lit up with all of the attention on him.

And then there was the cake. This was his very first bites of cake and icing, and just plain old sugar...

...I'm pretty sure he liked it.

And that was Addison's first birthday bash!

Thanks to our good friend Mark for taking pictures for us! You're the best!

TWELVE!

2011-03-28T10:42:00.005-05:00

Our little man is 1!!! I swear that both Russ and I thought he looked different when he woke up last Saturday. He looked more toddlerish (if that's even a word). And he has been up to so much! About a week before his birthday, he started to crawl, took his first steps, perfected waving bye bye, blows kisses, gives kisses and hugs, and started to grab his belly when you ask where it is. It's as if he knew that he was about to turn 1, and realized he needed to get movin on these milestones :) He's developing quite the personality, quite the flirt when it comes to the ladies. He gets all shy and crinkles his nose...SO CUTE! He loves to be outside...definitely his mom and dad's son when it comes to that! It's hard to describe just how much I love this little man of ours. Sometimes I just can't stand it!

And now...I give you a year in onesies!!

I am SO glad we decided to do this! It's amazing how much they change in just a short year!

We have been quite the busy little bees of late, and this weekend is going to be even crazier! My little brother is getting married to the best girl on Friday. Saturday is Addison's 1 year Birthday Party!! Saturday night a good friend of ours is getting married, and then Sunday the little man FINALLY gets dedicated. My entire family will be in town, and Russ' parents will be as well! So many people, so many things to do...so much fun! I've done a lot of crafting for both the wedding and the party, so I promise to share some photos with you next week.

Until then...enjoy your week and weekend.

Spring is in the air...

2011-03-16T11:56:00.004-05:00

The birds are chirping, the sun is out! What an incredibly beautiful day we're having here in good old Nashville, TN. I feel like this winter has lasted FOREVER!!!

In honor of this beautiful day, I'm having a sale in my etsy shop! Just put in promo code springishere and you'll get 10% off your entire order, now through the end of the week! I've got all sorts of fun goodies...stuffed animals, bibs, booties, and hats. Everything has been handmade by Moi with love, so you know it'll be the perfect baby shower gift.

Happy Shopping Friends!!

11...

2011-03-02T15:51:00.003-06:00

To my sweet 11 month old baby boy...

You are such a joy. Have I told you that lately? Your beaming smile from ear to ear is completely contagious. I love watching you discover the world around you. You love to be outside, playing with leaves and grass. I love the way you look at leaves and birds as if they're the most amazing thing you've ever seen. You're still not doing the official "crawl" yet, but you're pulling up on EVERYTHING (even the things we'd rather you didn't...ha), and "cruising" around the house. We're all pretty convinced you're going to take those first steps by yourself soon! You absolutely LOVE your puppies Bodhi and Jake. You love playing peek-a-boo with Jake, and it is the cutest thing to see you give Bodhi a hug when we ask you to. I love watching your face light up when your Daddy comes home...you love him so much! Every day I thank God for the blessing that you are to your Dad and I. We cannot believe that in a few short weeks you will be one year old!
I love you
I love you
I love you!
-Mommy

Baby Gym Bag...

2011-02-18T10:47:00.003-06:00

Just a little project I've been wanting to make and finally finished last night...

I call it the baby gym bag. It's the perfect size for a few diapers, wipes, change of clothes and a snack, but not as big and bulky as a traditional diaper bag.

It might be a smidge too big for him to wear at the moment ;)

Man I just love this little boy...drool stains and all!

Have a great weekend!!

love note pockets...

2011-02-08T12:45:00.001-06:00

In honor of a fastly approaching V-day, this week I'm going to show you how to make a cute, yet uber easy little pocket to stash your love notes to your sweetie in. Since I have mostly boys in my life, I wanted to make a Valentine that was fun, but not too girly girly. So I came up with these little diddies...

A few things you'll need:
Heavy cardstock (I love brown paper card stock!)
Scraps of fabric
Embroidery Floss
Embroidery Needles
Water Soluble Fabric Pen (or other temporary fabric pen)
Wood Grain Stamp and Stamp Pad (You can find a stamp like this at Joanns or Michaels)
Scissors
Sewing Machine + Thread (optional)
Hole punch (optional)

Using a temporary fabric pen, draw out the initials you'd like to embroider.

I didn't want the letters to be too bulky, so I split my embroidery thread in half, using only 4 of the 8 strands. Embroider your letters using a simple backstitch.
(Instructions on that stitch can be found here).

Draw a heart around your letters and cut out.

Next, with your wood grain stamp and stamp pad, stamp your card stock with your stamp.
Cut around the edges.

Using your stamped piece as a guide, cut out another piece of cardstock.

You'll want to cut out a half circle out of the stamped piece of cardstock. A spool of thread was the the exact size I needed, so I used it to trace a half circle on the back of the stamped piece, and then cut out the half circle.

Next, you'll want to adhere your heart w/initials onto your cardstock. Spray adhesive is a great, quick way to do this. Just lightly spray on the back of your heart, and place in the center of your stamped piece.

Time to sew your 2 pieces of cardstock together.
There are a couple different easy ways to do so....First with your sewing machine.
Using the zig zag stitch (#2 in the picture below), and both pieces of cardstock aligned together, sew along 3 of the 4 edges, as close to the edge as possible.

Tie off your loose threads, and you're done!

The other way to attach the two pieces of cardstock together without a sewing machine is a tad more time consuming, but still just as easy.

Along the 3 edges of the back piece of cardstock (not the stamped one) I made a mark every 1/4 inch. Use a pencil so that you can erase the marks when you're finished.

Next, with both pieces together, and a hole punch (I used a 1/16th" hole punch), punch out a hole at each mark you've made

With your embroidery thread and needle, hand sew the two pieces together with a whipstitch (taking the needle from back to front through every hole)

There are a million different ways you could decorate your little pockets. These were just a couple of ideas I had floating around in my head.

And the great thing about this project, is that these cute little pockets don't have to be just for Valentines day. You could use it as a birthday card, or maybe even a gift card holder!
Once you start making them, you won't be able to stop...

Believe me, they're addicting :)

I sat and watched...

2011-02-01T12:13:00.000-06:00

I sat and watched as my sweet baby boy slithered around the floor and explored this crazy world around him, opening drawers and cupboards to see what they contained

I sat and watched a determined 10 month old perfect his ability to go from his belly to sitting up even on the slippery hard wood floors

I sat and watched a curious little boy pull out everything in my bedside table, examining every inch of every object he found

I sat and watched chubby little hands reach up to the coffee table and pull himself up for the first time.

I sat and watched as an adventurer carefully cruised his way around his room eventually making it into the living room

I sat and watched as a wide-eyed boy starred into the sky, smiling at the birds as they flew by as if it was the first time he'd ever noticed them.

Somehow, over night, my little baby has turned into a little boy.

TEN!

2011-01-26T13:25:00.001-06:00

The little man turns 10 months old today. I can barely believe it every time one month goes by. Everyone always says it goes by so fast, but you really only notice it when it's actually happening to you. Addison is up to quite a bit these days. He's started pulling up to standing in his crib. I can always tell when he's standing up after a nap, cause he starts babbling away. I open the door and say "I hear a baby", and he starts grinning from ear to ear. That may be one of my absolute favorite things right now. Although he pulls up in his crib, he's having a harder time pulling up on other things. But if I stand him up next to the coffee table, he's on the move! He's successfully figured out how to go all around the coffee table, and even gets himself over to the bookshelf next to the couch and coffee table! I'm excited, yet nervous at the same time...guess it's time to start baby proofing :) We're on to stage 3 foods now, which means lots more chunks! It's been fun showing him new foods and textures, and letting him have some of our food from time to time. I know I'm completely biased, but he really is just one of the sweetest babies I've ever known. He smiles at most everyone he meets, whether it's at the YMCA, Church, or the grocery store. It's so sweet to see him interact with people, and I love it even more that he brings so much joy to the people he comes in contact with. We cannot get through the grocery store without at least a few people stopping to talk and interact with him. I love it!

So in honor of little man turning 10 months, I've decided that this week, I'm going to share how I make his little numbered onesies. I promise it's super easy...so here we go!

Supplies:
Small scrap of fabric for number
onesie
steam a seam double stick fusible web, heat bond or other double stick fusible web
scissors
thread
marker
iron
sewing machine (optional)

Step 1: Either draw or print out the numbers you'd like to put on your onesie

Step 2: Outline your numbers onto your fusible web. If you're using the steam a seam, you'll notice that one of the papers will peel away easily. You'll want to trace your numbers onto the side that doesn't peel. Also, make sure you trace your numbers backwards.

Step 3: If using steam a seam, peel away the one layer, and lay the outline of your numbers sticky side down onto the WRONG side of the fabric as pictured below. Apply a little pressure all around the number to make sure it sticks to the fabric.

Step 4: With the paper backing still on, cut your design out.

Step 5: Once your design is cut out, remove the paper backing, place it on your onesie, and with a hot iron, and NO STEAM, iron your numbers down.

Now, the steam a seam packaging says that it's a permanent bond when ironed on. I find it to be more of a semi-permanent bond. But if you like the way it looks, and you're not planning on using this as an every day onesie, you can definitely stop there and leave as is. If not, go on to step 6!

Step 6: Sew your numbers onto your onesie. I said in the supplies list that sewing machines are optional, and they are. All you need to do is get some thread, a needle and hand stitch the numbers in place. However, if you have a sewing machine, I highly recommend using it, as it will take a lot less time, and the edges will look a little cleaner.

I use the zig zag stitch when outlining the numbers (Button 2 in the picture below)

Carefully go all the way around the edges of your numbers, getting as close to the edge of fabric as possible. A quick tip on maneuvering around corners: When you get to a corner, stop with your needle still in the fabric, lift your presser foot, turn your work, lower the presser foot and keep sewing until you get to the next corner. Rounded edges are a bit trickier, so just go extra slow when you get to those.

Snip off all of your loose threads and you're finished!

Now, just throw that onesie and an adorable little tyke, and snap away!

*Someone woke up on the wrong side of the crib this afternoon...this was the best we could do*

Obviously, all of these instructions apply to any other kind of design you'd like to attach to a shirt. As always, be creative, and don't get frustrated if it doesn't turn out exactly how you want it to the first time. Practice makes perfect...so get to it!

Did I mention that it snowed in Nashville...AGAIN! If I wanted to clear away the snow on my car every morning I would have stayed in Buffalo! You can go away now winter and snow :) Enjoy your Wednesday everyone!

A craft a day...

2011-01-21T09:00:00.004-06:00

You know what they say...a craft a day keeps the doctor away :) I know that may not be exactly how it goes, but I am determined this year to craft a bit more, and I hope that you will join me. I am the sort of person who loves to figure out how to do things on their own. I find myself so many times browsing through the stores I love, oogling over items, that are just a little too pricey for my pocketbook, and thinking to myself "I could make that". With so many things on my list of "I could make that", plus other ideas I've had bouncing through my brain, I'm giving myself the goal of creating one thing off of that list each week. In addition to making these things, my goal is to create tutorials so you can join in as well!

I'm going to call our first project Wood Slice Embroidery...
cause I don't know what else to call it.

Supplies:
Slice of wood (can be bought at any craft store. I used a 40% coupon and Joanns or Michaels, and got mine for uber cheap!)
Design
Hammer
Nail
Drill with various drill bit sizes
Double sided tape
Embroidery floss / Yarn / Ribbon / Strips of fabric
Darning Needle

Step 1: Create your design and attach to wood slice
I used photoshop to create mine. I like the simple starbursts, and it's a really easy design for your first time. The dots in the design are where I want to drill my holes. I used double sided tape to attach to the wood slice so it would stay in place. Be sure to put the tape where there isn't a design.

Step 2: Transfer your design to the wood.
Using the hammer and nail, tap a small hole wherever you would like to drill a hole. It doesn't need to be deep at all. It's just a guide. Remove your paper design when you've marked all of your holes.

Your wood should look something like this when finished

Make sure you keep your paper design out and use it as a reference, especially if your design is a bit complicated

Step 3: Drill your holes.
I think that's pretty self explanatory...right? One thing to note though, the larger your thread/yarn/fabric strip is, the bigger drill bit you're going to need. Also, If you're going to be passing your needle through one hole multiple times (like the middle hole in this design) you're going to need to drill a bigger hole then ones where your needle is only going through once. For this project, for the embroidery floss I used 5/64th bit for the outer holes, and a 3/32nd bit for the inner. For the fabric strip (yellow starburst) and the yarn, I used a 1/8th for the outer holes, and a 9/64th for the inner. I have no idea what those number mean...I'm just writing what is written on the bit! Ha!

Step 4: Embroider your design.
Using your darning needle and floss/fabric/yarn, start from the back of the wood, push your needle through, back to front, and then go back through the wood front to back in the next hole.

You can really use whatever you'd like to embroider your wood slice. I used embroidery floss, 1/4 strip of fabric, and yarn. Be creative!

Tie off your loose ends when finished

Voila! It's so simple, but I love em! I definitely plan on doing this one again.

With a little prep, this would be a great craft for kids! Just pre-drill the holes, and let them sew away!

The possibilities are endless with these little ditties. You could embroider initials, sayings, drawings, anything!

I hope this little tutorial has been helpful for you! I'd love to get some feedback from you guys if you're trying this one out, and of course I'd LOVE to see pictures as well! I went ahead and created a group on Flickr "I Could Make That" . I've never actually made or joined a flickr group before, so if I'm doing something run...someone please tell me :)

Happy Crafting!

Is it really Friday already?!

2011-01-14T11:44:00.004-06:00

Can I toot my own horn for a second and say I worked out every morning this week!! There were a couple mornings it took everything in me to get up, stretch and get ready to go to the Y. Little buddy has been a little off with his nights this week. For some reason he's been waking up around 4 or 5 in the morning, and a couple times at 11. I really don't know what's up with him, maybe he's teething? But it makes for a really long night, and an even more tiring morning.

I finally made a couple bibs out of laminated cotton! Never again will this babe of ours be wearing a cloth bib when it comes to meal time. They're just such a pain in the behind, and don't always come clean when washed. The laminated cotton wipes clean so easily...it's amazing! So I went to my favorite local fabric shop Textile Fabrics, and got myself some houndstooth laminated cotton!

This little bib comes complete with food catcher and a snap...so he can't take it off :) I've already made a couple, and definitely plan on making more. I think I may even try to sell a few in my etsy shop. I think every mom needs to have a couple of these, and there are some wonderful laminated cottons out there...especially for sweet baby girls.

A second project I finished (but didn't really plan on) are these adorable granny square slippers! I had started them awhile ago, and decided to finish them as a gift, but I felted them too long, which made them a little too small for the intended recipient, so now they're mine...I'm not complaining :)

If you crochet, you can find the pattern on ravelry here

We have a fun little weekend planned, and there's much to do to prepare, so I'd better get going! Enjoy your weekend :)

A view from our Bungalow...

2011-01-10T11:32:00.003-06:00

Woke up to this beautiful sight this morning...

I wouldn't want to wake up to it every day mind you...I did that the first 20 years of my life. But every once in awhile, the soft powdery stuff is just what I need. I'm imagining all of the kiddos out there getting layered upon layered with clothes, getting ready to go sledding, or build some snow forts. I really hope we get a good snow like this next year, so I can share my favorite childhood winter games with our little buddy!

Until then...be save and have fun all you snow bunnies out there!

New Year, New Start

2011-01-07T10:18:00.005-06:00

This is my first non-baby related post in quite sometime, and it is LONG overdue.

They say 9 months to gain the weight, 9 months to loose it...well Addison is 9 months old, and I still have some lbs to shed. 10 will get me to pre-baby weight, but I'm setting my goal a little higher, as I wasn't in amazing shape to start off with. So my new goal is 20 lbs in 3 months, which will put Addison at 1 year old! I think that's doable...right?

I wish I were, but I am not a very self motivated person...so Russ and I did the very cliche thing at the beginning of the year, and became members of the YMCA. New year, new start. Our Y offers loads of great classes, and has both an indoor and outdoor pool. So far, 1 week in, I feel great! I've started the Couch to 5k program all over, running 3 days a week, and then taking classes (upper body sculpt, butts and guts, and pilates) 3 days a week. Can I just say that so far this has been one of the best decisions we've made? It feels great to have an hour or so all to myself to just think, run, be active, all the while Addison is enjoying some play time with other kids...win win in my opinion. And, when they open the outdoor pool, I fully intend on taking advantage of the free daycare and sitting by the pool for an hour or so all by myself...does that make me a bad mom? ha. Don't worry, after I've gotten my sun, I'll snag the little guy and play with him in the pool too :) Currently I'm feel pretty determined and motivated to stick to our morning routine...I'll let you know how it goes!

Another "New Year, New Start" thing for me is cooking. I truly admire all of you out there that can just throw ingredients together, and make something absolutely amazing. Give me yarn, fabric, or something else crafty...I can hang, but cooking is just not my thing. But I'd like it to kinda be my thing, so with the help of dear Martha, I've been looking up healthier recipes, and trying one out each night this week. So far, every recipe has been a complete success, including my first ever quiche last night! I still have a couple more to try out this week, but am on the hunt for more for next week. If you have a healthy yummy recipe you love...PLEASE send it my way :) It truly is rewarding to put a little hard work in to get something pretty great out of it. Now if I could just learn to love cleaning, I just might be the perfect little housewife...haha.

Of course there are tons and tons of new projects I'd love to tackle this year, including repainting our living room, redecorating, and lots and lots of art projects. But I'm REALLY excited about a little handmade exchange I've become a part of. You may have seen posts like this roaming around facebook (including mine), but basically I made a post and the first 5 people to respond I will send something homemade too...and they will each send me something homemade, as well as the 4 others that responded first. Then they have to repost. I love that I get to make things for some people I know, and others that I don't. And I cannot wait to get some lovely handmades in return :)

I'm so thankful and blessed to be where I'm at right now. This weekend I get to spend it with my two favorite boys in the whole wide world, and I cannot think of anything better then that!

Enjoy your weekend!

You didn't think I'd go without posting a new picture of this little man did you?

Um...

2011-01-05T12:04:00.003-06:00

I don't really know what happened, but I just now realized that I have yet to post both Addison's 8 and 9 month pictures...Yikes!

UGH! I'm totally thrilled and excited to see him grow and learn how to do new fun things...but where did my teenie tiny baby go?! The cuddling days are pretty much over (with the exception of nap time). But there are so many other sweet things he's been doing of late. He claps when we ask him to. He plays peek a boo with us. He's starting to wave to say hello and goodbye. He feeds himself (carrot sticks, banana, and these little sweet potato puffs). It gets everywhere, but thankfully we have our faithful pups that keep the floor clean...ha.

We're not quite crawling yet...although when motivation strikes, he makes it happen...

And if you can walk (with a little assistance) who needs to crawl!

His bright smile, and contagious giggles never cease to amaze me. We are so thankful and blessed to have this little guy in our life.

A little breather...

2010-11-22T10:42:00.003-06:00

This past week was crazy busy for me. Yesterday was the first ever Nashville Handmade Craft Fair! Being the constant procrastinator that I am, I waited until the week before the show to make most of the pieces I had for sale. When will I learn to start things in advance?! Haha!

Anyways, now that the show is over, I definitely feel a bit relieved to not be on a time crunch!! All of the things I need to get done before Thanksgiving seem like a breeze after last week. Russ' parents, Bubbe and Bops, will be coming into town Wednesday for the holiday...hooray! Needless to say, I should probably be cleaning and not blogging, but I wanted to let you all know that I've added lots of new goodies to the ole etsy....

I've also put up more booties! So if you're looking for a great baby gift...check em out www.ohjustdandy.etsy.com

Have an amazing Thanksgiving!!

Matchy match

2010-11-10T14:08:00.003-06:00

I know it's real dorky, but I love it when Addison and my hubby Russell match! And by match, I mean, wearing the same shirt, not just coordinating outfits ;) So Russ has this lumberjack, red and black checked jacket he wears a lot, and I've just been thinking how stinking cute would it be if Addison had one to match! I've been looking around, and everything I've found is just to pricey for this momma.

I had lost hope, until after flipping through one of my craft books, Handmade Beginnings by Anna Maria Horner (One of my absolute favorite fabric designers), I came across this adorable pattern for a jacket!

*The little jacket in the bottom left corner*
(Image via Annamariahorner.com)

The pattern calls for 2 midweight fabrics to make more of a Spring coat, but I figured with the right fabrics and a little fudging, I could probably make the pattern work for what I wanted to create.

The white snuggly fabric is really not the easiest thing to work with. The raw edges shed like crazy! There were little white fluffs in just about every nook and cranny. I'm sure the real sewers out there would be appalled at my DIY techniques, but overall the goal was accomplished, so I can't complain. Fall is here (even though it doesn't feel like it today) and I just cannot wait to see Daddy and Baby Boy as lumberjack buddies (pictures of the pair will be coming soon...i promise! haha)

A little shameless self promotion...

2010-11-09T10:27:00.005-06:00

So, I have a little shameless self promotion to do...he. For awhile now I've wanted to make an over-sized doily into a kitchen/bath mat. I finally gathered the materials and made one for myself just a couple weeks ago. I got such an overwhelming response from people who really seemed to enjoy them, so I decided to start making them for sale in my etsy :) So if you're looking for a great Christmas/Birthday gift, head on over to my etsy and take a look! I can make these in a variety of different colors, and I hope to have a few more mats in different styles up soon!

Thanks for taking a look :)

How can it be November already?!

2010-11-02T09:50:00.008-05:00

I don't know if it's getting old or Motherhood, but these months just seem to be flying by in the blink of an eye.

I'm a little late in posting this, but Addison turned 7 months old last week!

I feel like there are new fun things happening almost every day for this little guy. He's completely sitting up on his own, and is trying his hardest to get crawling (poor thing). He can get up on his arms, and then on his knees, but hasn't quite mastered both together...he. He is so content and happy most of the time, which has been the most incredible blessing. I don't think he knows exactly what he's saying, but he's mastered "Ma ma", "Da da", "Ba ba", and then makes razzing noises. It is the cutest thing hearing him babble on and on...I wonder what's going on in that sweet little head of his.

Oh yes, and he's eating food!!! As I mentioned in a previous post, I was getting a little worried and frustrated that he just wasn't really into food. That all changed once we introduced sweet potatoes. That is by far his favorite thing to eat. He's also eating apples, bananas, and occasionally butternut squash, green beans, and peas. I cannot tell you what a relief it is to me that he's at least eating something! Thanks for all of your encouragement mommas!

I feel like there is so much more to tell you, but now I've got a small window to take a shower and get a couple things done, so I guess I'd better :)

Enjoy your day!

Happy Halloween...

2010-10-08T13:10:00.004-05:00

I've never been all that excited about Halloween to be perfectly honest. I love Fall and all of the things that go with it, but actual Halloween day has just not been one of my favorite holidays. I think that's about to change though. No lie, since Addison was born, I've been pondering what he'd be for his very first Halloween. Who doesn't love to see babies all snuggled up in the cutest little outfits! And when he gets older, how fun will it be to see him get excited about his costume, and get all crazy on sugar ;)

So I've been in this dilemma (if it's really a dilemma, ha) the last couple months of what he should be. Should I make a costume? Should I just buy one? After all, he will only be wearing this costume a handful of times, if that...ha. But after thinking about it, my crafty side took over, and the decision was made to make one. And after reading "The Cat in the Hat" for the 500th time :) I just knew that Thing 1 was the perfect thing to be...hehe.

Surely, this costume would be super easy! There isn't much to Thing 1. I really believe it could have been, but after searching high and low for red footie pajamas, I couldn't find anything, and started to get a bit disappointed. I really had my heart set on Thing 1! You'd think with the holidays being not too far away, I could find some cute red, footie pjs, but no. So with a little trepidation, I decided to take a stab and make the jammies myself. For the most part, I followed the pattern, but things got a little hairy at the end...so I just made it up. (Note to self: Go take a proper sewing class.) I must say though, for never having sewn with jersey knit before, I think it turned out pretty good!

The easiest part was the applique on the front. It was a total breeze. I cut the black letters out of felt and used Heat Bond to attach them to the white felt circle. Attach to the jammies, and voila! Seriously, SO easy!

The hat took a little trial and error to figure out. I found the perfect blue soft hairy yarn at Joann Fabrics...I just needed to figure out how to make a hat that would look like hair! What I ended up doing was knitting a hat, and then crocheting the little bumps onto the hat, to make it look like a wig. The whole thing is just so soft and comfy. If I didn't look absolutely ridiculous, I'd probably make one myself. And what's even better...I don't have to put straps on the thing to keep it on Addison's head, cause he truly doesn't seem to mind it! That is one of the things I LOVE about this costume! It's actually comfy for the little guy to wear, so there's no feeling restricted and uncomfortable, which always makes for a crabby pants baby. Instead we have a sweet comfy baby boy, happy to show off his accentuated cuteness as Thing 1

So that's that! I feel like this costume should have been easier then it ended up being, but in the end the effort was 100% worth it.

What will your little munchkins be dressing up as?

Fall is to knitting as Summer is to swimming...

2010-10-06T09:21:00.000-05:00

...it's just something I have to do when Fall rolls around! I've had my eye on this adorable sweater pattern from Jane Richmond since before Addison was born...knowing that I just had to make it for him! Well this past weekend I broke out the knitting needles and yarn, and whipped this baby up!

I'm officially in love with seed stitch! It's just so comfy and cozy to look at and feel! I'm so pleased with how this turned out, and so excited to add this to Addi's fall wardrobe :)

Do you have anything fun you're working on for the fall?!

Have a happy cozy day!

Mom advice needed!

2010-10-01T11:16:00.003-05:00

Hey Moms out there...I need some advice!

So we started little man on solids probably about 3 weeks ago. We started with rice and oatmeal cereal, and tried for about a week or so, but he really just didn't seem all that interested, so we took a week break. We started back up this week, but still no progress. I've started carrots at a second feeding, just in case he really wasn't interested in the cereal, but we haven't had much luck with that either. It seems like he still has that tongue thrust reflex (where he pushes everything out of his mouth with his tongue). Whenever I put a bite in his mouth, he makes this weird face, and then just lets it sit in his mouth til it falls out...it's a site to see...haha. Should I just stop with the food and wait another week or so before we try again? Or do I just keep at it, offering it to him every day? I don't want to rush this, but I have to be honest, it's getting a little frustrating. I feel like all of the babies around his age (6 months), or even younger are picking it up right away! Have any of you other moms dealt this this?

Help!!

Happy Half Birthday!!

2010-09-27T09:32:00.007-05:00

Little man turned 6 months old yesterday! Woohoo!

I just cannot get enough of this sweet baby boy. I feel like almost every day he's doing something new. He babbles non-stop, which is pretty darn cute if you ask me. And he's pretty much sitting up all by himself these days :) We're still working on the eating table food thing. It's not really going as well as I would have hoped. Anyone have any good tips?

We had a couple firsts last week!

Thursday night, we went to Live on the Green at the Public Square in downtown Nashville, where the Wailers headlined. Addison did GREAT! He was completely mesmerized by everything going on. Live on the Green is yet another reason why we LOVE Nashville. It's a free event held on Thursdays. If you live in the Nashville area check out www.liveonthegreen.net for information on what they've got lined up!

Addison also went to his very first Hockey game!! This Mommy and Daddy LOVE Hockey...and I think little buddy will be following in our footsteps :)

(I made the boys matching Predators tshirts...love it!)

So I've had this really fun yarn from Debbie Bliss in my stash for awhile, just waiting for the perfect project! And this weekend I figured out what I wanted to make...knitted baby pants!! I started looking around for patterns, but then decided to go ahead and just wing it. I finished them this morning, and tried them on the little guy...

This little guy makes anything you put on him look adorable...ha.

My pattern definitely needs a little adjustment, but I'm pretty pleased at how they turned out for my first pair of pants :)

On a sad note, I have had to take a step back from running...boo. I messed up my ankle a bit, and am now waiting for it to heal before I can get back into my groove.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend, and enjoy this week ahead of you!

Time for an honest moment...

2010-09-13T14:22:00.002-05:00

I'm gonna go off my normal blog path of babies and crafts, and be a little honest today.

The last couple of weeks I've been in a bit of a slump. I've felt so completely unmotivated, unproductive, and well...just gross. All I could muster these two weeks were a few outings, a couple walks, and one measly baby hat...pathetic (Haha). I'm not really sure where this slump came from. It's possible it was partly because Russ was gone for 2 weeks in a row, because lets just be honest, life is a little less fun without him around. I'm also just sick and tired of this stinking baby weight!! I know, i know, 9 months on, 9 months off, but at the rate I've been going it would be well over 9 months before I would shed these extra pounds. I want to fit into my skinny jeans again (the ones WITHOUT elastic...hehe)!! And most importantly, I just want to feel good. Slowly but surely I'm connecting the dots that when I'm eating healthy, exercising, and most importantly in The Word and spending time in prayer...I feel GREAT! And motivated too.

So with the help of the Good Lord, I am turning a new leaf.

First and foremost, I desire to spend more time with God. I want to be in His Word, and in constant conversation.

Second, I really need to start exercising more. The "plan" is to walk and run in the morning (I have a great little route down to Shelby bottoms), then do some good ole 8 min abs, arms, and stretch, and then some Pilates. The past TWO (count it 1, 2!) mornings I took a nice long walk and then a short run...gotta start somewhere. At times I'd say that I LOATHE running, but after I actually do it, it's truly rewarding.

Third, I need to eat better. Not only for myself, but for my little guy too. I have both a sweet and salty tooth. Don't know how that happened, as most people only have one, but I definitely have both. I'm really not much of a cook, so if anyone has some great healthy meal ideas, I'm all ears!

Fourth, I'd really like to get back into crafting. There are so many ideas in my head, and things I want to make. It's time to really dive in and get these things done!

I've started a little prayer/exercise/health/food/craft journal to hopefully help along the way. I don't know about you, but i LOVE journals. I love writing in them. I love finding old journals and reading things I've written years ago. I can't wait to have this one all filled up, and look back at the worn pages and see some real progress.

And that is my honest moment for the day. This is all on the internet now, so I suppose I'll have to stick to it ;) Hope you're finding yourself happy, motivated, and filled with Him!

Food glorious food!

2010-09-13T09:53:00.005-05:00

Oh yea...little man had his first tastes of something other then breastmilk this weekend! I can't believe we're feeding him food already?!

Ready for fall!

2010-09-11T09:07:00.003-05:00

We're ready for fall...

...let the knitting commence!

FIVE!

2010-08-26T11:51:00.003-05:00

Five Months today...Hip hip hooray!

Time flies by when you're havin fun :)

It's that time of the year...

2010-08-25T09:19:00.002-05:00

School is back in session!

Not that it really affects me at all yet, but it was so cute to see all of the parents out this morning walking their little tykes to school. I couldn't help but smile and imagine myself doing the very same thing in a few years. It seems so far away...but I know it'll be here before I know it.

We had a bit of a rough night with the little one. Around 2am he woke up screaming. I felt so helpless sitting there rocking the little man while he sniffled and tried to catch his breath. Part of me just wanted to hold him like that for the rest of the night, but neither of us would have gotten any sleep that way. So after around 15 - 20 min, he finally fell back asleep, and slept the rest of the night in his crib. I feel like he may be teething possibly...but I feel like I've been saying that for the last couple months. Do teethers tend to spit up a bit more then usual? Over the last week or so, I feel like he's been spitting up a bit more then usual. He spit up quite a bit this morning on our walk, and then threw up the rest of it when we got home. I would be alarmed, except that he's been his perfectly happy self all morning. Maybe it's just a fluke?

This whole parenting thing has been one of the most rewarding yet frustrating things I've experienced to date. He is one of the joys of my life (along with his Daddy), which makes it so frustrating and sad when you're not really sure what to do. I feel like I should have all of the answers, but sometimes you just don't. He's a pretty happy kid most of the time, so we must be doing something right...right?

Bunny Wove...

2010-08-23T09:27:00.007-05:00

Morning!

And what a gorgeous morning it is! Morning walks are so much more enjoyable when you're not dripping with sweat the whole time :)

So mr. man certainly has his share of little loveys, but I've had an idea of making one for him for awhile now, and decided to work on it this weekend.

I love the look of combining different textures, like chunky knits and cotton. So I decided to take the head of the bunny stuffed animal, and then combine it with some fun plaid flannel (I told you I was really into it), and super soft minky!

With it being so beautiful outside, and then of course morning light (my fav for snapping photos), I had Addison try out little bunny wove...and I think it's safe to say, he got the baby stamp of approval :)

{love that little crooked smile!}

And in other exciting news...mr man is learning to sit up all by himself!!

{such a ham...ha}

I know I'm a broken record, but how is it that he's growing up so fast!! Over the weekend we went and visited our dear friends Melissa & Pete, and their sweet new peanut Bennet! I forget how teenie tiny they are when they're first born!

Bennet is one of Addison's MANY new girlfriends...ha. It seems that most all of my friends had sweet baby girls. I guess we have a lady's man on our hands...hehe.

And that concludes our morning playtime...off to nappy time we shall go!

Happy Anniversary!

2010-08-21T10:15:00.006-05:00

Russ' parents are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this year, so we teamed up with Russ' brother and sister-in-law Scott and Ashlee, and had pictures taken of the 3 grandkids as a surprise. I've been dying to share these pictures that the lovely Katie Coiner took, but I had to wait until Bubbe and Bops saw them first. If you live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, and are looking for a great photographer, you should definitely hit Katie up. She is incredibly sweet, and has a great eye!

Here are a couple I captured with my handy dandy iPhone...

Some of the cutest kids this world will ever see :)
Have a great weekend!!

Finished!

2010-08-20T11:09:00.007-05:00

After 2 1/2 weeks of crocheting, crocheting, and MORE crocheting...I finally finished the order of baby booties for the store in TX I told you about. Although I do thoroughly enjoy crocheting and knitting, it does feel good to have them finished! Oddly enough I found myself a little sad to see these little guys shipped off. But I know they'll find themselves on some cute baby toes soon! If you find yourself in the Wichita Falls, TX area be sure to go check them out at Storkland!

Now that we seem to be out of this insane heat wave here in Nashville, my thoughts have been drifting to fall. I know we still have a couple months to go, but I'm getting excited about crisp air, sweaters, and flannel! Yes, I said flannel, and specifically PLAID FLANNEL! I absolutely love it, and while perusing around some fabric stores, I've found some yummy flannel to make some more of those cute handkerchief bibs!

I mean seriously...how adorable would that baby in your life look with a cute plaid flannel bib! Fashionable AND functional.

That's all I've got for today. Have a fantastic Friday!

This is my one hundredth post!!

2010-07-20T16:50:00.003-05:00

Shame on me for letting so much time pass between posts!

We just got back from a wonderful little break in TX with Russ' family. I am happy to announce that it was a completely successful first trip with the baby!! In typical Addison style, he was an absolute peach all week! Poor thing had to endure 4 flights, and several hours in a car (we drove to Lubbock from Dallas for a wedding), and we barely heard a whimper out of him. It was a great little break for me as well! I love spending every day with this little guy, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't need a break. It was so nice coming down each morning to a group of people just waiting to take the little man off my hands and snuggle with him. And I can't tell you how sweet it is to see the joy on everyone's faces as they played with him. His cousins Henslee and Layla Grayce were extra attentive...So cute!!!

So while in TX, Addison celebrated his 4 month birthday!!! We had to take the picture a week late, but here he is...

Really?! 4 months already? He is up to quite a bit these days...Rolling over (which made me really nervous when he started rolling over and sleeping on his belly), learning different sounds, and he's starting to giggle. We're not quite at the full on belly laugh just yet...but definitely getting close. I feel like I'm constantly trying to do things to make him laugh...I just want to hear it SO bad!!

I've got a lot of crafting on my plate!!! A store in TX has decided to carry the baby booties I make...yipeee!! It's a good thing I like to crochet, cause I'll be doing A LOT of that ;) Speaking of which, I should probably get to it.

Hope you're enjoying this HOT HOT day!

It's true what they say...

2010-07-13T21:08:00.005-05:00

...they grow up too fast!

Today Addison and I had the lovely pleasure of visiting a dear friend, Jenny and her brand new nugget Lorelei. I had completely forgotten just how tiny and fragile brand new babes are. I do miss the brand new stage a bit. To my complete delight, I got to experience a little piece of that newborn heaven when the little man decided to take a little snooze on my chest.

It was a full hour of complete newborn bliss...the sweet scent of baby shampoo, the gentle soft breaths, his soft skin against mine...there is nothing quite like it.

We have been quite busy these last couple weeks. Lots of firsts for the little man...

First trip to the lake...

(ahh...the life!)

First baseball game, and fireworks...

(this picture kills me everytime..hehe)

(he was mesmerized by the fireworks...loved it!)

And his first time in the pool...

(sometimes I get worried he's not getting enough to eat...then I look at this picture, and realize...he's definitely getting enough...ha)

Although I do miss the newborn stage...I am absolutely loving these new stages we're going through, and I cannot wait to see what's coming up next!!!

Busy Bee...

2010-06-29T17:00:00.005-05:00

I have been a busy little bee these days. So many ideas running through my head, not nearly enough time to try them all. Its so bad that I was seriously up til about 5:30am, laying in bed, just thinking about the different things I wanted to try...yea, I'm pathetic.

As little time has allowed, here are a few things I've been up to...

Most of these can be found in my etsy if you care to take a gander.

Sorry for such a short post...just wanted to let you know what I've been up to. How about you? What has your summer been looking like so far?

Hope you have a fantastic day!

2010-06-27T11:28:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was little man's 3 month birthday! I feel like I say this all of the time, but holy cow...I can't believe it's been 3 months!

Over the last couple of weeks his sweet personality has been blossoming. He is such a happy, smiley, cuddly little boy...I love it. The little achievements he's been making over this past month are the highlights of my day....

He can hold his head up pretty well while on his tummy...

He continues to be obsessed with his hands, and can put his thumb in his mouth pretty much whenever he wants now. He usually only sucks on his left thumb...perhaps he will be left handed?

He has also found his toes!! He loves trying to grab em every chance he gets.

Dear Addison,
You are the sunshine of our lives. Your beaming smile is so contagious. Thank you for being such an amazing sleeper, and little buddy wherever we go. We are thankful that God choose us to be your parents, because you are such a little blessing to us. We are so excited to see you grow every day and cannot wait to see the kind of man you will be one day.
We Love You!!!
mommy + daddy

Hello...

2010-06-09T11:32:00.004-05:00

My name is Jill, and I am a horrible blogger! haha. As I promised ages ago...here's a mini update on little mr. man.

Addison had his 2 month appointment almost 2 weeks ago. He was 13 lb 10 oz, and 24 1/2 " long, and in the 90 - 95th percentile in all measurements...I think he's gonna be big and strong just like his Daddy :)

He was totally healthy and fine at his appointment, and then came down with a really yucky wet cough the next day...UGH! Can I just say that having a sick baby is NO FUN!! On top of having a sick baby the hubs was out of town for the weekend....double NO FUN! His wet cough was soon accompanied by a runny nose. So when he wasn't any better by Tuesday, we decided to head back to the pediatrician to see what was up. Turns out he had RSV, which in adults and older children is just a cold, but in little babies, turns into something like bronchitis. His breathing had started getting shallow, so they sent us to the ER to be monitored. I wish I could say I stayed completely strong for my little man, but I was a WRECK! The drive to the ER was one of the worst, most nerve-wracking drives in my life! Our pediatrician prepared us for a possible overnight stay in the hospital, but thankfully, he bounced right back and we only stayed in the hospital for a couple hours. It took another few days or so for him to be back to himself...but he's good as new now! I'm glad to have that first sickness behind us, and I feel a little more prepared for next time!

Russ celebrated his first birthday as a Dad last week...

...and for his birthday, Bubbe (Russ' mom) sent us several outfits that were Russ' as a baby.

I absolutely LOVE this little anchor onesie!! It's still a bit big on him...but it'll be perfect for the hot summers here in Nashville.

We're all about our hands lately. Starring at them, watching them move, and stuffing them in our mouth. Every once in a while he gets a thumb, which makes Addison VERY happy.

I really hope Bubbe finds some pictures of Russ in these outfits!!

Little man continues to amaze me pretty much every day. He's so alert and studies everything and everyone he looks at. We prayed every night before he was born that we'd have a calm, happy baby...and he is just that! I see how easy it is to not get anything done these days as it's so hard to not stare at him 24/7.

Hope you're having a lovely week so far!!

TWO!

2010-05-26T11:46:00.003-05:00

Surely it has not been a whole month since I posted last?! Well it seems that it has, and our little man is now 2 months old!!! This past month has just flown by without my knowing it. Addison is growing and SLEEPING like a champion! He's gone 9-10 hrs between feedings the past 4 nights!! I truly thought these nights would never come...haha.

Unfortunately I don't have much time to post, but I wanted to show you his 2 month picture in a comparison to last month...

Seriously?!?! Are you kidding me Addi?!?! Your like a completely different boy!!

I promise I'll share more of what we've been up to with you soon! Hope you're enjoying your day!!!

One monther...

2010-04-26T11:27:00.005-05:00

Yep...little buddy is officially one month old today!!! It's pretty insane how different Addison looks from even just a week ago. I wanted to do something creative to commemorate each month of Addison's life, so I've decided to make him a t-shirt for each month birthday. The plan is to take a picture of him each month wearing the different numbered shirt to show his growth throughout his first year of life!

So here we go with his one month birthday!

(This is the first official picture of Addi's amazing smile!)

I'm super excited about this if you can't tell. ha. Can't wait to see what next month's picture will look like compared to today!!

So, I have another baby bootie design to share with you guys...the crossover Mary Janes!

Yes...Addison is wearing girl shoes, but only so you could see how CUTE these little shoes look on baby feet! I promise I am not turning him into a cross dresser ;)

This weekend was the Country Music Marathon here in Nashville, TN. Sadly due to bad storms, they cut the full marathon short to a half marathon. I couldn't help but feel sorry for those who were attempting a full marathon for the first time, only to be cut short due to weather...ugh. Regardless though, I'm so proud of all of my friends who went for it this year. I'm definitely extra motivated to get goin on loosing this extra baby weight as soon as I'm able to...2 more weeks! Who knows...maybe I'll attempt the marathon next year?!

Lazy Saturday...

2010-04-24T11:30:00.004-05:00

It's 11:30am...and all my boys are still asleep. Addi is rocking away in his swing, making noises I've never hear him make before...so cute! Pups are curled up on the couch, and Russ is catching up on some much needed sleep...poor thing has been rocked hard this month with allergies. So I'm catching up on my blog reading, and thought I'd pop in and say hello to everyone for a bit this morning.

I recently got the Hipstamatic app for my iphone and am loving it! Poor Addison has had to put up with all my mini photo shoots.

He does make the cutest model...does he not?

I cannot believe he's 4 weeks old already!! Every day gets better and better as he continues to grow and little pieces of his personality start to shine through...I love it!!

I've re-caught the crafting bug and am planning out what I'll work on during naps...I can't wait to get back into creating. As a matter of fact, I think I'll take what time I have left right now before mr. man awakes to work on some goods.

Happy last weekend of April...here's to a beautiful May!

Hello my long lost blog

2010-04-21T11:10:00.005-05:00

It's been awhile!

We're in our 4th week of life with Addison, and I cannot believe it! It feels like just yesterday that we brought our sweet, tiny, fragile baby home with us. This morning I decided to play dress up with the little guy, and try on his sweater I made him. I had to roll the sleeves up a touch...but it's so close to fitting!! Too bad he probably won't get a whole lot of use out of it...guess I'll just have to make him a bigger one for the Fall :)

It's kind of late to be giving you the stats from him 2 week appointment (now that we're almost at 4weeks), but as of April 9th he was 10lb 2.5 oz, and 22 1/4", in the 90 - 95th percentile for height and weight! I think we have a biggin!

Let's see...what else has Mr. Addison been up to lately...his umbilical cord fell off yesterday. How silly is it that that was the hi-light of my day?! Ha. I was beyond giddy. I think I also caught a glimmer of a smile from him this morning when I rescued him from his bassinet :) It's truly been such a treat seeing this little guy grow and learn how to do new things.

Oh yea...I have a new style of baby booties to share with you! Though spare time has been limited, during naps I've managed to whip up a pair of these new booties. The pattern says their moccasins, but I think they look more like Clarks. What do you think?

Well...unfortunately that's all the time I have for now. The little mister beckons :)

I hope you're getting a chance to enjoy the beautiful spring weather!!
Lots of Love!

2 years of wedded bliss :)

2010-04-12T12:16:00.004-05:00

I married my very best friend 2 years ago today! I cannot believe how these past 2 years have flown by, but I have a feeling it's about to get faster.

I was browsing through wedding photos today, thinking back on that rather cold April day, 2 years ago. Though cold, it was the perfect day, cause I married my perfect man!

My shnooks Russell,

There are no words to describe how much I love you. God knew what He was doing when He put you in my life. You are that piece in my life that I could not do without. My best friend, and the best Daddy! I can't believe it's already been 2 years, and at the same time, I cannot remember what life was like without you. I cannot wait to see where life continues to take us.

LOVE YOU!!

10 day old shmunkin...

2010-04-05T11:16:00.002-05:00

Dear Addison...

You are 10 days old today, and I really cannot remember what life was like without you. You have been such an incredible source of joy to your Daddy and I. I hope you know how incredibly special you are. I think your pup brothers know how incredibly special you are too. To our complete surprise, they seemed to welcome you into this house, somehow knowing that you belong. Bodhi checks in almost constantly making sure you're ok (sometimes to the point where it annoys mommy...ha), and Jake although not quite as interested, has been seen standing guard while in your bouncy seat. You LOVE your bouncy seat, and are perfectly content looking at the animals on the seat for a couple hours at a time. Have I mentioned how peaceful and content you are?! God truly answered our prayers for a calm baby when He gave you to us. You have been a champion at sleeping at night. Thanks for letting me get 7+ hours of sleep a night (not consecutive just yet, but still...I'll take it). We try to swaddle you real tight, but somehow you magically get your right arm out...every time. You are such a strong boy at 10 days old. You've also started to find your voice. All last night you made the cutest little cooing sounds. I love hearing the sounds you make. Your faces while sleeping are absolutely priceless as well.

Yesterday was your first Easter! We weren't able to make it to church (too many germies for a 9 day old), but we did have a picnic at Shelby park with Aunt Sandy, Uncle Dave, and cousin Coda (who are in town to visit for a week!), and Uncle Nathan and Aunt Katie.

I love you so much my little shmunkin. We are so blessed to have you in our lives, and are loving this new journey!!

Happy 10 days old my little love!

A little somethin...

2010-04-02T17:44:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to share this little video we've been in the process of making for the last 9 months. Hope you enjoy!

Guess the cocktail worked...

2010-04-01T13:03:00.003-05:00

So as you may have guessed...our handsome baby Addi finally made his way into our world, Friday, March 26th at 5:15am...weighing in at 9.7lbs and 21.5"!! It was a long process, and unfortunately the birth plan didn't go how we wanted at all really, but that's all over now, and totally worth having our sweet little man here! I want to share our "birth story", but seeing as how my days are currently measured in 2-3 hr increments, that'll have to wait for another break...ha.

Being a mother has been the most natural, amazing thing I've experienced so far. And to go along with that, Russ has seriously been the most amazing Dad. There is nothing more amazing and heart warming, then seeing your best friend and husband, holding your son. Seriously...words cannot explain.

Just wanted to share a couple of my favorite pictures so far of little mister...

...There's plenty more where that came from :)

Hope you're enjoying your day!!

The cocktail...

2010-03-24T08:14:00.005-05:00

So here we are, about 11 days past due. Apparently little Addison has very little interest in coming out into the world...ha. I had another midwife appointment yesterday, and overall, I'd say it went pretty well. I'm finally dilated (woohoo!!), and after going in to get a sonogram, baby boy is doing great. Here's the thing, according to the sonogram, he's about 10 1/2 pounds!!! Now, everyone has informed me that sonograms are incredibly in-accurate at this stage. So there's a good chance he isn't weighing that much (although it really kinda feels like he is...ha). Both our midwife and the sonogram technician thought he was at least 9lbs, so still a biggin. They've gone ahead and scheduled an induction for next Monday, the 29th at 9pm. At this point, it really has felt like this baby is never coming out, so to actually see a an end in site, less then a week away is kinda crazy. Ultimately though, best case scenario is for me to go into labor all myself...hence, the cocktail!

We saw Sojale (I have no idea how to spell her name...ha) yesterday, and she recommended an interesting cocktail to possibly help speed the process up...and yes, it involves castor oil!! I've NEVER had any intention of drinking castor oil, cause I have heard how much it just plain wrecks you, but at this point, I'm willing to try anything....so here's the cocktail:

4 Tbl Almond Butter
4 Tbl Castor Oil
Glass of Champagne

I gathered my ingredients yesterday, and am ready to get this show on the road!

This should be interesting...
Come on Addison!

I'll let you know how it goes!!!

Change...

2010-03-19T10:25:00.003-05:00

Today is a bittersweet day. It is my last day here at my job of 5 years and 3 months! I've loved it here. The people I work with are amazing, and have been so good to me. This truly has been a blessing of a job as long as I've been here, and although I'm excited to be a stay at home mom, I truly am sad to say goodbye to this place. I'm not too good with change. Whether it's good or bad, moving on to something out of my normal routine is hard for me to do.

But, I am doing my best to embrace this change with all of the amazing things to come, it's on to a new chapter for me...the mommy-hood chapter. I'm nervous and scared, yet excited and hopeful all at the same time. So if I seem a little weepy next time you see me, you know why. There is about to be TONS of change with the impending arrival of our new little one. The only thing I can do at this point is rely on the the God I serve for every need whether emotional, spiritual, or physical, for He is always giving of those things in abundance.

I had a midwife appointment yesterday morning, and unfortunately there really hasn't been any progression (meaning no dilation yet). I know anything can still happen, but I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed yesterday...all day. Although I'm nervous about what's to come, I am totally over this pregnancy right now....just being honest.

But with all of the sadness, there is a bright spot! Today is a new day! It's bright and beautiful outside, and the temperatures keep climbing. Plus it's the weekend...and I love weekends. And tomorrow is supposed to be just as amazing as today! So instead of being bummed that we STILL HAVE NO BABY (hehe), and worrying about change, I am choosing to be positive and happy today. I'm going to take a walk, with a smile on my face, because today is a good day! And who knows...maybe we'll have ourselves a little man by the end of the weekend ;)

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2010-03-17T10:15:00.004-05:00

I'm not Irish or anything...but Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!! And yes...still no baby!! I've taken long walks, gotten a foot massage, eaten spicy chicken and hot wings, did lunges and squats, bounced on an exercise ball for 45 min, drank red raspberry leaf tea, and other things of a more personal nature ;) and STILL NO BABY!!! It's getting really uncomfortable little buddy, and we really want to see your face, so please come out soon!!!

On to other things, non-baby related...saw this great post on Design*Sponge this morning on organizing and displaying your notions!

{Image and tutorial found HERE}

Now, I don't really know that I'd want to make these for that purpose, to be honest. I just think it would be a great little crafting art piece. Man I wish I had a little craft room!! I mean, not to complain, cause I LOVE our little house, but all crafting and arts are squished into a small space in this back room/hall of our house. I think that will definitely be on my list whenever it's time to move into a new house...Must have a craft room!

Enjoy your St. Patty's Day everyone...and drink a green beer for me :)

And the wait continues...

2010-03-15T12:39:00.005-05:00

As you have probably guessed...no baby just yet. Russ and I have tried pretty much everything over the weekend to get this baby boy moving...but he doesn't seem that interested. Thanks to my dear friend Ms Holly, I have something else to try...Raspberry Leaf tea! Hopefully this will speed up the process...I guess we'll see!

This little boy could come any day now, so Russ and I are really trying to nail down exactly how we feel about all of those procedures hospitals have for newborns...Here's kinda what we're thinking:

Eye Ointment: Although there really isn't harm in getting the ointment (besides the fact that your little one will have goopy eyes, and may not be able to focus well at first), for us, it's just unnecessary. Eye ointment is strictly to prevent infant blindness in little ones whose mothers have tested positive for chlamydia, syphilis, or gonorrhea. So if you don't have any of those STDs, there really is no point in getting the goop.

Vitamin K: This is the one that Russ and I are still battling over. There is a rare (5 in 100,000 births) genetic disorder where bleeding in the brain can occur in newborns. Because of this, it's pretty routine for hospitals to administer a vitamin K shot within the first hours of birth. Now, it would seem like this would be a great preventative measure to take, but there are also some risks. Because the vitamin K shot that is given is so high in concentration, there have been some links to childhood cancer. The statistics on this are very low as wel, which makes the decision even harder to make. Do we get the shot to prevent a disease that little guy may not even have? Or do we not give the shot to lower his chances of childhood cancer? To add to these questions, we do plan on circumcising (which could cause this rare disease to flare up if he were to have it). However after talking to our midwife, I think we've come up with a good middle of the ground solution. As of right now, our plan is to wait until he is a week or so old before we get little man circumcised. Mavis suggested going this route for a couple reasons. First, Addi will be able to get all of the vitamin K he will need by me taking a Vitamin K supplement, and breastfeeding. This way he gets the vitamin K he needs gradually and in a smaller more manageable dose, before he gets circumcised, lowering the risk of bleeding. Also, being a first time mom, and he obviously being a first time baby (hehe), neither of us really have a clue how this whole breast feeding thing works. Mavis suggested it could be beneficial to get used to the whole breast feeding thing before introducing something traumatic such as a circumcision. Our pediatrician also does circumcisions in their office, so no worries there. So as of right now, and pending a relatively normal non-tramatic birth, that's kind of our plan on the vitamin K subject. There are lots of great resources out there though. One article I read that I thought was really fair and balanced can be found Here.

PKU Test: We are ok with doing these tests. The procedure consists of a small prick to the heel to collect a blood sample. They use that blood sample to detect conditions that can possibly be prevented or treated. Other then the pain of the prick, I haven't found any other reason to decline this procedure.

Hep B: Vanderbilt doesn't do routine Hep B shots anymore for newborns. If they did though, we probably wouldn't be doing this. It is virtually impossible for newborns to contract this disease unless their mothers are infected with the Hep B virus...and being that I'm not, I think we're in the clear here.

I think that's it on the newborn procedures at Vanderbilt. These are just our personal choices, which we are still thinking and praying about.

Would love to know your thoughts as well!

Baby Day...

2010-03-13T16:47:00.002-06:00

So...we've reached the end of the countdown, and still no baby :(

All good though. Little Addi will get here whenever he decides it's time...let's just hope it's sooner rather then later...ha.

Hope you guys are getting a chance to relax this weekend!

Un Giorno!

2010-03-12T09:18:00.011-06:00

One Day!
One day till the weekend (much needed at that), and one day til we've reached baby's due date! Russ is pretty convinced that this baby is coming tomorrow...but as we all know, baby will come when baby wants to :)

As promised I have a little tutorial to share with you (the pictures aren't great...I really need a new camera...haha.)

Contour Changing Pad Cover Tutorial!

Here's what you'll need:

1 yd fabric comfy cozy fabric that is at least 44" wide. I chose flannel for the softness and durability. Most fabric is 44/45" wide, but to be on the safe side, I'd check the bolt your fabric is on to make sure. If your fabric is not at least 44" wide, get 1 1/4 yds of fabric.
Four 6” pieces of ¾ “ elastic
Sewing thread
Scissors
Pins

Step 1: Prewash and iron your fabric!

Step 2: Cut out a rectangle from your fabric. Because there are different sized changing pads, be sure to measure you’re changing pad and jot down the measurements…

L + Hx2 + 4 inches
W + Hx2 + 4 inches

Most contour changing pads are approximately 16”W x 32”L x 4”H, so the piece you will cut should be 44” x 28”.

Step 3: Cut out a 6” square from each corner (the 6” measurement comes from the height of your changing pad + 2”). You can save the squares for another fun project :)

Step 4: Take the two 6” sides at the corner and pin them right sides together then sew ¼ inch seam from corner to end.

Zig zag along the edge to prevent fraying

Repeat at each corner

Step 6: Fold the edges under about a ¼ of an inch and iron. Fold ironed edges under again, about ¼ inch, then sew a ¼ inch seam around entire edge

Step 7: Take one of your 6" pieces of elastic, and fold in half. Pin the middle of it to the bottom of the corner seam you just made.

Stretch the elastic as far as you can along edge of cover and pin elastic to fabric. (when you let go, the fabric will be all bunched up. Repeat with the other side of the elastic

Step 8: Set your machine to a stretch stitch, or if you don't have that, a zig zag stitch will do just fine.

Put the pinned end of the elastic and fabric into your machine, lower the presser foot and turn the wheel to get the needle into it to hold it in place.

Now stretch the elastic all the way out so it is flush with the fabric, and hold it taught as you sew it in place.
When you're finished sewing across the entire piece of elastic, your corner should look like this...

Repeat on all 4 corners.

Voila…you’ve finished your custom changing pad cover!!

Hope this tutorial has been helpful! I'd love to see how your changing pad covers turn out!! If you're not very sew savvy, but would like a cute unique cover for your little munchkin, I'd love to make one for you! Just shoot an email to justdandyjill@gmail.com.

Happy Friday my friends...Fingers crossed I won't be blogging tomorrow, and will be having a baby instead ;)

Strangers...

2010-03-11T13:40:00.002-06:00

...are really friendly and talkative when you're pregnant. I've found that people in the South are generally nicer then the North. They usually will smile back at you or say hey, but when you're pregnant, they actually talk to you, ask you when you're due, what you're having, etc, and then say super nice and encouraging things as well! Although this pregnancy really has been relatively easy, I wouldn't say that I've loved being pregnant. Gaining weight, and the limited mobility is no fun. But the kind words from strangers, and awesome friends have definitely been a huge bright spot for me. So thanks to all of you for your encouragement and sweet words...they have been more appreciated then you could possibly know!!!

Deux jours!

2010-03-11T09:16:00.003-06:00

Ok folks, we're getting REALLY close to this baby's due date...just 2 days! I went and saw Mavis, our midwife, this morning, and everything is looking great! I'm measuring at 40 weeks, baby boy is still "in position" and his little heart beat is just where it should be (I just love the sound of his little thumping heart!). Only bummer is that there is no dilation...boo!! Now, I know that's just information, and anything can happen, but I couldn't help but be slightly disappointed about the news. On an encouraging note, my dear sister Tamara called me right before my appointment to tell me that even if I'm not dialated, anything can happen. With her little boy Drew, she wasn't dialated at all when she went to her last appointment before her due date, and then went into labor the very next day! That's definitely what I'm going for...I've got my fingers crossed ;)

My top 5 reasons for wanting to go into labor this weekend are...

1.) I'm dying to see what this little man looks like, and hold him, kiss him, and love on him!!!

2.) I just want to get the whole labor and delivery over with! ha.

3.) I feel like I'm in a holding pattern in my life right now...I'm ready to get into a routine with this little nugget.

4.) Our midwife is actually on call this weekend...I would LOVE for Mavis to be able to deliver our baby!!

5.) I'm sick of not being able to feel my fingers! ha.

So, I think I've mentioned in the past that I've been obsessing over the silliest things, like the nursery and what to bring our little guy home in. Well, the nursery is done (woohoo!), with the exception of the space above the changing dresser. But we've finally decided what we're doing there and that will hopefully be finished today or tomorrow. I also have picked out little man's going home outfit...

I'm super into stripes and nautically (don't think that's really a word, but I'm goin with it) looking things these days, if you can't tell. I found the uber cute hoodie at BabyGap...on sale!! Then we have his little anchor onesie I made using a freezer paper stencil, some super comfy knit pants, and of course navy and lime green button loafers :) This outfit says, "I'm a sailor, and I like to be comfy"...haha. (wow, I'm ridiculous)

Have any of you pregger mommies been obsessing or have obsessed about little things like a going home outfit?! Please tell me that I'm not crazy!!

Happy Thursday!

Drei Taga

2010-03-10T09:03:00.004-06:00

Anyone guess what language that is?! If you said German...you're right! ha. When we were given the choice to pick what language we wanted to learn in Junior High, I picked German...what was I thinking?!?! I mean, if you love the language, all the more power to you, but unless you plan on moving over there one day, or you have German heritage, it's kinda useless. Looking back I wish I would have taken French! It's such a romantic, beautiful language! Or maybe even Italian. Although, I don't really think they offered that at my school. Oh well, such is life.

So we're just 3 days away from Addison's due date!! I have an appointment with our midwife tomorrow morning, and we'll see if there is any dialation. Man I really hope there is, cause I am definitely ready for this little bean to get here!! We packed up our hospital bag last night, which makes this whole thing even more real. AND I've been having dreams about breastfeeding...haha. Addi wasn't taking to it very well...I really hope that's just me being worried, and not an actual prediction of what's to come!

That's it for this dreary Wednesday morning, but I shall not complain...at least we're in the 60's!!

PS - Love these babies, and their mommas...

Maren Elinor McTague

Grace Anne Verne

Nola James Smith

Londyn Zoe Thrasher

Boone Christian Zuehlke

Madilyn Sailor Dudley

Cuatro dias...

2010-03-09T10:31:00.006-06:00

One more day of pregnancy completed...4 more until the due date! Countdowns can get kinda boring, so to spice it up, I'm going to start posting the days to go in different languages..ha.

I'm convinced the nursery won't ever be "finished", as I'm pretty sure I'll always be thinking of additional projects, but we are pretty darn close to being "finished" with the nursery, so I decided to fill all of you lovely people in on our little man's first room :)

I am SO happy with how this room has evolved into what it is. Both Russ and I have put more work into just this one room then I think we've put into our whole house in the almost 2 yrs we've lived here...ha.

So without further a due, my little virtual tour of the nursery...
Hope you like it!

We just finished the nest lamp last night, and it turned out more perfect then I could have imagined. We made the decision to put a string of Christmas lights in the shade for some soft night time lighting. It's so sparkly, and the shadows it casts at night are amazing! I found a DIY tutorial on creating these cute nest like shades on Craftynest.com. It's actually a rather simple process, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I started my first shade almost a year ago. I never actually finished it because I ran out of hemp, and then the ball I used to wrap the hemp had deflated, and we had to throw it out...ha. However, this time around the shade was completed in just a couple days, and I'm so happy with how it just pulls the room together!

I found this little bedside table at the Goodwill Outlet for $3!!! Slap a coat of paint on it, and a cute little knob from anthropologie, and voila! The paint color was a total experiment. We have tons of 1/2 cans of paints from painting rooms and what not...so to save a little moola, we decided to combine some colors, and this is what we got! It wasn't exactly the color I was going for, but I love it!

I decidede to made a couple different pillows for the chair cause I wasn't really feeling the initial one. And there's that baby blanket I finished at 4am yesterday morning...haha.

The tree stump ottoman continues to be one of my favorite pieces about the room. Thanks hubs for such a great idea!!!

I made the curtains out of a pretty little fabric from Heather Bailey. Please go check out her fabric...it'll brighten your day for sure!

We were on a pretty tight budget for this room, so we decided to utilize some pieces we already had around the house. Russ found this amazing wooden bench awhile ago. We LOVE rustic wood pieces, and I love it even more in the context of this room! I also love having this vintage style record player along with our record collection on display. Russ and I have a true love and passion for music, and we plan on sharing that love with our little one as much as possible. The blocks were made by my good friend Jenny of Liberty and Lace...are they not the cutest?!

This wall is was the very first project Russ and I completed for the nursery. I love that while sitting in the rocker, this is what I'm looking at! Russ did an amazing job on the tree murals, and of course the crib just makes it perfect! The drawers under the crib are filled with toys and other various treasures our little one will surely be getting in to one day. Each drawer has felt on the bottom for easy sliding, while still protecting our floors!

You've already seen these, but I couldn't help but do another close up...Love these birds!

Addison's little buddies! I can't wait to see Addi running around dragging these little guys behind him :)

This is the wall that still puzzles me. I'm trying my hardest to figure out what to do with that wall!! Until I figure it out, it'll just have to do as is.

I really wanted something bright, cheery and soft for the changing pad cover, but couldn't find a thing that would do...so I made one :) (I plan on posting a tutorial on how to create your own changing pad cover soon!).

I love Terrariums, and have been wanting to make one for FOREVER! I finally did it, and now I want to have them all over my house! haha. The little wooden birds are from West Elm, I want these all over my house as well.

This is little buddie's reading nook! He's got his books, a nice cushy pillow, and a little buddy to read to. The only thing missing is our sweet boy!

Another of Russ' contributions to the nursery is this AMAZING A he designed and made! Seriously...how lucky am I that I have a husband who loves to create just as much as I do?! He is so talented, and this A couldn't be more perfect! The idea for the book shelf display came off of a post on Ohdeedoh (a daily read for me for the last few months). I just thought it was such a fun way to display our little book collection.

So I ended up just redoing the turtle head, and per my lovely sister's suggestion, put a couple eyes on him :)

And this concludes the tour of Addison Nolan Hickman's room.
Now all we need is a baby!!!

39 weeks and 3 days...can't wait to finally meet you my sweet little man!!!

5!!!

2010-03-08T09:20:00.002-06:00

I was planning on continuing my countdown over the weekend, but it was just so beautiful warm and sunny outside here in Nashville, there was no way I could allow myself to stay indoors.

So here we are at 5 days away from our due date!!! I know it's not probable that this baby will make his way into this world in 5 days, but I still cannot believe how close we are getting to little man being here!! At church yesterday I kept thinking "How crazy is it that this time next week, I may not be pregnant anymore?!". It's such a crazy feeling but I am definitely ready for our little boy to get here!

I had another insomnia filled night last night (up from about 12a - 4:30a this morning...ugh). My mind was just racing about anything and everything baby, including imagining all of the inconvenient place my water could possibly break...ha. I have such a wild imagination. I totally imagined taking a walk on my lunch break from work and my water breaking while I walked down the sidewalk. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! haha! I've decided that I'm going to stock both of our cars with towels, just in case something unfortunate like that actually happens.

At about 2:30a, and my eyes wide awake, I figured I might as well be productive, so I tip toed myself to the couch and finally finished that baby blanket I've been painstakingly working on for the last few weeks! It's a little smaller...partially because I want to use it as a stroller/car seat blanket, but also because my poor fingers just couldn't take the beating. I'm so glad to have it finished though! I still need to make him a couple pairs of baby booties to bring him home in...I'm truly shocked I haven't made him a pair yet! Oh yea, and I should have pictures for all of you of the finished nursery this week! Just a couple last minute finishing touches, and we're done!

I meant to post a picture of the belly this morning...but for some reason my computer decided it wanted to delete them, and me being the absent minded person that I have been the last few weeks, deleted them off of my camera...ugh! So you'll just have to imagine what I look like these days...it's quite the site. The belly continues to just get bigger and bigger, and surprisingly my legs are staying about the same. Russ says I look like an orange on a toothpick...ha. I'll post something for you as soon as I get a chance and you can be the judge :)

Happy Monday!

I love him!

2010-03-05T13:00:00.000-06:00

I was looking through old pictures, remembering all of the amazing times Russ and I have had since we've been together. He's my very best friend, and I am so excited that we get to share this next step of parenthood together! He's seriously going to be the best Dad! These are just a few of my favorites...can't wait to add a picture of our happy little family once little Addi gets here!!

Kissin at the Eiffel Tower

Happily Engaged!

One of the best days of my life!

Honeymooners

One year of wedded bliss!

Our first Home!

Hickmans!

One last trip pre-parenthood

8...

2010-03-05T09:12:00.002-06:00

Yep...just 8 short days before our due date! It's pretty crazy to think that this little man could literally be here any day now! I had another midwife appointment this morning. Everything is looking great! My blood pressure is right where it should be, little man is head down and has dropped into position, and his heart rate looks great. He decided he needed to show Ms Margret how good he was at moving around and kicking...haha. So there you have it! We're truly in the last stretch of a pregnancy that really has just flown by! I have a feeling today is going to be a good one...the sun is shining, and we are SO close to the weekend (and a beautiful one at that).

Enjoy your day!

9 days...

2010-03-04T12:39:00.005-06:00

{picture via designspongeonline.com}

I wasn't kidding when I said I was counting down to the due date..ha. One day down, 9 more until the due date, and who knows how long until he actually gets here :)

Russ and I got SO excited this morning when we looked up the 10 day forecast, because the warmer weather is FINALLY making it's way to Nashville...Hallelujah!!! I can't tell you how excited I am for sunshine, and the opportunity to put away my winter coat (that BARELY buttons up these days)! I'm looking forward to a beautiful weekend of walks, spending quality time with my best friend and hubby Russell, and finishing up all of those last minute things on our to-do list. Oh spring...how I love thee and have been waiting for you to get here for what seems like FOREVER!!

Tomorrow we see our midwife again! I'm feeling like little buddy has finally dropped (due to feeling like I have to pee every minute, and being able to eat large quantities of food that I shouldn't...haha), but I guess we'll see what they say!

Have a lovely day!

10 days and counting...

2010-03-03T13:08:00.003-06:00

I'm starting the official baby day countdown today! I don't know what switched in my head, but I'm finally at the point where I am ready as ever to have this baby!! Ha. Prior to today, I've been stressing about the silliest little things, like what we'll bring little man home in, what I want to wear home, having the nursery completely put together, the list goes on and on. I've seriously been obsessing over these things in my head, so much so that I've been terrified that I'd go into labor without it all figured out! Well those days are over, and I just cannot wait for our little mister to get here!!

Finding Joy...

2010-03-02T09:14:00.002-06:00

I have to be honest, the last couple of weeks it's been somewhat of a challenge to find joy in every day life, and especially on a day like today where it's cold and slushy, it's easy for me to give in to feeling sorry for myself. My emotions are literally all over the place (poor husband...if you know him, give him a pat on the back, cause he's been a trooper!), and I've been feeling a tad overwhelmed with various things, some including the thought of birthing a child, and then knowing what to do with said child when we bring him home, plus a random assortment of other things like cleaning, finishing the nursery, finances, etc. But I'm officially putting a stop to all of these sad thoughts, because I have A LOT to be thankful for and to find joy in...

1. Having faith and hope in a God who has always, and promises to always take care of our every need! We have a roof over our head, food in our bellies, and clothes on our back...God has truly blessed us!

2. I am married to one of the most amazing men on the planet. He is my very best friend, and has been so incredibly loving and supportive through all of these changes!

3. God chose Russ and I to be parents!! And not just to any kid...but to this little baby boy growing inside of my belly! Not everyone is blessed with this kind of gift. I know it will be hard. There will be sleepless nights, tears, and frustrations, but I can only imagine what it will be like to hold him, and to stare in amazement at his beautiful tiny face! I can only imagine that raising him, will be one of the greatest joys I've ever known!

4. I have 3 beautiful, wonderful sisters (all who have just recently had babies) and an amazing mom (who birthed 6 children...I think she's had her share of experience). Although I don't live near them (boo), they are only a phone call away, no matter what silly little questions I may have about what to do with a newborn :)

5. We have amazing friends who have been so supportive and helpful already, and the baby isn't even here yet. Not to mention my little brother and his girlfriend who do live here in Nashville. It's truly a blessing to have such enthusiastic, loving family nearby!

6. I know this may be a little silly to be thankful for, but we have the cutest, most affectionate pups! It's a special feeling coming home, knowing that there are 2 little buddies that are just DYING to see you! They love us unconditionally!

7. It's almost Spring!! I love to be outdoors, and I am thrilled that we've pretty much made it through winter, and we're on to spring, summer and the outdoors!

There are a million other things out there for me to find joy in...these are just at the top of my list.

What are you finding joy in today?

Celebrate the Boy!

2010-02-25T10:36:00.006-06:00

With so many cute tutorials on how to make little girl things out there, I've been so excited that this month, one of my favorite blogs to read, MADE, has been posting tutorials on cute things to make for little boys!!! Here are some of my favorites so far...

Baby Boy Onesie
from omi creates

{picture via omi creates}

I am SO into stripes of late. Stripes on me, stripes for our baby...i just love STRIPES! I must admit I'm a little afraid of working with knit fabric, but I'm determined to try this sweet onesie out!

the 90 min Shirt
from MADE

{image via MADE}

Dana's little boy is just the cutest!!! This is probably going to be the first project I try. I also love how Dana repurposes adult clothing to make stuff for her little ones...I know i've mentioned her before, but if you haven't checked out her blog or her tutorials, and you sew and have little ones...she's a must read!

The Slim Slack
from This Mama Makes Stuff

{image via This Momma Makes Stuff}

Just came across this tutorial this morning, and am seriously in LOVE with the idea of making little skinny pants for our little guy. They just look so cute on these kiddos, and I cannot wait to make a pair! This is the first I've been introduced to This Momma Makes Stuff, and am already in amazement at her skills! Carrie also does a lot of her crafting by repurposing clothing, bedding etc. I definitely plan on browsing her blog and finding more fun things to make for our little buddy.

So many amazing things to make...so little time :)
Happy Thursday!

Cloth Diapering...at 4am.

2010-02-24T04:02:00.009-06:00

Ah the joys of trying to sleep during the last few weeks of pregnancy...ha. It's 4am and I am WIDE AWAKE! So instead of continuing to toss and turn and keep the hubbers up, I've moved my belly and I out to the living room, propped up on the couch. I must say this is MUCH more comfortable then trying to lay on my side, with my hips and hands throbbing :)

{image via ehow.com}

Since before we even got pregnant, I knew I really wanted to try cloth diapering. Why you ask? Well let me tell you...

* Cost - It's estimated that over the course of diapering your child you will spend around $1500 on disposable diapers, whereas with cloth diapering your initial cost is more expensive (around $200 - $500 depending on the type and brand you get), but you can use them for the duration of diapering your child, and future children to come...saving you even MORE money!

* The Environment - I wouldn't say that Russ and I are "environmentalists", but we personally believe that as believers in the God who created this earth, it's our job to do the best we can to take care of it. It is estimated that around 5 million tons of untreated waste is deposited into landfills via disposables every year. If we can do something as simple as cloth diaper our child, and contribute to the lowering of that number, then why not?

* Health - There are all kinds of nasty chemicals that they put into disposable diapers these days to make them extra absorbent. I don't want that stuff touching our sweet baby's skin!!

* Potty Training - Because cloth diapers aren't as absorbent as disposables, babies tend to potty train earlier because they can feel wetness. Now obviously we haven't gotten a chance to test this out yet, but I'm already over changing diapers, and I haven't even started...ha...so anything that will help get this little guy on the potty and out of diapers, I'm willing to try :)

There are TONS of resources out there on the world wide interweb on how to cloth diaper, the different kinds of cloth diapering, how to clean, etc. simplemoms.net is a great resource I found on all things cloth diapers.

Russ and I have decided to go the all-in-one route, which unfortunately is also the most expensive way to cloth diaper your child...ugh, what to do! I am SO thankful that my friend Julie from patisserie mommie posted about Sunbaby Cloth Diapers! You can only buy them on ebay (I know...sketch), but they're super cheap (under $5/diaper...most all-in-ones will cost you $15 - $20/diaper), and Julie's tried them and LOVES them, and from what I've read online, they've been gettting good reviews. So Sunbaby we shall go! I'll let you know how these diapers do when it comes to testing them out, but I'm optimistic about the possibilities!

Although I've done some research, I'd LOVE to get your thoughts on cloth vs disposable and what works for you and your muchkin!

Well it's 5am now...I think I'll try to get at least a couple more hours of sleep before I really have to get up. Wish me luck!

Can we really only be 16 days away from baby day?!?!

2010-02-19T09:09:00.003-06:00

Another project finished!!

Going along with the whole "Woodland" theme, Russ and I combined our brain powers and came up with this fun little idea for an ottoman! I basically created a slip cover that is over an ottoman we bought at Target. The woodgrain fabric is from the talented designer Joel Dewberry. It fits perfectly for what we had in mind. I embroidered the rings on a piece of white corduroy I had laying around, and then the leaves are scraps from the fabric I used for the turtle. Once I figured out how I wanted to make it, it really came together relatively easy...thank the good Lord for that :)

So my dear dear friend Melissa posted a fun little survey on her blog yesterday about her pregnancy. She is 16 weeks, due in August!! I cannot tell you how excited I am to be pregnant along with some of my best girl friends! I cannot wait til our babies are toddlers, and we can have play dates all the time!! I loved her survey so much, and get asked a lot of these questions, so I decided to copy her great idea (hope you don't mind Melissa...ha), and fill out the survey myself!

How Far Along? 37 weeks, and 6 days!

How Big is Baby? According to our midwife, Mavis, at last week's appointment she was guessing 6 1/2 pounds...yikes!

Gender? Bouncing Baby Boy :)

Weight Gained So Far? I respectfully decline to answer this one...lets just say I've never weighed this much before in my life! haha.

Maternity Clothes? Really the only piece of Maternity clothing I own are jeans with the full panel. They're pretty comfy. Although as soon as I get home from work, the first thing I do is put on my comfy clothes...ha.

Stretch Marks? Ugh...I wish I could say No, but sadly I must say yes...boo! I did everything I was told...lotioned my big ole belly up 2 - 3 times a day with coco butter lotion, and still have stretch marks. Anyone know how to get rid of them after baby is born?!

Sleep? I'd be doing great in the sleep department if it weren't for my dang hands!!! Because I'm swollen like a marshmallow at this point, all of the fluid in my hands and wrists is putting pressure on the nerves, causing my fingers to go numb. And then at night, my hands are throbbing. All I have to say is this had better go away once baby gets here, cause I cannot handle this!

Best Moment of the Week? Hmmm...We found our pediatrician?! It's actually a HUGE relief to have that nailed down...one less thing to think about :)

Any Movement? TONS!! It's the craziest thing feeling and seeing this guy move around in there. Every once in awhile, while sitting on the couch we'll see this massive movement from one side to the other. It's kinda strange when you really think about it. And although sometimes it's a bit annoying (like at night time when I'm trying to sleep), it's always comforting.

Looking Forward To? Seeing our sweet boy's face for the first time! We're getting so close!!!

Embarrassing Pregnancy Moment? Every day is embarrassing. My belly is my food catcher, my brain really doesn't work properly, and I waddle. I'm a waddling disaster...haha.

Thanks for reading...and enjoy your weekend friends!

I heart fabric...

2010-02-17T08:48:00.003-06:00

I think I could browse fabrics all day every day. I cannot describe how or why I find textiles so appealing...they just are! One of my favorite fabric designers is the lovely Anna Maria Horner. She created the lovely yellow flannel, and the divine floral fabric. Not only does she create beautiful fabrics, but she lives in Nashville, has 6 kids (i'm one of six...wink) and has the sweetest blog. Anna, if for some random crazy reason you happen to stumble across my blog, and read this post, I love your work and you are a true inspiration!

I cannot wait to work with this fabric! The flannel and stripes (stripes designed by another of my favorite designers Heather Bailey. Her fabrics are to die for, and you should check her out!) are all lined up for top secret nursery projects...ha. Regarding the floral, I have still to come up with a good project for this gem. I have this really BAD habit of buying fabric without a project in mind...any suggestions? Unfortunately I only have a half a yard, so the possibilities are somewhat limited.

I finished my last bunny order last night...HALLELUJAH! This one has been quite the challenge since this carpal tunnel has set in. By the end of the night my hands were throbbing!

I really love this little lady though, and she was worth the challenge. I love the colors and just how she turned out in general. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get great pictures because of my silly camera, but you get the idea.

Well that's it for today. 24 days and counting...woohoo!

Weekend happenings..

2010-02-16T09:37:00.003-06:00

I've found it is both a blessing and a curse to have random holidays off. An obvious blessing because one can usually sleep in and do whatever they want that day, but also a curse, because it makes it that much harder to go back into work! Haha.

Our weekend was pretty busy, but altogether great! Saturday I got to hang out with three of my bestest for a little brunch at Jackson's (just like old times). And then later on that evening, Russ and I put the changing table/dresser combo together!! Putting furniture together is one of our least favorite tasks, but we did it, and with very limited arguing and frustration...haha. We also worked on several nursery projects (pictures to come soon...we're getting SO close!!!), and watched a lot of the Olympic action. It's funny how the olympics just seem to draw us in. Sports that we wouldn't normally even think twice about watching, draw us in completely! It's pretty funny if you ask me!

Oh yea...I took a second stab at freezer paper stenciling!

If you live in Buffalo, then you know all about these awesome t-shirts that are everywhere these days. I absolutely LOVE these shirts, and would like to make one for myself one day, but I thought I'd start off with one for the babe...too bad that the tube of scarlett fabric paint turned out pink with sparkles in it! Ugh. (anyone from Buffalo or who loves Buffalo want a 6-9 month onesie for a little girl?!) I definitely plan on making another onesie...but hopefully with actual red fabric paint instead :) I think this second stab turned out pretty good! Still not perfect by any means, but I'm diggin it.

We hit the 36 week mark this past Saturday! It still has yet to really hit me that we're having a baby in around 4 weeks! All the signs are there (boy are they ever), I feel him moving around, I have a giant beach ball for a stomach, but the reality of just how much our lives are about to change has not really sunk in yet. I think it will take actually seeing little mister before it will really sink in. I'm still feelin ok these days. The mornings and night seem to be the worst. I've unfortunately developed a temporary case of carpaltunal (at least it had better be temporary!!), which makes typing at a computer all day, and then working on projects somewhat difficult. I have one more bunny order to finish, and then I think I might have to take a little knitting sabatical, my poor hands just can't take it!

On a different note...I've had an old hymn in my head all morning and just wanted to share...

I Need The Every Hour

Words by Annie S Hawks (1872)

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.