Sewing Projects and Monthly Goals

So over the past 6 months I have been doing different sewing projects for AR and as gifts for other babies.  I always take pictures intending to put them on here after giving the person their gift.  Well, I usually forget.  So I'm going to take a moment to share some of them with you... exciting, huh?!  Also, Mollie, your children's birthday gifts are going to be included so it's up to you if you want to see them beforehand or not... that's your warning.  :)

Onsie and burp cloth for a friend from church

Dog onsie with matching burp cloths for the little boy that I'm keeping once a week.

Gender neutral onsie and matching burp cloths for Meredith's baby who was born last week and is a girl!!

Mollie and I both made a cupcake shirt for our girls to wear for their birthdays!  Here's to hoping they don't fall apart!

Another onsie for the little boy I keep.  This was one of my favs!

Mollie and I both make the girls a Christmas tree onsie.  I actually found these pants with the ribbon belt at a consignment sale and picked out the ribbons on the onsie to match.

This is my 2nd attempt at making pants and they actually do fit.  I aimed for 12m which she can already fit into, but they are too long so I will be shortening them this weekend.  I found the giraffe shirt idea here.

These shirts I made for my adorable nephew and niece.  Of course I made AR one too!!

Back side of the shirts.

Another shirt I appliqued for AR

And another... Meredith, you can borrow this one next spring/summer!  :)

Now, onto another topic...

I never really do New Year's Resolutions... mainly b/c I can't keep them.  However, I decided that this was the year everything was going to find a place in our house or it wouldn't be welcome anymore.  Sometimes I feel like our house is just too small... but really we just have too much junk.  Don't get me wrong, our house is small, but I heard once that a small house holds just as much love as any other house.  I like to think we just feel that love a little more, seeing as it's all squeezed in here a little tighter!  

I also realize that there is a pretty good chance we may have two children in this house one day and I need to get started on living more simple. I was reading www.moneysavingmom.com and she all these monthly goals that just scared me.  I couldn't figure out where she had the time to get all of them done on top of everything else she does.  But then I decided I could do monthly goals, just had to decide how many would be feasible for me.  So I started in Feb. and during that month I only had two goals, but I was thinking about my March goals.

My new monthly goal print out.

 

 

 

 

I have to admit, I only accomplished about 2/3's of this month's goals.  We have gotten AR on a consistent bedtime routine which is nice.  We still forget to brush her teeth 1/2 the time though.  As for the office, I did clean out the desk drawer... which was about the only thing I hadn't gone through in this house since marrying William.  Tons of nick-knacks, an old toothbrush, fingernail clippers, and other randomness... men!  Now it's nice and organized and cleaned out... except that the clippers keep finding their way back.  Guess I'm not going to fight that one! 

My biggest two excuses for not completed the office, other than having a mobile 10m old... are 1) lack of $ to buy organizational items and 2 )an extremely busy husband who is completing a job this week and therefore hasn't been able to help me eliminate more items.  I'm headed to IKEA next week to hopefully find some items for the office.

So for March my goals are:
1) Finally complete the office clean out/organization.
2) Complete my Spring mantle decor (by March 20, 1st day of Spring)
3) Get rid of 100+ things.  Read about this here.
4) Complete the book "Your Girl"
5) Get AR to have independent play pen time two times a day for at least 25 minutes each.  (unless we are not at home during these times aka church, grocery store, etc...)

You probably could care less about my goals, but I think by doing an end of the month update on how that month went as well as posting next months goals will keep me more motivated... I hope at least! 

Now, if you have made it this far I think you deserve some new pics of my favorite girl!!

This isn't the best picture, due to her face being pulled sideways, but this girl loves to hold phones up to her ears now! 

"You might be a redneck if...your daughter plays with deer antlers!"  Good thing we have a birthday coming up so we can get some new toys! 

About to go take a bath!

Nothing but pure cuteness!

Mollie, I can see the 3+ pound difference in this pic compared to yours!  Caroline doesn't have any belly!

7 Months and Much, Much More!

Let us catch up!!  We have all been out of town this past week and I'm just now getting around to getting my pictures uploaded and therefore it's time to update the blog!  Note, this is about 3 blogs in one so I apologize beforehand!

Last week, William and my dad went on a bird hunting trip to Kansas.  They left on Saturday and didn't return until Sunday morning.  Since William was gone we decided it would be a nice time to visit with some family.  On Saturday, we headed to Mimi's  house and stayed a night there.  They had to feed the college students at church so we helped with that and then headed to GA to visit with Mollie, Chad, Grayson, and Caroline.  We stayed there until Wednesday.  We had lots of fun with the cousins and the mama's were able to get some shopping and sewing done thanks to Mimi who kept all 3 a few different times! 

The three cousins having fun

AR's first "pick-up food" - puffs.  We were laughing at her b/c it looked a tooth.

While showing Mimi something on the computer I heard AR fussing a bit.  When we finally got in there we found this - Grayson trying to love on her b/c she was upset, though she probably wasn't feeling the love.

Uncle Chad was giving Grayson a horsey ride and he [Grayson] wanted "AbbRuf" to join!

Wednesday evening we headed to Lovey's with Aunt Katie for the rest of the weekend.  Katie had to leave the next day though because she got a job!  While we missed her greatly, we are so thankful that she has a new job and know that she will do great at it!  We had some more fun with Lovey and I was able to get even more sewing done! 

She was loving this mirror so much that I moved it to the living room later.  I see Katie's wedding dress back there!

Up close and personal with the mirror

Two of the shirts I've made for Abby Ruth.  The green one was one that Mollie and I both made for the girls' birthday this April!

I found these pants at a consignment sale and knew that I wanted to make a top to match them for Christmas.  Mollie and I made matching tops for the girls.

Close up of the top

I finally got around to making pants to match the giraffe shirt (for the 2nd time that is).  I have really learned a lot about sewing these past few weeks as I've attempted pants and ruffles.  I was really pleased with these and plan to make more.  Let's just hope that they fit at the same time as the shirt does :)

On Sunday we were so happy to see William!!  Glad they returned home safely!

On Sunday, AR was 7 months old, but of course I haven't gotten around to taken her picture until today.  So here is her monthly update just a few days late.

 Stats at 7 Months:

No doc. appt.

What she's up to these days:

-Sitting up on her own, only falling over once or twice during the day

-Nurses 4 times a day and eats solids 3 times

-Loving her toys

-Sleeps from about 8am-8pm, give or take

-Reaches out to be picked up now (and who can resist!)

-Rarely wears socks because they are meant to be pulled off, didn't you know?!

-Still just has two bottom teeth but they show more and more each day

Some other pics to help you catch a glimpse into our lives:

There are those two teeth!  She doesn't always show them and I was only able to catch a pic while she was upset.  I promise that I didn't upset her to take it though!

We recently returned this swing and I wanted to see what AR looked like in it as she hasn't used it in a couple months.  Her feet were hanging over, it had to be put on the highest speed (which use to send her flying), and she was trying to grab things outside of the swing the entire time.  We thoroughly enjoyed it when she did fit in it though!

Whenever we put this toy infront of her now, she just pulls it over and chews the handle!  Won't be long until she's using it as a walker though!

Somehow I totally missed this, but while sitting on the couch I looked at her and she was in her bumbo and chewing the wheels of this toy, then I looked back at her a few minutes later and this is how she was!!

Love my baby girl!

She loves pulling her toys out of a basket.  This picture is funny b/c that blue cup is actually in midair.

Incase you were wondering how the hair was coming... or not coming!  I've always found bald babies cute though!

Another thing we've been working on was an old window for the mantel.  The window actually came from the house my daddy grew up in.  William sanded it down and stained it for me.  He also had mirrors put in and I L.O.V.E it!!  I'm going to do some other things for my mantle too, but that will have to happen after Christmas!

Before we had this picture that William had bought soon after buying this house.  Some of you may recognize it if you go to the same obgyn as me... which made it all the more reason to get it replaced, haha!

And afterwards!  I also made this wreath thanks to Pinterest.  William inserted a hook on top of the window so that I can change out wreathes throughout the year!  Didn't he do a wonderful job?!