Love ~ Teach ~ Protect

Their purpose isn't to enhance my life ~ My purpose IS to enhance theirs...

See how fast we grow!

Lilypie - Personal pictureLilypie Third Birthday tickers
Lilypie - Personal pictureLilypie First Birthday tickers

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Slippery as... satin!

They say that practice makes perfect. I keep that in mind as I work the same material over and over to try to make sweet gifts for my baby boy. Over the holiday Grandma Susie and I sewed a piece of blanket no fewer than ten times trying to get a satin edge on the blanket. This is no small feat!
And so, I took some time today (quite a lot of time really) to try try try again. The stitching is in no way perfect, but all of the pieces are held together with stitching of thread. And so, I will continue to buy remnants of fleece and flannel and satin edging until my blankets look as good as those you can get at the store that were made in China!

The picture is the first finished "magic blanket" that I will make for Phin. You see, when you put soft, warm fabric up to him as he's in our arms, he magically falls asleep quickly chasing sweet dreams. A mommy can never have too many magic blankets!

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Look how he grows!

THIS picture was taken directly before Dan left for AMS - like moments before he drove away in the car to AMS.

Now, seven weeks later, look how baby Phin is GROWING!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Another one bites the dust!


The outfit that is.
The overalls are a 3-6 month and regardless of how this picture looks, we had to work very hard to scrunch Phin into the overalls so they might fit him. Phin is big and outgrowing his clothes and fast as I get them out his dresser.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Phin is BIG


Look at this BIG BOY sitting up in his chair!
He is still leaning a little big - but I am sure he'll have it down in no time!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

9-16 was a a Tuesday. On that Tuesday, Phin and I visited my doctor (probably about my numb hands) and I took Phin for a walk. On 9-16, I took this picture of Phin in these cute little jean overall shorts. They were so big on him, the looked like pants.


Today is 11-22. It's a Saturday and Phin and I have waited all day for Phin's Daddy to come home from his six week training. This morning, I tried to put the same cute little jean overall shorts on Phin, but as you can see, they look a little... different.

I knew there may be an issue when I put his onsie on him. See, it was a "tight fit" and I wondered as I shimmied the overalls up onto him if they would be long enough for him. I actually had to take his diaper off of him and take a liner out so I could shut the straps over his shoulders - but as an observant eye will see, I couldn't close the last two buttons at his crotch. So, today is the last day he can wear this shirt or overalls. Another one bites the dust!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Just these little things...

that I want to hold on to for forever. While I keep my camera close, there are times that I just can not get to it to "capture" the moment visually, and so, I have to use my words.

This afternoon, I was super tired and I had laid down in my bed for a quick nap after putting Phin down after his feeding. I wasn't in the bed for ten minutes when he started crying. For a quick moment, I was greedy and felt annoyed that I had to get up. But once I got my boy into my arms and we sat down in the glider chair, he snuggled in to his new "fight to keep sleep away."
While he fought to stay awake, I watched him and smiled - knowing this battle starting just this month - will be going on for a number of years to come.
As I smiled, Phin's sleepy half closed eyes saw me and he smiled back which made me smile which made him smile back which made me smile which made him smile back and on and on until his heavy little eye lids finally gave way to rest.

I am sure it's something that every mother experiences, but just in case YOU haven't or you can't remember if once you did play a part in the smile fest... here's to you.

You're looking at a ROCK STAR!

(at least that is what his shirt says...)
:)



Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Is it worth it?

I ask myself this a lot. Usually when I am super tired and I see my baby looking so peaceful and beautiful as he sleeps. I ask myself - "Is it worth it to possibly wake him up to get a picture of him looking so amazing?"

The answer is pretty much always yes.

I guess that when he's older, he may believe he was always sleeping with stars sparkling in his eyes when he was a baby. Little will he know that it was actually my flash.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Monday, November 17, 2008

Really, he's BIG!

I have been sending pictures of Phin to his Daddy who will be home in just a few more days! Tonight, on the phone, I asked Daddy what he thought of Phin's growth. He said it's hard to tell really because there is nothing to compare this size to. After discussing it, we decided that I should photograph Phin on his changing table - as Daddy remembers how big Phin was then. (I have told Daddy about how now Phin kicks his diaper wipe box each time I change him...). Notice in this picture that we have let out his diapers by one snap - that started on Nov 6, 2008 - but this is the first picture of the new snap...



Phin wasn't taking direction really well about stretching his legs out for Daddy, so, finally when I dressed him again, he stretched out!



And then, we went back to the sock monkey for scale.



You can click HERE to see his size prior.

In OTHER NEWS, I weighed Phin tonight. I did this by weighing myself with and without Phin and subtracting the difference. My home scale says that he weighs 16 lbs 2 oz and that was with a clean diaper and his blue jammies. So, I would say he's around 16 lbs. (Auntie Annan told me tonight that 2.5 year old cousin Given weighs 34 lbs. - WOW!)

I think he's a brown eyed boy

Phin is BIG

Today I went to check on Phin in the daycare while at the gym. (I usually go check on him 1/2 way through each class) and when I got there, I saw a baby in the daycare providers arms and thought "that is not my baby!" And, in fact it was not. After the second class, I went back to pick Phin up and I say a baby in the daycare providers arms and thought "that is not my baby!" but in fact, it WAS Phin!
Phin is such a big boy, I didn't even recognize him.
While I hold him and care for him every single day, when I see him out of my arms - it's hard to believe how BIG he has gotten already!

See my big boy!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Post bath interview.

He was okay with the bath. He was okay with the shampoo/soap and even the rinse. But, once it was time to try off... he was NOT havin' it! I decided to interview him before his apricot baby oil. This is what he told me:

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Sew away!

Again, while baby sleeps...

Mama works!

I have decided not to make a hat with this one because by the time he's wearing these sleep sacks, the hats will be too small - as they fit him RIGHT NOW.

The next sleep sack will be blue background with yellow stars. :)

Friday, November 14, 2008

Sleepy Phin again!


What a perfect day for a nap! Phin went to the gym this morning and then, this afternoon has been cold and wet... so it's sleepy time for baby!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Sleepy baby


There is something about being in my arms - that makes Phin go to sleep.
How special and empowering to realize this. There is something about being in MY arms that helps Phin get toasty warm and feel safe and secure to lull off to sleep. He often holds on to the strap of my shirt or rub his hands across my neck. Sometimes, he puts his little fingers to my lips or he touches my cheek as his eyes get heavy. Often, when I put him down, he wakes up and once in my arms, he's back to dreamland.
It can be frustrating when I am trying to do house work, but in the grand scheme of things, what a blessing that each day I get to hold him in my arms and watch his fingers get thick and his face fill out more and more. When I look at him, I see his daddy's face and maybe my eyes. I know these pictures are very similar, but what can I say? I am in love with this little boy!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

He doesn't hate the hat


He was crying because he had been awakened from sleep and a hat was thrown on his head and he was sitting in the chair - alone and a big flash kept going off in his eyes...

Monday, November 10, 2008

While baby sleeps, mama works!





See, when I was a little girl my Aunt Virginia made us clothes. (you can see an example below in the baby pictures I posted - the blue outfits that my brother and sister are wearing were made by Virginia.) We kinda hated the clothes she made because the material was hot and itchy and stiff and it seemed like she was measuring us every day and holding material up to us etc.
Well, while I hated it as a child, as an adult I think it's awesome that she was able and willing to sew for us. Then, when I was in middle school, my mom made my sister and me dresses that we wore to school and church. All of this to say that as my family before me showed - as a mother, I should be able to rock the sewing machine. So, while I am no Martha Stewart (yet), I am SUPER PROUD of what I made my baby! (Thanks for the lesson Grandmother Allen!)

I look forward to making more sleep sacks (grow bags per G-MA Susie) for baby Phin for when he grows out of the ones Grandma Susie got for him. Who knows what else I may be able to learn to make the boy!

(note the mittens where his hands can be enclosed or I can pull them out!

NEXT, stitching the MATCHING HAT!

The plan!

The plan was that Grandmother Allen would hold the baby while Mama cleaned the house!

What happened was a sewing class!

Grandma Allen was pinning and talking,


Phin was sleeping and mama was learning.


(This picture cracked me up because Gma Allen couldn't get Phin to burp, so instead, she put up a mountain of spit cloths to catch his volcano burp/spit.)

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Monkey

This is the first monkey picture (click here)
(8-31-08)

This is the second monkey picture (click here)
(10-03-08)

This is what Phin looks like NOW!

Friday, November 7, 2008

Happy THREE MONTHS !

You know how sometimes when you want something and you get it, you don't CHERISH it as much as you would have if you would have worked, very hard to get it. That is how I feel about Phin. I remember when he was new born, I would hear his cry and I would pop up - out of bed. Dan was concerned that I might pull my stitches out with the speed of my exiting of the bed. Today, I popped up out of bed - but it was because I woke up excited to see my baby.
Every day I try to keep in mind how he's changing and how he's becoming stronger and more alert. I have truly loved each day of first three months. His sleepy eyes while nursing to his recognition of me with those same eyes to most recently his following me with his eyes all of the time. Phin knows I am his mama and I believe he trusts me to love and take care of him with all of the attention and concern that one would give the most precious jewel - as he is that to me.
Phin follows me with his eyes and sometimes I hold him in my arms and he chats me up. While I am unsure of what he's actually trying to say, I am still very interested and listen intently! Phin laughs when he's sleeping. In my arms, he'll be alseep and then start giggling - for just a second or two and then drift back into his deep sleep. He does this over and over again - until I get the video camera picked up and then he's finished with his funny dream and I am left holding the camera - just in case it happens again!
While Dan as been away, I often replay phone voicemail from him - on speaker for Phin to hear. He doesn't get to see his daddy right now but that doesn't mean he can't hear him!
Phin has started grabbing my shirt and my hair and his toys on his car seat. He grabs them and holds on. Sometimes, he even pulls his soother (binki) out of his mouth and is then surprised that it's gone!
Phin gets scared when I blow my nose in front of him. He smiles when I walk into his room and wake him up. He looks, expectantly at the lights, in his vibrating chair and listens to the sounds and songs that play while he sits in it.
Phin likes to watch the dog and cat walking around and he is always in a good mood - even during diaper changes.

Babies change every day - and so today, on the three month anniversary of his birth, I took a few minutes to grab some shots of him - as tomorrow he'll look like a whole different boy.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Bath time!

Today was the first day I have had to give Phin a bath alone.
Either Dan or Grandma Susie have been around to do a tag team on Phin's bath time.
On the last bath with Grandma Susie, Phin didn't hate the bath. He seemed to maybe enjoy it a little bit.
Today, he bathed like a super star!



Phin is a baby bee. (we use Burt's Bees products on him) and I have to say that when I put his towel away (in the laundry hamper) I couldn't help by bring it up to my face and smell in the honey smell of my baby. He is so very sweet.

I tried to get it!

When Phin sleeps he often starts cracking up (in big giggling) for just a few seconds, and then his face is sleep like again. (he's sleeping the whole time, but his face changes while he's having sweet/funny dreams).
He was doing his laugh/sleep/laugh and I tried to get video of it, but it seems that even when he's sleeping, he's maybe a little bit video camera shy.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Mommy!

Before leaving Grandma Susie's farm, Grandma Susie found our baby books and we looked through them. Gma thinks that Phin is starting to look like me. She found these two pictures of me.

In this picture, I am the baby - and this is at six weeks old.


In this picture, I am six months old. When I was a little girl, I hated the shape of my eyes. However, I have got to say that I think they look ADORABLE here!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

check list


- pack car
- drive back to COMO
- pick up "mail on hold" at the post office
- call Grandma Susie to let her know we are back safely in COMO
- vote
- unload car
- feed baby various multiple times
- unpack all of the stuff we took to Grandma Susie's house
- find outfit for tomorrow's meeting
- try not to miss Daddy too much

ya, enough said...

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Sunday Morning at the Farm

It seemed cold out this morning


when I dressed Phin for church.
I hope he wasn't too hot (I was, wearing a sweater.)

Happy Sunday!