Can You Guess...

who will be receiving this adorable little dress??

I finished this up this weekend and I think it is just too cute! Unfortunately, there is no one in our house who can wear it! I made it especially for a beautiful little girl that lives far too far away from her Aunt (huge hint folks, huge). She should get it in the mail this week. I hope she likes it!

This was actually my first attempt at making girl clothes since I am completely outnumbered at our house by males. I think it turned out pretty well. I particularly like the little buttons! :)

Who Needs A Fort?

When there's a perfectly good table?

Trent loves to play under the dining room table. The funny part is that he's taller than the dining room table, so you can notice in this picture that to go under the table, he has to hunch over a bit while walking. The other comical thing is that sometimes he tries to get out between chairs that are closer together than he is wide and he'll find himself stuck between chairs (have no fear, I always promptly rescue him). Under the dining room table used to be Dozer's hiding spot to get away from Trent, but now they kind of take turns as to who gets to be there.

Extending the Life of Cloth Diapers

We use Bum Genius One Size diapers at our house. I love them. They have adjustable snaps so you can use the same diapers from about 7lbs all the way up to about 35lbs. It alleviates having to have multiple stacks of diapers in different sizes. They are also SUPER easy to use because they basically go on like a disposable diaper. Plus, after a year of use - they still look great,except for the velcro. Yep, after a year of non stop use and daily washing, the velcro has abandoned its function. So, we had to either repair the diapers or buy new ones. While we have saved bunches of money by using these diapers (the initial cost was made up in about three months), these diapers are not cheap to replace. Each diaper costs about $18. So we opted to fix them. You can actually buy the snaps that match the diapers (100 snaps for $3). So after ripping out all the velcro and adding snaps, our old velcro diapers now look like this:

Ta Da!

The tutorial can be found here

LOVE.THE.WEEKEND.

I love the weekends because I get to spend extra time with these two handsome men:

TJ and Jesse pondering great things ;)

TJ practicing flexibility in his high chair

Tonight for dinner, we grilled hamburgers and enjoyed our meal out on the patio. I LOVE that spring is here. Outdoor meals, Patio dates after TJ goes to bed, Long days full of sunshine, Gardening, Trips to the Park - Life is good!

Running is My Therapy

I love to run. I'll never be the fastest, but I simply enjoy it. Sometimes I pray during running, sometimes I jam to Rocky theme music and the Black Eyed Peas. Sometimes I run on a treadmill, sometimes I run in the woods. Three to five miles is my favorite distance. Long enough to feel like you got a workout in, but short enough that it doesn't take all day. I've done a lot of running - trail running, half marathon training, training for triathlons and so every six months or so, I would normally buy a new pair of running shoes. I fell in love with Asics a long time ago. They are so comfortable and keep my feet from getting blisters. Dicks Sporting Goods used to have a sale every winter and my favorite running shoes that would normally cost around $75 would go on sale for $50. Sadly, that did not happen this year. Most running shoes are made in China and China has to decided to start charging the US more for its labor. Then an export tariff law was not renewed by congress so now it's costing retailers more to bring the shoes back to the US. What does this mean for me? My $75 shoes that I used to get for $50 now do not go on sale and are selling for $100. This frustrates me because in one year, the cost of my favorite running shoe has doubled! So I am looking for an American made shoe. If I'm going to pay top dollar for my next running shoe, I'd rather it be for American parts and labor. I think New Balance has some high end shoes that are made here, but my feet don't get along with New Balances. I have bone spurs on the back of my ankles and they can tear up the back of a New Balance shoe in no time! So I am on the lookout for a new pair of shoes. The pair I'm in is going on a year of use because of the price increase, but eventually I just have to give in and buy a new pair. If you have any suggestions for a good shoe or you know of a brand that is 'Made in America', I would love to hear from you!

Baseball Cards? Think Again.

No, I don't collect baseball cards, but I do use the convenient little storage pages for coupons! I started couponing when we decided that we would transition from being a two income couple to a one income family. You can save a TON of money on your grocery bill by using coupons. After couponing for a few months though, I found that we had enough toothpaste to last us a decade and we were eating a lot of canned soup and frozen pizza. So I continued to coupon, but I also changed my shopping method. I'm not a fan of preservatives. I like the food we eat to be as natural as possible. So instead of using the coupons for granola bars, I used the coupons for oats and started making granola. Instead of using the coupons for spaghetti sauce, I used the coupons for tomato paste and canned tomatoes and started making my own marinara. We even make our own ice cream. You can make a ton of food by just having a few staples on hand. We save money on the staples (milk, eggs, flour, butter, etc.) by buying them at Costco. So I coupon compromise. We still use coupons for dairy items such as yogurt and sour cream. We use coupons for some of our meat. Sausage and tuna regularly have coupons available. We use coupons on frozen vegetables and rice. We keep our pantry stocked, but not overloaded. And if I have a few spare things of toothpaste, I just bypass the toothpaste sale that week. (Even though with couponing, toothpaste is almost always free or nearly free.)

Another Work in Progress

These cute little pants are going to be pajama pants for the little man! I still have to measure the waist so I can put the elastic in them. I love the fabric. He's going to look like such a little tough guy. :) I also have a duvet cover in the works. It only needs buttons on the bottom, but I haven't had a chance to get to it yet. I also have fabric for making a shopping cart cover and a new changing cover pad. There's also a romper that needs buttons and snaps. So there are a few things in the works!

Pictures from the Weekend

Trent had a ball (pun intended) being the center of attention this weekend. He ate food off of everyone's plates, played ball, rode cars, climbed through tunnels, held hands walking with people, spun in circles and entertained himself in other ways too. Here's just a glimpse of him from the weekend.

Look of anticipation

Ball and a box, what more do you need?

Playing on the Playground

Swinging with Grandpa

Yay!!!

Let Him Eat Cake!

Our baby boy turns one today! This past weekend we had his birthday party. It was a really fun time to get together with family and friends. We had a beautiful day for it so we were able to extend the party out onto the porch and patio. Trent received many great gifts and he's been enjoying playing with them ever since. The party was over lunch so we served different types of sandwiches, animal crackers, fruit, a veggie tray, a cheese and cracker tray and most importantly CAKE! We had a smash cake for TJ and a sheet cake for the rest of us.

The "Smash Cake" just for Trent

Cake for the rest of us

What is this?

Okay, maybe a taste...

Tasting the icing

Mommy helping me get to the cake part

Telling everyone all about cake

the grownup cake was pretty good too :)

Future Ball Player

I love being outside on a sunny day. It was absolutely gorgeous today. Trent and I played in the morning, then met some friends at the zoo, then came home and played out on the porch. Trent's really into playing with balls right now. He loves them! We played catch for a while. He has quite the arm for a little guy!

True Friends

"Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget"

Jesse and I have lived in various regions of the country and have made some really great friends along the way. We're so thankful for the friends that God brings into our lives. People have a need to be surrounded by others who love them just because and accept them, flaws and all. We have established a great group of friends here as well. Last night, I had the chance to go out for 'girls night.' Usually this happens once a month. It is such a fun time. It's nice to be able to take off the maid/mama/cook/wife/chauffeur hats and just relax among girlfriends for a few hours. While I was out, Jesse and TJ played. Jesse attempted to take some pictures of Trent. Trent was after the camera so he was smiling a ton!

"I'm gonna get it!"

Love those blue eyes!

"Puh-lease let me play with that..."

Happy as can be

The Instigator

Trent loves instigating the dogs. It's not always fair because the dogs know that they have to be gentle and easy with Trent, but Trent is not always gentle and easy with them. We're consistently working on petting and playing nice. Trent does well with it most of the time but he can't seem to resist getting them all excited to play.

Step 1: Climb into the dogs basket

Step 2: Nonchalantly pick up the dog toy

Step 3: Shake dog toy vigorously while making noise

The Breakup

Tonight was actually a tough night. Trent had his last nursing session. It has been a mutual weaning. Both of us were ready and because of that it has been a smooth transition. The last feeding to go was the one right before bedtime. It felt like a breakup tonight. It has been a crazy year with him being born, me opting to stay home, Jesse working two jobs and then quitting the second job, me starting and stopping nursing school, but through it all, Trent and I continued to breastfeed. It wasn't always easy. I had two bouts with mastitis and hated having to pump in the car while I was at school. However, it was such a bonding time for the two of us. As I left his room tonight after putting him to bed, I couldn't help but tear up. I felt like it was the first of many things where he has outgrown the need for me to help him. People tell you that kids grow up so fast, but you don't fully understand the statement until you're a parent. Trent's first birthday is a week from tomorrow. He's almost 20 pounds heavier than when we brought him home. He's walking and starting to talk. He understands when you talk to him. He can point to objects when you ask him where they are. He can give high-fives and sign that he's done with his meal. He purposely gets the dogs riled up to play. He can kick and throw a ball. His development in one short year amazes me.

And since there have been a few posts without any pics, below are some pictures taken while we were playing on the porch on a rainy day.

Hanging Out

Discovering coasters

Always playing IN the box

Napping Saga Continues

Yesterday was the first day that I didn't even attempt to put him down for a morning nap. Instead, we went to Pump It Up (the place with the giant inflatables for kids to play on) with friends. TJ did pretty well, but you could tell he was tired. After lunch, he slept from 12:30 until 3. It was great. He was in a fabulous mood when he woke up. Today - not so much! He didn't take a nap this morning, and only went down for an hour for his afternoon nap. By 6pm, he was beside himself. He was really cranky and wouldn't eat, wouldn't play, he was just irritable. His normal bedtime is 7pm, but I actually put him to bed at 6pm for the night! I may be regretting it if he wakes up at 4am ready to go, but he was SO in need of sleep. We're in the process of weaning right now and he only nurses right before bed. He hasn't fall asleep during a nursing session in a LONG time, but tonight he was out. He didn't even stir when I carried him to the crib. Poor little guy! Here's to hoping he naps better tomorrow!

Is it Adios to the Morning Nap?

Trent has always been a really good napper. He has been on a schedule since about 12 weeks. He would sleep consistently at 9 and 1 everyday. The last week or so, this has not been the case. He sleeps fine at 1, but he refuses sleep the whole time at 9. He plays and talks and no longer acts sleepy. We've had a lot of rain so at first I thought it might be the weather keeping him up, but I think he has gotten to the point where he's choosing to give up his morning nap. Being a newbie at the whole mom thing, I don't know any for sure way of knowing that it is time. But having read a little bit online about it, it seems to fit the bill. Some say the magic number is around one year of age (our handsome little man turns 1 in 11 days!). Some say it coincides with walking. He's thisclose to walking full time. He's already opting for it as the preferred method, then if he falls, he crawls the rest of the way to the desired destination. If he is dropping his morning nap, I'm ready for the transition, but kind of sad that the two nap stage is over. He's growing up so fast! Plus, it's kind of nice to have a few minutes of quiet time when I can actually get through a whole cup of coffee in one sitting. We'll give it a few days and see how the pattern continues... If anyone has any thoughts on this, I'm curious to know when other babies gave up their morning naps and how you knew it was time.

20 minutes and a T-shirt

Homemade Sweatpants

Last night as I was looking online, I found a little tutorial for baby pants made out of an old t-shirt. I had about 20 minutes before Jesse and I had "date night" at home, so I grabbed one of Jesse's old t-shirts and went to work! It was so easy! I only had white thread at the time, so they look a little ninja-esque since you can see the waistband hemline, but for twenty minutes worth of time and a functional use of a t-shirt that never gets worn, I was pretty happy with how they turned out! Plus, it was just plain fun!

Signs of Spring!

Spring finally showed up! I've been SO ready for some warmer weather and longer days! We started our spring garden this weekend. Around here, you can keep a garden for the majority of the year. We usually plant our hardier, more cold resistant vegetables at the end of February/beginning of March. Since this winter has been a lot colder, we just now planted the early vegetables. We always have container gardens. This year we're planting some by the new patio as well! Our spring/fall vegetables are cabbage, spinach and swiss chard. The summer vegetables that we do every year are eggplant, tomatoes and peppers. We're also trying strawberries, potatoes, asparagus, cauliflower and rhubarb this year.

Left side of the patio

Top tier: flowers - tulips will bloom first, then wildflowers throughout the summer

Bottom Tier: Asparagus, Spinach, Cabbage

Right side of the patio

Top Tier: Still tulips and wildflowers

Bottom Tier: Cabbage, Swiss Chard, Herb Garden (Basil, Rosemary and Cilantro)

Container Gardens - Spinach (not shown), Cabbage and Cauliflower

Pretty Daffodils blooming around the mailbox!

TJ and I sitting OUTSIDE on a coffee shop date

Enjoying the Sunshine

This past week we've had some really pretty weather so we've been spending a lot of time outdoors. Trent loves being outside. Here's a cute video we took last weekend.

Beginnings of a Summer Wardrobe

Summer Rompers

TJ has his first three rompers made for summer! It has definitely been a learning curve but so much fun to figure out. I got stumped on buttonholes for a little while, but I'm finally getting the hang of it. I've also made him a pair of plaid pants out of same material as the left romper. This past week while I was up in Tennessee, I went shopping at Target and some kiddie consignment stores. We found the cutest pair of brown keens that will go perfectly with all these little outfits. Also at the consignment stores, little rompers very similar the ones shown above were selling for $15-30, depending on if it had smocking on it or not. The cost of making them is MUCH cheaper than that! I'm glad I finally decided to learn how to do it myself. I bought TJ two new swimsuits (at Target) as well. I'm so glad that the warm weather will soon be on its way!

Big News!

My baby sister is engaged!!! Chris proposed to Dana last night. Yesterday was Dana's birthday and her birthday cake was in the shape of a Tiffany's box. We're so excited for them both!

Right at Home

Trent has been making himself at home at Grandma's. He's all over the place and getting into things as usual!

A few days ago at our house

At Grandma's

Making the Best of Things

Yesterday, Trent and I drove up to my parents. The trip normally takes about 4 hours, but there was a wreck on the interstate. On Monday, an 18 wheeler had crashed down a ravine and into a creek. On Tuesday, they decided to get the wrecker to pull the 18 wheeler out. So the interstate was at a standstill for three hours. There was no warning this was going to happen so everyone sat and waited. And waited. Some cars turned around and drove backwards in the shoulders. Truckers got out of their rigs to small talk. Trent and I had our own play date. Driving four hours by myself with Trent always makes me a little nervous because I can't drive and entertain him very well if he decides to come apart. So I was thankful that traffic was completely stopped so I could just turn the car off and turn around and play. We had some snacks, played with toys, changed a diaper, sang songs, and read books. Once we finally started moving, he started to fuss, so I turned on a movie for a bit. He eventually fell asleep for the rest of the trip. Overall, the trip went really smoothly after our delay. I wouldn't like to be delayed every time, but it was fun to laugh and play along the way! Once we got here, Mom had dinner ready and waiting - Yum!

Busy, Busy, Busy

This weekend we met little Mollie for the first time! One of my roommates from college had a baby on our wedding anniversary and we finally got down to meet her. She is so sweet and tiny. As tiring as it can be to not sleep for weeks on end, it's such a special time when they are so little and cuddly. Luke, baby Mollie's big brother, and Trent had a good time playing together as well. Luke is about a year older than Trent but he was great about sharing his toys. They also have a really big lab and TJ thought the dog was the funniest thing. The dog was big enough that TJ could easily see him while sitting in his high chair. He thought that was the best thing. The dog was really sweet and patient with Trent (and especially enjoyed all the cheerios that Trent was feeding him!) Unfortunately, I was terrible about taking pictures so I have none to post! Trent and I are venturing up to Tennessee to spend a couple days with Grandma R later on this week. Hopefully, we'll have better luck getting the camera out on that excursion!