Update :: 39 Weeks!

Whew.  I can barely believe how quickly time has flown by this pregnancy.  My due date is in 4 days!!  I wasn't nearly as faithful with keeping up on pregnancy updates as I intended...but it turns out there aren't exactly that many things to update about on a weekly basis!  {Or maybe I was just lazy...}

There are a few things I can tell you...

My weekly doctor's visits has been fine.  Apparently my doctor doesn't measure dilation or effacement at the weekly visits.  He said he doesn't think I will make it to next week's appointment (yay!!), but if I do, he will measure me then.  It is so different than in the states when I was measured often.  But it kind of keeps me from thinking about it too much.  When I knew I was dilating a little more each week, I got anxious.  This time, I am relaxed and just taking each day as it comes.

I guess I did OK gaining a little extra weight as the doctor ordered-- he never said anything else about it.  I'm proud to say I only gained about 21 pounds with this pregnancy!  I am *really* hoping this means it will be easy to drop the baby weight {and then some...} once Titus is born.  My double jogger is all ready to go!  ;-)

Wednesday morning I started feeling (what I believe were) contractions for almost 2 hours, about 5 minutes apart.  But I tried laying back down and they slowed to 10 minutes and then went away completely.  Boo!  I can tell he is getting into position though.  I have felt movement much lower than he has been this entire pregnancy.

My legs and feet finally started swelling.  Again, this is SO MUCH later than when I was pregnant with Emilia and I'm so thankful!  Jason and I just started noticing the swelling this week.  My nurse said to keep my feet up as much as possible.  I have found that pretty hard with such an active 3-yr-old, but I'm trying.  Jason does a good job of playing with her when he gets off work too.

I'm not sure how this happened, but I completely forgot to register at the hospital!  Thankfully, my doctor mentioned it at my appointment yesterday.  So Emilia and I went up there and took care of it.  I also asked to see the Labor & Delivery department...I wasn't so sure I really wanted to know ahead of time because we have heard the conditions aren't that great.  But, my fears were laid to rest.  Yes, everything is old and there are none of the comforts one would expect {like aircon...}.  But from what I can tell, everything will be fine.  I didn't get to see the nursery or recovery sections, but that's OK.  (Nurse staff is low, so I couldn't find anyone to help me...)  All in all, I know God is in complete control.  This is HIS timing and HE will see us through.  I still get scared thinking about doing this with no medication, but I know I can do it with HIS strength.

One funny thing I don't think I've mentioned yet-- I can actually SEE the end of my belly button!!  Some of you know this is quite the feat.  I have a crazy deep belly button when I'm not pregnant and with Emilia my stomach grew out differently so it stayed pretty deep still.  This time around, I am ALL belly.  I started noticing it several weeks ago and it keeps getting more shallow!  It will never "pop" like some preggo mommas, but I'm impressed!  Haha!

Emilia seems ready for her baby brother to get here too.  It's hard to tell how she will really react.  But she loves talking about him and I know she will be a great helper.  I have already started mentioning to our friends that I really want them to still say "hi" to Emilia first when coming to visit, to hopefully help with jealousy.  I also intend to let Emilia introduce Titus to new visitors.  Before leaving the mainland, we let Emilia pick out a little blankie to give her brother.  Last week, I purchased a gift "From Titus, to Emilia"- a pink ukelele!  I have read about several parents doing something similar and I think she will love it.  Jason and I both know we will have to make a conscious effort to give Emilia one-on-one time once he comes.

On a similar note, we have a fun afternoon planned for Emilia!  I wanted to do "one last thing" as a family of three.  So I found out about the "local discount" at a local water park.  The rates during the week are pretty good so we are taking her today after Jason is done at school!  This water park is part of a hotel called PIC.  They also have great dinner deals during Happy Hour (5-7), where all the menu items are 1/2 off.  So we have been there a couple times for dinner.  We always have to walk past the water park to get to dinner and Emilia ALWAYS asks if she can go swimming there.  So we knew this would be the perfect way to spend our afternoon.  We haven't told her yet.  I am SO excited to see her face when we tell her!  (O:

I have been Pinning some newborn and sibling photo shoot ideas.  I really *hope* I have the energy to capture these precious memories!  I plan to do a monthly photo like I did with Emilia.  I feel more confident in my photography skills this time around, so I also plan to do several more newborn photos of Titus and Emilia with Titus.  I have a friend on island who is also a photographer and she is going to do a mini family session for us too.  So don't you worry, there will be PLENTY of photos very soon!!

I think that pretty sums it up.  Lots going on, but I always forget when it comes time to post!  Thank you for all your prayers and encouragement throughout this pregnancy!!

Rainy Day Fun {Embrace the Camera}

One thing Emilia and I love about Saipan is the RAIN!  It rains almost every day, at some point in the day.  My main reason for liking it is that it cools down the apartment quite a bit.  Emilia's main reason for liking it is the puddles!  I am so glad I decided to ship her rain boots over when we moved because they are getting a lot of use!  (O:

(I'm not exactly excited to share my slightly swollen ankles, sweaty hairline or the weird belly angles of these photos...but it's all part of embracing the camera, right?  Even the not-so-glam days...sigh.)

Relinquishing Control :: Laundry

As Emilia gets older, I have tried to give her additional (age appropriate) responsibilities.  Now, with the weeks counting down to the arrival of our 2nd kiddo, I am looking for any and all chores I can have Emilia start helping with.  Lucky for me, she LOVEs to help!

My latest chore started as just somewhat appeasing her by letting her "help" while I fold clothes (then refold hers when she is off playing...)  But then I decided to fully relinquish control.  Emilia now proudly folds and puts away all her own clothes!

 

Honestly, I still cringe a little because my OCD tendencies take over.  Everything has a place and organization is key.  This is what her shirt drawer and shorts drawer look like since she has taken over putting the clothes away:

 

...not exactly as orderly as I once had them, but they are still put away!  And she is SO proud of herself.

Not to mention, it cuts down on the laundry *I* have to put away each day.  That will be wonderful once Titus is born.  I am still working on my desire to sort them back out as they once were...but, the feeling fades each day.  (O:

Sometimes little ones just need to feel important and needed.  Emilia taking pride in this chore is worth a little chaos in her dresser.

Kid Art Infinity Scarf Tutorial

Christmas has been on my mind a lot lately.  It may seem early (even for me), but when you add in shipping time from Saipan, as well as the shopping and shipping time from my Mom/Sister when I need certain craft items, it's really not that bad.  Also, I have this unrealistic hope of having most (if not ALL) Christmas gifts ready before Titus comes at the end of next month.

This year (as much as it pains me since I love gift giving), we are going minimal on gifts.  The reasons for this are pretty basic--Saipan has very little to offer as far as gifts go (except for extremely touristy items, which no one wants), we have limited funds with which to purchase gifts, and I have way too many Pinterest craft ideas on my "Want to do" list.

So, Emilia and I have been working on the projects that involve her.  She LOVES to help on a project and she is getting to the age where she actually IS a help.  ;-)  Originally I saw this idea on Pinterest for personalized handwritten scarves.  I loved the idea right away because they aren't completely legible when worn, but they would have special meaning to the giver and the recipient. 

My next challenge was finding a way that Emilia could help make them for certain family members.  Some of my family members are more crafty/artsy than others, so I knew they would appreciate (and actually *use*) this gift.  Since Emilia cannot write yet (except for her name), I decided to lay out all our colorful permanent markers and let her go to town.  She had a blast!


Supplies:

1 Plain White T-Shirt (we used XL)

Scissors

Permanent Markers of your choice

Step One:  Cut your shirt just below the armpits

Step Two:  Let your kid go to town!  *Important suggestion which I didn't initially do...lay down a piece of card board, or you'll end up with this:

 

Step Two Redo:  Lay down a big piece of cardboard on the floor, and let your kid go to town! 

Step Three:  Cut the bottom hem of the shirt off:

Step Four:  Stretch, stretch, stretch!  I had a 3-year-old helper, but if you don't, but one end around a chair or your feet or whatever works for you.

Voila!

She wanted to test it out..I think it got her approval! ;-)

 

This type of gift might not suit the taste of everyone (or anyone) on your list, but I know it is going to be very well received by the family members we are giving them to.  (Sorry for being so vague...they don't usually read this blog, but just in case!)

Update :: 18 Weeks

Seeing as I completely forgot to do last week's update, I guess we can add forgetfulness to the list...(O:

I don't really feel like there is much to report, but I will try.

*Weight: gained 3ish pounds, still doing OK.

*Exercise:  I try to attend Zumba at least once a week and add in walking the park on other days as I can.

*Clothes:  I am surprised and happy to report that most of my pre-maternity clothes still fit!  There are 2 pairs of jeans/jean shorts that I have had to do the old "hair tie around the button" trick, but otherwise they are holding steady.  I have started adding maternity tanks and tops to the rotation for a little variety.

*Food:  No new cravings.  I have noticed that I think all milk smells slightly spoiled (when it is not)...which is weird.  I don't have a complete aversion to milk (yet), but I have been drinking less of it- especially plain white milk.  I guess this is a good thing, since I'm "off milk" once on Saipan anyway...but still a bummer.

*Preparations:  Thanks to my wonderful friend, Elise, I am now almost fully stocked on cloth diapers!!!  She was able to attend the Cotton Babies $1 Diaper Sale this past weekend and was kind enough to take my "Wish List".  She was even able to snag several in my favorite colors- kelly green and orange.  Yay!  Thanks friend!! (O:  I still have a gift certificate from my coworkers to use at CB, and I am researching diaper inserts, etc.  Feel free to throw any suggestions/opinions/advice my way! ;-)

I received TWO gift packages yesterday in the mail, speaking of cloth diapers.  One was from an old high school friend- she sent me a package of the cloth diaper kit she purchased and never used.  I am glad to help put it to good use!  Also, my Aunt Emilia sent a whole cloth diaper making kit!!  It is the cutest set I have ever seen.  My mom had asked about a pattern for them because she wanted to try to make some and so I was excited to tell her I have Everything she needs to make 3!  Thanks Tracey and Aunt Emilia for your love and encouragement!! (O:

*Other Prepartaions:  I was finally able to confirm with United Airlines that each Jason and I can check either a stroller or car seat, free of charge.  Jason can check the stroller and I can check Emilia's car seat, both for free!  Whew!  Now the debate about whether to purchase a double jogger here or wait to see if someone has one on Saipan continues...I can honestly say this is my only packing/planning Saipan worry at the moment.  I honestly do not know which option is the right one.  We are still considering the Baby Jogger Double City Mini...and it's hefty price tag.  I have found a few online for cheaper than retail, but it is still a big investment.  And a hard one.  I believe my friends who tell me it is a worthy investment, but I cannot help but feel guilty for spending that much on a stroller.  Each time I think about what to do, I get anxious and decide to leave that decision for another day.  (haha, good ol' avoidance...)

*Emilia:  We ask her often if she wants a brother or a sister.  Sister has been winning over the past couple weeks...in fact, Emilia says she now has a "Sister Baby in her belly too".  Our discussions to the contrary are not changing her mind.  She also thinks she can see the "Sister Baby" by looking down my throat.  ;-)  We find out the gender in two weeks...I'm praying she will be excited either way!

*Belly:  It is officially out there and *finally starting to round a little.  Thankfully!!  I think my belly is a little lopsided and definitely LOW.  My SIL has also joined the races and is betting on a Boy.  This pregnancy has been different from Emilia in so many ways, she might just be right!  Only time will tell! (O:

*Pictures:  I haven't decided yet how often I will take updated "Baby Bump" photos...but the first one may come in the next few weeks.  I can't remember how early friends started posting pics of their bellies....but I wanted to make sure it was at least noticeably preggo before posting. ;-)

That's all for today.  It turns out I did have some updates to share! Have a lovely day! (O:

Midnight Kisses

My daughter has always had trouble with sleeping at night.  There are very few nights when she makes it until morning without waking and calling out for someone.

This fact became even more evident once we moved in with Jason's parents during our transition to Saipan.  We have been living with them since December 2011, and she still wakes up at least once, most nights twice-3 times each night.  Sometimes needing to go potty, wanting more milk (which I don't give in to), having a bad dream, being scared, the list goes on.

It makes me tired.

As the sole bread winner for our little family at the moment, all I want is to sleep a whole night through, sans midnight wake up calls.  Waking up at 5:00 a.m. to get ready for work every day makes me tired enough.  But, I also know that Emilia is going through a lot of changes right now and really has no idea exactly what is happening. 

I try to be her constant.  I try to always be comforting and supportive, instead of annoyed and irritated.  She doesn't understand these changes and doesn't always know how to express her confusion and frustration.

So, last night when she started calling out for me at 1:45 a.m., I faithfully drug myself out of bed and made it to her room without tripping over the dog, or shoes, or anything (small victories, people).  I peeked in her door and asked what she needed...

"Momma, I heed a kiss"

What sweet words from my little girl.  This was one request I was happy to fulfill.  I leaned over her bed, and gave her lots of little kisses.  Once I stood back up, she rolled over and went back to sleep.  That was that.

Do I still wish she could sleep all night?  Yes.  Am I looking forward to finally getting settled in Saipan and getting her back on a regular sleep schedule and retrain her sleep habits?  Definitely.  Would I trade her precious request for Momma's kisses at 1:45 a.m. for anything in the world?  Not on your life.

Small Style :: Refashion Victory

As it goes with almost any crafter I know, the "crafts to do" pile is ever-growing and the "crafts completed" pile stays rather short.  It doesn't help that we are in the middle of packing, shipping, selling and storing all our belongings for the move to Saipan.  Add to that the sewing machine I am borrowing from my mother-in-law is older and I have trouble getting it to cooperate with certain stiches (read: I don't know exactly how to operate it except for straight lines...).

That being said, please share in my excitement over the toddler tee to dress refashion I actually completed recently!  This was one of many projects I hauled to my momma's house (and her fancy-pants sewing machine) a couple weeks ago.  I am proud to say I completed every. single. project. I brought with me that day! (O:

This is Miss Emilia on Mother's Day:

Her dress and hairbow were both handmade by me. 

The tshirt necklace was made by Emilia and her Aunt Clare. ;-)

The only part of her outfit that wasn't handmade are these adorable pink peeptoe sandals.  They were part of a sweeping victory I had last year at the Gap Outlet.  I purchased over 10 pairs of sandals and flip flops for under $2 a pair!  (I had to wait SO LONG for these to fit, haha!)

Daddy can always make her laugh and smile. (O:

(I'm not exactly sure what this pose was about, other than being done with my mini photo shoot.)

If you are interested in making one of these adorable little dresses for your little sweetheart, this is the PIN I followed for easy instructions.

My sister is much craftier than I, so she already knew how to make the necklace.  But, for those of us who need to see how it's done, this tutorial seems pretty easy to follow.

I am linking up to Mama Loves Papa's Small Style again this week.  (O:

Just a matter of weeks

The closer we get to our Saipan launch date, the more I begin to count big milestones by number of weeks.  This helps make these events more tangible, and also makes them a little scary!  This is my life, in a matter of weeks:

3 Weeks left at my current job

4 Weeks left until we go on full mission support

4 Weeks until we *hopefully* find out Saipan Baby's gender  (Make your guesses now!)  ;0)

(Less than) 5 Weeks until we (Emilia included) leave for a month-long Cultural Training course in North Carolina

8 Weeks until our Commissioning Service at Skyline Church

9 Weeks until the General Baptist Missions & Ministry Summit in Springfield, MO

10 Weeks until we say Goodbye to everyone and everything we have ever known, board a plane (or three...) and say Hello to a whole new life God has planned for us!

24 Weeks to Saipan Baby's due date

Whew!  Does that list make anyone besides me tired and a little anxious??  More tired than anxious.  I Know God has this all under control, and I trust Him with everything. 

It just doesn't seem possible that we are THIS CLOSE to leaving.  Wasn't it just September when we were announcing the initial decision?  How did so much time sneak by us?  Crunch time is here and I feel under-prepared.  It looks like it might be time to start making lists again...oh rats! ;-)

A First for Emilia {Embrace the Camera}

Jason has been talking about it for a while now. 

It is the only thing he really wanted Emilia to experience before our move to Saipan in July.

As any St. Louis sports fan may guess, he wanted to take her to her first Cardinals game at Busch Stadium.

We were blessed with a set of last-minute, free tickets to last Friday's game.  The seats were good- Really Good.  The nachos were tasty as always.  The Cards played a great game.

All of this pales in comparison to the joy of watching Emilia soak up the stadium, the fans, and everything else wonderful about baseball!  I loved watching Jason explain every move of the players to her in the first couple innings and then having her retell the information to us later in the game.  She clapped when everyone clapped, cheered loudly  ("Go Cards GO!" ..over and over and over...luckily those around us found it cute enough to not be annoying!) and loved every second.

Jason and I both grew up in the STL area and we love being part of Cardinals Nation.  It was important to J to share this tradition with our daughter and it was a wonderful experience for all of us.  Now, any time Emilia sees baseball on TV, she stops whatever she is doing and watches, exclaiming "Look Momma, BASEBALL!  Go Cards!"

Oh, did I mention- we got to see Fred Bird!  Emilia loved getting kisses and hugs from him and we even scored a cute family photo! (O:

Pink Cards attire for Emilia, of course. ;-)

Linking up here: 

Some of The Things...

I have started compiling a silly little list in my head of all the things I will and will not miss once we move to Saipan.  Most of these are of no real consequence, but more general thoughts as I go throughout the day.

I Might Miss:
*Girl Scout Cookies, especially Thin Mints
*Grocery and Electric prices I can predict and account for in our budget
*Availability of fabric and craft stores
*A/C 24/7  (We *know* I will miss this one..)
*On-Call/Free Babysitters (aka Grandmas) ;-)
*Radio music
*Snow days
*My Lifesong Photography clients

I Will Not Miss:
*Having to blow dry & staighten my hair, ever.  Updos and ponytails, here I come!
*Worrying about what to wear. (No one cares about how one dresses on the island, so I've been told)
*Working out of the home (!!)
*Traveling every weekend and not having anything be "normal"
*Long drives to the store, work, church, restaurants, etc.  (On an island 4milesx12miles, I imagine most trips are relatively quick)

Other Things I am Excited About:
*Utilizing market vendors for fresh produce, etc.
*Making new friends in a new place
*Being home with my kiddo(s) every day!
*Continuing to pursue my passion of photography
*Having time to hopefully join/start new ministries as need on the island.  (My heart feels drawn to a young mother's ministry, if there is a need for one.)

As I said, this list really doesn't serve a purpose to anyone, but I wanted to type it out anyway.  Maybe it will help keep me balanced. 

Yes, there are many things I will miss about life in the States (more than I've listed, of course).  But, the things I am excited about and the things I will Not miss are important too.  If I ever need to be reminded of the exciting things about moving, I can to a quick look at this list and remember.

Girl Scout cookies or not, I am ready for Saipan and hope Saipan is ready for us!  (O:

Our News (O:

It has actually been almost two weeks since we announced our newest "Big News" to friends and family (which means almost all of you already know about it).  So this post isn't exactly earth-shattering, but I wanted to record this exciting time to look back on at some point in the future.

Stats:
14 weeks tomorrow
Lemon-sized baby ;-)
No morning sickness (yay!)
Minimal heartburn after meals
Very. T.I.R.E.D.
Craving Chinese, BBQ, fried fish and apple juice
Still Zumba-ing, but modifying certain moves
Still in non-maternity clothes
Starting weight maintaining so far
Memory worse than normal..haha.

Emilia is pretty excited about it.  We don't think she completely understands, but she does like to talk about the baby.  Some days we ask and she wants a baby sister, but more recently she has been saying she wants a baby brother.  I told her they could dress up as the Princess and the Frog for Halloween if it's a brother. She liked that idea. ;-)

Were we trying?  Yes and No.  We have been "trying" for almost 2 years, unsuccessfully.  Last October, I started going through testing to see if something was blocked or what was going on.  We had zero trouble getting pregnant with Emilia, so everyone seemd baffled by the trouble this time around.  The tricky part about this testing was that my insurance from my previous employer was going to expire on 12/31/11 and we were not yet sure what we were doing for insurance in the new year.  So, I was pleading with every doctor to get all my tests done before the end of 2011.  The last test I needed would have had to been scheduled for the week between Christmas and New Years...but they couldn't squeeze me in since they were short doctors and overbooked.  I felt helpless.  I got angry and gave up.  I decided I was done trying, I was done testing, I was just done.

I absolutely believe in God's perfect timing and my heart was healed over the next few months.  I came to terms with the fact that we may not have any more biological children, or it might be a long, long time before we do.  Life was picking up as Saipan stuff started taking up more and more time (in a good way!), so I stopped thinking about it altogether.  Until about mid-March, when I realized I hadn't had a montly visitor since at least January, maybe Decemeber...hmmm...  I waited a several days before telling Jason, because I didn't want to jinx anything.  But that home test changed so quickly, I knew I was pregnant!

We were both thrilled and I started set up appointments right away.  Since I wasn't sure how far along I was, my doctor scheduled me for an ultrasound the same week as my first appointment.  Things get a little hairy since we move to Saipan in July and I am not due until October 24th.  My doctor wants to make sure we have precise, clear records to send to Saipan and determining the exact due date was a big one to clear up.  It was super exciting to find out that I was already 12 weeks along!  We don't like to share pregnancy news before 12 weeks, so there is less chance of having to share bad news if something goes wrong.  Luckily we didn't have to wait ANY time!

The weekend before my appointment, we had taken Emilia to a park to snap the photos used for our announcement.  This was Jason's idea and it turned out really cute.  Everyone seemed to like it and we loved including Emilia in sharing the news.  We also let her be the one to tell both sets of grandparents.  One set by exclaiming "I'm going to be a big sister" (which she pronounced Stister)  ;-)  The other Grandma with a "Big Sister" shirt.  All the grandparents are excited and sad. 

This is just another reminder for them that we are moving far, far away and they won't get to see their newest grandbaby for several months after he/she is born, or possibly 2 years if the cannot come visit.  I have days of struggle with this too.  They were such a strong support system after Emilia was born- helping with laundry, preparing meals, holding E so I could sleep/shower/etc.  I know we will not be alone on Saipan, but it is a little scary to think about not having our mommas close by.  This is just another way God is teaching us to trust HIM.  He knows exactly what He is doing and I have faith that everything will be OK.  (It also helps to remember that I would SO NOT want to have a newborn during our 26 hours of travel to Saipan.  Ugh, can you imagine!?)

Now I have a whole new layer to my packing lists, shipping lists, purchasing lists...oh the lists!  Thankfully we have quite a bit of Emilia's old baby stuff still.  But, we sold all our bigger items, so it's back to car seat and stroller shopping.  I am running into some trouble with this because none of the major stores ship to Saipan.  So we will have to purchase while in the States and ship it to Saiapn ourselves.  I am looking for a good deal on a double jogging stroller, and hope to find one second-hand to save some money.  The bigger items are all I can really spend time looking at for the moment, at least until we find out baby's gender--hopefully the beginning of June!  (O:

We have also decided to "Go Green" and cloth diaper this time around.  Honestly, it has much less to do with the environment (shame on me) and more to do with money.  Jason learned on his visit last year that on Saipan, they take one large box of diapers, the kind with 2 plastic sealed sections of diapers inside, open in and sell each of the plastic sections for the price of the one box.  So, say Pampers are $25 per box, they are selling each plastic section for $25!  Yikes!  That will *really* cut into our small budget... I have pretty much made my decision about which clother diapering systems to go with, now to pull our money together and start stocking up.

I think that about covers everything, for now.  I am going to try and post weekly updated throughout the pregnancy.  I always love reading other bloggers weekly preggo updates about cravings, thoughts, etc. and think it will be fun to look back on one day.  Back to one of many product review sites to continue my searches.  (O:

Small Style :: Belated Easter

Yes, I realize Easter was not one, but TWO weekends ago...I am very behind.  Tardiness aside, I wanted to share a couple photos I snapped quickly before church on Easter Sunday. 

I have been waiting almost a full year for her to wear this dress!  I still laugh when I think about the day Jason called me from Kohl's and asked, "Is $3.80 a good price for a dress?"  He went on to explain what it looked like and the brand.  I told him $3.80 is ALWAYS a good price and especially for that brand.  I was so proud of him that day. (O:

We were so glad to be able to attend our home church for Easter.  It was a welcomed break from all our deputation traveling.  Sadly, I forgot to have someone take a family photo of us, but here's my cutie little girl! ;-)
 

A few thoughts that crossed my mind as I uploaded these:

1.  I have no idea why she started faking "laughter" and "surprise" while I was snapping photos.  She has a mind of her own and I'm just glad they turned out cute!

2.  I kept thinking the sash of her dress was cream and now after seeing these photos, it definitely was.  Color matching fail.

3.  I am so lucky to have this sweet little lady in my life.  She challenges me every day, makes me laugh and is a true joy (most of the time).

As seen on Emilia:
Pink dress with *cream sash ::  Chaps brand at Kohl's, major clearance
White cardigan :: Gap, eBay
Pink bow :: Handmade by me
White sandals :: Payless
Necklace ::  I cannot remember, but it was super cheap and it is her absolute FAV to wear. ;-)

Linking up here:

{Embrace} and {Small Style :: Birthday Girl!}

Good morning!

I am so so excited about today's post!  This has been a big work in progress for me and I am thrilled with how it turned out.  More importantly, Emilia loved it!

We celebrated Emilia's THIRD birthday this past weekend with a "Tinkerbell Party", at E's request.  The only catch was that she wanted to be Rosetta, Tinkerbell's fairy friend, because she wears pink.  My MIL found an awesome deal on a peachy colored fabric which matched our Rosetta doll's outfit perfectly, so I set out to create something fantastic. 

Emilia loves tutus and all things twirly, so I really felt the stress of perfection...haha.  Honestly, I just kind of made up the skirt as I went along...I looked at a couple tutorials for petal skirts and tutus, but ultimately, just kept playing with it until I liked it.  It didn't pass the "Twirl Test", but E still loved it!

I also took a plain white tank and added a small fabric rosette embellishment.  I didn't want anything too over-the-top and I think it turned out great!



She was also very particular about which character each family member was to dress up as...and here is our little family!  I was Tinkerbell and Jason was Terrence- Tink's boy fairy friend.  Such a good dad to get in on the fairy fun! (O:


I am excited to post all about her party details soon.  Please stop back by! (O:

As seen on Emilia:
Rosetta Skirt - Handmade by me
Rosetta Tank - Target's Circo brand plain tank, I added the embellishment
Leggings - Walmart
Wings - Amazon.com

I am linking up with two wonderfully awesome blogs today; please go check them out!:

A Birthday Balloon Surprise

My daughter, Emilia turned 3 this past Saturday.  I still cannot believe she's 3 already- time is definitely flying!  When I started formulating birthday and party ideas, I came across a really fun surprise idea on Pinterest.  E is definitely a little balloon lover, so I knew she would love this surprise!

I stayed up late Friday night blowing up balloons and filled 3 trash bags.  I set my alarm to wake up at 6:30 to make sure I got them in her room before she woke up.  If you're my friend on facebook, you probably saw my post saying "One of the few acceptable reasons to set an alarm clock for Saturday morning :: covering the birthday girl's bedroom floor with balloons as a surprise for when she wakes up!"  And it was totally worth it!  When she first woke up, she just laid in bed calling for me...I could tell she hadn't realized the balloons yet, so I grabbed our camera and went in her room like nothing was different.  I closed the door behind me so the balloons couldn't escape and just started asking her how she slept, etc.  It took her a couple minutes, but when she finally looked down, she was SO excited!

She ran into the hallway to tell Daddy, Grammy and Grampy about the balloons!  We pushed all the balloons into the hallway and let the fun continue.

 

It was the perfect way to start this great day! 

Another post to come soon about all her party festivities...there will be pirates, fairies, friends and fun!  Plus I will finally be able to show off the Rosetta tutu skirt and coordinating tank I made for my little birthday girl.  (O: