Friday, February 24, 2012

One Week Under our Belts

I can't believe our little man has been with us for a week already! He is proving to be a very laid back baby which I am so grateful for. We aren't struggling with eating issues like his big sister did, which immensely helps keep the stress level down for this momma. He's nursing 14-16 times a day and not spitting up every where. Diapers on the other hand are another story... While I had to change Miss Emma 2-3 times a day due to spit up, Easton tends to go through 2-3 outfits due to diaper explosions.

One week old
Emma is adjusting well to being a big sister for the most part. We are seeing a vicious side of her that was never there before and I hope it disappears with time. She is very sweet with Easton, but her attitude towards mommy and daddy can be appalling at times. I know my sweet peanut is in there some where, we just all have to get used to the changes taking place. She loves to help me out with little things around the house and she showers her brother with kisses whenever she gets the chance.

We feel truly blessed to have this tiny addition to our home!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Our Newest Addition

I'd like to introduce you to our newest family member:
Easton Klein

He arrived at  on Februrary 17, 2012, weighing in at 7 lbs, 9 oz and 21 in long.

All are doing well and I look forward to updating again soon, but it's now time for this momma to rest before we head home for the reality of two little ones :)

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Pacifier Clip Tutorial

I've been planning to make these for months, but kept putting it off. With D-day just around the corner I decided it was finally time to get my buns in gear. I was going to wait until baby boy's arrival, but I figure if he doesn't take interest in pacifiers like his sister did I can always find someone else who  can use them.
You'll need 12 inch strips of ribbon, velcro, a lighter and an iron. Don't mind my ratty towel- I was to lazy to drag out my ironing board so I used this rag as a makeshift work space.

It never hurts to have a super cute Super Girl to watch over the process and cheer you on :)

First you'll want to seal the ends of your ribbon. Simply take the ribbon and melt the edges with the lighter to prevent the ends from fraying.

Then fold the edges of the ribbon and iron them down. One word of caution- the circles on my ribbon were painted on so they didn't hold up to extreme heat. I placed another rag on top of them before using the iron. Otherwise I found that the circles would run and come off onto my iron.

Then cut pieces of velcro to affix to the ribbon. You want to attach a piece to each end. I used velcro that has a heat activated backing. Once you stick it down, you hold the iron over it for 60 seconds to adhere it to the ribbon. If you want to be sure it stays secure you could always sew the pieces down as well.
Then attach the opposite piece of velcro about a 1/4 inch away from the first piece on each end of the ribbon.
It should look like this when you are done.
Now you can attach a clip to one end and the pacifier to the other. It's super easy to swap the clip from ribbon to ribbon and change it up. I can't wait to use these!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Playing the Waiting Game

While I know our little man will  be here in 10 days or less, that doesn't make the interim any easier. My house has been cleaned from top to bottom. Almost everything that can be organized is put away neatly in it's place. My energy levels seem to go from extreme highs to extreme lows. For example, Emma was up and raring to go at 6:30 on Sunday morning so after a quick breakfast I got to work. By 9:00, my house was vacuumed, floors were mopped and windows had been cleaned. However, Monday was a totally different story. After cleaning at church and grocery shopping I wanted to do nothing more than lay on the couch and veg. Which is exactly what I did once we had lunch and Emma was down for a nap.


Even though my energy is lacking, I try to find at least one new activity every day to do with Emma. I know the dynamics are going to drastically change in the next few weeks in our house so I want to give her as much attention as possible now. Even when I'd rather cuddle with her on the couch and watch movies all day. Here are a few more things we've been doing around our house for entertainment. While some of them might not look like much, they have been a pretty big hit around here!

I gave Emma 10 clothespins and then had her stand backwards on a chair and drop them into an empty container. After some trial and error, we weighted the cup down with marbles. Otherwise the cup wanted to tip  over when she got the clothespins in.
You can experiment with different containers too. Use ones with wide mouths, narrow mouths, tall or short tubs to see if some are easier than others. Emma actually did really well with this and had a blast.

We also made some paint with glue and shaving cream. It's supposed to be a half and half mixture, which I found difficult to discern, but I'm not sure it matters to much. Emma has always loved to paint, but she usually is done after a picture or two. I had to cut her off at 5 since we were all out of paint!
The best part about this one is that I didn't need to worry too much about her clothing. I knew it would wash right out when we were done. Originally she wanted to make a snow man so I traced a few circles on a piece of paper for her. She wanted to paint with a paint brush, but as you can see once she got started she ditched the brush and went for a more free form design.
And what project is complete with out sparkles??? I think this may have been the first time she was able to operate the shaker on her own and it shows. She used about 3/4 of them on her 5 creations. I think this is another craft we will be visiting again soon. Next time we may have to add a little food coloring to give it more variety.

We're all just hanging in there, waiting for baby boy's arrival. There will be plenty of time for cuddling on the couch and watching shows once he's here!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

More Homemade Goodies

Now that Christmas is well over, I figured I'd share a few of the gifts I made this season. In the past I have made banners, shirts, bags and aprons for family members during the holidays. This year I wanted to try my hand at some new things. I have seen dozens of how-to's on tutus and I decided to mix different techniques together to make some for my cousin's adorable girls.

I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. They are both primarily purple tulle, with a little white mixed in. Then I added a deep purple ribbon to one along with a white rose and the second tutu has a sheer white ribbon with a bold purple flower. The flowers are attached with hair clips, so the girls can wear them on their tutus or put them in their hair.

These are very simple to make too! I didn't take step-by-step photos, but it's fairly self explanatory. Once you know the size of the child's waist, sew a piece of elastic together for the waist band (I do this by hand, but you could easily use a sewing machine as well).

Next you need to cut the tulle. For a baby/toddler tutu, I cut the tulle in 15 inch segments. The easiest way to do so is cut a piece of cardboard 15 inches long and then just wrap the tulle around the cardboard. Once you are done, secure the tulle on each end with a rubber band. Then proceed to cut the tulle on each end of the cardboard. Viola- nice, even pieces of tulle!

Next, use a slip knot to tie each piece of tulle to the waistband. You have to play with it as you go, bunching the tulle together. Once I had the tulle on, I went back and used the same process to cut and add the ribbon. Overall, it took me about two hours to make both of them.
For the adults I made Christmas wreaths. I took 1/4 inch pipe insulation and secured the ends together with duct tape. Then I used burlap to cover the foam. I cut strips about one inch wide by about 2 inch long. They were not precise by any means :) I secured the strips with hot glue overlapping each strip by about a 1/4 inch. Then I just used a variety of decorations I picked up at Hobby Lobby, along with flowers I've made and ribbon I had laying around the house.

Each one turned out unique and different. The possibilities with these babies are endless! I may need to make some for the summer months later this year...

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Just About Ready.... I Think!

With my due date looming in the near future, I have felt a major push to get things done around here. Since Emma was a c-section baby, my doctor said she won't allow me to go over my due date. Unless baby boy Klein decides to come early, his birthday will be February 17th. Only 16 days away- yikes!

I think I have been more productive in the past 5 days then I have been in the last month. His bedding and blankets, as well as all of his clothes, are washed and put away. At least for the first 6 months :)
Jason hung an extra rod in Emma's closet so we could move her clothes down to her level and make room for her brother's stuff.

I've deep cleaned beyond the typical dusting and vacuuming- taken apart the fridge, washed down walls, emptied and reorganized drawers, and got all the etches off my dishes (this has been driving me crazy for years!) The diaper bag and the hospital bags are packed.

Emma helped me get all of the baby paraphernalia out of the attic this weekend. My house has been over taken by stuff- swing, bouncy seat, bassinet, car seat. I'm trying to keep her involved so she stays upbeat about the changes coming soon.

I've also picked out birth announcements and have them almost complete. Just have to add the specific details of his birthday and a few photos. Emma's went out with the Christmas cards and she was born in August- I'd like to be a little more on top of things this time!

Overall, I'm feeling like our household is pretty prepared. Now if I can just get myself mentally prepared. I love this little boy and can't wait to hold him in my arms, but I know it's so much easier while he's still inside!