Cute shirts & Scarf Along project!

Yep, this is the exception to the rule. I know. Not suppose to talk about my business on here but I HAVE to share these really cute turkey shirts that we made for Thanksgiving Day. Too bad it is too late to order one now BUT we are going to have some killer Christmas shirt designs instead so keep a lookout on my other blog SIGnature Creations. These are the 3 shirts together for the kids.

And the shirts seperately.



I've actually been doing quite a bit of sewing now that my machine is out of the closet. I've been keeping dibs on my progress on the other blog. I've got to share my favorite one though. It is called Scarf Along & was recommended to me by a friend, Adrienne. There are a handful of us doing it together (A, Amy, Angie, & Andrea). Ok, is it just me or do we all have A names? HA! Now that is friggin' hilarious!


Anyway, back to the project. The premise is that you can make 8 scarves for roughly $20. Now, I ended up spending a little more b/c I wanted to make more scarves. YAY! So far, I'm loving every minute of it, even the ironing.

Here are my fabric choices for the 1st set of scarves.


And these are the fabric choices for the 2nd set of scarves.


This has really gotten my creative juices flowing. I'm by no means an expert seamstress but this is fun & helps fill my time while making me feel like I am contributing to the family.

Ok, so 1 last plug for my business. I also have an Etsy store. We (Sheila & I) do custom orders as well so if you need something special for a birthday or for a baby shower, we can whip it up. I've got a couple of precious diaper cakes as well as diaper wreaths (perfect to hang on the hospital door & then at home). Too much to list here. Check out the store & my independent website. Remember, if we don't have it, we can make it!

SIGnature Creations Esty Store
SIGnature Creations Website

Thanks for letting me shamelessly plug my biz!

Tender Mommy Moments

You know, it is very rare that a mommy gets to be in the picture but last night proved to be the perfect moment for mommy to get included. Ian normally sits on the couch for his milk & the girls in their bouncy chairs (yes, the same ones we have had since they were born). Last night was special. All 3 wanted to sit on MY lap and, as mommies do, I accommodated all 3.



Don't hate. Yes, we still give the girls milk in a bottle. No, we aren't worried about their teeth. They get brushed every night. We also don't put them to bed w/ the bottle. They finish it at least 30 minutes before going to bed. Why am I even justifying it? Never mind.

Back to the point. This was definitely a moment to remember for this mommy. It is not common for all 3 to sit contently in my lap at one time w/o some shoving, pushing or arguing going on. So, yeah. This is mommy's tender moment <3.

T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

I don't think I really need to explain much w/ a picture like this. He may need braces to get him to walk better but hell if he can't climb!

Eating Utensils & Plates

What a big step to civilized eating! We are officially using eating utensils (or at least trying to) & plates. The plates are going better than the forks/spoons. They actually leave them on the table until they are empty. Once there is nothing left on the plate, it's fair game for throwing down on the ground.

Of the 3, Sofi has managed to eat a whole meal using her fork. She is also really good w/ her spoon. We use a spoon every morning to eat yogurt. I chose yogurt b/c the consistency is thick & tends to stay on the spoon.

Speaking of utensils, I had a difficult time trying to decide what to get. We got some Baby Einstein Eat & Discover Utensils b/c we had been given them as a present way back before the kids were born & these seem to be easy to handle & to pierce the food.

Gabi & Ian...hmmm. They can take it or leave it. Not too interested in the fork although if I help Ian, he will use it. Gabi, not so much. The girl just wants to get the food in her mouth the quickest way possible. I look forward to the day they are able to use them well b/c I'm tired of constantly wiping hands!

Here are the munchkins w/ their plates & forks!

Love/hate relationship...

I hate those damn braces. I'm not exactly sure why I have such a disdain for them but I do. I knew that Ian would have problems maneuvering in them as they are bulky. I don't care what all the therapists said, they are BULKY. They are big & put some significant weight on the bottom half of his legs making it difficult for him to move around.

I'm not saying he was agile & quick before but at least he could break his falls & didn't have huge bruises on the back of his legs from where the braces hit. I think the extra weight is making his feet slower than before & so when he tries to move, his upper body wants to go faster than his lower body. Hence, the falling. A lot of the time he trips over his own feet. Wonder why? Could it be the shoes that are THREE sizes too big?

His ECI coordinator seems to feel the same way about them after observing him today. The only problem is that he IS much more stable when walking than he was before. His left foot has also started to turn straight rather than to the side. I gotta love them for making a difference so quickly. Hence the love/hate relationship.

I knew he would have some physical setbacks b/c the braces are retraining him to walk w/ a new set of muscles. I just didn't expect so much falling. Poor guy. Sorry, no pics today. Momma hasn't had time to take or upload.

I think I needed to vent.

Outside Fun

Ok, seems like we always have intentions of going outside (besides on our daily walks) & we end up wondering why we didn't at the end of the day. Truth be told, I'm intimidated at the idea of taking them outside by myself. We have a BIG backyard & there are too many places for a kid to get in trouble. It scares me b/c every time we DO go out, they go crazy!

With that said, I think they go crazy b/c they don't go out so this weekend, we tackled the backyard. Todd & I took the kids out for about 30-45 minutes both yesterday & today. For part of the time today, I was out there by myself, the rest was w/ Grandma Donna & Todd BUT the little time I did have out there gave me a boost of confidence. I CAN go out there alone. Maybe not quite yet but I'm getting there.

We had a great time swinging on the swings & running around. The kids love the deck we have & played on it quite a bit. They climbed in the flowerbed (thank God nothing is in there that matters) & got to see the neighbor's new doggie, Cooper (labradoodle). We have GOT to get one! Not sure when we will be ready for the responsibility of a dog on top of 3 kids & 2 cats though. There are times I think Todd was having more fun than the kids although I gotta say nothing beats Gabi running outside & saying over & over again for about 5 minute straight, "Ou-si, ou-si, ou-si!" while running all over the yard!

Fun pics of Daddy & the kids.




Ok, seems like we always have intentions of going outside (besides on our daily walks) & we end up wondering why we didn't at the end

We have leg braces!

Can I just say how absolutely happy I am that insurance paid for the braces at 100% of the cost?!? With that said, we would have gotten them no matter the price b/c that is what you do as parents. You get what your kids NEED.

Honestly, I am still not very fond of these things but what ever. He's got them & now he's going to wear them. We have a schedule to "introduce" the braces to him. A couple of reasons for this, 1) so he can get use to his 2 new friends, and 2) to make sure that they fit appropriately & not hurt or rub his skin causing discomfort or blisters.

Day 1 ~ Wear for 1 hr twice a day.
Day 2 ~ Wear for 2 hrs twice a day.
Day 3 & 4 ~ Wear for 3 hrs twice a day.
Day 5 & 6 ~ Wear for 4 hrs twice a day.
Day 7 ~ Wear for 5 hrs twice a day.

It is my understanding he will be wearing them about 8 hrs a day which is about all we are going to be able to wear them since he won't have them on while he is sleeping. We'll be cutting it close but it is doable. I'm sure I will get more proficient in getting them on although it wasn't too much of a hassle this morning.

I have to say that I am glad he will be wearing them during the cooler months. He has to wear socks that go up past the braces & b/c of the girls, wear jeans/pants so that they don't mess w/ them. Not only that, we had to buy new shoes THREE sizes bigger to accommodate the braces!!!

For those that have never seen them, here is what they look like. We got to pick out the pattern, for which I promptly called Daddy & let him decide! Superman it is!



And for your viewing pleasure, a video of Mr. Ian walking w/ them the very 1st time. You can IMMEDIATELY see how the braces force him to walk heal-toe. They make him much steadier as well! As much as I don't like them, I like what I see.



And for kicks, this was him walking a month ago. Notice the difference in his balance!?!