packin' it on

We're packing here in more than one way. I packed on the pounds during Christmas break. It's so hard being pregnant during the holidays! So many goodies everywhere. And hopefully we will literally be packing soon to move into a new apartment! We found an awesome place today that is so so perfect. I'm praying we get it. It has everything on our wish list, it's close to the provo river trail and campus, has place for a garden, laundry room, split level, 1 1/2 baths. There was another couple looking at it the same time we were there, but we know the current tenants and they're going to put in a good word for us to make sure we get it =) If we don't get it...I will definitely be sad.

We need more space for this big belly that I've got!

29 weeks

Baby boy is busy up in my ribs most days or stomping on my bladder. He was showered with gifts over Christmas, he will be one spoiled little boy. David's step-dad does not want to know the gender of the baby until he comes. However the rest of David's family knows, including his mom. So while we were with everyone, we had to try and censor our gender references. But we all said "he" or "him" about a thousand times accidently in front of his step-dad. Plus I opened some pretty "blue" gifts that had to have given it away. He's still playing dumb though =) Maybe he really didn't pick up on all the clues.

As time nears closer, I realize we still need some keys things like a carseat and stroller, a crib mattress, and lots of other little things. Only about 1o more weeks and he's here!! Better get crackin!

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Using this tutorial, I made us a little family set of stockings =) I love them. Mine is the blue one, david's the white and red one, and our little boy's is the grey houndstooth. They literally took me not more than an hour and I got the fabric at Joann's on black friday, mega discount! Pretty, quick, and cheap makes a pretty happy girl. Plus they replace my awful red velvety ones I got at the dollar store. If only I had a mantle to hang them on....

Using this tutorial, I made a wreath which I have yet to take a picture of. I will though. I love my wreath, plus it only cost me 5 bucks total. =) And here's our puny tree. I ran out of lights at the top.

hugemongous

I am officially feeling large. Feel stretched to the max. I know I have a long way to go, but seriously can my skin handle this?! Baby boy is very active, especially around 9 o'clock at night. He's pretty consistent. Today I felt the first wave of movement across my stomach rather than the usual poke. Every night around 9pm, he wakes up and jostles around. I have to admit I love it. I can't wait to meet him! Most nights I wake up from really strange dreams with him already here and talking to us. I wonder if they'll stop when he really does show up.

21 weeks

I'm sick. It's very bad timing. However, being sick and pregnant has inducted me to the pregnancy wall of shame...or fame. I have a nasty cough which makes me convulse so hard that I actually pee my pants. I have to stop moving when I cough and keep my legs as tight as possible. Thank you baby chinn for letting me know what it's really like to be pregnant.

This is pretty long overdue since the world knows already, but baby chinn is a boy! Definitely. a. boy. I knew before the ultrasound tech told us. So nice to know! I love to look at the ultrasound pictures. He was moving like crazy in the ultrasound, kicking and flailing his arms. It was truly amazing to see and think about there being a little person inside me. That's is simply incredible! We found out on Halloween and I had planned to buy stuff for baby boy as soon as we knew, but now almost 2 weeks have gone by and I haven't bought anything.

I'm almost 22 weeks now and starting to realize...we don't have much yet. We got a free crib, check. We have some longhorn bootie socks, check. And...that's about it. I had planned on making a lot of stuff myself, but that was when I thought it could be a girl. I can make bows, dresses, and all kinds of girly things. Boy crafts are not my forte. I'll have to learn. Still on my list is a jogging stroller and carseat of course. I have my eye set on a Phil and Teds stroller, they are expensive, but awesome! I need a jogging stroller with a swivel front wheel. Most I've looked at don't have this, but phil and teds does! Me want.

babies babies babies

Amaya is here! Last week my little niece was born and she is beeeeautiful. I miss her right now! We were lucky enough to be the first ones to see them in the hospital =) She makes us soooo excited to meet our little one. I'm so happy for my little sister and her hubby Ryan. They are such great parents and they love her so much. I love to see parents loving their children. It makes my heart melt. Congrats to J & R! I love you guys!!!

17 weeks

It's october already?! For that I am glad. Especially because on halloween...the actual day...we will know if it's a little me or little david. So. excited. I keep seeing things I want to buy, but alas, until we know boy or girl I need to refrain. But David jokes that since we'll get the ultrasound on halloween that they will trick us. But surely not! It will be a treat! a BIG one. I'm 17 weeks now. Strangers are noticing I'm pregnant. Proof it's grown for sure. I am almost positive I can feel baby chinn moving...but then I still am not sure. I seriously don't know what I am supposed to feel. It'll be obvious I'm sure when there is something more substantial than a "boop."

It seems "trendy" now to do gender reveal parties or have some cool way to reveal to the world what you're having. I admit I probably won't go all out, but some ideas intrigue me. Like filling a box with pink or blue balloons (having someone else put them in there) and then you open it up! How fun is that?

Another cute idea I heard about was asking the ultrasound tech to write the gender on a piece of paper. Then take that paper to a baby store and then ask a clerk to pick out an outfit for whichever gender it is...and then wrap it. Then open that present later with friends and family. That would be cool if we were finding out around Christmas time, but I don't think I could wait that long.

15 weeks

A little belly is forming. In this picture...you can't really tell. But I promise it's there =) Baby #1 is the size of a softball according to my "books." Every once and I while I swear I can feel it move. But then I tell myself it was gas or something cause I am not positive really what it is supposed to feel like. I'm sure I'll get where I KNOW that it was the baby and that will be exciting!

I have a doctor's appointment Wednesday. I honestly get very excited about going to the doctor. Although I know he's going to poke me and such, the doctor's office makes it feel real. We'll know in a month if it will be a mini-me or a mini-david. The appointment will be set on Wednesday. YAY! Can't wait to buy some baby clothes!

We got a free crib. Score! A friend of my sister Jessi was getting rid of 2 cribs. She bought bunkbeds for her kids and had 2 awesome cribs with all the fixins that she wanted to get rid of. So my sister got one and I got one =) It's a nice cherry wood, but I desperately want to paint it. David says no...but would it really be mine if I didn't paint it?! I'm thinking painting it yellow or aqua. We might end up staying in our little one bedroom for a little after the baby comes. That means the baby will live in the corner of our living room. But I would love a nursery like these!

13 weeks

Ok 13 weeks along now. Still not much to show for it, although the baby is the size of a peach apparently. For some reason all these last weeks the baby is compared to some sort of fruit. Peach size does help me imagine how big it is. Pants are getting tighter and I'm still sickness free! I guess I have good genes.

I had a goal to work out 4-5 days a week. However the last few weeks I've only worked out 2 days a week. Better than nothing? My little sister jessi gives me hope for lookin' good through pregnancy. She's been working out 4-5 days/week her whole pregnancy! you go girl. I honestly don't think I'll look as good as her, cause she basically had a six pack before being pregnant. I was not blessed with such a feature.

I took some pictures of her a few days ago to try my hand at photography. I'm no professional, but it was so fun! Here are my favs. I posted these on facebook and people thought it was me...I wish! I don't mind people thinking I'm her =)

the BIG enchilada post

This is dubbed the "big enchilada" for a couple reasons. One...hubby and I are expecting baby numero uno! Most people know already, but how could I not mention it here? I'm 12 weeks and according to my weekly emails, baby chinn is probably 2 1/2" long and has little arms and legs, a big difference from 10 weeks when it looked like a gummy bear. They grow so fast! It blows my mind. For now I'm due March 19th and we are so excited! It's absolute perfect timing for the school year. I'll be out on maternity leave and when I have to go back to work, David will be out for the semester to take care of the "himher" fredette (that's what he calls it). Then I'll have the whole summer in a bigger apartment (fingers crossed) with the baby. Awesome.

Also big enchilada because I haven't posted in ages. Once I went back to work...I seldom have the energy or time to sit down and write a post for the blog. It kept me occupied over the summer, but I have a feeling I won't be posting every day. I'll do my best to be frequent and provide baby bump photos once that shows up. I'm full time now teaching art most of the day and two periods of Spanish. Spanish is stretching me to my limit. I've never had to give tests! I admit I am learning a lot of what TO do and what NOT to do.

And now some pictures from recent happenings with my mother dearest and my sister's baby shower. My family is da best.

Jessi and her presents. It decorated with rainbows...David said it looked like I was supporting a different cause, but I love rainbows!

Delicious cake recipe courtesy my sister Erin

our little apartment was kind of packed to the max...I'm glad not everyone could come or we would have had to go outside.

Congrats to jessi again!! I can't say it enough! My sister, my sister-in-law, 2 cousins, and TONS of friends of mine are all pregnant. It's so nice to know my baby will have friends =)

making stuff

invite assemblage

drew an albino moose...watercolor background, acrylic and sharpie on top.

drew/painted one of my new favorite things: painted elephants. same process as moose.

Not sure what to do with these but I like them =)

I start teaching again starting August 22nd. Alas, my summer is almost over. I have to get in my "fun" time making projects while I still have a head to make them.

baby showering

I tried my hand at some "graphic design." I admit I can't remember a lot from my classes in college that taught me how to use the sophisticated programs of indesign, illustrator, and photoshop. Dang I wished I would have paid more attention!

I love those programs and need to get them, but right now I try to make do with my free dinky version of photoshop: gimp. It's a free download and does a lot of what photoshop does, not as user friendly, but once I tinkered around for a while I made sense of it. I managed to make my sister's invites, yay! I know she is into elephants from her pinterest boards...so I put some on there =)

I wish it wasn't pixelated on here and I messed up some things for privacy purposes, but you get the idea. Yay for jessi! She is beautiful and will be such a good mommy.

gramps camp

My parents are such hip grandparents. I'm so excited for our future children to get to know my sweet mom and dad. A few years ago they started a thing called "gramps camp" where the grandkids who are over the age of 5 (or out of diapers) get to come to the grandpappy's house for a few days to play with cousins and do cool stuff. This year their theme is "Adventures under the sea." I sort of volunteered to make their t-shirts which was a task since there were 10 to make. I decided to use the freezer paper method which is simple and yields good results. I forgot to take a picture of the front...but I got pictures of the back and all the kids names: girls' names in the shape of a dolphin, boys in the shape of a shark.All you do is use an exacto knife to cut out the parts you want to be painted on the shirt and then put the SHINY side down to the shirt. That's the part that sticks to the shirt when you iron over it.

I added some bubbles

Yay for gramps camp! Wish I could be there to play with all of the little ones. Hope the sharks and dolphins play nice with each other =)

the bib

and here is the bib I made..not perfect. but functional!

succulents

At bed bath and beyond they sell this beautiful painting of a succulent plant of some sort. I never really knew what they were until seeing this and realizing it was beautiful! Apparently they're like cactus sort of maybe? but like lovely green gushy flowers. They would do well in my house in our window. I'd love to plant a garden and be all self sustaining! We live in an apartment with no yard but according to a valuable source: if there is space in the flower beds outside our buildings...we can take it! Gardening is a skill I have yet to tackle..I need my older sister to help me =) She is the master! For now I like looking at these photos.....

feelin' crafty

My friend Ciara is having a little girl and her shower is on Saturday. I've been dying to try my hand at some actual baby "clothes" so this was the perfect opportunity. I admit I am no Martha Stewart and my sewing is not perfect, but the website Make it and love it has been very helpful. She puts things simply and you don't have to be an expert to do what she does. Lots of tutorials on everything.

I've made a little dress and some flowers so far. Next I'm gonna make a bib. These tutorials proved useful:

Repurposing: ti-shirt to a dress

Catch all laminated bib

Felt flower spiral

I kind of made my own version of these things so they're how I like them. Here they are voila!

Here is the dress I made from a onsie (no I did not make the shoes, they are just so perfect though!)

I basically made a little skirt to sew onto the onsie. I put a couple of pleats in the front for fun and sewed on some extra ribbon we used in my wedding.

Ahh these shoes kill me! I found them at Target, last ones on the shelf. They're sized for newborns and yes I know newborns can't walk, but so what? They can look stylish too for all the thousands of photos first time parents will take of them.

I also made a bunch of little felt button bows. Simple really. I am not a tutorial master but this is what I did:

Need: hot glue/gun

felt

scissors

buttons

scrap fabric

First I measured and cut out 5 circles the same size: 4 for the petals, 1 for the based. I used my husband's acid reflex bottle to trace.

Once I had them all cut, I cut 2 slits in one for the base. The hair clip will slide through there later.

I picked some of my scrap fabric to cover a button with. Can you tell I love green and yellow?

Then I put some hot glue on the top of the button to attach a little square of fabric. Then on the back I gradually added hot glue and spun it around to make the fabric lay flat on the front of the button.

Then one by one I folded each of the 4 circle petals in half, then again so it was in 4ths.

I put a dab of hot glue between the folded 4ths and held it til it dried. Then it looks like a fortune cookie. Once each of the 4 circles looked like fortune cookies, I glued them down to the base so it looked like a fluffy pie. I slid the hair clip through the back slit, cut earlier, and put hot glue under the ends to keep it in place.

Then I glued the button down in the middle of the petals. When you press it down it make the petals stick up on the edges.

So I made several of these. I found you can easily clip these onto clothes too. Ahh making baby stuff is so much fun.