S's dress, er, shirt

   At church on Sunday, we talked about developing our talents and aspirations. The lady who taught told us how she really wanted to be a painter, but lacked the time, money, and confidence to start. The desire never left her, and as a young mother she finally just gathered some computer paper, craft paint, and children's brushes from around the house and got to work. Long story short- she's now illustrates children's books. She showed us her work and it is amazing.
   Well, I really want to learn to sew. I'm not good, but I'm trying. I had to start somewhere, so I started with quilts. As long as you can cut lots of pieces and sew a straight line, you can make a quilt (especially if you pay someone else to do the actual quilting after it's pieced like I do). So I've made 5 quilts, and I'm over them for a while.

"The Baby Maker" (The Proposal.. anyone?)
I made this for Jonny as a birthday surprise.
It's a rough and tumble type of quilt.

Quilt for my nephew Jude (Lindsey, not Lloyd)

The other three (the one on the left was my first ever, the other two are for Scarlett)

I also appliqued some shirts for my nieces a long time ago (no pics), and a shirt for myself to support Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Also, super easy.

So now I'm moving on to baby clothes and other simple projects (ideas welcome). Baby and kids clothes don't scare me quite as much because babies don't have hips, or waists, or a bustline. Just big round tummies. Yesterday, I set out to make a dress for Scarlett out of scraps I've had for a while. I found a tutorial at www.gingerhendrix.com that dumbed the process down to someone on my level or lower (like what folding lengthwise means!).
   Everything went pretty smoothly (except when I had to text my ultra talented sewing friend Stephanie to ask her how to make my machine baste) until the end. I sewed up the "gutted fish" and tried it on her. It slid right on, then slid right off. The straps were way too big. So I took it off her, unpicked the straps, and sewed them on nice a tight. Well now the straps fit, but the dress would not go over my daughter's adorable globe of a head or her wonderfully round tummy.
   I unpicked the back of the dress and brainstormed how I could get this thing on Scarlett. First thought, buttons! Buttons would make it easier to get on! Only problem... I don't know how to make a buttonhole... yet, and the only buttons at my house are a random assortment of extras from my own clothes. Fail.
    So I decided to think back to my earliest experience with fashion design- Barbie. Barbie's arms are akin to baby arms in that they are impossible to get into tight clothes. How did Mattel solve this problem? Velcro. Genius. I found some velcro strips in a drawer from a previous project (Oh yeah! Another project. I sewed fabric paper dolls for my niece Evelyn. They looked like this: http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/02/flat-emelie-and-matt.html). Voila! The dress goes on.
   Now I have a different problem. The tight dress ends at the fattest part of my baby... her thighs. It keeps riding up a bunching. Dang! I knew I should have put more pleats than that front one it to make the skirt fuller. I then hacked off about 3-4 inches, re-hemmed the bottom, and the dress became a shirt. The straps were still a little big so I said, "Ah, to Heck with it!". I unpicked them one last time, tied them in a knot behind her head, and it became a halter-top.

Too tight dress

The final product! Ta da!

Is the dress shirt amazing? No, but it's okay. Am I proud? You betcha (please- I made an entire blog post about it). I'm proud that I didn't give up. I'm proud that I'm now a pro at hemming. I'm proud that I learned how to make a pleat! Who knew? I'm proud that I was able to improvise. I'm proud that I now feel comfortable doing this project again, that it won't take as long, and I hopefully won't have to unpick as many seams.

Two Months

Scarlett is two months old on Wednesday. She went to the doctor today, and he said she is doing just great! The shots were probably more sad for Jonny and I than they were for Scarlett. I almost cried right along with her. I nursed her right after and that cheered her right up.

Stats:
Head- 16 in, 90th percentile
Length- 24 in, 90th+ percentile
Weight- 12 lbs 3 oz, 80th percentile

Now we're home and Scarlett is more upset than she's ever been in her life. It breaks my heart. Hopefully she'll be back to her happy self soon!

Scarlett, White, and Blue

Happy 235th birthday, America!! Jonny, Scarlett, and I celebrated up in Twin Falls, Idaho. It was so fun to be with family, except we really missed Carrie and the rest of the Lloyds! On Saturday, Julie and Clint went to a concert up in Sun Valley so the kids stayed the night at my mom and dad's house. They had a fun little campout with Grandpa in the backyard (except Audrey. She crashed and slept inside with my mom).

Scarlett's first time on the swings

Grandma Debbie and Scarlett

Ryan, Chelsea, and the Schnoor girls (and Farfel!)

Dad and Jack setting up

Ryan made these signs in case anyone got lost

Roasting s'mores before bed

The fun continued on the 4th of July. The boys got up early and went golfing. Mom and I went to the annual neighborhood breakfast/parade. Then the fam all headed down to Bass Lake at the country club for the annual BBQ picnic.

That night Mom, Dad, Jonny, Scarlett, and I headed to the firework show at CSI (after squeezing in a quick game of hand and foot). Scarlett LOVED the fireworks.. and by LOVED I mean she didn't cry and stared at the traffic light down the street.

Scarlett's night-time patriotic outfit

I love Independence Day. It's like baseball games. Enjoyable purely for the ambiance it creates. I can't think of a better way or time of year to celebrate the birth of this great nation that we are so blessed to live in. Growing up, my sister Carrie and I made the most of the 4th. We dressed head to toe in red, white, and blue. We painted our toenails with American flags. Carrie braided our hair into "hippie braids" which basically entailed ratting our hair a bunch, braiding it in two braids, and spraying the heck out of it with glitter hairspray (our bathroom door at our parents house still has a layer of film on it). The look was completed with stick on jewels on our face or temporary tattoos. Most of the fun was the process of getting ready itself. I'm excited to spread this love of the holiday to Scarlett when she gets a little bigger. She had fun this year, but man was she worn out every night from all the excitement!

Back home and exhausted after a busy weekend and hot car ride

Grown-Ups Say the Darndest Things

    When I was a little girl, I assumed that when children grew up and turned into adults they would magically become responsible, smart, and tactful. I was wrong. I don't mean that people can't change. Most hyperactive children eventually settle down. A shy child will eventually come out of his or her shell.

   Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. Often times the "know-it-all" kid becomes a "know-it-all" adult. Bullies keep picking on those weaker than themselves. Mean girls still passive-aggressively think they rule the World.

   Let me go back to the issue of tact, though. Working with different ages of elementary students for over three years, I have realized that kids don't have any tact, and it is hilarious. They have no problem pointing out zits on your face. They will not hesitate to tell you your hair looked better before you died it dark and now you look "weird". When such phrases come out of the mouth of a 5-10 year-old, you obviously cannot take offense. The kindergartener who points to you when your 8 1/2 pregnant and says to her sister, "Whoa! She's fat," doesn't mean any harm. He or she is just pointing out facts.

   Small children can get away with these things. People in their 20's, 30's, 40's and beyond...can't (until you're old and senile). Let me share with you a few brief anecdotes from my pregnancy that illustrate this.

(20something-year-old acquaintance): How far along are you?
(Me): Oh, I'm about 23 weeks.
(Her): Oh my gosh, you are soooooo small. Is there something WRONG with your baby?
(Me- already paranoid about everything that could be wrong): Uh, no. She's actually measuring right on schedule (thank-you-very-much)

(300 lb+ aide at my school as a walk my class down the hall to art): Wow! Someone is REALLY starting to waddle. You are huge!
(Me): (insert fake smile and chuckle) My midwife is actually a little worried that I'm not big enough, but uh... thanks?

(Same 300+ lb-er): Four more weeks!!
(Me): Actually, six.
(Her): No, I'm pretty sure it's four.
(Me): No, I'm pretty sure it's six.
(Her): Oh, they changed your due date.
(Me): No, they didn't.
(Her): Yeah, you used to be due the first week of May.
(Me): No, I've always been due May, 17th
(Her): Hmmm.... (looking at me like I'm one who doesn't know what she's talking about!)

Last one
(Co-worker): Oh, your baby is so cute!!
(Me): Thanks! I sure think so.
(Her): So, what did you end up naming her?
(Me): Scarlett
(Her- smile falling, voice changes to one of disgust): Ugh. Where in the World did you come up with That?!
(Me): Well... we just really like it I guess. What are your children's names?
(Her): ___________, ____________, and _____________ (I can't remember, but insert super crazy Utah names that involve 3 different syllables from 3 different names and you'll be close.

Maybe Bill Cosby needs to start a show for them. Somehow I don't think the ratings will be good.

No post is complete without some pictures of our cute girl, so enjoy.

After our friend Landon's wedding. Stay tuned for a better pic of her dress. It's darling. 

"Swimming" in the shade at Seven Peaks

Looking at the lights. Her fave. 

Definitely not "Failure to Thrive". This girl loves to eat.

Pretty girl. We still need to capture her great gummy smile!

One Month Old!

Scarlett is one month old today. I am thankful everyday that she is my daughter, and I am her mom. I am amazed that my body has kept another person alive for a month!  A great new chapter in our lives was initiated by her birth.  To read about it click here. We love getting to know her more each day.

Scarlett Loves: 

• Baths and getting her hair washed
• Nursing
• Getting burped
• Laying in Mom and Dad's bed in the morning
• Being swaddled
• Going on walks
• Tummy time
• Songs, stories, and anyone talking to her
• Her mom and dad

Scarlett Hates:

• Pooping 

No, really. It's pretty much the only time she cries.

Meeting her Schnoor cousins minus Jack

Napping with Dad

Out on a walk

After her bath

At the Salt Lake Bees game 6/11/11

Big one-monther 6/12/11

Scarlett's Birthday

I can’t believe it, but Scarlett is already one month old today. In honor of this special occasion, I’m going to share with you what happened and my thoughts from that amazing day.

It all started Thursday, May 12^th.  I had volunteered to be in a little skit for Relief Society about visiting teaching. I, appropriately, played the part of the very pregnant mother who needed the help of her visiting teachers. I had been having practically undetectable contractions throughout the day, but nothing to write home about. At about 6:00 I was walking down to the church when I got a call from my sister Carrie and her husband Jason. Carrie was pretty sure that she was in labor and they were on their way to the hospital.

After my Oscar-worthy performance, I left the church to walk home with three friends from the ward (all pregnant, too!). In the small amount of time I was at the activity, my sweet nephew Jude was born in Indiana. From the time I got the call that my sister was on her way to the hospital, the day just had a special feeling to it, and I knew that I would be meeting my little girl very soon.

Scarlett's "twin" cousin Jude Lloyd

Well, sure enough, I went into labor that night. Jonny got home from work just after 1:00 AM, which is right about the time that I knew for sure the time was here. I labored through the night at home and at about 8:00 AM, May 13^th, we headed for the hospital.  When we got up to the labor/delivery floor, Jonny picked up the phone at the security door and said, “Hi… uh, yeah… we, uh… we’re here to have a baby.” I got checked in triage and was dilated to a six.

One of my last pregnant pics!

The nurse informed me that I would be in their best room, and I believe it. Two of the four walls were all windows. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we had the most amazing view of the snow-capped mountains and the blossoming tulips outside. A little while after getting situated, I got an epidural and Jonny and I were able to finally relax a bit.

An empty bed waiting for a special girl

At about 3:30 PM, I was fully dilated and started to push. I loved this part! It was so calm and exciting. At 4:19 PM, Scarlett Reese made her debut. I was immediately surprised at how big she was. My midwives were always concerned that she wasn’t growing and that I wasn’t getting big enough (which is weird because I gained 37 lbs), but Scarlett weighed 7 lbs 15 oz!

Unfortunately, things weren’t able to stay calm for the next little bit. Scarlett wasn’t breathing very well so after a quick kiss from me and a swift cord cutting from daddy, she was taken to her bassinet to get her stomach suctioned out. After that, she let out some big wails and I got to hold my baby girl again.

The next hour was sort of a blur as my midwives, Erica and Marci, and a surgeon stitched me up and tried to stop the bleeding. This was the only part of the day that truly felt and looked like Friday the 13^th. After getting fixed up, Jonny went with Scarlett to the nursery and I was moved down to the post-partum floor where we stayed until Sunday.

Scarlett has been a sweetheart and a beauty from the moment she was born. All the doctors and nurses kept telling me how beautiful she was. I’m SURE they don’t tell everyone that! Haha. She is truly the apple of her parent’s eyes, and we feel so blessed that she is here safe, sound, and perfect. 

Rite of Passage

   Now that I'm a mom and all, I figured I should start a blog. I think it's an unspoken rule that moms have blogs, and Heaven forbid I start this mom-thing off on the wrong foot. I've been wanting to start this for a while now, but a few things have held me back.
    For one, I was supposed to maintain a class blog for my job this school year. I think I posted a total of 3 times, and I felt guilty working on a personal blog when I was slacking so bad with my job assignment.
   The other thing that has held me back is that, frankly, I am not "hip". I cannot create delicious meals and treats and then pass off my culinary wisdom to you. I am a novice crafter/seamstress who can't follow a pattern and will not post a tutorial on how to make boutique style baby clothes with pipe cleaners, fabric scraps, and fishing wire. I am a horrible photographer, without a DSLR camera, who usually forgets to bring her camera with her anyway (or it stays in my purse and I remember it once the excitement is over). **
   So this blog will pretty much be about what I do know and love: my family. It's a way to share what's going on with us, keep somewhat of a journal, and show you lots and lots of pictures of Scarlett.

**Disclaimer: Don't call me a hypocrite if I ever A) post a recipe, B) show or tell something I created, or C) get a DSLR camera and start taking awesome pictures... a girl can aspire for a more exciting blog, right?!