Bumpdate - 33.5 weeks

May 29, 2014
I haven't really been into the whole "bump updates" this pregnancy. For the first trimester, I avoided social media and blogging because although I didn't feel sick all the time, I was very, very, VERY tired and unmotivated. I called my mom crying one day because I didn't even feel motivated to take a shower and get ready for the day. Ahhhh pregnancy!

Once the first trimester was finished, though, I was all guns blazing! The nesting instinct kicked in and man oh man how I loved it! Seriously. I have gotten so much accomplished since the first trimester, mostly dealing with finally making my house look like I didn't just move in (I just barely hung up a few pictures on the walls). The house project I am most proud of is Chelsea's new room.

Last weekend, we bought Chelsea a big girl bed to put in her newly painted room. Before that, the room was a dark shade of red and milk-chocolate brown. Good for a man-cave, but not for a little girl's room. It took me FOREVER to decide on the color I wanted to paint her room, but I finally decided on the PERFECT color. Just look.

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 I can't wait to get all the decorations in there! Before and after pictures coming soon!

At first, Andrew said it looked like a boy's room because it was light blue, but after adding in the bed and quilt, he caught on to my vision. I'm noticing that Andrew and I have a lot of differing opinions on interior decorating, but once he gets the vision, or once it starts coming together, he normally gets it! Don't worry, Andrew. I'll let you do whatever you want with the garage and with your man-cave someday.

Anyway, so here's the bumpdate. Lists are easy, so let's go with that.

How far along:
This time around, I have NOT been good about keeping track of how far along I am! I just get busy chasing the first one around and finishing projects that the times just seems to slip by (a fact that I am actually grateful for)! I think I'm 33.5 weeks along.

Size of baby:
I'm due for an ultrasound next week to find out exactly how big she is, but she should be about the size of a pineapple.

Total weight gain/loss:
+20 lbs!

Maternity clothes:
Definitely! If you haven't seen my favorite maternity shirt yet, click here.

Stretch marks:
I don't think there are any new ones that weren't already there from Chelsea.

Sleep:
Not. Fun. It's hot and I want to sleep on my back. Oh well. I can sleep when I'm dead.

Best moment this week:
Having Chelsea feel the baby move for the first time! I don't think she really got it, but it was a neat experience for me.

Movement:
She's quite energetic, just like her sister! Sometimes she likes to stretch or move into a different position and then I can really feel her.

Food cravings:
Most of those stopped after the first trimester, but I'll never say no to a bag of Peachie-O's!

Gender:
Girl

Labor signs:
Not yet!

Belly Button - in or out:
Out. Waaaaaaay out.

What I miss:
My non-pregnant brain and not fitting into my non-pregnant clothes. I need a new summer maternity wardrobe.

What I am looking forward to:
Getting the nursery done for little gal number two and introducing her to little gal number one!

Milestones:
I put together the changing table in the nursery this week! It made this all seem more real for some reason.

Although I don't post too often about the baby that's coming and this pregnancy, I am so excited to welcome her into our family. I know that she will bring something very special to our family that we would miss without her. I look forward to raising her and to learning things from her as she grows up, just as I do with Chelsea. I am so looking forward to seeing Chelsea interact with her little sister and becoming a little mama to her. I pray that Chelsea will have a very special relationship with her little sister and will be a strong example, guide, and influence in her life. Even more than that, I pray that I will be a good example for both my girls and that Chelsea will always remember how much I love her and how special she is, even though she will have to share the attention sometimes. Life truly is a balancing act. Sometimes you lose it, but the moments you realize that you've got it all together, it's pretty amazing, and those are the moments you strive for.

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Birthday Vacation 2014

May 23, 2014
Hey all! Last week, I celebrated my 24th birthday. The stark contrast between birthdays when you're younger and birthdays when you're older (especially when you have kids) is really quite comical. I definitely spent more time anticipating Chelsea's birthday than I did mine, but the actual occasion was just as fun and exciting.

To make my birthday really special, Andrew got work off for most of the week and we headed north to spend some time with my parents. It was an added bonus to have my brother and his little family there, too! The morning of my birthday, Andrew and I headed to the temple, which I think will become a tradition because it really started my birthday off right. From there, we came home to pancakes. We've had the tradition in my family to make as many pancakes as the birthday person is old. I modified the tradition with my family to just writing the person's age with pancake batter, but Mom is old-fashioned. You better believe I ate all 24 of those pancakes! We also went to the pool that day (it's covered by a bubble since it's not quite warm enough outside) and ended it with a delicious BBQ and ice cream cake. Yum! Andrew bought me two necklaces for my birthday, my first two statement necklaces EVER, and I love them. What made it even better was that he got one on sale because it didn't quite lie flat, but Mom happens to have a jewelry kit that fixed that problem easily. Yay Mom! It really was a great birthday. Sorry. No pictures. I was too busy playing with my family and eating ice cream cake.

In addition to the above mentioned activities, while we were in Idaho, we also visited Shoshone Falls, helped chop wood, ate dinner outside on the patio EVERY NIGHT, swam in the kiddie pool EVERY DAY, and hiked up to Balanced Rock (a little-known scenic attraction/hike in the Magic Valley). Even with my pregnant belly, I was able to climb all the way up to the rock, but you better believe I was bushed by the time we got back down!

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We found this little waterfall on our hike down to the Shoshone Falls.

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These are the Shoshone Falls.

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Nothing but a lot of lovin' going on here!

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Really. She's just trying to give him a kiss.

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It was so great to go back to my home town for the week and feel so relaxed and at ease there. As I drove down the streets of my first home, it hit me that as much as I may have tried to deny it in high school and college, I am a small-town girl, and will always lean that way. I like the unhurriedness and calm of small-town life and feeling like I could easily bump into someone I know at any moment. And it's just so beautiful there. If we could move back to Twin Falls, I would do it in a heartbeat.

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Thanks for a great week, family! It was much needed.

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Floral Maternity Shirt: Tutorial

May 15, 2014
Hello Lovelies! Today, is an absolutely lovely day. The weather is wonderful, I just got back from a session at the temple, and I've got some fun plans today... Plus, it's my birthday and my mom and Andrew are making me breakfast. I am one happy mama!

So, I've been pregnant twice now, and one thing I've learned is that sometimes, to get exactly the clothes you want for a decent price, you have to make them yourself. Can you say, "expensive?" So, I learned how to sew them myself!


The first few steps require a lot of careful measuring and pattern-creating, but if you do it once, you can save the pattern and use it over and over again!

Here's how I did it.

You will need:
Model shirt
1.5 yards stretchy knit fabric (I love ordering from Girl Charlee)
Tape measurer
Scissors
All-purpose, corresponding colored thread
Twin/double needle (opt. Knit fabrics don't fray, so you won't need to worry about zig zag stitching or using a serger, but the double needle really gives a clean, finished look to your project when it comes to the hems)

Dimensions/measurements:
Baby bump
Neckline-to belly button-desired length
Neckline, minus 4"

Step 1: Create Pattern

Take your model shirt (a shirt you already own that fits you comfortably around the bust and that you like the fit of the shoulders and sleeves) and fold it in half lengthwise. Align the fold with the straight edge of the pattern paper and trace around the shirt from about three inches below the armpit, keeping a half inch away from the shirt for seam allowance*. Don't forget to draw in the sleeve-shoulder seam as well. If you want longer or shorter sleeves than your model shirt or a different neckline, now is the time to make those adjustments on your pattern paper.

*at the top of the sleeve, trace closely because this will be the fold of the sleeve and you will not need seam allowance.

Step 2: Create Pattern cont.

Measure from your neckline to your belly button. Make a mark on your pattern paper along the straight edge where your belly button is. Measure around your baby bump and divide by two. Use that measurement to measure out from your belly button mark and add 2". Draw a line from that point to your armpits, and add 6 or more inches to the length to give you full coverage. The side should be 1.5" shorter than the middle. Curve the bottom edge to make the middle and side meet.


Label your pattern pieces (bodice front and sleeve) and cut them out. Trace the front bodice piece onto another piece of pattern paper, but raise the neckline. Label (bodice back), and cut out.

Step 3: Cut
Fold your fabric over itself with the stretch going horizontally, align the straight edge of your front bodice piece with the fold of the fabric, and pin in place. Cut. Do the same for the bodice back piece.
For the sleeves, fold the fabric with the stretch going horizontally, and align the top, straight edge of the sleeve with the fold. Cut two.

Step 4: Pin and sew-shoulders

With right sides together, pin the front bodice piece to the back bodice piece at the shoulders. Use a straight stitch to sew them together with a 1/2" seam allowance. Iron seam open.

Step 5: Pin and sew-sleeves

Turn your shirt right side out and lay it down. Take your sleeve pieces and, starting at the top fold of the sleeve, pin it to the shirt piece, right sides together as shown in the photo. Sew the sleeves to the shirt.

Step 6: Pin and sew-sides

Turn your shirt inside out and pin the underarms and side seams, right sides together. Use a straight stitch to sew them together with a 1/2" seam allowance. Make small clips into the seam allowance (don't accidentally cut the seam!) just above and below the the center of the armpit.

Step 7: Neckline

Measure around the neckline and subtract four inches. Cut a piece of fabric (with the stretch going horizontally) to that length and 2" wide. Fold in half with right sides together, and sew together as shown in the photo with a 1/4" seam allowance. Iron seam open, turn right side out, fold top of neckline piece in half with right sides out and iron flat, as shown in the photos.

Step 8: Neckline cont.

Starting from the center of the back of the bodice, pin the seam of the neckline to the shirt, aligning the raw edges. Find the opposite point of the neckline piece and pin that to the center of the front of the bodice. Stretch the neckline piece and pin until it fits evenly around the entire bodice neckline. Sew together with 1/2" seam allowance.

Step 9: Hem
This is where the double needle REALLY comes in handy, making a nice, clean, finished look for the hem. Fold the bottom of the shirt up 1/2" under and sew in place. Repeat for the sleeves.

Done!


Thanks for stopping by! Good luck, and happy sewing!

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New in Shop: iPad Car Travel Companion

May 6, 2014
Hey all! Just wanted to announce quickly that the iPad Car Travel Companion is now available in my Etsy shop! After having posted my original make of this awesome, and super useful item, I received a message from a friend asking if I was selling these in my shop, so of course I said, "Yeah!"


Be sure to stop by my shop by clicking the button on the right that says, "Shop" to see what I have to offer you, and for this week until Mother's day, type in CLMOTHERS2014 for free shipping! Have a fantastic week! Thanks for all your support and kindness. You all make me feel so good when you leave comments and little notes of encouragement. You're the best! See you again in a couple days, I'm sure!

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