Emmie's 1st "Official" Photo Shoot :)

Yesterday I finally got up the nerve to attempt Emalie's first real photo shoot. For some reason I felt 10 times more pressure to get great pics!!! She did fantastic for about 45 minutes, then she decided she was OVER IT and was wide awake and fussy for the next 3 hours. DIVA?!

Anyway I ended up with some pics that I love, and eventually I will get motivated to do another round to get a few more poses that I wasn't able to get this time.

Click to enlarge any of these pics!



























this is when she decided photo time was over... lol... more stuff like this is on my agenda!

Tiny Elena Avahlea

On Monday 3.23.10 at 1:34am, my BFF's little daughter was born... 9 weeks preemie.

2lb 15oz and 15" long

For such a tiny thing she's doing really well, but she will be in the NICU for a while learning to breathe really well, suck and swallow, and all that good stuff.

Can't wait til she's big enough to hug!!!

I got to visit her and take some pics the day she was born... it will be fun to compare these once she's home and I take tons more. ;)

Tee Shirts!

I searched high and low for cute big/little brother/sister shirts.

I found a lot of cute ones, but was unwilling to throw down $60+ for 3 shirts.

SO! I made my own. :)

Can't wait to have our littlest princess in her "baby sis" version... I'll be sending the bigs to Granny's so they can be worn to the hospital when the kids come to meet her!

TGIF!!!!

Today will be a great day.

Today, I no longer have to stress about jury duty... I did my "laudable civil service" yesterday and now they can leave me alone for 2 years. Not that I'd mind serving on a jury, but pregnant and nursing women should get excused just like the people who claim to be a student but "forgot their ID". At least I made $12 for my day spent in a back-breaking chair!

Today, I have a doctor's appointment. They are getting to a more fun stage now, I'm assuming my cervix will be checked again (I'm going to request it) and it would be great to hear even a little progress has been made. I'm ready when baby is! I don't dread the scale anymore either, at this point I've gained a net total of 9 pounds, and so for me to even top out at 15 within the next 2 weeks would be tough to do (not that I'm trying)... how cool will it be to weigh LESS than before I was pregnant just by giving birth!!!

Today, I have completed 36 weeks of pregnancy... 252 days!!! That's 9 months, as far as I'm concerned! If Emalie is born from now on, we are good to go! I am so praying she will come on her own before I have to endure the amnio, but with my track record, it's iffy. I do have lots of contractions and cramps and (sorry) bits of mucous plug being lost here and there... again, ready to see what my appointment today reveals.

Today, I managed to get up on time to get Ian and his skeleton project driven to school well in advance of the bell. And this project is THA BOMB... I think he'll get a 100 for sure! Of course now I will be ready to pass out at 8pm, but it's all good.

Today, it is FRIDAY and that means I get to spend the weekend (one with NO prior engagements or obligations for once) relaxing and nesting as the urges hit.

Today, the sun is shining and the birds are singing and flowers and trees are beginning to bloom, and thinking of my growing little baby soon to join the fresh, springtime world makes me think of this Bible passage, one of my top 10 all-time favorites:

1 O Lord, you have searched me

and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue

you know it completely, O Lord.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;

you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

and the light become night around me,”

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day,

for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

Ian with his skeleton project:

Sweet baby pillow I made for Carrie's Elena...

Baby Shower #2

My 2nd baby shower thrown by my mom today was wonderful... yummy food, good friends, and more presents... hehe.

Unfortunately I'm sick now, struggling with a scratchy throat for 2 days and praying it didn't get worse, but I now have a fever and am afraid I'm in for a true cold. :( PLEASE let it be over fast. I'm tired enough without being sick!

Pre-party shots of the pretties by mom... such cute favors and candy and stuff!





Thanks lovely SIL Missy for doing the official shower pics again!





Me and my friend, No-Whip Cinnamon Dolce Latté:


Mom and I... not even going to preach on the 14 chins I have grown, ugh!












Lovely tulips Mom got, and a sweet arrangement that Jenny brought me:


I have a feeling I look this dazed and confused a lot lately:


Fun Aunt Sadie!


Big belly sistas in tha house:


This face is so weird...




"Yea pretty sure this would fit her NOW..." face:

Baby Shower #1 :)

Baby shower #1 was a rousing success -- beautiful decorations, family and friends, and of course PRESENTS! hehehe

It was awesome to see people I haven't seen in 5+ years!!

I was soooo happy we got our travel system, now we have a way to get Emalie home from the hospital lol!

We also got money (woot!); a gift basket with diapers, wipes, changing pad and carrying bag; adorable navy and yellow onesies; a pack of diapers (yea!); bassinet pad and sheet; hot pink camo booties; teething ring, fruit feeder and rattle; nursery organizer and receiving blankets; and 3 big old bags of sugar free chocolate candy (just for me)!!!!!

Here are the album pages I made that will go into our 2010 family album....

Baby Shower #1!!!!!

I'm excited... can't wait for the ruckus to begin!!!

I am getting ready to go out (2 hours before my prep team is arriving LOL) to totally steal my BT Shellie's onesie idea....

I'm going to get a little plain pink onesie (how do I not have one of these already?) and put her name on it in little iron-on crystal letters (squee) and have everyone who comes today sign the onesie!!! Then frame it!!! Just like Shellie (sorry hahahahaha)!!!

Stuff I made today :)

I was quite the worker bee again today. Didn't touch the bathroom, but I got a ton of sewing done that I've been "planning to do eventually"...

First of all, the panels for my office shelf... I looove how this works to cover the stuff on the shelves, it's so much neater. And not a stitch was sewn to make this... I used fusible web for the edges and then sticky velcro to attach it to the shelf.


Living room pillows. I had to use this mod floral from the office again because I LOVE IT... then I had just enough of the Joel Dewberry to make a smaller pillow. All my other favorite fabrics weren't QUITE enough to make a 14x14 pillow, so I have one more to make... someday...




AND the sweet little girly pillows! I have been planning these for ages... I totally forgot the ball fringe trim, but in hindsight I'm glad I did because I think I would have literally beat my head against the wall... it was enough of a pain keeping the slippery crap together while it fluffed all over me and the kitchen. I mean it makes a MESS, but it was worth it because I think these are so cute. The picture is awful so I may try to take another tomorrow...

Retail Therapy

I spent about 4 hours yesterday on the hunt for baby photo props. Once I'm back from maternity leave, I'm taking blissphotograph.com to be exclusively newborn and commercial photography... the added bonus is that I get to test out all my new baby props on my baby. hehehe

I got some amazing deals and now the problem is waiting til she's here so I can try these out! I have a feeling after the first few days of recovery, my time will be... feed, change, photo, feed, change, photo.... can't wait!

Delicious soft stuff...


more delicious soft stuff:


even more delicious soft stuff:


I am dying to put a baby on top of and inside this box!!!


Baby on a platter:


Baby on a leaf, this might be my favorite:


I envision this one straight on showing the baby on top of the stand like a yummy little cupcake:


And from lilbabyknits.blogspot.com, the softest cutest little pom pom hat... this even made Jeff crack a grin:


Challenge of today.... put together new shelf so I have a place to store all this nicely!