Crafting Craziness.

So...I go through these phases every once in awhile where I feel like being crafty. I'm in one of those phases right now. As a result I'm making myself crazy.

First, I decided I needed a diaper satchel to keep the diapers/wipes in one place to make changing easier forShayne and I. So, I found a pattern online, www.makeitandloveit.blogspot.com, and made one. It wasn't too bad...the instructions had a little to be desired though. Anywho...I didn't take any pics of it, but I'm pretty proud of it.

The next project I decided to make was an Easter basket for Lachlan. Ya...I'm seriously crazy. Anyway...I found another pattern online at www.dabbled.org and decided I was capable of creating this basket. It really was pretty easy to make...the stiff interfacing was a bit of a challenge, but not difficult. The only problem was that I am either terrible at cutting out patterns and making the most of the fabric...or they gave me the wrong amounts to buy. I'm going with the latter excuse. So, about half-way through cutting out fabric I realize I'm not going to have enough. So, back to the fabric store I go, but when I got there, they didn't have the super cute striped pattern I had taken 2 hours to pick out a couple of days earlier! So, I had to pick out another fabric to match it! I was a little annoyed. It all worked out, but I sure wish I had had the original fabric for the entire basket. It's not easy to pick out a Springy/Boyish fabric for an Easter basket. Lachlan didn't seem to mind though so it's all good!

Then...my very basic/beginner sewing machine decided to go on the fritz, just as I was about done with the basket. So, I called Becky to see if I could borrow her sewing machine to finish it up...b/c it was Saturday night and I needed for Easter the next day...of course I procrastinated! She grudgingly let me borrow it, and when I say grudgingly, I mean..."Uh...sure...I've never used it so it should be working great!" :) Now, I have to make her a diaper satchel too, as payment for using the sewing machine she never uses. :)

So, thanks to Becky, I was able to finish Lachlan's Easter basket so I could take some token "First Easter" pictures the next day.

First moms are so sad.

Enjoy the pics.

Look at me mom!!

Shayne loves to play with Lachlan like this...and he loves it. You should see him smile.

I haven't had a chance to mention Lachlan had his 6 month appointment on April 6th. He weighed in at a whoppin' 16.0 lbs and was 25.5" long. Ya...we have a munchkin on our hands. Depending on the graph you look at he measures any where from the 10%-25% weight and length. However, his head measures in the 50% so his head looks a little big for his body...but it really isn't THAT big compared to other kids. He's just a little small for it. :) I'm sure he'll grow eventually. However, while I'm lugging him around in his carseat...I'm TOTALLY ok with him being small for his age! :)

Highchair/Booster seat model...

Here's Lachlan modeling his new ride! Ok...it's his new highchair/booster seat...but I love it! We don't have a lot of room for a full size highchair, so a booster seat sitting on a regular chair was a better option. Up to this point, I'd been feeding him on my lap...not so clean for me! Hence...the reason I love the new chair. He on the other hand, was just loving his sweet potatoes.

Visitors...

So...here are a couple of pics of some visitors we've had recently. The moose was just chillin' in our back yard towards the end of March...can you see her laying down amongst the twigs? The squirrel has been a resident of one of backyard trees most of the winter. We put out a bird feeder about a month ago, and last week we caught him stealing. Ya...a squirrel in the bird feeder. It was pretty comical...he nearly fell out of it a couple of times...and just watching him jump from the tree to the feeder was pretty amazing.

All the pics were taken from windows facing the backyard. It's one of the things that makes living in Alaska worth it...when you have visitors like this.





Notice the snow STILL on the ground!!

Hoppity Hop...

These video(s) were taken on March 22nd. He's improved greatly in his jumping skills. I'm going to have to film him again, because he truly is a maniac in his jumper. Puts a smile on my face EVERY time I put him in it!

6 Month Pics - Part 1

Yes, you read it right...part 1. Erik Massey has taken all of Lachlan's pics up to this point...along with some maternity pics. He does an awesome job! Well, he has a friend/coworker who wanted to learn from the master...ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. But...she did want to learn how to better use flashes for her photography hobby, and Erik is a "freak" of sorts with lighting. So, Tami and Erik came over last Friday to take some pics. The lighting was Erik's work, and the pics were Tami's. I think they both did a great job!! I'm so glad we have such good friends/freaks to help us show off our up and coming model/baby! :)

p.s. Part 2 will come when I get the pics back that Aaron Swanson (another friend/freak) took on the 30th of March.

p.s.s. Hope all my friends/freaks know I'm teasing and I love you all!! :)

Amazing...

...what can happen in a year.

It was a year ago today Shayne and I were at the University of Chicago Hospital to have surgery. I was 12 1/2 weeks along with our miracle IVF baby, and I had a VERY high risk of losing our baby. I was born with cervical insufficiency which would prevent me from sustaining a pregnancy. I needed a trans-abdominal cerclage (TAC) to prevent an impending miscarriage. My Dr. here didn't know what it was, and no one in Alaska performed it. So, I started doing research and found Dr. Haney. What a wonderful man! He performs more TAC's than anyone in the country, so that's where I wanted to go.

I found his info on Thursday night March 27th, Dr. Anderson called him on Friday the 28th, and we flew out to Chicago on Tuesday, April 1st, for the procedure on Wednesday the 2nd. We flew back to Anchorage on Saturday the 5th. It was a whirl wind experience...but so worth it! We were able to enjoy the rest of the pregnancy without any worries I was going to miscarry. In fact...I did everything last summer I would have done had I not been pregnant. And...we delivered our little boy (via C-section b/c of the TAC), without any complications.

Now here I am exactly a year later...and I'm thinking to myself...Wow, it's amazing what can happen in a year! My Heavenly Father sure loves me!

Dr. Haney from the University of Chicago Hospital. He is a wonderful man/doctor.

A 12 1/2 week u/s of our baby at the UoC Hospital

Me the evening after surgery...not feeling so hot here. But it was all worth it, just so we could get Lachlan here.

See what I mean when I say it was all worth it?! I would do all of it all over again just to see this smiling face!!

If you know anyone who has miscarried after about 16 weeks for no known reason, they may have cervical insufficiency. (I stress "may" b/c there are lots of reasons to miscarry) Please share my story, so no one has to experience the devastation of losing a baby. I was lucky I knew about my condition prior to getting pregnant...very few women are that lucky. So...please share with others.