It's been a few weeks... but....

I have a very good excuse!

That's right, Gretchen is going to be a BIG SISTER!!! We're adding another little honey pie to our family!!!

Our due date is May 30th, which moved up a few days, from what we thought it would be (June 4th). Either way, the timing for our family is perfect! If all goes well, I won't have to take any maternity leave! So, as of today, we are 9 weeks and 4 days!

I had my first doctor's appointment yesterday- we've been waiting for this appointment just to make sure that everything was okay, before the big announcement. I met with the nurse practitioner in our office, and I loved her! She explained things to me (it has been a few years!) and didn't bug me about not getting a flu shot! We were able to pick up the baby's heartbeat, and heard a whopping 175 beats per minute!

I did decide to do the 1st trimester screening which tests for down syndrome, but mostly, because I'd love an early ultrasound of the baby! My next appointment with my OB will be the week of Thanksgiving!

DJ and I were thrilled to find out! It's taken us a few years to decide that we actually were ready to add to our family, and we're blessed that it didn't take long, and again, because of the timing. We had decided that if I didn't get pregnant in September, that we would try one more time, before waiting another year. Gretchen will be 3 years old, almost 3 and a half, by the time the baby gets here! And, I know she'll be a big help!

At this point, she doesn't have a preference for a brother or a sister- she changes her mind every time we ask! I know that DJ would prefer a boy, but I honestly don't have a preference- just a healthy baby!

As far as symptoms go: other than being tired all of the time, I haven't had really had any! I was very lucky with Gretchen as well, and I'm hoping to have that second trimester energy in just a few short weeks!

BSU Homecoming

Last Saturday was our homecoming football game! The game was during nap time, and the day was a scorcher, but Gretchen and I braved the elements and survived! Sadly, our football players did not, as the game was a bit of a let down. Gretchen had fun cheering on her "football kids".

I dressed her too warm, so we had to push up the sleeves, roll up the jeans, and use a silly band to pull her hair back!

She was tired, so she layed down with her baby to "sleep." Sadly, this didn't last but for about a minute!

I'm hoping that this Saturday's game will be a little..... more victorious! Go Cards!

Teaching Tots: Apple Tree

Fall is a perfect time to teach your tot about apples! There are so many apple activities that you can do with them: make applesauce, paint with apples, pick apples, and many more!

I made this apple tree with all of my speech students, and sadly, haven't had time to make it with Gretchen! But, my speech students loved it- even the 8 year olds!!!

You'll need: green and brown construction paper, scissors, and red finger paint.

Instructions:

1. Trace your child's hand from their elbow to their fingertips and cut.

2. Draw a "tree" shape on the green paper and cut out.

3. Glue the tree trunk onto the green paper- make sure that your lines are all on the reverse side.

4. Place a little finger paint into a bowl or onto a plate, and have your child place one fingertip in the paint, and then press it onto the tree.

* If you trust your child with scissors, then let them do the cutting!

Girls Night!

Gretchen and I had a much needed girls night last Friday. After a long week at work, and having some behavior difficulties with Gretchen throughout the week, it was much needed! I picked her up from daycare and we headed to Indianapolis to enjoy a night of just being together! She must have had a long day at daycare because she fell asleep in the car on the way there!

We went to Cold Stone Creamery, and Gretchen got her very own kids cup of pink ice cream with rainbow sprinkles!

This picture just shows how much my baby is growing up! She looks like such a big girl here, and I can picture her as a pre-teen or even a teenager with this awkward smile! This is what I needed; just as a reminder that I need to enjoy every minute of her while she's this age!!!!

After ice cream, we played at a playground, and did some shopping before we met daddy for dinner! I wish I had more pictures from the evening, but because the weather was so nice, the playground was way too crowded for me to attempt pictures!

It's funny as I get older, what my "girls nights" are replaced with! I use to enjoy having a girls night with my friends, but now, I enjoy them with my daughter!

Need to Smile

I need a little pick me up. I'm not sure why I have the Friday blues, but I do. I feel like the last few weeks have been a constant on-the-go, and frankly, i'm just tired.

Last weekend was great, I boycotted football since we had an away game, but tomorrow is homecoming. I won't be so lucky, but I've already told DJ to not expect us to stay the entire time. It will largely depend on how Gretchen is acting, since game time is also scheduled as her nap time. It looks like we might purchasing popcorn on our way in again.

Gretchen hasn't been sleeping well lately, so we're battling those issues as well. She has gotten up at least two times in the past three nights. Plus, she's taking at least an hour to fall asleep after we put her to bed. So, do we move her bedtime back to 8:30 (which, is late for a 2 year old), or is she overtired, and do we move her bedtime up to 7:45 (which, I'd prefer). I just can't figure it out yet.

Thank goodness for fall break coming up! Next week will be a 3 day work week, followed by a weekend spent with two of my most favorite women- my mom and my grandma! We have pictures scheduled for Friday, to update our 4 generations of stubborn, southern women! And, I'm excited, but, I have no idea what to wear- maybe DJ will let me do a little shopping therapy to help pick me up!

Like, I said, I need to smile, and the photo above, did just the trick. Mostly, because I feel like I need a big hug from my baby girl, but also, because, I know that she loves me! I just don't feel like I've loved her enough over the last few days. So, i'm planning for a girls evening to start as soon as I pick her up this afternoon! I need it, and I think she does to!

I hope you all have a wonderful, blessed weekend, and relax and have some fun!

Pandas, Monkeys, and Cheetahs - Oh My!

I had a request to make a animal-themed tutu's for triplet sisterss! They are getting to spend Halloween at the zoo, and their mom wanted to dress each of them as their favorite animal! The first one, is going to be a panda! I made a simple white tutu and accented each side in black!

The second will be a monkey! It's just a solid brown, but with the right accessories, it'll be the perfect tutu for a monkey!

The last one loves cheetah's, although the tulle looks a little on the orange side, it's more of a golden brown. The sequins are hand-sewn to act as the cheetah's spots!

I'm sure these sisters will be the talk of the zoo, and all of the other animals will be so jealous of their adorable costumes!

Teaching Tots: Using TV: Word World

I know that t.v. can be a controversial subject with toddlers. The AAP recommends that pediatricians discourage the viewing of television for young children.

But, I have found that there are some shows that are in the educational nature, that are okay to watch in our household. They've also actually taught my child a lot.

I'm not talking about Sponge Bob. I actually despise that show, but I am talking about shows that teach skills such as letter recognition, colors, numbers/counting, shapes, and location words.

I'm going to talk about these over the next few weeks, and the first, I'd like to tell you about is Word World.

Word World comes on PBS. It teaches letter recognition, print awareness, rhyming, phonics, and beginning consonant sounds.

Each character is formed from the letters that spell them, and in the correct order. The main characters include dog (who is the only character that doesn't talk), sheep, pig, duck, frog, and ant. Secondary characters include shark, monkey, bird, elephant, and cat.

Each episodes revolve around a theme- whether it be an initial consonant sound or a rhyme. There is usually a "problem", and toward the end of the episode, it's time to 'build a word'.

We also have a few of the Word World toys, which, are also, each formed using letters. Gretchen is able to identify the letters of the character toys. The toys do not look "right", if the letters are in the wrong place. Now, at this point, Gretchen does not care which order they're in, and I'm just happy that she can recognize the individual letters. You can find the toys on Amazon.com.

When choosing a show, make sure that you preview it before your toddler does. This way, you'll know if you can stand it, and if it truely is educational in nature. If you have a DVR, make sure to record it, and watch it a few days behind, which will help you plan for related educational activities!

OSU ~ Custom Appliuqe~

I had a request from a co-worker to make her granddaughter this OSU shirt. I absolutely love how it turned out!

I used a larger font than what I typically use, so the letters take up the entire width of the shirt, but this way, she'll stand out in a crowd with her adorable honey pie shirt!

Gobble Gobble: Turkey Shirt

I had a lovely Teaching Tots post planned for today, but as I was typing it last night, my internet shut off. So, I was unable to save it. For future reference, maybe I should type in word and copy/paste?

So, today, you get this adorable turkey shirt! I was wanting to make a shirt like this for Gretchen, until I found a steal of a deal on a Lolly Wolly Doodle smocked dress (you MUST check them out on Facebook!). I still may make her this shirt, just so she can run and play on Turkey day!

Anyway, I had a request for the turkey clippie that I've previously made, and then she asked if I could make an applique' shirt to match... Well, of course I can! I just had been putting it off. I ended up making the tail feathers in the exact same colors as the clippie, except I used a polk-a-dot fabric for the green, just to give it a little more whimsy. I also love the wavy lines on the turkey.

This turkey isn't sewn onto the shirt yet, because I'm still waiting to find the right size, but I love him already! I'll also add two white buttons for his eyes, and the turkey clip will have googly eyes.

I'm selling the turkey clippie for $4.00, and the shirt for $16.00 on my facebook page- just search for Honey Pie Accessories.

I also think it would be adorable to monogram "Gobble, Gobble" underneath this little turkey!

I know Julie's little girl will look delicious in her custom Thanksgiving shirt!

These Boots Were Made For....

Wearing! And, that's what Justyce will do, when she heads to show & tell at her daycare this week!

Justyce's mom wanted something with a cowgiril motif and she fell in love with this funky fabric!

I'm in love with the shirt, and think that it would be adorable paired with pink, orange, and black tutu, and even a hair bow with zebra, pink and orange!

Miss Justyce- I think you'll be the most stylish little girl in this shirt! Enjoy it!