Mug Jacket

My postings have become fewer and fewer and my baby girl gets more and more active everyday.  I have several craft projects started and not progressing but I'd much rather be spending time with Ivy anyway.

I have been able to knit a little during her naptimes, which are short but frequent throughout the day.  I've knitted a new mug jacket during that time.  I had another cup jacket, one that fit nicely over the cafeteria cups, but I ruined it by stretching it around my water bottle in an attempt to keep my water cooler longer and keep the bottle from sweating.  It worked as an insulator, but requires me to knit a replacement that I can use on a mug that I can use around the office (when I go back....tear.)

I'm currently blocking the finished product (or for you non-knitters - I washed it and formed it to dry).

Mug jackets really do work.  Let me know if you want me to take any orders. :-)

Baby at Play

Sigh...only a couple weeks until I go back to work.  Luckily, it will be part-time only.  I've been pretty good at appreciating every moment with Ivy, even after a night like last night (yikes).  I took a couple pictures this week of her at play for us all to remember.
She recently discovered her arm and hand, and she stares at them for quite awhile.

She still loves Mr. Giraffe and frequently reaches out and catches the flower in his mouth and pulls him close.

She discovered her hair with her right hand.  When she leans to the left, she does the 'fencing' reflex pose with her left hand and plays with her hair with the other hand.

More hair play and an attempt by Mom to get an artsy picture, which just ended up looking like some strange circus mirror image.

I put a rattle in her right hand today, which she found interesting.  It took her awhile to let it go, but in the meantime, she flailed and delighted in the fact that it continually moved and made noise.

And, finally, just a picture of her enjoying her playtime and wondering what that crazy shiny thing was in Mom's hand.

Silly Family Pictures

The baby is sleeping soundly - at least, for the next couple of minutes.  So, I thought I'd post a couple of pictures while I had time this morning.

I had set Ivy down to play on her playmat, but found her watching the TV instead of talking to Mr. Giraffe.  I shielded her view from the TV with a burp cloth, but she grabbed at the cloth and pulled it to the side to peak around.  She can't get enough of the Today Show, I guess - all 16 hours of it.

 

We haven't had to buy Ivy a single outfit, even though she is now wearing 3-6 month clothing.  We put her in a '6-m' Ralph Laurel outfit (given to us from Jason's Aunt and Uncle - Thanks!).  She looks very chic and was super comfortable.

  

Chuck was reading the PET store advertisements this past weekend.

 

 We had to scold Ivy for walking all over Chuck.  Like he hasn't been tormented enough with the new baby in the house.

 

Jason's parents cleaned up this 19th century cradle this past weekend at the farm.  We put Ivy in it to get a picture of yet another generation (maybe 3rd or 4th) enjoying the beautiful piece of furniture.  Safety standards weren't what they are today, but it was really fun to see where Jason once slept and share that with Ivy.

The Battle of the Naptime

HaHa!  Parent 1 - Baby 0.  (Whatever, we all know I'm down about 100, but I have to act like I have the upper hand in this parent-child relationship...at the very least to maintain my sanity.)

I got her to sleep in her crib.  That's right, Ladies and Gentlemen.  After the first nine weeks of struggling to get Ivy to sleep in her crib during naptime, I have succeeded.  Her father will be so proud.

Proof lies in the images below.  I apologize for the poor image quality again - I did not want to use the flash in case it might wake the sleeping babe.

 

  

Ok, ok...probably not the ideal situation, but I have to be happy about the baby steps.  I'm worried about Ivy going to daycare in a few weeks, so I had to convince myself that it could be done and that the daycare would be able to get her to sleep under their terms (ie. not being held all day).  

Worst case = the daycare can get her to sleep in her car seat, and 

Best case = I can slowly acclimate her to 'sleeping in her crib' via the car seat and maybe get her to eventually actually sleep in the crib (whatever makes me sleep at night, right? - when I am able to sleep between feedings, anyway).

Homemade Framed Calendar

I'm finding it harder and harder to get a good block of time to work on my thesis during the week (keeping the baby wake and entertained), so I'm working piece-by-piece on my short list of craft projects (until the weekend when my husband's extra set of hands can help alleviate the babysitting responsibilities so I can work on my thesis).

For Christmas, my father gifted us a homemade calendar (my father is the owner of BSArts Photography...and, yes, the name is intended to be ironic).  We always appreciate his beautiful photography, but I don't always have a great way to display his calendars, a fact that I really wanted to change.

Along with my very random collection of craft items, I had a large picture frame that I was hoping I could somehow convert into a calendar display case of some sort.  I also had an excess of muslin (which I discovered while organizing my crafts in the basement earlier this week), some wire (left over from when I made my wedding crown and veil) and some little clothes pins from baby shower gifts.

I stapled the edges of a fitted piece of muslin to the perimeter of the cardboard that came with the frame.  I then cut a piece of wire to drape across the board lengthwise.  I then clothes-pinned the February and March picture calendar months to the wire.  I put the cardboard into the frame, cleaned off the dusty plastic, and hung it on a wall.

 

I'm not sure how I feel about the finished product.  I was trying to go for a look that resembled pictures that were drying on a line after being developed.  The real pictures were digital and printed from a computer, but I thought maybe I could  portray the developed picture feel.  Please feel free to comment on the results and let me know what you think (seriously, be truthful - my feelings will not be hurt).

I've temporarily hung it in the kitchen, where we are most likely to need to review it.  The finished product might be too childish (with the strange 'developed picture' theme and baby shower clothes pins), so it might end up in Ivy's room.  We'll see what the boss (ha, ha), my husband, has to say.

 

Chair Seat Cushion

When I was little, I had this cute little rocking chair.

I only vaguely remember sitting in it when I was little, but I definitely remember it being in the house.  Apparently, sometime during my teenage years, my mom submitted it for entry in a neighborhood rummage sale.  It did not sell, and ended up in the basement of my best friend's parents' house.  Ten or more years later, my friend's mom cleaned it up and gifted it to me at my baby shower.  Is that not too cool?!?  I'm so grateful and excited to share the story with Ivy when she is old enough to understand.

The rocking chair did have a pretty old and worn seat cushion, which I decided I wanted to replace.

I took this drawstring bag in which the animal print shower curtain (which I used to make Ivy's window curtains from) was dressed. 

I ripped all the seams, removed the drawstring, ironed the fabric flat, measured and cut the fabric to approximate the dimensions of the original cushion with a 1/2 inch seam allowance, and found ribbon of coordinating colors for the tie strings.  I pinned the right sides together, pinned the ribbons in the corners, and stitched the perimeter with the allocated seam leaving about 2 inches open to be able to stuff the cushion with padding.  Then I used some excess quilting batting cut into small pieces to stuff the cushion.  I stitched the opening closed and then used matching yarn to pull the two sides together.

I then fashioned it onto the chair.

Now some pictures just for fun....
Sometimes when she is talking and smiling in her bouncy chair, she does this motion that reminds me of a 'punching nun doll'.

We bundled her up for a winter walk around the neighborhood.

Here she is napping in the trusty baby carrier that never lets us down when she's tired and refuses to fall asleep.

Ivy's currently recovering from her Dr. appointment yesterday, where she got 3 shot vaccines.  She's doing really well - little fussing but lots of napping.   She's getting so grown up (tear).

Diaper Fail

Second time I've been peed on today.

Rocked the baby to sleep standing up.
Sat down on the couch.
Let her stay on my chest for about ten minutes.
Moved her to her bouncy chair.
Still asleep.
Walked to the kitchen to see what I could have for lunch.
Felt a slightly cold sensation on my lower abdomen and found a surprisingly large wet spot.
Not sure how I didn't notice it when she was on my chest, but I guess her diaper failed to retain the monumental amount of fluid that she is capable of.