project 31 birth days

To celebrate her 31st birthday, my dear friend Kelly McCaleb is lauching....

a service project to put together 31 newborn kits to donate to the LDS humanitarian aid center for distribution to new mothers and babies in need around the world. I LOVE this idea. What an amazing way to celebrate a birthday- by helping make another's birth day a little bit better and help new moms wrap newborn babies in cozy blankets instead of newspapers (the thought of that just kills me). Kelly is looking for people to help collect and send her the items needed for the newborn kits.

Each kit needs to include:

You can find more details and specifications HERE.

1 double receiving blanket (see receiving blanket guidelines at link above)
4 flat fold (single thickness) cloth diapers (100% cotton Birdseye Cloth or 100% cotton diaper flannel), approximately 25". Please do not use pre-folded or disposable diapers.
4 diaper safety pins
1 pair booties or baby socks
2 regular-size bars of soap (Ivory or other non-allergenic brand)
1 newborn layette gown (please, no footed sleepers- see guidelines at link above)

Kelly is also wanting to include a handmade quilt in each kit as well, so she is needing flannel fabric and batting donations to accomplish this part of it. She says she will do all the sewing, but I am sure she wouldn't mind some help with this too?!

It is part of my 2009 goals to heed the call to service more often and more readily. So, the call came and I figure this is a good way to start. I am on board to help her collect items for her to use in the kits. If anyone else wants to help me, help her with this project, let me know and we can put together one package together to send off to her. You can also visit Kelly HERE to leave a comment, or email her directly at kellymccaleb@hotmail.com.

“All about us there are many who are in need of help and who are deserving of rescue. Our mission in life, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, must be a mission of saving. There are the homeless, the hungry, the destitute.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley, “Our Mission of Saving,” Ensign, Nov. 1991, 59

we LOVE our girls- ALL of them!

I find it funny that when you are pregnant people feel they can say whatever they want to you, without consequence. Pregnant women have feelings too... and maybe even more sensitive feelings (due to raging hormones). I get emotional and depressed when the comments about how big I am start coming- you know the ones where people argue with you that you are for sure having twins even after you assure them there is only one in there, or "wow you look like you are ready to POP" when you still have 3 months to go. But, the comments I have gotten this pregnancy just take the cake.
.

Last week, a lady approached me at the grocery store when I had both Avery and Finley in the cart. She asked me "what's this one?" (pointing to my obviously pregnant belly). I said cheerfully, "another girl." To which her response was... "that's too bad. I guess you will just have to try again!"

.

SERIOUSLY?!

-

Just today the mail man came to our door to get a signature on a package. When I opened the door he saw the girls at my knees and remarked at how cute they are and how big they were getting. Then he noticed my belly and before he could say anything... I said, "and we have another little girl on the way." (again- cheerfully stated). He then said, "I am so sorry."

ME: Why?! We love our girls.

MAILMAN: Oh, of course. But having a 3rd girl... you're ok with that?

ME: Of course we are! We are thrilled!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

Before we found out we were having a girl, people would make comments about how we must obviously be hoping for a boy this time, or "wouldn't that be sad if you had another girl. "Paul won't be ok having another girl...." WHAT?! Yes, as a matter of fact he will be happy- he LOVES his girls. Secondly, there is nothing I can do to control or change what Heavenly Father sees fit to send us, so WHY I ask myself would anyone say those things?! Now that we do know, I am getting comments about how sorry people are that I am having a 3rd girl. It just make me angry and defensive. Girls are NOT second class citizens or any less desirable than boys... at least not in my book, but I have been noticing that it must be a common opinion out there. It seems to be the consensus that our family could not possibly be complete without a boy. We may or may not have another baby after this one, but the fact that we have 3 girls and 0 boys will not play into that decision. Plus, if I do say so myself, we make pretty cute girls, so why mess with a good thing (that is one of my latest comebacks for the RUDE commentary I have received. No one has been able argue when they see two of them sitting there).

I am just so glad that Avery and Finley are little enough still that they do not "get it" when these kinds of comments are made in front of them. I NEVER want them to feel like they were anything less than absolutely desired as part of our family- as a FIRST choice. I LOVE having girls. I feel completely blessed by these precious little spirits my Heavenly Father has entrusted in our care. Though, I must say, I AM a little afraid of what we are in for when they are all in their teenage years... other than that, I am thrilled! I would of course welcome a baby boy into our family with joy, and I would love for Paul to be able to share father/son things with a little boy, but if Heavenly Father chooses to send us ALL girls, I am ok with that and I know Paul is too. There was a time that I didn't think I would be able to have any children, so for us each one of these little girls is a miracle and blessing beyond measure. If I had all boys, I would feel the same way. I am just grateful to have children, period.

I wish I could say that the commentary will die down after baby girl #3 is here, but I am sure I will continue to get comments when I take all 3 girls to the grocery store, or anywhere for that matter. I will just continue to grin, bear it, and work on arming myself with a few more comebacks.

YW value color flags

For the new incoming young women (girls who are about to turn 12), we made Value Color flag buntings (including gold for the new value- VIRTUE) to present to them at New Beginnings tomorrow. It was a lot of cutting and sewing, but it was really simple to do. The young women helped me put the iron on transfers on each flag and then affix the flags in the correct order to the binding strip. Other than the purple INTEGRITY flag (we should have used iron on transfer paper for dark fabrics), we were all really happy with the way they turned out!

I am making another one to have on display in the young women's room at the church. I think I might also make a valentines flag banner for my mantel, a pink and brown one for the girls' room, and then maybe a happy birthday banner?! Oh, the possibilities!

moving on up!

The first Sunday of January, Avery moved on from the nursery at church and into primary! She is usually a little shy and quiet in new situations, but she seems to be warming up to it already. I just can't believe she is getting so big!

i know this sort of thing happens...

I have just never experienced it first hand until now.

Yesterday the girls wanted popcorn as a snack. They both LOVE popcorn, so I made a bag (actually it was 2 because I burnt the 1st bag. I guess you can't really multi-task while making popcorn. Side note: burnt popcorn smells horrible and it permeates the entire house). After I made the good batch, I put the popcorn in individual little cups for each of the girls and set them up in their chairs. I went about cleaning the kitchen, and doing what I needed to do. Finley started whining and rubbing her nose. She has been teething (all 4 of her 2 year molars are trying to break through) so, I thought she was complaining about a runny nose and was just ready for her nap. I took her into her room to change her diaper, do a little snot sucking (with a bulb syringe), and put her down to sleep. We did not get far before I realized that it was NOT a runny nose, but in fact the unpopped popcorn kernels she had lodged in each of her nostrils that she was complaning about. I tried to get them out with the bulb syringe, but that did not work. I tried to call my dad- he is always my first line of defense, but he was not answering his phone (I am sure he was tending to his own patients). I then called our pediatrician Dr. Bravo and they just told me to bring her to the office and they would work us in.

We got to the office, they got us in, and after several attempts, a handful of different tools and gadgets, plus many pairs of hands to hold Finley down, Dr. Bravo was finally able to dislodge the blasted popcorn kernel! He only found one, so he thinks the other one was either moved down her throat and was swallowed OR it is stuck further back that he can't see. If that is the case, he said the popcorn will NOT dislodge itself because the kernels swell, get bigger, and get more stuck. She would have to go see the ear, nose, and throat doctor to have it removed. We are just on the look out for any signs of infection for the next few days, but she seems to be fine. She didn't seem to be too traumatized by the whole thing- she got a sucker and fell sound asleep on the way home.

All in a days work.

superhero day

Thursday was superhero day at Tiny Tigers. Avery has been on an Incredibles kick for the past few months, so this was her chance to dress up like Elast-a-girl. We borrowed a costume from the Brundages (thank you!) and Avery was thrilled!

We might have to borrow the costume again for Halloween, because she has been saying since this past Halloween that she wants to be Elast-a-girl, Finley to be Violet, Daddy to be Mr. Incredible, and the baby can be Jack Jack (yes, even though she is a girl- that doesn't seem to matter). I guess I am left out of the mix, but I am ok with that. We will see- she still has 10 months to change her mind, but for now that is her plan.

the heartbreak

We have pretty much recovered from the holiday craziness, with the exception of one major casualty. Somewhere along the way, Finley's blankie disappeared. I truly have NO idea where it could have gone?! We have looked high, low, inside and under everything, everywhere with no luck. Poor Finley has been beside herself and just out of sorts. I can really relate- I still have my blankie (as in I still sleep with it nightly and use it as a neck pillow) and I would be completely devastated if anything happened to it... there is just no substitute for the comfort that YOUR blankie brings. We tried to give her other blankets as replacements, but she was not having it. She could not be fooled. She kept wandering aimlessly asking for her blankie. She was heartbroken. It was so sad.

Her blanket is one that my aunt gave us when Finley was born, so I called her to see what brand it was and where she got it- hoping I could use the information to find an exact replica of the missing blanket. Fortunately for Finley (and me too), my aunt had gotten an few extra blankets to have on hand. She mailed it out right away and it got here this afternoon! I opened it up and gave it to Finley as soon as she got up from her nap (I got the mail right after I put her down). Her eyes lit up and cried out "blankie!" She did not let that blanket out of her sight for even a second for the rest of the day.

She is now a very happy and contented little girl! Our bedtime routine was much easier too with the "real" blankie on hand. So, thank you, thank you, thank you aunt di di- you saved the day and redeemed me for losing the precious blanket in the first place!

*As you can see, Avery is just as attached to her blankie... her Backyardigan's blankie that her daddy got for her at Target while we were on vacation (we forgot her bedding) when she was 2. With all the beautiful handmade quilts and cozy blankets we had, this is the blanket she got attached to... much to my dismay!

"i stuck."

I was getting the groceries out of the car today and as I was coming back inside, I could hear Finley crying. I called to her, but she did not come running as usual. I asked Avery where she was and why she was crying. Ever so casually, she informed me that she had pushed Finley into a basket and that she was now stuck, unable to get out! This is the image I walked in to find...

" I stuck. Help," she said, looking up at me with wide wet eyes. The horrible mother I am, I made her stay there until I could grab my camera!

out with the old

I am not yet up-to-date with my posts, but as with my house- I am done with Christmas and ready to move on. We love valentine's day in our house- partially because Finley's birthday is the day after! I really can't believe she will be two in just a month- although she is already acting the part! So, to start celebrating early, I have taken down all traces of Christmas and replaced them with a few valentine's decorations! I thought I would get in the lovey-dovey, happy mood here too. With nothing else to do (ha ha! I have been so crazy busy that I have had to write down EVERYTHING I have to do, schedule it out on paper, even writing in breaks for nourishment and potty! I guess the craziness NEVER ends!?) I stayed up until 1 am, working on my new header (when I was supposed to be working on editing last week's photo shoots or sleeping).

(FYI: b+w photos, plus the heart cupcake photo are mine, the other 3 images I got off www.marthastewart.com where there is never a shortage of eye candy!)

Now on to another busy day!

holiday whirlwind: take 2

My dad, my brother David, and David's girlfriend Mary came into town Monday 12/29 to kick off our new year's week.

First item of business when they got here was to deal with the trampoline. My dad and David took down the mangled trampoline and helped me return it... Walmart DID take it back- without a hassle. Thank heavens! Now I just have to order a new one, and Paul has to put it together!

We had another round of Christmas with my dad, David, and Mary.

The girls were delighted with the face painting kit they got. Avery did a beautiful masterpiece on herself and Finley when no one was looking.

We watched the Oregon Ducks play in the Holiday Bowl where they beat Oklahoma State 42-31. Everyone in our house was happy with the outcome! Go Ducks!

New Year's eve came and went for us quietly. We played Apples to Apples and watched the ball drop then went to bed. We are quite the wild bunch! Regardless of our lack of fanfare in ringing in the new year, we welcome 2009! We have a lot to look forward to this year.

David lived here in SLO for 5 years while going to Cal Poly, so he had favorite places he had to eat at (Firestone), favorite places to go (Pismo Beach), and things to do (hike bishop's peak)- all things that Mary had to experience while she was here. We tagged along for a few events (like ONE of the 4 trips David took to Firestone). But, call me crazy, I didn't attempt the bishop's peak hike being pregnant with 2 other little ones in tow.

While David and Mary were off experiencing SLO to the fullest, my dad was busy with projects. He always brings his work clothes, boots, and gloves when he comes- all set to do whatever projects we have need of. We had big plans for him to help us get the irrigation system for the yard all set up and ready for us to put in grass, but we had an unexpected project that needed immediate attention. With the rain over Christmas, a leak developed in the downstairs studio. On New Year's day, instead of the grassy yard I was dreaming of, he helped Paul fix the leak in the downstairs studio and build a retaining wall to help divert the water away from the foundation. He planted some flowers above the wall- it is not green grassy beauty, but it is our first (and only) landscape improvement thus far!

The girls loved having Poppi and Uncle DayDay around and kept them busy with hide and seek, puzzles, face painting, and other activities. I used the extra time I had while having extra playmates on hand for the girls in the house to finish up the another round of homemade gifts. I made half aprons for a few more gifts (which I didn't get a photo of), but they turned out cute. I also made a family tree for my grandma- complete with 7 kids, 15 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. It was by far the tree with the most leaves that I have done. I was pleased with the end result. My dad took it to her on his way home.

I was also busy with a couple of photo shoots. My dad came along with the girls as I did photos for Paul's brother and family at the beach...

I also had another family shoot downtown on Friday. I have been busy processing and editing ever since!

Dad, David, and Mary headed home Saturday, January 3. We were very sad to see them go! The girls really miss the constant attention. We are now just in recovery mode, coming off our 3 week holiday whirlwind.

Happy 2009!