Spotted Smiles

Siesta Scripture Memory Verse 2

2011-01-15T09:32:00.000-05:00

Good Morning! And a GLORIOUS morning it is...even though (here) there is lots of snow outside there is lots to be thankful for. I have successfully memorized my verse from the beginning of the month and here is my second verse.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

And if I could just encourage you a little more to join in on all the fun-- My 3 year old Zoie is going to join me in the journey. She has already started on her first verse.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."

Epesians 6:1 (NIV)

She is working hard and we keep going over it. By the end of the month her bright little mind will have it no problem.

Won't you join us too?

Duck, Duck, Goose!

2011-01-11T10:24:00.001-05:00

Today my 3-year-old is playing really well by herself. She has several Barbies out sitting on the floor. She likes to change their clothes and of course they all need purses.

All of a sudden out of nowhere she goes around tapping her sister and me on the head saying, "Duck, duck..."

Then I tap her on the head and say "Goose!"

She will proceed to run in a circle in the living room (without anyone chasing her) and then she will yell, "Sit down, sit down!"

She then sits down panting out of breath.

After that she goes back to playing with her Barbies.

Isn't it great that she can just be so spontaneous as a kid!

Scripture Memory Challenge

2011-01-06T16:02:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

This year I am committing to memorize 2 verses each month. As a part of the 2011 Siesta Scripture Memory Team I will have 24 new verses memorized by the end of 2011.

The plan is to choose a new verse that I will be memorizing on the 1st and the 15th of each month. I will also be posting them over on the Living Proof Ministries Blog.

My first scripture is:

"Do nothing form selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves" Philippians 2:3 (NASB)

I have it written in my little notebook to carry with me so that I can work on memorizing at any time.

Find out how it works here.

You can read about the first verses of the year that people have chosen here.

Want to join in on the fun? Leave me a comment with your 1st verse.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T22:10:00.000-05:00

I just want to wish everyone a

Merry Christmas!

We will be very busy celebrating with family the birth of Jesus over the next couple of days!

I look forward to creating great memories and maybe some new traditions. We already have it all worked out as to whose house we will be at when and it will hopefully make for a stress free and much more fun Christmas this year. If you don't know what I am talking about please read about Sharing Holidays.

I will be back after Christmas to share what I gave my kids (following this new gifting philosophy) and how our families Secret Santa gifts went.

Pleas enjoy all your friends and family and have fun celebrating Jesus's Birthday!

Losing Weight and a Bit of Humor

2010-12-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

My hubby and I have been working hard at losing weight. It really kinda started and took off when he decided to join the Army Reserves and had to get down to a certain weight to be accepted. I decided that there is no better time than now to start so I joined him in the journey. The other incentive is that we are going on a cruise in March 2011.

We weigh ourselves frequently to make sure that we stay on track.

Our 2 (almost 3) year old daughter gets on the scale the other day looks down and she says, "Mommy, I didn't win!" I looked at her and tried really hard to not start cracking up but said, "Some days I don't win either!"

Then she got on the scale again and excitedly says, "I lost 40 pounds!" I laughed and told her that if she lost that much there would be nothing left of her because she only weight about 35 pounds.

Kids...Gotta love them and the funny things they say!

Keep your eye out for the story on how I have lost 14.5 pounds in the last 3 months coming soon!

Making Christmas a Little Easier

2010-12-16T23:32:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to share with you. I just came across the best idea ever to make Christmas a little less stressful and a little more affordable. Are you excited yet? I know you just can't wait to hear about it.

I found this wonderful idea over at Wonder Woman Wannabe.

To make it easier for coming up with Christmas gifts use this little, practical saying:

Something they Want

Something they Need

Something to Wear

And

Something to Read

Whether you get them one item in each category or a couple in some and only one in another it is a great plan for coming up with gift ideas and not just for Christmas but birthdays and any other holiday.

The list can even be expanded as seen over at Simple Kids.

It can include:

Something to Watch

Something to Dress Up

Something to Listen To

Something to Eat

Something to Create

It is just a guide to making gifting easier and it might help make things fair between siblings. It kinda gives gifting a purpose and not just buying gifts to buy gifts. I will be adopting this philosophy for all my gift giving.

(Okay maybe you have already heard about this and it doesn't excite you so much but it is new to me and I just love it!)

Seasonal "Must Haves"

2010-12-15T23:01:00.003-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pier 1 Imports. All opinions are 100% mine.

Pier 1 imports has all the fun things needed for a great holiday season. Here are some of the products that I would love to have for entertaining and decorating this year. These could be considered my “must haves” for this season.

To start off it would be wonderful to set the mood with these Apple Cinnamon Home Fragrances.

Christmas dinner won’t be at my house this year but if I was hosting I would want these adoarable place card holders.

Everyone could enjoy their beverages in the Poinsettia Glassware.

For a cute and fun accent that the kids will especially love check out these Jingle Bell Napkin Rings.

These “Naughty and Nice” Hand Towels would be perfect for all the clean-up afterwards.

Here you can find several place setting ideas for some of the holidays. For Christmas my favorite place setting is the Gilded Forest. I also like the Couture Christmas but green is my favorite color so the other one wins in my book.

Also while browsing around www.pier1.com I found some wonderful gift ideas.

My mom collects swizzle sticks and these would be a great addition to her collection.

Snowman Spoon Swizzle Sticks

A great gift for someone that is hard to buy for would be this Gold Tree Photo Holder. I think that it would work great for holding Christmas cards too!

A great gift for co-workers, family, or friends would be this Gingerbread Vanilla Soap & Lotion Set. I bet it smells yummy!

This Wood Tool Set would be a great present for any of the kids.

If someone were to shop to find gifts for me at Pier 1 these would be on my wish list.

Pewter Chandelier Earrings

And this adorable Geometric Silver Hinge Bracelet.

I think it would be great to have this Rattan Chip & Dip basket or the Tiered Glass Platters for entertaining because I love to have people over and I enjoy throwing great parties.

You should go check out all the great holiday décor and entertaining products at www.pier1.com. And don’t forget they have great holiday gifts also. You can continue to spread holiday cheer by liking Pier 1 Imports on Facebook. For every new fan they get, they will donate $1 to Toys for Tots.

Magnetic Bulletin Board

2010-12-09T22:06:00.000-05:00

Since I have a stainless steel fridge and it isn't magnetic I needed a place to put important notes, invites, and to do lists. Otherwise they end up all over the place and sometimes they get lost.

So I created one!

I bought a piece of metal that is usually used for duct work and I cut it to the size that I wanted. Well, actually I had my hubby do it. I tried to cut it and messed up a piece then I decided I didn't want to waste any more money so I let him do it.

I spray painted it black. I found a cute stencil from Stampin' Up called Flourish Décor Stencils. I just used a simple white acrylic paint to add the design. I used clear spray to help seal the surface and keep the paint from being scratched off.

Then, I punched some holes at the top with my Crop-a-dile and added some cute ribbon.
I find great uses for my new magnetic bulletin board and it looks great in my kitchen.

The Flu is Going Around

2010-12-06T11:46:00.001-05:00

Today I am sitting home with a very sick toddler. I know that the flu has been going around and I was home all day Saturday not feeling well. My stomach ached and after I got some sleep my entire body ached. All I could think was... How do you take care of 2 kids when you feel miserable? Thank goodness my husband was home (and he was a saint the whole day) to take care of all of us. It was a day of a lot of movies.

I am all for natural remedies but I don't know any for vomiting. We have been using 7-Up and Saltine Crackers. My little girl doesn't like all the bubbles in 7-Up so it is hard to get her to drink it and my mom plans to drop off some Pedialyte. It will be a day of laying low with lots of kid movies. The only time I accept watching tv all day is when you are really sick.

Any Advice? Any great remedies for vomiting? Anything that a toddler would eat or drink?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Boudreaux's Butt Paste is Best

2010-12-02T13:01:00.006-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Boudreaux's Butt Paste. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have tried many different diaper rash creams. I like to use up all the samples I got from the hospital. When my baby starts to look red I put some cream on right away so that the problem doesn't escalate. When I first used a diaper rash cream on Taylor she screamed. I figured that it must be burning. I tried a different cream and the same response. After a trying several diaper rash creams I finally tried Boudreaux's Butt Paste and she was happy. Not only did it not make her scream, it cleared up her rash within the next couple of diaper changes.

I would recommend this to every mom. The paste is nice and thick so it stays in place and doesn't come off as soon as you put a new diaper on. It also has a fairly pleasant scent. This stuff is like gold and it works wonders for healing diaper rash and for making babies happier (mainly because their bottom won’t hurt anymore).

What is totally awesome about this product is that it was specifically formulated by a pharmacist with direction from a respected pediatrician to provide effective diaper rash care. It comes in several convenient sizes of 1oz, 2oz, 3oz and 4oz tubes, and a 16oz jar. They offer flip top cap (tubes) and a handy travel size.

You can visit the Boudreaux's Butt Paste site to receive a free sample. Go! You know you want your own to try. Or you could just buy it…trust me you won’t regret it.

I've Moved

2010-11-30T16:36:00.000-05:00

I did it! I made the big move. After keeping up with this blog for several months I decided to take the plunge. You can now find me at www.spottedsmiles.com

I haven't had a post in awhile and it is because I was busy with my beautiful family for the Thanksgiving weekend and I didn't spend hardly anytime on the computer. And then there was this I was busy working on getting my own domain and getting it set up. It was super easy and now it is even easier to find your favorite blog (ok...maybe just one of your favorites.)

Making Infant Cereal

2010-11-16T22:35:00.000-05:00

Today was my first time making homemade infant cereal for little Miss Taylor. It turned out to be a success. It is so super duper easy to do.

I found some great information on making your own baby cereal here.

I used a mix of brown rice and jasmine rice.

I put 1 Cup of water on the stove to boil.

Then I added 1/4 Cup of each rice to my Magic Bullet and I ground up the rice.

After the water was boiling I added 1/4 Cup of the ground rice to the water. Then I turned the heat down so it was just simmering and I stirred it constantly. After about 10 minutes I had some great baby cereal packed with all its natural nutrients.

The great site I listed above also has recipes for Oatmeal, Barley, and a Mixed Grain Cereals.

I will be trying the other recipes in the future but for now this cereal recipe is a hit!

Classic Toy Still a Hit

2010-11-15T14:47:00.000-05:00

Over the summer I stopped at many garage sales. At one of the largest sales I found an old, classic Teddy Ruxpin with several books and tapes. He was in good condition except for his nose which looked like it had been chewed on by a dog. I didn't know if he worked but I took a chance. I bought him and his books for $2.

Little did I know it would soon become one of Zoie's favorite toys. When I first put batteries in I thought he was broken but I messed with it for a bit and soon the tapes were playing and his eyes were moving but his mouth didn't. Zoie didn't mind a bit. She asks me every day where Teddy Ruxpin is and if she can play with him. By now I am wanting to find some new books for him because I have listened to the ones we have for hours and through many sets of batteries. The ironic thing about it is that when my husband was a child he just loved playing with Teddy Ruxpin too (or so I am told). It was one of his favorite toys and now Zoie gets to enjoy this classic toy.

I just have to hope that he keeps working because at this point I don't know what my daughter would do without him.

Sharing Holidays

2010-11-09T23:40:00.001-05:00

Let me start by saying that my husband and I have been married for 7 years and we have been together for a total of 10 years. We definitely don't have it all figured out and I don't think that we ever will, but as Thanksgiving and Christmas near the same issue comes up...

Where and when will we be spending the holidays? We both have family within a 5 mile radius so to go and see either side of the family is no great task. It is already difficult for us to choose between them but they don't make it any easier. Everyone wants us to come over to their house so that they can see our kids and they want us to be there almost all day...basically leaving no other time for the other side of the family. We are pressured into pleasing everyone else and doing it their way that it is often times hardly enjoyable for us. And don't get me wrong it is not all about us.

We have tried to set up that we will spend Thanksgiving day with one family and the day after with the other and then flip it for Christmas. Unfortunately that doesn't make everyone happy and someone will be upset that we didn't spend that day with them or they will be upset when we aren't coming on the exact day of the next holiday. Because of the spot we are put in to choose who we will satisfy...generally a wedge is driven between Rob and I. Our family doesn't realize the hardship this creates for our marriage and family. There have even been times when Rob and I split up for a holiday just to be able to see and please both sides. This is not an ideal situation for us because I want to spend time with my husband on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Most of the time I don't want to go anywhere...just to make it easier. I figure that the family can come see us at our house...my husband doesn't agree. The dilemma continues yet another year. Can't they just be happy that we are spending time with them? Not put all the pressure to spend the entire holiday with them?

Just for the record...just because we don't eat with you on the day of the holiday doesn't mean we don't love you.

The family also doesn't take into account that our 2 year old daughter needs a nap so that she is a happy person to be around. When you plan to eat dinner at 2 or 3 in the afternoon...that is during her nap time. Another thing...if we spend both holidays entirely with my husband's family...what does my mom do? She has no one else in this state but me and my family to do things with. They should be a little more forgiving if we can't always do it their way.

How do you share your holidays? Does it work?

If you have adult children...consider how it might be affecting them if they feel like they have to always choose sides.

I am usually not a stressed person but if there is one thing about the Holidays that causes me stress...this would be it.

I'm So Thankful!

2010-11-07T22:52:00.001-05:00

Shortly after writing my post about my attitude of gratitude jar I found a blog that was starting a blog hop about being thankful. You can check it out here or click on the button at the bottom of this post.

Here is my list of 5 things I am thankful for:

1. My best friend. She is there to listen, encourage, and love me no matter what I am going through. She brings so much joy to my life and she is an answered prayer. She is a gorgeous person on the inside and out and she is a blessing beyond words to me.

2. I have been working to loose weight and it is working. I am counting calories and doing Zumba and other exercises. I have been able to stick to it for over a week now.

3. This weekend I got another chance to spend with my dad (he lives about 2200 miles away). It was even his birthday so we were able to celebrate with him.

4. The great Oktoberfest service at church this morning. It was an awesome time of worship with friends and family. I am so grateful that we could willingly give our all to God.

5. My baby's smiles. When I see her smile it makes me smile back. She is happy most of the time and her giggles just make me melt.

What are you thankful for this week?

Attitude of Gratitude Jar Tutorial

2010-11-04T15:05:00.001-04:00

During this Thanksgiving (and shortly after Christmas) Season I am encouraging my family to have an Attitude of Gratitude. There are so many things to be thankful for and my family and I need to dwell on those things more often. As a way to help I created a Blessings jar or Attitude of Gratitude jar. There are cute slips of designer series paper for people to write down their blessings and what they are thankful or grateful for. Throughout the season I will not only encourage my family to write things down but anyone who comes through the door. On Thanksgiving I plan to read all the messages aloud.

Here is what you need:
A glass apothecary jar (really any cute jar will work)
Some designer series paper
Some sort of adhesives
Cricut Vinyl
Various Ribbon

I put a strip of designer series paper (DSP) around the inside. It took me a bit to get it right because my glass apothecary jar was not straight up and down. I had to create a template that would work at an angle. It would be much easier to do if you had a jar that was just straight.
After I got that figured out I got out my Cricut and I cut some vinyl letters out in different sizes and fonts to put on my jar. I used the words thanks, blessings, and grateful.

After that I cut lots of 1 inch by 6 inch strips of DSP. All of my paper was double sided and I used several that coordinated with each other.

And as a finishing touch I added ribbon to the stem of the jar and to the lid.
Now it sits right on the island in the kitchen so that it won't be forgotten and people will be reminded to have an attitude of gratitude during the holidays.

I conveniently located a vase with all the unused strips of DSP and a pen next to the attitude of gratitude jar. I look forward to seeing the jar get filled up.

I got this idea from Little Birdie Secrets.

I posted over at:

Costumes this Year!

2010-11-02T15:29:00.001-04:00

This year costumes were difficult to decide on...well except for Zoie. I had bought her a Tinker Bell costume last year after Halloween and it has been in the closet waiting for her...she asks me about it at least once a week. The dress is so cute...it even lights up. So here is my little princess. And yes...Tinkerbell is a princess in our house.

My husband and I finally decided on Ghostbusters. Taylor was going to be a bumblebee because that was a costume Zoie had used her first Halloween. At the last minute my mom and I decided it would be cuter if she was a ghost to go along with the Ghostbusters. We quickly created a costume for her out of a pillow case. It even had some lace detail at the end because...of course...she was a girl ghost.

Here we are:

Here is my husband being silly:

Well, we only caught one ghost that night and she was a keeper!

Joining the Halloween Parade over at The Sits Girls.

Halloween Craftiness and A Recipe

2010-10-31T14:02:00.001-04:00

Last year I got all crafty and made some Halloween/Fall decorations.

Here are some glittered pumpkins which work great for the entire fall season.

The pumpkins came from the Dollar Store and then I used Martha Stewart glitter and glue to cover them.
Next is my mummy candy pots.

I cut strips of muslin and wrapped them twisting and turning around terra cotta pots. In the middle I added a little extra fabric to make the nose. Then I added two black beads for the eyes. Add candy and you've got some pretty cute Halloween decor.
Last but not least...this year my favorite new recipe is Pumpkin Dip.
It is great with vanilla wafers, graham crackers, apples, or ginger snaps.

The recipe is:
1 (8oz) package of Cream Cheese
(I use Fat Free and it tastes just as good)
2 C. Confectioner's Sugar
1 (15oz) Can of Pure Pumpkin (not the pie mixed stuff)
3 tsp of Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp Vanilla

Mix it all together...add some goodies like vanilla wafers or apples and you have a great, wonderful, awesome dip.

Linking up over at The Sits Girls where you can get awesome blogging tips or check out the other Halloween Craftiness.

Halloween Costumes a Year Ago

2010-10-30T00:01:00.004-04:00

Every Year we spend Halloween almost the same. We attend and help out at a carnival called Pumpkinfest that is put on by our church. It is indoors so we don't have to brave the cold...sometimes snowy...weather here in Michigan. There is popcorn, cotton candy, and cupcakes to eat (of course you get to decorate them first) and a bunch of cool carnival games to play.

Last year I was a couple of months pregnant and I really wanted to be comfortable. We went along with the movie "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." I dressed up as Peppermint Patty, my husband dressed as Charlie Brown and our daughter was a pumpkin.

Yes, I did make my hubby's shirt from a yellow t-shirt and some felt that I sewed across the middle to make the zig-zag stripe.

Here is Zoie as the Great Pumpkin!

Oh Yea...I just have to share...my mother-in-law is an identical twin...here are the twins at Pumpkinfest last year.

Showing off Costumes of the Past over at The SITS Girls!

Changing Table Revamp

2010-10-20T15:46:00.000-04:00

I never had a changing table with my first baby but I probably could have used one. I recently picked one up off of Craigs list for $25. It was in really good condition but I just couldn't help myself...I had to spice it up a bit.

I wish I had before pics but I forgot to take some.

First I took it apart and added some cute fabric to each of the shelves. I basically laid it out on a table and cut the fabric a bit bigger than the shelf board and then glued the fabric to the bottom. I did this with all three shelves with three different fabrics that coordinated. Then I put it back together.

I just had to add something else to give it some more pizazz...so I added some ribbons to the spindles on the top shelf. I just simply tied different coordinating ribbons to the spindles and I heat sealed the ends.

I don't want to go overboard but I may add some more ribbon as I find more that matches. This was so simple to do and I just love the outcome. I can't wait to get it in the baby's room so that we can start using it.

PlayStation®Move Looks Like Fun

2010-10-12T23:16:00.000-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PlayStation MOVE. All opinions are 100% mine.

If we were given a PlayStation^®Move…our whole family (well except for the baby) could get involved in gaming. I love to play games (in case you didn’t already know)…all games….I really enjoy video games (even though I am not any good at them). I have been checking out the PlayStation^®Move and it looks AWESOME! There’s all kinds of fun for the whole family. The PlayStation^®Move is a combo of the PlayStation^®3 system, the PlayStation^®Eye camera and the PlayStation^®Move motion controller. Yes you have to have a PlayStation^®3 to be able to use the Move system…bummer I don’t have one (Yet!)

The motion controller has pinpoint accuracy…and the bulb on the top changes color depending on what you are playing. It brings a more realistic gaming experience. We could use this to have some great family game nights or some light and easy competition with our friends. We could even all get together and exercise using the PlayStation^®Move system. This could be used as a great tool to get connected and make some memories with our family and even the grandparents could get involved.

There are some awesome looking games too. The one that I would love to play the most would be… LittleBigPlanet™ 2. It is an action-adventure game that looks to be right up my alley. You can have endless multiplayer fun and you can even create your own Sackboy™ (your character in the LittleBigPlanet™ 2 game). You can check out LittleBigPlanet™ 2 here. But the fun doesn’t stop there…I think our entire family could enjoy the EyePet™. It is a game that gives your family a pet virtually projected into your living room (using the Eye camera). Zoie (our 2 year old) would love this because we don’t have any real pets in our home and she could enjoy so many activities with this pet. You can check out this game and more of its feature here.

You can get this motion gaming exclusively for your PlayStation^®3 with the Move bundle package for $99. The bundle includes:

PlayStation^®Move motion controller
PlayStation^®Eye camera
Sports Champions™ game
Bonus game demo disc

This will probably be on the Christmas list for our family because it looks like so much fun.

First Week of Cereal

2010-10-09T17:53:00.000-04:00

There were some bittersweet moments this week as I started feeding Taylor cereal. Time has already gone by so fast...and I can't believe she is starting solid foods. I started feeding her one meal a day of cereal. Her reactions...funny and different every time. I can't really remember only 2 years ago when I had started feeding Zoie cereal. It seems like a whole new experience this time.

Introducing Taylor to the world of solid foods has been sweet because she is growing and getting stronger and needing more sustenance. It will be wonderful to be relieved of spit-up and the great messes it makes. It has been a pleasure to take small breaks from nursing her and it will be nice that my husband can start to feed her. I will also be able to enjoy her reactions from each new food that we introduce to her.

On the other hand it has been bitter because my baby is growing up and before I know it she is going to be walking, talking, and driving cars. I will sorely miss the bonding and cuddling of breastfeeding as it starts to dwindle. It will also mean more time in preparing foods for the little one (breast milk was so easy...always warm, always ready, and the ever so wonderful...always free).

All I can do is treasure and enjoy this next part of my journey in life as a mom.

Candy Corn Peanuts

2010-10-09T17:22:00.000-04:00

One of the favorites in our house this fall....Candy Corn and Peanuts.

It is a simple combination that brings much happiness.

I just take a bag of candy corn and a can of peanuts and mix them together.

They will be gone before you know it. Easy Peasy!
(By the time I wrote this post...they were all gone!)
Ps...Another great combo is Peanuts with Red Hots...Yum!

She Seemed Fine...

2010-10-07T13:49:00.001-04:00

Normally I have fun and light-hearted posts but today I just need to share my heart.

About a month ago (on a Thursday) Taylor had her 4 month well child check-up...she was doing great...everything seemed fine...she was a happy baby and I had no complaints. She wasn't rolling over yet but no big deal. The nurse weighed her and measured her height and head circumference. When our pediatrician came in she wanted to measure her head again to make sure that the measurement was accurate. What for I wondered?...but didn't think much of it. Yep she got the same measurement. As we continued through the check-up the doctor stated that she was a bit concerned about the size of my baby's head....she suggested an ultrasound...

What? An Ultrasound on my baby's head? Why?

The emotions started running and I could feel the tears welling up...all I could think was what is wrong with my baby?

She continued to show me the growth chart and her head circumference had significantly jumped while her body had made normal progress. She explained that Taylor could have fluid on her brain or a tissue mass causing it to swell or be rather large.

Are you sure? My baby who seems perfectly healthy? If she does...what does it mean?

We discussed a couple of other findings that could be a result of some kind of pressure or swelling in her head. After talking to my husband we scheduled an ultrasound for the next day and we started praying that nothing would show up and she would be healthy. We also prayed that if there was something that God would heal her.

Sometimes the waiting is the hardest part....our appointment wasn't until 4:15pm (Friday). My husband was trying to make sure that he was home from work so that he could go with me...as a family. I needed him for support and he needed me.

We get called to go back to the ultrasound room...it happens to be one of the same techs that had done one of my OB ultrasounds. A little comforting...I had at least met her before. There was lots of small talk but the whole time we really just wanted to know if our baby was okay. She did the ultrasound as Taylor cried laying on the bed. It just broke my heart to listen to her cry and there was nothing I could do because this was so important to finding out if she was healthy. Thankfully it was fairly short...I was able to hold her fairly still so that the images could be taken. Of course the tech can't tell you anything so we would have to wait to have the images read and we wouldn't hear anything through the weekend.

So we waited.

And prayed.

And waited.

And prayed.
(Along with our family, friends, and church).

Monday rolls around and still no word from the doctor.

Tuesday nothing again.

Do they realize what a family goes through while waiting for results?

Tuesday afternoon...I called to see if they had any results yet. I only got to leave a message with the receptionist and she told me I would get a call back. Of course...I wondered when? I had already been waiting several days and I didn't want to wait much longer.

Finally...Wednesday rolls around and the doctor calls.
She said that the results from the ultrasound were normal. She also said that there was nothing else to do at this point but we would continue to monitor her at her well child check-ups. YAY! Praise God! I couldn't wait to share the wonderful news with everyone. God answered our prayers!
We are so thankful for our healthy children and we make the most out of every moment we have with them. Taylor brings us such JOY and we count our blessings that the results were normal.
(We can't thank God enough.)

Flower Hair Barrettes

2010-10-04T16:05:00.000-04:00

Cute, adorable and so much fun!

I have been crafting away making these beautiful hair barrettes for both of my girls.

There are a couple of ways to make them but here is how I did it.

Supplies needed to get crafty:

Glue gun and Glue Sticks

Lighter or Fray Check

Ribbon (I used 3/8")

1 3/4" Single Prong Alligator Clips

Scissors

Flowers

I bought most of my flowers at the dollar store...some of them are a bit skimpy so I combined 2 flowers to make one.

I removed all the flowers off the stems and then I removed the back off of both flowers.

I took the center out of one so that I just had the petals and I added them to the other for a fuller flower.

Then I cut the stem down fairly short and melted it with the lighter.

Now the flower is ready to go...I need to cover the alligator clip.

I started by using the lighter to melt the end of the ribbon so it won't fray.

I added some glue to the inside of the clip and attached the start of the ribbon.

Then I add some more hot glue to the other side of the clip and gradually keep adding glue and wrapping the ribbon around.

When the entire clip is covered it looks like this:

After you have gotten your flower ready and you have covered your alligator clip...you are ready to put them together. I just added some hot glue to the top of the clip and stuck the flower on.

These are just adorable and here is my little model showing off her beautiful flower:

My toddler loves to wear them in her hair too. I used lots of colors and different flowers so that we could match them to their clothes.