25 weeks

So for reference, here I am at 21 weeks. For some reason I feel like I look fatter in my earlier shot, maybe it is the angle or the outfit.
This is me at 25 weeks, milking my pre-pregnancy clothes for all they're worth.

Overall I have been pleasantly surprised at how my body has taken shape. Not like I am bragging about having a great physique or anything but as a woman who typically carries her weight in the mid-section, I was always selfishly scared that I would be a balloon of a pregnant woman. Maybe its still on the horizon...but for now, I'm enjoying my new shape and its kind of fun figuring out how to make the most of it. I honestly love heading into the flaunt it stage because believe me, I will be flaunting it.

And on a similar note, I had my first stranger ask me when I was due. I was coming out of the bathroom stall and accidentally made eye contact in the mirror with a girl washing her hands. The following conversation ensued:

girl: Hi! How are you?
me: fine...(thinking who the heck is this girl?) how are you?
girl: I'm good. so when are you due?
me: uh (accompanied by a blank stare)
girl: oh, my gosh, I am so sorry, its probably just the shirt...
me: no, I'm pregnant and due Jan 1st, I just have no idea who you are.
girl: oh I don't know you but I work in this building
me: oh okay, sorry about that...

I did feel kind of bad for making her feel bad but come on, aren't you just supposed to ignore everyone you see in the bathroom?

What a lovely name

No, we haven't chosen a name yet. In fact, we haven't even discussed it at the length I thought we would. But we have some names on the table, sadly, we are not taking any of the YW's suggestions. My current favorite is Clark Kent Clark...

On a name note, I found this cute website that helps you choose a name based on what you want your baby to be like.

Granted, I don't think it is that accurate because the first time I did it, it gave me Severus, as in Severus Snape from Harry Potter. Don't try to make me remember what info I input to get that, magical? So this time I tried adventurous, dependable and intelligent and I got...

So maybe it isn't that helpful but its fun and a good way to kill time, right?

But you can also look up names you are thinking about and get basic meanings and even design a cool logo to go with it.

Baby Crafting: Animal Rattles

I don't love stuffed animals. I feel like more than not they are a breeding ground for bacteria especially for toddlers who just suck on them and then proceed to drag them around the house.

Nevertheless, I couldn't resist making some soft animal rattles. I found the pattern for the elephant out of a book I got at the library. This book has lots of great patterns for soft toys, Toys to Sew plus if it uses up scraps and makes toys for relatively free, I am game.

I then adjusted the elephant pattern to make the lion. Steve thinks the elephant is a little creepy because the fabric is so crazy. I guess it does kind of remind me of those psychedelic huffalumps from Winnie the Pooh.

Each toy has 3 bells inside that jingle when shaken. I have enough bells to make one more but can't decide what to do, hippo? snake? giraffe? we'll see.

Baby Crafting: Miscellany ie: TurboLoad

I've been a productive busy bee the past little bit. Sometimes I even amaze myself at how much I can get done when I stop watching Big Brother and dig in.

Mostly I have been actually completing projects which is a wonderful feeling. As a crafter, I am very flighty and as easily distracted as a fish. I start a project, lets say the baby's bedding and then find out how wonderful burp cloths made out of cloth diapers are and then I find a book on making soft toys at the library. It spirals out of control. Literally. But this weekend I stuck to my list and got things checked off. Don't get me wrong, there are still at least 20+ projects on it but some are just going to have to wait until I am bored, at home, on maternity leave.

First when I reupholstered the glider, I thought it needed a pillow. I had all these wonderful scraps left over from the bedding so I made this pillow. I think the ruffles add a nice, non-girly, softness to the room. I have used this idea before in my etsy days. Sadly I overstuffed the pillow so it is not comfy but it is cute and I can put my feet up on it, right?

Second, I wanted a nursing pillow (isn't boppy like the dumbest name ever?) but who wants to pay $35+ for one? and then another $10 for a washable cover?
So after many attempts at creating my own via this tutorial, I bit the bullet and bought a pillow form at Joanne fabrics, with my 40% off coupon it came to $12. Mixed with some green, super soft minky (another dumb name) fabric and a yard sale yellow plaid, I had a cover for around $2.50. The form came with a pattern on the plastic bag! Genius, this really is the easiest project, anyone could do it in less than an hour.

Then I had wanted to make some receiving blankets out of flannel and cute fabric. Plus this was the perfect practice for quilt binding. I love the sweet animals on the far right one and the transportation on the left. I got these great fabrics at Broadbents in Lehi. It is the BEST fabric store in the valley. I have had the hardest time finding cute fabrics that are not girly but still pretty and not all sports teams and garish primary colors.

I pretty much just stretched the flannel out on my kitchen floor, taped with painter's tape, safety pin basted the tops in place and zig zagged stitched through the whole blanket with my machine. I wanted them to be thinner than quilts with batting but I wanted them to have more substance than those single layer flannel ones. And I absolutely abhor tying quilts! so machine stitching it is. General quilting idea as learned from katiedid

Are you overwhelmed yet?
Well, I am. I am going to save the rest for another post. Man, I need a life. The crazy thing is I still have plenty of time to waste and not waste with Steve.

Grateful Monday

Today we had 20 minutes of pounding rain. I admit it, I watched most of it from my desk sending 2 phone calls directly to voicemail. There is something so beautiful about a gray sky, slanted rain and puddles forming in the parking lot. It makes me really grateful for my office window. And even though it doesn't open, I can still peek outside while my lunch heats up at our makeshift employee lounge and sniff up the fresh goodness next to the shipping docks.

And even though it was fleeting, I can still see fluffy gray clouds back lit by sun and emerging blue skies.

Next week we are being moved to another part of the office building and I am going to have to kiss my window goodbye. Goodbye window!

So for now while I eat homemade chicken pot pie and a bag full of cherry tomatoes (still on the vine!) from the garden, I can just be grateful for the view and for even knowing that we had rain. I bet next week I will have no clue if it rains and that breaks my sad-little-anti-cubicle heart.

I just feel very overwhelmed with gratitude right now, maybe it is the thought of my strawberry-raspberry shortcake waiting for me in the fridge. I think it is dessert time.

Rating the Runway

So far this season I have been pleasantly surprised by the contestants on Project Runway. I mean they have to have some crazy-no-talent people to kick off in the first couple of episodes but everyone else seems okay. I don' t have anyone I am truly rooting for yet but there are so many designers, its kind of hard to keep track of everyone.

Here are the looks I have liked the best so far.

All Photos Courtesy of Project Runway
I loved the maternity challenge. I would wear either of these two looks.

Okay thats it, have a great weekend.

i'm...

thoroughly enjoying this perusing for ideas here craftif.com still thinking about this.

laughing out loud in the Oakland Airport to

loving that Mitchell finally got kicked off Project Runway and that Ra'mon won for this