muffin tin color sorting

The time I've dreaded as finally arrived - LM has dropped her afternoon nap most days (I was really hoping she would at least give me a few more months after the baby was born...sigh). Honestly, this has been harder for me to adjust to than taking care of two children. The day seems much longer when I don't get a two hour break mid-way through, and I need to get some of my work done while it is still light out (ie. taking pictures of clothes). 

 So, to keep my sanity and help both of us transition into this new phase I have been thinking of little activities for her to do while I take advantage of her busy mind and hands. Today it was color sorting buttons in a muffin tin.

She likes playing with my button jar, so I thought I could turn her usual dumping-them-out-and-then-putting-them-back-in-the-jar routine into a more educational activity.

It was as simple as taping different colored paper circles in a muffin tin (with a couple of misc. polka-dot cups thrown in). I didn't have brown paper so I colored one using a brown crayon, which you can do for all of them if you're lacking in paper supplies. She picked up on the concept quickly and it kept her entertained for awhile. 

With a little help and direction from me all of the buttons were put in the right spot ...and then she made up her own button game that involved throwing handfuls of them up in the air. I'm pretty sure I'm missing quite a few now, but hey, I'll have some dresses listed in the shop soon so...SUCCESS!!!

This month I'm also using this dollar download to give me daily theme ideas. Right now I feel like I need to be told what to do or we'll end up sitting on the couch watching a movie everyday. Anyone else relate? What do you do to keep your kids and yourself happy/sane during stay-at-home days?

lark// 2 + 3 weeks old

I almost forgot to take Lark's two week pictures (and I am posting them  a week late). The sun was going down and she didn't want to cooperate once she woke up so I enlisted LM to help me keep her happy. At her two week check up she had gained over a pound since she was born - I knew she was growing way too fast! That white onesie is already getting too small which makes me a little sad, but at least she still has chubby cheeks for me to smooch on!

At three weeks old Lark has moved up a diaper size (when she gets a little bigger I'll start using our cloth diapers again), and she gets the hiccups almost every time after she eats which make her sound like a tiny human cuckoo clock. She started sleeping 4 hour increments at night and now shares a room with her big sister. I love being able to say 'the girls room' - the plural makes me happy.

 You can kind of see her dimple in the picture above, I love it.

How was your weekend? We relaxed at home while listening to some inspired words and I am feeling more renewed. Here's to the start of a lovely week!

xo

cutting corners baby quilt

I wanted to get several sewing projects done before the baby was born, but turns out that sitting at my sewing machine while 9 months pregnant wreaks havoc on my pubic bones so I gave up. But, I was finally able to get Lark's baby quilt tied and finished with the help of my mom when she came to stay with me for a few days after the baby was born (thanks mom!!).

I used Rachel's Cutting Corners Lap Quilt tutorial from her Modern Patchwork e-course. I had totally forgotten about making a baby blanket until I saw this quilt so I knew I had to make one for Lark, it was meant to be! Rachel's pictures and directions were clear and super easy to follow, I just changed the measurements up to make a smaller version.

For now it is on LM's toddler bed until I can get around to finishing her new 'big girl bed' quilt. I'm thinking I'll try out a chevron striped pattern for her.

And here's a view of the quilt as a whole.

For the back I wanted more color, so I cut random widths of leftover fabric and sewed them into stripes. I love that it's an entirely new look when you flip it around since I tend to like change often.

I hope to get in more sewing time again now that Lark is settling into a more predictable nap schedule. There are several more tutorials from Modern Patchwork that I am excited to try out among other projects on my long 'to-sew' list (a list that never seems to get any shorter!). What have you been sewing lately?

xo

my oldest

 I feel like my oldest has been a bit neglected on the blog lately, but we haven't forgotten about her!

Currently she is obsessed with Yo Gabba Gabba, making sure Lark's diaper gets changed regularly, painting rainbows and pigs, singing with her microphone, jumping off the couch onto pillows, reading Olivia, and eating canned peaches. Can't wait to see what she'll be obsessed with next week, she keeps us on our toes! 

I used to think I couldn't love her more, but now I realize there will never be an end to it...

shop update: shoes

Today I was left with an open quiet afternoon and a sleeping baby so I thought I'd take advantage and update the shop. I added a bunch of shoes if you'd like to take a closer look!

Have you had a good weekend? Ours was spent running errands (yes, I actually got out of the house!) and spending time with the last of our family that came from out of town to help with/see the baby. I am starting to feel like we've had Lark forever instead of just two weeks. I am taking that as a good sign that I am getting the hang of taking care of two little ones. But even though life is settling back down, I still get that new mother thrill when I pick her up and I just want to cover her in kisses from head to toe! I hope that feeling stays for a long time...

lark's birth story

Round one.

When I was pregnant with my first I half decided to give birth naturally. I started seeing some midwives and attended a hypnobirthing class, but if I am going to be honest I always knew in the back of my mind that I could opt for an epidural since I would be in the hospital - which is why I say half decided. I was scared of the unknown. But I read the book cover to cover, practiced the relaxation techniques almost daily, and kept telling myself I could do it...with that ever-present 'maybe' trailing along behind...

When I finally started having contractions 9 days past my due date I failed miserably at putting into practice everything I had learned. I didn't even bring my relaxation music with me to the hospital. I was excited and scared, but mostly naive. I dilated to about a 5 or 6 before I started seriously thinking about that epidural. I gave in to the fear. Her birth was still a good experience and I didn't make myself feel bad about getting the epidural, but a part of me knew that I had to prove to myself I could do it naturally next time.

***

Round two.

I started having practice contractions on a Wednesday night 2 days past my due date about 20 minutes apart which got me excited because I knew from my first experience it was only a matter of time now that I was actually feeling something. The next night Husband and I went out to dinner for some spicy Thai food in hopes to get things really started and to have one last date. Once we got home my contractions started getting a little more intense and by 1:30 am I was calling my mom to come over since I had asked her to be my doula. I realized from my first experience that I needed to surround myself with more support. I knew my mom would encourage me to keep going naturally if my resolve started wavering.

(Side story - I called my mom at least 20 times and she didn't answer her phone so I knew she couldn't hear it or it was dead. I had to call my oldest sister who lives in her same town in the dead of night to ask her a favor - would she please drive over to mom's house and wake her up!!! Turns out my mom went to a movie with my aunt that night and forgot to take her phone off vibrate. Of all the nights, ha!)

I couldn't sleep so I started listening to my hypnobirthing relaxation and when my mom arrived at about 3:00 am we started timing my contractions. I sat in a comfy rocker and would say, 'start' and 'stop' when my contractions came and went, all the while doing deep yoga breathing through them and totally relaxing my body. Each contraction felt just a little different and a 3-D mental image would come into my mind of what the contraction "looked" like - the images were bright bursts of light against the darkness of my closed lids. Once there was an image in the form of a butterfly, another time a fish jumping out of the water, but mostly they were just abstract shapes. They would start small and grow as the contraction peaked and then I would blow the images away with my breath. That was something I did not expect but it was pretty incredible and absolutely beautiful what my relaxed state of mind generated. The contractions gradually got stronger and stronger but I never felt any pain, only tightening, a tingling sensation of building intensity, and waves of power surging downward. I began to look forward to the next one.

And then all of a sudden they slowed way down around 7:00 am. This was disappointing but I was very relaxed and didn't feel tired because I had been in a meditative, restful state all night. The slow time ended up being nice because we could freshen up, and walking around and taking a shower got my contractions going again. So back to the rocker it was for another few hours and the contractions continued to get stronger and stronger so I was happy.

Around 3:00 pm we decided to get ready to go to the hospital. On the way I realized I was hungry and got a sudden craving for Subway, so Husband and I ate sandwiches in the car while my mom went shopping for baby clothes. I had some intense contractions in the car that I could tell were making me dilate because the sensation and mental images of those ones were like widening donut rings. It was amazing that I could be that in tune with my body in the midst of labor and still be able to enjoy my sandwich between contractions and chat with Husband.

We got to the hospital at 4:00 pm and first things first I needed the nearest bathroom. I wonder if the lady at the front desk believed Husband when he told her I was in labor because I asked her to direct me to the restroom calmly as if I was just walking by and stopped in to use the facilities. We went up to labor and delivery and they put me in triage. This is when I started getting nervous for the first time and my whole body started shaking - what if I wasn't dilated enough? But best news ever, I was at a six! And then I knew for sure that I was going to do this naturally. It was totally doable. I was more than half way there. I wasn't in any pain. I was relaxed and focused.

They took me to a delivery room and I sat on the bed just like the rocker and breathed through my contractions and two hours later I was at an eight! It was very peaceful and quiet with the lights dim. My mom and Husband took turns rubbing my feet with essential oils and between contractions we chatted with my midwife. I never stopped listening to my relaxation music the entire time and this was key to my staying in control. I could hear everything that was going on around me, but I could slip away whenever I needed. The music easily lead me back into my restful and relaxed state.

Two hours later we hit the first bump in the road - I was stuck at an eight.  Lark's head was at a slight angle so we needed to try some new positions to help align her. My water also hadn't broken yet, so we decided to have my midwife break it to help things along as well. I went from bouncing on my yoga ball, to sitting in the tub, to back on the bed this time laying on my side when out of nowhere I got really uncomfortable. I still can't say it was painful but I couldn't get in a position that felt right. I still did deep breathing through my contractions but I couldn't keep my body totally under control like before - I needed to move. And then I remember saying, "I want to push!" 

Then I really couldn't find a position I liked. Finally after some uncomfortable contractions in positions I didn't like, I settled on squatting with the end of the bed lowered and I wanted my midwife to tell me when to push since I couldn't seem to figure out how to do it productively myself. Hypnobirthing teaches you to breath the baby down but that was not going to work for me at this point. I was ready to be done and hold my baby in my arms. It had been 24 hours of not physical, but mental exhaustion. I reminded myself to stay calm, it would be over soon and I was praying hard for strength.

I pushed her out in four or five contractions. The amazing thing though was that again, it didn't hurt. I didn't even expect it to hurt. I felt the slightest little sting when she crowned, but other than that it felt exactly like when I pushed my oldest daughter out with an epidural - pressure. Except this time I could feel where Lark was so it was more encouraging because I knew she was almost out. And then all of a sudden it was over and they gave me my squished but beautiful little girl! 

In the end I didn't tear, I didn't swell nearly as much as the first time, I wasn't as tired, I wasn't ghostly pale like I was for days with my first, I didn't bleed as much, I wasn't as sore... everything about my recovery was a million times better and easier.

When I compare my two birth experiences it is so apparent to me that the second time around I didn't let fear make my decisions for me and I have never felt more empowered! 

Giving birth is natural and beautiful and truly a miracle. And, amazingly, it doesn't have to hurt.

at home

Life with a newborn is both slower and faster. Slower because we just hang out at home and cuddle and nurse and sleep, but faster because the days are over before we know it. Has it really been almost two weeks since she was born?  

The Little Miss got a hold of my camera today so I asked her to take some pictures of me holding Lark. I think she did a pretty awesome job for a two-year old! 

And good news! We figured out that the LM's fussiness and clingy behavior last week was caused by teething, not baby coming home jealousy. She got her four incisors (she is a really late teether) so no wonder she was emotionally volatile - ouch! She is now back to her normal self and giving Lark lots of hugs and kisses. Watching them interact makes me so happy, it's the best!