Happy Birthday To Me!

I celebrated my 34rd birthday last week. It was a very ordinary day for the most part. As Greg reminded me on our way out the door in the morning, "it is no longer about us!". So true. I did have a very nice lunch with the ladies at work and then at home Vivian's gift to me was going to bed really easily. I opened a few lovely gifts after dinner right before enjoying a slice of ice cream cake (my number one birthday request this year!).Thanks Carvel for making such tasty cakes!

For my birthday I made a gift suggestion to Greg and he totally hooked me up with this bad boy. My very own serger or overlock machine. I am super excited about it. I have gotten really into sewing these days, especially baby clothes. I have also wanted to delve more into knits and a serger is really great for that. So this weekend I set it up, learned how to thread it and started experimenting. I watched the enclosed videos as well as some instructional videos online. Then I cut a bunch of fabric swatches to do test stitches on. Then I was ready for an easy project. I decided to make another pair of ruffle pants for Vivian. They came together really quickly. I pretty much used the server for everything except the top stitching and the elastic waste band. I decided to do a rolled hem for the bottom ruffle. The coolest thing was that the server can make ruffles automatically. So much easier than the way I was doing them before. The pants turned out really cute.

Happy Father's Day

Father's Day was rather quiet here in the Cruikshank household. Vivian decided to get her daddy a bucket of his favorite candy, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Here she is testing the products. Only the best for her daddy! These candies passed the test. Oops, not good at sitting up yet!

Vivian and I worked out a deal where I would get up with her at 6am for her first diaper change of the day. That is usually daddy's job and it also happens to be the time of day she prefers to have a big poop. So we agreed that I would do the diaper change so daddy could sleep in IF she agreed to save the poop for another time. She was totally on board for that.

Next we made daddy delicious waffles for breakfast at his request. Then after Vivian's morning nap she presented her daddy with his bucket of treats and a card she "signed" with a little hand print.

It maybe wasn't the most glamorous day for Greg but he enjoyed it. Greg has turned out to be a dynamite dad. The best that Vivi and I could have hoped for. We are so lucky to have him! Happy Father's Day Greg! Love-Alexis and Vivian

Baby Tags

When we take Vivian to the Church nursery on Sundays we have leave her stroller in a big line of strollers and her diaper bag on the window sill among all the other diaper bags. To help the nursery workers identify which items belong to Vivian I decided to make her some special tags. I used old name tag making supplies from my BSF days. I just ran some paper through the printer for the lettering, being sure to leave a space at the top for some cute patterned paper that coordinated with our red and black stroller and diaper bag. I keep them tucked away in an inside pocket until I need them and then just quickly clip them on her stroller and diaper bag as I am dropping her off. So far they have worked out really well and keep me from having to use the sticky "hello my name is" tags the nursery provides.

Reversible Pinafore

Another pattern I found online at Romeo and Mae was for a reversible pinafore dress. If the nap dress was easy, this dress was super duper simple. It is made with just one pattern piece! You cut out two pieces from 2 different fabrics. Sew all around the outside with right sides together leaving a small opening to turn the whole thing. Turn and iron then do a finishing stitch around the whole outside. Lastly you join the shoulder straps and you are done. Really easy and super cute. I made two of these.
The first one was this cute brown fabric with big flowers on it. For the back I used a geometric fabric with brown lines. I love this photo of Vivi flashing us the underside of the dress. Such a cute expression on her face. The back of the dress criss crosses the body.The second dress was also a floral pattern but with soft browns, oranges, and blues. I backed that one with orange polka dots. So cute an easy. Could be worn alone with a diaper cover when it gets really hot or with a union suit in the winter.

Ruffle pants

The same people who made the nap dress pattern also made some really cute pants with ruffles at the ankles. I couldn't resist making a pair. They were a little trickier than the dress but still pretty easy.

I found this fun floral green fabric at Joann's that I was excited to use. It is almost like a Hawaiian print. They turned out really great but they were a little too big. Since the nap dress had run a little small I had started with 6-9 month size. Now that hasn't stopped me from putting them on her several times already but they do look almost like a skirt they are so big. Since they were so easy to make I figured I would just whip up a second smaller pair. This time I not only made them smaller I also had to make them shorter since I didn't have as much fabric to work with. These are more like cropped pants. They are from the same fabric I used in the first nap dress. She can wear them with the dress or on their own.

Sewing baby pants is fun!

Photo project

Before Vivian arrived I really wanted to do a little home photo shoot and capture some images of my giant belly. I loved being pregnant and wanted some photos to remember that time by. I took the weekly photo out back but I wanted some of my belly too and I specific images I wanted to capture. I set up my velvet backdrop and grabbed a couple outfits. Greg shot the photos of me alone and we used the tripod for the photos of us together. The heart around the belly.This was an image on the front of my "Giving Birth Naturally" book that I wanted to copy.Our cute little family. The classic belly sticking out of a man's white dress shirt. Well Greg had no plain white shirts and he is so skinny that this one barely fit me. I was really limited on what I could do with it. A side shot was all that really worked. And another classic shot, the hands on the belly. I like how our wedding rings are together though it looks like there are about a million fingers on me! Ha. I actually saw this same shot at my friend Kate's house during a visit and knew I wanted to get one too.

So now the project. I like the above belly shot so much I wanted to get a print to hang in my bedroom. I really wanted one of those photo canvases printed up but everywhere I looked they started at 11x17 which was just too big for my taste. Then at www.scrapbookpictures.com I found something called a bamboo mount that sounded interesting. This option started at 8x10 which is the size I wanted so I threw caution to the wind and gave it a try (there were no examples on the website). It is about $30 for an 8x10 mounted on bamboo. When it arrived I was thrilled with the results. The bamboo is so smooth and pretty looking around the edges and the image has a really nice finish.Then once Vivi was born I wanted another photo to go with the belly shot. Sort of a before and after! So I ordered a second bamboo print. We love love love these simple photos and the bamboo mount made a very sleek and nice presentation.

Busy Bar

For a while now I have thought it would be nice to have one of those play gyms they sell for babies. Vivi can reach up for things now with her hands and feet and is finally interested in toys. However, we have so much baby junk already I really didn't want to buy another giant baby item that takes up lots of space. Not to mention they run from $40-$80 for a padded blanket and a couple toys to hang off two cross bars. She won't have much use for it in a couple months once she can sit up so I hated to make the investment. Heck, we have carpet so I didn't really need the padded mat. I already had plenty of toys. All I really needed was a bar. I thought a lot about it and thought maybe I could make something out of PVC pipe. I turned to the trusty internet and sure enough I found 2 people who had made a busy bar out of PVC. It was super easy.

You need:
one piece of PVC pipe. We used 3/4" and it comes in 8 foot pieces.
2 corner pieces of pipe
2 T shaped pieces of pipe
4 pipe caps

We cut the long pipe into the following pieces:
One 24-30" bar
Two 16" leg pieces
Four 9" feet pieces
Greg cut them out in about 5 minutes with a saw but you can use a serrated knife too. Then you just put the corner pieces on the end of the main bar. Put the leg pieces into the corner pieces. Then put the T pieces at the bottom of the legs and add the feet pieces. You should also add caps to the feet since the edges will be very rough without them. Greg forgot to buy ours so we have to get some later. Since PVC isn't something you want your baby to chew on I decided to cover our bar with fabric. I just sewed a tube of fabric and slid it over the bar before adding the feet pieces. It even matches our decor. Then I took the toys I wanted to hang and added plastic C's that I already had to make chains to hang the toys at the proper levels so she could reach them. The C pieces came in a huge package that I picked up a while ago from the drug store. Vivi loves the busy bar. The total cost was $11 and it can be disassembled and stored under a couch or bed. It was so cheap and easy to make that I won't feel bad if she only uses it for a few weeks.

Wall art?

Could it be? A scrapbooking project on this blog? After all this time?

Well it isn't really a scrapbooking project but it uses scrapbooking supplies. A while ago I thought it would be nice to give Vivi something to look at while she was on the changing table. We have some balls hanging from the ceiling but she doesn't seem to care much about them. So I got the idea to put a piece of patterned paper on the wall right next to the changing pad. She loved it. She would stare at it while getting her diaper changed. So Greg thought we should expand the idea.
We got out all my patterned paper and picked out pieces we thought were visually interesting and we hung them on the wall with double stick tape. It is kind of busy but we have grown to really like it and Vivi loves looking at it. I like to point out colors and shapes while I give her butt a chance to dry out before a fresh diaper goes on. This is a super cheap and easy way to give a baby something to stimulate their vision that isn't permanent.

Charlie's Nametag

Since everything that goes to nursery school is supposed to be labeled with Vivi's name I decided to label Charlie #2 when we sent him to school. It was super easy to do.

I decided a heart on the rump would be appropriate so I dug out some red felt from my stash. I cut it into a heart shape and then used 2 strands of white embroidery floss to stitch Vivi's name into the heart hiding all the tails on the back. Then I used red floss and a whip stitch to secure the heart to Charlie. His long fur made it really easy because it hid any flaws so I didn't have to make it super perfect.
I went back with the needle and pulled out any fur that had been pulled down by the stitches. That also helped fluff up the fur to hid the stitches.Voila! Off he went to school to keep her company during naps in her crib. The teachers told us that it was great to have Charlie there because they can lay her down, put the cheetah in her arms and she just turns to nuzzle him and falls asleep. That is what she does at home so I knew he would be a good addition to her school gear. This is a great way to give a store bought item a homemade feel.

Baby bunting

For Vivi's room I really wanted to make a colorful bunting to hang on the bookcase. I have seen lots of them online and thought I would give it a try. It was a very easy project.
First I made a template out of thin cardboard taking into consideration seam allowance. Then I traced the pattern onto my fabrics with pencil and cut them all out.
Next I sewed up the 2 long angled sides leaving the top open.
I clipped the points and turned the flags inside out and pressed them with the iron. I did a zigzag stitch along the tops just to keep them from fraying.

Once I decided what order they should be in I did the easiest possible thing and took a piece of wide green ribbon, folded it over the tops of the flags and zigzag stitched leaving about an inch between each flag. I made sure to leave long tails on each end for hanging. All done!
I used some tiny 3M hooks on the bookcase to hook the ribbons on each side. It turned out really cute and was super easy. I have thought about making another one that says "Happy Birthday" to hang up each year on her birthday. I have also considered doing rounded flags instead of pointed ones but I think that it would still be really easy. Give this one a try some time!

Projects

My friend Tiffani did "Picture of the Day" on her blog recently. I love that idea but I know I can't make it happen so...... instead I will post several projects I have managed over the past weeks and months. Most are of course baby related. Sorry if you were hoping for something else! So get ready for a post every couple days.

The Third Month

The third month was an action packed one full of really great changes as well as difficult ones.
Vivian got to meet her paternal Grandparents. Greg's parents came out for an extended weekend visit to hang out with their only grand-baby. It was really wonderful. They fell in love with her instantly and it was so cool to watch. They couldn't get enough of Vivi. Greg mentioned to me privately that he had never heard his dad making those kinds of baby noises before in his life and that is was so awesome. It is always amazing how you can know someone forever but then you throw a baby in the mix and you see a new side of someone. They were instant doting grandparents. It was really hard to say goodbye when their visit was over. I am definitely beginning to understand why all our friends leave NYC the minute they have a baby!
While they were here we went out to eat for the first time (the baptism dinner was a few weeks after this). I was really nervous about taking the baby to a restaurant since she was pretty unpredictable still. We chose to meet for breakfast since she is a happier baby in the mornings. She did great. She started to get fussy but Grandma got her to relax and she sat quietly while we all enjoyed our meal. Boy was I relieved. That was a great first!
Month 3 also brought more intentional movements. Vivian's arms finally quieted down as she learned to control them. She began reaching for things and pulling them towards her. In the beginning of the month she did most things with fists but as the month progressed she started to uncurl her fingers and use them. They spend a lot of time in her mouth now.
Vivian developed an affinity for one particular friend. A stuffed cheetah we named Charlie. They have become bed buddies. She loves to bury her face in his soft fur at nap time. She loves sleeping with him so much that I searched online for a second cheetah to send with her to nursery school.
Helping mommy do laundry.
We went one afternoon and visited Daddy at work. I had never seen his new office so it was fun for both of us!More visits with friends. Recognize that nap dress?
I wish I had a good picture of it but the smiling has become a very regular thing. She is a very smiley baby and the smiles have gone from grins to big open mouth smiles. She also learned to giggle. She doesn't laugh a lot but when she does it is really cute.
After some sleep training in the third month to get Vivi onto a napping schedule we saw big differences, all for the better. She stopped needing a pacifier during the day. No more long hours of bouncing a fussy baby. No more late night colic/fussy sessions. She is just so much happier when awake and going down for naps is pretty smooth. It really brought some structure to our lives which is great. It is amazing what regular sleep can do for all of us.
I really did the sleep training in preparation for nursery school which started this month. I went back to work and Vivi started going with Greg to work 3 times a week to attend the nursery school associated with his University. It was a bumpy transition. Vivi of course didn't seem to mind but I was certainly sad to not spend all day with her anymore. The books warned me that going back to work would be a little like when you first come home from the hospital and they were right. We had to adapt to a whole new routine. Emotions ran high. We were getting less sleep at night because Vivi wanted to eat all the time again instead of sleeping through the night which she had started doing prior to daycare. The books warned about that as well but I didn't mind. Things have gotten easier now that we are a few weeks in and have been smoothing out the new routine. Getting back into the groove of work was actually pretty easy. I have been very busy so that takes my mind off missing her during the day. Greg goes and sees her sometimes at lunch and then reports to me how she is doing which is great. Her teachers are really nice and genuinely seem to care. That was really the only hard thing this month. The photo is from the day that Vivi came to visit me at work. Right now Greg and I are both working from home one day a week which has definitely helped the transition. My first week back he brought Vivi down to NYU to see me and meet my staff and some of the faculty.

Then the day before her 3 month birth anniversary Vivi pulled this trick....

She had been trying to roll over for a couple weeks but always needed help from Mommy. This day she not only did it on her own, she mastered it instantly. We were amazed. At first she need to be holding the rattle to do it but by the end of the day she would roll without a prop.
The 3rd month was really a change in Vivi's strength. Not just in rolling over but also in holding her head up and holding it steady. Tummy time really changed. She could hold her head and chest up easily and for once didn't seem to mind doing it. Tummy time is no longer torture in her mind.

It has been a big month. I really can't believe my little peanut is so big and she handled the changes so well. We love seeing each little developmental change happen before our eyes.