Swinging

My parents bought the girls a new swing set and we spent yesterday putting it all together. It was delivered on Monday, but we waited until yesterday to start putting it together, which was pure agony for Avery. It took us about 6 hours from start to finish. The girls both love it!! I know we will be spending many hours enjoying it. Thanks Dad and Mom!

Should I just hook her up to an I.V. full of cream???

I took Riley in for her 1 year appointment today. I have been a bit concerned about her weight for a few months now. She is not a picky eater and eats well, but she chokes and coughs during meals and 3 out of 4 times she throws up her entire meal. In March, she was in the 70th percentile for weight. In June, she was in the 45th, and today she fell down into the 14th. She has gained 1 pound in 3 months. I feel like I am constantly thinking about her intake of calories and offer her a ton of food. This is SO unlike Avery who has always been in the 95th percentile. (Riley weighs what Avery did at 6 1/2 months!) This has been so mentally exhausting for me. I do feel that because she is so happy all the time, sleeps through the night, and nurses well nothing too serious can be wrong. Her pediatrician is not all that concerned, but wants another weight check in a month. There is a possibility of reflux, which can be helped with medication so I need to do some reading and watch her for the next week or so. We will keep you updated. Here are some pics of the "starved" peanut. :)

This is a pic I took right after I cleaned up her throw up. Pizza does not smell nice coming back up. I already have a hard time with the smell of pizza since it was a food that grossed me out when I was pregnant. Obviously, it does not bother her that much!

I can't stand it!

I thought of this pic by my friend Mel when I was making this playdough today. Doesn't it look beautiful? It was so hard for me to give it over to Avery though. I am a bit obsessive compulsive and the thought of this beautiful playdough becoming one big clump of yuck unnerved me a little. No, I am not nearly as bad as Kate (from John and Kate plus 8) and I have actually gotten better now that I have kids. I still love the smell of fresh laundry, the dishwasher running, vaccuum lines on the carpet, and a clean playroom every night, but I have learned how to let things go and relax. It is still hard for me to sit still, but I have come to truly enjoy the chaos my lively and beautiful children bring to my life.

Obsessed

For the last few days I have been sucked into a world of letters. I love to read, but sadly have the time to get fully engrossed in the world of reading. I recently finished The Shack, which I enjoyed, and was ready for something a little more lighthearted. My mom passed this one on to me after she read it and from the moment I opened it, I was hooked! This book of fiction, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, is a collection of letters written by/to Juliet Ashton, an author writing a book on the German occupation. Any book having to do with WW2 immediately has my attention. The format is wonderfully different and I fell in love with the characters. If you are looking for a fun and lighthearted read, pick it up! I am sad that I have to leave this world behind. I guess it is time to dive into another...maybe The Friday Night Knitting Club??

Talking Crazy

Avery Lynn says the funniest things. I thought that I better jot a few down before I forget and then later wish I had.
- Avery talks in her sleep a lot and sometimes she will sleepwalk. The other night she appeared next to the bed at about 4am. I asked what she was doing and she just stood there for a minute and finally said, "I just need to give you a hug and then I will go back to bed." So, she hugged me and off she went.
- A couple weeks ago she sat up in bed and said, "I want some pizza." She then laid back down and went back to sleep.
- Her new phrase is, "Ahhh, turtle!" This is in replacement of shoot, bummer, Ahh, nuts, or insert your favorite word. Who knows where she got this phrase from.
- Every day she stands up tall and touches something...the counter, a point on the wall, the top of a drawer and states, "Mom, look how tall I am today!"

That is all I can think of at this early hour so I will add more as they come. I need more coffee.

Update: twirl skirt complete

Let me start by saying I am super proud of this skirt. I have never made clothing before so to complete this skirt I had to learn a few new skills. I absolutely LOVE the way it came out and Avery wanted to put it on immediately. I used fabric I already had and I love the way they all work together. It was a bit labor intensive because of what I had to learn and because I had to use my seam ripper a number of times, but that is the learning process. I am sure it won't take me as long next time. I cheated a bit in that I did not surge the edges...too much time because I do not have a serger. I actually sewed this using my old machine because the other one needs service. Because of that I also had to put in gathering stitches by hand because the old machine does not make a long enough stitch and the thread kept breaking. All in all, a super cute skirt for a super cute girl. I am now debating on making another one for her halloween costume. She decided she wants to be Strawberry Shortcake. I figure I can make the skirt with reds, pinks, and a green gingham, find some green and white striped leggings for underneath, and a white apron over a red shirt. I am also going to make a mob cap with strawberry shortcake fabric. Let's hope I can get it all done. Thanks Jona for an awesome pattern that made me so happy to sew!!

Friday Favorites

Is it really Friday? Days seem to creep by when it is so hot that you cannot do anything but sit still. I am so ready for cooler weather.

1. Edith twirl skirt pattern by Jona Giammalva. This is the cutest skirt ever and I am so excited to make it for Avery. I have already started so I will post a pic when I am finished. The pattern is $10 and is a pdf pattern so she emails it right to you. Love it! I found Jona's blog and fabric store, fabritopia.com, through my dear friend Kelci.

2. Amy Butler's new bag pattern - the Birdie Sling. My aunt Shawn sent me the pattern and I received it today. I cannot wait to make one for myself. The hardest part is picking out what fabric to use.

3. Avery's new haircut. Pic in the previous post.

4. The Eden baby wrap. I have struggled to find a sling/baby carrier since Avery was born. Nothing seems to work perfectly. I loved the baby bjorn when the girls were little, but that can only hold them for so long. I then went to a larger wrap sling, but I found that Riley kept slipping in it and I did not feel she was very secure. It also took a lot of effort to get it on. I have tried a peanut shell sling and a hotsling, but they hurt my shoulder and back after about 10 minutes. Then I saw this awesome Ergobaby carrier ( if you can afford it, get it) and really wanted it, but it is 90$. I have been searching for a carrier that I can use to have her on my back. I just cannot justify spending that much on anything unless it is so fabulous and awesome...like my dansko shoes. Anyways - I just took a bunch of Riley's outgrown clothing to a consignment store and chose to get store credit for my payment. All of their carriers were 50% off and I saw one for $25 (12.50 after discount) and it can be used to carry her on my back. I thought...why not? Well, it is awesome. It is an Eden Mei Tai carrier. I since found out it retails for $88 bucks so I got an awesome deal. It is pretty easy to get on and super comfortable. I hiked at Point Lobos with her in it and she loved it. I can carry her anywhere now and I would recommend it to anyone. Here is a pic of the one I bought...purple velveteen.

A new cut for Avery Lynn

We both LOVE her new haircut! She was pretty excited about it too. Doesn't she look adorable??

3 Cheers for Dr. Inserra!

Jaron went to the doctor for another check of the ear and the news was... his ear has healed. After 12 years with a holey eardrum and 2 failed surgeries, He finally has a normal intact eardrum. A more detailed post to follow from Jaron. Three cheers for the amazing Dr. Inserra!

And I had to include this lovely pic of Jaron taken by Avery Lynn.

Happy Birthday, Mom

I was hoping to upload an old pic of my mom and I, but the scanner has decided to be mean. So, unfortunately this happy birthday message will have to do... Love you, Mom!! Happy 51st birthday!

Monterey

Yesterday to celebrate my Mom's birthday, we drove down to Point Lobos and enjoyed beautiful weather and beautiful view. I absolutely LOVE beach weather, especially when it is in the mid 80s-90s at home. We hiked around for a while then went over to an English Pub called the Crown and Anchor. The food was delicious! Our next destination was Pebble Beach and a restaurant called Roys. There is a beautiful outdoor dining area with fire pits and a beautiful view of the golf course and ocean. Every evening there is a bagpiper that comes and plays so we were greatly looking forward to it. Unfortunately, we missed it because on their website it says he plays at sunset, but I guess in the summer he plays much earlier, at the end of the golf day. Bummer! We did, however, still enjoy yummy hot drinks and cookies and of course, a gorgeous sunset. A perfect end to a perfect day.

Goodbye, dear friend!

On Thursday evening, we headed over to Watsonville for a going away party for our dear friends, the Hirotas. We met Matt and Rachel our first year working at Monte Vista (2002) and have been great friends ever since. They just bought a new house in Merced and are embarking on a new stage in life. We will miss our friends, but thankfully they are only a few hours away!! Love you guys!

Headband Happy

Today an idea suddenly popped in my head on how to make this fun headband. I was watching Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood (don't laugh...it can be very addicting on a boring Saturday afternoon :) and their new little baby, Stella, was wearing this huge flower headband. I thought it was pretty cute, but forgot about it until the other day when I picked up some beautiful flowers originally intended for making cards or scrapbooking. I saw the flowers, remembered the show, and thought "I can make that." So I grabbed some old black tights that I have not worn in years and got to work. Ten minutes later, literally, I was done and Riley had a cute flower headband on that bald little head of hers. And might I say, she looked much cuter than Stella.

Childrens Discovery Museum

We received a wonderful and generous gift from My Aunt Shawn this week: a family membership to the Childrens Discovery Museum. All four of us went today for the first time and had a fabulous time! Avery was super excited for the Alice in Wonderland exhibit and could not stop talking about it. There were SO many fun things for us to do and it was really a great place for both of the girls. We stayed for a couple of hours and still did not see everything so we are excited to go back. I know this will be such a great place for the girls and I, especially on those rainy days! Thanks Shawn! We love you!!

Avery and I about to go through the rabbit hole

Bubble Making

Water Fun

This was a playroom for infants and Riley loved trying to crawl away from me. She is obsessed with climbing on anything and everything!
Pizza Making

Silliness

This is what happened when we tried to take the paper off of the icecream cone. I guess we should have just let her eat it.

A nice day for a swim

The other day we headed over to Mission Springs to see my lovely friend Robyn and her two beautiful girls, Ocean and Selah. Avery loves Ocean and they played very well together and had a spectacular time in the pool. Thanks guys for a fun day!

Gilroy Gardens

On Friday, my mom treated us to a day at Gilroy Gardens. Too bad it was blistering hot and we were super uncomfortable. We went on a few rides and then I made the mistake of going on the Garlic Twirl with Avery. I have not really had trouble in the past with twirly rides, but I guess a full stomach of Mexican food did not help the situation. If the ride had continued for just 30 more seconds, I beleive my lunch would have been splashed up on the sides of our garlic prison.
Before we left, we also enjoyed yummy soft serve cones. Riley loved it, but was not satisffied with simply taking little bites off my spoon. She grabbed the whole ice cream and squished it in her hands, followed by a temper tantrum when I took it away and tried to salvage the remains. She would not stop screaming so I gave in and handed her Avery's empty cone. She shoved it in her mouth and we enjoyed the rest of our icecream in peace. :) Needless to stay she is very stubborn and strong willed. We were very glad that when we bought our tickets, we received a pass for the rest of the year for free. Now we can go back anytime through November 23rd. Yahoo!

She's all clean now!

Random

Say what? Should you really drink coffee that has been laying around for 1001 years?

Favorites

1. My new sewing machine. My aunt Karen was cleaning out her closets and what did she find? An older sewing machine that she does not use and she thought of me! Fabulous! I have been wanting a new machine for quite a while since my old one is just that...OLD. It only does a straight stitch and nothing else. It has served me well, but it is definitely time for an upgrade and I am so appreciative of this great gift. I have not had an opportunity to try it out yet. A sick child does not make for good sewing conditions, but I have a bib all cut out and ready to go as soon as she can unattach herself from my hip.

Old on top; New below (In case you could not tell)

2. Sunflowers. Are they not just the happiest flower? I bought these from Trader Joes's, another of my favorite places, and they have lasted for over a week. I love seeing them on the table and they really brighten my day.

On another note, I read my friend Diane's blog the other day and she posted on how she always forgets her canvas bags when she goes to TJ's. Isn't that always the case?? I have such great intentions, but 90% of the time forget to grab them before we head off to the store. I hate that! Thankfully, when I went last Saturday I remembered (It is easier when you do not have to tote around 2 kids) and I got 3 raffle tickets for their monthly drawing. Maybe I will win :)

3. Good news about Jaron's ear. He went to see Dr. Inserra on Thursday and she took out more of the packing and was able to see part of the eardrum. What she could see looked good (she could not see the whole thing) and everything seems to be healing well so far. I was almost in tears after the news because this has been such a long and painful process. Jaron said he felt 100 times better after he left. I can't imagine it would feel good to have gel packing swishing around in the ear canal. He goes back in 2 weeks for another check. Jaron goes back to work on Monday and with the start of fall sports will be VERY busy so pray for a smooth transition and continued healing.