MIA

So, you may be wondering where we have gone. Well, I've never been the avid blogger, but we've been missing for awhile. Our desktop computer crashed just over a month ago. I got a laptop a few weeks later, but we are still in the process of figuring out how to save pictures, etc. and are recovering files off of the desktop computer. It is a tedious undertaking that I will not be doing, but Clay and his friend, Nathan will be doing. Hopefully soon I will upload pictures and be able to update you all on how we are doing!

Jemma Happenings

We are learning about how to adjust to life with an independent toddler around here. Jemma's on the move constantly and asserting herself much more. We are constantly praying for wisdom with discipline and have along list of books to read. She tests boundaries every day! The only form of discipline that has worked thus far is spanking. She typically stops what she's doing and respects our authority when we spank, so this is the best method for her. It's sometimes hard to know when she's being disobedient or acting her age, but this is when God's wisdom comes in handy!

Latest pics of the little lady:

Dressed up in a tutu for Aunt Courtney's birthday! It's really difficult to chase a toddler around with a camera and get good pictures.

She likes to crawl in the dog cage with Roscoe & he doesn't mind the attention at all!


She opens and shuts the door all by herself!

Bathtime is one of her favorite activities.

Our little rock star!

Jem's first fat lip. Poor baby fell out of her PB toddler chair. Luckily, it didn't stay puffed up long and was gone by the next day.

Licking the ice pack.

She LOVES green smoothies! She downed this one that had spinach, beets, parsnips, blueberries, and carrots in it! It actually tasted pretty good.

Bath Toy Explosion

Jemma's bathroom was starting to look like a bomb full of bath toys had exploded in there. I'm sure you can relate. Our frog toy holder just didn't cut it. I found the tutorial for making a bath toy storage bag on www.makeit-loveit.com . There are so many great tutorials on this site to be inspired by. I didn't use the exact tutorial to make this, but was inspired by it. I used a mesh material, so that the toys will air out. I only serged the inside seams and used the edging of the mesh as the top of the bag, so that it doesn't fray. Instead of attaching it to suction cups, which you could also do, I just made the ribbon loops big enough to slip over the frog's toes. I'm wishing I could move the frog up on the wall now that there is a bag hanging really low below it, but it's securely fastened to the wall and isn't going anywhere!

Ribbon trim I attached to make it more attractive.

My Little Reader

Jemma LOVES to "read" books. She has even started to climb in her rocker and read to herself. I love the bookcase in her room, but it was a bit wobbly and unsteady. It has found a new place in our home. I've already started planning the decor for Jemma's toddler room too, so replacing her bookcase is the kick-start to transforming her room. It may seem early, but I like to simmer on ideas for a long time before taking action. I'd like to brighten up her room with teals, reds, pinks, and yellows to better fit her energetic personality. Maybe a light teal color on the wall, mommy-made toddler bedding and pillows, and some other fun/inexpensive decor stuff. I love her "baby" room, but she's so vivacious! I want to decorate her room to reflect her personality more. Well, Granmommy gifted Jemma with a beautiful, new bookcase for Valentine's Day!

Jemma's former bookcase, behind the rocker.

The new bookcase. Jemma's standing in the drawer that fits below the shelves.

Doesn't it match her room so well!

Of course, Jemma sat inside the drawer to read her book. Silly girl.

Jemma has been working on mastering the spork when eating for awhile now. I've been feeding her yogurt myself, but thought I'd let her give it a go the other day. She's always been quite a messy eater, which is partly my doing because I've always let her feed herself as much as possible. She's fiercely independent, for the most part, so she's enjoyed this. She liked eating the yogurt herself, but most of it ended up down her bib and all over her mouth. I intervened before it got much messier. Here's evidence of Jemma's attempt at independently eating yogurt, or "ogur" as she calls it:

Yummy!

Sewing Baby Stuff

I've been working on a few big projects lately I thought I'd share.

My mother-in-law, Jody, wanted a baby blanket for childhood/adulthood best friend's daughter's baby. She picked out this colorful Noah's Ark panel and I topstitched the piece, added a soft pink minky on the back, and a silk binding around the edge. The baby is going to love all the animals!

To create the stitching pattern I started with the arch of the rainbow and then created other arches. It was a lot of work, but was totally worth it!

This is a baby gift for a friend of mine. I will start selling baby gift collections on Etsy like this one.

This is a carseat cover for a friend of mine. I just can't get enough of Michael Miller's modern guitar's collection!

Isn't Kellen delightful! He's always smiling so big.

16 Months and Some

Jemma is growing into her own little person more and more each day. I've nicknamed her my "Cinnamon Spice" because she is just that. She is feisty, energetic, independent, thoughtful, and has a great will. These will all be great attributes one day when she's grown, I just need to stay one step ahead right now! I've pictured some highlights of Jemma at this age below:

She is very attached to her Daddy in the mornings and cries when he leaves to go to work. It's sad and quite cute at the same time.

I caught her "sharing" her milk with baby Jesus. Probably one of my favorite things she's done. She carries him around like a little baby on her chest.

She LOVES to fly through the air. She likes to be an airplane (pictured above), swung around in a circle, hung & swung upside down, thrown high in the air, and jumped up and down by her arms (I call this moon walking b/c I jump her around weightlessly like she's on the moon).

That would be a dog bowl. I caught Jemma putting her snacks in the dog bowl and eating from the dog bowl. Hilarious & gross!

After lunch and before nap she's pretty tired and often goes to read books in her room. She likes to climb in her rocking chair and look at the books. Her room constantly has books all over the place.

The girl may not have much hair now, but it sure is wild already. This is her hair after waking from her nap. It's definitely curly!