A difficult anniversary

I wrote this post to share with you the details concerning my difficult pregnancies, but also to encourage those of you who have also experienced high-risk pregnancies due to a small cervix. The post is long, but I hope those of you who need it are encouraged by my experience.

Today is an anniversary of sorts. Not a wedding anniversary, but one that changed my life just the same.

A year ago today, I was 31 weeks pregnant with my son. Despite the fact that I was feeling larger by the minute, I had been having a really great pregnancy. I had all the normal pregnant-woman-type things happen to me throughout my pregnancy - strange cravings for hot dogs and Cheetos, exhaustion, soreness - but this one was certainly not going the way it had when I was pregnant with my daughter.

Me 5 months pregnant with Haley and dressed up as a baby for our office Halloween party in '08

For those of you who probably don't know (because I started this blog after I had my daughter), I found out several years ago when I was 11 weeks pregnant with my first that I had a smaller than usual cervix. In order not to bore you or talk to much about girly parts, the cervix basically keeps the bun inside the oven while he/she bakes, then the internal timer goes off at 40 weeks and ding, the baby is done. For someone like me who has a short cervix, the oven door has been broken and the bun could come out of the oven way before it's done baking. This is especially a problem when you're only 11 weeks pregnant.

When I was told this information, I was laying on the exam table getting my first look at my little wiggling fetus on the screen. I wasn't prepared to deal with a faulty cervix, it didn't run in the family as far as I knew. All I knew at the time was that I was having my first child and I was over the top excited about it. My body was supposed to know what to do, I couldn't be bothered by this nonsense about a short cervix. Where was the receipt for this thing anyway? I didn't sign up for a faulty cervix.

As the days went on, I went in for visits every 2 weeks to monitor my cervix to make sure the baby wouldn't be born too early. I loved each visit because it meant that I got to see my little developing baby wiggle and squirm on the ultrasound with each visit. Before we knew that Haley was a girl, we called her Babby, a nickname that stuck with her even for a little while after her birth.

Haley at 22 weeks

Things went well for awhile and little Babby continued to grow, but as we neared Christmas, my faulty cervix had had enough. At one of my routine visits right before a planned road trip to visit my in-laws for Christmas, it was discovered that my cervix had begun to dilate. At only 27 weeks pregnant, I was admitted to the hospital for some tests which proved that I was contracting. I was devastated. There were tears (and a cancelled road trip) and I was told go home on bed rest and to restrict my activity to showers and sandwich making until the baby reached a safe level of maturity to warrant more activity. 

At the time, I was upset to know that I couldn't go about life as usual. As a young, very active person, I hated knowing that I had to be chained to the bed for at least 7 weeks with people waiting on me for all of my needs. This may sound like vacation to you, but believe me when I tell you weeks and weeks of watching TV with no option for any other activity gets pretty old. Looking back, I should have kept my mouth shut and been more thankful for the breakthroughs we've had in medicine that help to prevent people like me from going into labor well before the baby is at a mature level of development.

For someone like me who has a shortened cervix, there is a very real possibility of losing the baby or for the baby to be born too early and have developmental issues. How lucky was I that I had a doctor who knew enough to tell me to shut up, take my medicine, and think about the health of my child?

So I did just that. Except for the one time my in-laws came to town and wheeled me around the outdoor shopping mall in a wheelchair.

Escapee!

Thankfully, my body cooperated a little longer and Haley was born at 35 weeks, perfect in every way. She was tiny at 6 pounds, 2 ounces, but she had no issues whatsoever and was able to leave the hospital after a routine length of time in the hospital.

When I became pregnant with my son, I was prepared for the same song and dance. Every doctor's appointment was nerve wracking as I waited for the nurse to look at the screen and tell me "Your cervix is dilating again, to the hospital with you!" but those words didn't come. My appointments were still more frequent than most because of my previous complications, but by my 25 week check up when I was again told that nothing was wrong, I relaxed with the thought that I was in the clear.

At 30 weeks pregnant, my friends threw me a "baby sprinkle" (a baby shower for someone who has already had a baby before and has most items she needs). I had a great time, and felt completely blessed by all my friends who came. While I was there, I kept feeling what I thought was just the baby repositioning himself. Nothing painful, it just felt like he was poking his head hard into my abdomen.

Me at 30 weeks (photo courtesy of Christan Yarger)

I returned to my appointment several days later for a routine check up and while laying on the exam table getting the ultrasound, I saw a familiar image on the screen. The look on the nurse's face confirmed it. A dilated cervix. After confirming the diagnosis, the nurse left me in a room to wait for my doctor. "How could this happen again?" I wondered, "Everything has been fine." I was again wheeled over to the hospital and plugged up to multiple machines to check my vitals. It was confirmed that I was contracting again. The roller coaster ride began again.

The next 2 days are probably 2 of the worst days of my life. I was put on a high dosage of magnesium right away. If you've never been on magnesium before, it's horrible stuff. It's usually meant to treat seizures and kidney problems, but it's commonly used to stop contractions as well. What it does is relax your muscles, which of course stop the muscles causing the contractions in my case, but it not only relaxes those muscles, it relaxes ALL of your muscles. I had a hard time keeping my eyes open and when I was able to keep them open, I had double vision because my eye muscles were too relaxed. To simply roll over in bed, I had to muster all the strength I had to grasp the handle on the opposite side of the bed and heave myself to the other side. It also makes you nauseous. The only way I can describe being on magnesium is to tell you that it makes you feel like you're drunk, on muscle relaxers, and have the flu at the same time.

Thankfully, the doctors were able to get my contractions to stop and I was eventually able to be taken off the magnesium and have a meal. My friends who threw me the shower came to visit me and brought lots of fun goodies with them to cheer me up (which was my inspiration for The Hospital Survival Kit). One of my favorite things that they brought was a pair of cat socks that weren't very functional, but had great entertainment value.

Cat socks (sorry for the bad quality, it was taken with my phone at the hospital)

I spent the next 4 1/2 weeks on hospital bed rest. I went through a grieving time at first because I couldn't understand how this could happen to me yet again after things were going so well. My doctors had to talk me down quite a few times after begging them to let me go home. As I cried a lot at first, but I eventually understood and agreed with my stay there. I took medications to control my contractions and was constantly monitored. My days were very predictable, but I was also very lucky to have a boss that allowed me to work from the hospital, so that helped me break up the monotony some. I learned to deal with, and eventually tolerate (I can't say like because I would have much rather been at home with my husband and daughter) my stay at the hospital.

I was sent home at 35 weeks, still pregnant and with a good outlook. My son was at a good weight, and he was at a place where his development was not in question. He was born 2 weeks and 2 days after, at 7 pounds even.

Haley meeting her brother for the first time

While it's been hard, I am a better person for all that I went through because I appreciate the blessing that is life that much more. While on hospital bed rest during my last pregnancy,  I heard stories from the nurses of the other girls on my floor who went into labor very early in their pregnancies and gave birth to very small babies with problems, some who did not survive. I am one of the lucky ones who managed to stay pregnant and give birth to 2 healthy babies thanks to God first and foremost, but also thanks to all of the efforts of the doctors and nurses from both pregnancies who took the time to counsel and care for me and my unborn children.


Those who know my history with pregnancies always ask, "Do you think you'll have another?" The answer right now is yes, we have always planned on having a third. We've discussed that topic at length, and our family doesn't feel complete without a third little somebody. All of this of course depends on our financial situation, but we would like to have a third eventually. I know when the time comes, I'll probably have to have a cerclage (where the doctors will sew my cervix closed to keep the baby in until birth), and this is something that I'm nervous about, but I'm more concerned with the health of my future baby.

If you have (or have had) a high-risk pregnancy, I would love to talk to you and encourage you as well as answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability.

Babushka Doll Shirt {a Silhouette Project}

I just love the ladies over at Prudent Baby. They're so sweet every time I talk to them, not to mention all of the great projects they have for mama's and kiddos. They had a contest awhile ago to see who could come up with the cleverest phrase to go along with a Silhouette Babushka Doll cutouts they were giving away. My entry was "Sometimes it's ok to be full of yourself." I thought it was pretty clever. I didn't make first place, but they were sweet enough to humor me and send me a cutout of the doll anyway. Awesome!

I have several babushka dolls that I've collected through the years, and they now sit in Haley's bedroom up on a high shelf along with all the other things she's not allowed to touch. She always asks for them, so I knew she'd love it if I made her a shirt using the babushka doll cutout.

Supplies:

• Shirt
• Babushka Doll design in Silhouette Studio
• Iron on transfer material
• Sewable interfacing
• Scrap fabric the same size as your doll cutout
• Scrap felt for the flower
• One small button
• Basic sewing supplies

Step 1: Cut out your 2 doll pieces.

You will need 2 babushka doll cutouts: 1 of the full design on transfer, and the second just a silhouette of your doll in fabric.

First, use your Silhouette to cut your babushka doll design. Weed the excess transfer material, saving the outline of your doll (seen below).

Next, follow the instructions on the sewable interfacing to iron interfacing to the back of your scrap fabric. Using the outline you saved from your babushka doll template, trace your outline on your fabric using a disappearing ink marker.  Cut out.

Iron your babushka doll fabric onto your shirt and sew around the perimeter of the doll.

Step 2: Apply your iron on transfer material.

Now that your design has been weeded, place the design on top of your fabric. Follow Silhouette's instructions to iron the transfer material to your shirt.

I use a little Fabric Fusion to stick down any unruly edges that don't want to be ironed down well.

Step 3: Make your flower embellishment.

Cut two circles out of your felt: one that is 1 inch in diameter, and one that is about 3/4 inches in diameter.

Place your biggest circle on the bottom, then stack the smaller circle on top followed by the button. Hand sew your flower to your shirt.

Not too bad, right? (Besides the fact that you can see the blue disappearing ink marker I used to trace the doll :)

Haley was just happy that I let her play with the dolls during the photo shoot.

Check out my sidebar to see where I link up each week!

Tag team

Sometimes, I think my kids get together and coordinate efforts to keep my husband and I up all night. The minute you get one calmed down, the other one starts up. Their timing is just too perfect for it to be coincidence.

Last weekend when I participated in my first craft fair, my husband watched the kids all of Friday night and Saturday until 5:30. When I got home, both of us were utterly exhausted and looking forward to bedtime. The kids went down without a fight and instead of going to bed early I was glued to the TV watching Prison Diaries on TLC, which is one of those shows that I probably wouldn't have watched normally, but for some reason was extremely entertaining at 9:30pm.

10:00 rolled around and I went through my normal bedtime routine and finally fell into bed around 10:20. Right as I was drifting into a warm, peaceful sleep, my daughter woke up crying. To help us both get a good night's sleep, it's usually my husband's responsibility to handle my daughter if she wakes up and I handle my son. That night I took pity on my husband since I had to leave him with the kids for half the weekend, so I got up to console my daughter who, in a half-asleep daze, claimed she had to go to the bathroom.

I suppressed the urge to remind her that it was 10:30 at night and she was wearing a diaper.

After dragging her little half awake body to the toilet and back, I settled back into bed. As I started to drift off again, my sweet husband rolled over and informed me that he had an annoying song running through his head. As he rolled over and went back to sleep immediately, Annoying Song proceeded to play over and over again in my head for the next 20 minutes. Annoying Song eventually tapered off and I finally managed to lull myself back to sleep. And it was at that moment that my son tagged in.

After lots of rocking and singing, I managed to get my son down again and get about 7 hours of sleep myself. This may sound like a lot but for me, this is just enough to function but not enough to be quick on my feet. This meant that everyday tasks the following day took about twice as long as they usually do because of lack of brain function. Brushing my teeth became a 10 minute event and grocery shopping lasted 2 1/2 hours. In my defense, there were a lot of new holiday snacks in the snack aisle that needed close inspection.

Is it bad that I'm kind of looking forward to when they're both teenagers and sleep til noon?

Superhero Cape

I remember watching old reruns of the original Batman episodes on TV when I was little and wondering why anyone would want to prance around in their underwear and tights and punch people in the face. Eventually I came to realize that all little boys at one point or another love to play superhero just as much as I loved playing with my Barbies and X-Men (Wolverine and Barbie were on and off for quite a few years.)

Even though my little guy is only interested in gnawing on things at the moment, I'm sure once he gets old enough to find hobbies other than eating he'll want to put on a cape and fight bad guys too. Every little boy wants to be the hero who saves the day, so when my friend made me the Bee Inspired drawing for my craft room, I knew exactly what I wanted to make for her 2 little boys in return.

A superhero cape! If your little guy has a favorite superhero, you could make one with his symbol on it. Or, if you want to make it really special, you could personalize it for your child.

Supplies for a small cape:

•  Download my free pattern HERE
• 1 yard knit fabric (you may need more depending on how big your child is)
• 2 sheets of felt for the collar, and more for the patches on the cape
• 3 inches of Velcro
• Craft glue
• Sewing machine and basic sewing supplies

Step 1: Cut out your pattern pieces.

First, download my pattern HERE. Cut out and tape page 1 to page 2 where indicated. With your knit fabric folded, place your main pattern on top of your fabric with the edge on the fold where indicated. Trace around and cut out. Repeat for a total of 2 pieces, one for the front and one for the back.

You could also use a men's knit shirt to make your cape like I did, in which case you'll fold your shirt in half longways and place your pieced template on the fold like this:

When you trace and cut, you should have 2 pieces.

To cut out your collar, fold your sheet of felt in half and place your collar template on the fold. Cut out 2 of your collar pieces.

Decide what kind of design you want on your cape. This one was made for a friend's son named Sadron the 5th, who goes by the nickname "Five," so I decided to make the patch on his cape play off of his nickname. Make your design in Microsoft Word then cut out your letters and design and use these to trace your design onto your felt. I cut an S and a 5 from felt, as well as a sunburst that I found in Microsoft Clipart.

Glue the pieces of your patch together using the craft glue and let dry.


Step 2: Sew on your patch.

Position your patch on the right side of your cape (the part that everyone will see) and pin.

Sew around the perimeter of your patch and design to secure.

Step 3: Join your front and back pieces.

With the right sides together, pin the sides of your cape and sew around the perimeter, but leave the neck open. Turn your cape inside out through the opening in the neck.

Step 4: Attach the collar.


Sandwich the raw edge of your neckline in between your 2 collar pieces and pin.

Sew around the entire perimeter of your collar to finish.

Step 5: Add Velcro.

On the top of the left side of your collar, sew several inches of the hook portion of your Velcro. On the underside of the right side of your collar sew the loop portion of your Velcro.

And now you have your very own personalized superhero cape - or one with his favorite superhero on it.

And if you're wondering why the cape below is gray instead of red, it's because I made it and then realized afterward that I made it way too small for a 6 year old so I had to cut out my patch and start over. Sigh.

Again, why can't my projects just turn out perfectly the first time?

My friend's 3-year-old son was originally supposed to model the cape for me but he decided not to at the last minute, so Connor graciously stepped in - even though the cape is way too big on him.

 "Watch out bad guys!"

 "I'm off to save the day!!

Until the Evil Captain Mommy scooped him up for kisses.

The world is a safer place with my little superhero on duty.

The craft fair

Well, I can finally say that I've participated in a craft fair! This past Friday and Saturday, a couple other girls and I shared a booth at one of the local craft fairs in Memphis. For the past month, I've been cranking out bibs like crazy and managed to make around 30 of them for the festival. The other girls brought a variety of painted canvases, bows, and other goodies for kids and babies.

I think we had a cute little booth :)

One of the girls had an old window that she used as both a decoration and a sign to list pricing of all the items.

I hung my bibs at the front of the tent so people would see them as they walked in, and they'd hit them in the face when they left ;) I used Picnik to make a sign to advertise the bibs, which I modeled after this sign I found on Google. I wanted the sign to have a "country" feel to it - I really like how it turned out!

The festival was fun but really exhausting! I have a lot of respect for all of you who do festivals every year! I may do another one in the future, but for now, I think I'm going to focus of making things for my Etsy shop that I want to start very soon.

So what do you think, would you want to buy a bib if I started to sell them on Etsy?

Mandy over at Sugar Bee Crafts has some awesome tips on how to prepare and decorate for a craft fair - her booth is so cute! Check it out HERE

My end-of-season steals

Nothing else gets me like having to pay $30 for teeny baby jeans that they'll grow out of in a month. I mean, babies are like 1/6 the size of a normal person, so lets take that price and divide it by 6. I'd happily pay $5 for baby jeans. Sadly, I don't think retailers will ever agree with me. And that's why I love end-of-season sales so much.

If you've been reading for awhile, you know that I hate paying full-price for stuff, especially clothing, which is probably why I love making clothes for my kids so much. When I go shopping, I usually walk in and make a bee line for the clearance rack. When it comes to clothes for myself, I have an awesome sister-in-law who dresses me, so she's just helping to enable my cheapness even more. And I love her for that. And don't even get me started on my husband. The man would be happy to own a pair of cargo shorts and 2 baseball tees, one in black and one in gray.

So back to baby clothes. At the end of each summer and winter, the hubs and I make a trip to some stores and stock up ahead of time for the coming seasons, which helps us get a lot of cute clothes for the kids at prices we would never be able to get in season. We happened to be in Babies R Us recently to find a new car seat for Connor, and they had an amazing clearance event that I couldn't pass up. Everything was discounted already with an additional discount on top of it PLUS a buy one get one free deal.

It was on.

Here are some of the cute things we scored for next year:

A bunch of cute matching graphic tees and comfy shorts,

(I just love the blue striped shirt for some reason, the color is so pretty! ...I mean manly.)

And of course, I had to get a pair of swim trunks for Connor for next summer. He's going to look like such a big kid :(

For Haley, I found this adorable ruffle skirt,

Jean shorts for $3!

And assorted other pants and shirts. But my favorite had to be these:

Adorable rainbow sneakers! Love love love. They match everything, so that's a major plus :)

Is anyone else an end-of-season shopaholic like me?

Guess who's mobile?

Yup, this little guy here is finally crawling.

It took him about 9 1/2 months, but Connor is officially crawling EVERYwhere. He's been rocking back and forth for awhile now, but he finally got enough coordination to go for it. And I couldn't be happier. Most of the time, he sits and plays well but then gets bored and cries for us to carry him somewhere new. Now, he just goes places himself.

He's still a little tipsy, but that makes him even more adorable. Watching him crawl in these early stages is hilarious. He looks like a little bulldog when he's crawling at you with a concentrated look and short, quick steps.

Life is just more interesting when you can go places yourself.

And now that means Connor finds wires to chew on. And random pieces of stuff on the floor end up in his mouth. And books get torn up. I'm going to have to hide everything. Again.

But I can't be mad at this face, can I?