Kenly and Rusty

Not too long ago I got an email from a proud mama who was getting ready to move her baby into her "big girl" bed.  She wanted to mark the memorable occassion with something special, like a picture of the big girl and her favorite pup, Rusty.  How could I deny this request?

"FYI - I am completely in love with your paintings and the ones in your last blog were awesome! Kenly is graduating to a big girl bed soon, so we will be redecorating her room. I would love to have a painting of her and our dog rusty."

This is a picture of Kenly.  Doesn't she just look ornery?  I just know she will be an instigator like I used to be....and I like it!  I love her whispy bangs and pig tails.  Not to mention her beautiful eyes!  

This is Rusty (and Eric).  He was the baby before the baby, and a much loved baby at that.  

A handsome dog indeed.  

As I was cruising the pictures of the both of them online, I found a few that show how they love each other.  I love her staring him down.  

And, of course, Kenly showing Rusty just who is boss.  While her expression cracks me up to begin with, I love how Rusty is completely unconcerned.  Apparently Rusty is used to being wollered on, and I like that in a dog.  

This is what I came up with for her big girl room.

I loved her grin in her pictures, so I tried to give her the same wavy smile in her picture.  

I dig the way it turned out.  I got the approval of Kenly's mom too.  I think she said "holy cow I love it!" if I remember right.  I tell ya folks, there is nothing better than a happy customer and a happy little girl!

PlayMat

Ya'll know I've been sewing up a storm for baby Ford.  I just can't seem to get enough of my machine lately.  I had finished most of his bedding and wanted to make him a play quilt.  Something big, for him to woller and drool and throw-up on.  Big enough to toss over his carrier, that had a little structure to it so It wouldn't lay right on his face.  I had lots of fabrics for Cliff.  Lots! 

I decided to try something a little different than my usual. I thought I'd throw together a strip quilt instead of squares.  I was going to make it random sizes...but soon realized that was going to be harder and I was too lazy.  I knew my backing fabric was 44 inches, so I figured why not do 11, 4" strips.  Perfect.  

I got to cutting, then piecing.  I, again, realized there had to be a better way than measuring each strip and row repeatedly.  Turns out, it is easier to just make a 44" square on the floor with duct tape.  Boom!  Square quilt :)  

This is the layout.

And from a slightly different angle.  

I did the usual process.  Sew into strips, sew strips together, iron, pin to backing, quilt.  I quilted just on either side of my long seams.
Sheer laziness agin folks, I had no interest in making it complicated.
 I didn't have a store bought binding that I loved, so I made my own out of the really graphic grey pattern in the quilt.  I like pattern on pattern.  It's one of my "things."  I get it from my mama.  

  

Here you can see the quilting....and a bit of the binding too.   

Here is the playmat.  Which I will from henceforth refer to as Mat.  

And Mat all laid out on the floor.  

That's how ya do it folks.  Make a big ol' Mat for your baby to slime up and love.  It's worth the time and effort, cause it will be darn cute!

Presents from Dad

Last week Zac came home with a Best Buy bag stuffed full.  This is not an unusual occurrence.  Well, not full bags, but with a Best Buy bag is fairly normal.  

I was expecting another blu-ray that I would lecture him to no avail for buying.  That was not the case.

When I asked what was in the bag, he said he got a present for Cliff.  

When I asked what it was, he told me it was a moose, that turned into a pillow.  

  

He said he also got him a shark.  

I almost cried.  Cliff's first presents from his Daddy, two stuffed animals for him to love and squeeze and drool on.  Plus, it's really amusing to me that Zac bought him Pillow Pets.  

He said he had never heard of them.  He just like them.  

They already live in Cliffy's room....and make the inevitable day-by-day countdown in my head seem like it's spiraling out of control toward August 30th.  I mean, really, this of all things is what throws me into a near emotional melt down?  Turns out, yes.     

I tell ya, just when I think I know that man like the back of my hand, and think he is predictable, he shows up with a blue plastic bag full of understated love for our baby.  

He melts my slightly cynical heart, and I am shocked by the little changes in the way I love him.  

Maybe it's the hormones.
Hopefully it's the hormones.
I expect that I am slowly making the decent into full-on blubbering mess with the smallest of sentiments from here on out.    

Get the Kleenexes ready, folks.   

7 months

Guess who is 7 months into this business?

28 weeks. 29 on Monday.  BOOM!

Cliff is getting big!  And oddly pointy.  

Thank you tight tanktop for putting everything on display.  And thank you oversized chest for making my oversized belly seem far more minimal than it is, up to this point. 

St. Louis, Part 2

Sunday in the Lou was the buddy walk, Step up for Down Syndrome.  

We all met at Forest Park.  We had a little time after registration before the walk started.  

Zac and I were a bit late to the party since we decided a diner breakfast was in order.  Zac got some crazy concoction of hash browns with hamburger patties and eggs, covered in chili.  I went with the more traditional pancakes.  There is something odd about pancakes.  Not sure quite what it is in their ingredients that makes them weigh 3 times as much after they make their way to your gullet...but it happens.    

Anyway, the family was all there.  The event was really pretty fantastic if you were a kiddo.  There were bounce houses, craft tents, bubble machines and free Popsicles and drinks.  Basically a thousand ways to make you jacked out of your mind excited!

PiaGirl was pumped.  

So were the other beanzillas.

The kids played until it was time to line up.  Then we all fell into ranks.

This is what Kylie called his "intimidation" face.  We all know a man's toughest look is bunched sleeves.  

Shortly after snapping a few family photos the walk actually started.  It was great to see all the "teams" rally.  Here's my team...with Zac, towering as per the usual. 

With plenty more behind us. 

Have no fear, Cliff participated too.  Look at Maggie eyein' my bump.  She tells me all the time that she can't believe how "out there" he is now.  I tell her that I'm "packing a belly."  Either way, she digs it.  

It was only a mile...but it was exhausting.  

Thank goodness for popsicles, and family weekends.

Three years

Today, well yesterday by the time this posts, marks 3 married years for me and the Zacman.  

We've had a great journey together.  It started here.  

And soon a year had passed.

Then two.  

Now we are just weeks away from the biggest adventures of our lives.  A baby, and a new business. 

I've been fortunate to watch my husband grow.  To see him putting on his daddy pants.  The first time it really hit me that he was ready for, or at least comfortable with kids, was when we were out to dinner with my sisters and their husbands, with two babies in tow.  I watched him finish his dinner, get up from his seat, walk around the table and take Ollie from Annie so she could finish her meal.   I hadn't even asked him.  It was funny to see.  It made me happy.  

I see it even more regularly now.  It makes a girl's heart swell up a bit when her husband loves on a baby.  Not too long ago I was watching Caroline and Penelope when Zac got home from work.  He put down his things, then laid down on the floor to play with Pia.  He loves that girl.

He did the same with Ollie about a week ago.  Except Ollie is still unsure of him...and she promptly folded herself in half and hid her face in her feet.  It made him laugh out loud.  Me too. 

Now I get to see him prepping for his little man.  Doing things like building the crib and helping me sand dressers.        

Soon folks, like less than 12 weeks soon, Zac will join ranks with the other men in my life as a dad,

to our baby Clifford Stuart.  A baby that has grown so quickly I can hardly believe it.
At 8 weeks...

at 12 weeks...

at 20 weeks.

and now at 28 weeks he is a busy man, who spends his time dancing around and kicking ribs.
Our family is soon to expand.  Our lives will be even more full.  Our hearts will grow 3 sizes.
I love my husband.  He is my big man, my best friend, my baby daddy, and my favorite person in the world.  I couldn't have picked a better man to do all this with.

I am a lucky girl.

St. Louis, Part 1

Last weekend the family made the short jaunt to St. Louis.  Saturday was a family day for us.  Zacman was working so I headed down with Maggie's family.  Annie's family and Mom + Dad were already in the Lou, doing their thing.  We all met up at City Museum.  It's a blast and a half.....well, except when you are 7 months pregnant and can fit in anything...and the thought of climbing three flights of stairs to do the big slide was the same in my mind as running wind sprints in a sweatsuit for an hour.  Breathless and chubby.  That's my m.o. now and it's pretty awesome. So I mostly sat. And watched.  As the kids slid.  

Look at Aubrie go.  Again, in true Fox style, we go nowhere, NOWHERE, without a beverage.    

And isn't her scowl hilarious!

Kylie and Cline

Maggie and the kids climbing the dreaded stairs....

Comin down

Blurry euphoria

While the kiddos slid, Pa Stuart and Mama Janie held crazy babies and played in their own way.  

It was a really close call...but Mom's crazy eyes half-assed ruined the picture.  

Good photo, blighted again.   

Eventually we found an elevator and made our way to the 3rd floor.  The kids quickly found the train.  

They were pumped.  

Ollie took the solo-time opportunity to show off her flexibility, 

and the incredible, perfect knobby-ness of her tiny chin.

After the train, Everett was off to tame the big cats.  

The girlies decided to craft.  

It takes serious focus. 

Serious.  

From all parties...even at 25....fine motor skill is takes concentration.  

Noticed that tucked bottom lip.  

But a beautiful purple unicorn, thats stands knee-high to the daisies, and lives only inches away from the swirly sun, is totally worth the minutes of silence.  

I did discover in the process that a truly well worn, well loved craft table is inches thick with craft shrapnel....glitters, paint, and the such.  Dually noted.  

Don't worry that the babies were left out.  We found soft blocks.  Pia girl spread her teething germies all over them.

Shortly there after we checked into the hotel.  It was nice.  I liked the sink.

The bed was cute.   

The giant mirror that reflected onto the bed...I found to be oddly slutty.  

But next to that slutty looking glass was a great view of the Arch.  

The family all got together for dinner.  On the way back the sisters and mom insisted on a carriage ride.  

Initially things got crazy when the driverless carriage took off at near breakneck speeds and promptly scared the bejesus out of the less-than-enthused-that-all-his-women-were-on-horseback-in-traffic Stuey and locked up it's wheels in a carriage directly in front of it.  It was terrifying for approximately 7 feet.  It did not, however, stop us from cheerfully going about our way.  

Pia has the best eyebrows! 

Kylie, waving us away from the hotel.  What a handsome European model he is.  

The others headed in for the night.  I had to wait for Zac to get to town so we could go put our peeps on some minivans we've been contemplating for the new addition.  To kill a little time, I took my camera to take super artistic shots of the arch.  Photography is not my forte, but the arch was awfully pretty.

As is the St. Louis skyline.  

Zac showed up shortly thereafter and picked me up curbside.  Our minivan expedition was successful, and we have a couple options for carrying up to 7 people now.  We made it back to the hotel exhausted and promptly hit the sack to get geared up for the walk the following day! Stay tuned :)