Cloth Diapers...

As we wait for the arrival of our new little one, I have been doing a lot of research on cloth diapers. At this point, I am hoping to try them and at least supplement our diaper stash, if not switch over. It is amazing how many companies are out there selling them- they have come a long way from the prefolded, Gerber ones! www.niftynappy.com is one of the sites that I have loved the best and that has really solidified my decision to give cloth a try. Somehow- I think because she is a mom of 6 (you can find her as "6 and still sane" on facebook) and has tested and used the diapers herself with much success- I continue to gravitate back to her product. She is having a giveaway right now that I would REALLY love to win- it would be a wonderful jumpstart to this new endeavor of mine!

I also have been looking into sewing some of my own and have found a pattern that has excellent reviews from other moms. The savings is my biggest motivation for sewing my own- but time and whether or not my health will allow me to take on a big sewing project like that always comes into play. So I will probably end up doing a little of both.

Truthfully, I have been so excited at the thought of trying cloth out, I was a little disappointed that Ariana just potty trained! LOL! I know-crazy! But who likes to wait months to try out a new idea/plan?! Only 3 and a half more months to go- I know its going to fly by, since life is always busy! And now, we are building a house- so a move will be in the near future, either right before or after Landon comes and there is still the possibility that Nathan will deploy in January. So I really need to get moving if I am going to sew any!!! Who knows- that ambitious idea may turn out to be just that and I'll end up buying them! Either way- I am excited and looking forward to giving cloth a try!

Necklaces

I picked up these beads at Hobby Lobby (one of my new, very most favorite stores ever!) for a fun, little project for Ariana and I to do together. I am amazed at her hand/eye coordination! It didn't take her long to figure out how to hold the bead "just so" and then thread the cord through the hole. She also is doing fabulous with her colors and proudly announced the color of each one as she picked it up. She loves her necklaces- we have strung and restrung them many times already. She can say necklace but it sounds more like "nug-gets" so it took me a few minutes to catch on to it at first!

The Sweetest Dress on the Sweetest Girl

Ariana's second birthday was pretty special. She had quite the stack of presents from Mommy and Daddy, but she received quite a few packages in the mail the whole week from the rest of her devoted family! This little dress was part of the package from her Great Grandma Bette- and I think it is just about the sweetest thing out there! I love its' simplistic charm and the smocking on the bodice. I noticed on the tag that it is from Macy's and I have to say- they have some of the sweetest children's clothes. That is where I found the dress that Ariana wore for our wedding as well. I am thinking I am going to need to make a trip there to look for some little clothes for Landon as well!

Ariana wore this last Sunday for church and I had to snap a few pictures before we changed her into play clothes once we got back home. She is just the sweetest, little darling! Thank you Grandma Bette!!!

The Verdict Is....

It's a BOY!!!

We had our ultrasound this afternoon and got to see our little Landon Matthew for the first time! Ariana also got to go with us and see the "baby movie." She is very excited to be having a little "brud-der." Our little guy is VERY active and was kicking, stretching and rolling about the whole time. We got some wonderful pictures of his profile, little arms and legs and of course, the important stuff that let us know what name our little baby would be having! Nathan, of course, is thrilled to be having a little man to run around after Daddy!

My mind is going a 100mph...a boy! I was leaning more towards "girl" because the pregnancy has been very similar to Ariana's. The biggest difference that I have noticed is I am craving SWEETS like crazy! So now I am thinking blue and green, what theme to do his baby stuff in, what we'll need for him, what type of baby quilt to make, what type of diaper bag to get...it's just so exciting!

Surprise Sundress

This is an adorable, little sundress that Nana Judy sent Ariana. It is always so fun to get a surprise package in the mail- especially something so cute!
I can't believe how much like a big girl she is- this picture really shows that "baby-ness" is all gone!

Ice Cream Cones!

It was a lazy Sunday and we had spent a good part of it in the pool...and then Mommy got a taste for ice cream...We drove around for almost an hour, trying to find an ice cream stand and finally ended up going to Wal-Mart. (We have since found ONE here in the area!) We do have Dairy Queen- but I wanted REAL ice cream... hard ice cream, specifically, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough! This is Ariana's first cone and thankfully, she was in play clothes, because even with help from Mommy and Daddy- it still got all over! It has become a favorite treat after our pool time in this hot weather! Also when we were out and about- Ariana got to see her first rainbow which was VERY exciting for her!

A little on the creative side!

Since I love being "crafty" I decided it was time to get Ariana involved in some artsy things! We made binoculars (above) from old toilet paper rolls, we do LOTS of coloring with markers, crayons and colored pencils (all washable!), this super neat finger paint that is basically non-messy by Crayola, and also playdough has finally been permitted! We still have to supervise VERY closely the playdough- it beats me why every kid eats that stuff! But we have had many hours of fun rolling, poking, squishing, etc... I bought some large wooden beads and cording too, so sometime soon we will be making "pretties" (her name for jewelry). It has been a wonderful entertainer- giving me a chance to sit down and keeps her happy. I don't like her watching too much tv, so this has been a wonderful alternative!

Our Sunshine!

Our sunshine! I look at this precious, little face each day and am so thankful for this gift of motherhood that God has given me! Her smiling, little face as she runs towards me, her happy voice saying, "ahh-morning!" as she climbs in bed with me, her animated chatter, her silly antics that keep Nathan and I in stitches and entertain all of you, her sweet kisses and hugs...She brings me so much joy and I am thankful that even on the difficult days- there are still moments where her sweetest side shows and makes me love being a mommy all over again!

The little punkin grew an inch over the last two months so we had to get some new clothes for her! I have to say, I love Children's Place and their sales- plus I can always find an online coupon and get additional savings!!! Its been a little tricky to buy a size ahead, since I have no clue about the weather here, so I have been having to get things as they are needed but so far, I have still been able to satisfy this "deal-loving momma's" heart! Nothing like brand-new clothes at garage sale prices!

My new project...

As you could see in the earlier post, Ariana's room was a very brilliant shade of lime green and purple. Perfect, if you are a TinkerBell fan but not for this muted color lover! Ariana's room was the first room we painted when we moved in but it has taken me awhile to get to making the fabric wall applique's I had pictured in my head! My finished idea is that of a woodland scene- complete with little animals- but so far I have just finished the tree. I do have to say, I am liking the results of my freehand drawing and am completely thrilled that it looks like what I imagined in my head! We are planning that she and the baby will share the room, after the baby moves out of a bassinet in our room, so I wanted something that would be gender neutral since we don't know what we are having yet. The fabric coordinates perfectly with the quilt I made her- I couldn't be more excited. It has been wonderful to work on something creative again!