{ 5 months }

Seriously, I had this typed and ready to post over a month ago and then somehow it disappeared.  I've been dragging my feet in bitterness to re-write it, but finally got over myself and decided that the longer I wait, the less I will remember.  Boo.  Here we go...it's all still accurate, don't worry that I'm faking info, but I just don't remember all the little quirks I wish I did.  Such is life.

Weight: 16 lbs 2 oz

Length: 26.5 in

Likes: Spitting.  Yep.  Spitting everywhere.  Spitting spit, spitting food, spitting your pacifier.  You think you are pretty funny.  You are eating solids pretty consistently now!  You love avocado, prunes, and squash.  REALLY love prunes.  You still love your exersaucer.  You jump like crazy!  Your dad. Yes, he's pretty much your favorite.  

Dislikes:  Being alone.  We didn't know separation fears started this young!  Seriously, you will be laughing up a storm and then if we walk away, you scream.  It's a fun game you like to play.  Napping. Napping is still no fun.  You fight it, and you don't stay asleep.  As far as food goes, you seriously hated sweet potatoes (mama was happy about that!) and mangos were a big no.

Milestones: You are still sooooo close to sitting up on your own!  You have the strength but still are struggling a bit with the balance.  I think it's more of a focus thing.  You can do it, but as soon as you decide you focus on something else, down you go.  

You have started solids.  We started with some oatmeal just a few days a week and are now up to eating some veggies and fruits.  You get 1-2 cubes of food twice a day.  You aren't a huge eater yet.  You just aren't really thrilled about it, but you are getting better.   You are also still taking 4-5 6 ounce bottles a day.

You are so animated.  This is just a really fun age.  You respond to your name, play with all your toys, and (the best of all!) can put your pacifier in your mouth all by your self!!

Firsts: 

Successful nap in the crib!  We are working so hard on getting you on a better schedule during the day. You've always been such a good night sleeper that we didn't really fight the naps but it's starting to get really hard to get anything done with a fussy baby!  So, we finally have had some successful crib naps! We are now working on getting these naps to be a little longer, but we will take what we can get. :)

Physical therapy appointments.  We are working on getting your head a little more round.  We are doing all we can to avoid having to have a helmet, but at this time it's not looking too good.  We will know soon whether or not the helmet is a go.  Either way we will rock it out - but we are hoping the physical therapy will be all you need!

Fun Fact: 

You are the drooliest baby ever.  Your hands are always in your mouth, and your neck is always soaking wet.  At this point you still have no teeth, but you drool and chomp on everything like it's your job.  We have to change your shirt at least once a day because you will have drool down to your belly button.  Before you were born, whenever your mom would play with other babies she always said, "I can usually handle anything, but please oh please God don't give me a drooly baby!"  Well, be careful what you wish for!

{ in this moment... }

Really wish I had one of these fancy built in changing tables at home...

{ 10 hours }

hi all.

10 hours of sleep.  That's what my new fancy sleep cycle iPhone app says. 

10 hours of sleep. 

4 hours and 29 minutes on Sunday night.

5 hours and 31 minutes on Monday night.

2 days.  10 hours. 

Yet I feel refreshed. 

These last 2 nights have included extra late hours of crafting and blogging.  Creation makes me happy.  Bringing my imagination to life is what gives me life.  I needed 10 hours of sleep.  

These last 2 mornings have been a little easier to get up.  Because I had a plan.  Because I have a list of crafts to complete and dinners to cook and pictures to edit.  Because I felt a purpose.  Because I only had 10 hours of sleep. 

These last 2 days have been less fussy.  Not because of a happy baby, but because of a happy mama.  A refreshed mama.  A creative, fun, I-want-to-sit-and-sing-you-silly-songs-all-day mama.  Because I got 10 hours of sleep.  

And because I have made time for Him.  Not preparing for bible study time.  Not reading stories from the baby bible to Ellis time.  But just time.  Late nights hanging out and days of long on going chats.  I've just brought Him along with me.  To the wee hours, to the silly songs, and to the early mornings.

And I can have good, fun, creative, life giving days, on only 10 hours of sleep, because of Him.  

And because of ladies like Raechel who understands the life of a mama/wife/crafter/sillysongsinger/jesuslover/dailysinner like me.  And my desperate need to walk through these truths.   And not do it alone.  Join us?

{ Studio e: Jelly Fish DIY }

I feel like my kid is already way over stimulated.  Without us even prompting it, we find Ellis turning towards the TV, reaching for our iPhones, and preferring the loudest, most obnoxious flashing/beeping/music making toys.  I feel like it's all just too much for his brain sometimes.  Babies are supposed to live simple lives.  Enjoy the basics.  Mister, you can have an iPhone when you are older.  For now you get soft, cute toys.  Okay?

Also, I think my patience level decreases with every push of the ADHD inducing exersaucer music buttons.  I have every song memorized.  And they play over and over and over in my head.

So, I'm attempting to settle down the toys.  Sort through the madness and keep all things soft or quite(er).  {don't worry - I'm keeping the exersaucer, it may drive me nuts, but I'm not ready to lose those precious hands-free moments...I'll just turn down the volume for now.}

Introducing:  DIY Jellyfish Baby Toy

{adapted from this original DIY: http://madebyjoel.com/2011/11/diy-baby-sun-ray-toy.html --- I found this awesome DIY on Pinterest, but decided to make a few changes.}

I love this because it's made of any fabric scraps you have sitting around.  Also, please note: I am not a measurer - it's not in my genes to care about the details.  So, for you type A people, it really might be best for you to just stop reading now.  You've been warned.

1. Collect your Supplies:

8 Cotton Fabric strips (legs)

2 Fabric circles - something thicker, like felt, flannel, etc... (body)

1 plastic Baby wipe refill pack

Sewing machine, pen, and scissors.

2.  Legs:

Pick out your coordinating fabrics.  You will need 8 legs, so if you want them all the same fabric, that's fine.  I did 4 different fabrics - 2 legs of each.  You will need the strips to be about 2 inches wide and somewhere between 8-10 inches long.  Don't cut them all exactly the same.

Fold each one in half (hotdog fold) and cut about the top inch off at an angle with your wrong side facing out.  Then sew it closed.
{I told you I'm not a detail person...well I'm also not a "technical name" person either.}

Once you get them all sewed, cut off the tips (don't cut your stitches, just the excess so you can turn out your corners well).  Then use a pen to turn them right side out.  This takes a little patience, but will work.

3. Body:

You will need to cut 2 circles.  The first one needs to be about a 4" circle and the other about 6".

This is where it will start to hurt your brain.  Don't think to hard about it, just do it and trust that in the end it will work, okay?

Place your legs around right-side of the 4" circle facing in.  You will need to fold them up so they don't stick out the opposite sides of the circle.  Then holding it all in place with one hand, sew the legs to the circle.  Go all the way around and try to stay pretty close to your edge.  This is a baby toy, perfect isn't necessary.

Now, take your 6" circle and place it, right-side down, on top of the other (covering the folded up legs).  Because the 6" circle is larger, it doesn't line up perfectly and will need some bunching to make it match the smaller circle. This is the time where you real-deal (smart) sewers would stop and pin it in place.  Okay, I'll be honest, that would have surely been easier.  But, I'm an unorganized mess and since I couldn't find my pins, I proceeded without.  :)  Do as you wish.  I did a few stitches on all 4 "sides" just to keep it in place and get started.  Then I bunched it up and sewed my way around.  As you can see, it was a little messy, but again, it doesn't matter once you flip in inside out.  

Make sure you leave about an inch left unsewed so that you can flip it right side out.  

4. Stuffing

Turn your jelly fish right side out.  It will seem like a tight fit, but it will turn out.  Take it easy though, you don't want to rip out any of your seams.  Take your empty baby wipe refill (the soft plastic case) and cut it into 4-5 pieces.  Crumple them up and stuff them in the opening.  This will give the toy a that little "crunchy noise" when it's played with.  Now find some random fabric scraps and push those in until you get it to a desired full-ness.  I stuffed mine pretty full.  Stuffing always breaks down, so you want to go fuller than you think you want it or it will just flatten out.  

5. Close it up

You can either hand stitch the opening closed or use your machine.  Ellis really won't be concerned if there's a bit of stitching showing, so I used my machine.  Again, whatever floats your boat.  This is also where you can add in your own personalized "tag".  If you are giving it away as a gift, or just want to feel legit, go ahead and add in a label tag.  I made mine with a simple ribbon and used my sewing machine to sew on my "studio e" label.  

Also, because babies love chewing on anything and everything, I went ahead and knotted each of the "legs" (or...shall we say, tentacles?).  Just for a little extra fun.

That's it!  All done!  And I did it all while the little one peacefully napped behind me.  Hahaha.  That's a joke.  He screamed for about 35 minutes, despite all the distractions I tried.  Yep I let my 5 month old watch veggie tales.  Judge me.  Pshh, not like he watched it.  He screamed.  And I sewed.  And then, right about the time I was done and hoping he would play with his awesome new jelly toy, he drifted off to sleep.

And then woke up 10 minutes later.  That part is not a joke.

{ and then there were 5... }

No. I'm not pregnant.

But we do have a proud new member of the house.

His name is Hank.  And he's a helmet.

Isn't he handsome?

Hank is loved and hated around this house.  Bryan has straight up hated Hank for days.  I've put on my big girl boots and decided that I have to like it.  I have to endure it.  I have to fight for it, because Ellis needs it.  And E may hate it, but I have to push through or it will never work.

Our delivery appointment went well...not.  Ellis screamed 99% of the time.  But we survived.  We came out stronger on the other side.  :)

I've learned a few things about helmets in these few days.

1. They hurt.  Not Ellis, but me.  Headbutts, nuzzles, and baby wearing have become a whole new level of dangerous.



2. They are ugly.  Uglier than I imagined.  Sure, I still think Mister is cute no matter what, but the helmet is no fashion accessory.  Stark white looks a little asylum-ish.  I need to start the decorating, stat.

3. They make my kid's head ridiculously sweaty.  Like dripping.  Gross.

{note - not sweat, just an average amount of Ellis drool}

4.  They are tight.  These suckers are hard to get on and off.  And they smoosh his face.

5. They really aren't that bad.  Sure, the first few days were an adjustment, but I'm having less and less selfish "but-the-helmet-is-ugly-and-I-can't-kiss-his-head" moments.  He's starting to not freak out when we take it on and off.  It's just for a short while and I think I can live with it.

Ellis is a champ.  It's crazy when a 5 month old can teach you more things about life than yourself.    He smiles through the smooshed cheeks and doesn't care if the helmet makes him less trendy.  He trusts us and adapts. Oh how I long for that kind of trust.

So Hank will live another day.  And Ellis will continue to forget about him, Bryan will hate him, and I will pretend to like him.

That's how we roll.

{ helmet update... }

We had our appointment for his fitting last friday.

Despite the fact that he had a belly ache that morning, he was totally cool with the entire appointment.  He got a little fussy when they put the sock on his head...but really, who would enjoy someone stretching a sock over their head?  

It was actually pretty interesting how they create the mold for the helmet.  They tape this sensor thing to the top of the sock on his head and used a wand with a built in digital camera to "scan" his skull shape. They were able to create a perfect virtual replica of his head on the computer screen in a matter of minutes.  It just appeared as they were scanning.  Pretty awesome.  

The lady then asked what color I would like the helmet.  While she was very nice and great with Ellis the entire appointment, when it came to "helmet style" I just don't think we saw eye to eye.  She clearly doesn't understand my aversion to all things "cutesy."  She really tried to sell me on the green and red tie dye.  Then after I vetoed that, moved on to the cream color with bunnies.  Yes, you read correctly, bunnies.  Sorry, ma'am, I appreciate the thought, but he's really not a bunny kind of kid.   I asked if there were any stripes and she proceeded to show me the lightning bolts, clouds, and the "customer favorite": bright, blinding royal blue.  Not quite stripes.  And definitely no chevron.  Not even a polka dot.  The designer in me was absolutely squirming.  Maybe I need to start working for the helmet design company because they clearly need help.  

So, against her better judgement, she allowed me to order the white helmet.  I think she really thought I was the worst mom with her pleadings of "white can really look sterile and medical..." and "are you really sure you don't want something more fun, did you see the ocean one with sea creatures?"  Yes, kind lady, I really did see them all and I will not abuse my child by making him wear an all white helmet.  I will decorate it, I promise. I will not let you down.  

We go back on the 9th for the helmet delivery.  Then starts 3-4 months of helmet wearing.  23 out of 24 hours a day.  I think I can, I think I can.

I've been researching the best way to paint stripes on an orthotic helmet.  Apparently there's not much info.  I guess I will be the first...

{ Studio e. }

Just a little re-branding.  Working on a few new projects and hoping to get a shop page up on my blog soon so I can easily share my goods!

First official Studio e. project is my first (and maybe only) set of Christmas cards.  I'm a bit obsessed with chevron.  Besides that---there's really nothing crazy-special about these.  I'm really over the super layered, tons of photos, multi-font overload that has been the trend in past years.  It had it's time.  

Back to what I like best --- Simple.

These photoshop templates are available individually for personal use ($10) or as a set with unlimited rights for professional photographers ($45).  

{basic photoshop knowledge needed to insert photo & printing not included}

Email me at: kendahl.throckmorton@gmail.com if you are interested.