Play More!

I read on a very cute girls blog a new years resolution to play more with her kids. She has been making a special effort to do something fun and youthful each week with them. I loved this idea so much because I sometimes tend to be the kind of parent that thinks that what I think is fun should automatically be fun for my girls. Not always the case. So, it has been very fun to talk to Mckinley and watch Dolce to try to uncover what they think would be fun to do. One day, we went on a Doll walk with Dolls in strollers.(My doll was better.) Another day Mckinley told me that she wanted to make a "bunny house." Isn't it funny how we forget how easy it is to have fun? I can't wait to see what my little girls will come up with next.

My Valentine dress!

I know it's a bit late to be posting a Valentine dress picture. We got some upsetting news on Valentines day and I haven't felt motivated to post my dress pictures. But, here it is. I finished it in time to wear it to church on Sunday and I felt so handy to have made my own dress. I'm happy that it is a wrap dress. I'll be able to wear it throughout my pregnancy and also after. It was pretty challenging, there was a bit of unpicking required, but I'm happy with the result.

Back to Normal

In case any of you are still concerned that Dolce isn't back to her usual self after her seizure, perhaps this picture will set your mind at ease. (or concern you more? haha! She actually gets the rocking chair rocking before she does this. YIKES!) Sorry, the picture is a bit blurry.

Seizure

Although, I usually try to post positive things on my blog, I realize that a lot of our friends and family check on us through our blog and I wanted to reassure everyone that Dolce is doing just fine after her seizure. Thank you to everyone for your concern and kindness. We have felt a lot of love and care in the past few days.
This past Sunday while we were at church, David had taken Dolce out and after a few minutes, she was wanting to come back in and David stood in her way. She got really upset and layed down on the floor and the next thing David noticed was that her eyes had rolled back into her head, she was shaking and turning blue, she was having some weird breathing patterns, and her jaw was moving up and down like she was chewing something. David came and got me and I sent him down the street to get our car to take her to the hospital. By the time he got back, about 5 minutes later, she was still seizing and didn't stop until we were in the car. During the car ride she seemed to be in a postictal state and was unresponsive, although she was breathing.
At the Emergency room, an IV was started and Dolce was given Ativan while the Doctors and Nurses began their seizure protocol. This involved a lot of tests, beginning with a temperature check. Because febrile seizures are quite common and harmless in babies, it would have been good news to see a fever after a seizure. Dolce didn't have a fever so other tests had to be done including a chest x-ray and CT scan, blood and urine tests, and a lumbar puncture and culture. Dolce was also given Rocephen in case this could have been caused by Meningitis,( the Lumbar culture takes 72 hours,which would be a long time to let Meningitis go if it was present.)
Each of the tests came back normal, which felt very frightening because they weren't able to find the cause of the seizure. She was admitted to the hospital for more observation and our hope was to be able to have an MRI done that day. However, we found that Valley View doesn't do MRI's for babies under 3 years old and that we would have to go to ST. George to have it done and that it would be unlikely to be able to schedule it sooner than 2 weeks away. This was also the case with an EEG. (These tests most likely wont be recommended unless she has another seizure.)
We are home now, still without any diagnoses for what exactly happened. This has been very scary for us and we are watching her very closely at home. The good news is that she is acting very normally and has returned to her usual self. We're hoping to keep things pretty calm in our house for a while in case this may have been some sort of stimulus overload for her. She's also taking an antibiotic that will hopefully eliminate any sickness she might be fighting. (although her blood work didn't show any sign of infection.)
Thank you to everyone! We appreciate every prayer and gift of support that you have given. She's doing fine, and recovering back to the happy girl she is.

Another January craft!

I have been keeping busy staying in this month. When it's cold outside, there's nothing better than enjoying being snowed in. We had a deep freeze a few days ago, and man, was it freezing cold. So, the girls and I stayed inside (while David braved the arctic to go to school) and I made this warm hand muff. I got this cute new coat for Christmas and have been trying to think of some ways to accessorize it. I have been loving the beautiful scarves I've been seeing, but I didn't want to cover up the cute ruffle already up the middle of the coat.
I had seen a pattern tutorial for this muff on Grosgrain, but when I tried to print it, I couldn't get it to work. I really wanted to make it and so I made it without a pattern and surprisingly, it turned out quite cute I think. I'm trying to create a wardrobe item each month.(Especially because being pregnant, I don't feel like anything fits right or looks cute.) Next up, a valentine dress!

10 things we are loving about Dolce right now!

I can't believe how much Dolce is growing and changing in these past few weeks. I want to hold on to all the little details that make her and it seems like they change every few days. Here are 10 things that we can't get enough of lately.

1) She loves being held to read stories, or look at things, or just because. When she decides it's time for you to hold her she stands right in front of you and backs up until she's either sitting on you or you pick her up. It's so cute. She even does it with her sister.

2) She loves shoes. She wont leave her own shoes on but any time she sees a shoe around the house, she has to try it on.

3) She has learned to say "no," and shake her head or nod. She also knows the appropriate times for using these new tricks. Her "no" is usually very dramatic and at least three seconds long, often followed by laying on the floor crying.

4) She knows how to wave "good bye."

5) She's very curious and full of mischief. I am in constant amazement at the messes she can make in no time at all.

6) She climbs on everything right now. Her favorite roost is sitting on top of the kitchen table.

7) She loves doing everything her sister is doing. They play very cute together. I'm so glad.

8) She has the best smile, especially in the morning and when she has a messy diaper. She thinks it is so funny.

9) When I tell her it's time to go somewhere, (aka getting Mckinley to pre school in the morning.) she climbs into her rocking chair and holds her feet out to have shoes put on.

10) She points at things that she wants. She has such a sweet tooth that usually what she wants is a treat and you can't fool her on where the treats are hiding.

Stay little, princess, for a little longer. We love her!

Wall haberdashery and a felt pillow!

I love it when things that I see turn out the way I thought they would! This is so often not the case for me. I usually have a completely different vision from what I end up with. However, these projects turned out just as I hoped and I'm excited to display them in my house.

You could make this big wall mirror for less than 10 dollars! This is one of those cheap over the door mirrors that you can buy at Wal mart for $6.50. The embellishment is paper that came from a mass market paperback. You know, any book you aren't every going to read again.(Don't look too closely, the F word could be on some of those pages. So much better cut up and made pretty...)
My over the door mirror was falling apart a bit so I thought this would be a good way to re vamp it. I used some pinking shears to cut the edges of the paper and then wrapped the paper around the eraser end of a pencil to make it bunch together. Then hot glued the paper to the mirror. It was done in a couple of hours. Then I hung it on some grosgrain ribbon and put it up on the wall.


This felt pillow was just as easy, and actually cheaper. You can make this with 1/2 yard of felt. Cut two squares of felt 16''x16". Sew around the edges of the pillow leaving an opening to stuff it through. Turn right side out.Then for the petals trace around the rim of a large glass, a regular size canning ring, and a baby bottle top.(You can adjust your sizes to your own liking.) Then cut out 15 circles of each size and cut them in half. Starting at the outer edge with your large half circles, hot glue each petal in place. Layer the petals how you'd like them to be and when you get to the center, cut out 6 circles of your largest size. glue one flat in the center. Then fold the others in half then in half again and hot glue. Stuff the pillow and stitch the opening closed and you're done!