So far, I’ve made these two dresses from old shirts I had.  They are definitely not perfect, but Abi likes them, so I guess that’s what matters.

This was a super simple project.  Can’t believe I didn’t make one sooner.  Here’s a tutorial for you:

1. Lay a dress or shirt of your toddler’s on top of the shirt you’re going to cut.  Make sure the necklines match up and fold the sleeves in on the toddler shirt.
2. Draw around the top item with disappearing ink pen, and then, cut around the lines.
3. Cut around the neckline.
4. Then cut the back side of the dress to be closer to the neckline
5. Sew up the sides with a straight stitch and then a zigzag stitch.
6. Then sew around the arm holes and stitch the back part, too.
7. Then, cut the neckline in the middle on the back part (where the tag used to be), and sew the ends onto the back of the dress, to make spaghetti straps.

You’re done, unless you want to embellish more.  The first one, I decided to make some flowers with the left over fabric.  (I was a little worried that the flowers wouldn’t hold up in the wash, but they stayed perfectly intact!)

For the second dress, I made ruffles.  I’ve cut out 4 other shirts, but I haven’t gotten around to sewing them into dresses, yet.  Any ideas for other ways to dress up the dresses??

Oh, I learned from making the first one that I should’ve make the bottom part of the dress more like an A-line.

I also made these bows to match the dress themes:

Let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any questions.

People often look as me with concern and say, “So, how is Abigail doing with the new baby?”  It’s like they’re expecting me to tell woes about how Abi has mistreated Lydia (and just so we’re clear, she has not), just like when they cock their heads to the side and say, “So, you getting any sleep at all?”  (And I happily say, “Yep, a normal 8 hours, and it could’ve been 10, if I went to bed when Lydia did.”)  I’m not trying to be cocky; I’m just trying to say that some people have misconceptions about how ALL babies and toddler will behave, and I want to clear up one of those today.

Thanks to my super cousin Katie, I got some great advice about how to transition the former only child to becoming a big sibling.  She even sent me this book: Welcoming Your Second Baby, by Vicki Lansky.  So giving and thoughtful!  I love her!

Anyway, here are a few tips I learned . . .

1. Take your child to your OB appointments.  Abi went to all of my OB visits, and when we listened to baby’s heartbeat, we told her that Baby was “calling her”.  Abi would say, “What’s she sayin’?  How you doing Baby?”
2. Read books about what it is like to be a big sister/brother.  Here’s one I love, and here’s another one that’s good, too.
3. Get a baby doll.  We got Abigail this baby doll 3 months before Lydia was born, so Abigail could learn how to hold a baby and be gentle.  This baby doll, who she named Rachel, even cries, so Abi learned that babies cry a lot.  Also there are times when Abi wants me to do something with her, but I’m nursing Lydia, and I say, “Go get Baby Rachel, so you can take care of your baby, too.”
4. Get a doll house. We bought this doll house, so we could “roll play” what it would be like to have a new baby and to be a big sister.
5. Buy or make some Big Sister/Brother shirts.  Abigail loved (and still does) wearing her shirts.
6. Put a picture of yourself and hubby in your child’s room, so they know you’re still thinking of them when you’re gone at the hospital.
7. Hide a few small gifts around the house.  When you call from the hospital, you can tell your child where to look for them.  We hid a toy camera for Abigail in the laundry room, and when I called, I told her to go to the place where she helps me put the clothes in the washer.  This was helpful, too, because everyone wants to take picture of the new baby, so she could join in with her new toy camera.  Also, make sure to take plenty of pictures of your older child.
8. Have a present at the hospital for your child to open; tell the child it is from the new baby.  We had 3 gifts at the hospital– one Abigail could open each day we were there.  The first day, she got a barn with animals.  Day 2, she got two dolls.  Day 3, she got a foam puzzle.  This also keeps them entertained while there.
9. Make sure Mom is not holding Baby when the older sibling comes to visit the baby for the first time.  Your child needs time to warm up to Baby on his own time.  When Abi came into the room, my arms were empty, so I could love on her.  I told her after a few seconds of hugs that the baby came out of my belly and wanted to give Abi a present.  Then, she opened the present.  We didn’t show her Lydia for awhile.  Eventually we said, “Hey, Abi, would you like to tell your new baby sister thank you for the gift?”  And that’s when she met Lydia.  It was presh!
10. We try to refer to Lydia as “OUR baby”, so Abigail doesn’t feel left out.

Abi adores Lydia.  Abi always wants to hold Lydia, touch her, kiss her, hug her, and help her.  Abi has never once tried to hurt Lydia emotionally or physically.  Abi has never acted hurt or unloved by us or Lydia.  We’re so fortunate.  I hope these tips can help you, too!

I don’t know how to write this post.  So many thoughts going through my head and tears flowing from my eyes.  As a mother of two young girls, this story has really impacted me.

[On July 10] Preslee fell into a canal in Rigby (Idaho). About 2 miles down the canal a farmer who was working in the water saw her and immediately started CPR. His brother was with him and called 911. She was air lifted to EIRMC (Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center) and then flown down to Primary Children’s Hospital. . . Her body is healing . . . but her brain is swelling.

Please join me in prayer for this sweet 18 month old little girl.  I’m praying that she grows stronger to live a healthy life with no brain damage.  But above all, I’m praying for peace, strength, and joy for her family and for the doctors to make wise decisions and for God to show mercy and grace to this family.

We’ve seen big improvements from you in the last couple of weeks.  You’re adjusting better to life outside of the womb.

• You weigh 11 lb, 11 oz (almost a 4 lb gain since birth).
• Not sure on your current height, but at your last check up (at 2 months, you were 23.5 inches), you were in the 90% on height.  You’re about to outgrow your bassinet.  Everyone always comments on how long you are.
• You rolled over from your stomach to your back.
• You’re still so fidgety.  You are only still when you’re asleep.
• You try to sit up and stand alllll the time.

• You track us really well with your eyes.
• You went swimming for the first time.

• You “talk” a lot.
• You seem to be the happiest baby these days.  What a change from your first 3 months!  You smile allll day long. You do still have a fussy time from about 9:30-11pm, but other than that, you’re happy.

• You laugh now!  Love it!  I can’t believe you’re laughing so soon.  Thank you for this!
• You’re doing soooo much better in the sleeping department.  You go 8-9.5 hours in between eating at night.  Most nights, you go right to sleep without fussing, but some nights, you pout for up to 5 minutes, and then, you settle down.  Also, your naps are great!  You have 4 one and a half hour naps.  No crying.  Love it!
• You always get comments on your big, beautiful eyes.

Here’s a short video of you at 9 weeks old.

We love you, and we’re so happy you’re a part of our family.

Several women have commented on Lydia’s car seat tent, so I’m finally getting around to doing the tutorial.  It’s SUPER easy!

I remember going out with Abigail and getting frustrated, trying to keep the sun completely out of her eyes with the car seat sunshade.  And don’t even get me started about when it would rain.  Also, the wind, oh the wind where I live is killer and blankets would always blow off, and it was a hassle to hold her car seat, while trying to keep a blanket over her.  So, thank goodness I discovered an awesome way to cover up your newborn with a car seat tent.  Here’s what you need to have on hand to make one yourself . . .

Supplies

• about 2 yards total of fabric (if you want it to be reversible, you can use 1 yd of one color and 1 yd of another color, or you can simply use two yards of the same fabric)
• thread
• velcro (not the adhesive kind; buy the kind for sewing)

Okay, so I started typing up a tutorial for this but erased it all, but I don’t have the patience to remember what all I did, since it’s been about 4 months since I made this.  So, I’ll just leave you some links to some car seat tent tutorials that will be helpful.  Also, here are some of my measurements that might help you (keep in mind that this won’t make sense to you until you look at the tutorial links):

• I cut 2 inches off the bottom; it left my fabrics to be 36 L x 42 W (35 long when sewed)
• For my velcro straps: soft side up, facing back (velro down, facing front) 7-8 inches long
• When I measured the cloth front to back, I sewed the straps directly in the middle lengthwise (21 inches) and measured side to side; 12.5 from outside (7 ¼ in b/t each other).
• 

So technology is awesome.  Sometimes it kills me though . . . like when it comes to my husband’s iPhone.  He has that thing in his pocket, by his nightstand, or in his hands 98% of the time.  The only time it’s not with him is during a shower, I suppose.

I like to refer to this piece of technology as his “mistress”.  I have threatened many a time to throw his obsession across the room.

I, however, have a healthy relationship with my iPod touch.  It is mostly shared with our toddler; she probably uses it 80% more than I do.  Anyway, here’s a break down of some FREE apps we like . . .

Toddler Games*

• WordWorld- Drag letters to build word animals.  Abi loves it so much we bought the full version.
• Baby Piano Lite
• FirstWord Sampler- Move letters onto letters to spell simple words.
• Baby Draw- Draw shapes with different color choices.
• Shapes- Touch the diamond, hexagon, etc.  Then they earns stickers and applause.
• Ding Dong Bell & I Close My Eyes Lite- Abi loves these animated cartoons.
• I Hear Ewe & iBabyBuddy- Touch animals, and they make sounds.
• Shape Lite & Toddlelite- Puzzles.  Abigail really likes these ones.
• PreK Safari Lite- watch animals and learn letters
• Peekaboo Barn- find animals
• 123 Counting- Counting Animals, etc
• 123 Count with Me- Set up like a book
• Alphabet Creatures Lite
• Super Match Madness- matching game
• Letter Quiz Lite
• Up- Pop balloons to find the house.

Healthcare:

• iNeedMilk- It tracks how long you’re nursing and on what side you’re nursing.
• Breastfeed- Mostly for newborn management.  Has FAQs and lets you know what meds interfere with nursing
• What to Expect

Sports:

• ScoreMobile- Convient way to find scores in all sports.
• At Bat Lite & Pro Baseball- Tells you scores, play by play, and more of MLB

Games:

• Paper Toss- Super addicting.  You flick a wad of paper into a trash can, while a fan blows.
• Word Warp- Like Text Twist.
• Sheep Launch- Tap a sheep up into the sky.

Misc

• Voice Memos- Need a microphone for this.
• Mapquest- Find gas stations, stores, restaurants quickly.
• TheFind- Finds nearby and web stores that carry whatever item you search for.
• Bible- I like taking my bible to church so I can mark it up; Jonathan, however, likes using this app.
• Pandora- Choose music you like.
• Moron Quiz & Imbecile Test- How smart are you?
• Traffic!- Especially helpful when you live in a big city; it tells you which streets/highways are crowded, etc.
• Sporcle- Trivia game.  This passed the time on a 9 hour car ride.

So what other apps should I look into?

*I feel as if many of these apps are quite annoying.  However, they occupy Abigail’s attention, so I allow her to play them.

• We can’t figure out this sleeping thing with you.  We’re doing everything like we did with Abigail (who was sleeping 8-9 hours straight at this time), but it’s not working so far with you.
• You’re still pretty loud and fussy.  And your toots are so stinky.  I didn’t know newborns’ toots could smell badly, but you’ve proved me wrong.  Sooo, I think your gas is the source of your fussiness.
• You have had a few blowout diapers.  Your daddy was holding you last night, and he literally caught a handful of your poop.
• You give us THE BEST SMILES ever.  And you give them a lot, too, which is super fun.  I’m loving your dimples!
• You’re cooing and “talking” so much.  We like to have conversations after you eat.  You’re very excited about watching the World Cup later this week!
• We got you a new car seat, and you’ve done a bazillion times better.  Since we got it, you haven’t cried in the car (or at least not for more than a few seconds- whereas before, you could cry THE WHOLE time).  So, that’s nice!
• You went to your first wedding, and you did great.
• You went on your first “vacation”.  We rode in the car for 8 hours to Colorado, and you did great!  No meltdowns.  You gave my cousins and aunts several smiles.  They adored you.
• You weighed 10 lb, 5.4 oz today.  That’s a 2.5 lb more than your birth weight.
• You’re still ridiculously strong.  You “crawl” and “stand” alllllllllll the time.  You’re very fidgety, too.  I warn people who are about to hold you of this, but they always comment about how strong and how much of a mover you are.

The three of us love you so much.  Thanks for being our Joy!

*these pictures were taken by Pam Johnson.  You can see all the pictures here, and check Pam’s site for a post she did about our photo session.

So, I’m late with this post, Lydia, because let’s face it, you occupy a lot of my time.  You’re napping now, so hopefully I can finish this post, instead of putting it in the drafts folder like I’ve done with the following posts: Easter update, Tutorials on a car seat tent, legwarmers, recipes, your birth story, etc.

Okay, so, you’re actually 5 weeks and 3 days.

• Last night, you went 7 hours (and 8 minutes) in between feedings!  SEVEN!  Praise the Lord.  For the two nights before that, you went 6 hours each, so hopefully, we’re getting you on a good sleep routine.

• I’m guessing those steroid shots I got really improved your lungs because you sure let us know (very loudly) when you want something.  Holy petes, girl, you can yell!

• You gave me your first definite smiles yesterday.  I really can’t put into words how beautiful they were.  Keep giving them!
• Your umbilical stump came off at two weeks, and you were left with an umbilical hernia.  It doesn’t seem to bother you, and the Pedi says it’s fine.
• The first 4-5 baths you had, you hated.  Now, you seem to like them!  Yea!  We’re still working on you liking the cold lotion afterward.

• Yesterday, you weighed 9 lb, 4 oz.  You’ve been gaining about an ounce a week, which is great!  Hopefully you won’t start slacking in a few months like your sister did and stress me out.
• You took your first bottle yesterday!  Words cannot express how wonderful it was that you didn’t fight it.  Daddy said he loved bonding with you during this time.
• We’ve also given you a pacifier a few times in the last two days.  I thought I would never do this, but the Pedi said since you nurse such a short time, you might need the extra sucking.
• You hate car rides.  HATE them.  You pretty much yell the whole drive from the church parking lot to our garage (10 minutes).  Please improve in this area, especially considering we have a 9+ hour drive to visit our Colorado family in a few weeks.
• You’re so unbelievably strong.  You can stand for around 5 seconds with our slight support.  During tummy time, you move about a foot forward.  I think you’re going to be an early crawler.  And your neck was super strong from day one.  You’re always so stiff though.  We can’t stretch out your arms, and diaper changes are super hard because you don’t let us bend your legs easily. 

Lydia, we think you’re awesome.  You’re a huge light in our lives.  We love you!

*I’m too lazy to doctor my image heading.  Sorry, there is no movie update.  But here are her weekly pictures:

For over six years, Jonathan and I had one baby girl name and one baby boy name picked out.  We wanted the first names to be Bible names that had special meanings.  We didn’t want anything that was overwhelmingly common, nor did we want a name of a person who had made a bad decision that was recorded.

We had always tried to keep our baby names a secret, but since we’re not planning on more kids, today’s your lucky day.  Now, keep in mind though, if we do adopt or for some reason have a son, we will name him Josiah, regardless of if he will have cousins by this name.  You have been forewarned.

So here’s how we came up with our names . . .

Abigail: “Abigail . . . was intelligent and beautiful in appearance” (1Samuel 25:3).  She was a queen, a wife of David.  Her name means, “A Father’s Joy,” and our Abigail definitely is that!  For Abigail’s middle name, we figured since she already has Jonathan’s family name (Towell), that we could have her middle name represent my family.

Josiah:  “Josiah removed the mediums and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah. . . .  Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to tall the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him” (2 Kings 23:24-25).  Josiah means, “The Lord helps”.

During my last pregnancy, we wondered what name we could choose for a girl that was uncommon, a bible name, and had a nice ring to it.  In my daily bible reading, I came across Lydia.

Lydia: found in Acts 16 was the first Christian convert in Europe.  Her name means, “Nobel kind.”  We also wanted a middle name that would be special and knew that even through my suffering of pregnancy, we would have Joy.

Late in pregnancy, when I was told I had Cholestasis and that possible risk would be still birth, I thought about changing her middle name to Grace.  For about 2 days, I really wondered if I’d ever see the perfect gift inside of me grow up.  Very scary.

Whether our baby’s middle name is Joy or Grace, we know that God has given us both of those.  We love holding our miracle baby.  We praise God for our indescribable gifts.

In response to this post about baby slings/wraps , thank you sooooo much for your comments!  Very helpful.

A few of you mentioned a front and back pack carrier.  We actually have one (thanks to my Sister in Law), which Jonathan used to wear with Abigail on walks.  It was uncomfortable for me, and I definitely can’t wear it now, due to my c-section incision.

Speaking of the surgery, would the Mei Tais or Moby Wraps bother the incision area?

A lot of you talked about outings to grocery/clothing stores (and using a cart).  But I’m mostly wondering about outings to the hospital or visiting Jonathan at work (basically, places that I’d go without Jonathan and that wouldn’t have a cart).  For example, I go once a week to weigh Lydia at the hospital and once a month for a Breastfeeding Support group.

Right now, I’m bidding on a Mei Tai carrier on eBay.  Hopefully, I’ll win and not have to pay too much money!

Anyway, I appreciate all your insight.