Sisters Layout

One of the Design Team assignments for Scrappin Good Times is to create a layout following a sketch from PageMaps (a sketch idea book). I took it pretty literally this month. Here's what I came up with.

I used the Sweetwater "Giggle" line and lots of crystals. The green foam flowers are from Petaloo and I just love them! Ever since I found Prima's blog, I am in LOVE with flowers.

Sisterly Love

Hannah is such a loving big sister to Makaela. It amazes me! I look forward to watching them grow up together. I was playing around with my camera settings today and snapped this photo. It's not as crisp as I would like but I love how the sunlight through the window gave just the right touch.

Already Smiling

I can't believe it! Makaela is smiling and she's only 1 month old. I have suspected this for about a week now but kept thinking that it might still be coincidental or gas bubbles. But today as I was taking her picture, I got her to smile in response to me. How happy am I that I got this cute picture?! I can't wait for her to giggle. I have already been treated to a preview of that lovely sound because she has giggled a couple of times while nursing. It's so stinking cute! I tell her the angels are talking to her when this happens.

It's things like this that keep me sane. This child is not the easiest one and it's even harder when trying to pay an adequate amount of attention to big sister Hannah. Who by the way is still the best ever. She loves this baby so much!!! It's going to be a blast watching them grow up together. I hope they'll be the best of friends.

Here she is!!!

A quick little layout I did of our newest family member Makaela. I used the Making Memories "Animal Crackers" line. All of my paper and embellishments are from "Ella" (the girl side) in this line. The boy's line is called "Jack" and features more blues, oranges, and greens. I love this paper!!!! Can't wait to do more with it.

Could this be it?

It's 5:39 AM on Sunday, May 4, 2008. Last night I went to bed at 12:30 AM (actually this morning huh?) feeling normal for a 39.5 week pregnant woman. Which really means tight, uncomfortable, bloated, etc. But we'll call that normal. Not 45 minutes later, the cramping begins. It's something I have felt periodically for the past week and a half or so, so I didn't think anything of it. Until moving to a new position didn't help and it was coming in waves. Is this labor? 5 hours later and I am pretty sure it must be. I still have not woken my dear husband. We'll see if we can't give him 1 more hour of peaceful rest before he turns into my slave. Seriously! There's so much that needs to be done yet.

1. The baby clothes from my first daughter need to be brought in from the garage. Thank goodness they're washed and well stored!
2. He needs to cut some metal dowels so we can finally put the pack n play together to use as a bassinet. Yes, we lost the 4 metal poles that go with it. Don't even ask me how this happened. It's one of my greater frustrations.
3. Need to do the dishes in the sink so the ants don't invade while we're at the hospital.
4. Need to move Hannah's carseat over and install the base for the infant seat (no small task I assure you).
5. Need to make up the guest bed (just bought new linens for it yesterday - haven't tried them yet. I hope they work)
6. Pack the rest of my overnight bag as well as hubby's. My stuff for the most part is done. But guess what's not in there ... a coming home outfit for baby! Can you believe it?!
7. Clean up all of my scrapbooking supplies off the dining room table from the baby album I was making for my friend who's shower is today.
8. Throw our sheets in the wash and hopefully get them back on the bed so I can come home to something clean.
9. Take a shower and wash my hair.

Oh my goodness I could probably go on and on. So in typing this I have had 2 contractions. They were 5,5 minutes apart but only 40 seconds long. I don't think I have much time. Better go get a jump on things. It's 5:49 AM now. Looks like hubby isn't going to get that hour.

Wish us all luck for a safe and healthy delivery.

So you wanna see my work do ya?

It would make sense that anyone who may ever read this blog would want to see some of my work considering I claim to be a scrapbooker. I admit I am horrible at posting regularly. And I am even worse at scanning or photographing my work. One thing I do have to show you though, is a mini album I recently completed for a good friend's baby shower. It's now known that I give hand made baby albums as shower gifts. Heaven help me if I don't do it for one friend. I would feel terrible. As of right this minute, I have three friends who need to get albums. One is 3 weeks away from her due date. Another is due in August and it's twins. And the third has kindly given me until November before she delivers. HOWEVER, I am due with my second child in TWO weeks! Have I made an album for this darling little girl yet? No. Shoot, my first child doesn't even really have one. Anyways, here's a pic of the most recent album finished. They're a lot of fun to do, despite how time consuming. And it's always a treat to watch the mommy open it up and admire it. Can't get enough of that positive reinforcement right. Enjoy!

Happy Easter!

Easter was great! Hannah is really at an age where she gets it. I am proud to say that we made it to church. A 2 1/2 year old still provides too easy of an excuse not to make it a weekly tradition. But she did really well. She made it 40 minutes into the service before Joel had to remove her. Sadly he missed communion but he'll live. I trust God will forgive him, being that he was out with Hannah keeping her from disturbing all the others trying to hear His message.

She loved her Easter basket which thrilled me since I was the personal shopper for it.

After church, she got to do her egg hunt. It was too cute. She was so excited to find more and more eggs (hidden by daddy), but was very much OK with us hinting to where she was supposed to look. Maybe next year she'll be a better hunter instead of just the gatherer.

Then she and Daddy took naps (why I didn't, who knows). Then it was off to my dad's house for the family get together. It was great to see everyone. Best of all was seeing my cousin Clay who sadly almost 3 years ago was diagnosed with a very rare brain cancer. His struggle has been a tough road for him, his wife, 2 kids, his mom, and my cousin. But he has perservered and looks amazing. It's hard to believe that the stories I heard about him not being able to feed himself, talk, move, etc are real, considering he spoke beautifully, gave me a really strong pre-cancer-like hug and was actively participating in many conversations. He's a walking miracle and proof that prayer works.

Hannah enjoyed playing with Savannah. They're only 3 months apart and it was great watching them interact. Since Hannah doesn't have siblings (yet ... only 7 weeks and counting), she's not terribly used to really playing WITH someone else.

It was a wonderful day!

So you'd think that with a 2-1/2 year old little girl, dying Easter eggs would be a total blast for me. Well, I officially discovered my CONTROL FREAK side this afternoon. After she awoke from her nap, my husband and I took her into the backyard where a table was set up with cups full of different color dyes. The eggs had been hardboiled or hollowed out and her canvas awaited her. She was THRILLED! She loved to dump them in the cup. Unfortunately (for me, not her) she was not patient enough to let them get a good soak and soon, she'd be pulling them out ... too early for mommy. My husband was wonderful with her and kept reminding me that "she's only 2!" Try as I may, I couldn't help getting frustrated. She'd pick up the wet eggs, put already colored eggs into a new color, thus creating a yucky mix, let the hollow ones slip accidentally leading them to break, etc. etc. etc. It was too much for me. I hope I didn't ruin the experience for her. She seemed to enjoy it the whole time. Sadly I think I ruined it for me though. Well, I guess there's always next year. I can't wait for tomorrow when she gets to search for all the goodies the Easter Bunny will bring her (Curious George, the movie, new sunglasses, new swim goggles, new Minnie Mouse and Cinderella big girl panties, and a few pieces of candy). Happy Easter!!!!

Hi! I'm Rachel Rae.

So my 2 1/2 year old is the cutest thing. I know, they all are right? But just yesterday, while we were grocery shopping, out of her mouth pops, "Hi! I'm Rachel Rae. And today I'm gonna cook ..." That was it. I asked what she was going to cook and she said, "Strawberries." I couldn't stop laughing. So for the next 10 minutes, all I heard was, "Hi! I'm Rachel Rae" over and over again. Apparently my sister (aka caretaker twice a week) has been exposing Hannah to the Food Network. Hannah definitely has a love for toy kitchens. She got one for Christmas from her Lola and Papa and recently we went to a children's museum filled with fun stuff and she would not leave the home area. Here she is "cooking" away. By all means, if this little ones wants to cook, I won't protest. Planning our meals each day is like torture for me. I craft. I don't cook!

Aint as easy as I had hoped it would be

First off, please don't let the title of this post discourage you from starting your own blog if it's something you've been considering. But my goodness!!! I see all of the beautiful, eye catching blogs of others out there and I want it for my own! But for a beginning blogger, to get there is a whole new world of lingo for me. And a whole lot of time I am not sure I have at the moment. So bear with me as I endeavor to improve the appeal of this little site of mine.

And I promise to begin posting pictures soon. Most of them will be of scrapbooking layouts and projects, but if it applies to one of my posts, then you'll be sure to see other types of pictures as well.