Not the smartest thing I've ever done

I sliced open my finger while trying to get the pit out of an avocado this evening. After trying for an hour to stop the bleeding, I left Nate to put the girls to bed and had the cut stitched up at a really nice urgent care center. Three stitches, a splint, and a tetanus shot. Sigh.

Beatrix Potter and other stories

My mom found a cool link called Kid's Corner. It has click through Beatrix Potter stories, some audio stories in English, but also some in French, German and Japanese. Even has complete and unabridged audio of Alice in Wonderland. Thought I'd pass it on to y'all.

As requested--Becca's dress photos

No action shots yet, and it's supposed to be cooler and rainy tomorrow, so I don't know if I'll get any then either. What I really want to do is go to the White River Gardens after church on Sunday and get some pictures, but I don't think that will happen any time soon. Maybe when we live closer to church.

Anyway, I do have photos of just the dress.

Front...check out the sweet yellow-green Ikea hanger

Close-up of front bodice


The bodice was a little big. I think she can grow into it and still be okay on length, but she is a long, lean little thing, so I don't know if she'll fill it out enough. I'm thinking of buying an under shirt from Hanna Andersson to go underneath.

Close-up of back bodice

Having a baby/children shows me that life is not all about me. Such a good reminder for me right now. Via TulipGirl.

Finished Becca's Dress

I'm up way too late, but I'm happy to say I'm up because I finished Becca's dress. Yay! I'm so pleased with it. I'll take pictures tomorrow or sometime this week, depending on how willing my little model is. I can at least take dress pictures without Becca wearing it.

I used this video to learn how to use the blind hem stitch on my sewing machine. I had another video I liked too, but the URL isn't working at the moment.

I also used this video to learn how to slip stitch the facing edge in the center back.

I couldn't have done it without Nate's mom. She even helped me over the phone tonight when the machine decided not to zigzag.

Another project done...yippee!

It was!

5.4 started in Illinois, felt in Indianapolis. Can't believe we actually had an earthquake. Wish we had cable so I could hear more about it.

Edited to add: Just called my mom and she said my dad felt it too up in west Michigan. There are a couple of small news stories on it on Google News. It's funny how some people said they felt it for ten seconds and some for up to a minute. Also how some say there was a slight rocking and others say their building shook violently in the same area. Guess we all have different perspectives.

Earthquake?

This morning between 5:30 and 6 am, I was nursing Ally on the bed and Nate was up about to get in the shower when the apartment shook. It was so strange. Nate said that he had just turned on the water and everything shook for a second, so he turned it off and just stood there for a sec to see what was going on. I was sitting on the bed nursing and felt the bed start to wobble back and forth. I could also hear sounds of the TV and windows? moving. The bed continued to wobble back and forth a little for a minute afterward. It freaked me out.

Indiana can experience earthquakes according to the government website for Indiana, and it has on previous occasions. I guess it could have been the wind, but I didn't hear the wind blowing hard and it is quiet out now. It could have been something to do with the water turning on, but why would that have made the bed shake back and forth. I wondered if a large plane going over could have caused it, but that seems unlikely too.

Very strange.

Becca's dress in progress

I learned so much this weekend from my other mom (Nate's mom). She and Nate's dad were here to visit and she dedicated many hours to helping me sew my first dress. I'm a bit overwhelmed with everything I learned, but I like being able to look at the almost finished dress and say that I did that (with Joy's guidance and help).

Here is Becca trying on the dress once the bodice and skirt were attached:


I have learned:

--To gather the waist of a skirt (we used the zigzag gathering method shown on this video)--it's the Sew With Confidence Part 1 video
--To attach the bodice to a gathered skirt
--To finish sleeveless armholes with bias tape
--To put in a zipper

I still have to:

--Finish the other armhole
--Hand sew the facing right next to the zipper
--Hand sew the hem

No idea how to do those last two, but I'm going to look for videos online.

We mostly worked while Becca was asleep, but a few times she got to watch me work and help stick pins back into the pin cushion.


By the way, I have a wonderful mother-in-law. Not only is she a talented seamstress and quilter, but she is always so generous in giving her time to help me learn to sew (not quilting yet!). She is a patient and encouraging teacher. She has spent time with us after both of our girls' births and was such a great help and support, cleaning, cooking, and spending time with her granddaughters. She is also great at researching things and thinking through options and has helped us through many decisions. She's friendly and a good listener too. I have counted my blessings many times to have such a great mother-in-law. I also have a wonderful mom of my own, so I really couldn't ask for more.

Seedlings

I have never had a garden before. I've killed a cactus, a venus fly trap, an african violet, and an aloe plant. I'm not a big fan of any bugs (I can stand a few, like ladybugs, butterflies, dragonflies) and I'm terrified of stinging insects.

But I really want to learn how to garden. And I really want to involve our girls in gardening. So I'm attempting it, taking small steps, and trying to learn and face my fears.

Earlier this week I bought a planting kit, with peat pellets, and a few packets of seeds...basil, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Becca and I planted them on Monday and have been misting them and watching them eagerly for signs of life. Yesterday I saw that the basil seeds had sprouted and today it looks like the tomato seeds are doing something. The pepper seedlings haven't made their appearance yet, but I'm holding onto the hope that they will and that it hasn't been too long.

From here, I'm not too sure where to go. I guess we just keep letting the seedlings do their thing. Keeping the soil moist. And eventually we plant them in something else. Not sure what that something else is yet, since we are still in an apartment and have just a small balcony area to place some pots.

And don't even get me started on fertilizer. I have no idea what to use, but I know I want something organic (any ideas?). I'm afraid of overdosing and killing my plants. Oh and I'm afraid of them getting flowers and attracting those stinging insects.

Becca has been excited to see the seedlings. She wants to look at them often and I've had to put a limit on how many times she lifts up the cover of the "greenhouse" to see them. We've talked a little bit about how God uses seeds to start new life. We're also trying to root an avocado pit in a jar of water in her room. No sign of anything happening their yet, but we keep pressing on.

Our perfect parent

"To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--" John 1:12

I love reading the chapter in J.I. Packer's book Knowing God called "Sons of God" about how we who are justified through Christ's work on the cross are also adopted into God's family and can call God our Father.

One particular quote showed me how God relates to his children (including my children who are covenant children and can call God their Father) and therefore, how we should relate to our children.

God our Father is "faithful in love and care, generous and thoughtful, interested in all we do, respecting our individuality, skillful in training us, wise in guidance, always available, helping us to find ourselves in maturity, integrity and uprightness..." p. 204 Knowing God

What a grand description of being a parent! By God's grace through our Lord Jesus Christ, we can both live into this way of parenting our children and point our children toward their heavenly Father who is their perfect parent too.

Dress progress

Becca's dress is all cut out and a few of the seams are sewn with a straight stitch. I still have to press and finish them with a zigzag stitch. Nate's mom is going to help me with the rest of it when his parents come visit this weekend. I've never done zippers or gathered waistlines or fusible interfacing before, so she's going to give me a little guidance.

Off to bed.

Sending you over

If you don't normally read my husband's blog because it's mostly technical stuff, you should head over there today and read his post hugs from Ally.

Closing tomorrow
Tomorrow we sign our names many times to many papers promising to pay many thousands of dollars over many years so we can purchase our first home. We are excited, nervous, thankful, and mostly just relieved to be done with the whole process.

Birthday, in review

Nate did end up taking the day off of work. We didn't get to the butterfly gardens, but that was okay. It wasn't sunny enough to make it worth it anyway.

I wouldn't recommend the baked doughnuts. They were okay, but not really doughnut-like in my book.

The oatmeal bread was so good, again. We used it for grilled cheese and that was super-yummy.

Nate picked up some Chik-Fil-A for lunch. A 12-piece chicken nugget pack for him and Becca to share. She is eating more now, so it is more of a split down the middle, six each, then the three for Becca and nine for Daddy that it used to be. I had a chicken sandwich, made infinitely better by putting on my own mayo and ketchup, sliced roma tomatoes and romaine lettuce at home. It was so yummy.

Nate also got our cashier's check for our closing on our house on Friday. And he picked up some more tissues. We went through a box in record time.

He tried to play WOW this afternoon, but the servers were down. He's playing a bit tonight.

Oh, and he was so sweet and did the dishes for all three meals today...on his birthday. I would have liked to do them, but Ally was having a rough day, so he volunteered. Thanks, honey.

The girls and I got him an online subscription to First Things, three Teflex sheets for our dehydrator (he's been asking for these so he can make more granola at once), and a travel clock for him to keep upstairs by his desk so he can see the time more easily.

We'll go to Handel's for ice cream on Thursday. I'll make him a cake when his parents come in two weekends.

Happy Birthday, Nate. I hope you had a good day.

Becca's scrapbook--almost complete!

I'm so close to being done with Becca's first year baby scrapbook. Just a few more things to do:

1. Fill in the family tree
2. Finish the collage of birthday card cut-outs on her birthday month page
3. Find three pictures for the last page and paste them on the page.