Man Crushes and Crafts

   So if you know me at all (or read my blog or see my Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter) you know that my child is my whole world. I love him more than anything. I did not understand what love was till I became pregnant with Ryder.

   I also love to craft. I've realized I'm really good at starting crafts and not really finishing them though. I find a new project I wanna try before I finish the last (I know, it is awful). One day I hope to have a craft room, so I can keep all the crafts in one place.

   So in conclusion, I love my son and I love crafts. This means I make a lot of things for my baby. It really is nice actually having time to make things for Ryder. It is also nice because he pretty much likes everything I make him (mostly because I am his mom and he doesn't really have a choice anyway, haha).

   Well, in the last week, I have crocheted a blanket, sewn a boppy pillow cover, almost completed two burp rags, painted a onesie, got squares of a quilt sewn together, and found three or four more projects I'd like to start. Well, I'd like to share my boppy pillow cover project because a cover cost from $25-$60 if you buy one. It cost me maybe $8 to make one. (Fabric cost me $4, Thread cost $2, and a Zipper cost $2). I also shopped smart and used coupons.(:

   My sister has a sewing machine, which she so graciously allowed me to use (thank you, Sarah<3). My boppy pillow was the one my mom got when she was pregnant with my little sister a year ago. It is black and white, it didn't look bad at all, but I wanted something a little more boyish and grey. 

What You Need:

• fabric (1 yard of two different fabrics, or 2 yards of the same fabric. I used cotton fabric for the top side, and a soft minky fabric for the other.)

• thread and needle (or sewing machine)

• zipper (you can always make it with a flap, or use velcro, but I really like the zipper)

   First you trace out your pattern onto the fabric. You can either use a cover you already have, or just used the pillow (give an extra inch to the pattern when you trace the actual pillow). Cut the fabric out, and lay them on top of one another. You sew on the zipper next, I found a great way to do that here. 

   After the zipper is sewn on, sew your two pieces together. Make sure you leave the zipper a little unzipped so you can turn the case inside out after you are done sewing. Once you sew the two pieces together, you have a boppy case. I used this tutorial to make this (except for the zipper part).

   Talk about an easy project, my case didn't turn out perfect (partly because I'd never used a sewing machine before in my life), but it serves it's purpose and actually turned out really cute (at least I think so!). 

   I also want to add the picture of the onesie I made and ask a question before I end this post. 

   How cute is it?!(: I cannot wait to put him in it for Man Crush Monday (the onesie is 6mo. so it'll be a little while before he wears it)! And the question is, does anyone know what the envelope flaps on onesies are for?? I recently found out and will have to write a short post about it tomorrow, but if you think you know, I wanna hear y'all's answers!(:

xx

PS
   If you haven't checked out my last post about a small etsy shop, do it!! She was sweet enough to include a 30% off discount code for her shop.(:

   

Motherhood Changes Things

   I was watching my mom change Ryder and noticed how easily she was doing it. She didn't skip a beat, even with him crying. I am getting to be that way with Ryder, and I realized it must me a mom thing. Then I remembered my dad had mentioned to me earlier this week that I'd be surprised by the things I didn't find disgusting anymore, so I decided to write this little post.

   When you've never had a baby, babies can seem fragile. They can also seem kind of smelly. Some people say that all babies do is poop, pee, and spit up.. And that is not entirely false. Haha, they do more than just that though, I promise! I do have first hand experience now!(:

   Before I had a baby, I loved babies. I wanted to be a mom when I grew up. I've changed my major in college three or four times since I've started, but I have always wanted to be a mom. I wrote a paper my senior year of highschool on being a stay at home mom. It was one of the biggest papers of the year, ha.

   If someone had a baby, I wasn't too far away from them. I wanted to be nearby in case they needed someone to hold their baby. Growing up in church, I always helped with the nursery when I could. I loved being able to hold the babies more than anything.

   When my mom found out she was pregnant with my baby sister, I was so excited. The idea of having a little baby in our house was so cool! There would always be a baby to hold or play with and  the baby would come home with us too! 

   Cherith was so little when she was born. Babies seem so fragile and little, especially at first! I didn't dress Cherith a lot because I didn't want to move her too much, and she would cry. Changing her diaper wasn't something I did either, because poop and pee isn't cute. (Baby poop smells more than it should, like, how can something so little be so stinky?!) It seemed hard to change her diaper too, because her legs would flail, and I didn't want to hold her legs down, what if I hurt her? It didn't help that she would cry and make you feel bad about the whole ordeal.

   It is funny how things change. I have my own baby now, and he is fragile. Even though he is fragile, I'm not scared I am going to hurt him. Before, I would just sit and hold a baby, and I'd be careful not to move too much as to not to disturb the baby. Now I am carrying Ryder while I straighten things up, or holding him while I'm eating. He cries when I change his diaper and change his clothes sometimes, but I know it is just because he is a baby and he is probably just cold.

   I also find his poop, pee, and spit up slightly adorable. Well, not adorable, but it isn't awful. I was scared before he was born that I might have issues dealing with diapers and spit up, but nope. Ryder is a little over a week old, and he has pooped on me once or twice, he has had one blow out, and he has peed on me two or three times. I didn't enjoy all that happened, but it wasn't the end of the world. It didn't bother me at all and I just cleaned my poor baby up. It happens!

   When a baby would spit up, I'd gag a little bit. I don't do well with spit up/throw up at all. I'm the kind of girl who will pat you with a broom across the room. I comfort people like that from afar. When Ryder spits up, it isn't so bad. It is just a little, and it really isn't a big deal at all.

   It's funny the things that happen when you become a mother. Things that used to be disgusting aren't anymore. I guess it is just one of the small super powers one acquires after giving birth. 

   With all this being said (well, written), don't mind me if you notice something on my shirt. Especially being a new mom, it is probably just a little spit up, or Breastmilk. It could even be a combination of the two. It happens. I absolutely love it to be honest. Taking care of my son is literally my greatest joy in life now.

Oh how motherhood has changed me!<3

xx