baby’s cowboy hat

http://web.archive.org/web/20060703174301/http://www.geocities.com/rainlm/cowboyhat.htm

I’ve been super busy lately, but I don’t want to go completely MIA. I finished my cosmetology test! AND I PASSED! It was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I woke up around midnight and couldn’t sleep. Since we had to leave at 2am anyways, I just stayed up. My poor hubby had been so afraid he would not be able to wake up, that he stayed up all night. So I drove us up there. We got there just in time for some breakfast and my test. Blue Eyes was so super good all day. Daddy even took him to a play center where he could climb all over plastic bugs. I saw a couple cell pictures, he had a blast.

The first part of my test didn’t go so well. I hadn’t been taught a couple of the things you needed to know, so I just stayed as clean as possible and winged it. Like I had no idea we would be nowhere near our table, so you need an extension cord. Otherwise your curling iron will come unplugged. Mine did twice. I never did finish the curl section. Everything else was super timed although the timer would go off at random times and you were never sure if you were supposed to stop or not. Half of the girls just kept working through all the timers. It was a little strange. Hopefully they all passed. About half way through we got a break. By this time I was having minor contractions and my feet were really swollen. My friend that had gone up with me was asking how I was doing and the other girls looked at me in shock because I’m due any day now. I feel like I look huge, but apparently it’s not as bad as I thought.

Apparently State Board doesn’t communicate really well, because the test lady never found out till we all walked back in from break. She asked me to please not go into labor and we’d be okay. :0) The second half went way way better. I grabbed a quick lunch with my hubby and blue eyes before going back to take my written. I sat down and the first four questions were on one of my biggest weaknesses. I answered as best as I could and marked the ones I didn’t know. A half an hour into the test, I had been through almost all of the questions and I was starting to second guess the ones I already had answered. So I took a best guess, prayed, and hit submit. Thank goodness they only made us wait about a half an hour until the results were ready. My friend was the first one called and we were super excited it was a pass! My name was second and I got nervous when she had me sign paperwork before telling me I passed. We had a nice drive home and I had contractions every evening since.

So for the last couple of days we’ve been getting the house clean, fixing up some older projects, and I’ve been crocheting a lot. I feel like I’m actually starting to get decent at crocheting now. I’ve been hesitant to post new projects because although I follow patterns, I tweak them so much they aren’t the original anymore. So do I share with you all the original, or my pattern? And if I do share with you my patterns, will you understand them? So I think for this time I’ll just post the picture and if you like it you can shoot me a comment.

project I completed for a lovely lady with a little boy.

Blue Eyes feeling sick

My big test is on Tuesday and thankfully one of my friends is going to be up there with me! I’m so excited that we should be licensed by the end of the Tuesday! I’ve been going back through taking practice tests over and over so that I feel ready again. My friends that have already passed say I should be good, but you’re always going to worry about something that you really want. I also need to go back through my kit and make sure I have absolutely everything I can possibly need. I also need to try to find a black shirt that will fit for one day. I am NOT buying a overly large shirt for one day. And then it’s test time! As soon as they say pass, I’m okay with this baby arriving. I’m sure everyone else is ready too. I remember when I got to this point with Blue Eyes, I seemed to cry over everything and I was so uncomfortable that I’m sure I made everyone else miserable. :0) We’re at the final countdown though. I’m down to 16 days. It seems so near if you look at the number, but when you wake up to waddle to the bathroom every night, it feels like forever. I can’t wait to reach my toes again, or be able to get down on the floor with Blue Eyes. I can’t wait to be able to put the kids in the stroller and take all of our pups to the park again. Poor dogs, they get exercise but not like they used to. On the nice side, I have had a lot of hobby time since I can’t move around too much. I also get to spend way too much time on pintrest. Oh my goodness are there some hilarious pins about pregnancy! It’s entertaining if nothing else.

I love this look. It’s pure love for a toy.

Discovering mommy’s old toys

Walking away with mommy’s toy

Everyone has items from their past that they just aren’t able to let go of. For some reason it’s more common for girls than it is for boys. Since I’ve been crocheting again, I needed something that was roughly the size of a newborn and something roughly the size of a child. Then it hit me. In one of my boxes in the garage I have my childhood stuffed animals. One is slightly smaller and one is slightly bigger. I don’t want to use Blue Eyes’ toys because I don’t want him constantly trying to take them away from me. After all, they are his toys. So I brought my childhood toys inside. The Bear disappeared instantly. I’m not sure where Blue Eyes took it, but he claimed it instantly. Not bad for a 26 year-old bear that’s a little worn at the seams right? The other stuffed animal is my little white puppy. I’ve had a little better luck hanging on to this one. Well until tonight. Blue Eyes decided he wanted the dog. But look at these pictures and tell me, you wouldn’t hand over the puppy. I love the look in his face. That’s how toys are meant to be loved.

The wedding was on a golf course so it was a little hard on the legs. They had carts ready to shuttle people back and forth with was amazing. I don’t think I could have lasted if they hadn’t. During the ceremony little man was so good until they turned off the music. Then he says really loud “Uh Oh” and started crying. It was funny and embarrassing at the same time. Hubby was amazing about playing with Blue Eyes. They caught a lizard and thought it would be a great thing to show mommy. Unfortunately mommy was at the table and the lizard escaped underneath the table and started to crawl up one of the guests legs. It was hysterically funny, but thankfully it was re-caught very quickly.

Some time down the road poor little blue eyes was chasing his new found friend and took a tumble. After the tumble he would put weight on his foot and collapse. Daddy and I both checked his foot out and he didn’t flinch when we touched it, but something was obviously not right. I felt bad, but we had to hold him for the rest of the little bit we stayed at the wedding. To make it even worse we decided to take him in and even with him screaming bloody murder, they decided to take almost 40 minutes. Thankfully the Doc we really like was on duty and once he got taken back he was seen very quickly. They took some x-rays and for now it looks like it’s just sprained. They said they would have the x-ray tech take a look when they came back in on Monday. My poor little Blue Eyes has bruises all over his foot. It was close to two am by the time we left for home.

Thankfully Blue Eyes slept in today because of it. I think for the first time in his life, he slept till almost 10am. We got a call from his God mama asking if we’d like to see a movie, so Blue Eyes and I scrambled to get dressed and left. He loved the magic scenes of the movie, but the rest of the time he just wanted to run. Thankfully the theater was not very packed and we had about two rows of no people. It was nice just to be out of the house. Little man was ready for a nap when we got back so I got some more time to relax. The rest of the day we played all kinds of games and Blue Eyes found his blankie.

At bedtime he was super ready to go to sleep. He’s gotten to where he’ll lead you to his bed, but sometimes he just doesn’t want to sleep. He took his bottle and went down easily. But I didn’t think to take our older two pups out of the room. I figured they would be happy just to sleep. Sure enough about twenty minutes later, I hear giggling and puppies running about. I cracked the door to see two happy puppies running in circles and one giggling baby chasing them. I put Blue Eyes back to sleep and made the pups leave the room, but I failed to notice Bear had snuck into the room. Again about ten minutes later I hear Blue Eyes and this time Bear is howling over and over. I cracked open the door to find a completely naked Blue Eyes thinking mommy is going to let him get back up. I see Bear sneak out and so I took a minute to re-diaper little man and look for the missing one. Bear loves to hide under the bed, so pushing it out, I see a shredded diaper. I picked up what I could and stuck Bear in his kennel. Blue Eyes cried when I put him back to sleep, but it was now close to 930, way to late for little boys to be up. Tomorrow Daddy is going to have to help me pull out the bed all the way so we can vacuum and carpet clean where the diaper was. Well, now we know, bedtime comes and we must do a through check for puppies before we put Blue Eyes to sleep.

Teddy Bear Top Hat

Blue Eye’s Favorite bear modeling my new hat

I came across the cutest little crocheted top hats on one of my many pintrest time wasters. As soon as I saw it, I knew I needed to make one. The problem is that there are millions of patterns and they all have different flaws. One worked up beautifully, until I tried to make the rim of the hat. Another was horrible all the way through, and it never looked correct. Then I stumbled upon the most amazing pattern website. Everything about this lady’s blog makes me smile. The Blog is called “I’m Topsy Turvy” and it’s written by Ashlee. I used the pattern written here, making a couple little tweaks to the bottom sizing. I think if I make another one, I’m going to use some pipe-cleaners around the top to make it stand a little firmer. There was also the issue of a headband. The original pattern used for the hat used elastic as a headband, and with how sensitive my little blue eyes is, I found one crocheted to make sure it wouldn’t bother my baby girl. I found another pattern from Pintrest by a blog named JJ’s Crochet blog. I decided not to use the flower, but the headband looked stable and similar to what I looked for. That pattern is here.

The biggest reason I share all of the patterns I use is to make sure the authors of the patterns get as much credit as possible. After all, they make it possible for me to make these amazing creations! But also because I have a hard time buying patterns. There are so few people in the world who truly have the ability to make things from hand that I feel like they shouldn’t be hindered by a price tag. You aren’t stealing my living by using something I have created, you are making something that is truly unique to you, and I will encourage that in any way I can. The more confident you are in the projects you complete, the more willing you are to try new things. I wouldn’t have thought I could make a mermaid tail, or a baby cocoon, or even a top hat, but someone showed me how to read a pattern and it’s changed the way I see my projects. Now I can pull things apart and take patterns I never thought I’d be able to do. I also learned how to tweak or even make my own patterns for things I can’t find somewhere online. Occasionally I’ll buy a pattern, but it’s because that pattern is exactly what I wanted mine to look like.

-MB

Changes are coming! It’s always a good thing although it can be scary.

The walls before

The walls after…. they look so much better

Now this area looks like it belongs

In that thought, the whole house is now in a buzz. Hubby has been finishing up projects like light fixtures and re-sanding the baby’s dresser. Blue Eyes did his part to help me put clothes in the dresser, although mommy is going to have to go back and actually organize it. Hubby has also been fixing little things that have been driving me crazy. We removed clutter and I finally got all of the Christmas decorations out of the house and into the garage. With all of the changes being made it seemed time for the living room to become closer to what I originally wanted. We bought the new paint when hubby built the bookshelf, but the rest of the living room was about four different colors. BIL had a little too much time off and decided it was time to fix my colors for me. I have to say BIL did a great job getting the room repainted and it looks so much better. I have a couple pictures, but I may have to get a couple more to fill the walls.
When hubby and I got married he wouldn’t give me any idea of what kind of home he liked. I had an idea and tacked some colors to the wall, but I spent so much time at sea that the colors turned out not quite what I expected. Not to mention, my hubby really doesn’t care for the deep rich colors I had in mind. Over the last four years we both seem to pic out more of a faded nautical look. He won’t say it in so many words, but he always points out the blues of the ocean or greens that could be tied in as well. We also both love the old Americana feel. The rustic home feeling. So maybe over the next couple years I will be able to change the house slowly. :0)

At some point I really need to get a nice family picture done. We’re kind of waiting for our little girl now. :0) I’d like to get a bunch of pictures of the kids with the pups. I always think those pictures are so cute. I also really want to do one with Blue Eyes holding the little sign that says sister for sale… those are so stinking cute.

Watch in the dead of night

Sometimes I feel a little callused. My friends will show me stories that are touching about military wives or members of the military. My heart gets sad when I see some of the stories, and yes I had to learn to shut that part of me down at times. If I sit and think of being on a ship, or how my hubby was gone for nine months, or how my sister had to raise her baby alone for nine months, or the family my brother in law had to leave behind, or any of the millions of things my family has done I won’t make it. It’s a fact of life to me. It’s horrible to have family members gone, it’s miserable to spend my time wishing I could talk to my hubby, or we have ____ so many months left. So like many other military wives, I shut down. I turn out the emotions and deal with the day to day. So yes, I feel a little callused. But when the emotions break through, it’s hard to shut them back down.

There are things that will always break through. Watching an elder veteran struggle to stand and salute HIS flag, watching a family meet up for the first time in months/years, and seeing little kids in mini uniforms. Another thing that will always make me cry is the song “Just a Dream” with Carrie Underwood. It came out the year before I got married. When my hubby and I were planning our wedding, we were trying to balance the time with being out to sea for two months at a time, and my ship was scheduled to go out to see for 9 months, his ship leaving before I even got home. We were facing at least a year and a half apart and had to decide, do we get married before or after. Do we love each other enough to make it through a year and a half of barely being able to talk. The first time I heard Just a Dream, I was trying to decide to between wedding dresses. Sitting there listening to that song I broke down. I couldn’t tell you what tomorrow was going to be like. I couldn’t tell you if we were going to be safe overseas, or if I’d even get to see my new husband before the next time one of us was gone again. To know when you say good-bye that it may very well be the last time can be overwhelming sometimes. Thankfully I didn’t end up on my deployment, so it gave us a few more short months to talk, but even then we weren’t living in the same state. I was on my ship in Virginia, he was out in California. It makes me grateful for today. That he has only missed a couple months of our little blue eyes’ life. I’m grateful he isn’t scheduled to leave for our little girl’s birth. I’m happy about the three or four hints I’ve gotten on facebook for cookies tonight…. and I’m grateful we got one more holiday together.

Enjoy your families tonight. Enjoy the time you have and the bbq’s you can plan. Thank you all for your service and your support to those who have served.

Blue Eyes is a Morning Bird and a Camera Ham

It was that kind of morning…. I’ve been slowly getting sick for a week or two. You know when you can feel it sneaking up for you and although you take all of your vitamins, you can feel it sinking in. This morning as I was cuddling with Blue Eyes, I felt all of a sudden like something was caught in my throat and started coughing. All I could think was oh great, it’s hit. Until I coughed so hard I ended up coughing up a fly. I know you eat like 8 spiders a year in your sleep, but I was awake. How the heck did I swallow a fly?? I’m officially grossed out. It’s one of those things that you try not to think about because it will make you queasy or not want to sleep. Or am I one of those weird people who sits there and are freaks out at the thought of what if I swallow a poisonous spider. Something I’ve freaked out about many times.

This week has been an adjustment. School is over and I’m readjusting to being a stay at home mom. Oh believe me, Mr. Blue Eyes has so much energy! I knew he was active, but sometimes I don’t realize it starts at 0730 and doesn’t end until bedtime. Even with nap times, you feel like you catch a breather and off you go again. Thank goodness for naptimes. :0) Tomorrow I will be 36 weeks. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. I feel like there are a million things to do, but realistically all we really need is diapers and a car seat. We have clothes and bottles. We have a pack and play with a bassinet (same one from blue eyes) and honestly we aren’t much for decorating. My living room still only has thee pictures and looks pretty empty. I have newborn toys left from blue eyes, although some of them could probably use replaced.

Hubby got an actual three day weekend for memorial day…. Well sort of. A couple of his co-workers made rank this week and it was the frocking ceremony. He was asked if he would pin the new rank on their uniform. It may sound like a tedious task, but sometimes to be asked is one of the biggest honors. So he went in to work for them. He also used the time to help submit his officers package. I don’t know if you’ve had any experience with this, but I’m getting frustrated. He pointed out some issues (I am trying to be tactful here) a while back and while he did the right thing, it brought unwanted attention to his old work. Now they are fighting every technicality of submitting his package. It’s really annoying. We know there isn’t the greatest chance of getting picked up the first time, but we need it in so he has a chance next time!  

Our three day weekend also got interrupted for a Command Picnic, known by most military people as Mandatory Fun. While it can be nice to interact with some of the other families, I dislike dressing for a picnic that you’re going to get dirty. :0) Pleasantly enough, this was the most laid back command picnic I’ve ever seen. I do wish they’d considered a park or somewhere where the kids could run though. They rented a bouncy house for the bigger kids, but many of us had little ones Blue Eyes’ age. I let him run around the tables and climb on the benches because there was no way I was going to coop him up for the event. We didn’t stay long because it was during Blue Eyes’ nap time and I’ve been getting a lot of contractions lately. I’m thinking little miss may be in a hurry to arrive.

I do hope you will take a moment to remember our fallen veterans this weekend. I know this is a big bbq weekend, and a time for family. Please remember there are families who will be looking on this as a time for remembering and there will be tears shed this weekend. There will be veterans who stop to remember a friend who is no longer here, or even their own close call with death. Enjoy your family, and know we serve because we want to, but please don’t take that for granted. Your freedom was won with blood, sweat, and tears.

Shined and Polished

Baby George and the Dino Hat Baby Blue Eyes sent him!

This morning, I’ve been sitting here crying. It may be because pregnancy hormones have gotten the best of me, but I know it’s because Baby George is cured! Yesterday his family had the amazing blessing to receive news that the bone marrow transplant had finally engrafted. No more Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome! No more bone marrow transplants, no more pain, and no more heartache watching him in pain and knowing there is nothing you can do. Amy and her family have a beautiful healthy boy. It will take a while for him to be completely healthy and normal, but it’s not just a faint hope anymore, it’s a future reality. I couldn’t be any happier for my friend, and then she posts this amazing picture of her little man wearing the Dinosaur hat we sent when he started to loose his hair. You can always follow George’s amazing recovery on Amy’s blog.

As if that wasn’t enough great news yesterday, I clocked out of school for the last time. As with all things that come with an end I’m in a little bit of shock. I’ve been going to school three plus days a week for over a year. I still feel like I have so much to learn. 1600 hours drags on forever and at the same time it flies by. For th most part, I feel comfortable with cuts, styles and waxes. I don’t mind color, although I get a little nervous when it comes to three or four colors, or trying to even out multicolored hair. State Board testing is just around the corner and even though I’m finished with school, I will set up a nice little spot here at home to practice and study. Speaking of which, my friend from school, E. Passed her test last night, as I was finishing up my time! I’m so excited for her, she really didn’t have time to wonder if she would pass, in the next couple of months she’s got a big wedding and a move coming. Now with her license off her mind, she’ll be able to concentrate on the wedding and move.

Last night I went looking for something and Blue Eyes got into my purse. Usually it’s just a nuisance, but yesterday he happened to find a pen. If there’s paper around, we can usually avoid a disaster, but like I said I was searching for something and didn’t notice the pen. By the time I got back, Blue Eyes had turned himself into living artwork. Thank goodness it’s usually easy to get off of him.

Blue Eyes becomes Living Artwork

Blue Eyes woke me up super early just to play in a box and watch tv. He loves the box forts daddy set up in the living room. I love that he crawls out of the box when there is music and sits there wiggling his little butt to dance. My little string bean has some rhythm. That definitely came from my side of the family because daddy can’t dance. Thank goodness he is such a morning person, I was not ready to wake up, and he’s been entertaining himself all morning.

My final great news yesterday was when I walked in the door. Hubby had the day off and had cleaned up almost every room in the house. They weren’t spotless, which is virtually impossible with our wild boy, but they were cleaner than they have been in a while. You could see a couple areas where he had cleaned and little fingers had followed behind tearing things back up. It was so great to see all of my hubby’s hard work. He did a lot of cleaning that’s been driving me crazy, but I haven’t been able to do. Including pick stuff off the floor that I’m having a hard time reaching these days! Then to wrap up a great day, hubby went and got pizza while we watched one of our favorite tv series. Even Blue Eyes approved of the pizza.

Blue Eyes eating Pizza