Pre-Baby To Do List

I'm into the 3rd trimester with baby #3. This picture was taken 2 weeks ago, so now it's 10 weeks away.

While I haven't actually done much, I've been making a list in my head of all the things I need to get done before this little guy comes. Maybe writing it down will help motivate me.

1. Make new baby bedding. I have boy bedding that my mom made for me when Hero was a baby. But I wanted a new set that matched the new boy room I am creating in our new home. I wanted geometric patterns, and I wanted them to not be really "baby". I also wanted several different patterns to mix together.

 I search through 3 stores with my paint cards, yarn and curtain fabric, taking pictures and looking for a perfect match.

Finally, I found these! All the right colors and 5 of them! Enough for multi colored bumpers, the skirt and 2 sheets. Woohoo!

I will be using the pattern from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones book for the bumpers and the crib skirt, (anna from noodlehead used it here), but I'm going to leave out the pockets in the bumpers. For the sheets I'm going to use MADE's tutorial.

2. Finish the crochet blanket and hat set. I like to crochet a blanket for each of my babies. I used this same pattern for my sister's last little boy (here) and loved it. I picked the colors to match the boy room I'm putting together. I also will make the same hat I did for my nephew, too.

3. Unpack and re-wash the little baby clothes. When Pretty was a baby, I pulled out the white onesies and pajamas from Hero. When I went through the boxes, I was surprised at how yucky dirty all the clothes seemed! I swear I washed them before packing them away! Well, I found this pin on Pinterest and knew I had to do that before the new baby came.

4. Make a Straight Jacket Swaddler, and maybe a few burp cloths. All I have for me is the "prototype" of the swaddler I made for Pretty, with felt for the Velcro to stick to. It's not as good and ripped holes... plus it's pink. I'm going to make a new awesome one from my tutorial. Burp cloths will depend on what I find when I wash all the clothes. I can't remember how many I had, or what size they were...

5. Make a sock monkey. This one could be an after-the-baby-comes project, since I don't need it until the baby is one month old (like the other kids).


6. Sew Pretty's curtains. I know this isn't really baby related... that's why lower on the list. I want to get the curtains for Pretty's room sewn and hung before the baby comes because I've had the fabric FOREVER and haven't made them yet. Maybe this deadline will make sure it gets done?

7. Sew a new quilt for Hero. I bought the Houndstooth quilt pattern from V and Co. back in October. The plan was to make it for Christmas. Then I couldn't function as a human being with the infection and all. I now have the fabric, and I hope I can make it before his birthday in July (when I will have 1 month old)... This one might not happen, let's be honest.

Wish me luck. I'll check in with the projects as I complete them. 10 weeks until my new baby boy comes I hope I at least get half this list done before then!

Taiwan Trip To Do List Status

With all the craziness going on at my house lately, I'm surprised that I was able to get all of my project list completed. . . Well, except for the neck pillow that my awesome sister, Audrey, made for me. . . and the luggage tags that I hopefully will make today. I tried yesterday, but my printer wouldn't feed the fabric through all the way and kept getting jammed. I'm just going to use a normal heat transfer and do it that way.

First off, here's the fabric high chair for Pretty. I used the dimensions listed on Homemade by Jill here, with the adjustment to the suggested smaller length around the waist strap.

We tested it out at the Chinese New Year dinner celebration last week.

Pretty liked it and I do too!

Next is the "Bib-Maker Clip" (I just made that name up). I used an elastic clip normally used to hold women's shirts in at the back, cut it in half and added fabric in between. I'll make up a mini tutorial for it when I get back.

Now I can add any rag, napkin, or washcloth and have a bib for her.

Hero's car caddy. I followed the tutorial from Homemade by Jill and love it! It was simple and it's going to be great.

We packed it with 6 new cars for him.

This next project I decided on last minute and it was so easy, I'm glad I thought of it. We are bringing a portable DVD player we borrowed from my sister. At first, I thought I could only bring a few movies because of how much space they would take up. Then I remembered something I had seen a year or more ago. With a tutorial here, I turned this pile:

into this!

12 movies!! Wahoo for options!

We are all packed and ready to go!! On today's agenda: clean the house so I don't have to come home to a mess. Wish me luck! (on the cleaning and the trip. I'll need it for both.)

After playing in the "fridge" I had to convince Hero that he can't ride in the luggage to Taiwan...

"A Handyman's Dream!"

I currently live in my in-law's basement. It has been a great experience for many reasons. One is that I am learning how to cook more Chinese dishes from my mother-in-law. My husband sure is a fan of that! 

While we are happy with our current living situation, the goal is to find and buy a home in the fall. Since I know next to nothing about buying a home, I have been asking advice from family and friends. I have also been searching for homes online. I'm a bit skeptical with how fantastic the agents make the homes sound in their descriptions, especially when there aren't pictures to prove it. There is one phrase I have learned to avoid. The phrase is, "a handyman's dream home!" The close second is, "great home needs some love!"

Oh boy.

But what is funny to me is that about a month ago, I found this little guy at the thrift store for $12, and decided it was worth getting and fixing up.

It has a pretty front,

an open back for play,

but it is definitely a handyman special. With all the carpet ripped out and the window glass busted out,

the paint chipped

and the wallpaper peeling.

Plus it's just plain dirty and dusty.

This little house sure needs a lot of love.