Sewing For Baby, Part 3

I've been using homemade diaper covers for a few years now, and I absolutely love them!  They are awesome: simple, inexpensive, long-lasting, and they work great!  I had only made the medium and large sizes, so I decided that it was time to add some small ones to my stash for this baby.

I've used a different color thread for each size so I can tell them apart easily.  The five I made should be plenty to go along with the non-homemade ones I already had (although I love the homemade ones so much better, I just may feel the need to make a few more!).  Then, to go along with them, I made a new wet bag since the vinyl I used inside the old one (before I discovered PUL fabric) was tearing.  This one should last much longer, although I'm starting to wish I had made it a bit larger. 

Sewing for the Boys

I feel like I always do a flurry of sewing before a new baby is born, as though I'm afraid I won't ever have time to sew again!  Of course I know that's not true - I'll always find time to do a little sewing!

This time, it was the boys' turn to receive some handmades!

Ezra received some cute polo shirts for his birthday, and I wanted to make him a pair of plaid shorts to go with them, so I did!  I used my usual tracing method to make these, and I love them.  The outfit makes him look a little too grown up, though!  =)

Benjamin must have had a growth spurt recently, because all of a sudden most of his pants were too short on him.  He's obviously harder on his clothes than he used to be, as well, because none of them were savable for Ezra - instead they had to be cut up for rags!

Just for fun, I decided to make him a new pair of pants.  I wanted something a bit more polished looking, so instead of using my tracing method for these, I decided to try this free pattern.  I used the flat front version, adjusting it to fit Benjamin, and added pockets.  I'm really happy with how they turned out - definitely more professional looking than having an elastic waist all the way around, as I would have done without the pattern.  The one change I would make is to place the pockets a bit higher next time.  Benjamin likes them, though, and has already worn them several times, which I consider the highest compliment, especially given the fact that he's quite picky about his clothes these days!  I'd love to make him another pair or two for fall, but we'll see if that happens!

Sewing for Baby, Part 2

Before Benjamin was born, I received what became my favorite burp cloths - they were handmade, with a layer of flannel and a layer of terry cloth.  The perfect combination of soft and absorbent and I reached for them first over all the others I had.  I kept using them with Joanna and Ezra, but Ezra latched on to them, too, and they became his comfort item.  No finger or thumb sucking for him - he has his "rag".  He's not about to give them up, so I knew I would have to make new ones for this baby.

Fortunately, I've already been making my own version of these burp cloths for a while now, both to give as gifts and to sell, so it was easy for me to whip up my own stash.  I always prefer to use what I have rather than buy new, so I ended up with a combination of boy, girl, and neutral fabrics, and I'll just use all of them no matter what we have.  It really doesn't matter anyway, especially since the original ones were pink - and Ezra carries those ones around everywhere!  As a side note - I have made him some "boy" ones, but he'll only use those in an emergency - he prefers the pink ones!

I ended up with a stash of ten burp cloths, which should be plenty!  For now they're tucked in a basket on my night stand - perfect for grabbing in the middle of the night!  =)

Today...

Happy Father's Day to the dads in my life, my Dad, my Grandpa, my father-in-law, and of course, the daddy to my kiddos, Seth.  Thank you all for your love, support, dedication to, and sacrifices for your families.  I love you!

A New Favorite: Homemade Sports Drink

We don't use sports drinks very often around here - I only buy them when we're sick.  The kids don't like them, however; last time they were sick I had to make Gatorade Popsicles to get them to have some. One look at those brightly colored bottles, though, and it's obvious that there is plenty of bad there along with the good.  So I was excited when I came across this recipe for a homemade sports drink.

Simple ingredients and easy to make - my favorite kind of recipe!  I tried it out and was pleased with the results!  It's a light, delicious, refreshing drink, and best of all, the kids loved it, too!  I can tell that it would taste good when sick, but we think it's good to drink anytime, especially on warm summer days! Since we rarely have juice, it's a nice change of pace from just plain water, and it's healthy!  I'm planning to keep the ingredients on hand this summer so we can whip some up anytime.

A couple of notes: I always make a double batch, since a single batch is barely enough for all of us to have just one glass (and then I use up the whole lemon!).  Also, we think it tastes best after it's sat in the fridge for several hours and the flavors have had a chance to combine fully.

Two.

It's hard to believe that this little bundle turned two this past week...

While Ezra's still a mommy's boy that wants to be involved in everything I am doing, he's also a very independent, busy, adventurous little boy.  He loves to follow along with everything his big brother and sister do, and he is definitely my biggest risk-taker (with the marks to prove it - he's the only one thus far who's had stitches!).  He's a great talker - I love listening to his little thoughts!  He's also doing great at potty training, which is so helpful to me!

We had a simple dessert celebration with family last weekend, then spent his birthday quietly at home with just the five of us.  It was a beautiful day, so we did get to enjoy dinner outside!  

We keep gifts pretty simple in our family, especially at these young ages, so he received a fun pillowcase and fleece blanket for his bed.  We did want to get him some kind of toy, so we chose to add on to the train set the kids have.  They needed a few more trains, anyway, and we also got some more track pieces, including some "Y" pieces that greatly expand their building options.  A treat in the form of M&Ms rounded out his gifts, and he was a happy boy!  

The two boys, in particular, love the trains, so they had fun trying out the new pieces.