My Diaper Bag

I accomplished something really great last week, something I totally didn't have the confidence in doing myself, but once my sister got here I finally felt like I had the back up I needed. I started and finished a big sewing project (it was big to me). I never start sewing because I feel like I don't know enough about it and that I'll just end up seam ripping over and over again and eventually giving up and waisting all that money on something I never finished. 

I sewed a new Diaper Bag for myself. And I can't take all the credit. 

First off there was this tutorial: Hip Mama Diaper Bag where we got the basic idea of what I wanted, although we did adjust it a bit.

And then there was Jared: he did all the math and created a blue print of what I wanted. I wanted my bag to be a bit bigger than the one in the tutorial, with slightly different pockets, and without a top flap cover. He also wrote out how many of each piece I would need. And then he created the whole pattern on fancy grid pattern paper for me! He is totally awesome.

And then there was my sister EmJ (as I like to call her): She took fashion studies in school (something I wish I had done) and she has sewn alot of things, even a quilt. But she helped me pick out the fabric (and had a ton of patience with me through it), helped me pin and cut out all the pieces (she is super fast), she helped me figure out the zipper. And my favourite thing about her was that she never tried to take over, or do it for me! She totally cheered me on and made me feel like I was doing a great job. It was a really great experience, and I feel like I have learned alot about her.

Now that thats been said heres the bag:

The fabric that took me a good 2 (painful) days to find. We bought WAY too much fabric and didn't end up using the red (it's actually more coral in real life) at all. And this picture sucks, but later in the post you will see it better in some natural light.

Em's pinning and cutting. 

The grid paper pieces is the pattern Jared did up all on his own. 

We interfaced most of it, although if I were to do it again I would interface more (ie. the lining as well as the outside).

Emily was only here for a week, and since it took so long to find fabric she was only here for the beginning of the sewing stuff, and never actually saw it become a bag. But she helped me assemble all the pieces, including completing the zipper pocket (something I was oddly nervous about doing), and the pocket pieces.

Once all the little pieces were assembled we sewed them into one big exterior...

...and the liner (this is the piece I will interface next time)...

...then this is what they would look like sewn together (but in this pic they weren't yet)

 I wish I would have taken more pictures of the process, but I didn't. And I think that's because the tutorial I used was pretty good, so if you want to know how I did the zipper and how I sewed it all together you can refer to the link at the top of the post.

But here is the finished product: and I'm pretty stoked about it.

Front view: I put a regular travel size wipes case so you can get an idea of the size. 

It has two pockets on the front.

Side view. You'll notice the strap in this one. I sewed it in differently than the tutorial. I actually sewed it in between the outer fabric and liner fabric, it took us a while to figure out how to lay it inside the bag to get it to come out right. But luckily it worked and we didn't have to unpick the top and do it over!

Back view: Zipper pocket, it takes up the whole back panel of the bag. (the monkey is hanging off the open pocket)

Inside view: Three pockets here, and they are nice and big, can each hold alot of diapers or whatever else. Again I put the wipes case in one to get an idea of sizing.

Top: I sewed a magnet in between the two fabrics to hold it closed when I needed. I love that you can't really tell there is a magnet there. In the tutorial she uses a big piece of fabric like a flap to cover the top, but I like mine to be a bit cleaner looking so I opted out of the flap and just did magnets and I love it!

Side/Front view: The side pockets are the perfect size for my wallet, which was totally unplanned, but so great.

Also I think you should note how well everything lines up, the pockets and what not. Mostly due to my husbands superior pattern making skillzzz. 

And don't mind the almost-full-term-preggo in this picture, it's just to give you an idea of the size of the bag once again.

And that's it. 

I am pretty proud of the finished product, and I want to do another one. 

I love that I will be able to wash it if needed.

And I love that it is mine. There is no other like it.

I love the size of it, my current bag is about half it's size and it just barely fits all the stuff I need for one kid (plus me), so I think this will be great for two kids.

I don't plan to use it until the new baby comes. In fact I plan to pack some of the stuff I need to bring to the hospital in it and have it ready to go with the carseat.

And heres my question for you:

Do you like it, enough to have one for yourself?

If you don't, no hurt feelings. But I am seriously considering sewing some more like this (with different fabric) and selling them. 

So if you think you want one let me know. Leave me a comment with your email or something, or if we're friends on FaceBook send me a message and we can discuss it a little more. 

24

This past Thursday I turned 24! And it was a pretty good day. One of my parents presents to me was to send my sister out for a whole week to help me out. It was great having her, she just left this morning, and I tried to think of every way to get her to stay longer but she does have a life back at home. 

The morning of my birthday Jared made me waffles and Em's helped beautify me for the day. Then Emily and I were off to the spa. We got deluxe pedicures and since there was a 50% deal going on we also got some manicures too! It was so awesome being pampered, it's not something I do... like ever. And my pregnant feet/legs needed all the love they could get!

By the time we got done there it was 2pm and I was so hungry, so we picked up Jared and Kasper and headed to grab some subway sandwiches and Booster Juice Smoothies (I love Booster Juice, but it's pretty expensive so this was a special treat)

In  between Subway and Booster Juice I had to give my stomach time to make a little room so we headed to a park, it was classified as a "workout park"...haha it was funny and kinda pathetic.

But it was HOT out so we grabbed out smoothies and opted to head home to put my already very swollen feet up in our air-conditioned living room and watch a movie. Seriously the edema is getting pretty bad these days. 

Jared made me a delicious dinner, and of course no birthday would be complete without a DQ ice-cream cake!

In all honesty it wasn't just a good day, I really had a fantastic week. Jared deems the whole week before my birthday to be "birthday week" and I never had to make dinner, do dishes, etc all week. I even get "birthday eve". He does something special for me everyday that week even if its just a slurpee treat. And he wishes me a "Happy Birthday Wednesday","... Thursday","... Friday" (and so forth). He's pretty great.

One Handed

It's official I only have enough weeks for one hand these days.

   

35 weeks and feelin it.

Ultrasound

I know there are some people out there who really don't care for ultrasound pictures, and they think they are creepy or whatever (cough *Dad* cough). But I like them! So they are going up on here.

At my last couple appointments I was measuring a little big (but let's be honest when I got pregnant my body was a little above average, therefore making the little bit of extra measurement she was getting more due to my extra bit of chunk I have on me than to the little chunk I have growing inside me) so she gave us the option the get a second ultrasound, of course we said yes! 

We love to be able to see her features, not just feel her in there but really get an idea of what she might look like. It is so surreal to me that I have a little person growing inside my abdomen! Like it actually kind of blows my mind every time I think about it.

So in this one the tech said that her little eye was peaking open. It's kinda hard to tell but at the time you could definitely see the difference at times, it was cool to watch.

And beside her face I'm pretty sure is the placenta plus a bit of arm (I meant to ask the tech what the big blob is, but I know my placenta is in that general area, so I assume that's what it is). 

I see a lot of Kasper in these. Jared doesn't think you can see stuff like that, but I totally can. We'll have to put up comparison pictures once she's out.

Either way I think she's going to be pretty cute (so biased I know) and mentally I am good with her staying in there a bit longer, but my body sure begs to have her out daily. It is a little frustrating the strain my body is experiencing. Like I would love nothing more than to take Magoo on a bike ride today but I am scared of the consequences I would have to pay for doing so later. So here I type, contemplating taking him to the pool this afternoon instead. 

Catch'in up.

I realized I have missed posting about somethings. Probably because we didn't have our computer for awhile and so I couldn't add the pictures I wanted to, but we got our computer this weekend and so now I can post about the past, whoot!

First up: Father's Day

So this year we made Jared this awesome candy-gram thing (I may have bought everything in jumbo size so that if he felt like sharing he wouldn't feel jipped...) and we also got him a couple of shirts. Plus cooked a chicken dinner. (oh this also happened to be the day that Chocolate milk was spilt into our computer... Happy Fathers Day! haha)

This is to show the amazing shoulder strap covers I sewed. Who wants straps cutting into their necks!? (the carseat came with some, but I lost one right around the time we sold our old car.)

 Along with summer has come random sleep patterns, but the most consistent thing is that he really likes to wake up somewhere between 5 and 5:30am, yay me!

But we certainly don't mind the extra cuddles when he falls asleep on us!

A slurpee obsession has been created (as well as freezes) some pregnant chick may or may not have contributed to this. Not necessarily me...

 Magoo's dad works at Sobey's in the produce section. But this boy has no interest in seeing his dad when we're there, he does know the fastest route from the front door to the lobster tanks though.

 And everyone knows him so well there that the meat guy has let him touch a lobster (before he knew Jared was his dad) and the last time we were there he brought him behind the meat counter (Jared went with him) to get a view/ hands on the newest batch of lobsters!

(not the best picture, but this is him behind the meat counter)

Canada Weekend. 

Jared had the Saturday off, so we headed out to Regina Beach (about 45min North of Regina) and did a little hike...

Magoo fell asleep (stay tuned for the video)

and Magoo and I played in the lake (it was pretty cold). Who new whales could wear bathing suites and have a farmers tan! well heres your proof... 

(some nice strangers let us borrow their sea dragon for a little ride)

 Summer has brought on hot mornings/days where we love that our rental place has their sprinklers going so we can go play while still in our PJ's!

 ...playing at the park with dad, it was bed time but he had had a late nap that day.

Magoo is aspiring to be the next "Stig"(please refer to the show Top Gear if you don't know what/who that is) either that or Darth Vader...

So here's a little video of the last couple of months. At the end it's pretty dark and you can't see much, but I just think he's too cute in it to leave out. Enjoy!

Top Ten: points that are probably not that interesting to you.

1. The camping trip we were suppose to be on right now, well we didn't end up going.

2. We didn't end up going on our camping trip because last week our car was involved in a hit and run and although insurance covers most of it, we still have to pay the deductable.

3. Another reason we didn't go was because on Sunday Morning (Father's Day) a glass of chocolate milk was accidently broken by a toy flying up onto the table (we won't say who was throwing it...) and milk went spilling into our laptop... also covered by our tenant insurance, thank goodness. But we have a bigger deductable to pay on that than our car!

4. We are both pretty bummed that we aren't going camping anymore, especially cause we had planned to see our good friend Lars. And we haven't seen him in forever.

5. Jared is probably more bummed than I because, a)he has been working his butt off and really really needed the break, and b)lets face it I wasn't that keen on the idea of sleeping in a tent at 32 weeks pregnant, and doing all that camping intails...

6. Jared wrote his final for his spring course he took yesterday, whoop whoop! We are both so releived that is over, the intesity of that course was not expected on my part and I wasnt even the one taking it!

7. Regina is soo sooo humid and hot right now. I feel like I should be living by an ocean.

8. The heat is making me realize what exactly being pregnant in the summer is going to be like, I'm considering never leaving my house so I can wear minimal amounts of clothing at all times...

9. Although I have mentioned this before it never gets easier for me. I very much dislike prep for dinner. Like the planning what to eat and crap like that, I don't hate making it, I just hate figuring out what the crap to eat all the time.

10. I never cared for slurpees before I was pregnant but now I want them all the time. But today instead of caving I made Magoo and myself smoothies. It was satisfying for today.




Splash'in in puddles

the Two Hand Count Down

It's official, I can now count down the weeks till my "guess date" on two hands! And I am in no rush to speed that up at the moment. 

Sure I'm sore and feeling huge, feeling limited and tired a lot of the time.

But I am also very grateful that I get this time, for so many reasons. 

I am grateful that I am able to bare children, to feel the kicks and rolls. Grateful that I have this time to spend with Magoo before his life gets flip-flopped around (for the better if you ask me). Grateful that I have time to prepare myself better for life with 2 children (not that I think I will ever feel totally ready). Grateful for a husband who has great patience and love, and always willing to help me out.

 Grateful for all that this process teaches me.

And one more thing I would be totally grateful for if it so happened I could be blessed with such a blessing. A massage. No seriously, I am so sore, and with Magoo I was getting them weekly at this point (back when I had really good benefits!). Jared has offered to get one for me if I find a place I approve of (I can be picky), but I told him I'm afraid if I get one I will long to have more! 

Other than that Magoo is trying to keep me active, we even went for a good long bike ride the other day (totally overdid it and was so pooped by the end). He did get sick over the weekend which I was glad, and exhausted from. Glad cause he wanted lots of cuddles (cuddles = a good excuse to get NOTHING done in my house), and exhausted cause all he wanted was his Momma... all the time.

I feel like I have officially gone into prep mode, and at least have started thinking about all the things I should do before this new babe comes. Number one on the list: go camping? haha call me crazy but in a couple weeks we are headed to Yellowstone National Park for our first (and probably only) camping trip of the summer.