The Time Has Arrived...It's a...BOY!

(Picture courtesy of Delfina K. Photography An amazing photographer!)

We welcomed Baby Arion Jacob Rakic on Monday, October 25th at 6:03AM. He was 7lbs 7oz and 19 inches long!

He is an amazing baby. Quiet, sweet and a great sleeper...already noticably different than his older brother.

Arion's Birth Story:

After a number of trips to Labor and Delivery in the preceding weeks, I didn't take my contractions very seriously when they started on Sunday night. I have been having contractions on and off for weeks. These contractions seemed no different! Contractions 5-6 minutes apart for about an hour, but not intensifying. I figured it was just going to be another obnoxious Sunday night. You know another...Here we go again!

This time was different. After a bit of heavy spotting, the doctor said it was time to come in. She said this time I would be leaving the hospital with a baby...no more false alarms! Thank goodness! So, off we went!

We checked in to the hospital around 11:30 and the contractions started to get closer together and more intense. Yet, contractions were completely manageable. I just had to wait for the pain to plateau. I knew if I stayed focus and relaxed I could manage through them. It was only bad when I was stuck in bed! I was amazed how easy that part was! I never really thought I would go through with a natural delivery...it was more like...if I can I will, but I am not opposed to an epidural! I just had the mentality that "We would take it as it comes"!

After a few rounds of antibiotics and several hours on the birthing ball, it was finally time to push! It was at about this moment that I seriously questioned my decision to go natural...ok ok...I admit it...it was at this moment I started begging my nurses and midwife for some sort of pain meds. Something...ANYTHING! Finally my water broke (completely) and down came baby. The pressure was unforgettable! At that moment I wanted to crawl out of my skin. But, after just 3 rounds of pushing (only 8 minutes) out he popped! Clean as a whistle!

As they rolled him over and prepared Chris to cut the cord is when I spied his little package...there it was...I had another boy! Not the girl I have convinced myself I was having! My hubbie immediately started screaming..."it's a boy! Another Boy...Thank you G~D!" I thought I might be disappointment, but I was pleasantly surprised at how ecstatic I was to have another boy. Although I would love to have a little girl at some point, I would be totally content to have a house full of boys! They are such an amazing blessing!Now, My son was going to have a brother to pal around with! Together they can conquer the world!


My hubbie

Pregnancy Update

Well, I am already 31.4wks preggo. Although in retrospect it has gone by quickly it seems like day to day is passing SO SLOWLY. I wish I could say this was a problem free pregnancy, but no such luck. I have always heard that each pregnancy is different...boy are they right!! Now, the contractions has slowed to a few random contractions every few days. Yet, I am extremely uncomfortable and often get very crampy and sore if I do much of anything. So, although my contractions have calmed, my doctor is keeping me on bedrest.

As if that is not enough, I am anemic again...yeah iron suppliments! Yet that is not the best of it all. This doctors appoitnment revealed my platelet count is down yet again. It is now the lowest it has been much to the dismay of my OB. They are doing some additional research into my pre-preggo levels and my levels during my last pregancy. I now have to get my bloodwork done monthly to see where my levels are at. I will find out later this week or the first of next week if I need to see a specialist.

The major concern is if my platelet count drops below a certain level during delivery my blood may not clot correctly leading to an increased loss of blood. When I asked if it could affect the baby, the dr basically said that that is why we wanted to get things under control now. It may simply require monitoring, or it might require steroid shots and a platlet infusion. I don't really know too much yet, but it definietly does make me nervous and I have way more questions than answers. I just pray everything will be ok for both me and baby!

Room for Construction

My hubbie finally decided it was time to tear up the carpet in AJ's room, so, we now have beautiful (easy to clean) wood floor AND freshly painted walls. Which is a great start to setting up the room for both kids. Now, if I can only get him to finish the baseboards...he has so much free time now..lol! Between taking AJ to school, checking in on his mom, working, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry...I don't think it tops the priority list! Rightfully so!

AJ has a new addition to his room in the form of a giant new Thomas the Tank Engine bed. Something he has totally fallen in love with!!! I guess with a new baby coming everyone needs something new and special.




It has taken me forever to decide on what I wanted for the new nursery since it will be shared with the new Thomas bed. I decided on Dr.Seuss. I mean he is classic and the bright colors will work well with the Thomas blue and red.



I have decided to wait on the quilt since we never used it with AJ. I have a duvet cover already made out of the striped fabric. I think that will be enough. It will make for a great, soft play area for the new baby. Now, all I have to do is wait for the ABC embroidered piece and then I can get my sew on!

It's contractions and bed rest..Oh My!

In one week, I soent 2 days in L&D for monitoring due to pre-term contractions. Let me tell you it was a blast. The first time was due to a positive fibronectin test, the dr called at 3pm on Wednesday and said go immediately for monitoring. Five hours later, I was finally released and sent home on full bedrest. Then, I was having small braxton hicks type contractions, but nothing steady or all too painful. Then, Saturday came around...they started light and progressed in to contractions that had me doubled over in pain. Now, remember this ain't my first rodeo...so, I knew these were cause for concern. Didn't help that I had ignored the drs. orders on Friday and went with my hubbie to pick out a preschool for our son! OOps!

Hubbie was immediately on the phone with my OB, waking up and packing up my son who was to be delivered to the in-laws before a valient sprint to L&D..AGAIN!!! It was a great practice run! We showed up at L&D and it was packed...PACKED!!! Not a single room open, even the triage rooms were full. (It just so happened to be a full moon!) We had to wait over 30 minutes for a room and OF COURSE my contractions stopped by the time I was actually all hooked up. They monitored everything for about 5 hours, ran a ton of tests and ultrasounds. My cervix has shortened to 28mm, which they said can definitely be causing the preterm labor. The nurse said anything less than 30mm prior to 32 weeks can put me at risk.

Needless to say, we were released just after midnight and sent home again obviously on bedrest. I should do nothing other than be in bed and get up to potty. Yeah me! The good news is since I have been actually really good this time around I have not continues to have a very many contractions. At max 3 in an hour...4 in an hour would send me back to the hospital! I can definitely feel the difference though. There are days when even getting up and walking to the fridge seems like a hike!

Monday is my next OB appointment and my hubbie has decided this is one he would like to attend. I am sure they will do more tests, but who knows. Maybe the fact that the bedrest seems to be working and no more trips to L&D will be enough. I doubt I will be off bedrest until we get to the safe weeks (32+). But, I am excited to say I was able to preregister at the hospital today, so, that means we are on count down. 90 days until my due date...I hope they fly by...not too fast though!

I figure this baby just wants to have a birth story that outshines his/her brothers...hence all the complications!

Potty Training Success

Just wanted to send you all a quick update on our overall potty training successes. This is has been a LONG tretcherous war, but one we are finally winning.

First MAJOR Victory: AJ has finally decided that he does not need to pee pee in his carseat any more. So, we are able to go out without a half his wardrobe in the car. He has gone more than a week without any accidents! YEAH!!!

Second MAJOR Victory: Not only is AJ starting to go #2 in the potty...on his own, BUT he has decided he NO LONGER needs to poo poo on the floor! Yes, I said the floor! AJ now has a small potty that we keep in his room and he routinely uses it at nap time..or in the morning before he comes to get us! He actually poo pooed in it on his own during nap time! We were so impressed and super excited that we didn't have to clean a poopy floor! As you can imagine, I am SO OVER poopy floors! Looks like we can finally get new flooring soon!

You might be asking, why does he poop on the floor...your guess is as good as mine. He started taking his diaper off (even when in a onesie) when he was 14 mo old...hence the early start to potty training. Even now, he outright refuses to wear a diaper (at night or during naps). Luckily, he overall is waking up dry from naps and even overnight!

So, finally we have made some MAJOR progress over the last few weeks! Looks like he finally turned the corner! Keeping my fingers crossed! I am so ready to be DONE potty training...I was praying we would be done before the new baby...looks like my dreams may come true!

Diaper, Diapers Everywhere!

At least that is what my husband is saying! You see, in our small little house there is no room for a craft room or nook. So, instead, I have small card table that I house my sewing machines on when I am working and a few crates for all my fabric and remnants. Yet, the bar top is still covered currently with pattern pieced, stacks of finished diapers, cut pieces waiting to be sew, supplies, ect... I could go on, but I think you get the point!

AJ has learned rather quickly he is not allowed to touch mommies sewing table or any scissors. He is very respectful of that...although I know all those knobs on my machines must be rather tempting!

So, in regards to all those new diapers...here are a few I have crafted recently. I would love to sew and sell at some point, but I am not there yet!
(Sorry for the side shots...I hate that the program automatically rotates to what IT thinks!)

This is a Darling Diaper Unlimited AIO.


These are a mix of covers and pockets! Most of these are Darling Diapers, a few Chloes Toes Side snapping covers and the blue one is a diaper kits pattern.


A close up of the Darling Diaper cover with FOE (Fold over Elastic)!

I will say my favorite new pattern is a the Darling Diaper unlimited. It is very close to the Cloth Revolution pattern, but offers so many more options.
Some options include:
Method of sewing (serging, turned, turning and top stitching),
Choice of closures (snappi, Hook/loop, snap),
Placement of closure (front or side)
Sizing (NB-XL or OS),
Style (AIO or pocket)
Choice of rounded or square tabs.

I prefer square tabs because I find there are not only easier to sew, but also look nicer on the finished product. I also prefer snaps to hook and loop (Velcro). Although snaps do not give you quite as custom a fit, they do hold up better and to not damage any of the other cloth diapers during washing. I have ventured out to making a few one sized diapers...I love this concept, but I am not totally sold on them yet!

I find that the hardest part is figuring out what fabric to use where...especially when you are sewing on a budget. You will see that there are many diapers sew from flannel...many are re purposed flannel receiving blankets. Most of the cotton knit fabric is from Walmart and is $1-$2 per yard. I did splurge on some cute minky fabric while on sale last weekend at Joannes. I have yet to use it though. Figured I would save it until I was feeling 100% with the patterns and sizes. (Definitely not a trial fabric). I am all about keeping the costs down...I want to produce a quality diaper using the most cost effective products...esp. right now while I am at the beginning stages. I am going to start working on some up cycled fitted diapers from t-shirts. I can't wait to get started on those!

Another adorable Dress

Thank you again Jamie at Prudent Baby for coming up with another adorable dress I couldn't resist sewing. I mean what little girl's wardrobe wouldn't be complete without this little getup. Now, all I need is the little girl...or someones little girl is going end up with an amazing dress and diaper collection!

It should be sized for a 6 mo dress or a 9 mo shirt. The adorable thing about this dress is, it can easily be extended by adding another finshed snap extender piece to ensure the armholes are big enough for the larger size. I love this polyester/cotten blend because it will be light in airy just in time for another hot Florida summer.

I am planning to make a matching clothdiaper tomorrow. It is already cut out and ready for sewing...now to decide the hard part. Should it be a pocket or an AIO...hmmm...

Diapers diaper everywhere!

I am still cranking out the diapers. I am in the process of making a stash of small diapers that should fit until about 14 lbs. Considering AJ was only 6lbs at birth, these should last for a few months. Once I have a few more done, I want to make a few diaper covers. Then, on to the medium diapers. I figured it would be best to finish all the smalls first!

My new favorite pattern is from Cloth Revolution. They look more like Bum Genious in shape, but they are pockets. I think I am going to try my hand at a few fuzzi bunz style diapes and then use Chloes Toes pattern for the covers. I'll make a few and then post how it went.

The Cloth Revolution pattern and instructions I adore. They are SUPER easy to sew and I love the square tabs. Plus they turn out very profession looking. I purchased some minky at Joann Fabrics this weekend because they were having a super sale. I can't wait to make a few...it feels glorious!

Here are a few flannel and PUL dipes I whipped up over the past 2 nights! So far so good if I do say so myself!

Will be ever be done?

We started potty training Ante at a very young age because he refused to keep a diaper on. We have progressed nicely, but are really struggling to to get over the last hurdle. He is finally using the big potty for big business which was a major success...let's see how consistent it is. He can go all day at home and out n about with out accidents EXCEPT for one place...the car. He ALWAYS seems to wet himself in the car! It is SO FRUSTRATING! He doesn't full out pee pee just enough to wet his shorts and required a changing! I can't seem to get him past it.

We have put towels down and loosened the belt that goes in between his legs...I have even tried bribery, but nothing seems to have any lasting effect. I REALLY want him fully potty trained before the new baby arrives. I just do now know if it is going to happen. Ugg! Any advice?

Will we ever be done potty training?

Hi Baby!

Time is flying by! I realize now why people have so many picks of their first and so few of their second. When you are trying to keep up with a really active toddler, it leaves little time and even less energy for picture taking. But, I do have new pics of the baby...so I thought I would share.





BTW, no we did not cave. We still have no idea if it is a girl or a boy. In the midle pic, the think that looks like boy parts...well, sorry, but this is a knee that dropped down as the tech took the picture. Neither of us look when the tech was taking pics of the "crotch".

Isn't he/she so cute! I can't wait...well maybe I can! :)

Daddies are the bomb!

Isn't it amazing what daddies will do for their little one.

I bet you never thought you would see a 6'1"+ man crawling around in a McDonalds play area and even sliding down the slide. Well, here ya go...



It was so cute to watch them play together! We were there as a special treat for a perfect day of behavior...actually a few days of amazing behavior. So, AJ got a cheeseburger happy meal (Eeek!) of which he ate the entire thing! Then, he played for about an hour...the majority of the time with daddy and a few other little darlings! It was so much fun! I will say though...those places are not made for a pregnant, claustrophobic mama! I couldn't get out of there fast enough!

Bring on the Obsession!

I remember what an obsession cloth diapering was when AJ was little. All the patterns and styles...you quickly want them ALL!!!! Well, the cloth diapering bug has already hit me and this little one is not even here yet! I am in trouble!

Sewin has been a huge stress relief with me...always has been! Plus, it is something I love! I am not a master at it and I never seem to have enought consistant time to hone my skill, but that doesn't stop me. I had my hubbie pull out my machines and took over the dining room. It will be dinners on the couch for a little while...or longer depending on how quickly I can get working.

I have to say planning for the what I was going to sew and what materials I was use took a boat load of tie. I think I was just nervous to actually jump in and get started! Yet, picking out the pattern was the biggest challenge. How do you know what pattern will fit best? I would hate to make a bunch of dipes and then not have any of them work. But...then again you have to start somewhere.

So, jump in the deep end I did! And, I do have to say...my first turned out really well. I started with a pocket using the the Tighty White Hipster pattern from Little Commet Tails.I have head great things about this pattern, specifically the narrowness of the crotch section. Something that can often get out of control in some cloth diapers.

Working with the PUL was a challenge because I do not have a special foot for my machine...I will be buying these soon to make things a lot simplier! Anyway, enough talking about it...Here is my first attempt!




Here is my pocket: The ladybug material is a flannel with a hidden PUL layer to make it water proof. The inner is also a double flannel layer with a small 4 layer jersey sewn in soaker. All it needs now it to be stuffed and worn...come on baby!

Small Bus on Wheels!

Well, things have been really busy lately. I am finally feeling better. No more morning sickness...Yippee! In the mean time I have been consumed with sewing projects. I guess you could say I have swapped blogging about cooking for blogging about sewing. Well, I guess to say that I actually have to write a post about it..lol! That will come next!

I am almost 1/2 way through my pregnancy and can already tell so many difference between this one and the last. First and foremost, I am not a photo hog like I was last time. I keep meaning to take a pic of my belly for all you speculators, but life is so busy right now. I promise I will post one soon.

In preparation for the baby, I have been on the hunt for the perfect double stroller. Well, I think I found it.



Tada! It is the Mountain Buggy Duo with a carrycot. The carry cot comes out and can be transported anywhere. It is very sturdy! Plus, there is a replacement seat, so, when baby is old enough he/she and AJ will each have their own spot.

AJ absolutely adores it and asks everyday if I will stroll him around the house in it. This one is about a year old and I got an absolutely killer deal on it. Hence, the really early purchase. I have wanted a jogger since AJ was little and I finally have one.

The really cool thing about this is it is only (lol!) 29" wide, so, I can go through a regular door with no problems. It is also SUPER easy to stear! I mean so easy even with just AJ in the stroller I can stear with only one hand! Super cool!

The funny thing about double strollers (besides the weight) is the enormity of them! I am so use to my little Peg stroller that I feel like I am driving a bus around. I am relatively short so, I actually feel like the gramma driving the extra wide cadillac. You know the one...you can barely see her head over the stearing wheel! Yep, that is what I feel like. I told my hubbie that he needs to install those horns that beep as I reverse. He just gave me the side eye! I will get use to the whole double stroller thing, but I am really excited to have this beaut in waiting! I guess I can double check that off the list of needed baby supplies! One thing down a kagillion to go!

What's AJ up too?

Well, it is super hot out, so AJ spends atleast a few hours in the backyard everyday. We are still working on our totschool activities, but we always include time to have fun!

This week, we have a had a lot of fun in our kiddie pool. It is interesting beacuse AJ is scared of the big pool. It takes sometime in his big float to get confortable, but he hates it if you try to hold him in the pool. So, no swimming playdates for us. Only kiddie pools and zero entry pools this year.



He is also fascinated with washing things...like his cars...the windows, ect... Interestingly, I have seen AJ doing lots on montesorri activities lately. He loves to get involved!

He also LOVES the MUD! He ALWAYS makes mud when he is outside. The hardest part is keeping him in his suit! Oh and keeping the mud OUTSIDE...lol!



We also love going to the adventure park. We do lots of learning while we are there because AJ loves going to see all the animals. AJ love going and playing in the water with his friends! It is the only way to keep cool. We just bought out tickets to the water park this weekend, so we will be trying that out very soon!





All and all it is turning into a nice, HOT summer, but we are managing to keep cool! How about you?

Just Goin' with the Girl

I have blog that I love to follow called Prudent Baby. The mama there is SUPER craft and always has great projects. Lately she has been making a ton of simple little dresses for her daughter. Now, please take the term "simple" with a grain of salt. They are simple of you are not a beginning sewer. Well, I am a beginning sewer and I have even been able to master a few of these little dresses. They are just too cute to resist. I started with what looked like the simpliest dress, the pillowcase dress.

I still have NO IDEA what we are having and we are not going to find out again. I also, don't have any really strong intuition like I did with Ante...so for now it is just wishful thinking! I have to have a girl at some point...right!

So, here is what I whipped up last night in a few hours. After I figured out the first one, the second went really quickly. I am still working on how to make the armholes the bias tape perfectly. I just might have to call my Aunt on that one. She is an amazing sewer (is that a word) and has a wealth of knowledge I have only recently started to tap into. Anywho...they first one (blue) has a few flaws, but nothing major. The pink one turned out much better.

A diaper sewing adventure

I have been really busy lately. My aunt gave me a serger she no longer uses, so, I have been a sewing machine lately. I descided to start making some wool and fleece diaper covers for the new baby. They are super easy to make and take very little time. I started with some old sweaters I had laying around and re-purposed them into diaper covers and longies. (BTW, I used Katrina's Pattern)
I am going to stop by Goodwill later this week and see if I can score some more wool on the cheap!

Then, I moved on to the fleece. I had some Elmo fleece left over from other project, but I also went to Joann's and bought some. It was so hard to pick out gender neutral petterns. They had some REALLY cute girley fleece, which I think I will go back and pick up...if we end up with another boy I will sell the unused soakers. They all turned out really cute though (and only cost $9 total). I made newborn and small soakers and longies...


I still have more to make, but I couldn't pass up a chance to make a skirtie. It was truly irresistible. I mean just look at it. But, that started a whole new trend...uh oh!



I just might have to make a few more of those...if I ever make it back up to the fabric store..wink wink!

What a whirlwind....

Between a 2nd birthday party, 3 days of training 3 hours away and morning sickness, it seems like it has been forever since last I posted. I do apologize, but we have been doing some really cool things lately. Here is an overview of our last few weeks...

We got a Thomas the Tank Engine Matching Game and AJ plays it almost everyday. He loves to call out the pictures as he puts them down. He usually does every board before moving on. We haven't played with the spinner yet, but I think we are going to try that soon.



We also played with out transpotation cards. AJ really amazed me with what he decided to do with these. First, he laid them out all facing up. Then, without being prompted he sorted them.
Not surprisingly, he collected all the trains first.

Then we talked about things with wheel and things without. So, he collect (and lined up) all the cards with wheels.




Another day we worked on graphing. We took all the color tiles and lined them up according to color. I thought there would be approx the same number of each...I was way off! We talked a lot about colors and the animals on the tiles...AJ enjoyed naming the sound the animal made.


We built houses out of blocks and AJ happily destroyed them as quickly... For some reason Aj has really enjoyed playing in my room lately. He loves to jump in bed under the covers and watch TV. I only let him do this for one episode of Dora. He would watch TV all day if I let him.


Nothing overly crafty this time, but tons of learning. I have some fun, craft activities I will post later this week from St.Patty's day. We had so much fun and we really worked on green fun!

Lastly, we have put together LOTS of puzzles. Something else AJ really enjoys. His new favorite puzzle is this 6 foot long ABC train puzzle. It is nice to have another ABC puzzle with different pictures. Although why do all my puzzles have to take up so much room!

Exciting News!

I am super excited to share that I am appox. 6 wks preggo! Yeah! I am a bit shocked..not that I am pregnant, but that it actually happened (worked)! I don't think it has totally hit me yet, but the morning sickness definitely has!

Ironically we spent the week in Orlando for training after AJ had his 2nd birthday. My hubbie and I got really sick the first night after dinner. Throwing up the whole bit! A definite case of food poisoning! So we were miserable, but I noticed that he started feeling better...Not me! Even when we got home I was still pretty green, so we decided I would take a test just to make sure I wasn't preggo.

Even at 8:30 at night there it was a very bright + sign!



My hubbie and I are super excited. It is still taking a bit of time for it to totally hit me, but it look like we will have another little one roaming around in November!

A Day with Family

My mom was in town for the weekend. It was so great to see her because she lives pretty far away. So, we went over to spend the afternoon with my mom (Mimi), my aunt (Surgi) and my grandmother (Nana).

On our trip over we stopped by this outstanding educational store that is unfortunately going out of buiness. Their misfortune was our awesome find. I got severl great things for AJ's totschool. I bought 2 different sets of picture cards. One set has everyday words on oneside and a picture on another. The other set was all kids of transportation cards. 1 card had a picture of a type of transportation (like a boat) and the word on the back. Then, there was a second card with a peek-a-boo picture that you could match up to determine the whole pictures (for example: there might be a peek-a-boo picture of a tire and you had to match it up to the truck). I also bought 2 posters that had opposites and rhyming words. I plan to cut those up and laminate for later. But, the big find was a set of foam blocks (orig. marked $45.99, marked down to $25.00 with an additional 30% off). In total I spent only $33 for all our treasure. I am super excited.

Needless to say that was a not so quick detour, but we still made it to Nana's in time. AJ was super excited to see Mimi and Surgi. He immediately ran up to them and held both their hands.

Mimi had a really special present for Nana....it was an accordian names Ruby. You see, when Nana moved her precious accordian was lost over 30 years ago. She still talks about it all the time, so the kids decided to suprise her with a new one. We had no idea if she would still remember how to play!

The moment Mimi opened the case, Nana could not believe her eyes. She could not stop smiling! It was such a beautiful moment! She slipped it right on and started playing!

I guess it is like riding a bike because she played every song she could think of... from polkas to She's comin' around the Mountain (she even played You are my Sunshine and Camptown Racers).


AJ just sat back and listened intently to all the music. Then, while we all ooggled and aggled he dove right in to building with his new blocks!




After about an hour of listening to all the beautiful music (and a few not so great moments when Mimi attempted to play) we decided to head off to get dinner. No Nap AJ did pretty good at dinner, it got a bit hairy at the end so Mimi and Surgi took him outside to ride on the carousel. He loved it!



The next evening, Mimi baby sat AJ so Daddy and I could finally go see Avatar! But, before we took off, I snapped a few pics of AJ and his Mimi. AJ didn't Mimi to leave when it was time for his nap, so he made her lay down and then he covered her up before he snugged up with her. It was so precious!




We were all very sad to drive Mimi to the airport. We just hope to see her again soon! We love you and miss you!