Thinking about the past year

As I have been sitting here not able to sleep and watching trashy TV, I have been thinking about our past year. This time last year I was still pregnant with Evelyn and things were going so well. Grace was in kinder and learning so much so fast. Evelyn's birthday is just about a week and with that I have been thinking about her journey as well as remembering Grace's journey. Even though both girls were born so early their time in the NICU was so different. Grace had to fight so hard for so long and had SO many complications. Evelyn had to prove herself as well, but her stay was less complicated and smooth.

Evelyn has grown so much this year. She is already eating table food, crawling and pulling up to standing. We have been so shocked as she does things. We are not use to a child doing things when they are suppose to. Evelyn surprises us each day with all her new skills. I have caught myself at times looking at her thinking, "Um should she be doing this," and like a first time mother going to the books and seeing if what she is doing is normal. 

I am so thankful that she is hitting these milestones at a good pace, but at times I feel upset and worry about how will her and Grace be together. Am I raising them to respect each other and not be jealous towards each other for how they are physically and their abilities? When or will the questions come from Grace about if we both were in the NICU how come she can see and I can't? How do you answer those questions? There isn't a book at Barnes and Noble that I can read, I have looked. I know these things are coming and we do our best to be ready.

Along the line of thinking a new development came about this year. Grace has really started to ask questions about her and Alex. Hard questions, ones we didn't think would come later in life. I guess the spark of all the above thinking has come from Grace wanting to know more. It is hard, not going to lie. I don't know how to answer some of them, I don't know how I should tell her what she wants without all the details that are not appropriate for her age. We are working on it and when the questioning gets tough we turn to a counselor for Grace. Brad and I can talk about it a lot, but it still hurts and we are also learning how to show our emotion about Alex, but keep it in check too.

So with all that mushy stuff we have had GREAT things!!  Grace is reading so well and she LOVES to run. She runs all the time and it is something that she is very good at. She is getting better at writing and her drawings are wonderful. She is great with Evelyn and can get her sister to giggle like no one can. Evelyn has grown SO much. She is weighing in at 18lbs! She is our little piggy and has dimples for miles just like her sister.  Here are some highlights of our year.

A very rare standing moment. Just days before Evelyn was born

Just one day old.

About 2 weeks old. Finally getting to see her hair.

Meeting her sister for the first time.

Yup dimples just like Grace.

Finally a meeting face to face and getting to touch. Such joy!

So pitiful.

After 95 days getting to go home.

Graces ballet recital.

Just Grace

Sleeping beauty

You looking at me?

Read to move.

My little princesses.

Are we done here?

She is mostly this happy, but don't let it fool you.

Cookies, one of her food groups.

Happy New Year's to you all. I hope that 2011 brings you joy, love and plenty of memories.

Day 6!! FINISHED!!

Drum roll please.... I am finished with my quilt!  Yes done! I am just about to get this post done and curl up with it on my comfy chair. I have many areas to work on. Binding seems to be my next goal. I tried to machine stitch it on.  What was I thinking?? I know now that hand stitching would be better and easier.  Note to self. That is the good part about doing new things and learning, you always find a way to do it better and easier the next time.

Sewing the binding on to the right side of the quilt.

Sewing the binding. Lesson learned hand stitch this next time.

Finished product. The quilt is about 6.5 ft by 5.5ft.

Here you can see the backing. 

I am now about to log off and start my search for more fabric for my next project.  I have made good notes of my areas I need to work on.

More sewing

Here are the latest two fat quarter bags.

Day 5

So excited to post this today!!  My quilt has been quilted!!  I went over the my mother-in-laws and we hooped it on her long arm quilting machine and away it went. It is just so pretty. Tomorrow I will be working on the binding and then have the finished product. I have also made two more fat quarter bags for friends of mine. I am just loving sewing again. I forgot how much I loved it. Now the hunt begins for fabric. I am making a quilt for Grace and of course it has to be pink.

This is the machine.

Marcia basting at the top of the quilt

Ready to go!

This is the design I chose for the quilting. I love it!

Found a pattern!

Well I have found my next quilt pattern. I am excited to get started, just need to purchase the fabric first. I am thinking of making it for Grace. So I will most definitely go with pinks, just need a good border color to go with it since each block is sort of outlined in the same color.

Things to work on for this next quilt.

1. My cutting. I need to get my cuts straighter
2. Measuring. Need to do this more often
3. Not getting upset with myself.  HA!

On a side note I have been pumping for the past 11 months now. I have decided, not lightly, to take my life back a tad. I am going to be shutting down the dairy farm this weekend. I am praying that it will not be too painful and go quickly like it did after Grace.  We will see. This will be my 3rd time to try, last two times were too painful for me.  Benefit this time is that Grace is sick, not the benefit, but that I will be staying home with her and being at home when you let the dairy farm dry up it easier.

Busy Weekend

Evelyn is finally up on all fours! So far raising Evelyn has been so different than Grace. She is pretty much hitting the milestones right on target. It is very different from Grace and all our struggles to get her mobile.

What a long weekend we have had. Busy probably doesn't describe it well enough. Brad and I had a real date this Friday night!! We danced the night away! The next morning I had to be across town for a workshop, followed by a birthday party and then a ladies night out with my Sunday School girls. Today was a very busy day. Church followed by vespers later that night.  I am very ready for a hot bath and my bed. I think if you listen carefully you can hear my bed calling me.  ;o)

Lots of after school events makes for a long week

So our first week back after the Thanksgiving holiday is so busy I can't believe that today is Wednesday and the school day is over!  Really?? Good in the fact the week has gone by fast, but man it has been long. Every night this week we are some where and there late. I have crashed each night. I don't think I have even moved a bit as I have slept. Our church is getting ready for Vespers this Sunday and the whole family, minus Evelyn, is involved in it some how. Grace is singing, Brad is playing in the orchestra and I am ringing my bell choir.  Goodness I think we need a full time nanny/house manager or something to help us out. (Been watching too much Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)

So I am still looking for my next sewing project. I think I might make the girls a matching dress and then get started on another quilt. I have been looking but nothing has jumped out at me yet.


That is all for today. I am headed to do some tutoring and then finally headed home.