Another Fairytale Baby Shower

Fairytale Story Book Baby Shower

I did another Princess Storybook baby shower theme for a niece earlier this year. I basically used the same Princess stuff that I used for my friend in 2013 and changed things up a bit such as the menu and games. I was inspired by some ideas I found on Pinterst as well!

Credits: For my decorations and games, I used Kate Hadfield's happily ever after doodles and pink alpha from The Lily Pad. The papers are by Eva Kipler and Megan Farrow (Studio Flergs). The baby feet stamp is by Shabby Miss Jenn. The Star Frame is by. As for the fonts, I used love ya like a sister, hello chalk talk, Princess BV, and grumble. I saved some Little Golden Books and used a book template to make tiny books. I made a princess diaper cake and pink diaper babies.  I used the following FREE templates: onesies, scalloped circle, book template, purse, diaper and (circle, star, and heart are by Semana Maluca).  The framed girl word art is from Simple Scrapper.

Invitations

The Front of Invitation

Inside Invitation

The Decorations

Flowers and Framed Invitation

Diaper Cake and Babies

Banner

The Buffet Table 

 Princess and Pea Sandwiches

Ariel's Swedish Fish

Cinderella's Magic Wand

Rupunzel's Sugar Cookies and Elsa's Frozen Ice Water

Game: Guess How many Kisses? 

 Parenting Advice for Mom 

Baby Girl Subway Art and another game What is in Your Purse? 

For Baby Chloe

Baby Brother is One!

 12 Incredible Months, 2014!

 Credits: Template is by The Coffee Shoppe Blog, I used the Delilah Kit by Shabby Princess and grumble for the font.
Twelve Facts about Baby Brother
1.  He gives us the best hugs and makes us smile every day!

2.  He has four sharp teeth, two adorable ears, a big head full of mischief, and a wicked chest to navel scar to show off later in life.

3.  He had three surgeries this past year three hernia repairs at three months old, a diaphragmatic hernia repair at six months old, and a g-tube placement at ten months old. We are so blessed that he was very brave and strong!

4.  He loves story time, taking a bath, music, being outdoors, clapping, and stroller rides.

5.  He can be very stubborn during physical therapy, but we cannot blame him!

6.  He can pull himself up to stand, but no signs of crawling or walking yet.

7.  His favorite toy is the $2.99 stacking cups from Ikea.

8.  He loves to rub his face on soft cuddly stuffed animals and blankets.

9.  He loves to bite his sister's knees and shoulders, ouch!

10.  He loves his puppy Jagger and shares his food with him.

11.  He is very curious, detailed oriented, and smart.

12.He is finally babbling and I cried when he said "mama" for the first time!

Happy Birthday, Brother!

We celebrated little brother's 1st birthday on May 22, 2014 at home with our little family since he doesn't like to be around big crowds. I was too lazy to bake a cake or cupcakes since most of our household was sick this past week. Unfortunately, I caught the nasty cold going around on his special day!  As you can see, he made a big mess with the blue frosting and didn't eat much! He got more a kick out of eating Cheerios with blue frosting! We bought him a few toys to help with gross motor skills (his first car to scoot on and an activity table to help him stand up). We also got him some First Builders Mega Blocks, bubbles, rubber duckies for bath time, books, and Mr. Potato Head. He was very happy and loved his new toys! What an incredible blessing to have him in our lives today! We love him so much!
Bath Time is the Best with Silly Daddy!

Milestones: On May 23, 2014, He went to his 12 month old check up. Little bro weighs 18.1 pounds (6%), 29 inches long (18%), and 18.9 (93%) inches for head circumference! Wow, he had a big head for sure and is very smart!  The doctors are not concerned with his large head because it has been measuring big all along. I'm happy that our boy is definitely growing and we are finally doing something right to get him on the weight gain path! Woohooo, Go baby brother! Keep up the great work! The doctor and I would like him to see him at 15%-20% on the weight chart at his 18 month old check up. As for gross motor skills, he loves pulling to stand, can get in and out of sitting position very well, and is very close to crawling. I bet he will be crawling any day now and then we will work on walking skills! He is making such an improvement since receiving the g-tube!  I bet the extra nightly feedings via g-tube are making a huge difference since he being properly nourished by Boost Essentials!  

Our Superhero is Nine Months Old!

Our Cute Superhero!

Can you believe nine months ago little brother joined our family? Time is just ticking away quickly and before we know it he will be a year old!  He has kept us busy night and day!  Unfortunately, he continues to be uncomfortable with acid reflux even with taking 2 ml of Zantac.  For example, he gags, throws up occasionally, coughs a lot after eating or drinking, and is very upset if we miss or late on a dose of his medication. He still "dream feeds" during bottle feedings and probably won't break that habit. We are offering him more fluids from the cup and he is slowly learning to slurp it and suck through a straw... He sill wakes up a lot during the night because he is hungry due to only being able to consume little amounts of food or bottle feeds.  If he doesn't wake up hubby or I dream feed him 1-2 times during the night to get in extra calories...  Three doctors all agree that he needs a feeding tube soon. In a few weeks, we will know when to expect his 3rd surgery for gastric feeding tube placement and possible acid reflux repair. First, he is doing an overnight ph study at Primary Children's Hospital on March 10th to see how bad his reflux is after meals and bottle feedings. Once the doctor determines the results from the test then he will get his surgery scheduled. We admire little brother's smiles and strength though all his medical issues. 

Milestones:He is currently 15 lbs 7 oz (1%), 28 inches long (32%) and 45.5 cm (63%). He is slowly making progress with help from Kids on the Move: physical therapy, occupational therapy, and a child developmental specialist.  Due to little brother feeling uncomfortable being on his tummy, he may not show any signs of crawling soon, which is very discouraging for me. I want him to succeed in all his milestones like a normal baby, but I've got to accept the fact that he will be behind for a while and will catch up in his own time.  For instance, he is not pulling himself up to stand or safely getting on his back from a sitting position instead he arches and falls backs, which we all think it is because of his bad acid reflux... I'm trying to teach him to place his hands on the ground to a crawling position then he can safely roll on his back... He has mastered rolling around all over the place and is eating finger foods. As for playtime, we recently took him to the park. He loved going down the slides with his sisters and flying like a superhero in the playground's swing! We love little bro!

Little Man is Eight Months Old!

Wow, eight months has flew by so fast and my little boy is getting so long and lean! It has been a struggle these last several months because of little brother's health issues and at the same time he has been a great blessing in our lives!  Having a baby with so many health problems is very frightening for me especially since I suffer with anxiety. He has definitely taught me patience!  For the last several months, my baby has been on feeding and nap strikes, which is very stressful for a Mother who is trying her best.  There were many dark moments when I was at my wits end or thought I was being pushed to my limit. I said many prayers to get through the most difficult days when my little man refused to drink his bottle (the days he only consumed 10 oz of breast milk in 24 hours, ack).  I recall he had feeding issues since he was two weeks old after we discovered his first hernia because he refused to nurse and didn't drink much bottle. So I have been diligently pumping six times a day so that my baby can benefit from the breast milk.  It has been difficult and time consuming to exclusively pump breast milk! I have suffered with mastitis, clogged ducts, blisters, and cracked sore nipples from the breast pump.  I groan or drift to sleep during my 5:00 AM pumping sessions, so that I can "sleep feed" my little one before he wakes up. Certainly, he has been in a lot of pain during his short precious life, which explains his horrible feeding behaviors.  The doctors and I believe he has developed a conditioned bottle aversion because it hurt so much to drink most of his life. I have been working with a dietitian and feeding therapist to address his feeding issues. We will be following up with a pediatric gastric-intestinal specialist next week. In the mean time, I am happy if he consumes 24 oz of breast milk a day while sleeping! The biggest fear for me is when he starts decreasing the number of naps during the day. Currently he takes three naps a day... As for his gross motor skills, I was referred to Kids on the Move, which is an early intervention program for infants and toddlers with developmental delays. Little brother was recently evaluated by a child developmental therapist. She determined that he needs physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. In the next few weeks, we will be very busy with those appointments, which will take place at home, thankfully. I love how Kids on the Move will come to me instead of me going to their clinic. Lastly, we met with a genetic specialist, which I will blog more later. Basically, my husband John, little sister, and little brother have Marks and Finlay Syndrome...
Six Months Old

Milestones: At six months old, little brother was failing to thrive. He was 13 lbs. 5 oz., 26. 1/4 inches long, and 44.5 cm for head circumference. The doctor encouraged me to calorie pack by fortifying my breast milk and introduce other table foods such as fruits and veggies. He hated drinking the fortified breast milk. In fact, he would flat out refuse the bottle if he tasted it!  So I just went back to regular breast milk and fortified his milk with his solids, which he didn't notice. Luckily, he likes the stage one veggies and fruits mixed in with cereal, which helps him receive some added nutrition in his diet.   As for his gross motor skills, he was sat up with assistance, banged toys together, and laughed when we threw a cup. Sadly, he stopped rolling over around 4.5 months, which I thought was due to wanting to do other things. After his second hernia surgery, a doctor in the hospital told me to have him checked out because a normal baby just won't stop rolling over especially after mastering the skill.  The doctors and I believe he was weak and uncomfortable from his diaphragmatic hernia, which I don't blame him. I cannot imagine how much pain he has been in for the last several months dealing with hernia pressure on his vital organs!
Seven Months Old
Milestones: He is slowly gaining weight and barely below 0 on the growth weight chart for his age. He was 14 lbs. and 7 oz. on December 26, 2013. He continues to eat fruits, veggies, and cereals. To our surprise, he is not a huge fan of pears and had a reaction to berries. His diet includes the following: custards, sweet potatoes, and avocados to help him gain weight.  The doctor prescribed him acid reflux medicine Zantac, which seems to help with the volume of feedings, however, he still continues to consume most of his liquids during a sleep state. He will sit up for a few minutes and then fall over due to weak core muscles.  At a post surgery check up appointment from our pediatrician Dr. Cox, we decided to get many other specialists involved such as a genetics, GI doctor, feeding therapist, Kids on the move, etc.
Eight Months Old

Milestones: On January 23, 2013, he was 14 lbs. 15 oz and 1% on the growth weight chart. He still struggles with his bottle feedings, however, he will drink a couple ounces while awake on his own. The doctor recommended that I fortify his milk again, which he is doing okay with it. I am crossing my fingers that he will continue to drink his milk with formula.  Every little bit that helps increase his calorie intake will make a huge difference!  Our happy little boy is rolling over again, yay!  Once he figured out it no longer hurts to roll over he is moving all over the place!  He still hates tummy time though, which we need to work on with physical therapy. Little brother isn't sitting up unsupported very well because he arches his back and falls over, which can be very scary or dangerous.  In due time, he will master sitting up. I started some simple sign language to help with his communication. As for fine motor skills, he is starting to grasp at small objects and clap his hands. Slowly, he is making some progress and definitely makes us smile every single day. We love our little man!

December 2013 was a busy month!

December 2013 was also an eventful and stressful month for our household. We had several events and doctor appointments going on each week such as state report homework, Festival of Trees, choir concerts, young woman activities, little brother stayed at the hospital, followed up with doctor appointments, big sis got her braces off, and celebrated baby's first Christmas.  I cannot believe how fast this month went by since we were extremely busy!

State Report
At the last minute, hubby and I helped complete little sister's state report (we were up most the night, ugh). She did the state of Illinois for her report and hopefully learned her lesson to never procrastinate ever again! Around the same time, we had horrible internet issues, which finally got resolved three weeks later, grrrr! We actually had to go to the public library since we couldn't research at home.

Festival of Trees
For Big sister's foods class at school, she went on a field trip to see the Festival of Trees in Salt Lake City. Her favorite Christmas tree was the Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany's and Toy Story display.

Christmas Choir Concerts

Big sis had a chamber choir concert at school while little sis performed at a local mall, nursing home, and her elementary school. According to Dad, they both did a great job! I wasn't able to attend due to little brother not feeling well and went to the hospital. 

Temple Square

For Young Woman activities, big Sis went to Salt Lake City to see the Christmas lights at Temple Square and went ice skating at Seven Peaks.

Little Bro's Second Hernia Surgery

At 3:00 AM on December 11, 2013, Baby brother was struggling to breathe and we noticed a very loud rattle in his chest. We took him to the ER at American Fork Hospital, which he was admitted for bronchiolitis, swine flu, and Morgagni diaphragmatic hernia. He had to be life flight via helicopter to Utah Valley Hospital so that he could be treated by several pediatric specialists.  The next day he struggled to breathe on high flow oxygen maxed out while fighting his two viruses and the doctors feared he was too weak for surgery.  He had an x-ray on Thursday afternoon that showed that his hernia was larger, shifting his heart to the right, putting pressure on his trachea, and stomach. At that point, most the doctors feared he would crash eventually if he didn't get surgery right away because he was literally using all his energy to breathe (it was very scary to watch his chest rise and fall with labored breathing). So his team of doctors decided it was time to repair his hernia even though it was extremely risky due to his low immune system. To our surprise, little bro was remarkable during surgery and had zero complications! The doctor pulled his intestines out of his chest and repaired the hole in his diaphragm, which was under his liver.  Unexpectedly, he recovered fully from surgery and his viruses after a few days.  His pain was managed well, he ate up to four ounces of bottle, and he voided many diapers. He was discharged from the hospital on Monday December 15, 2013. What a strong little man and amazingly, I remained calm during this whole experience due to our baby receiving two healing priesthood blessings from my husband and family members. I knew he was very sick the day before he went to the hospital.  I had an emotional melt down and looked at my precious son in the eyes and said, "You fight for your life!" My faith and many prayers kept me strong!  On December 26 and 27, 2013, he met with his surgeon and pediatrician. Little bro will need to follow up with a feeding therapist, physical therapist, gastric intestinal specialist, and genetic specialist. He also got a prescription for acid reflux, which hopefully will improve his bottle feedings.  It is still unknown what caused his birth defects (four hernias, wow) or if he has some sort of syndrome, but we are hopeful he will continue to live a normal and happy life with help from many medical professionals. Sadly, he starting to fall behind on some major milestones and needs help gaining weight.  He unfortunately has a "conditioned" bottle aversion (I think when he drinks the bottle he is afraid of pain or may have bad acid reflux since he gags, spits ups, and coughs a lot after consuming his bottle) So we will address his feeding issues by a feeding therapist. As for his weak muscles, he many need help from a physical therapist to help him to accomplish his major gross motor skills such as rolling over and sitting up again, and future ones such as crawling, standing, and walking.  He will be evaluated by Kids on the Move and they may have other services available to him.  I am confident he will catch up on milestones and gain weight in the near future! 

No More Braces
On December 19, 2013, big sister finally got her braces off. Look at that gorgeous smile! She has to wear a clear retainer for the next six months!  That smile is worth every dime! She is very pretty!

No Place Like Home for the Holidays
One of our friends sent this Santa letter photograph to us, which they saw at a local elementary school. It said, "Dear Santa, Can you please give Zachary Free a good Christmas. He is very sick and in the hospital. Also I ask you to help him have a Merry Christmas." Isn't that adorable? We are so grateful for the love and service that our friends, family, and neighbors did for us during our time of need!

Baby's First Christmas

Having little brother home for Christmas was the greatest gift of all for us since he was expected to stay at the hospital for a couple weeks. It was a great blessing that he healed very quickly because of many prayers, positive thoughts, and well wishes. We had a peaceful and lazy Christmas day. My father in-law stopped by to visit, which was strange not having my mother in-law here for Christmas. We enjoyed spending time with him. Baby brother loved his new toys and clothes. The girls enjoyed spending family time watching new Disney movies, eating ham and cheesy potatoes leftovers, and drinking hot chocolate, etc.  

Bring on 2014!!!

I recall my husband lost his job earlier during the year and four months later was blessed with a great job opportunity. In June 2012, I suffered a miscarriage while this year we were blessed with a strong baby boy that joined our family in May.  Little brother has gone through two major surgeries and was such a trooper during both of them. My mother in-law fought cancer for six months and passed away peacefully in November. She is now our guardian angel who will watch over us always. After a year of challenges, sorrows, and triumphs, we can truly see that the Lord has blessed us in our lives. We are looking forward to seeing what 2014 adventures will bring us! Happy New Year!!!

DIY Animals and Cars Baby's Nursery and Baby Essentials

We finally finished the nursery!  During the last few months of my pregnancy, I decided to make some things for my baby boy.  To be honest, these projects were my "nesting" activities so I went a little overboard, lol. I fell absolutely in love with the cutest nursery fabric called "Animals in Cars" from Joann's Fabric!  So I decorated my baby boy's nursery and made baby essentials coordinating with the animals and cars nursery fabric theme. I was able to find many things from thrift shops for cute decorations such shelves, hooks, pillows, picture frames, his dresser, and chair.  In addition, the nursery essentials and decorations were made by doing several DIY projects that I found on Pinterest. With help from my awesome sister in-law Marilee, we made some incredible baby stuff for my baby boy (beach balls, crinkle baby tag blankets, and a baby blanket)! I also made pillows, bibs, burp rags, receiving blanket and an owl, clouds, and hot air balloon baby mobile!

I Spy Quilt (Animals in Cars and Tools)
We were inspired by Obsessively Stitching Blog to make an I Spy Quilt!  We made our patches 5X5 instead of 4X4. My blanket turned out to be the size of the crib and perfect for baby to play on the floor!

The Baby Pillows

I found pillows and stuffing from a local thrift store for my stuffing, which is a total money saver compared to buying it bulk at the store. I used the following tutorial and template: How to Sew The Slip Stitch and Owl Plushie Template.

Baby Mobile
I was inspired by Craftiness is not Optional to make our own DIY baby mobile.  I hand stitched felt owls, clouds, and hot air balloons by using embroidery thread. I even stuffed them with fiberfill.  I used the following templates: Owl Templates and Hot Air Balloons and Clouds Templates.

Garland
Instead of a curtain or valence, I decided to hang a garland/pennet above the window and below the picture frames or shelves! Here is where I got the Template and Tutorial.

Wall and Shelf  Picture Frames

Boy Subway Art is from Simple Scrapper.
 Button "Z" Wall Art- I glued on tons of buttons that matched his room.
Free vintage owl, elephant, and monkey printables are from Hand Made Home

 Nursery fabric wall art on canvas- I was inspired by Blue Cricket Design
I spray painted a plain picture frame to a blue color and a chalk board to green.
Book Shelves
I bought a couple spice racks from Ikea and spray painted them green, blue, and orange. I bought all the shelves from a thrift store. By the way, the white clock is from Ikea.

"Z "book shelf  decoration (I bought the cardboard Z from a craft store and used Mod Podge to stick the fabric over the letter Z).

Crinkle Baby Tag Blankets 

I used the following tutorial Baby Tag Blanket Tutorial and 8X8 template.

Fabric Beach Balls
 Templates and tutorial are from The Purl Bee.

Car Seat Cover

The matching car seat cover was made by one of my daughter's friends, which happened to be made out of the same fabric we used. It is a perfect car seat cover for on the go!

Receiving Blanket 
I made a rounded  receiving blanket following this tutorial: Receiving Blanket Tutorial. I use this blanket in my baby's car seat!

Burp Clothes and Bibs 
Burp Clothe Tutorial is from Cloud Nine Fabrics
Chenille Bib Tutorial and Template
Bib Tutorial and Template

I'm pleased with my several sewing projects even though they are flawed or not perfect after all I am just a newbie learning how to sew! I look forward to making some other new cute things in the future!