The Moose Who Loved Easter

These days it's difficult enough just finding the necessary energy

 to clean the house and keep up with the laundry,

but I've been determined not to let my belly bump aches get in the way of 

doing just a bit of spring time decorating.

After all Easter is one of my favorite holidays.

Recently I've become a bit addicted to scrapbooking supplies

in anticipation of starting my baby book(s).

I'm just in love with these Spring/Easter stickers 

I picked up at Target and Hallmark.

I've been working on some major organizing of all my 

scrapbooking supplies, and I think I've come up with a pretty

great way to store all my Project Life sized papers and embellishments.

So please do check back soon for an upcoming post

if you too are looking into working with the smaller dimensions

in contract to the standard 12"x12".

28 Weeks and Counting

To say that pregnancy may have been more of an "adventure"

than I was prepared for would be an understatement.

Im now 28 weeks!

I started to have contractions at 23 weeks, 

so each and every day that we make it further down the road

is truly a blessing. On top of that in just the last few weeks

i've had the tummy flu, a cold (still do), a possible uti,

heartburn that keeps me up all hours of the night,

and have I mentioned that I still have morning sickness?!

My Dr. advises that if we want to have another baby

we should consider going through IVF again within 7 months of

this delivery. To that I say, "ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

I think it's safe to say that if I decide to go down this road again

I might as well be diagnosed clinically loony.

We are still praying that our foster baby boy

who is now 5 and a half months will be ours one day soon,

but we still are not sure which way the state will go with his case.

As you can imagine after so many months, we are quite bonded,

and the idea of him being taken away is more than I can bare to ponder.

I started out praying for a humble and understanding heart,

now I pray in earnest - "Lord, don't take my baby away from me!".

We are also pursuing an adoption of two siblings, ages 7 and 9.

It's pretty crazy to imagine that in just a few short months

our little family could go from zero to FOUR!

I always wanted 5 kiddos,

so as you can imagine this would be a dream come true.

I've certainly learned over the last few years of fostering

that kiddos don't have to be your own flesh and blood

for you to love and adore them as if they were always yours.

So while I'm ecstatic (although hopelessly miserable) 

that I've gotten the chance to have a little "us"

and the chance to experience pregnancy,

I don't think I'll be sad if this really does turn out 

to be our one and only bun in the oven.

I'm so so so beyond blessed that my husband is so supportive,

without him we wouldn't be able to carry on with 3 foster kiddos,

and I certainly would have gone mad.

Every-time I emerge from the girls room

he smiles and enthusiastically shouts

"YOU'RE PREGNANT!"

Lord love him, sometimes I want to slug him right then and there,

but he's right... thanks to science and lots and lots of prayers

I'm having a baby!

BUT NOT YET!!!

Do you hear me miss Annalea? Not yet!

Digi Goodies from Danielle Thompson - available at Kitschy Digitals.

Love Bug

For as much as I lay about these days

trying to let my body rest and do it's baby growing thing

there is just about as much busyness going on.

I'm lucky that the hobbies I love such as working on my computer

and making headbands are semi easy to keep up on even during my sick periods. 

I only wish taking care of my crew of foster kiddos was so easy.

But for all the uck going on there is equal if not more joy in this home.

Expecting a baby is exciting! But we also have a baby in the house.

This little guy came into our life the very same day we found out we were pregnant

and our hopes and prayers go out each night that he will be able to stay with us

and that we will be able to love and care for him always and forever.

So the next few weeks (hopefully no more)

are BIG for our family! Please keep us in your thoughts.

We so love this little guy so very very much, but we also know to fully that sometimes

even when it feels so right in your heart the Lord has other plans.

 

The last few months I've been working on these three coordinating bug kits.

The top kit includes printable valentines and journal cards. 

The cards are 4x3 and could be used for Project Life pages,

or perhaps to send a little note of encouragement in your kiddos lunch boxes.

I've decided to make my baby book(s) using the Project Life system.

I've never been much for paper and glue but I think my children 

will appreciate having something tangible to touch 

in addition of coarse to my digital scrapbook. 

My Love Bug digi kit is so bright and cheery,

with bumblebees, butterflies, worms, and other fun and lovable creepy crawlies.

Here is a little peak of a few of the goodies printed out.

I think you could find a lot of fun uses for this kit!

I've also done up a watercolor inspired paper pack that incorporates 

all the fun vibrant colors.

Just look how Martha of Mugyboo

incorporated 3 of the watercolor papers into her lovely scrapbooking creation.

Martha and I both use our home printers, 

but I've also heard great things about Office Max.

I would strongly suggest not going to sSaples - there colors are a nightmare :( 

Find all 3 kits in my Shop over at Kitschy Digitals!

20 Weeks

Little Annalea and I at 20 weeks. 

Despite the morning sickness that refuses to let me be,

I've gained 16 pounds and am now feeling her little kicks

which make me giggle and jump in delight each and every time.

She's such an active little pickle,

in all my ultrasounds she has been a busy little things

doing flips and grabbing her toes with her tiny little fingers.

In one of my pictures she's got her foot all the way up to her nose!

I'm so excited to be having a little girl!

At just 13 weeks they predicted she was a girl, 

but my husband persisted on calling her baby Hank. 

But luckily all my little purchases of ruffly socks, and sun hats

didn't have to be packed up and sent off to my sister-n-law.

My husband's sister is having a baby girl in just a few short weeks

-if she makes it that long.

This will be her first child as well, and like me perhaps her one and only.

I'm so thrilled that we are having our kiddos so close together;

I didn't have any cousins the same age and I can't wait 

to see these two little girls grow up being the best of friends

P.S. I'm actually 22 weeks along now, but as with everything else these

days I'm a bit behind on checking things off my to do list. 

I probably should just get use to that... 

Snow Bunny

I've been a bit MIA from blogland recently,

and much of that is due to the pregnancy.

I have to laugh at my own ignorance, 

I just assumed that I would adore pregnancy

and that I would just be the happiest girl on the block

after waiting 4 years to become pregnant.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm beyond excited to be starting a family,

but pregnancy is not at all what I expected it to be.

First off I've been sick everyday, all through the day

pretty much from 6 weeks on.

I started to get a bit better at 14 weeks, 

but am still tossing my cookies pretty much on a daily basis. 

Recently I switched my anti-depressant medication

to cope with daily life and to manage my panic attacks.

I've also had to drastically change my daily activity level

to manage pain associated with adhesions 

from my surgery last spring for endometriosis.

I wasn't aware that I would have these issues related to the surgery

and so the first time I had major tearing we made a trip to the emergency room.

It didn't help my emotional state at the time 

that I've been spotting throughout the pregnancy.

But throughout it all I've had an incredible support group,

many of whom are dear friends from blogland

offering love, support, and advise.

So while I'm not as productive as I would like to be,

I'm still trying my best to keep up on my digi kits.

This month I released Snow Bunny

a sweet pastel winter-wonderland of kawaii bunny rabbits, pretty papers,

and ready to print gift tags.

I have to thank my dear friend Danielle Thompson for putting together

these beautiful preview images to showcase the print quality of the kit

I'd also like to humbly pass along that a group of designers from Kitschy Digitals

will be donating all our proceeds from this weeks sales to benefit the community

of Newtown, Conn. 

For more information and a list of participating designers 

visit the Thompson Family blog.