I'm back!

Shortly after Noah was born last year I decided to open up a cloth diaper shop call Two of a Kind Creations on Etsy. I did well, and had loyal customers, but I no longer have room to run my business and have closed down. Which means, I can start THIS blog back up! I am pretty excited about being able to write about our lives again and talk about this new adventure we are smack dab in the middle of! On May 5th we flew to Anchorage Alaska. Not to visit but to move! So far we are absolutely loving it. Our place is much smaller than out duplex in Washington, and we have no garage or yard. Which I must admit can be a bit frustrating! But we are so happy and I know we won't be here forever. It is only temporary, until we can figure out where we want to live and buy a house. In the mean time I am finding lots of ways to make our townhouse feel like home. I have cleaned and scrubbed our back porch(which looked like it had never been washed before) and have started lots of sewing projects for the house. In fact today I am ordering fabric to make curtains for our bedroom. It may sound odd.. but it is nightmare before christmas/tim burton themed, mixed with my favorite color dark turquoise. I'm not sure if others can picture it. The color mixture is black and white with yellow and dark turquoise. So far it is looking very nice. Our living room is Pirate themed, haha. Hubby and his pirates :) I finally started working on the old wood highchair I bought last summer. Hubby filled in some of the old screw holes on it with plastic wood and I've started sanding it. Guess what color I'm going to paint it? Turquoise of course!! I know I know... I'm going a little turquoise crazy here..but really, the color makes me HAPPY, so why not? :) So I was going to try to post pictures.... but it keeps giving me an error message.. bummer. :(

TUTORIAL: Taggy Lovie with Paci Loop!!

This is my first tutorial so bear with me! This morning as I was starting to work on a taggy lovie for a custom order(my MIL ordered this along with a set of other items for hubby's cousin's new baby), I decided I might as well make a tutorial while I am at it.

To start you will need:

~1 piece cotton print - 14 1/2" x 14 1/2"
~1 piece cotton print - 2 1/2" x 5 1/2"
~1 piece minky - 14 1/2" x 14 1/2" (personally I cut this piece slightly larger to account for possible shifting while sewing, minky can be a pain to sew without a walking foot)
~Assorted ribbon(here I cut 4 pieces of each ribbon, all cut to 4" length. I also used 6 different styles of ribbon)
~Coordinating thread
~Pins
~Sewing needle
~2 snaps or hook and loop


For step one, cut out your fabric, and cut out your ribbon pieces. Fold ribbon pieces in half and pin them in a bit of a random manner around your piece of cotton print(make sure the folds are facing in:see picture). Leave one corner free of ribbon(this will be where the paci leash will go).

Step two: sew the ribbon onto the cotton print, I like to go back and forth over each ribbon a couple of times to make sure they are nice and secure.

Step three: Place cotton print with ribbon face to face with the minky and pin in place then sew. Make sure to leave the corner for the paci leash open!

Cut seam allowance and turn right side out. Set aside.

Step four: Now take your 2 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of cotton print. Fold it in half(right side together) and sew closed one end and down one side.

Cut corners next to thread(do not cut actual thread!). Flip right side out and iron. Stitch around the edges.

Pin paci leash into place in the opening you left for it. Fold cotton print and minky inside with paci leash and pin in place. Topstitch around entire lovie.

Add snaps or hook and look to your paci leash. Finished!!

Current project: High chair restoration

So I bought this wood highchair last week from a lady on Craigslist. She had it up for $20 and I figured, what have I got to lose?? The foot step is broken off on one side, and it is missing a tray. The white paint job is "drippy" (meaning it was layed on a bit to thick and dropped as it was drying). Because of this I have decided to strip the paint. There is another layer of beige paint underneath the white which is not coming up quite so easily as the white is. But with a pressure washer a heat gun, metal brush and electric sander, I think I've got this!

I haven't decided whether or not to make a tray for it since it is perfect height to pull up to the table. We will see what happens!!

Here are a couple pics. I will post more as I am restoring it!!

Noah loves it too!!

On Thursday I am supposed to recieve an order of fabric from fabric.com(one of the best most ecenomical places to buy designer fabrics by the way!! Free shipping on $35+ purchases). I ordered a half yard of laminated cotton and some binding to make a cushion for the high chair. Here's the print:

I ordered green binding to match the color in the print exactly. I also decided to order some giraffe print minky because I have wanted some for awhile and it was on sale. With that I will be making a blanket, changing pad cover, large wipes case, a diaper or 2 and a lovey!! I am SO excited to get started! It has been awhile since I have been able to focus on making anything for noah(usually I am making items for the shop to sell. Oh and in case you were curious, this is the giraffe print minky I bought:

It matches his room and giraffe print wall perfectly!! And as a plus it was only $8.39 per yard!!! Go fabric.com!! (BTW about 10 minutes after I bought it, the price went up to $11.88(still on sale) so I'm glad I ordered when I did!!

Sorry about being MIA!!!

I just remembered about this blog this morning! I'ts been pretty crazy since Noah was born because I have now started my own cloth diaper business(I sell things besides cloth diapers as well). www.twoofakindcreations.etsy.com I'm going to try to make a new post to update sometime in the next week, I have a huge custom order to make for my MIL for DH's cousin who just had a baby. It will include a changing clutch with pocket for wipes case, travel and large size wipes case set, taggy lovie with wooden ring teether(hopefully personalized with babies name if I can find my woodburner!!) Minky/cotton print blanket with Satin binding, 1 or 2 large bamboo burp cloths, 2 bamboo bibs, 2 paci clips, and 3 washcloths. Okay..so now I'm starting to see why I am busy!!! LOL. I also just bought an antique high chair for $20 it has been painted over with a new color twice and I am stripping all the old paint off and sanding it down to bring out the pretty wood grain underneath, and I am fixing the foot bar piece(it is unattached on one side) and may be making a tray, or will just pull it up to the table. It's very pretty! But anyways, like I said I will try to update next week and post some new pictures of Noah and post some pictures of anything new I am making. OH! I am also making a cushion for Noahs high chair, lol. And making him a minky blanket after I get fabric(coming in the mail next week!! If anyone wants to check out my new shop, feel free... I am having a clearance sale because some of the lsitings are about to expire and I won't be renewing them. If they don't sell I will be keeping them to give as gifts to all the people I know having babies right now! (there seems to be a new one born every week!).

Noah Jered Jacobson- Welcome to the world :)

It's taken a bit of time for me to get to this! Saturday the 22nd I got a call from my dr to confirm that I was going to be induced that day due to Preeclampsia. My blood pressure was too high, I had low blood platelets and there was too much protein in my urine. Even though it was possible I could go to my due date without complcations my dr didn't want to risk it since it can get bad without warning. I went into the hospital thinking I was going to be induced with pitocin. I did not want that at all. I really wanted to go as naturally as possible. Once my OB got to the hospital I asked her about my other options and she said pitocin was my only option. That or not getting induced and risking the possibility of stroke or seizure. She left the room to let me, my husband and my doula chat for a moment. When she came back in she let me know the nurses had told her she was being mean and they thought we should try misoprostol first, but warned me that it's in pill form so they cannot control dosage and contractions could possibly get out of hand. But with this I would be able to walk around the room and labor where as with the pitocin I would be stuck on the monitors and basically attached to wires the whole time and have to be stuck close to the hospital bed not able to labor in the tub or anything. I chose the misoprostol. The first dose wasn't bad, but I only dialated from the 2 cm I was to 3 cm in the first 4 hours. Luckily though my dr was able to break my water. I did not originally want any of this... but if I didn't progress enough we would be moving on to pitocin. The second dose worked much better. I was able to labor in the tub a bit. It helped for awhile but then the contractions started getting way too strong and too close and there wasn't enough room in the tub for me to move and I was starting to have back labor. One drawback to being tall! By the time they checked me after time was over on the second dose I was dialated to 6 cm. They were worried though, that I still wasn't progressing enough and called my OB. While we were waiting for my OB to call back I ended up dialating to 8 cm! So obiously I didn't even need the 3rd dose, and definitely didn't need pitocin! lol. I'm not sure what point I ended up getting the epidural. It really was all a blur...I just remember at one point the contractions being so bad that I didn't have a chance to breath between them let alone rest and it was around the point during which I didn't seem to be making any progress, and I was feeling extremely discouraged. The epidural was the best decision I made in this case. I do still wish that I could have gone completely natural but due to the circumstances I am glad I got the epidural and was able to rest. Once I got it my blood pressure went down so that was a plus and I was able to basically sleep up until it was time to push. I still felt the contractions in my right hip, and it was so intense in that one hip that I can't imagine what those contractions would have felt like full force. At around 8-8:30 am I began pushing, following my body's cues. My beatiful baby boy Noah said hello to the world at 9:43 AM January 23rd. He was 8 lbs 20.5 inches long with a 15" head circumfrence. My dr was shocked at the size of his head! lol. Said it was a record for her. When she pulled him out she placed him on my chest and then they let DH cut the cord. While she delivered the placenta and stitched me up(I had two tears) they took Noah to the sink and DH helped to give him his first bath. My doula was kind enough to grab my camera to take a few pictures for me since I was unable. So the birth didn't go along with my birth plan much at all. But I also wasn't expecting to be induced when I wrote it. Life happens but in the end I have the most beautiful baby boy in the world, and I wouldn't want to change any part of that story. We had to stay at the hospital for two nights for observation partly to make sure my blood pressure stayed down and partly due to Noah having jaundice. We came home Tuesday afternoon as a family, I love finally being able to say that we are a family! :)

Could be meeting our little boy tomorrow!

Well I have officially been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. A real shocker for me, because everything was going so perfect and I've never had a high blood pressure reading in my life. I had a doctors appointment yesterday, and when they checked my blood pressure it was 160/103 then after resting on my side it went down to 143/92 but of course, still too high. They had me do an non stress test and then they took blood to check liver enzymes and blood platelets. The first blood test was normal, but the blood platelets came back a little low, so my OB is talking about inducing me! It's all up to the 24-hour urine collection I had to do. I turned it in this morning, so now it's just a waiting game to hear the results. If it shows too much protein my OB will be inducing me as soon as tomorrow!! I am shocked. I had a weird feeling this week...like something was going to happen. I just didn't know that it meant this! I always imagined going into labor naturally. And this entire pregnancy my biggest fear was having to get induced or having a higher possibility of c section. And now I am on bed rest until delivery so I can't even do anything to try to move things along. It's so frustrating, and I'm really nervous. But I know it's all in God's hands and in the end I will come out of it with a beautiful baby boy to take home with me. :)

Our little Noah will be here any day!!

We are playing the waiting game! And I have officially hit nesting. It's been sooo hectic around here I haven't had a chance to post until now. I have been having false labor for about a week. It goes away when I sleep but starts up again the second I wake up. The majority of the time my contractions are 10 minutes apart, when I rest they feel better but come back in regular intervals still. I don't know how I will know when I am actually in early labor! Especially since they have started wrapping around to my back and into my legs. I felt so ridiculous yesterday crying to DH because I was just exhausted. lol. But I had just had a long day shopping and was on my feet more than I should have been and my body was very angry with me! He pushed on some pressure points in my back and that made me feel a lot better. I'm sure that's going to be much needed during real labor. Noah dropped just before 36 weeks so I've been doing the waddle. :P
We got the nursery finished, and I have finished all of my sewing projects for before he shows up. I still need to make more One Size All-In-2's but since Noah dropped I can no longer sit at my sewing table confortably(or sit anywhere for that matter!) so they will have to wait until later! Probably March-April. I have gotten everything all ready for him. However we are waiting for his cradle pad/mattress to show up and I just hope it shows up before he does!! I had to order it since it is organic and none of the places in my area carry organic mattress'. Then once we get our tax return we will be buying an organic crib mattress. I feel like if I should go organic on anything, it would be worth it for the mattress!
I ordered some bamboo fleece in December, and I made 24 doublers, and then snake style inserts to fit into my AI2's. My newborn fitteds and covers were all made out of scraps and I used microfiber and terry cloth for the inserts for those. I wanted to save the bamboo fleece for the stuff that is going to be used for longer since it is expensive. I also made some burp cloths out of the bamboo fleece and they are awesome!! Seriously, I cannot believe how absorbent this fabric is. When I washed it the first time after sewing it soaked up the water SO fast, I know that my inserts and burp cloths are going to wonderful absorbers! I am considering ordering some bamboo terry to make kitchen towels with now, lol.

The next time I write here may not be until he has arrived! Especially if my gut feeling that he's going to be here this week is right. I'm just so excited to meet my little boy!!

Oh, and here is a picture my dad took for me a few weeks ago. At 35 weeks 3 days:


Noah's nursery: