29 Weeks and Mother's Day

How far along: 29 weeks, 5 days
Size: 2.5 pounds and 15.25 inches
Gender: Baby girl
Total weight gain: 23ish pounds
Maternity clothes: Last week I picked up a couple more tees and a pair of denim shorts to get me through our hot summer!
Stretch marks: Still using my belly butter, though not as often as last time.
Sleep: Sleep has been terrible this week. My entire back hurts all through the night, making it hard to sleep but easier to get out of bed in the morning :). I'm also waking 4 times on average to pee.
Movement: I think I'm carrying even lower than I did with Nora, so most of the movement is pretty low, but this week I felt a few kicks up near my ribs. Most frequently she kicks my sides mid-right and lower left.
Queasy or sick: Thankful to be feeling well!
Labor Signs: --
Symptoms: I've had an uncomfortable belly and lower back pain the majority of this week. I think it's also time to bra shop again.
Belly button in or out: About the same - flat on top, still in on the bottom, and super sensitive.
Wedding rings on or off: On.
Recap of the week: Matt was out of town during the week for work so Nora and I had a couple play dates, shopped, and had our first Starbucks mommy-daughter date. We had a great weekend together after he returned and grilled burgers for Mother's Day.
Looking forward to: I need to make some serious headway on Nora's new room and getting the new nursery ready in the next few weeks! My goal is to have everything done by the end of June.
Looking back: 29 weeks with Nora.

We tried to snap a few photos before church on Mother's Day, but Nora wasn't having it. This is our best shot. 

I taught her how to water the flowers last week while Matt was gone, and it's one of her favorite things to do now. Of course, she loves drinking from the cup also..

And we got some bubbles ("buh-buhs") at Target last week too, which has become a daily outdoor activity. She doesn't quite have the blowing figured out so we still have to help her. When she gets the wand, it goes straight into her mouth :).

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

+, Lauren Aiken

Easter 2014

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend! Easter is my favorite holiday, and I had been looking forward to it for a couple of weeks. Nora kicked off Easter morning by letting us sleep in until almost 7. We enjoyed a pancakes + bacon breakfast and let Nora discover her Easter basket before going to church.

Nora's Easter basket was really simple this year, consisting of two balls from the $1 Target aisle, and handmade kitty, and some DIY tea bags for her play tea set.

We got a quick family photo after church (the only one all day, oops!).

Our friends came over for dinner and a little late-afternoon Easter egg hunt. Nora squealed with delight every time she saw an egg finally got the hang of carrying her basket around toward the end.

What did you do for Easter?

Hope you're all having a great week and are still celebrating that Christ is risen!

+, Lauren Aiken

Pom Pom Garland

Pom poms just might become my go-to DIY decor for a bit. With only a pair of scissors, a little bit of yarn, and a few spare minutes, you can make a few pom poms. This simple style garland could be used for any celebration or holiday!

Materials

yarn

scissors

twine, yarn, ribbon, etc. (for garland)

Begin with some yarn. These two small leftover balls were enough for 4 small pom poms.

Secure the end of the yarn between your thumb and your hand, leaving tail approximately 1-2" long.

Begin wrapping around two, three, or four fingers (depending on how large you want your pom pom). 

Wrap at least 100 times, more if you like them fuller.

Cut the yarn from the ball/skein, and then cut a piece of yarn a few inches in length. Remove the yarn from your fingers, and slip the single strand of yarn through the middle.

Secure as tight as possible and tie a double knot.

Slide your scissors through the loops and snip them all. You will end up with a scraggly looking pom pom. 

Trim the ends until you are satisfied with the shape.

Tie to a long piece of yarn, twine, ribbon, or other material of choice to create your garland, and enjoy!

Here are a few of my favorite other pom pom uses from Pinterest.

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Have you ever made pom poms for decor?

What's your favorite way to use a pom pom?

+, Lauren Aiken

Our Little Lamb

This was Nora's first Halloween, since last year she was only 8 days old, and I had just started c-section recovery. Our neighborhood trick-or-treat night was postponed due to weather, so we celebrated on November 1st instead. Nora was a little lamb since she loved the sheep at the county fair this summer. We knocked on a few of our neighbor's doors and then spent the rest of the night on our front steps passing out candy while Nora stuffed her face with Cheerios :).

and I thought taking the leaves away would make for a better photo...

She's certainly the cutest little lamb I've ever seen!

Did you or your littles dress up for Halloween?

+, Lauren Aiken