Happy Fourth of July and other recaps from Week 7!

Get ready for loads of Sarah pictures!!!! (I know you're so dissapointed!)

 Since the 6 week period of hibernation is over, Stephen wanted to take Sarah out to visit some shut-ins. I thought he was going to do this on Monday so I dressed Sarah up real cute, with a skirt from her Aunt Kelly, some shoes I registered for at Target because, well look at them! And a cute white headband to match. Turns out he wasn't going to take her that day, so we went to the park with our friends Julia and Ayden.

 It was a beautiful day, rather mild for Texas standards! But, this is what Sarah thought of it! Snoooze.......

The next day, was really actually visitation day, so of course (darn) I had to dress her up again. Featuring another skirt from Aunt Kelly, a cardigan from another dress, and a headband from yet another dress, and very cute Mary Jane socks courtesy of BSLC member Carolyn Kelly.

We took her to visit Marian Snyder. Marian has taken a sharp turn for the not so good with a nerve disorder that has essentially been paralyzing her at a rapid rate. She also suffers from some memory loss. She isn't able to really control her arms or have much sensation in her hands, so we brought along the boppy pillow. For those of you who don't know, the boppy is a "u" shaped nursing pillow you put around your waist to help cradle the baby while breast feeding. A wise nurse at BSA told me in one of our breastfeeding classes that it also happens to be fantastic to help elderly people who don't have a lot of arm strength to still get to hold a baby.

 Marian and I share a deep affinity for cats, so I love to go visit her. It's been hard to see her deteriorate so quickly, but nothing lifted my spirits more than the gleam in her eye when Sarah appeared in front of her. When we asked her if she'd be ok letting Sarah sit in the boppy in her lap, so grinned so big and her entire face lit up! Of course that would be ok!




Sarah, as you can see, slept like a little angel while Marian ooed and ahhed over her. (Who wouldn't??) Unfortunately, we came rather late in the afternoon and Marian had to be taken to dinner. We met Marian in a common area where the cats at the nursing center like to hang out. (Couldn't be a better place for Marian!) After Marian left for dinner we went to her room to sign and say we had visited so that her husband Fred would know. (Marian's not to good with details...) The next day, when Fred came to the potluck at church for the Keenagers (the retired crowd), he sat down next to me to chat and I asked him if Marian remembered when he came back to be with her that evening. It was the FIRST thing she told him when he walked in the door. Such a special moment. It was a blessing to us all! Stephen and I both left thinking "Who can we share her with next?"

On a completely different note, here is Sarah later that day after a bath in one of her cloth diapers. Nothing is more tender than cuddling a clean fresh, wonderful smelling, warm baby right out of the bath. She has taken to bath time a LOT better than that first bath! She loves the warm water from the sprayer in the kitchen sink washing over her head. Then when I turn her over to spray and wash her back, she gets this blissful look like "Oh mom, thank you, this is the best." You're quite welcome.

With the fourth of July coming up, I found a fantastic pattern for this dress. I always dreamed of making clothes for my little girl, but upon marrying Stephen I pretty much let go of that thinking we would have a house full of boys! Not so fast! God has a sense of humor and we have a sweet little girl!

I embroidered the stars on the navy part and then made rick rack stripes. (It wasn't a completely original idea. The pattern had navy blue polka dot fabric for the yoke, but not having any and not wanting to buy a third cloth for such a tiny space, I decided to create a little star pattern in my embroidery software.)

I officially quit my job at Viking - which was very bittersweet. I told them not to forget me should the need help in the future, but it just wasn't worth it at this point. So, for the last time with my ridiculous discount, I bought a 5-thread serger for nearly 60% off the retail price. I also sent my embroidery machine in for a servicing because it hadn't had a good service since I bought it three years ago. (Another bittersweet moment - because I worked at Viking in SC and TX, it is the longest I've ever been employed with one company!) And so...I sewed a lot of the dress with my small mechanical machine which meant I had to do the buttonholes on that machine - which I was NEVER all that comfortable with demonstrating when it was in the store. My embroidery machine does buttonholes so much easier. I literally was nauseous when I created the buttonholes because by that point the dress was finished and I was so sure I would screw it up. Then I wasn't sure what to do because I wasn't particularly happy with my first and second attempts, but there was a strong possibility after I ripped them out that I could do worse...LOL! Luckily, third time was a charm and I held my breath as a slit them open careful not to catch the threads of the buttonhole and be stuck with a hole in my garment and no buttonhole. That's more commentary than you ever wanted about a buttonhole.

I digress! Here is Sarah in the finished project. We put the white headband on her, but it didn't last long! I meant to take more pictures later that night as we went over to the Herpich's house for a cookout/get together, but Sarah was passed between Karen (Herpich) and Ingrid (her daughter), Richard (Ingrid's husband) and a few others that I was thoroughly enjoying some adult conversation with the Berg's who we hadn't seen in a while. 

Final picture of cuteness. Be prepared for an abundance of Sarah pictures next week as Mimi and Papa are arriving again on Tuesday for another week long visit. They just can't stay away! (And we don't mind!)