What I've been making while we were sick

This little scarf was for Ann. She loves to feel on things, so I thought I would whip this up to give her something to rub on while she was down and out. She was so sick in this photo, but she gave me a true smile. 

This is the baby blanket that I made for our friends, Derek and Jeri, that had their baby, Elijah, this weekend. I really love how it turned out. So much I went and picked up 3 different colors to do the same pattern for baby Cam. The yarn I picked out for Cam will not make good tassels though.

Another scarf. My friend Elizabeth has a pasion for purple. I had 1 ball of purple yarn so I turned it into this scarf for her. I thought it would be enough, however I ran out so I added some 2 tone gray and purple to it. I like how it turned out also. My model was less than thrilled to have it around her neck. Can't blame her, she had just come in from outside where it's 90 degrees today. 

Cloth Diapers

My story with cloth diapers began when Nia (now 11) was a newborn. I decided to give them a try. I assumed that you could just go to your local Wal-mart, grab a pack of the cute, printed cloths, and proceed to diaper your baby with them. Since those 'diapers' are really designed to be used as burp clothes, my one day trial was filled with nothing but wet everywhere. Months later I actually met a mom who cloth diapered the real way. I was intrigued, but not enough to relive that first test trial.

Six and a half years later I was blessed with my second child, Ann. By this time the internet was in full swing and my little Ann's sensitive skin was constantly broken out in a diaper rash. We would miss outings just so I could let her go diaper free. After researching what to do about constant diaper rash, I came across the new cloth diaper. The one size pocket diaper. I researched what many felt was the best (of only a few brands) on the market, BumGenius. Then on product 2.0. I proceeded to make about a dozen of my own pocket diapers designed after the pictures on the Cotton Babies web site of the BumGenius. My homemade diapers were not the best, not even close, but it did get rid of Ann's rash and made my husband and I decide to make the switch. At first we used my homemade cloth during the day and a disposable at night. A month later we ordered a couple dozen prefolds, 2 diaper covers, and 2 of the coveted BumGenius one-size 2.0s from cottonbabies.com. We used the BumGenius at night and my homemade and prefolds during the day. I loved my BumGenius and eventually built up enough of a stash of them to last Ann 2 days. Below is an example of a 2.0, not the one-size or a pocket diaper like we used, but you get the idea.

So, what are we doing diaper wise for the new baby? If you guessed BumGenius 4.0, you are right! We will be starting with 6 BumGenius, 18 prefolds, and 3 ecobum covers. Eventually we will get more pocket diapers. I would totally go with only BumGenius, but I have read on several blogs that you should tryout a diaper on a baby's behind for a while before you dish out the dough on a full stash of them. Every bottom is different and different diapers work better on different kids. Below is an pic of a 4.0, now I can get them in prints!

Also in prep for the new baby and his cloth diapers I cut 12 inch by 5 inch rectangles from fleece to use as diaper liners. This is so simple. I bought 2 feet of polar fleece fabric which was on sale, 1 foot of each fabric. Then cut 5 inch sections. No need to sew, fleece doesn't fray. I didn't use liners with Ann, but I like the idea. The cost for the liners was under $3 and it made a total of 22.  They are cheeper and totally cuter than the liners you find for sale also. 

For wipes we use cut up old t-shirts. I asked friends on facebook to give me old t-shirts they no longer wanted. My only tip here is to make them all the same size and make that size one that will fit into the container of you choice. We are using a container that would normally hold disposable wipes.

Insulin

I started insulin today. I was really upset about the whole thing, I mean really upset. I have done absolutely everything I have been told to do, but it just isn't working. Now that I've taken the first couple of doses, it's not so bad. It actually doesn't hurt at all. The needles are so very tiny that if I wasn't giving it to myself I wouldn't feel them.

Our house is still kinda sick. John seems to be all better. A few coughs here and there. I think I am getting better, still a little way to go. Ann, well today she is better than she has been in a week and a half, but still laid on the couch all day. Nia has been fighting it. She is definitely congested, but says she feels fine. However, she has taken a long nap most days for the last week.

sick house

My sick babies sleeping on the living room floor and my littlest one on me.

The house has been sick for over a week now. John seems to be getting better. Ann and I have brochettes, but also seem to be on the up swing of it. Nia hasn't been too sick, but does have a cold. She has been sleeping about twice as much as usual so I think her body is just fighting it off. On the flip side, I am super excited about my baby shower which is 3 days away!!!
Also, our friends Jeri and Derek had their baby on Sunday! We are very excited for them.

Rough Week

The first part of the week the AC was out and the girls found a black widow in their room. Now 3 of us are sick. Head ache, congestion, cough, body aches all over, slight fever, and my heart is going crazy. It's a little after 3 AM and I am up tonight with Ann. She woke up throwing up flem.

A few of things I've made lately

So, I guess the only thing I've worked on lately is crochet. Both of my beautiful girls wanted rainbow blankets. So this is what I made them...

This is Nia's 'rainbow blanket'. Not really a rainbow, just has a lot of colors. The colors are much brighter in person. Nia wanted her blanket to be for the living room and was very specific on it's size.

I took this pic while I was working on Ann's in the park. It looks kind of like a confetti pattern. she really likes it and has slept with it every night since I finished it over a month ago. It is a good size for a twin bed. 

This is the blanket that made my girls demand to have blankets made. This blanket is for little Cameron. I started on it the day I found out he is a boy. I can't wait to see him snuggle up with it. It of course is crib size.

Youth Space

God has called my husband and me to start a youth ministry at Vineyard Reynoldsburg. The church has  been blessed with a space to use for free as long as we renovate it. Here are some before pics. It is in really rough shape.

These first few pics are of the room in the worst shape. It was once the home of a beauty parlor!

Below are hook ups for sinks in the beauty shop.

Another room in bad shape.

This room is good, we probably won't have to do any work in here. Well, maybe paint.

This room also in good shape, I think it needed some dry wall repair and the curtains are all torn up.

Men's restroom. Minimal plumbing needs replaced in toilet and more drywall repair.

Utility closet, just needs a volunteer to clean it out!

Hallway outside women's restroom.

Women's restroom. Just needs the same plumbing repairs as the men's.

hallway

This light is in the hall, I thought is was kinda retro funky cool.

Main worship area. Complete with a stage! This pic doesn't do it justice as far as it's size. It seems much bigger in person.

Off the worship area. Behind John and Richard there is an entrance to a little 'cottage' area. John kept hitting his head on the decorative pieces you see in this pic so it (the decorative pieces) were ripped out this weekend when they started renovations. We want to turn the cottage itself in a little coffee shop area, but we don't know if running water to the space is financially a good idea.

The next two pics show the top of this blue wall. The owners have asked us to restore it in some way. It was once the lane of a bowling alley that was in this space! How cool is that?

Entrance to cottage area that was removed.

The Stage

The plan here is to remove the back and left false walls along with the awning part that is over the stage. That will give us about 3 more feet front to back and more space side to side. The ceiling in this space is wood painted silver. We are going to leave it silver and the wood is great for sound.

Behind the stage. We know we will have to find a way to block the light from window. I am thinking a thick curtain to cover the entire back wall.

One of the rooms inside cottage. 

John and a group of his friends did some renovations this week end and I will ad those pics later. I don't have before pics of the area they worked on though. They worked on the floor in a room next to the stage and removed plaster from a wall that is in a large space next to the worship area. We are planning on using that large space as a rec area with pool and ping pong tables and other game type stuff.