Outfitting a Little Girl for the Year

Every year about this time, I start thinking about what clothing items each family member needs because we usually do a little bit of outlet shopping after Christmas. The first year after Jessica was born I don't think I had to buy her a thing except a winter coat. The next year I bought her a pair of overalls, a couple pairs of jeans, several winter tops, a couple summer tops, and a white sweater. I felt like I did a pretty good job since I got everything for about $50 and I knew she would change sizes throughout the year. I supplemented her summer wardrobe with homemade items. However, this year I had an epiphany!

My first experience with outfitting a little girl for the year.

First and foremost I learned this year that Jessica prefers light summer dresses to pants. With that in mind I realized that I could make her several classic summer dresses in a cotton/poly blend and buy some long sleeved shirts to go under them in the winter. This means that the only things I would need to purchase this year would be: some long sleeved white shirts, maybe a couple short sleeved white shirts, a neutral cardigan sweater, and a new coat. I would make her some summer dresses and maybe another pair of leg-warmers. It seems to me that this is one of the most economical ways to outfit a little girl for the year, and I should be able to pass these items on to a later child because they are all classic styles! What do you think? Do you have any suggestions for outfitting little girls for the year? What about boys?

Front Porch Friday: Thankful

This time last year, my pediatrician and internist was sending me to the dermatologist just as a precaution after delivering a healthy baby girl 9 months prior. I went in, and the dermatologist decided to biopsy two of them that they thought were questionable. Mind you, none of us were terribly nervous about this because they had only changed when my hormones changed, they looked nothing like the pictures you see online, and I did not have a family history. However, I got a phone call the day before Thanksgiving that forever changed my life.

My precious baby girl

I answered the phone, and the physician's assistant was on the phone. She said, "I am so glad you came in when you did. One of the moles we biopsied is a malignant melanoma." She didn't have to say anything else. I knew what malignant meant, and I knew what melanoma was. I had been to a visitation for my friend's aunt who died of melanoma. The rest of what she said was a blur. I fell to my knees and just stared at my baby girl sitting on the floor, wondering if she would grow up without a mother. The rest of the conversation was a blur. I think I managed to ask some good questions, but I am not really sure. The only thing I was sure of was that I would have to wait until after the holiday weekend to know how bad it was and what the prognosis was.

My neighbor Liza who always makes us feel like family.

The hours and days that followed were torturous. I called my husband and told him first, but we couldn't talk long because he was finishing some things up at work so he could go ahead and come home for a long weekend. Next I called my mother. I told her, "Mom, you can NOT get upset. I feel like I am going to throw up. The doctor's office called and said I have melanoma." My mom was also very familiar with what melanoma is. She had been to that same visitation and had watched her quick decline before her death. To her credit, my mom remained calm and got as much information out of me as possible before telling me to call Liza, my neighbor across the street that has a son my age. Liza came over, prayed with me, and took me and Jessica back to her house where her mother-in-law and sister-in-law were very kind and encouraging to me to until David got home.

My awesome Dad, who flew down for less than 24 hours to talk with me and do dishes, drinking "coffee" with Jessica at Christmas.

My mom got busy and called my aunt who explained that what I had been told on the phone actually sounded like it was probably a good prognosis. A friend whose dad has had melanoma multiple times called, and we spent Thanksgiving with them. Friends from church called as well, including a melanoma survivor. Up until Thanksgiving Day I had not known anyone who had survived melanoma. Now I know tons! When I still was unable to get out of my cycle of panic attacks, my dad flew down, and David took me to the ER. The hospital gave me some pills for the panic attacks. I took one, and it knocked me out cold for 6 hours. By that time, my dad was there - doing dishes, because that was the last thing on our minds at that point. I was rested. The chemicals in my brain had been reset, and I was ready, with the help of my dad and David, to start dealing with what we had been dealt.

Mom pushing Jessica around the hospital during the surgery.

As it turned out, I was in one of the earliest stages so I needed surgery asap, but I would not require any radiation or chemotherapy. They performed the surgery in office under local anesthesia. They took out both of them to make me happy. (I didn't want them accidentally taking out the wrong one! I am a little paranoid that way, but the doctor said if you can make a little paranoia work for you so that you are cautious but not controlled by it, then great!) The scars were about 4 inches long but not deep. However, I was not allowed to lift anything for 6 weeks after the surgery, and they told me to be very careful about bending my back. We did not want the stitches coming undone. My mother came down and stayed with us for a week until my sister and her boyfriend could drive down to get all of us and take us back to Memphis.

A picture of one of my scars 6 weeks after the surgery. Apparently, I am somewhat allergic to adhesive so we had a difficult time keeping me bandaged the entire 6 weeks.

This part was difficult for me. Although I enjoyed having all of the quality time with my family, it was Jessica's first Thanksgiving and first Christmas, and it was not how I had wanted it to be. My husband had to stay home and work most of that time, and he has become a very important part of my support network. It was also so hard not being able to pick up my baby girl; however, I must admit she is now a very independent little girl and she figured out ways she could comfortably nurse even though I was rather limited in my range of motion. I was also difficult to care for because I was having a very difficult time emotionally and was in no condition to be solely responsible for a child. My mother was trying to let me be as independent as possible but realized towards the end of the 6 weeks that I needed someone to tell me what to do because my head just wasn't there. She probably bore the brunt of it, placing her life on hold to care for me and Jessica, both of which were quite a handful).

The other side.

At the same time, I also felt very blessed. First of all, I was going to be a melanoma survivor! Secondly though, I'd had yet another life experience, which taught me more about the world and the Creator who put it into motion. I try to remember to thank God for the "good" things and the "bad" things because we learn something from all of them. I now go to the doctor every 6 months for a full body skin check. At my first re-check which was only a couple months after I healed from the surgery, they found a precancerous spot that needed to be taken care of in the office. However, at my last skin check, I was clean! My doctors are wonderful, and I have so much to be thankful for this year: my health, supportive family and friends, and getting spend each new day with my sweet baby girl and amazingly supportive husband.

What more can you ask for? (Besides more children!)

Re-purposed Tights

I am really not that tall, but David was laying down when he took the picture.

I am planning to get some maternity leggings at some point in the near future, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. In the meantime I realized that I could probably re-purpose an old pair of black dance tights that I had left over from college! I cut the feet off (and made a cut in the waist band because it was too snug!), and then I used my all time favorite, Frey Check, on the cut edges. That's it! It ended up working out great, but I don't think I will be able to wear them for much longer as my thighs and lower abdomen keep expanding! However, it will work out great until I can manage to find a pair of maternity leggings!! (Yes, I could probably get larger sized tights but given that my weight gain tends to be limited to my thighs and lower abdomen, maternity leggings would probably fit better!)

They ended up riding up a bit during the day but not bad!

Let Me Be Critical For a Moment

Let me be critical for a moment of School Psychology, the Mental Health Profession, and yes even society at large. Perhaps we spend too much time focusing on what is "wrong" with children and trying to "fix" them instead of appreciating all of their wonderful gifts. I really think it would be better if we just recognized that all people are different and tried to be sensitive to those differences. There are so many wonderful, precious children out there with extraordinary qualities who only hear from others about what is "wrong with them." I personally choose to believe that God made all people with certain strengths and weaknesses for a special purpose. Shame on us for expecting children to fit into a box and labeling them as "disordered" when they do not!

That's How I Roll!!

David's mom and grandmother offered to give us some money to go towards a new stroller, which was very nice! I ended up finding a great deal on the Kolcraft Contours Tandem Stroller at Diapers.com so I went ahead and ordered it! We thought it would be particularly nice to have while I am pregnant because then Jessica and a friend can ride together while the friend's mom pushes! (I am having trouble pushing again this pregnancy. I have no earthly idea why.) At any rate, the stroller arrived yesterday and David put it together last night!! We ended up getting to take it for a spin today, and I am totally convinced that I got the best stroller and for the best price ($186 shipped)!!!

Aren't you jealous that we are wearing summer clothes in November???

Here is my review of the Kolcraft Contours Stroller. It is very easy to push and can go almost anywhere! My friend pushed the stroller and loved it! She could push it on dirt roads with one hand! You also don't have to air up the tires or worry about punctures. It folds down to be pretty compact. It will almost fit in the trunk of our Firebird, which is pretty impressive! I could probably make it fit if I had to, but we plan to use the umbrella stroller and Ultimate Baby Wrap for at least the first year. (At some point we will need to get a new vehicle, but we are pushing it off as long as possible because the Firebird is paid for!! For now I plan to use the stroller more around the neighborhood because we do A LOT of walking on mostly dirt roads; however, I think when the new baby is over a year old I will enjoy using it when going places as well.) The stroller is a little heavy to carry, but any double stroller is going to be heavy!

Nice big wheels. The perfect size for off-roading!

Another plus about the Kolcraft Contours Stroller is its versatility! One huge plus is that the kids aren't sitting next to each other so you end up with fewer fights. ("Mom, he's on my side. Mom, she's touching me. Mom, she hit me" ...I think you get the idea!) They can sit facing each other so they can play and talk to each other but still have their personal space. They can also be turned while in the seats to face away from each other, both face front, or both face back. I can see this working out great for time-out on the go! For even more versitility, you can also use up to two infant seats in place of the seats. You could also remove one seat to leave more space for shopping or equipment if you have a special needs child. For older children, there is a handhold on each side of the stroller.

In the sitting up position. Aren't you impressed with sunshade?

Another plus when you live in such a warm climate is that the sunshades are better covering than most double strollers. The seats themselves and the footrests recline, which is great for infants and tired toddlers! There is a parent tray that has 2 cupholders and a compartment for snacks, keys, phone, etc. The basket underneath is quite spacious! I could see myself walking to our vet with the kids in the seats and our cat on a leash in the basket! My only complaint about the Kolcraft Contours Tandem Stroller is that the child seats have a removable bar instead of a tray. However, I have seen cloth trays that you can buy separately and velcro onto any stroller. I may make my own at some point!

Obviously it's comfortable, and the sunshade does a good job even in the reclined position!

Christmas at Our House

Ok, now that it is officially November, I feel like I can blog more about Thanksgiving and Christmas! Previously I had eluded to the fact that (as long as we can manage it) we plan to make Christmas a mostly homemade affair for our children. I don't really remember how or why we ended up making that decision. Frugality definitely has something to do with it, but I think more of it is trying to avoid the commercialism that has become Christmas and get back to what is most important: an exchange of love, not stuff. I would like to see our children grow up to be fiscally responsible, to value relationships over things, to appreciate the thought and effort behind a gift and not how much it cost, etc. Can you accomplish all of these things while having a store-bought Christmas? Absolutely. In fact, our child(ren) receive plenty of store-bought gifts from our extended families. This may actually be another part of the reason we started doing homemade gifts.

Ready for Santa Claus!

With Jessica being the first grandchild, first neice, first great-grandchild, and first great-great-grandchild, she has many aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc excited about getting her something cool for Christmas, which is wonderful! However, as a parent on a budget, how do you make Santa Claus exciting when gifts from extended family are already pretty darn exciting? You give your love and your time, two things you cannot put a price on. It also makes our Christmas at home pretty unique and special, so it is not like we do the same thing about 5 different times throughout the holidays!

Jessica's first Christmas at our house.

Last year, we made Jessica a wooden shapes puzzle and a bag of wooden blocks. We also took one of my old purses and filled it with our old wallets, watches, fake credit cards, bracelets, lotion bottles, etc. (She has really enjoyed that!) We also bought her some books from an outlet and her first pair of shoes. Her stocking was filled with apples and socks. The only thing that really cost us anything was the shoes. Obviously, the shoes, socks, and books were not homemade. I tend to make an exception for books and needed items (like shoes or socks).

The unfinished product sitting on David's workbench.

This year, David made Jessica a play kitchen. He still has one or two things to do before I can start painting it. I also plan to make more felt food to go in her kitchen. She will also get a small stack of books, and her stocking will be filled with fruit, candy, a new piece for her Fisher Price Little People House, and maybe some more socks. I have been hopeful about finishing a new set of pajamas for her by Christmas Eve, but I am not sure that will materialize. We probably spent a little more this year, but she is also old enough to enjoy it a little more!

Jessica's picture with Santa last year....it was a wee bit traumatic!

That is pretty much what Christmas looks like at our house, although David and I do not make things for each other. It takes enough time to make stuff for our child(ren), and there are usually some things that we would like that we enjoy doing together. Last year we each got some woodworking tools. This year we are getting the Star Trek Original Series on dvd. We both grew up watching Star Trek with our dads and now enjoy watching it together. We should have a little more down time this year as I slow down the later part of this pregnancy and while I recover from labor and delivery (and do a lot of breastfeeding)!

Happy Halloween

Last year we took Jessica to a couple friends' houses to trick or treat. This year we did the same thing, but we also went around the neighborhood a little with some of our friends!

Jessica was not quite sure what to make of Bella!

Jessica's friend was not quite sure about the dragon costume at first!

Jessica felt that he needed to wear his hat whether he wanted to or not!

"I can't get it on him. You'll have to do it."

"Why are all these women picking on me???"

We eventually go the hang of it and headed out trick or treating in the red wagon!

They really had a wonderful time once we got started! By the end Jessica was saying, "Hello. Thank you. Bye Bye." (over and over and over again!!) We also trick or treated a little more later once we got home! At the rate of one piece of candy every night after dinner, I think she will have enough to last until Christmas!