I had planned on having my stepson's quilt done before the construction started, but life is complicated and never seems to go the way we plan it.
I am finally getting started on it now and want to give it to him for Christmas, though it is not his Christmas gift.
I will also be working on quilts for my two stepdaughters and for Skye, so keep an eye on those videos coming out at a later date.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
So they were originally supposed to start the remodel on our apartment back in September.
It is now December and they still haven't started on our apartment yet.
I swear the apartment looks like a tornado hit and it is driving my OCD and anxiety crazy.
See the update here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Waverly is mostly a happy baby, but not all the time. She cries sometimes too and not always for an issue that we can figure out right away.
Since I always seem to get her on video when she is happy and enjoying herself, I felt it was only fair to show her when she isn't happy also.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
One of the best things about Waverly's easygoing personality is that she is easily amused.
This is one of the ways I entertain her in places that can be kinda boring, like waiting for the pediatrician to come to do a well-baby exam.
Wishing a Merry Christmas to everyone!
Watch the giggles here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Little Miss Waverly's teeth are much easier to see these days and she grins to flash them around. You can see them every time she giggles and she does that a lot.
See her shiny new teeth here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I have been having some issues with both of my knees. They both make crunching noises when they are bent completely and ache like crazy a good portion of the time.
They started by trying cortisone shots. When that didn't work, they tried an injection that was jelly like. I can't remember the name of it, but there was a series of shots in each knee. They did one shot a week in each knee for three weeks in a row. This didn't help either. In fact, it made the ache worse making the joints feel swollen and difficult to bend.
Well, on November 21st, they went in and did an orthoscopic surgery of my left knee. They only do one at a time for these. I am still waiting on my follow up from the surgery to find out exactly what was done, but I was told a few things.
Apparently, there was something floating around in my knee. I'm not sure what at this point, but they did remove it. They also repaired damage to the cartilage under my knee cap. Once I know more, I will update the post.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I am not sure how Athos knows that Waverly is a baby, but he certainly tries to protect her, even when she isn't really in any danger. When he is in his cage, he will talk back and forth with her. He will whine, she will coo at him. It is very cute.
When he is out of the cage, he wants to be close by her, tries to lick her, and if she screeches, he lunges like she is being hurt.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Well, it finally happened. Waverly finally got her first teeth. Like her momma and grandma, she got her first set of teeth two at a time. Certainly makes for one cranky teething baby, but makes the teething process happen faster.
She is so cute with her new teeth and she is certainly having fun trying to bit things now, including anything she can get a hold of, whether its your finger or one of her teething toys. They go straight to her mouth for her to try to chomp on them.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Emagity is a once a month shot to help prevent migraines. I have been on mine for a while, but recently a friend asked how to use it after she was prescribed it from her Neurologist. I was able to walk her through how to use it over video chat, she is back in Indiana and I'm in Tennessee so I couldn't just go and show her.
After walking her through it, I wondered if anyone else would need that same information. When my next shot time came around, I recorded it in the hopes of helping someone else use the shot properly.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Little Miss Waverly is growing way too fast. It is hard to believe she will be a year old in March. It seems like she was just born.
She is crawling much more now than she has up to now. So far she isn't pulling herself up to stand yet, but she is learning to stand and balance with some help.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
When Waverly was born, we had to decide (me & the Big Guy) what Waverly was going to call us. In my family, the names we used for our grandparents was either Nana or Grandma and my grandfathers were both called Papa.
As of right now, we have Waverly calling me Grandma and she calls the Big Guy Pops. She definitely loves her Pops.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
This is Day 2 of working on my stepson's quilt.
I thought it would be nice to record my progress on the quilt. I record before I start working on it on that day so that I can keep track of what I finished and where I am on making his quilt.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
This was Waverly's first Halloween, and while we know she probably won't remember it, we still wanted her to have a cute costume.
Skye found this Grumpy Bear costume on Amazon and couldn't wait for Waverly to be able to wear it.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Any kind of spaghetti is pretty traditional in my family. We usually have some kind of pasta dish at every family party. As a matter of fact, my god mother is a first generation Italian American as her parents were raised in Italy and moved to the Chicago area. I remember growing up and watching her mom as she cooked.
While I only make my own pasta and pasta sauce from scratch occasionally, spaghetti sauce was one of the first main meals that I showed Skye how to make. On this day, she was the one who made the pasta and sauce (starting with a jarred sauce and adding to it is how we make it on a day when a long cook time isn't possible).
Since Skye made dinner that night, and Waverly is old enough for table food, Skye decided to give her a little to try out.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
When Skye was about three months old, she found her thumb and wouldn't take a pacifier after that. To this day, she still sucks her thumb if she is anxious or upset. It is still soothing to her.
So it didn't come as a big surprise when Waverly found her thumb either. Thankfully, she only does it sometimes and prefers her pacifier. It makes it much easier to transition her off of it. You can't exactly remove a kids thumbs like you can throw the pacifier away.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
After Waverly's conversations with Athos, she was in a spunky mood. She kept tipping herself side ways, without warning mostly.
For her it was just another day, but for the rest of us we were giggling like crazy.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I'm still not sure what started the whole thing, but man it was pretty funny. It was like they were talking to one another and sharing stories.
Athos would whine and Waverly would asker back.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
You can see just how much she is getting around from these clips. We were at the Big Guys mom's house helping to clean out the gutter. It was not a conversation that anyone would willingly listen to (so so boring), so I removed the sound and added some music.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Waverly has started to find the toys dangling from her car seat and bouncer seat lately. She tugs and plays with them every time.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Babies com with so many first and some of them are funny and others are not. Shots are not fun for babies, but trying out new foods is very fun.
Waverly is trying out cheerios cereal for the first time.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
With Winter coming, I knew we were going to need a winter goat for Waverly. It doesn't get as cold here in Tennessee as it does back in Indiana, where we moved from, but a warm coat is still needed.
I was having a difficult time finding a warm coat for her at Walmart, but I was able to find this coat at one of the local discount clothing stores.
It makes it look like she is a blue teddy bear.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Since Waverly is now old enough to have baby food and baby snacks, we have been getting different ones for her to try out.
I think we found a winner with these baby teething crackers.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
OMG....Waverly is so funny.
The things that amuse her are sometimes little things, but boy does she get us all giggling with her giggles.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
The last time Skye had any cavities was years ago back in Indiana. Since we have been in Tennessee she hasn't had any until now.
Luckily, the dentist here offers nitrous gas to help anxiety in their patients but man it was a little entertaining. I just had to record it.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
It amazes me every day how much Waverly grows. The most recent thing that she has figured out is that she has a tongue.
She is still cooing and making noises, but in between those noises she would stick her tongue out and then back in again and she would do it repeatedly before going back to cooing.
I couldn't help but giggle as I watched her.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I have had pimples, ingrown hairs, and boils over the years. I also have a small lump on the back of my neck that swells a little when I am sick, but I have never had anything like this one.
It started out small, honestly I didn't even notice it until it had gotten to about the size of a dime and only then because it made shaving a bit difficult. Instead of going away after a few days, like the ones I have dealt with in the past, this one just seemed to get bigger and bigger.
The lump was about the size of a golf ball, though I swear it felt more like a baseball or tennis ball size at the end. The position in was in made having my arm down or up against my body majorly uncomfortable and even painful at times.
I am a pimple popping fan so if I could have drained it myself, I probably would have tried to do it myself. I promise that I didn't though. It was in my right armpit, I am right handed, and I had no topical numbing. There was no way I was going at that area with anything sharp in my non dominant hand. I may be weird or unusual but I'm definitely not stupid.
Anyway, see the video here:
Danielle
In case I had mentioned it before, I hate packing and moving stuff. I can never find anything and it just drives my anxiety and OCD off the charts.
If you haven't seen any of my previous videos, we are not moving. They are remodeling and renovating all of the apartments in our complex. They have started on the apartments below us and have been working on them for a couple weeks now.
It is stressful, noisy and a nuisance, but when its done, hopefully we will have a nice new apartment. We just have to survive that long in the mean time. Yes, I'm being dramatic, but it is a stressful process and they haven't even started on our apartment yet.
See what we have packed up so far in the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
We had about a half an hour before I had to get Skye from school so I took Waverly to the park right behind the high school. She is now able to sit up pretty well, though she does still need some support help. I put her in the swing and gave her a few light pushes. Apparently, it was very soothing as she started to fall asleep in the swing (it was past her normal nap time so I was hoping this would wear her the rest of the way out for a good nap).
I then took her over to a shaded spot and put her down on the grass. I wasn't sure if she had felt grass before so I was curious to see how she would like it. Skye was not a fan at first, but within a few months she loved being outside in the grass playing.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Amidst the craziness going on here with the remodeling going on in the complex, I received my Taste of Home Fall Box. I fully admit that I am weird. I like cooking gadgets, appliances, anything that makes the cooking process easier and fun. I like that they are sent to me every season, that I get a surprise box that I don't know what is coming before I open it, and that I don't have to go anywhere, make any decisions, or see people (especially on a bad fibro day when I have no patience and have a lot of pain).
That weirdness means I get excited over things that seem silly to others, but I just love cook books and cooking things. There are probably two other things that I enjoy just as much as cooking gadgets and those are school supplies and any kind of craft/sewing supplies. Hey, I warned you that I was weird. I could spend hours in Office Max, Hobby Lobby, Joann's, Home Depot, even Lowe's or Menards.
I don't really care for shopping. My goal is to get in, get what I need, and get out and as quickly as possible. I don't enjoy crowds anymore. I struggle with road rage while pushing a shopping cart in Walmart. But get me in a office supply store, fabric store, even a store like Home Depot and I will go up and down every isle to see what they have, see what I like, and pretend that I am remodeling or redecorating my future dream home.
For a little taste of my heaven, watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I remember when Skye was the same age as Waverly. She acted like the bottle was just too heavy for her to hold and it wasn't until I busted her holding her bottle herself at my grandmothers (my gram watched Skye for a few hours until my cousin got off of school and took over watching her). From that day on, I didn't let her get away with not holding it herself.
Lately, I have been working with Waverly on holding her own bottle. She would only hold it for a few seconds though before dropping it. She is now holding it herself for the most part, though she does struggle to keep it up high enough to keep the air bubbles out. But I have proof that she can hold it herself.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Miss Waverly is officially 6 months old. Babies are protected for the first six months of their life by their mother's immune system. Now that Waverly has hit the six month mark, she is having to build her own immune system.
Yep, she does that by being exposed to viruses and germs. Guess what...she got her first cold!
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
The apartment complex has told us that we are only allowed one ESA (emotional support animal) per household, so we did have to find a new home for Missy, but we still have Athos.
Now that Waverly is getting bigger, we are socializing her and Athos together. We want Athos to be protective of her and for her to realize she has to be gentle with the animals, she is a baby after all.
Athos seems to already like her and you can see how they interact together here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
The Big Guy and I were running errands around town during a rain storm. When we came out of the store, the rain had stopped and the most beautiful rainbow was in the sky.
I didn't know if my camera would pick it up, since I couldn't tell on my screen, but was happy to see it did. I wish I had recorded it as a video instead of taking pictures, but we were expecting another storm to hit and I didn't want to miss it (or get caught in the next storm) so pictures had to do.
See the short video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
There is something just basic in watching a child playing. Their pure joy is just catchy. It makes me want to remember a time when I could find the joy in the littlest things.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Ash is the last kitten to be born in our household and will be the last kitten. We found new homes for the majority of our cats and the only male cat left in our household is Oreo, Skye's cat. He has been neutered so he will no longer be able to make babies.
Ash, short for Ashtray since he liked to sit in my ashtray, has a funny personality. He loves to perch on our shoulders. Ash is a male kitten and will be fixed once he gets a little older.
See his funny antics here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Now that Waverly can roll over on her own, and roll over she tries to do in everything including her bouncer and her car seat, she loves being on her tummy. She is now getting to where she is starting to move herself all over the place and I don't think it will be long before she will be crawling all over the place.
She is such an alert baby (I call it nosiness) and wants to see everything going on around her. She is enjoying being able to explore more things. She loves bright colors, movement, and even tries to join in on conversations at times in her own baby noise way.
Soon she will be crawling, walking and talking. Time goes too fast.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Well, the renovation process has started in our building. They started with the lower 4 apartments so we have started packing stuff up and moving it to a storage unit or for electronics that are temperature sensitive, they have been taken to a relatives of the Big Guy for safe keeping.
We are not sure yet when they will be starting with the upper 4 apartments, but it looks like a few weeks still.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I think that one of the joys of being a grand parent is getting to do the fun stuff and getting to enjoy the simple fun things with children. One of those is a right of passage in having their first taste of something sweet. The joy in a child's face when they have their first sweet just reminds me to enjoy the simple things in life when you can.
When Skye was little, I was working full time and was away 12 hours every day. There were so many firsts that I missed. With Waverly, I am getting to enjoy those firsts again with a different perspective than a traditional parent.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I don't know what it is about a baby laughing, but I find it very contagious and it just brightens my day. When she laughs, it makes me laugh and just eases the stress of any day. She smiles and I can't help but smile back at her.
If you are anything like me, you can enjoy the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Skye and I were in the grocery store and found a fruit we hadn't tried before.
I had heard of Pluot before. I believe it is a hybrid fruit of Plum and Apricot, but neither of us had tasted one before.
So we bought one and tasted it on camera, while having a face mask on our faces.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
When I was growing up, we always seemed to have pretzel rods on hand. They seem the perfect shape for a baby to wrap their fingers around. So I broke one in half, and gave one to Waverly.
Lately she has been drooling more and more and wanting to chew on her pacifier and anything else that gets in her arm reach.
She immediately put it in her mouth and started rubbing her gums with the pretzel. She was entertained for a minute with that pretzel, though I did watch her to make sure she didn't break any pieces off and choke on them.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
The apartment remodels have begun. They started on the building next to us.
They will be starting on the lower floors in our building on August 29th and the upper floor in our building on September 5th.
I've already started the packing procedure in our apartment in preparation for the September 5th remodel date.
See what I've gotten done so far here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
One of the things that Waverly received during the baby shower was rattle socks.
Since she has club foot, she had to have casts on and special boots so she hasn't been able to use them yet.
This is the first time she has worn them and since she has become obsessed with her feet.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Waverly is now five months old today. She is growing and growing like a weed.
For a while, Waverly wasn't gaining weight and the doctor was concerned.
After switching her formula, and increasing the amount per feeding, she is now back on the right track and gaining weight again.
See her 5 month video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Waverly has now passed the 5 month old mark and is going to be eating baby food soon. So we gave her a little to see how she handles it.
I call her Munch for two reasons: 1. She is my munchkin. 2. She loves to eat.
See Munch trying baby foods here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
This is not a sponsored post. They don't know I exist and I paid for the items myself.
I ordered them online after seeing multiple adds for the sponge.
I wasn't sure if they would work like advertised but my skin is always so dry that I wanted to give it a try.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Instead of taking time to entertain Waverly, she entertains us.
Here is one of those moments where she had us cracking up.
She loved hanging upside down.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Waverly is teething. She wants to put everything in her mouth.
Including my finger.
See her funny faces here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Now that Waverly is gaining weight again, her check ups are going much better.
Here we are at her 4 month check up, with a happy baby making noises.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
It finally happened. She finally rolled over, with only a little help.
Now she is a rolling over queen, trying to escape especially during diaper changes.
See her roll over here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Since Waverly has discovered that she has feet, they seem to be always up in the air even with her special boots on.
She is also kicking more and more and has figured out how to use those feet as a weapon. I have the bruises to prove it.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
They have begun the work in the complex here. They started with the roofs on the buildings and then moved to new siding.
There are many rumors on what is supposed to be happening, as far as repairs go, but not so much on confirming the rumors.
They will be starting remodeling on each of the apartments soon as well so keep an eye out for the before and after as each day progesses.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Waverly is back at it again. Making sounds and screeches that just keep her so entertained, and us entertained.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
As Waverly grows, she is becoming more aware of her surroundings.
While recording her, I realized she was staring at the "baby" on the phone. She was the baby. She couldn't stop staring.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Waverly is getting better at making sounds. She seems to get the most enjoyment out of her screeching noises.
See her talk to us in this video:
See ya soon!
Danielle
We have been having some pretty crazy weather around here. I am sure that being in the 90's most of the time doesn't help.
Tonight, we watched the storm as it rolled into town. I had to pick Skye up from work and was able to get some of the lightening on camera. Don't worry, my phone was in a mounted holder, I was not driving and recording at the same time.
Watch as the dark night sky is awash with light here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
We didn't do much for the 4th of July this year.
The Big Guy and the kids blew off some bottle rockets and some fire crackers, while Skye went to the local high school with some friends to see their firework show.
Its not a long video, but it is still funny to watch.
Watch it here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Waverly will be 4 months old on July 11th. She definitely has a personality and one of her quirks is absolutely hating tummy time.
For infants, tummy time gives them a chance to strengthen their neck muscles, arm muscles and leg muscles. This helps to prepare them for crawling and walking later on. Any time Waverly is put on her stomach, she would very quickly let you know she was unhappy about it. She was having some issues with reflux and we assumed that was the reason she didn't like the pressure on her stomach.
This time, I tried something a little different. I put her down on her boppy pillow, to give her some support and keep her from laying fully on her stomach. She just had a ball. Then, between her big head and her heavy specialty boots, she started to flip herself over.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
This elephant lovie is one of the gifts Waverly received during Skye's baby shower. She was sent this from a cousin of mine living in another state.
Up until now, Waverly hasn't shown much interest in any toys or stuffed animals, but this time was different.
She pulled it up close to herself and was snuggling with it. It was so cute to see her reaction as she played with the ears since they had crinkle material inside and made noise when she squeezed them.
She was in love. She has since spent many a minute clutching her elephant lovie.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Since babies can't talk yet, they tend to let their feelings show through crying, smiling, or facial expressions.
Waverly is no different. She is even starting to talk back by making sounds. In this video, Skye was trying to entertain her while waiting for her latest check up from the doctor. She was blowing on her feet and boy did Waverly not like that.
You can see the look she gives her mamma here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Waverly is about three and a half months old in this video. She is learning new skills every day and growing like a weed.
In this video, you can see images of Waverly sitting up. She is being supported by my lap, but is still holding herself upright for the most part.
I tease her and say her big head is going to make her topple over, but it is still so cute to see.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
This banana teether was one of the baby shower gifts that Waverly got from an aunt of mine back in Indiana.
The teether also acts as a baby toothbrush. Lately, we have noticed that Waverly is drooling a lot more than she used to and suspected that she may be getting ready to start teething.
We pulled out her banana and she loved it. The handles are easy for her to hold and the texture of the banana feels good on her gums along with helping to keep them clean. Now, she uses it all the time.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Little Miss Waverly was not a fan of the swing when she first tried it.
As she has gotten a little older, she is starting to enjoy it more and more.
She still makes some very amusing faces, though now it is without screaming and crying, for the most part.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I don't know about you but baby smiles are just magic.
It doesn't seem to matter how bad my day is, the minute that little toothless grin happens it just makes me smile back, wiping out the negative of the day.
If you need a smile, just watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
It is that time of month again. Time for my Mighty Fix to arrive.
This month I forgot to pick my item until it was too late so it was a surprise.
I have been using it since and it is amazing. I do make a product similar, but not exactly the same.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Its only been two days since the last crazy rain hit and it hit again.
Heavy rain tends to flood our parking lot and make it look like a river is running through it.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Waverly is growing every day and would soon out grow her basinet top of her pack and play. On this day, she had received a surprise gift from her great grandma, Nana Karen.
I helped Skye assemble it and it is absolutely beautiful. It is a convertible bed so it will be able to be used for many years to come since it converts to a day bed, toddler bed and a full size bed for when she is older.
Waverly was very much enjoying her new bed in the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I'm not sure what has been going on with the weather here lately, but it has been crazy.
On this day, it went from sunny to down pour in what seemed like seconds. Even from the back side of the building to the front, there seemed to be a difference in the intensity of the rain.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
This big fellow startled us one evening while we were sitting outside enjoying the evening air. I don't remember now, but I think we were having some storms come through around this time (sorry, editing this a few weeks after the fact).
At first, we weren't sure what it was. Our neighbor came out of his apartment and jumped back inside thinking that it was going to follow him in. My fiance and I found this quite funny.
When it landed on the wall of the building, about a foot from the neighbors door, I snapped a few pictures of it. I was so amazed by the size, I made sure to include my hand in some of the shots, just to give her a better perspective on how big it actually was.
Enjoy the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I took these pictures because I didn't think anyone would believe me if I told them without being able to show them.
I walked out of my bedroom and headed to the kitchen. A quick glance at the dog cage made me pause. I couldn't figure out where our other dog was, how she got out of the cage, and where she was currently at. I had to go around the cage and look twice before I realized what was actually happening.
Missy, our female puppy, was laying on top of our male, Athos. She was sprawled on top of him like he was her own personal fluffy bed. I had to call her name to get her to look up at me to confirm I was seeing what I thought I was seeing.
I took pictures as proof, shaking my head and chuckling the whole time.
See the shots here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
This is Waverly's fourth appointment with the foot specialist about her clubbed foot. She graduated this time from her casts to her new special boots with the bar.
The nice thing about the boots is that they can come off if she needs a bath. This is a big improvement over the casts, which she could only get sponge baths with.
See her progress here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
We have found that the Spit Up Queen visits us regardless of whether Waverly is burped or not. However, when she does spit up, there are times when it is a lot.
So I made her some burp cloths.
I used flannel for the front and back and sandwiched a layer of diaper fabric between the flannel to help with absorbency. I cut the burp cloths 10 inches wide and 20 inches long to try to cover as much shoulder as possible during burping.
I placed the two pieces of flannel together, pretty sides touching with the diaper cloth on top. I stitched all the way around, back stitching at the beginning and end, and left an opening to turn the burp cloths right side out. Then I top stitched around them again, making sure I caught the opening during the top stitching to secure them closed.
These are nice and soft on the skin because of the flannel and the diaper fabric adds to the amount the cloths can soak up.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Waverly being my first grandbaby, I had to make her something a little special. I decided to make her a quilt.
I made the quilt out of fleece material for the front and back. I used a solid peachy colored fleece for the back. The front is made of 6" squares of fleece in a light pink, dark pink, light purple and dark purple. I also put batting between the fleece layers to make sure it was nice and warm for her.
I sewed the squares together to make rows of 9 squares across. There were a total of 12 rows that I sewed together to create the front of the quilt. I took the peachy fleece and put it down, pretty side on the outside (though fleece mainly doesn't seem to have a right or wrong side to me), put the batting on top (I picked the batting up at Walmart for a crib size quilt), then put the front piece on top pretty side up.
I evened out all the sides as best as I could, then bound the quilt in white satin binding. This was the very first quilt I ever made and only the 2nd time I have used binding. Overall, I am happy with how the quilt turned out and I know she will use it for many years.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Skye's cat had kittens shortly after Waverly was born. They are a few weeks younger than she is. One of the kittens was very curious about the weird person sitting on Skye's bed and I happened to be recording the kitten when Waverly chose that moment to have a Spit Up Queen moment. Luckily, I caught it on camera.
Laugh at the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
This is Waverly's third appointment with the foot specialist. The doctor was very pleased with the progress she was making on her left foot and decided to cast both legs this time. He also told us that she may not need any more castings, but would know more when she went back in two weeks for her next appointment.
He was still pleased with her flexibility and also said he didn't think she would need the surgery to clip her achilles tendon either, he would confirm that once he saw the results of this casting as well.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
One of the things Skye got during her baby shower was a portable baby swing from one of my aunts back in Indiana.
This thing is pretty cool, it plugs into a USB port like a cellphone charger would, and plays music.
It is always funny to see how babies react to new things. The first time we put her in the swing, she cried like crazy. This time, she seemed to enjoy it long enough to actually swing for a few minutes.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
It is Mother's Day here in the United States and Skye and the baby are enjoying their first Mother's Day. Sometimes they are just way too funny not to record.
See what happened here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
This was Skye's first Mother's Day since Waverly was born.
Waverly wanted to wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day.
Happy 4th of July everyone!
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Waverly is already showing signs of her future personality. Like her momma was, she is also so full of attitude. You can see it on her face when you are talking to her. It is like she can understand everything that is being said and is trying to answer or participate in the conversation herself.
See what I mean here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Babies sleep. A lot. While they do sleep a lot, they don't always sleep in large chunks of time. Waverly usually slept two to three hours at a time and then was up to eat and get a diaper change.
Like her momma, Waverly can sleep through anything it seems, especially her Grandma trying to wake her up.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
We received some good news during this visit, which I did record. We were told that Waverly's left foot looked really good after her first casting and that she was very flexible. We were also excited to hear that she may not need surgery to clip her achilles tendon after all depending on how the next casting went.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Waverly was born with club foot. Her left foot is more severe than her right foot. That being said, her club foot is still very mild. The process to fix the issue includes casting her legs, wearing special boots, and even surgery to clip the Achilles tendon. At this time, they do not know for sure what causes club foot, though there can be a genetic factor involved. They suspect that Waverly's occurred because she was a big baby and she didn't have enough room during development for her feet to form in the correct positions, instead they were tucked up against her body causing the ligaments and tendons to position her feet incorrectly.
The purpose of the castings is to stretch her achilles tendon to make it easier for the foot to go back to the correct position. The process includes up to 5 different castings to realign the position of the feet and stretch those tendons and ligaments. Then they go to special boots with a bar between them to keep her feet from going back into their original positions. The boots are worn 20 hours a day minimum until the baby is mobile. Then they are worn during naps and bedtime. The boots help maintain the correct positioning needed for her to be able to walk properly on the bottom of her feet instead of the sides or even top of the foot depending on the severity of the club foot.
I didn't record the first casting, but I do have some pictures of her after her first casting.
You can see those here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Like most babies, Waverly does spit up quite a bit. In fact, I call her the "Spit Up Queen".
Because of the spit up, and the normal baby wetting accidents, Skye was putting a towel under her to change her diaper. Since extra laundry is pretty routine when it comes to having a baby in the house, we wanted to find another way to protect Skye's bed during feedings or during diaper changing to make it easier and produce less laundry.
I made her two waterproof pads that are washable. The top material is flannel fabric so it is nice and soft against the skin. There is a layer of diaper fabric in the center and the waterproof material is PUL fabric.
I put down the waterproof fabric, shiny side up (this is the part you want on the outside), then put the flannel fabric pretty side down and the diaper fabric on top of that. I sewed all the way around the rectangle making sure to back stitch at the beginning and the end, and left an opening to turn the fabric right side out. I did clip the corners to remove extra bulk and turned it right side out before top stitching all the way around again making sure that I caught the opening during the top stitching.
The waterproof washable pad was complete, could be used and reused over and over again.
See the process here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
It is that time again. Time for my monthly green surprise.
See what I got this month here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Remember when I said that Waverly makes some amusing faces while she is sleeping? The last video caught the faces she makes when she is awake, but here I caught them while she was sleeping.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
First time parents go through a lot of anxiety with the large number of firsts that happen with a new baby. There is the first time they come home, and they realize they are on their own without the hospital staff to help. There's the first bottle they have at home, the first time the baby cries without being able to figure out what they need, and there is the lack of sleep that new parents experience.
The baby's first bath is another first. Like most first time parents, Skye was nervous about giving Waverly her first bath so I gave her one, while Skye watched and recorded, so that she could see a full bath given. The hospital staff did give Waverly a bath after she was born, but it was done in the nursery before they brought Waverly back to Skye's room.
Waverly wasn't sure what to make of her first bath, but she didn't cry and seemed to enjoy the water.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I know I'm a little biased, but Waverly is the prettiest baby I have seen since her momma was born. The faces she makes while she is sleeping are very amusing. I wish I could read her mind and see what she is thinking about when she is making those faces.
She even makes those faces sometimes when she is awake.
See what I mean here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Baby Waverly is not quite a month old in this video. How can you tell? Just listen to the sleep deprived new mom snore. I found it quite amusing since Skye didn't snore before the baby was born.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
So I had surgery on my left shoulder, this time around. They did my right shoulder about 2 years ago now.
I am still not quite sure the full details of what the inside of my joint looked like, but it feels like they were using jackhammers in there.
This video shows me 5 days post op. I know they removed bone spurs and had to slice my bicep muscle (it was already partially torn), but I don't think they did any other repairs in there. There was a possibility that I had a rotator cuff tear and that I damaged the bumper around my joint, but I was too out of it to know if there was any repair needed. I still have another week before my follow up as I am writing this post, so I will try to remember to update it once I know, but that squirrel brain doesn't always cooperate with remembering stuff.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Skye had her baby. Her name is Waverly Marie.
She was born on March 11, 2022 and weighed in at 8 pounds 15.9 ounces and was 20 inches long. Waverly made her way into the world 16 days early via C-section.
This beautiful girl is a joy to have as a grandbaby despite having been born when her momma was so young.
See Waverly here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
My daughter is having a baby. It's a baby having a baby. It wasn't in her plan to have a baby at 14. I had her on birth control for a year when she got pregnant.
This video contains pics of her belly bump as it grew and any clips of the heartbeat I was able to sneak through, since video wasn't allowed.
See the video here:
My daughter is pregnant. No one plans to have a baby so young, but life happens sometimes.
See what she got during her virtual baby shower here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I might as well just break the news here. My daughter is pregnant. She is due the end of March. One of the issues she is having right now in her pregnancy is leaking from starting to make breast milk.
A reusable solution is to make cloth nursing pads. That's what I am making in this video. You will need some kind of cotton fabric, a fabric that soaks up liquids well (I used diaper fabric from Walmart), and a water proof material (also called PUL).
There are many pattern options available so find fabric that you enjoy and make a set with me. I got the original pattern here.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
In the 4 years I have lived in Tennessee, it has only snowed here a handful of times and usually the snow is gone within a few hours.
This time it stuck around for a bit longer and I thought I would share the pretty scenery as I drove back from a doctors appointment.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
It's the day after Christmas and what were we expecting?
Anything really, except baby kittens being born.
See them here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Christmas is always a magical time of the year. This year, the local Christmas Parade started the season in style.
There were floats of different kinds, music and laughter all around.
Join us in watching the Christmas Parade here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I am cheap. I hate spending money on things that are used once and then thrown away. It just feels wasteful especially if you are on a tight budget.
So I made my own. I took store bought underwear, in a style that I liked to wear, and turned them into my own period panties. I used the store bought underwear to make a template for making the pad the size and shape I needed. I am not perfect at this part and the majority of mine were a little wider than the crotch of the underwear. But you know what, they still worked just fine so I am happy.
This consists of a waterproof pad that is attached to the panties. First, I made the pad. The top fabric is simple cotton quilting material that you can get anywhere. I got mine from Walmart. The center material I used diaper fabric. This you want to be most absorbent that you can, some people use Zorb (available on Amazon), but diaper fabric is cheaper and easier for me to get locally since I can get it at Walmart too.
The last layer is a waterproof material. I used PUL that I ordered on Fabric.com. They have many styles and patterns too, but I went with whatever they had on clearance since this won't be seen anyway. PUL material has a pattern on one side (if you have a solid color fabric, the shiny side is the wrong side) and a shiny side that creates the waterproof barrier.
I attach the diaper fabric to the wrong side of the cotton material. I sew all the way around the diaper fabric, then add lines running long ways to make wicking areas. This helps pull the liquid into the diaper fabric quicker which helps the top cotton material stay dryer against your skin and create one cohesive layer.
I then put the PUL material pattern side to the right side of the cotton fabric. Then I sew all the way around this stack, making sure to leave an opening to turn the pad right side out. Then I sew around the pad again making sure to catch the area that I had left open to turn it and creating top stitching around the entire pad.
Then I take that pad, with the PUL material touching the purchased underwear and sew along the crotch seams to attach it in place. Then you're done. You now have your own period panties.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
My family lives back in Indiana and Illinois and we are here in Tennessee. Every so often my family will send a gift for Skye in the mail and this time was no exception.
She got a surprise box from my mom and you can watch what she got here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
It is back again for another month of goodies.
Here is what I got this month:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I have some upcoming projects I plan on working on and here is the fabric I ordered for some of those projects.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Cirkul is a bottle that allows you to drink flavored water, or just filtered, without adding any little flavor packets to your bottle. They have many flavors to chose from and some contain caffeine, or even electrolytes.
See what flavors we got this month here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
It is here, it is finally here. Well, this months is anyway. My monthly Mighty Fix order.
See what I got in this months box here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Ick absolutely loves the Big Guy. She is always on his lap, rubbing on his face for attention, or just having weird moments like these.
This one was just way to amusing to me not to share, so enjoy Ick's Weirdness here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Apple is a good momma cat, but I still check the wiggly ones every so often just to make sure.
I checked them here in this video and you can see it here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
This was the last order I placed with Melaleuca. There products were not the problem. They were just a little pricier than I could continue to afford, especially when they double order on me and didn't allow me to use their name at all for videos. I have had to delete all previous videos I made on them and it was just not helping me out.
Here is the last 2 box haul from them:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Our cats are up to their weirdness again. Like toddlers, they seem more interested in the boxes than the contents of the boxes.
See them here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Apple surprised us this day with new baby kittens.
See the cute wiggly things here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I don't know about you, but there always seems to be more dishes to wash at a time than will fit in my dish drainer and we don't have a dishwasher in our apartment.
This was my solution to give me more dish drying space.
See one way that I make them here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Here is the second Taste of Home box that I ordered as part of my Christmas gift.
I love the little things they put in to make cooking much more enjoyable, fun, and easy.
See what was in the box here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Part of my Christmas present from my mom, I used her gift card, I signed up for the Taste of Home Box. It comes out every season, I believe 4 times a year. I ordered the Winter box here and I also ordered the Fall Box at a discount since the season was over (that box is opened in a different video).
I love the assortment of new gadgets and recipes that came with the box.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I don't know about you, but I swear drawers get disorganized at night. Like a monster comes out and moves stuff in the drawers, making things stick out, the drawer not close completely, or mixes things in the drawers, while I am sleeping. I'm convinced that is what happens every night.
Here I am going to organize the Big Guy's drawers and straighten them up. Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Our cats have such strange personalities and behaviors that when they do something even weirder than normal, I take notice.
See their latest antics here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
My Mighty Fix came in this month and I am excited to try it out. I chose this month, to get the solid shampoo bar to see how theirs works. I can't wait to try it.
Find out more here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
P.S. It's been a while since I received this shampoo bar, but I have found love. It cleans my hair beautifully and moistures so well I don't need a separate conditioner. No, this is not sponsored, I just like the product.
Driving in Tennessee is so beautiful. I couldn't resist taking you along for the ride with me.
Please enjoy the views here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I took a quick second, ok maybe a minute, to check in with Ms. Zara to see how her babies were doing.
Check them out here:
The sky was dark today. An angry darkness created by the clouds.
Check out the video here:
It is August 16th, my mom's birthday.
Skye & I had a special little message for her.
See it here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
All of our cats have a personality of their own. Monster is no different.
Though I did find him laying on the wall a little funny.
See his strange moments here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
It's that time of the month and I'm not talking about Aunt Flo.
It's time for that lovely green item that I will get to see how to make the world more sustainable. I love green items. Now, don't get me wrong, I love short cuts too, but green is the way to go when you can.
See what I got this month here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Like the scenery here in Tennessee, the storms are pretty too. Sometimes, they are just a little crazy.
We are getting some of the rain from the last hurricane that blew through the lower part of the United States.
See some of the crazy weather here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
The kittens are growing again, seems like leaps and bounds.
Every day they get a little bigger and gain more personality.
See the babies here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
The little wiggly worms are growing yet again.
See the latest from the kittens here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I am going to show you what I have ordered this month. I am not allowed to use the company name, as their social media policy forbids it, but I still love their products. If you are interested in finding out more, please message me on Facebook.
Watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
When you arrive in Lynchburg, it feels like you stepped back into time. The square consists of many little shops in restored buildings. We took a little walking tour of the square, visiting each of the little shops to see what they had. I took pictures of items that caught my eye.
I didn't record while I was there, simply to protect the privacy of any other shoppers and the shop workers.
Lynchburg is also the home of the Jack Daniels Distillery. We didn't take a tour of the distillery on this trip, but we are planning another trip to visit that.
See my photos here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Today is Skye's first day at school. It's a new year and hopefully a better one then previous ones because of the changes made during Covid. Today is a clean start and a new school year.
See the video here:
Danielle
Zara's Kittens are growing every day. They are moving around more now that they are a bit older.
See the little worms here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
The master closet has been driving me crazy.
I took some shots before and after. I went through all the items in the closet, turning the big guys bed side table to give us a little more room on that side of the room.
See what it was before and after here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Yes, they have gone and done it again. They have grown more again.
See the latest from the wiggle worms here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Zara's babies are here and they are so cute and wiggly.
She had a total of 5 babies.
See the little wiggly worms here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I had a doctors appointment this day and had Skye with me. When we were leaving the parking lot, we spotted an Amish buggy pulling away.
I am fascinated with Amish life, though I have never spoken to an Amish person myself. It is not something I would typically run into.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
The babies are growing again. Growing and growing. They don't have their full personalities yet, but they are still adorable. I know its only been a day since I updated on the babies, but they are too cute to ignore.
See the babies here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
One of the things I love about Tennessee is the scenery. Beautiful mountains, views for miles, and friendly people every where.
In this video, I took footage of those beautiful scenes that sooth my soul.
See the view here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
The babies are growing and certainly keeping their mamas busy.
See the little ragamuffins here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
I found this recipe on Pinterest. You can find the original recipe here.
Ingredients:
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup citric acid
40 drops of essential oil of choice (I used lemon grass)
Combine all of these items in one bowl.
In a small spray bottle combine:
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 tbs hydrogen peroxide
If you have ever made bath bombs, then you know what's coming next.
Mist the baking soda mixture with the small spray bottle, mix well to incorporate. Continue to spray and mix until you have the consistency of lightly wet sand. If you squeeze a handful together it should clump together and hold its shape.
Once you have reached that stage then press the mixture into your mold of choice (I used a silicone mold, but an ice cube tray will work too). Let these sit in the mold overnight or until they are completely hard.
Remove from your mold and store in an air tight container.
For more detail, watch the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Dinner tonight was pork chops with macaroni and cheese.
The pork chops were breaded and pan fried.
See the video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Well, oral hygiene is not something everyone stays on top of, especially when there is no insurance and anxiety to top it off. Big Guy is no different. He does not like dentists and has issues with pain in his mouth (it causes a lot of anxiety).
I took a few pictures of his swollen face, though I am not sure if it is easy to see. The first pictures are when his face was the most swollen and the second set are as his face was going down in size once we were able to get some of the infection drained.
Talk to your dentist to see if there is something they can give you to help you through a dentist exam, if you suffer from anxiety, fear of needles, and fear of mouth pain.
See the pictures here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
With all those kittens here, we have definitely got lots of growing going on.
The babies are growing and so are the mommy's.
See the babies here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
Oh my goodness, it seems all of our female cats were in heat at the same time.
So we once again, have kittens every where.
See the new wiggle worms here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
This months' Mighty Fix is in.
I chose this month's fix and got the collapsible bowl with lid. I have used it many times and am in love.
See the bowl here:
Danielle
The mommas and babies are doing very well. They are growing every day.
See the latest video here:
See ya soon!
Danielle
