Sewing

My mommy would be so proud of me. I actually sewed something! I remember that she tried to teach me how to sew when I was younger. All that stuck was how to thread a sewing machine. I can sort of sew a straight stitch... and that's it!

BUT, I got really fed up with my knee-length maternity clothes. They just aren't comfortable to try and be all modest in. So, I decided to sew my own maternity skirt! I didn't get a pattern or anything, I just bought some cute clearance fabric, guesstimated, cut the fabric, and started sewing!

Did I make mistakes? Yes. If I did it again, would I do it differently? Yes. (For one thing, I would have realized that the fabric was thin enough to need a liner BEFORE I added the elastic waist!) Are there noticeable flaws? Yes. (In fact, the fabric was cheap enough that I already have a tear in one of the seams, just from tugging on the skirt a little too hard.)

BUT, I think that for all of that, the skirt turned out pretty cute! And besides, it only has to last for another month or two, so if it's not perfect, it's okay.

Has anyone else tried a new project lately that they're proud of?

Feet

Yeah, so if you have a foot fetish, don't read this post.

This is a picture that I took forever ago. The reason I had a random picture of my foot was because I ran into the door in the middle of the night and ended up with that bruise on my little toenail for about 2 months.


Anyway, look at the difference now!!! My feet are starting to get so swollen! Mike loves to push them at night and see how long he can leave a thumbprint. Silly guy!

Also, FYI, that nice new toenail paint will probably have to last until baby gets here because I don't think I can reach my feet again!

Don't you love feet?! Especially pregnant ones! :)

Baby Class

Mike and I went to the baby class yesterday. We could either do it every Wednesday night for 6 weeks or in one big shot on a Saturday. Since I have to go to mutual every Wednesday, we went for the big class. Our friends told us to get there early because they give out free stuff (bottles, etc.). So, we got ourselves out of bed and over to the hospital by 8:45am on a Saturday morning. (Those of you who know Mike know what a huge deal this was - he LOVES to sleep in on Saturdays!)

Lo and behold, we were the only people there. And I mean anywhere. The letter told us we were in meeting room 2, but instead of giving directions to that, it just said to ask the receptionist how to get there. Except that there was no receptionist. And there were no staff anywhere. (This was the main entrance, not the ER. I'm sure they had staff over there, but it was on the complete opposite side of the hospital.) We wandered around for a while trying to find it, but no such luck. Some other couples arrived, (we knew they were with us because pregnant ladies with a pillow and blanket? Dead giveaway.) but they didn't know where to go either. We finally saw a nurse leaving her shift, and she showed us where to go. So we get up to the room, and the door is locked. No teacher in sight!

We all stand there waiting, and finally the nurse who was teaching the class comes right at 9:00. Her kid had been up sick all night, so she was running behind. I completely understand, but we were sad that not only was there no giveaway, but there was no reason at all to get there so early! Oh, well.

Most of the class was really good. I liked hearing about all the different stages of labor (no, not that they sound fun, but at least it was good information), and she told us some good stuff about car seats and nursing, plus we got to tour the maternity wing. But I'm pretty sure I must be Eric's sister, because I was SOOOOOOOO close to passing out during the presentation about epidurals! I'm not sure if it was the way the anesthesiologist presented it, the slide he was using, or the subject matter in general, but I was almost out. We're talking white as a sheet, sweating bullets, hearing through a long tunnel, etc. Mike was kind of laughing at me. Sigh. What did I get myself into?!

Bump Watch, Again

This one's for you, Jennifer.

Only 9 1/2 more weeks to go!

Baybee Clothes!

Mike and I went to the store the other night, and Penney's was having a good sale. So... we got some cute baby clothes! Aren't they adorable?!

This is a set of 5 onesies with little jungle print-themed stuff all over them.

Little sports-themed stuff. I know, Michelle bought sports stuff?! What if her child actually ends up liking sports?! But look at the little feet! How could I resist?! (Besides, this kid is Mike's too, and he's actually pretty good at the whole athletic thing, so maybe this kid has a chance!)

This has little dinosaurs all over it. You can't see, but the words say "Best Baby Ever."

Here's a close-up of the words on this one: fun, huh?!
(And I know, all he will do is spit up all over them. And his diaper will leak on them. And he will outgrow them in 2 months. I know. But they're cute, and I had fun! Plus I got them in a few different sizes, so they won't all be useless at the same time.)

So which one is your favorite?

Creating

My favorite idea from last fall's RS General Broadcast was from Elder Uchtdorf. He said,

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.

Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty—and I am not talking about the process of cleaning the rooms of your teenage children."

So in the spirit of Elder Uchtdorf's talk, I would like to share with you some things I have created over the past few days.

Okay, so the cookies were actually from way back in February (I made them for my students on my birthday) - I took a picture to share and just never did. But the rest of them were from this weekend! (And I can't really take credit for the darling necklace - it was the craft project from our YW Broadcast workshop thing yesterday.) Elder Uchtdorf is right - creating really does bring happiness!

The Last Ones...

I had parent teacher conferences tonight. They went smoothly, although long. (I didn't have anyone stand me up! That's a first!) What's weird to me now is that I probably won't be doing these again, or at least I will be doing them from the other side of the table. Since I'm planning to stay at home with little Stetzon, I honestly don't know when or if I'll be teaching again.

It's a very odd sensation, and kind of bittersweet. I have loved teaching so much. It has really become a part of me over the last seven years. I have seen so much growth, both personally and professionally. I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere close to where I maybe want to be, and yet I'm going to be done here. How can I be done?! I just started!!! And yes, I know that motherhood is an entirely different yet equally wonderful adventure, and I'm sure I will love it and grow from it just as I have from teaching. But it's still hard to let go of teaching. I think this is just barely starting to hit me, and I think it will be even harder for me as the end of the school year grows closer. Change is hard and scary, and leaving teaching is a big change for me! How do you just quit something that has been such a big part of you for so long?

Is there anything you can't believe is over? What changes in your life are scary to you? What are you sad to give up?