::it's a ... ::

The kids were off school the Monday of my last appointment with Zack.  They were busting to hear his little heart beat, so we took them with us.  And we all heard the horrible silence at the same time.  It was important to us to make some new memories this time.  BUT NOT AT THE DR OFFICE.  I will never take those kids with me to an OB appointment again.  That led us to a "Gender Cake."

We went for our ultrasound this morning at 8am.  They scanned and scanned and freaked me out by looking at the heart too long.  The tech told me that this baby was only 18 weeks and the heart was appropriately size but too small to see everything they wanted to see.  The baby got a clean bill of health but they wanted to check the heart again in a one month.  She told me that she had no reason to think anything was wrong with it, and that she could tell the baby did not have any of the horrible things that I see babies die of.  (God bless baby Joshua H. - Jill I thought of you lot while she focused on that heart of my baby too long.)  I made her tell me twice that everything was normal, but just needed a bigger picture.  I was happy with that.  We recheck in one month to make sure.

We had her write down what the gender was and put it in an envelope.  Then we walked over to my old NICU and had them call my baker friend and tell her.  Josh and I had no idea what it was.  I met the baker at 5pm and got the gender neutral cake.  That night - Lily cut the cake to show us all if the inside was blue or pink.  And it was.....

BLUE!!!!!!

And I am so happy.  Because I felt so robbed when Zack died.  I wanted that little boy so very badly.  I can not replace him, but I can sure hug his little brother extra just to feel the glory of a baby boy in my arms.  

Now I need to make 42 lists to figure out sleeping arrangements, college plans, future spouses, and first grade teachers.  Important stuff.   

Top boys name :

                Quinn Joshua

::movie party invite::

Let's recall that I did not have the energy or funds this year to go insane for Lily's party.  But I still wanted to do something fun.  We are doing a drive in movie party.  I broke my usual handmade/labor intensive routine and bought invites off etsy.  They cost $13 for the art and $18 at staples to print off 35 copies.  Total invite cost was 88 cents each.  I can live with that.  

I highly recommend the etsy shop "Cutie Patootie Designs".  She had cool designs for many themes and her prices were very reasonable.

::updates on every one::

Max - The Max loves school.  He still calls his teacher Mrs. Beautiful.  It has been one of the easiest no brainers in a long time.  Stress free. 

Lily - She loves her new teacher.  We have had little to know "signing the book" so far.  Really, very good for her.  The teacher nor principal has called me yet, so that is something.  I feel a little bit out of control with it.  The teacher told me she doesn't really need parent volunteers this year.  For some reason I always feel like I need to know what is going on with Lily.  This is a good lesson in trusting someone else to take care of her.  She is taking baton classes after school and wants to start guitar.  Pretty cute stuff.  

Emma - We have actually seen her a bit more lately.  Not much, but some.  I took the advice of my bloggy friends.  I just text her when we are doing something and invite her to come.  She barely ever does but at least she knows she can.  She still takes the bus to her moms every day after school to sit alone in an empty house instead of coming to our house.   

Josh - He has settled in to his new engineering job well.  The only problem is that he is going to be working a rotating night shift schedule.  Not every night, but some.  I don't like it, but its something we have to do right now.  

Me - The new job... its ok.  Boring.  I miss St Vincent still.  Lots.  But I start cross training to ER on a regular basis soon.  I need something really new.  My little baby is great.  I feel extra crazy right now.  This is the time period that I lost the last baby in.  So I would just like my ultrasound on Friday.  I want to know that everything is good, the gender is just an extra bonus. 

::more letters - R and T::

 I made the R from a letter I got at hobby lobby with map scrap book paper attacted with modge podge

Then I trimmed it with an exacto knife.

 

This project took less than 10 minutes minus the drying time and cost less than $5

Notice Indiana in the map?

 This ended up being WAY harder than I thought it would be.  

It still didn't come out perfectly but it is going to have to do, because I am done with it. 

I printed off a big T and traced it on a cheap canvas board.  

But the pencil lines showed so I did it again just using the printed letter as a template.

Crayons cost about $5 with lots of extra's from the 120 box and the canvas pad was less than $1

This took at least an hour and was a little too tedious for my blood.

This idea came from here. 

::camera and the box::

I got these two boxes as mock ups for the drive in party.  

They were quickly stolen by two short people. 

Who did not want to be discovered.  

 No amount of calling would get Alberta to play along. 

 They tried to move the boxes to the front yard while I went inside for a minute.  But this wildlife photographer discovered them.  

 Lizzie was too trusting to stay away. 

 She was captured but quickly escaped.  

 

I finally talked them into a photo shoot. 

Worked out great, right?

::best letter yet::

I saw this on pintrest and I needed one.

But I also needed an easy way to make it.

I came up with black duct tape and white out.

Then I hot glued on the cars.

I found them under the couch.

But Max cried to 10 mins when he saw it.  

"Get my cars down!"

I distracted him with ice cream.

Josh pointed out the lower section needed a little trim work right by the silver car. 

A nice sharp exacto knife touched it up.  

I LOVE how it turned out.

Total cost was $2.40 for the duct tape and $1 for the canvas board.

Idea came from here.

 

::alphabet wall - the letter B::

   

The letter B joins the line up.

 I am trying to get back on track with the alphabet wall. 

I have been using pintrest as my inspiration.  

(ok - obsession)

I printed out a big letter B, cut it out, and traced it on a piece of thin cork from the scrap booking aisle.

 I didn't have a button collection to dip into so I had to buy buttons from the craft store.

Then I slowly glued them down.  

Cost:
Buttons 3 small bags = $7 total
Cork = $1.75
TOTAL = <$9

Original button letter inspiration came from here via pintrest.