Sewing Therapy

A few girls in the ward and I decided that we needed to  feed our creative appetites, so we started getting together every Monday for an afternoon of working on some sort of crafty project. We each bring our own thing, hang out and maybe eat something yummy! Well, I finished my baby blanket and I've been feeling the need to get into sewing. I feel like if I have some big sewing project then my mind will be distracted from other recent events. But I have also learned that deciding to sew something like a quilt isn't as easy as stitching two pieces of fabric together. I quickly learned the other day that just cutting the darn fabric is tricky! But I went out and bought myself a cutting mat, a rotar (?) cutting thingie and a plastic ruler and began practicing!

         So yesteday at our crafty pow-wow I asked them what I should make and they suggested a tote/bag. So based off of a simply pattern I constructed my very own mini tote! It has so many mistakes and stray pieces of thread it's not even funny. But as long as I keep it far enough away from people's picky eyes and maybe swing it around a bit  no one will notice. :)               Making this bag was also extremely theraputic. I was extremely focused and I felt like I had purpose again, which is something I have felt lacking as of late. Even if my purpose was a short-term goal of finishing that bag, I accomplished it and I felt really good about myself! There is something very rewarding about making something by yourself. 

 I think I'll use it as a scripture case...

In Memory of our Little Baby



Our baby girl's footprints

This is kind of difficult to do, since the experience is so fresh in my mind, but I feel that I should write about this. On Monday, instead of finding out of we were having a boy or a girl, the ultrasound showed us a little baby with no heartbeat. Jason and I were shocked--this was not what we were planning on. The next few days became a blur, like a very bad dream you can't get out of, as we talked to doctors, did blood work and prepared for me to have a D&E ( Dilation and Extraction). On Wednesday I went into the hospital for my operation to have our little baby taken out. Everything went smoothly and I had a wonderful medical staff who was very compassionate and friendly. Friends in the ward immediately reached out and made dinners for us and helped out in any way. Jason was especially amazing as he supported me and made sure that I knew I was loved.
    I know there is a purpose is all things and I have learned many important lessons this week, one being that my Heavenly Father loves me dearly and is mindful of my sorrows and grief. Jason and I have learned to lean on the power of prayer and I have felt expecially close to my Father in Heaven this week as I have called on Him for support, comfort, peace and understanding. I know this is a time for me to practice my faith and patience and I know that Jason and I will see our little baby girl someday. We have hope and we look forward to the day when we will have children, but until then we will put our faith in our Father in Heaven to get us through this time.

A carving that Jason got for me when I went into the hospital;
 a memento of our baby and a reminder of the joy we will have in having children

My Crocheted Baby Blanket!

After being refreshed in the ways of crocheting, I began a baby blanket about a month and a half ago and here is this finished product!

 

There is lot of room for improvement, and I made mistakes not a few on this one, but it was really fun to do! I think I want to make some more!!

The Story of the Not-So-Amazing Cheesecake

Once upon a time, Jason had a slice of really good cheesecake that was out of this world. Chiara's friend Allison had made it and it was simply divine! So Jason thought that he too should have a wife that could bake amazing, heavenly cheesecake. So Chiara got the recipe from Allison, borrowed her spring pan and began to make the cheesecake that Jason so loved. But alas, it was doomed from the start. She didn't fully crush the graham crackers and didn't mix all the ingredients well enough. She must have put the spring pan together wrong because the mixture began leaking when she put it in the pan. Smoke, sizzling and  sloshing of ingredients were some of the elements of Chiara's cooking experience. She took the cheesecake out from the oven a few times to assess the problem, which is a big no-no when baking a cheesecake! So 6 hours later, a cheesecake emerged, but not of celestial quality like the one Chiara and Jason had tried. It was lumpy, the texture was off and it had a nice smoky flavor. Behold! A mediocre, not-so-amazing cheesecake was made!

A Day of Sunshine :0)

Yesterday was a gem in Seattle weather: a big bright sun shining down from a cloudless sky! So Jason and did what every good Seattlite would do--take advantage of it and get outside! We drove up a little ways into the countryside to a city called Monroe where we walked on a trail along a big river. On the way back we stopped in a small town called Duvall, walked around their quaint downtown and bought Jason some good old barbeque! Yum! What a great day!

My Birthday!

I had such a great birthday yesterday. Jason and I went out for dinner and he made me the cutest gram ever! It is huge! It took up our whole carpet.

 

With it came a bouquet of beautiful roses.

 and some cute baby clothes

and sassy pajama pants.

I love him!

I felt a kick!....I think.....

So tonight was the first time I felt pretty sure that our little guy was kicking in there. I know that technically he's been kicking for a while, but I felt it tonight! I felt a little pop, then a short break, then 3 more pops in the same place. I don't think it was anything else.....woohoo!!! How exciting! Of course I would feel my baby's first kicks while watching the Super Bowl. My baby was leaping in the womb because he was so excited that football was on. Yep, definitely my kid. :)