Delivered

One year ago on August 2, 2013, I had the honor and privilege of assisting my sister during her 24 hour natural birth to my beautiful (first) niece. This was a privilege to partake in for many reasons. First, that I made it! My sister and I live about 7 hours apart so the fact that I got my family of four packed up and there with enough time to be a part of the labor and delivery was a miracle! More than that the blessing of watching my niece come into this world was an experience I will always cherish and one that I hope will give us a special bond as she grows. The largest honor though was to be at my sister and brother-in-law’s side and watch them manage the contractions pain and pushing together. I was just the gap filler, I helped by fixing her hair, giving her sips of water and held a leg when needed, and I was also the photographer. What a JOY the entire experience was!

What I didn’t expect from the experience was what it would do for my soul…the healing it would bring me. I was unable to experience natural births when I had my two kids. I had planned for natural births and I tried both times, but to no avail, complications arose with both and I had cesareans. I had almost come to terms with this fact before experiencing my nieces birth. I had two beautiful healthy children. What a blessing! But I still couldn’t help feeling like I missed out on something or that I had been robbed of something. Going through the natural birth experience with my sister allowed me to not only experience it first hand but to also find the true beauty in my own birthing experiences.

First, I feel blessed that I was able to experience going into labor naturally and laboring, even though this resulted in a harder recovery, I am still grateful to have experienced the rush of emotions and excitement and elation of having the “THIS IS IT” moment before my deliveries resulted in cesareans.

With all of that said, here is a breakdown of I had to have a C-section let’s find some shiny list: 

The Calm During the Storm. The O.R. is a very calm place, at least in both of my experiences. My situations weren’t super urgent so once I was in the O.R. everything was nice calm and sterile. Controlled. The Dr.’s and nurses make conversation with each other and with you and your spouse. It’s usually pretty light and many times comical. Once the baby is out they make sure you can hear their cry and then they move them into the area to be cleaned and weighed, all of which I could see and observe. For the circumstances it was quite a relaxed atmosphere. Not what I expected. This calm and controlled atmosphere really allowed me to soak it all in. I have the images of both of my babies being weighed, measured, cleaned up and wrapped up like a burrito BURNED into my brain. I am so incredibly grateful to have those memories, I realized now that in a natural birth it may not be possible to “witness” this process as Momma is still VERY busy with final labor stuff and isn’t out of the battle field yet. Being able to just watch in awe as my children took their first gasps of air and entered this world is a gift I cherish.

Precious Moments with Daddy. Due to the fact that our children came into this world via surgery the process of it all happens a little differently. VERY Shortly after the baby is born the father takes the baby to triage while the DR’s finish the surgery with Momma. This precious and small sliver of time allows those new Daddy’s an opportunity to bond with their new child that they might not get otherwise. It gave my husband the opportunity to take ownership of this new life, HIS CHILD! For Father’s this can be challenging as they haven’t just cooked that baby. One day they don’t have a child and the next day they do. For the Momma’s we start feeling and bonding with that baby even before it’s the size of a grain of rice! Big difference. When a baby is delivered via C-section the Momma is literally strapped to a table so once the baby is out, cleaned up, weighed and Momma gets to give the little one a few smooches Daddy is holding and snuggling the baby from the minute they are out and then….. Dad is on his OWN! He gets to STEP UP and take sole-responsibility for HIS CHILD and head to triage while Mom is in the O.R. with the DR’s finishing the rest of the surgery. Dad must answer questions during this time and be the provider. Even though it is only 10 minutes in my experience it is a very powerful 10 minutes for the new Daddy to have.This empowerment continues for the entire first day as Momma can’t get out of bed for a bit after the surgery so Daddy gets to bond with baby through all the meconium blow outs, talk about on the job training! With a natural delivery those 10 minutes with Daddy don’t exist. I feel so blessed and grateful that my husband had these special first moments to bond with our children. 

Nursing. I always thought with natural birth the baby would be pulled out put on your chest and would nurse within minutes of being born. I learned that many times this isn’t possible. The baby needs to be cleaned up and cared for, Momma needs to be tended to, cleaned up and cared for and it can be all a little chaotic as this is all happening at the same time and there is only one Daddy to hold Mommies or babies hand. I can see how in natural birth nursing may take longer than with a cesarean. I feel so so so incredibly blessed I was able to nurse both my babies about 20 minutes after they were delivered.

Six Weeks. So for all you Mommies out there, you know what six weeks means…..du dun duuuuunnn!!! It is the clearance (most of the time) the DR’s give the ok for normal marital relations to commence. After our kids were born and six weeks rolled around , I honestly didn’t think about it much, and I know I would have if my babies came out the OTHER way. Don’t get me wrong things were different but now having seen a natural birth and experienced it first hand I know that feeling this way at six weeks is a luxury most natural birth Mom’s probably don’t experience. As new parents we have a LOT of adjusting to do and it was a nice luxury to have that department relatively unscathed.

 

The Recovery. Now the cesarean recovery is NOT a walk in the park, don’t get me wrong. There are parts of it though I think I would prefer to healing in the other region. I could see my battle wound easily, care for it and keep it clean. There is a lot that goes on in the other region and it’s not easily seen. So caring for that battle wound and keeping it clean would probably be a bit more of a task.

There is still obviously a whole list of negatives that come with a C-section  that I haven’t forgotten about like the major surgery, the lengthened time it takes for belly swelling to go down, the added meds, every pair of pants and undies sitting RIGHT on top of the incision, the scar, the risk of complications, being stuck in the hospital bed for the ENTIRE first day, the catheter, the extra night at the hospital, the tremendous pain a sneeze causes (for months), the simple task of getting out of bed to nurse your baby at night is NOT a simple task and is often times the most painful part of the day (for weeks), the possible delay of milk coming in.  I have not forgotten these negatives but I now know that natural birth has it’s own list of negatives and isn’t all moon beams and rainbows, I can now see the shiny in my own experiences even though it is not what I planned.

 

This also made me look closely at what happened during my labor experiences and realize now that there was no other way for my kids to be born. I didn’t miss out, I was blessed with the gift of healthy and successful deliveries and children. I was told by my midwife and DR that there just wasn’t enough room, I need to accept that fact and be so grateful that surgery is an option we have in this country and realize that there are women TODAY who do not have this option. I am grateful.

Watching my niece enter into this world was an experience that was so wonderful and provided some totally awesome acceptance and healing regarding my own birthing experiences. I couldn’t be more humbled or grateful that my sister and her husband allowed me to be apart of such a miracle. I’ve told her this several times since, that she did enough PUSHING for the both of us!

My own enemy is how I picture things in my head when in reality, true life happens so much differently and most of the time more beautifully than we could have ever imagined ourselves!

Happy Birthday to my beautiful niece! I am so excited to watch you grow. I want you to know that from your first moments in this world you were already teaching your Auntie something. Thank you for delivering me sweet little  cousin 3!

That’s my shiny ~

J

Freedom in a Budget

About four years ago my family was adjusting to living on one income and grew from two to three with the addition of our son. This adjustment went well on most fronts but one area in particular had us crippled, and that area was making purchasing decisions. Reducing our income stream by one and adding one to our family all at the same time made us raise our white flag in surrender and realize that we had to get our financial life on lock down, get a plan. For me personally I literally had buyers remorse for EVERYTHING, even when I went grocery shopping I would feel guilty! This was largely due to the fact that I myself was no longer bringing in an income and hadn’t learned to value my new role in our relationship and family. So we heard our church was offering a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class and we decided it was time to take the class. This was one of the best decisions we made for our family, for our relationship and for ME the family shopper!

Here are 11 Reasons Why Our Family Found Freedom in a BUDGET:

1. Agreement. My husband and I talk about finances just ONCE A MONTH! We don’t have disagreements or argue about money. After we have our initial budget meeting the first of the month we really never talk about it again, this is not an exaggeration! What freedom!
2. DEBT FREE!! We have been able to save and pay off our debt and not accumulate any new debt.
3. Focus. I can focus on taking care of my family instead of worrying about how much money I just spent on groceries.
4. Need. The budget has shown us the value of delayed gratification and has truly defined need vs. want.
5. Bargain. I’ve always been thrifty but now my inner thrifty girl is at a whole new level! Why yes, thank you, I love my dress too, I just purchased it for $6.99! Whoot!
6. Stress. I CAN’T stress this enough! WE NEVER NEVER worry about money. It is not a stressor in our life, this is not because we are loaded or have a ton of money, we are very blessed but we aren’t the swimming in the dough by any means. We do what we can afford. Sometimes we have to say no because we can’t afford things but that is ok. With a little bit of saving and planning we have been able to take vacations, have amazingly blessed Christmases, eat a largely organic diet and work on renovating our house (slowly but surely). All of these things are just JOY with the stress removed because we pay for them in cash and DON’T NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT AGAIN, like when the bill shows up in the mailbox.
7. Gratitude. We appreciate the things we have more. We realize the amount of time we actually had to save for something. This has given us such gratitude for the worldly possessions we have been so blessed to have.
8. Contribution. I no longer feel like I need to contribute monetarily to our family. Having this budget allows me to feel involved and having these discussions once a month has truly redefined the meaning of “our money”.
9. Giving. We have been able to give SO much more than we were able to give before we started following a budget. This is largely because we control our money and our money doesn’t control us. So our money goes where our hearts go. Having more gratitude for our financial blessings has also opened our hearts more to those who aren’t as fortunate.
10. Rule. We rule our money it doesn’t rule us. There are moments when I want to CURSE the budget and just buy what I want to buy but those moments are few and far between. The moment usually passes or what seems to happen more often than not is that item goes on major clearance or someone we know is selling that “thing” used or I happen to find that item on Craigslist for almost nothing. Honestly, this is one of our favorite parts of budgeting because it feels like God is giving us a little approving slap on the rear each time we score that “thing” at a price we can afford. Talk about a motivator!
11. Respect. Understanding the importance of each other’s role is extremely important for every family, when you discuss your finances side by side it brings to light the roles of each and in turn allows your spouse to understand all that you do for your family and vise versa. Being a one income family can add to that challenge increasing the divide between roles, you have one person working out of the home and one person working within the home. I guarantee when you start to discuss your purchasing plan together gone are the days of any “mine” and “yours” feelings that might exist. Not only does it get both of you involved it also brings forth all of the “duties” that each of you do that might go unnoticed otherwise like buying toilet paper or paying the trash bill.

These are just a few reasons why our family is in a better place because of budgeting. We don’t discuss our budget too often with others but there have been a few instances when someone notices we pay with cash or ask how we make it work on one income. Most of the time their first response is “What if you run out of cash” or “doesn’t that feel restricting”. The answer to both is YES, YES, YES we do run out of cash and when we do, we don’t spend any more. Now there are circumstances that may come up but for the standard monthly expenses once it’s gone, it’s gone. Yes, it can feel restricting at times but NEVER stressful or remorseful! From my seat I will always choose restricting over stress and remorse any day! When I do get to buy that colorful pillow or a cute top we have money set aside for it in the budget, I NEVER NEVER NEVER feel guilty, yes Mother’s out there I buy things for myself and I DO NOT feel guilty about it! This is solely because of the budget.

We have a few simple tricks on how we make this REALLY work long term for our family. It’s kind of like “dieting”, going on a diet will help you loose weight but ultimately you want to be free of that weight and burden for the rest of your life right?? So instead of a quick diet making a lifestyle choice is the best way to accomplish your goal FOREVER!! Structuring your budget so you can do it for the long haul will ensure that this won’t be a binge debt pay-off only to rack up more debt the next month, it is a long term lifestyle change and in the end you will have less weight to carry FOREVER!!!!

I’ll be back to share some of our tips and tricks on how we make it work soon!

That’s my Shiny ~

J

A Tardy Recap of a Great Road Trip

In April our family went on a two week long hiatus, sabbatical and respite. All four of us needed some time to relax  and take a break for our daily duties and just have some fun as a family making memories.

We had about the best time you could think of! First the kids and I took off for Kentucky and spent a week there with my sister and family. Then the Hubs meet us in Lexington for the Easter weekend and from there we kept the mini-van moving and headed on to Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Our time in Lexington, Kentucky was wonderful. We did lots of family things. We went to a zoo wildlife place, celebrated a birthday, helped my sister register for baby gear, went to horse races, learned the C-A-T-S, Cats, Cats Cats cheer, watched UK win the championship in Lexington, Kentucky (we avoided being involved in the couch burning), ate lots of yummy food, celebrated Easter and just had a wonderful time together.

 

The trip to Gulf Shores was incredible! AHHH Gulf Shores, it was like a big deep breath of fresh air. We couldn’t have had a better time, it was a beautiful, relaxing, kid friendly, rejuvenating, romantic and couldn’t have been more of a perfect trip. We’ve only done the family vacation / road trip thing one other time and this time we really got the hang of it. We not only ensured the kids had fun and were entertained but WE THE PARENTS actually let ourselves relax and kick back too! Including taking naps, eating at places WE enjoyed and doing activities that were fun for all four of us! It was the perfect balance of kid and adult fun! We all agreed that our favorite activity was the dolphin cruise but honestly the BEST part about our vacation was the 30 foot balcony over looking the ocean, nap time and early bed times have never been more enjoyed!

The kiddos loved the balcony too!

The kids enjoying the beautiful white sandy beach.

At the Gulf Shores Zoo checking out a lioness, she even roared for us!

Strolling on the beach.

Enjoying their surroundings. We stopped and had a picnic lunch at a pavilion located between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach

An evening of fun on the beach. 

I couldn’t love these guys or these moments more! Ready-Set-Go!!!

Wading in the water at “The Pass”. We found hermit crabs, jelly bellies and saw a ton of cranes and pelicans!

The Dolphin Cruise. The boat ride alone was incredible but seeing those dolphins that close jumping through the air was just unreal! We didn’t even zoom for these pictures!

More balcony time, we lived out there.

At Fort Morgan beach.

Our signature vacation sign off photo.

This family highly recommends Gulf Shoes, Alabama!

What are some of your favorite road trip destinations? 

That’s my Shiny ~ J

Oh Baby

Doesn't it always seem to RAIN babies? Once you hear that one person is expecting it seems like EVERYONE is having a baby! Not only do we know SEVERAL couples welcoming a new baby into their lives soon, most of these couples are expecting their FIRST!

I'm no expert at parenting BUT I sure have found a few things as a parent that have made life just SOOOOO much simpler. So all you ladies that I LOVE so much that are doing this for the first time, here is my list of things that I am oh so grateful I didn't have to live without.

A and D Ointment: Great for diaper rash, dry skin, chapped noses and cheeks, cuts and anywhere your babies skin is suffering a little. Throw out those other thick goopy diaper creams. Those creams are hard to clean (or RUB) off your babies bottom when they already have a soar tushy... totally negates the purpose. A and D will honestly turn a red bottom around so incredibly fast, it isn't stinky, it protects those cheeks from additional wetness and pretty much absorbs into the skin or is very easy to gently wipe off! The best EVER. Not only that it is also a great alternative to put on little cuts to help heal faster. I also use it on my own fingers in the winter when they are chapped and cracked, it works GREAT for a busy Momma's overly washed, used and abused winter hands.


Snack Trap: These little buddies will be your best friend. From about 10 months on these AWESOME contraptions make shopping trips better, rides in the car, long walks and really even snacking around the house. Throw in Cheerios, dried fruit, cut up bits of waffle, whatever! Snack Traps REALLY help turn the corner when moving from ALWAYS having to feed baby to the freedom of the baby feeding themselves!


Tinydiner Place Mat: These place mats make ANY visit to a restaurant feasible from the time baby can eat puffs and sit in a high chair until they can eat sufficiently using a glass plate in public (between 2 1/2 and 3).  The Tinydiner place mat even rolls up into itself and tucks amazingly into a diaper bag. We have used our place mat so much it needs to be replaced.


Sleep Sack: These little wonders give your baby a cozy warm night of sleep without having to worry about the swaddle coming undone and covering their sweet little face. Even when baby is older kicking off the covers and getting chilly in the middle of the night is pretty common, these little snugly wonders stay put with your rolly polly baby keeping them warm all through the night.


Scout or a bedtime singing friend: We have Scout and Violet (the purple Scout) for our kids. We like him because he has three time options for bedtime music, 2, 5 and 10 minutes. You can also personalize the music he plays. Not only that Scout has playtime modes too so when baby wakes in the morning they can loving play with their friend, giving you a few extra crucial minutes to get ready or snooze a bit longer.


jj Bundle Me: We didn't have one with our oldest and I always wrestled with a blanket to cover him up when he was in his car seat, the blanket always blew off and it was a lot to manage. We borrowed a bundle me with Q and WOW what a difference! It was so much easier to keep her warm and protected from the outside elements when transporting the kids to the car, it kept her nice and warm inside the car too. A bundle me really is crucial for any baby that will be in a baby car seat during the winter months.


Moby Wrap: Having a comfortable way to keep your baby close while at the grocery store, cleaning up around the house, taking a walk or really doing anything! There is ALWAYS circumstances when a stroller just isn't practical and you will need both your arms and who doesn't want that baby snuggled close. I really liked the Moby wrap, it is comfortable to wear for long periods and made outings such much easier with a toddler and a new baby.


Aveeno Fragrance Free Baby Wash and Shampoo: Our big guy C had some serious skin issues his first full winter. The only thing that kicked it was moving EVERYTHING to fragrance free. Honestly I have no idea why almost all baby products are riddled with fragrance even natural and organic washes have fragrance and no matter if it is natural or not in general fragrance is pretty harsh on the skin. So my thoughts, why wait and see if your bambino is sensitive to fragrance just do without from the get go, and REALLY they smell so sweet all on their own!


A Good Pump: Investing in a good pump can be crucial to make it for the long haul if you plan on breastfeeding, especially if you plan to breastfeed exclusively. It really is the only way to get a little freedom to say, go on a date or take a road trip that is longer than 2 hours. If you are a working Momma it IS the only option to make it work. The one time minimum $250 expense can seem like a lot of mulla, but compared to the $1700 a yearly cost of formula the pump expense isn't so bad. Also, my thought is go for a good DOUBLE pump, it really isn't the most enjoyable job so who wants to do it for twice as long?



Nursing Cover: I didn't have a nursing cover with my first but my sister found me one for our second and WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The first time around I would use a blanket or mostly banish myself to a separate room. Not the funnest. Having a nursing cover made the all consuming task a little more manageable and a little less overwhelming. It really is so much easier to maintain a little privacy when those little baby helicopter arms and legs are trying to escape!!

Additional Suggestions:  A diaper bag with a cross body strap. Being able to wear your diaper bag across your body is so much nicer than your bag constantly falling off your shoulder. It is also much more comfortable to wear for a significant period of time.  Also, find a good floor play mat. Babies love these from a couple weeks old until they are crawling or scooting around on their own. A good play mat can keep those little arms and legs swinging and kicking for hours!

Do you have any products you can't live without for your little ones?

On a VERY exciting note, one of these babies on the way will be my very FIRST niece or nephew!!! Whoop Whoop, as C said last night at dinner when we prayed for the little peanut! Yay!! I'm going to be an AUNTIE!

That's my Shiny ~

J

Shiny of the Week: High Tops and Higher Education

This week has been crazy, a little overwhelming and a little fantastic! The Mr. started a graduate class last Friday, he's working towards his MBA. We are excited to start this chapter of our lives as he begins the process of getting his Masters Degree, I couldn't be prouder of my Mr.! Our kiddos are quite proud as well. Each night as Daddy is studying we make him a hot cup of tea and draw him a picture. C LOVES to get the tea out and check the "flavor" with his sniffer, he really likes the cinnamon apple, and then he waits patiently to hear the whistle of the tea kettle. He takes SO much responsibility in his duties of tea deliverer, cheerleader, motivational smoocher, and official artist.

It seems as if our little man has grown up so much in the last week! On Monday we went to look for new shoes for him and he picked out his OWN shoes. Not only did he pick them he INSISTED on them! I was not very fond of the shoes he choose at first, but they are VERY him and fit his sweet little sports loving personality so so much that it truly makes my heart smile seeing him wear them! My little guy picked out BLACK HIGH TOPS, yes like the ones that were styling in '80's. But how can a Mom resist when that sweet little almost 3 year old face says "Mom, these are my favorites to play basketball in". He, of course, wore the shoes out of the store, was a little upset when they got wet, MUST sleep with them in his room, figured out how to put them on all by himself and has been wearing them around the house CONSTANTLY. Not to mention that the basketball hoop now resides upstairs! Best $12.99 I've ever spent. Oh and they've grown on me. I now think his high tops are pretty snazzy, it's amazing how quickly a 35 lb little boy can change my perspective.

Let's not forget about our sassy little lovely Q, her fun of the week has been standing over the heating grate and letting her long locks blow like crazy when the heat kicks on.... and let me just tell you, IT IS HILARIOUS!

That's my Shiny ~

J

This is love.....

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 4:10

Drinkers and Jokers, all soul searchers like you and me. Searching for love love love..... Dave Matthews Band

This is my favorite Christmas song (not to mention the BEST Christmas Pandora Station EVER!!). I love that this song covers the breadth of Jesus' life not just his birth. Also the OVERWHELMING love Jesus brought to this earth and that WE ARE ALL jokers, and soul searches in need of His LOVE LOVE LOVE!

 

 

This is the God I LOVE and the Christmas I CELEBRATE!

 

 

Wishing you and yours the most LOVELY HOPE FILLED Christmas POSSIBLE!!

 

 

That's my Shiny ~

J

Shiny of the Week: Ending better than the Start

We have had a week of ups and downs. Monday we were still trying to recover from a stomach bug and the Mr. left for a two day business trip. Not the best day. But as the week progressed we got the house cleaned up, food back in the pantry, the Hubs came home and life started to feel nice and cozy again.  

By Wednesday the sun was shining and it was beautifully glorious to spend time outside in the cool air with the bright sun shine all around us!

Today (Friday), we are enjoying being HEALTHY, the snow outside, and the Christmas season by making cookies. Sugar cookies (recipe here) to be exact, with yummy colorful frosting (recipe here). We are still in the process of decorating and I think we will finish tonight around the kitchen table, as a complete unit.

 With the help of the two best little helpers around we made cookie dough, cut out our shapes and baked the cookies. We had lots of fun squishing dough, flattening it, using the spatula, learning to use our cookie cutters and of course EATING a cookie just to be sure we baked in lots of yumminess. 

What Christmas FUN!!

That's my Shiny ~

J

Sleeping This Weekend & A Sparkly T-Shirt

.
Friday Night: 
I slept on the floor next to Q's crib.

Why:
At 4:00 AM our little 12 month old baby daughter LAUNCHED herself out of her crib and on to the floor. Yes, yes you just read that correctly. She is 12 MONTHS and 1 week to be exact, and yes her crib is moved to the lowest level, the side rail was not down and she did not use any type of stuffed animal to aid in her escape. So needless to say, we were a little frazzled and worried. She thankfully landed on her bum so no major injuries occurred other than my nerves being SEVERED! Until we figured out a solution I wasn't going to leave her in there unattended, so what did this Momma do? I rocked my baby back to sleep put her in her crib and slept on the floor until morning. Saturday we hunted down and bought a crib tent. Yes, I know not my idea of cute and precious nursery decor either but at least she will be SAFE!

Saturday Night:
I slept on the couch with a bucket and a towel

Why:
Near 10:00 PM my belly started doing flips. Looks like Q's little stomach bug was not going to be polite and leave me alone. My barking dog friend had returned AGAIN (more about that here).

Sunday Night:
I slept in C's bed

Why: Sunday morning the bug continued it's TORTUROUS rounds and went after our sweet little boy next. He had a rough Sunday and did fairly well sleeping until some time in the middle of the night when he said "lay in my bed Momma", and of course I couldn't resist the request of the cutest little sick boy. So I crawled in, thankfully I was so tired I actually slept.

Hopefully we are on the other side of this mayhem and we are PRAYING that our family can be healthy for awhile after this long stretch of sickness. So yet again I apologize for the delay!

Bedazzled 1 T-Shirt Tutorial:

Supplies:
t-shirt or onesie
stencil
fabric paint
small craft paint brush
ladybug buttons (or buttons of choice)
Scrap book ready to stick gems

1. Pick out your desired number or stencil.  Use some kind of tape to tape down your stencil in the desired spot on your T.

2. Squirt out a little of your fabric paint. Get your small craft paint brush. Carefully paint the outline of your number first, don't use to much paint and try not to push your brush right up against the edge of the stencil too hard, this will result in the paint bleeding. A little bleeding is okay but you don't want it too look messy. After you paint the outline fill the rest of the number in. Remove the stencil and let the paint dry.

3. Bedazzle time! I used the scrap book ready to stick gems. They actually worked GREAT! Not one fell off. I did this for two reasons, I went out to get my remaining supplies on black Friday so the store was crazy and I was not about to continue hunting for other gems among the madness. Second, it saved me a gluing step and I wasn't intending on this being more than a one time wear shirt (after washing only about 1/2 the gems made it). To add longevity you could just put a dot of fabric glue on each gem before sticking. I used two sizes of gems and outlined the number. This is what ascetically looked best to me. Have fun with it and do what you think will look best!(forgot to take a picture of the sticking, sorry)


4. Sew buttons on to your shirt. I choose to sew the buttons on to one shoulder of the shirt to look like little ladybugs where crawling up her sleeve. I thought it looked cute and really pulled the tutu and shirt together. 

TA DA a special little shirt for your special little person!

Cost:
Onesie:$2.00
Stencil: $0 Already owned (I bought this pack of letters and numbers for $5.99 at Walmart, used for this project originally)
Gems and one Pack of Buttons: $3.00 (with sale, I only used three of the 9 buttons)
Fabric Paint: $2.00 (I only used a smidgen of paint, I have lots left for more projects)

Total Cost: $7.00

Time: 2 hours, I spent about an hour making this shirt and probably another hour shopping (I went to three different stores, mostly due to the fact that I didn't have a clear picture of what I wanted when I started).

Enjoy bedazzling and stenciling a jazzy shirt for a special person! Have any of you made a shirt or something special for a birthday boy or girl to wear? I hope you all had more comfortable sleeping situations then myself this weekend. Have you found your sleeping routine disrupted by anything ridiculous, oh say like a 29 1/2 inch little gymnast doing an aerial out of her crib?

That's my Shiny ~

J