27 weeks {Bumpdate}

How far along: 27 weeks

Weight gain/loss:  Up one pound, which I feel is quite an accomplishment after eating tons of the cookies Betsy and I baked and slacking on my workouts last week.  Total weight gain so far = 14.5 lbs  

Feeling: Meh.  I may be getting Leila's cold.  I may be stuffy due to the dry Santa Ana winds.  I may just be pregnant.  Meh.

Maternity clothes: Yep.  I have almost worn everything once (and many things 1000 times!).

Stretch marks:  No thank you.

Sleep: A little pregnancy insomnia, nothing major. 

Best moment(s) this week:  I had an entire day to myself to get some shopping done.  I have missed having a regular babysitter.

Food cravings: Wine.  Is that even a food?  

Gender: It's a boy!  We've committed to a name and started sharing it.  I'll announce it on the blog once I have time to write a decent post about it. 

Movement: Tons, especially after I eat.

What I miss:  WINE!  I cannot say it enough.

What I'm looking forward to:  I have another shopping day scheduled, a girls' gift exchange, and an event to support my friend.  Also, planning to learn how to make reindeer ornaments from wine corks...someone else will have to drink the wine.

Weekly wisdom: Three more months!

Milestones: Some people consider 27 weeks the start of the third trimester!  Hooray!  And, I made my goal of running until 27 weeks.  Went for a quick run yesterday and have two more planned this week! 

Due date: 3-13-13

Salt dough ornaments {New traditions}

Last Christmas I attempted to make salt dough ornaments with Leila.  I was proud of my accomplishment, but they are so easy to make, I decided to step it up a notch this year.  I saw these adorable Santa hand print ornaments on Pinterest (of course) and knew they would be the ornaments we made this year.

Aren't they adorable?

They were super easy to make too!  The most difficult part was keeping these two friends entertained while Amy and I kneaded, rolled, and cut out the dough into the shapes we wanted.

I used the same recipe I used last year to make the dough.

Salt Dough Santa Claus Ornaments

This recipe makes 12-16 toddler hand sized Santas.

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 1/2 cups water

sturdy cardboard

parchment paper

Acrylic paint- skin tone, red, white, black/brown, blue, pale pink

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Combine the ingredients in a bowl.
3. Knead the dough for 15-20 minutes (knead on the counter, it's easier)
4. Separate dough into equal sized portions and set aside.
5. Roll out one portion of dough onto a small piece of parchment paper.
6. Trace your child's hand onto a piece of cardboard and cut out carefully.
7. Dust one side of the cardboard cut-out hand print with flour to prevent sticking.
8. Cut around the cardboard hand with a knife.
9. Use a straw or similar object to make a hole at the top (base of the hand) for hanging on the tree later.
10. Poke holes with a skewer around the perimeter of the ornament to prevent bubbling.  Poke all the way through the dough for the best results.
11. Place parchment paper and ornament on a baking sheet.
12. Bake at 300 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden. 
13. Let them cool completely before painting. 

Salt dough Santa Claus Ornament painting guide:

(As you can see in the pics above, I also made stars for Leila to paint herself since she is not ready for the detailed Santa painting.  Read these tips on painting with toddlers...no muddy brown if you follow my instructions!)

1. Start by paining the section just above the fingers using the skin tone colored acrylic paint.  (You can see in my close-up picture that the paint I used for the face cracked.  I did not use acrylic for the skin tone which was a big mistake.  Regular washable paint just doesn't work as well.)
2. Paint the hat and the thumb red leaving the tip of the thumb unpainted until later.
3. Let these two colors dry.  (You may need more than one coat.)
4. Paint the fingers and sides of the ornament white.  Leave a little bit of the skin tone paint showing for the mouth.
5. Paint the fur trim on Santa's hat and the tip of the thumb white.  I definitely needed more than one coat of white paint.  For best results let it dry between each coat.
6. Use pale pink for the cheeks and mouth, blue for the eyes, and black/brown for the pupils,
7. Mix a bit of pale pink with the skin tone paint for the nose.
8. Let them dry completely overnight.
9. Add a ribbon or ornament hook and wrap them as a gift of hang it on your tree. 

Next year I'll be making ornaments again!  With inspiration from Pinterest, I'll be tackling something new for our homemade Christmas ornament tradition.

What are your holiday traditions?  Have they changed since having children?

Where does she come up with this stuff?

After spending an afternoon with Betsy, Leila said the most random thing...

"I have a question."  She stated this with such authority.  When Jeff asked what her question was, she told him, "I see red birds.  And orange birds."

WHAT?!

Sometimes I wonder where in the world Leila hears these phrases she's spitting out...

We're talking.
I did it!
Oh, that's better.
No singing Mommy.
Oh well.
I want it.  I don't want it.  I WANT IT! 
What's going on here?
Leave me alone.  I'm pooping.
Oh my gosh!
NO TALKING!
Daddy, you play with me?
Santa talks?
Oh sure!
That's not right.

Other times I know exactly where they came from...

Leila and I hang out all day.  I talk, she talks (and talks, and talks, and talks).  We have conversations that I never expected to have with my two-year old, yet at the same time it seems so natural.

One of these days I am actually going to record her sweet little voice.  I never want to forget how tiny (yet loud) her voice is.  Sometimes when she has nothing to say, she just fills the silence with a song.

Sometimes I think I'd like her to stop asking, "What's that?" (even though she knows exactly what it is) for the millionth time.  Then I remind myself that one of these days (many, many years from now) we probably won't talk everyday.  I know for sure that I will miss her silly questions, her indecisive nature, and her lovely singing voice.

Talk on, Leila.  I promise to listen.

The Great List {12.07.12}

I have been so excited for this Great List all week!  We are busy, busy, busy here and I like it!

1.  We finally put up our tree!  We borrowed an artificial tree this year from my friend Lauren for a few reasons (cost and size).  Although it doesn't look like or smell like a real tree (that's what scented candles are for) it did get me into the holiday spirit!  Leila loved hanging the ornaments with us.  It was fun to watch her choose the specific ones she wanted to hang.  Her favorite...my First Christmas ornament from 1977!  It's got her favorite Disney characters right on the front.  Mickey, Donald, and Goofy haven't aged a bit.

2.  Jeff took the first step in getting the kids' bedroom ready for baby #2.  We have so much reorganizing to do to get ready for this little guy.  Luckily we have plenty of time.  I currently have four projects going and need Jeff's help for all but one. We'll get there!

3.  I had a whole day to myself!  Ahhhhhhhhhh.  Shopping is one of my favorite pastimes and although I love to shop with my mom and sister, I also love shopping alone.  I literally shopped till I dropped and am still in some pain from all the standing and walking.  Leila's Poppy will be babysitting again next week (hooray!) and hopefully I can get all our shopping done without killing myself in the process.

4.  Leila and Kennady did some crafting.  Okay, Amy and I most of the work, while they tried to eat the salt-dough.  Regardless, the ornaments turned out wonderfully!  If you follow me on Instagram (myleilaland) you saw some pictures of them.  I'll be posting the tutorial on Tuesday.  If you're interested get some flour, salt, and acrylic paints.  It took only two days/sessions to complete the project. You have time before Christmas to wrap these cute ornaments up!

5.  I received the highest compliment on my blog from a guy I've looked up to my whole life...my dad.  Yesterday his email simply said, "I enjoy reading your blog. Impressive."  I started this blog to keep in touch with faraway family and friends and am thankful to know that they are still reading.  Although knowing that they read does make me filter out some content/blog ideas, I still post embarrassing and personal stuff here (recently looking at my butt in the mirror comes to mind). Thanks to EVERYONE for reading.  I would still write if you didn't, but am sure glad you do.

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."
 -Oprah Winfrey

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Come back here each week for my newest list and don't forget to check out Betsy's list each week too.  Warning...positive thinking is addicting!

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