Getting Crafty With DailyCraft TV!

During this holiday weekend, I was given the opportunity to review one of Daily Craft TV's scrapbooking videos.
Daily Craft TV is a website dedicated to giving you fun instructional videos related to various hobbies. Such hobbies include crochet, knitting, sewing, and my personal favorite, scrapbooking!!
In my spare time (what?! spare time?? what is this???) or more so when I HAVE spare time, I really enjoy scrapbooking and have been working on a scrapbook of Avalyn's first year.
Since Ava was born I knew that I wanted to try to document all of her monthly milestones and fun firsts in the form of a scrapbook so that she could have something to look back at once she is older. I can't wait for her to be able to really see how much she has over come since the moment she came into this world.
I bet you are wondering, "Why scrapbook when you have everything here in your  blog?"
My answer is simply this, I love being able to physically share things with my friends and family. I love sitting somewhere with my loved ones and reminiscing and I think that one of the best ways of doing so is by sharing photos and the stories that accompany them! And I want to use my scrapbooks for that reason.
So you can only imagine how excited I was when I was contacted by DailyCraft TV and asked to review one of their scrapbooking videos!
I had a difficult time trying to decide which video to review because they all sounded like so much fun! But the video that really caught my attention was the "Scrapbooking with Surprise Supplies Class".  It was not an easy decision considering I wanted to try out everything, but the reason I did go with the surprise supplies class is because of the opportunity to find and use supplies I already have on hand...in my kitchen!
That is right!
You can scrapbook using things such as doilies and cupcake liners!
How awesome is that?!
You have the option of following along using the designated supplies kit for the video or using what you already have on hand. I opted to just follow along and use items that I already had here; so my end result looks much different than the layout used in the video. But after you obtain the supplies needed; whether it be through ordering the kit or by scavenging your kitchen for the supplies, you will be ready to follow along!
The video was just over an hour long and I had to break it up into segments throughout the weekend due to having a very cranky and teething child who wanted nothing but Mommy's full attention. But that did not pose a problem at all whatsoever because I had the ability to pause the video and come back to it as many times as I needed to! I really loved having this option!
This particular video came with instructions for two different layouts and I made my own layout using the techniques from the first layout. (I was really excited to learn that there were two layout options!) I worked mainly from the first layout because I had most of the supplies for it already on hand.
In the video, our instructor, Annette Hardy goes through all of the various supplies and techniques used to create a beautiful layout for our scrapbook. As she was going through the supplies kit, I became very intrigued by a product called, "spray mist". I was not very familiar with this product and had to make an impromptu trip to my local craft store to see if I could get my hands on this product.
Fortunately I was able to find the Tattered Angels brand in the color, "Cork". I found this particular color to be very suitable for the theme of my page. I was very excited to put this shimmer mist to good use and I really enjoyed how Annette walked me through how to use the mist properly and how not to "freak out" when I was using it on my doilies (she was not kidding when she said those things will curl up!).
As the video progresses, you learn how to create a nice layout using different prints of paper. I was very envious of the Amy Tangerine scrapbook paper that Annette was using from the kit! I fell in love with the yellow chevron print that she used! If you all know me, you will know that I am OBSESSED with chevron! Annette does a wonderful job explaining how to cut our paper and how to put them together to form a layout that just flows really nicely.
The one thing that I really loved in this video is the unique things you can do with a doily! I never would have guessed that I could make an adorable little flower made from a doily. I am not going to lie, I did have to work on this flower for a few minutes to get it to resemble a flower; I think I had a difficult time with this because my doily was much smaller than what was used in the video. But in the end I was really happy with how it looked.


Here is my finished page (I was only able to get half of the layout finished):

I went with a "Beach Day" theme in honor of Avalyn's first day at the beach! I used paper from a paper kit that I had received at Christmas time. My doilies were much smaller than the ones used in the video, but I still think they turned out quite nicely! I love that spray mist on them! It reminds me of the sand on the beach. 

Isn't this such an awesome idea?! I never would have thought that you could create such adorable embellishments using household items. The sea shell was used in place of a button because I thought it fit the theme perfectly; plus it is a shell that Avalyn's grandma found so it holds a little bit of sentimental value. :)

I really wish I would have had some cupcake liners on hand because in the second layout Annette shows us how to create lovely flowers using the liners. I will definitely be using this technique in the future!

Overall I was very impressed with the techniques shown and how well the video itself was put together. The instructor was very knowledgeable and I definitely learned how much fun scrapbooking can be when you have someone to guide you further into the world of paper crafts. 

I look forward to checking out some of the other videos available for scrapbooking and am also very interested in checking out the crochet and sewing videos as well! 

If you have a soft spot for crafting, I would most definitely recommend Daily Craft TV! 

Visit Daily Craft Tv now for online crafting classes! 

P.S. This was my very first review so please let me know how I did! :) 

Nine Months Old And Monthly Well Visit.

NINE MONTHS OLD!!

Age: nine months, eight days. 

Weight: 14 lbs and 11 oz. 

Height:  25 and 1/4 inches.

Favorite food: fresh fruit and veggies, Mum Mum rice cakes, and puffs.

Loves: spending time with Daddy, cuddling with Mommy, swimming in the pool, and her Wubbanub.

Dislikes: the sun in her face, being left alone, and being put onto her tummy for tummy time.

Can you even believe it?!

Our baby girl is nine months old.

Wow!

Nine months...hmm, am I ready for this???

So much can happen in nine months. It takes nine months for a fetus to transform into a newborn. It has taken nine months for my three pound, two ounce, twelve week early premature baby to grow into the most beautiful child I have ever laid eyes on. I may be a little biased, but goodness, she sure is a beauty!!

This passed month has been a brutal one if I do say so myself.
We have been dealing with this teething business (I swear it gets worse every passing day!) on top of this separation anxiety issue that came into our lives around the beginning of month seven; about a month after our move.
I am hoping that both of those things pass through quickly. I feel awful for saying this, but some days I just really want to lock myself in the bedroom and scream into my pillow. I knew that this parenting thing would be difficult, but no one is ever truly prepared to deal with some of these crazy things that babies go through.
My poor bug hardly naps at all anymore so she is so tired by the time bedtime comes along. On the bright side of all of this, she does sleep throughout the entire night! It is an incredibly deep sleep though and I think that it is caused from the not napping business during the day. The only effective way to help her nap is if I lay down with her; of course some days this is not an issue at all and I do really enjoy it! But other days, when I really need to get things done, it can be quite the hassle. I am hoping that it is just a phase and that by month ten she will be napping again.
As far as teething goes, we have good days and we have bad days. Sometimes I feel like we have bad days more than good, but I know how much growing teeth can hurt so I don't blame her for all of that screaming and whining and gnawing on everything. When I say gnaw I don't mean she gums a toy or munches on her fingers, I mean she goes full on rabid chipmunk! Half of the time I sit there and watch her in awe as she jams hard surfaces into her gums and think, "How in the hell???".
I have always heard and read that every baby is different when it comes to teething, so naturally I wonder if anyone else's child is teething as roughly as mine is?! If not, count those blessings because this trip, my friend, has been a wild one!
BUT I think we may be catching a break very soon! The other day whilst Ava was in mid scream, I attempted to check out those gums and to my surprise saw two little white looking bumps just barely hidden underneath the surface of her gums. She is so close to cutting these two teeth (at once...ow!) that I nearly jumped out of my skin with joy! That is another thing I hope that we have by month ten...TEETH!
Everyone in this household could use a break from all of this teething junk, that is for sure!

Now that I am done ranting about those little "toofers" I can happily share with all of you our newest milestones!
Ava can sit up on her own like it is nobody's business! She has been sitting up on her own for about two and a half months now, I believe and I am impressed with how well she manages keeping herself up. She does occasionally take a tumble when the dog brushes passed her or when she is trying to grab that toy that is just out of reach. She does not mind the falling over so much, it is mostly the can't get back up part that really frustrates her. She tries so hard to sit herself back up, but those tummy and back muscles are just not quite strong enough for that just yet.

Little miss can also pull herself up into a standing position when she has a good grip on something or someone. If Brian or I are holding her hands, she will pull herself up all on her own. She will stand while hanging onto the edge of the coffee table or the side of her crib if one of us puts her there. She loves trying to bounce by bending her knees, but because she is still a little wobbly, we mostly save the bouncing/jumping for her jumperoo and exersaucer.

Ava has also discovered her real voice and lately all we hear is Babynese! She can say "Dada", "Mama", and a weird version of the word dog. It kind of sounds like a mash up of dad and dog...sort of a, "dadaaawg". She tries to mimic the word hi and that comes out sounding like "haaaa".
The other day she said something that sounded like uh oh..."ahoooooh" and I have heard her try to say diaper..."daaaappper".
I love hearing little babies try to talk! It is fun trying to figure out what in the heck they are saying. Ava is pretty shy outside of the house and really only likes to talk at home or in the car. It is just the cutest thing and I can't get enough of her baby babble!
The only noise she doesn't seem to mind making in public is this weird and slightly embarrassing cough that she does when she gets really excited. It is kind of funny, but when she does it everyone looks at us with this look on their face that just screams, "what is wrong with that baby?!". And I always find myself telling the closest person, "I promise you nothing is wrong, that is just her excited sound."
Ooh silly little peanut!

There were several "firsts" this month as well!

First time in the bath tub! Avalyn has out grown her "baby" bath tub; she got to be too long for it and we figured that since she sits up so well that we would give the big girl tub a try and sure enough she loved it! After a few times we did get a little worried that the tub was too slippery for her little tushie, so she is in an inflatable tub now. We still call it the big girl tub. 

First time in the swimming pool! It started getting nice and warm here towards the end of April/beginning of May so that meant that we were getting ourselves a little swimming pool! This pool is big enough for one of us to sit in the pool with her while she "swims". Ava absolutely loves sitting in the water and splish splashing around. Plus it is a fun way to spend a warm afternoon. 

Our first time picking strawberries! Mother's Day weekend we got together with a few friends and went strawberry picking on one of the local farms and Avalyn loved trying to help pick the strawberries. She also loved giving them a good tasting. 

We had our first beach day (on Mother's Day). I was so proud of how well Ava dealt with the environment; she didn't shove handfuls of sand into her mouth! She enjoyed feeling the texture of the sand and sea shells. She even found a shark's tooth! Well, actually it accidentally found her; it was stuck to her little bum! 

My mommy survival instincts were also put to the test when I was squatting in front of Ava and letting her feel the waves come rushing in on her legs. A wave knocked me over and I managed to keep Avalyn up in the air the entire time! She got sprayed with the water as the wave rolled passed us and to my surprise she was not afraid. The entire time I was in panic mode this little girl was smiling and having the time of her life. I swear she is fearless! 

Don't worry and please don't assume I am a terrible parent for taking her into the water because I was not the only one out there with her. Her Daddy and fellow Marines, their wives, and her grandma were standing there the whole time and would have prevented anything from seriously happening. 

I personally think it was a good experience for us. She got to feel the water and waves and I learned not  to turn my back on those waves. 

What a bunch of exciting firsts, am I right?! 

I love watching her experience things for the first time. It still blows my mind how amazed she is by everything. Her curiosity is adorable and I really hope that she never loses that sense of amazement/curiosity.

So how about that nine month well visit???

Well, we have been seeing the amazing doctors at the Jacksonville Children's Clinic for four months now and let me just remind you of how much I love it there! Any questions or concerns I may have are answered before I even leave (sometimes more than once because we all know how difficult it can be to absorb all of that information during those well visits). They also are very thorough and are always making sure Ava is well cared for. 

Today we went in and learned that little miss has gained roughly a pound and a half since her eight month visit. Her height has stayed about the same; this did raise a little bit of concern with the doctor so she said that we will keep monitoring her height just to double check that there are no issues. 

Personally, I am not too worried about it and the doctor didn't seem too worried either. 

Her head circumference is right where it needs to be and once her age is adjusted she is in between the 10th and 20th percentile; again I was told all of this is good and right where it needs to be.

The doctor was amazed by how well Ava's motor skills are and how well she can sit up; she told us that she honestly wouldn't have thought that Ava was a preemie had she not looked at her chart. Of course that made Brian and I feel awesome. 

I don't know about Brian, but my biggest concern is always for Ava's development. I am always worried that because she was so early that she may not be developing properly. It is always very difficult for me not to compare her to our friend's babies because they are all the same age; the doctor even told me not to compare her to other children because Ava is in her own category. Every preemie baby is different and I was told that where Ava is at is perfect and right where she needs to be. I just have to remember to adjust her age; I tend to forget that technically Ava is not nine months old, but six months. 

Ooh preemie parent's problems. :) 

The rest of our appointment was well (minus Avas brief freak out when the doc tried to poke and prod her). We were told that because Avalyn is a preemie, she needs to start seeing a physical therapist. Her arms and legs are not quite where they need to be flexibility wise and we were told that this is normal/to be expected of preemies. 

Because she spent such a long time in the NICU, with her arms either tightly swaddled against her or out at her sides, she was not able to build up the strength she needed to in her arms and legs. Full term babies stay in the fetal position while in the womb and build up their muscles and flexibility by punching and kicking Mommy. 

It is really difficult to explain, but basically what I am getting at is that Ava's arms are not as strong and flexible as a full term baby's would be. So this means more tummy time and P.T to help with the issue. It all makes sense to us now because we were starting to wonder why Avalyn always had her arms out (as if she were trying to maintain her balance) while sitting. 

The doctor did a hemoglobin check and Ava's levels are a little low, so to help with her anemia we were prescribed an iron supplement. This also means that we have to go back in a month to help make sure the supplement is working. 

Just when I thought we were passed the monthly visits! DANG!

Over all, all is well. 

We are still scheduled for her eye exam and a visit with an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. Little miss is still having a difficult time eating so we will be meeting with the E.N.T at the end of June to determine if she will need to have her tongue clipped. 

Until next's month well visit, here are some of our favorite videos and photos from month eight!

  

Enjoying her time in the swimming pool!

Sitting in the ocean! She loves the little waves, but not so much the big ones (don't blame her on that one! I don't care for the big ones either!!) She loves splashing in the water, but the water was still a little chilly (hence the freak out at the end).

Pulling herself up with Mommy's help!

Family photo!

In Case You Were Wondering.

I know quite a few of you have been wondering what has been going on with this momma this passed week. Well, instead of rambling on in a Facebook status or note, I thought I would just share it with you all here.
Alright, here it goes!
So, as many of you know, Brian enlisted in the Marine Corps. back in 2010 and we have been together since the very beginning. Well, some things were said between him and I recently and it has really kind of been bothering me. I told him how much a hate the life of a military wife...being home alone, being forced to relocate to new cities, going through the difficulties of meeting new people, dealing with ridiculous amounts of unnecessary drama, my husband being gone anywhere from a day to a few weeks at a time...yeah, what is to love about all of that?!
He told me that I chose this life and that I had an option to leave when he enlisted. Umm, HELLO?! That is so wrong! How are you given the option to leave the one person who has ever made you feel complete?! Him and I both knew that from the moment he enlisted (which he did behind my back, btw) that I was not going to go anywhere.
I have had to deal with so much just so I can be with him! Boot camp, S.O.I., B.S.G., being forced to say goodbye to my fiance, having to push our wedding date back FOUR times before he was finally able to come home for us to get married, not getting to go on a honeymoon, not being able to live with my husband for the first two months of our marriage, being by myself in a new town twice now, and now having to take care of our child practically on my own.
Yes, I know that I signed up for all of this, but I did not have an option. I agreed to be with him until his enlistment was complete and we could become normal people again; we still have two and a half years to go. Not being with him was not an option. So believe me when I say it frustrates me when I am told that I "asked for this" and that I knew what I was in for.
Besides, how can anyone really ever know what they are in for when they are married to the military?? No one told me how hard it was going to be. No one told me how lonely it would be. No one told me how there would be so many times you just want to throw in the towel and quit. I had to learn how to do all of this on my own. There may be other wives out there who are rolling their eyes at me and commenting on how it truly is not that bad, but from my experiences, this sh*t sucks!
I was not born strong. I was not a strong person growing up. In fact, I was quite the opposite. I was weak and always let my emotions get the best of me. I still do at times! From what I have learned these passed three years it has taken me a lot of time to become as strong as a lot of people think. I spend many nights crying in my husbands arms and telling him how much I can't stand being tied to the military. And what does he tell me almost every time? "I can't do anything about it." or "Everything will be fine, just stop worrying." It drives me completely nuts when he says that, especially since all I want him to do is just tell me that he will fix it.
But unfortunately he can not fix it.
Every morning he is forced to get up and leave me alone with his daughter all day. I bet this just sound ideal right?! Being a stay at home mommy has its perks, I will agree to that. But when you have an eight month old baby who is teething, going through separation anxiety and screams all day, you bet your butt you would want a break! I feel terrible for saying that I need to get away from my child for a day or two...or several...but it is the truth. I get so frustrated with feeling like a single mom some days.
Now I know what you are all thinking right now...
"Why are you complaining!? Your husband comes home every night! Mine doesn't."
Yes, that is unfortunate that your husband is not home with you. I know things probably suck a million times more than my situation. You are my hero for being able to deal with all of that. But the fact of the matter is that this is MY situation. I know I could have it much much worse than I do. I am lucky that Brian is able to come home every night; in fact it is a luxury compared to what his schedule used to be back in Kings Bay.
But all of that will change in February.
We will be going through our first deployment.
Brian will be leaving Avalyn and I for six months. Truthfully, I think knowing that I will have to endure that is what has really been getting to me, thus causing all of these other issues to arise. I try so hard not to think about how many months I have left with my husband (it is now down to eight months). I try so hard not to stress out over the things I have to overcome in order to prepare for the deployment. If you don't know me personally, you may not know that I do not have a driver's license. Go ahead, poke fun at me, ask me why, etc. etc. I have heard it all.
"How can you live without a license?!" Well it is easy. I have been doing it for years.
"Why haven't you gotten one?" Because I am freaking TERRIFIED of driving. It stresses me out. And I hate it.
So where am I going with all of this?
Well, I have been planning a trip home to Illinois for Ava's first birthday in August. Brian came home from work one day telling me that there is going to be a leave block in June; we both decided that it would be for the best to just take the leave in June so we wouldn't run the risk of not getting leave approved for August.
Awesome right?!
Yes, I was ecstatic! I would be going home with my little family to have a big bash of a birthday party for my baby girl. All I wanted more than anything was to give her the best first birthday; one spent with friends and family.
We decided on a theme, started to get things for the party, and started to plan our trip home. I even made an adorable tutu dress for her to wear at the party. I had not made the official announcement that we were coming home since the dates were not approximate, but I did tell a few close friends from home and we were all excited to see each other again. I started filling out birthday invitations and was thinking about how happy I would be to finally have all of my family meet my daughter for the first time. It is crazy that she is almost a year old and everyone has not met her yet.
Ready for the bad news??
Brian came home on Monday and told me that they changed the dates for the leave block, that it is now in May. I thought, "Ok, this will be tough to swing, but I think we can manage.". But then he proceeded to tell me that he can only take the leave if he has enough days of leave saved up. My thoughts were, "Well that should be fine, we have not taken leave since Christmas.". Then he told me that the time we took for the PCS took away from any leave we had saved up. I didn't quite fully understand what that meant. He logged into his M.O.L account to see how many days of leave he had left since our move and when I saw that there were only 12 days on there, I had to walk away. I didn't want him to see my cry; which is ridiculous considering how many times he has seen me cry before.
Basically it came down to we use the 12 days to come home for our daughter's birthday and then only have roughly two weeks of time saved up for pre-deployment leave; spend only two weeks with him before he leaves for six months. Or save the leave days we have saved up and not come home for Christmas and use all of the days we have accumulated for the pre-deployment leave in January; which would be spent at home.
It was a very hard decision to make and I am still torn up about it. How could I be forced to choose between my daughter's first birthday and spending time with Brian before he leaves for six months?! I am feeling really bitter about all of it. I didn't really want to talk to anyone; I still kind of don't.
I hate how it feels like the Marine Corps. has taken away so many experiences for us.
Those I have spoken to told me to go ahead and have the big birthday party here, but that just is not possible. I know for a fact that none of our families would make the commute here to North Carolina to celebrate with us. I don't know enough people here to have a big party for her either. I was planning a small party here for the few friends I do have, but it just is not the same. I honestly don't even want to bother with a party anymore and that kills me. I hate how she has to suffer for it in the long run; she truly has no idea, but that is not the point. You only turn one year old once.
All of this has been floating around in my thoughts all week and has turned me into one of those wives I never wanted to be. I know that I whine and complain a lot, but I have earned the right to do so. I know that I slip into these weird moods where I want nothing to do with anyone, but can you blame me? I know that I will eventually get over it, but I feel like I have a legitimate reason to be upset.
I am trying really hard not to take it out on Brian since it is not his fault.
Anyways, there you have it.
That is what has been bothering me all week.
I am not looking for sympathy.
I just needed to get it off my chest.