There's always something new going on in the York household! This is a place for us to share that with you, our family and friends. Enjoy!

Showing posts with label Crafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crafts. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

A Fall Fun Visit With Grandma!

Our visit with Grandma Cindy was great!  We did so much while she was here.  We took Sophie to the beach for the second time in her life, but this was the first time she was able to enjoy it.  The first time we took her she was 6 weeks old and it was Cousin Jeff's wedding on Captiva Island.  We got Sophie ready to go right after her breakfast and headed out to Cocoa Beach.  We timed this perfectly with morning nap time and she slept most of the way to the coast, waking just before we made it to the beach.  It was a beautiful morning, not too hot, and very breezy.  I put Sophie's feet in the water and she was so amazed when the wave would come up and tickle her toes with the cool water.  Eventually, I sat her down, not worrying about the sand making it's way into her diaper.  She immediately put her hands into the wet sand and got a handful.  She seemed to enjoy the way it just melted out of her hands.  She also enjoyed splashing her hands in the water.  It was a quick visit to the beach, since I didn't want to keep her in the sun for too long.  After a stop at a local restaurant for some delicious seafood, we were on our way back to Orlando.
Taking in the amazing ocean



Sandy toes



Had to get bundled after our swim, it was so breezy!
Grandma was also ready to put her sewing and crafting skills to the test in making Sophie's first Halloween costume.  The idea for the costume is from a nickname that we use often for our little one.  Thanks to Aunt Donna, a name that has stuck with her is "Pie".  When Aunt Donna first met her niece, she said to us, "Isn't she a little precious pie?"  Then there was pumpkin pie, then of course it just became pie.  We love it, and thought it was fitting to dress her as a pie for Halloween.  Pretty original I think...
A onesie, some felt, a needle and thread was all Grandma needed!
PIE!

With a whip cream hat of course!

Also, a big thanks to Cousin Cate for letting us borrow such a cute nickname!

Of course, Grandma was also in charge of making us a few scrumptious meals.  One of my very favorites is chicken with noodles over mashed potatoes, a delicious meal she makes that she learned from my Great Aunt Marce.  Since Dan wasn't feeling well, it was our version of chicken noodle soup, needless to say, he was satisfied.

We also kept busy with cooking up some food for Sophie.  In one afternoon, we made apples, pears, mango, carrots and peas.  The peas were a total bust since we didn't manage to cook them long enough, they didn't puree to the perfect mush.  Sophie did the official taste test and disapproved of the peas so we put them down the drain.  I had previously whipped up some squash and sweet potatoes, so now we have some fresh, organic baby food for our girl.  BIG thanks to Grandma for her help!
Apples cookin', mangoes cubed

Carrots and our bust, peas

Sophie approves of the apples!
We also managed to finally add Sophie's name to her nursery wall.  How many other projects could we have possibly done??


"I'll get you Mommy!"
In a week our little Sophie will be seven months old!  So what new things is this little pie up to these days?  Well of course anything and everything is going into her mouth anymore.  So besides having a taste for wood floors, she's also been found chewing on the corner of our rug.  This is the same rug that has been through several Halloween parties and a dog.  The same rug that, at 36 weeks (?) pregnant, I drug out to the back yard to give a good scrubbing.  Well, I found her at the edge, corner pulled up, gnawing away at it.  She did not consider stopping when I asked what she was doing, nor when I got down to her level.  Not until I got my camera out to snap a picture, did she stop immediately.
Blurry, but closest shot I got to the rug actually being in her mouth

But it was so fun!
Another thing that Sophie has gotten a taste of was sand.  When we were at the beach, as soon as the sand got in her tiny little hand, it went to her mouth faster than I could react.  She must have enjoyed the taste of the salty ocean water, because she kept licking her lips afterwards.  We couldn't help but laugh about it, for a long time!

She's sitting up really well on her own and seems really proud when doing so.  She still topples over at times, but is getting better each day.  Her little hands are so amazing to her.  When she gets something in them, she turns her hand over, back and forth, seeming to be thoroughly inspecting whatever it is she is holding.  She loves grabbing at our face, especially while rocking or being fed.  Sometimes, I will be feeding her, and she will be so relaxed that the face grabbing becomes more of a soft touch.  Those moments are really special.  She touches my face so gently, with the softest hands, almost as if she's memorizing what she feels.  So sweet!

Grandma Elaine is on her way to visit us this week!  Can't wait to have some fun with her!

Stay tuned for another post very soon with Sophie's 6 month pictures in the pumpkin patch.

Love
The Yorks

Monday, January 23, 2012

Happy New Year!

I can't believe this is my first blog of the new year and the month is almost over!  I guess 2012 has been a busy start for the York household.  Today we are 30 weeks and 6 days pregnant, baby York is growing on schedule and she constantly lets me know she's ok by rolling around in my tummy.  I passed the glucose tolerance test which means I do NOT have gestational diabetes and my appointments with the doctor have gone from monthly to bi-weekly.  Before we know it we will be seeing the doctor once a week then baby Sophie will be here!  It's a thrilling and scary thought all at the same time.  I'm lucky to have the knowledge of the process since I work in labor and delivery, but I think I may know too much!  I only hope I can be a good patient and not drive my nurse crazy.

A week ago I was in a wintry wonderland, my hometown outside of Chicago!  On a beautiful sunny day in Orlando I was hearing stories of a snowstorm brewing in the Midwest and I couldn't have been more excited.  I was getting ready to leave for the airport but heard that my flight had been canceled due to weather.  So I spent a few more hours soaking up the sun before boarding a later flight that was still headed into the snow.  I was thrilled that IL was getting their first major snowstorm of the season, but a little nervous that I was flying into the thick of it.  I had never been afraid to fly, but the baby in my belly made me a little nervous this time around.  I was going over some ridiculous questions in my head as O'Hare airport came into view and snow was falling all around us.  "Does the pilot know how to land on a snowy tarmac?"  "Can he see the runway?"  Apparently the answers were YES and YES.  Thankfully the landing was one of the smoothest I've experienced and our pilot knew how to fly the plane! =)  The excitement set back in that I was about to spend a wonderful week with family and friends AND there was fluffy white snow covering the ground!

I went to IL for my baby shower hosted by my mom and friends Sheila and Melissa.  My parents had a full house because my two aunts and my grandmother were also there for the occasion.  We spent a few days cooking and preparing for the party.  Wow!  Can my mom and aunties cook!  The night before the party my grandma Ardis and I decorated for the shower.  We were hanging streamers in the basement when grandma said, "I really don't know what I'm supposed to do with these, it's just been too long!"  How long has it been since grandma hung streamers?  The last time she did that was when she was a sophomore in high school, decorating for a dance!  Grandma did a great job, making sure the twists were just so in the streamers, and the area looked perfect!

Yummy cake that traveled all the way from Indiana!

"Grandma" Margie, Grandma Cindy, Me, Great Grandma Ardis, Grandma Elaine

Grandma Cindy, Auntie Mel, Me, Auntie Sheila...The Hostesses!

Proud Grandpa!  Hopefully Sophie's tall like us!

My friend Sarah from Ripon College and baby Dean. Haven't seen her in years!
So great to catch up

Great Aunt Linda, Grandma Cindy, Me, Great Aunt Regina...The caterers!!
Lots of friends and family came to shower baby Sophie with many wonderful gifts, and thanks to them we have a nicely stocked library too!  My aunt Linda traveled the farthest from California, and we also had a good showing of family from Indiana as well.  I was so grateful for the gifts for the baby, but even more grateful for the time I was able to spend with family and friends that I don't get to see very much living in Orlando.

During my stay we managed to get some crafting in as well.  My mom is making a quilt for the baby and wanted some help in putting a few stitches in so that a number of people could say they had a hand in making this beautiful piece for baby.  So one night we all sat down for a good old fashioned "quilting bee".  The quilt has in it a few fabrics picked out from the store as well as a spattering of fabrics from some family members own fabric leftovers and some shirts from those that have passed.

Mom putting fabric pieces together


Quilters hard at work


Melissa and I quilting!

Mom and Aunt Linda
 As it turns out, I actually was set to depart the winter wonderland on another day expecting a snow storm!  Just my luck.  I sat on the plane waiting for them to de-ice it, texting my mom and dad that I was set and ready to leave.  Wouldn't you know they both text me something along the lines of "Have and safe flight. Miss you already."  The last line sent tears streaming down my face!  Luckily I had an empty seat next to me so my hormones and I could have it out in private.  I haven't cried on a flight in years!  Thank you pregnancy hormones for making me an emotional mess...

I made it home to a clean house and a happy dog, thanks to my husband!  Dan has been great lately, even offering foot rubs after my long days at work.  Such a small task, but that is one of the best things he's done for me lately.  Especially after working for twelve hours, they're not the most inviting pair of feet!  As Dan and I are relaxing on the couch after our hard days work, Sophie is busy rolling about in my tummy.  We enjoy watching the waves go over my stomach.  Dan thinks it's a little weird to see and feel at times.  Sometimes, so do I.  The movements are so intense sometimes it feels like I'm on a roller coaster I can't get off.  All in all, I cherish every little movement she makes and can't believe a baby is growing in my body, who someday, sooner than we know, we get to meet!

30 weeks!



Date night with Dan, my treat.  Thanks for the foot rubs honey!
 With Love
Jess, Dan, baby Sophie, and Lucy