Creative Partner

Well, quarantine has been good to get a few projects done.  While Charissa sleeps, Verity and I work ... until she falls asleep and then it's just me again.  Here's what we've been up to this week. 

Verity having some tummy time while she watches me work.

And yes - her eyes are blue.  We're all a bit surprised, but who knows what will happen in the next few months. 

I wasn't quite fast enough to catch her full smile, but V was happily smiling at me while I was sewing.  Her and the pink elephant were just hanging out.  

I was holding Verity in my lap while I was reading something, and I thought she was just being still, and then I realized that she'd fallen asleep.  It's so hard to find good help. :)

So here are the projects we did this week.  

I finally hung my curtain for the guest room.  It only took me two months to do it, but I am pleased with the results.

A few months ago I tried to solve the squeaky doors by using some WD-40 on them.  Well, they don't squeak, but now they so easily swing that they never stay open.  So I made this little door stopper that I found here.  They didn't have a tutorial for it, but it was pretty easy to copy without one.  

I got tired of CJ's pens, pencils and markers being in an old yogurt container (Britt's solution), so I made Charissa a pretty pencil cup.  

This used to hold coffee from a cafe, but I repurposed it using some directions from Little Birdie Secrets. 

My last project (so far) is this little hair bow. I found this "ribbon" at the Scrap Exchange and I knew I had to get it because Charissa has a sweater that perfectly matches it. 

So that's what we've been up to between loads of laundry and cleaning the carpets and trips to the doctor.  It has turned out to be quite a productive week.  

Because Some of You Want to Know ...

A couple of people have asked me how to clean your carpets after an "incident."  Well, ask and you shall receive.

First, here are some general rules about spot cleaning carpets:

• Most modern carpets have been treated to render them "stain resistant."  While this does not make them stain proof, most spills can be removed if you act quickly.  Especially with things like children's juices and drinks, you may only have minutes.
• Do not scrub the stained area - that can cause "pile distortion" (which in normal words, means that your carpet will start to come unraveled and fray).  
• If you use wet cleaners make sure you blot it until dry so that the foam beneath the carpet doesn't get ruined. 
• If the spill is something that creates a dry mass, scrap off as much as possible using the side of a spoon or a blunt spatula.  For waxes, gums and things like that, use an ice cube to freeze it (thus hardening it) before you scrap it.  

And now on to the fun stuff:

1. Remove as much vomit as possible from the floor with a wet cloth.
2. First method of attack: Vinegar.  Sprinkle it on the carpet and blot it up.  You can repeat this process until clean, or if you feel like it's not working, move onto the second method.
3. Ammonia.  Again, sprinkle and blot
4. Third product:  a mild detergent.  
5. Fourth:  an enzyme-containing detergent.  

Presto - clean carpet!  If you get through all these steps and you feel that the carpet is clean, but still "smelly" you can sprinkle baking powder on it, let it sit for a few hours or overnight and then vacuum it up.  

Enjoy clean carpets!

Tuesday Tip - Resource Books

I was going to blog about a totally different subject, in fact I was sitting down and writing it yesterday morning when Charissa comes out of her bedroom covered in vomit.  Yup - a Treece girl is sick again.  But that's a different story.  So, there's vomit on her bed, on the carpet, on all her bedding ... her room reeks.  And I have a very sensitive nose, so even the slightest of ill smelling things drive me nuts (just ask my husband).  I had a very big problem on my hands.  

I washed everything immediately.  Charissa, the bedding, the floors.  But the room still stunk.  Before I could spiral into complete despair I remembered that I have the book How to Clean Practically Anything.  A few quick flips through the book and I find the specific ways to clean vomit out of your carpet - in four easy steps no less!  And now I am glad to report that my carpet is once again stinky-free.  

It just reminded me of how thankful I was to have that book on hand.  I'm sure I could have looked it up on the internet, but it was nice to have a book from a credible source that I could grab quickly off the shelf and find what I needed.  And the best part - I bought that book at a thrift store for a dollar.  

Have a few reference books in your library.  I have a couple on household tricks, one of children's illnesses, and one on household repairs.  I'm sure they can be expensive, but if you go to your local used bookstore or thrift store, I'm sure you'll be able to find a few pretty cheaply.  

The next book I want to read is How to Keep Your Kids from Ever Getting Sick Again.  Although I'm not sure the research is done for it ...

A Wonderful Weekend

We had such a wonderful weekend.  We were finally healthy enough to be with other people so we went to our church's "Family Room" which is dinner and then a short talk on something related to marriage and family.  It was so nice to see people again!  

Then Saturday my parents came up to see the girls.  Since Charissa tends to stick closely to Britt and I when we are around, we decided to go out so my parents could get some undivided attention.  We went to the Scrap Exchange (which I plan to blog about tomorrow) in downtown Durham having so much fun shopping for unique craft supplies, fabrics, and books.  Then we went to a little Mexican restaurant for lunch and it was surprisingly delicious.  They even served their rice and beans in tiny taco salad shells.  Such attention to detail!  We had a great time together and I literally laughed so hard I cried at one point.  It was one of the best dates we've had in a long time.  And to reveal our true nerdiness, on the way to and from downtown Durham we read a vocabulary building book and laughed about the words we did and didn't know and how I kept mispronouncing everything in my attempt to pronounce them correctly.  

When we got home we just hung out with my parents.  My dad helped Britt cut some wood for our attic floor and my mom gave me some advice on a few sewing projects I'm working on.  It's so nice that my parents are able to help us on such a wide variety of subjects.  

Sunday we spent at home resting and playing with the girls.  Verity has started smiling in response to things we do and has even started cooing.  She's so fun!  If possible Charissa is even more interested in her and always wants to hold Baby V and burp her (she must think Verity is terribly gassy).  

It was a truly a great weekend.

Dummy Moment

Today while the girls and I were out a woman walked up to us to comment about how pretty they were. She asked me how big Verity was and I casually said, "About 10 pounds." She got this incredulous look on her face and said, "And I thought my baby was big at 8 pounds." She walked away as I realized she meant "how big was Verity when she was born."  Whoops!

Drawing With Charissa

Today when I sat down to nurse Verity, Charissa sat next to me and said she wanted to color. Well, what she really wanted was for me to color. I asked her what she wanted to draw and she said "Uncle Russy." So I drew Uncle Russy in business attire because I'm sure he was at work while we were drawing. All those dots on his face is my left-handed attempt at a beard.

After we finished one drawing she wanted to do another one. Another Uncle Russy, but this time as a cowboy. Very nicely drawn. Note the boots. She made sure that he had boots.

Then we drew Uncle Russy with a swimming suit ... and boots ... and a cowboy hat. Just like he is so prone to wearing ...

And our last Russy is in normal clothes, but he is holding two bowls of soup. I'm not sure why. Her little mind is very creative ... and random.

So after all of our Uncle Russy pictures, we had to do one of Aunt Kitty Kat. She's wearing normal clothes (if I could draw normal clothes), but Charissa wanted to make sure she had a belt. Very nice.

So drawing might not be one of my fortes while nursing, but I can play a mean game of Wii tennis while nursing.

Tuesday Tip - Food Tidings

So I had something else scheduled for today's Tuesday Tip, but after I read about this website from Carolyn McCulley, I just had to tell everyone about it.  It's called Food Tidings and it's a website to help you organize taking meals to people. So instead of staying on your computer all day to make sure everyone hits "reply all" when they sign up for dates or assuring that everyone has all the information they need (contact info, food allergies, food preferences, etc.), here is one website that does it all!  All you have to do is put in the dates meals are needed, their preferences, a few contact details and presto! - you have an online sign-up sheet that updates itself so you have no double bookings.  Food Tidings even has a prompt to ask what meal you're planning on bringing which is then posted for everyone to see, assuring that the receipients don't get 17 casseroles.  

So this website makes me really happy because our church has a rather large pregnant population that we bring meals to after their babies are born.  This could make all the arranging so much easier for everyone.  No more running around after service trying to make sure that all the slots are taken or that everyone gets the handout with all the info on it.  

So enjoy Food Tidings!  Use it anytime you need to arrange meals for family, friends, or coworkers!  

Fun Fabric Barrettes

This afternoon I didn't have much to do, so I decided to make some fabric barrettes that I found on Belle and Burger.  She said they were easy, but I was surprised that start to finish it only took me 30 minutes to make these four barrettes (and that's including getting everything out, picking my fabrics and buttons, and cleaning up).  The hardest part for me was decided which fabrics went with which buttons.  Here's what I came up with:

Verity was a good sport and let me try one on her after I finished.  I think I get bonus points because that clip exactly matches the flower on her sleeper.  

I think I might get some more "subdued" fabric and make myself some.  

My Girls

About two weeks after Verity was born our friend Casey came over and took pictures of our family.  I already knew Casey was a brilliant photographer, but the pictures were even better than I imagined.  I only have time to share a few right now - maybe if I figure out that bubbleshare thing I can post some more.  

Don't we look like a happy family?  I love that in CJ's picture you can see Verity crying in the background and Charissa is completely unfazed about it.  

If you ever need a photographer, I know someone you should use!  (Actually I know a two people you could use because my friend Kristin is also amazing.)  

Tuesday Tip - 8 Ways to Reuse a Dryer Sheet

Does anyone else find dozens of dryer sheets in their laundry room and all throughout your house as you fold and put away your clothes?  Charissa seems to think they are tissues and continually tries to blow her nose with them.  I applaud her ingenuity and her willingness to repurpose items to get more use out of them, but I think there are better uses for used dryer sheets.  Here's my top 8 list:

1.  Scented dryer sheets can be used in drawers, closets, at the bottom of a trash can and in shoes to help eliminate odors.  You can also get rid of that old musty smell books get by putting a dryer sheet in a Ziploc bag with the book for a few days.  And if your car stinks, put a few sheets under the seats and in a few days your car will be mountain fresh.

2.  Scented dryer sheets can also be used as a repellent for mice and insects.  If you know of a place they come in, put a few dryer sheets there and your problem will scurry away.  You can also put a dryer sheet in your pocket or belt loop (or anywhere else you want) to repel insects while you are outside.  I love this because I hate bug spray.

3.  Dryer sheets work great for dusting because they actually repel dust.  

4.  If you have any chrome in your house (or on your vehicle), use the dryer sheet to polish it up.

5.  When potting a plant, line the bottom of your pot with a dryer sheet to prevent the soil from falling out.

6.  Similar to a sticky lint brush, an old dryer sheet will remove pet hair from clothing and furniture.  

7.  If you collect enough dryer sheets, you can stuff a pillow with them.  Your pillow will smell great and won't be lumpy like with traditional synthetic stuffing.  

8.  A wet dryer sheet can be used in the shower to get rid of soap scum.  

Even though I'm doing a post on how to use dryer sheets, I just found a way to not use dryer sheets that I thought I should share as well.  All you have to do is take a small washcloth (like a baby washcloth) or a rag and soak it in fabric softener, then you let it completely dry.  Throw it in with your laundry and it'll keep your cloths soft load after load after load (I've heard it can last for 40 loads!).  This won't help your static problem, but you can always throw a balled up wad of aluminum foil in the dryer for that.  

Happy drying!  

Quarantined

The Treece family has been struck by the dreaded RSV virus.  Charissa got sick last Sunday evening and we thought she just had a bad cold, but then Verity started getting sick on Thursday and her symptoms were more intense.  All day Friday I watched her respiratory rate climb, she started wheezing, and she became congested.  Very scary things for a 6 week old.  When I called the nurse that night she listened to Verity's breathing and said, "How quickly can you get to the hospital?"  When I told her we could be there in 15 - 20 minutes she said, "Make it 10."  Panic and chaos immediately ensued.  However, when Verity was checked out in triage it wasn't as dire as the nurse made out, so my heart started beating again.  Britt and I were at the hospital until 130 AM hanging out with Verity while the doctor's checked her out and confirmed that she had RSV (Charissa was at our neighbor's house spending the night - we are so thankful for the Sylvies!).  

So we are officially quarantined until Saturday (combine that with staying home all last week and you have some stir-crazy girls).  So far we've done a lot of baking, coloring, and movie watching.  If you have any fun activities that don't involve mingling with the outside world, we'd love to hear them!

Valentine's Day Preparations

I don't normally do a lot for Valentine's Day, but this year I decided to make a wreath.  I found the idea on another blog where she took 1.5" ribbon and tied bows around a wire hanger that she had turned into a loop.  Well, since I have two girls (and I love red) I had a lot of fabric scraps in the red/pink genre, so I used that in addition to ribbon.  I didn't realize how much it was going to take to make this wreath, but after bow tying for 2 hours here's what I had:

And the best thing about this wreath was that I didn't have to buy anything to make it.  Woo-hoo!

I found the idea to make Valentine's Day Fortune Cookies from felt from the blog Create Studio.  Mine aren't nearly as nice as her's, but she is a professional artist so I'm going to cut myself some slack.  

Instead of writing messages on the slips of paper, I wrote questions.  At dinner Britt and I pull out several fortune cookies and ask each other whatever is on them.  Some are silly questions, but a lot are about our marriage, so it's been a nice build up to V-day.  

Oh - and if you have children you should get the book "The True Story of St. Valentine: Beyond Cards and Candied Hearts."  It's a wonderful book that teaches children that Valentine's Day is really about a man who stood up for his beliefs.  

Enjoy your loved ones on Valentine's Day!

It's hard not to smile ...

... when I stay home with her all day.  

Tuesday Tip - Book Recommendation

It's a must read - God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life by Gene Edward Veith, Jr.  The first time I read it was for a class I audited with Britt at seminary.  I think I read it in a day.  It's 164 pages and not a difficult book to work through.  But every chapter is worth reading.  He discusses what the purpose of vocation is and how to find your vocation, but he also discusses different types of "work" - our roles in the family, our society, and the church.  

I would recommend this book to people of all ages, even those who have found what they love to do.  It just gives you a better perspective on what the goal is of working - glorifying God.  

Enjoy reading!

Happy Birthday Charissa!

Our sweet little girl turned 2 this weekend!  Can you believe it?  It's hard to imagine that 2 years have gone by already.  We decided to have a small party with a few family members since I still don't feel ready to host a large gathering.  But we had a great time!  Here are just a few pictures since both my camera died and my mother's camera died.  Great timing, huh?

This was my first time experimenting with fondant.  It was easier than I thought, but I definitely learned a few things that will help me the next time.

CJ loves purses, so it only seemed appropriate to have a purse cake for her.

I only got pictures of her opening one present - a xylophone that Britt and I bought her.  She played with it for a few minutes, and then her Uncle "Russy" played with it for a long time.  Actually, Uncle Russy played with most of her toys so I think next year we should all get him "toddler-appropriate" toys.  

I look at her little face and know it will only be a blink of an eye before I'm hosting her Sweet 16.  Just a reminder for me to treasure every moment with her.  

What a funny kid

One night shortly after Verity was born Charissa and Britt went out on a donut date.  While they were eating, Britt decided to take a few pictures.  Here's what he got:

I guess she thought he wanted to document everything.  She just makes me laugh.

5 - 5 - 5

Has anyone else seen all the 5 - 5 - 5 blogs?  You have to go to your 5th picture folder and post your 5th picture and then tag 5 of your friends.  Here's the 5th picture in my 5th folder:

This was taken when Charissa was only 4 months old.  We had just gotten this little pool for her and we were actually using it on our front porch.  I love this picture because she looks so small and for some reason I feel like the little duckies balance the picture our nicely.  

So now who should I tag?  Here's my line-up:

1. Julie S.

2. Nicole W.

3. Amy H.

4. Shannon N.

5. Monica R.

Lookalike

Is it just me, or does Verity have the same hair as our friend Gena?

Man, I miss Gena ...

The Best Date

Yesterday the girls and I went out shopping and ended up spending all morning and a good bit of the afternoon out.  Since we were gone so much longer than I thought, we stopped to eat lunch at Steak 'n' Shake.  We had so much fun!  I hadn't been to a Steak 'n' Shake in so long I forgot that it was a full-service restaurant.  Baby V slept through the entire event, but Charissa and I had a blast.  We colored and talked and laughed and someone ate all my french fries but didn't touch any of her own.  We stayed for a lot longer than was necessary, but we were having so much fun I didn't want to leave.  

I didn't take any pictures of us while we were at lunch but here are a few from the mall when I was shoe shopping and Charissa decided to try on a pair too.  

I have to say, Charissa is one of my most favorite people to spend the day with.  

CJ's New Desk

Last week Britt's mom gave Charissa a new desk.  Well, it's new to her, but it's actually the one that Britt and his brother used as children.  What a treasure!  Britt's step-dad sanded it down and re-stained it and it looks brand new.  And Charissa loves it!  She sits at it all the time and keeps herself occupied coloring and writing and playing on an old keyboard.  

I love these next few pictures because it looks like she's hard at work paying bills or working on homework or something.  She looks so grown up.  

It's been a pretty exciting season for CJ.  Christmas, a new sister, a new desk, and then her birthday is next week!  

Can anyone else believe my tiny baby girl is going to be two?

Snow Day!

Did anyone else feel like they woke up in Narnia this morning?  It was so beautiful!  And it was just snowing, snowing, snowing still.  We bundled ourselves up and headed out to enjoy the snow - you never know how many snow days you'll get in Raleigh.  

CJ actually had to borrow some pants from our neighbor Nathan because she didn't have any weather appropriate ones.  

Here Britt is making "Snow Art."  It was going to be a snow man (or a snow woman "because of the curves"), but it ended up just being "art."

Baby V thoroughly enjoyed being snuggled up in her Ergo and staying warm next to Mama.  Every once in a while a large snowflake would fall on her and she'd open her eyes a little, but other than that she slept through the entire outing.  

Things I'm Relearning About Babies

1. You change their diaper or clothes and they will immediately get them dirty.  Baby V seems to be able to time it to when I've just picked her up from the changing table.  Talented girl. 
2. Babies eat a lot.  Often and a lot.  Nursing is a full-time job.
3. Five hours of uninterrupted sleep is a miracle.  
4. Cuddling an infant can distract you for hours.  
5. Somedays it's enough just to make sure your children are fed, clothed, and safe.  Laundry and house-cleaning are bonuses at this point.

Enough Love For Two

I have been so surprised by the number of people who have reminded me to pay attention to Charissa and not forget about her.  Seriously?  How could I forget my first born?  I'm hoping that people mean "Don't get too busy with the new baby that you don't have time to play with Charissa" instead of "Don't forget that you have another child and forget to feed her or change her diaper or leave her at home."   

Charissa has done so well with the addition of a new baby in our home.  She loves Baby V and wants to make sure that she always has her paci and she becomes very concerned every time she cries.  And she's such a helper!  She loves to go get diapers or burp clothes and Baby V never has a lack of toys brought to her that she can't possibly play with.  Oh well - at least she's interested and happy.  

And yes - I am still spending time with Charissa.  In fact, since Baby V sleeps almost 20 hours a day, it's not hard to spend time with Charissa.  I've tried to make sure that CJ has had mama time every day.  One day we ran errands just the two of us, another day we read books, and we watched "The Little Mermaid" together.  Well, we watched about 20 minutes of it before she got antsy and wandered off.  

So please be assured that I haven't forgotten about my sweet CJ.  I still love her and love spending time with her.  She's still my little bundle and one of my most favorite people in the whole world.  There is more than enough love in my heart for both of my girls.  

Here's a picture of me and my girls and the way we spend most of our time - close together.

My Girls

The other day I did a little photo shoot of Verity in the same outfit that I had Charissa in when I did a photo shoot with her.  Here's the results:

Charissa - 1 Week Old

Verity - 1 Week Old

Charissa - 1 Week Old

Verity - 1 Week Old

So they aren't carbon copies of each other, but there are some serious similarities.  It'll be interesting to see how they change over time.  

For Unto Us a Child is Born

Verity decided that Christmas was a great time to be born. After four hours of steady contractions, we called the doctor and headed in to the hospital late last night. Seven hours later, Verity was born.


They even gave her a cute Christmas hat to commemorate her famous birthday. One friend of mine said, "She'll have to learn real soon that she'll be overshadowed by Jesus on her birthday."


Here is a photo with Cindy, our excellent nurse. She was very helpful and supportive. God always sends us extraordinarily kind nurses.


Praise the Lord Jesus for our precious daughter!

Some News

We went to the doctor today, and we had some encouraging news, but not enough to make me think Baby V is in any sort of hurry.  We couldn't get scheduled to be induced next Tuesday, so it's looking like Wednesday will be the last day.  Which, if you check your calendars, is New Year's Eve.  Looks like we could possibly have a 2009 baby.  I'm still praying she comes on her own before then, but we'll be patient with her if she doesn't.  

I'm past due and there's not a lot going on around here 2 days before Christmas, so this afternoon I made curtains and a throw pillow for the guest room.  Unfortunately, I don't have a curtain rod so I couldn't hang them after they were made.  I have to think that picking up a curtain rod from the store is easier than actually making the curtains, so I'm not too concerned about the next step.  I'll post pictures when they are actually on the wall.  

Tomorrow afternoon we're going to head to my brother's house in Durham to spend Christmas with my family - at least until Baby V shows up.  It's about equidistant from our house to the hospital as it is from their house to the hospital, so we're not any farther away in case we need to make a speedy return.  And Charissa will be staying with them while we're in the hospital so we might as well get her there and all set-up for when we're gone.  

You may not hear from us for the next few days if nothing happens.  But if there's any baby news, we'll be sure to let you know.  We hope everyone enjoys their Christmas!