One Month Old!

I can't believe over one month has passed since Trysten was born. He went in on Friday for his checkup and he is now 9 pounds, 10 ounces. He is still such a good baby and I hope it lasts - he is so patient and just an overall happy, content little one. His long skinny legs are finally starting to fill out just a little, but his arms and fingers are still so long and skinny.

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I am proud to say that I got his Birth Day pictures scrapped. These pages are using this month's Cherish Challenge layout. It's dark outside so I couldn't get a decent pic tonight, but I wanted to squeeze these in before the end of the month for the Cherish Challenge ;-P I will get better pictures of this layout tomorrow since I did a couple of fun things with extra pictures and hidden journaling.

First Signs of Spring...

It has been SO warm and nice here the last couple of days, so we've spent lots of time outside. On Wednesday there weren't any activities after school, so I loaded Brailee and T up in the wagon and put Trysten in my Moby Wrap and we walked to pick up the girls from school. When we got home, I sat down to feed Trysten and found this ladybug crawling on my foot! The girls were so excited to see their first ladybug of the year, even though Brianna is the only one who actually likes to hold them - she absolutely loves ladybugs! I guess we got the girl's nicknames mixed up, because Kaylee has always been our little ladybug ;-) This was also the first time Brailee has held a ladybug - she liked it until it started crawling up her arm, that made her a little nervous. Here is Brianna with her first buggy friend of the year...

More pictures!

Since I take a couple thousand pics a year ;-P be prepared to see a lot more here on my blog, especially with a new baby to take tons of pictures of! Here are some pictures from last week...

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First, here is a picture of Trysten getting ready for church yesterday - can you tell how I made his shirt? It's a different kind of 'altered project' - scroll down for details.

I made a bunch of these 'Tie' shirts about 5 or 6 years ago and gave some to my SIL when she had a little boy. Then when she gave me a couple tubs of boy clothes when Trysten came along, there they were again - so I couldn't wait to make more using some of the great CTMH papers.

I decided to try something different for the first one I made for Trysten and create a vest and tie look. I used some paper and Stickease buttons from the Stardust kit - unfortunately, my scanner was acting up and I could only get it to copy the image instead of scanning it, so the color and pattern is off but I still think it turned out cute and he looks handsome! I have one more plain white onesie, I will be making another one but this time I want to get a decent scan first, plus I have to decide which paper I want to use this time!

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First create the image out of paper...

Then scan/copy it onto Iron-On Transfer paper - I wasn't sure how the layers would iron on, so I decided to do it all in one piece instead of each piece seperately...

Then cut out the image and iron it onto the plain white onesie! With this picture, you can see the difference in the color from the original to the ironed on piece...

Here is Kaylee giving Trysten sweet kisses...

Check out Trysten's 'scowl' - he pulls this face quite often, ever since the day he was born. You'd never know he's such a good, happy baby by this look on his face ;-)

This is one of my current favorite pictures, even though the coloring is way off and it's out of focus, I just love the look on each of their faces!

Here is Brailee helping with Trysten's bath one morning - she sometimes ends up quite wet! She is such a big helper, she wants to help me do everything, even change the stinky diapers ;-P

Good Times

Here is a fun flap card that I created for a club gathering yesterday. I really like how it turned out, especially since I've been the worst procrastinator this month and didn't even know what I was going to do until less than 4 hours before the party ;-P Once I got Brailee down for her nap after lunch, I was able to get started. I used this month's Anniversary stamp set from CTMH, Good Times - if you buy $25 in My Acrylix stamp sets, you get this one for free! I also used paper from the Daydream paper pack, with a touch of black. For the cupcake I used Liquid Glass and Prisma Glitter.

Thanks for looking!

As requested by my mom...

...here are some recent pics of the kids. These were taken on Sunday before church - it was Trysten's first time going to church since I've stayed home with sick kids the last two weeks. I'm proud to say we even made it to church on time - it starts at 9:30 and David had a ward conference to go to, so I had to get everyone ready on my own, so I think that's pretty good, even if their hair is not perfect!

On a side note, I'm looking for coordinating Easter clothes for all of them, so if anyone finds anything cute and affordable from newborn to size 8, let me know! It was hard last year to get matching dresses for the girls (Kaylee and Brianna are wearing last year's Easter dresses), so I'm thinking it will be even harder adding a boy to the mix. I don't sew as much as I should, otherwise I'd go that route ;-P

April Word Puzzle Workshop

I know I'm a little slow this month, I really took my time with this one, but here are the creations for this month's Word Puzzle Workshop. Click here for workshop details. We are using the Unforgettable paper pack, floss, April Word Puzzle, February Stamp of the Month (Easter Eggs), and on one of the cards, we are using the February special stamp set, Good Times.

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12x12 option

(this page uses the left side of this month's Imagine Challenge)

6x6 option

card option

(the HipHip Hooray card uses this month's Originals Challenge)

A little late, but...

... I hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day! Since I was such a procrastinator this year - big surprise ;-P - we didn't get these Valentine's done until the last minute, and then I forgot to take pictures of the ones the girls made for their classmates! But here are the ones I made for their teachers at school.

First Haircut!

Brailee has had her bangs cut a few times before - I always say I'm going to let them grow out, but once they start hanging in her eyes, I just can't take them anymore! But, yesterday, she actually went in for a full haircut - she got the cutest little bob, and it just totally fits her fun personality! I saved hair from Kaylee and Brianna's first haircuts, but I never took pictures - this time I did both! Here are some of the before, during, and after pics...

Doesn't she look cute!

Uncle Spudd & Aunt Hannah

My brother and his wife came to visit last weekend, so here they are with their newest nephew!

And just some more picures of Trysten - we think he's just adorable and I can't stop taking pictures ;-P My dad was teasing me that I've taken more pictures of Trysten in his first two weeks than my dad has of his entire life. Oh, and at Trysten's weight check last week he wasn't quite back up to his birth weight yet, he was 7 pounds 13.4 ounces, but the dr. isn't concerned because he has gained about an ounce a day since his last appointment. He still has the scrawniest little legs, though ;-) I take him back in two weeks, so we'll see how he's grown then! He is still such a good, content, happy baby and he's even slept through the night a couple times - I'm the luckiest new mommy ever!

Thanks for letting me share!

Oops, I forgot I got tagged!

So I'm really good at forgetting when I get tagged ;-P Becky over at PageMaps tagged me and I'm finally getting around to playing! Here are the rules to play...

It's super easy and a really fun way to share a random photo and the story that goes with it. Just go to the place on your computer where you store your photos, then to the sixth folder, then to the sixth photo. Select that photo, pop it onto your blog and tell the story.

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Since I have so many folders within folders where I store my pictures, I had to change the way I selected a picture. So this is about as random as I get right now ;-P

This picture was taken in July of 2007 - we made a trip to Thermopolis that day and this picture was taken at lunchtime - Brianna got caught on film trying to drink directly out of the water cooler - could she look more guilty ;-) Busted!

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Since I'm not very good about passing along tags, everyone is welcome to play along! Just post a link back to your blog so we can check out YOUR 6th photo in your 6th folder. :)

My Buddy - Free-for-All Contest

My dear SIL, Sandy, came over yesterday to 'play' and she brought her new 'toy' - the Slice - to share with me. It was fun to use on the following layout - I used her fun toy for the word 'Buddy' and for the scalloped circle.

These are just a couple of my favorite pictures of Brailee holding Trysten - she is always asking to hold him and always telling me to take a picture! This page is about how she calls him 'Buddy' - it's just too cute! I used the retired Sonata paper and new Noteworthy stamp set - I used the largest bracket from that stamp set on the back of the floral paper to create the shape used in the sketch - anyone know what that particular shape is called? It's so popular but I have no idea what it's called ;-P Anyway, a quick but fun layout - it feels good to be scrapping!

This was my entry in the latest PageMaps Blog Contest - using the following sketch...the contest runs until the 16th, so give it a try!

Thanks for stopping by!

Share the Love!

I just saw this on my friend, Nicole's blog - I thought it sounded like fun so I decided to play along! To show the love this week and celebrate Valentine's Day, here is what you do...

The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going. Then come back, let me know you're going to play and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! If I don't have your e-mail address already, please include it in your post, or e-mail it to me at jvdevries22@hotmail.com. Remember, only the first 3 comments will receive a gift from me, so be quick!

Isn't he the cutest!

I still can't believe that he's here already, but we're sure enjoying him! Trysten is such a good baby, the only time he cries is when I change his diaper - he just hates that for some reason. Most nights he only wakes up to eat once, usually around 4:00 - and last night was even better, he slept until after 5:00 which is when I usually wake up with David anyway - isn't that great! But I'm afraid he's going to be a thumb sucker like his sister, Brailee - he already likes to try to suck on his hands, so we're trying to steer away from that and so far he likes the binkie. Here are some new pictures of our beautiful baby boy...he has such long skinny fingers and scrawny little legs ;-P At his appointment last week he had lost almost a pound since he was born, so he goes in again on Friday for a weight check - hopefully he's put some ounces back on! Thanks for letting me share our new bundle of joy!

Fun with Floss!

Here are a couple of pages that I have done this week - both using embroidery floss.

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For this first one, I used the Playful Flourishes stamp set to stamp the flourishes, then I used the piercing tool and then needle and Chocolate floss to make them pop.

For this second one, I just free-handed the dashes with my piercing tool and then stitched with Black floss. This is also this month's Reflection's Challenge - I just flipped the layout once, so it's not really a Sidebar, but that's where I got my original inspiration!

February Challenges & January Challenge Update

Sorry I'm a couple days late getting this posted, but I have a good excuse ;-P Here are the new Challenges for February! Scroll down to view the January Challenge Update...

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Cherish Challenge - Abstract pg. 66-67

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Imagine Challenge - Personalty Presence pg. 90-91

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Reflections Challenge - Sidebar Photo Accent pg. 46

My page using this layout is scheduled to post tomorrow so stay tuned!

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Originals Challenge - Peek-A-Boo pg. 70

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Here is the January Challenge Update - thanks to everyone who participated and congrats to our winner Alanna! Send me your snail mail address to jvdevries22@hotmail.com and I will send your goodies!

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Cherish Challenge - Creative Rhythm pg. 36-37
View my Challenge Pages here
View Alanna's Challenge Pages here

Shirene's Challenge Pages:

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Imagine Challenge - Perfect Prelude pg. 26-27
View my Challenge Pages here
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Reflections Challenge - Bottom Border - Portrait pg. 28
View my Challenge Page here

Shirene's Challenge Page:

Cynthia's Challenge Page:

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Originals Challenge - Center View pg. 16
View Alanna's Challenge card here

View my Challenge card here

Shirene's Challenge Card: