We have a top!

I now have the bodice done along with the sash. I had started doing the embroidery last summer and just about had it done when Amelia arrived.

I am down to just 11 days before we leave and still have my Anne Bradstreet essay to write and a mid term to take. I will start on the skirt tonight I hope. Got to keep those priorities in order!

We have a cap!

After debating whether I should work on my essay about Anne Bradstreet's Puritan poetry or sew Amelia's blessing dress, I chose the dress (really not much of a choice). Well, actually I worked on the cap. I had started it in the summer but didn't get it finished. Yesterday I finished it up. Notice the cute little pink trim around the front - that was a last minute addition.
Can't you just picture the back of a cute baby's head wearing this cap?

I do have the sleeves done and about ready to attach to the bodice, but since I'm kind of making this up as I go, it seems like I put something together and then take it apart realizing I needed to do another step before the one I just did. But that is totally OK because I have plenty of time to redo steps.

My in-laws got here yesterday and will be here for the next week or so and they sat and watched me work. They assured me that I won't get it finished on time (17 days). My father-in-law says that if Amelia has a cap and a pair of booties (which her other grandma is crocheting) that she doesn't really need a dress. We can just wrap her up in a blanket. I guess there is that option.

Home Again

Well, I had to leave Ohio and that adorable little Amelia and come back to real life. I really hate every time I have to do that; I wish life could be one very long vacation. But I had to come back to cleaning my own bathrooms, back washing the same clothes and back vacuuming the same carpets. It is amazing that housework isn't so bad when you are doing it for someone else. But I had to come back to taking care of the two helpless men left in my house, doing homework for the two classes I'm taking and making the blessing dress for Amelia. And worst of all I had to come back to the heat. When will it ever end?

I have just three weeks to get the dress done in (I do have the bodice embroidered and it cut out) before we fly back to Ohio for her blessing. But I have to do homework for my American Lit class I'm taking that is do tomorrow. The question of the day is do I write up my homework (What is the theme of Rip Van Winkle) or do I work on the blessing dress or do I write up a new blog? As you can see I'm not doing the first two but I do have good intentions of doing both.
I like to try and fill my life just about as full as possible, as I'm sure most of you do too.

When I actually get started putting the dress together I will put some pictures of it on my blog. My idea is to have a beautiful dress that Amelia can save and possibly bless her children in some day. We are looking for an heirloom here. Hopefully, it will turn out well enough that we will even want to bless Amelia in it.

I grew up in a family where my parents owned clothing stores and we had absolutely no need to make our own clothes. After all there were two stores we could walk into and take anything off the rack we wanted. But for some reason I really wanted to learn how to sew and I took multiple sewing classes at the Montgomery Wards store that was in the same mall as one of my parent's stores. Since then I have made lots of Halloween costumes and some maternity clothes, some choir dresses and mended and hemmed countless pairs of pants, made some quilts and drapes but it has been years and I mean years since I've made anything for someone to wear. Let alone something that I want to be an heirloom.

Wish me luck!

More pictures of cute little Amelia

Here are a few more pictures of the adorable baby. She has been so good - just eats, sleeps, burbs and poops - everything she is supposed to do. Lonica has had a few problems nursing and so we have been feeding Amelia bottles of breast milk that Lonica has been pumping. It has been quite the process but it has been such a treat for me to be able to feed Amelia bottles all the time. Things are beginning to work out and Lonica should be back to nursing full time in the next couple of days. Scott has had fun feeding her too. Look at our little Buda baby.

This one is upside down but it doesn't matter because she is cute no matter how you look at her.

Here she is getting her hair washed today. She does like that. In just the few days I've been here it is amazing how much better she can hold up her head and how awake she has become. I got her some toys to look at and she loves it. She doesn't look like she is missing any meals, does she?

Here are our birthday girls - Amelia 1 week old and Lonica 26 years old. They are looking pretty good don't you think? We are going to try to all go out to dinner tonight to celebrate, the timing has to be just right. Wish us luck.

Our New Little Angel

I made it to Ohio on Monday afternoon. When Scott and I got to their house, Lonica and Amelia were trying to take a nap but once we arrived that was all over. Here I am with the cutest little baby I have seen since I had my own babies.
Amelia slept really well through the first night home, only waking up once. The next morning she ate and then promptly went back to sleep and we all thought we needed to have a photo shoot because she was just too adorable!! Here is one of the darling poses Scott got.

Here is the shot I got of the the proud parents trying to get the perfect shot.

Later in the morning Lonica and I gave Amelia her first bath. We started out using this bath thing Lonica had been given but it didn't last too long. We ended up just using some towels on the table and they worked much better until someone decided to pee.

While she didn't like the bath, she loved getting her hair washed and having warm water run over her head - a true sign of a girl. She definitely wasn't happy when we finished even if there was crown on her towel for her to pretend to be a princess. I guess that will come later.Right now it is hard being 3 days old!!

She was great all day long and really takes after her mom in the sleeping department. You can't wish for more than that from a newborn. We just hope it keeps up.

Lonica felt great all day and at times I wondered if she even needed me here. The nursing has been a bit challenging but hopefully that will all work itself out.

Amelia Marie Rowley

Yesterday Lonica and Scott changed our lives. Garth and I entered a new phase in life - grandparenthood. Amelia Marie was born and surprised us all at the size of her appearance 8lbs 15oz. Her mom was only 6lbs. 13oz. and their birthdays are only a week apart.
I leave in the morning for Ohio and I can't wait to see that darling baby in person.

Looks like she is already taking after her mom - she was a good thumb sucker too.

I'm not sure what this new phase of life will be like. Everyone says it is the very best. I sure hope so. It is a great way to end the summer. Columbus here I come.

We're Back in the Saddle Again

Well, August has come and is almost gone now and life is returning to normal. Preston is back in school - his senior year now. I think he tried to take the very hardest classes he could find, AP Physics (his favorite), AB Calculus, AP Government, and British Literature. Naturally with classes like, he had homework from day one and I worry that he won't have anytime for fun.

Jason has left our home once again last Saturday, this time to attend BYU. Prior to leaving he spent three weeks installing solar electrical systems on roofs and made some good money before leaving the nest. Anyone that can work on a roof 10 hours a day in the middle of August in Phoenix ought to be able to handle Utah winters, right? Garth drove up to Utah with him and helped get Jason all settled into his little apartment that he is sharing with his cousin, Adam. Garth got back last night and so today was Jason' s first day by himself. I think I had roughly 10 phone calls from him and one email. I wonder how this is going to work out.

I finished one summer class I was taking and started three others (well one doesn't start until tomorrow night). As I started one of the classes on Monday, my anxiety began to rise. I read through the first lesson and realized I had about 70 pages to read in the textbook (that cost me over $100) three journal entries to write, and had to make up questions to interview two parents and their teenage children and then write the interviews up and all for 5 points! Sure makes you wonder if it is worth it. Then once I get to lesson 3, I get to start my practicum in a junior high classroom which will be 20 hours and then I just have 7 more lesson, a midterm and a final. And I haven't even gone to my Thursday night class and who knows what that will entail! If I tell you I'm a bit stressed can you understand why. Don't get me wrong I love to learn and to go to school but online classes just stink - too much busy work and no interaction with teachers or peers.

It would seem as though things are back to usual but we have this big event hanging over our heads and don't have a clue when it will happen. Lonica's baby is due in just four days. She has already been to the hospital and come home empty handed once (the contractions stopped when she got there). I scheduled a flight for Ohio for last Monday but the baby didn't come, so I moved it to today, but the baby didn't come. I have now moved it to Sunday and I'm hoping I don't have to move it again. Come on little baby Rowley, we are anxious to see you! With all the things I have going on to worry about, Lonica's baby is the one exciting and fun thing to worry about. But in between my classes and subbing, I'm making a blessing dress for her and I'm not too sure when that will get done (I can't really start it until I find out how big she is). Add that to my things to worry about.