One-Yard Wonders

One-Yard Wonders is my absolute favorite sewing book! I refer to the “Sewing Fundamentals” section all the time, and I made H’s pinafore for her first birthday and smock for her second from patterns in it. I’m also working on its fabric barn playhouse, and have more fabric from Kathleen I want to use for two of the toddler dresses. I’ve bookmarked the “Charging Station,” “Tabletop Ironing-board Cover” (since I burnt a hole in mine), “All-you-need Sewing Kit,” “Not-Ugly Car Trash Bag,” “Matt’s Map Bag,” “Convertible Craft Apron,” “Growth Chart,” and “Checkers to Go” to make over the next year or so. It’s rare I find a book with so many patterns I really like!

Birth Story

When H was less than 2 months old, I wrote out her birth story to share with my friend Kathleen. I’m really glad I did, because almost 2 years later the details are not as clear in my memory as they were then!

Since then, several people have asked for our daughter’s birth story and I’ve always meant to post it online to have a link to share. So, here it is!

6am

by Lori Ann

6am. The air seems crisper, the sky meditative. Something about the still quiet seems to enter my body with each breath, helping me think clearer. No distractions, nowhere to go. Just my daughter and I, enjoying a new day together. Tickling, giggling, playing peek-a-boo. Quietly, so as not to wake Baba. Which makes it all the more fun, like a secret between just the two of us.

Tigger’s bedtime has been 7pm since she was 5 days older. As a newborn, she slept (barely interrupted by nursings) until 9am. As she got older, morning wake-up backed up to 8am, 7am. Now 6am.

And I couldn’t be happier.

What’s your morning routine? Is it dreaded or enjoyed?

Needy

by Lori Ann

Sometimes, on the hard days, I think to myself, “Come on baby, Mama has needs too, and who’s meeting them?” Then Jesus answers my heart, in the most loving and tender way possible, “I am, and if you’re seeking for someone else to meet your needs, you’re the one in the wrong – not her.” And I look at my darling baby, and have compassion for her neediness, and know that He’s right.

How do you cope on the hard, everyone-needs-you, no-one-gives-Mama-a-break days?

Comfort

by Lori Ann

Ever wish you were a little kid again?

Last week, Tigger didn’t feel very good (diarrhea throughout the day and keeping us all up at night) and developed a cute after-nap habit to replace her usual one, which is standing up and walking over to her stuffed animals to play the moment she awakens. For three days while was sick though, she woke, called for me, pointed to her shelf of stuffed animals, and requested, “ng” (it means “want”). I handed her a stuffed animal.

She played with it for a few seconds, pointed back at the shelf, and another “ng”. Then repeated until she had all the stuffed animals. I thought it was so funny I had Baba take a picture the second day she did it (above). I even had a few meditations on the way she depended completely on me to provide for her that which she wanted, which helped me notice in my reading in John the next day that Jesus fed the five thousand “as much as they wanted” (not just “needed”; from chapter 6).

I often wish I were — or at least acted more like — a little kid again. With a child’s trust, problem solutions, and complete dependence on Mama and Baba to make everything better. And to bury all yucky feelings in a pile of soft cuddly animal friends!

Dirt

by Lori Ann

“God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt” — this playground chant was popular when we ate outside on nice spring days, especially if an especially tasty treat fell to the ground. 10+ years later and the chant comes back to mind frequently these days as I realize how futile (and scientifically speaking, harmful) it is to keep Tigger away from every bit of good-old-fashioned dirt.

Unfortunately, the local Grandmas don’t agree, and “dirty” will probably be Tigger’s first word in Chinese.

Village Family

by Lori Ann

In the local (Yi minority) culture where we live, a married couple who has grown attached to another family’s child can propose a “new name” for that child. If accepted, the married couple becomes the godparents for the child, and there is a special relationship between the birth parents and these godparents. If the child was formerly naughty, it is also hoped that this new name and these new parents will change that, too (our friends joked about this, but I don’t think they took that part seriously).

We were excited and blessed to enter this relationship with close friends of ours who named Tigger, “Snake-Flower Girl” in the minority language. I don’t have any photos of our family — villagers rarely sit still long enough for a photo, which I suppose is true of most traditional farmers! — but here we are enjoying the hospitality of their home. Ah, the simple life!

This one’s One!

by Lori Ann

Guess who’s one entire year old?

Excavation

by Lori Ann

No, we certainly did not find all of the above items under the couch at one time. No, Baba is not right 90% of the time when he answers “probably under the couch” to any “where is …?” question. No, Tigger does not hide plastic bottles like a puppy buries bones. No, there is not only one actual toy in the collection we found.

And, in case you weren’t sure: yes, this is a “Not-Me Monday*” post.

What did you absolutely NOT do today?

March Smiles

by Lori Ann

Tigger’s always been a very smiley girl (well, a very expressive girl… but her happy times definitely outweigh the emotional lows!), but it seems to just increase as she gets older. And with those teeth? All the more adorable. Here’s a look over March and a few of the smiles it brought!