DIY Christmas Stockings

I've been chugging right along with my current crafting/sewing projects I'd wanted to do! So much to do, so little time!

With the Christmas holiday around the corner, I wanted to make sure we had family stockings! While Sadie won't know/remember whether or not she had a stocking for her first Christmas, I would know. But I didn't really want to spend the money on stockings, especially since fabric is so much cheaper than buying pre-made stockings.

I found a super easy and free pattern on About.com. Their version made not be the prettiest and the instructions aren't the clearest, but free is always great!

I spent $7.50 on fabric (1/2 yard of green chevron and 1/2 yard of pink chevron) along with some solid colors I already had in my fabric stash and some felt I had on hand for the names. With these supplies I was able to make four stockings.

And...voila! (please excuse the poor quality iPhone picture!)

They aren't perfect but they were made with love! And they're bright, cheery, and fun. And, as I said, only cost me $7.50! I've seen similar stockings selling on Etsy for $25+ per stocking. I also have a fourth stocking for our pup Charlie, but with the longest name in the bunch I haven't been able to sew his name onto his stocking. That will probably be a project for January when I have more time on my hands.

So, one project done, a million to go over the next couple of weeks!

Fall and Christmas Craft Projects!

Toward the end of my pregnancy, I packed away my sewing machine and supplies. I made sure I wrapped up any projects a couple of weeks before Sadie was due, partly because I was getting too big and uncomfortable to sit and sew and partly because I didn't want to go into labor early and have sewing stuff and unfinished projects sitting around.

Now that I'm starting to feel more like my old self again (slightly more energy, fitting into old clothes, thinking of more things beyond laundry and breastfeeding), my mind has been going a mile a minute with projects I want to do! I thought I'd share a roundup of what I plan to work on over the coming weeks; here's hoping I actually get some of these projects done!

Waterproof Bibs
I have a lot of colorful, fun cotton fabric that I've been wanting a project for. I also have a baby drooling a lot while she eats solids and making a mess. The cloth bibs soak right through and the drool just runs off the wipeable bibs. So I love this waterproof bib tutorial from Our Little Beehive. I've bought everything else I need to make these (flannel and PUL fabric) and I'm so excited!

One of my favorite soon-to-be-a-bib fabric is Ann Kelle's "Argyle Bright."

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Christmas Stockings
Now that Sadie's first Christmas is coming up I'm excited for us all to have matching Christmas stockings to use each year. I found this simple pattern and tutorial from About.com and made my first stocking with some fabric I had on hand. It was super simple! This one isn't perfect (the first time I make something it rarely ever goes quite as planned), so this one will be for the dog and the other three will be for me, Sadie and Steve!

Top Secret Project!
I have a super special project in the works for Miss Sadie. If all goes as planned I will be trying to make similar ones for friends who've recently had little girls. Excited to share at a later date (you know, if I don't totally mess up the project!).

Ornament
I want Sadie to have a "first Christmas" ornament for the tree. I thought about buying something through Etsy that's personalized, but part of me doesn't want to spend the money and the other part of me thinks it would be so fun to make something. I found this tutorial through Homemade Grits and it's perfect. I've made a "salt dough" like this before and it's really easy. Plus I love the thought of preserving Sadie's itty bitty hand print (and maybe I'll make two - one hand print and one foot print!). It'll be something we're sort of doing together and could be an easy tradition to do a different ornament together each year.

Flannel Sheet
It's cold out! So, of course, Sadie needs a flannel sheet for her crib. Especially because her room is in the basement. I made all of the sheets we currently use through the Bundles of Love tutorial.So, I bought some flannel fabric (after looking at every single flannel I could find to find just the perfect fabric!) and I'm excited to make Sadie's crib a little cozier. It will soon be stylin' with big polka dots!

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I'm excited to get a lot of these projects underway, but it is terribly hard to find the energy at the end of the day. And, of course, Sadie tends to not nap well on the weekends when she's with me. Her short and sweet 30 minute naps don't give me a lot of time to work on project! 

What projects are you hoping to get done over the next couple of months? And, how do you find the time?!

Sadie at 6 Months

Ahh, I have a 6 month old! And she is silly, loves to “dance” in her high chair, giggle, and eat all kinds of food. We’ve been having so much fun in the Koo household lately! Sadie has definitely been making me feel loved lately: she gets so excited to see me and is just so sweet and fun to be around. She is getting bigger and bigger (90th percentile for height and 50th for weight!) and is obsessed with her feet – loves putting them in her mouth.

Nicknames: Sadie Baby, Bear, Sadie Bear, Stinker, Silly Sadie
Temperament: Happy, happy, happy! You regularly smile at people when we are out and people always comment on how happy you are.
Things I Could Do Without: The recent night wakings. Nights have been tough and I go to bed holding my breath, wondering how many times you will be up. You're finally just getting back to your regular sleep-through-the-night routine!
Item/Toy We Love The Most:  Your high chair. You love sitting in it and it's great to be able to put you in it while we do things in the kitchen!
Item/Toy You Love The Most: The swings at the park. We just started taking you and you can't get enough. You giggle and giggle and giggle as soon as we start pushing you.
Things I’m Loving Most Right Now: Interacting with you more. I feel like you pay more attention to me, look at me more closely, and really engage with me. It is the best!
Things You’re Loving Most Right Now: It's probably a tie between grabbing your feet and eating! You are such a good eater!
Sounds/Words: You having been saying "mama"! It's so fun to hear you say it even though you don't really know what you're saying yet. The downside is that you often say "mama" when you are upset...over and over again it's "mama...mama...mammmmaaaa." So sweet but breaks my heart!
Foods You Like: So far you've had banana, avocado, sweet potato, butternut squash, prunes, peas, carrots and applesauce.Prunes and banana are probably your favorite!

Sadie has lots of adorable dresses courtesy of my sister. She’s still growing into them!



I was so sad when her size 6 month jeggings became capris! We finally had to upgrade to the 12 month size. I have one long baby!




Comfy outfit!



This shirt (dress??) was from one of our Wittlebee boxes. We’re not regular subscribers – I just don’t think I’ve gotten the combinations right to get things I really love. This piece, however, is one of my favorites I’ve gotten!



Casual pants! We love super casual, relaxed Sundays.

Easy Pumpkin Dinner & Dessert!

It’s finally FALL! I absolutely love the chill in the air, the rustle of leaves, tall boots and warm sweaters. It’s also great to get to snuggle up at home and enjoy some fantastic fall flavors. Although, in the spirit of things I do have a secret to share.

I’ve never been a fan of pumpkin. Gasp! Pumpkin pie? Nope. A certain pumpkin spice latte from a very popular coffee shop? Not for me. I even grew up near the town where 85% of the world’s canned pumpkin is produced. They have a pumpkin festival complete with many of your pumpkin favorites, like pumpkin pancakes. Yep, you guessed it – I always hated it.

So when Steve and I came across a recipe for pumpkin macaroni and cheese, I agreed to give it a try because I knew how much Steve would love it. And… it’s amazing! Sweet and savory. Warm and comforting. This is the perfect fall comfort food. And to top it off, it’s super simple to make and tastes just as good as leftover as it does fresh out of the oven. Great for busy parents who, like us, cook on Sunday so that we’ll have easy dinners for the week.



Baked Pumpkin Mac and Cheese 
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(Note: my adjustments are in bold)

Ingredients:
8 ounces of uncooked noodles (I used whole wheat rotini)
1 cup of canned pumpkin
1 cup of light cream (I mixed heavy cream and skim milk)
4 tablespoons of Neufchatel cream cheese
1 cup shredded part-skim sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Gruyere cheese
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (divided) (I used cinnamon and nutmeg)
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (I didn’t have any handy so I omitted)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup of panko (Japanese bread crumbs) (I used whole wheat bread crumbs)
1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
Cooking spray

Instructions:
Cook pasta until al dente, about eight minutes in boiling water. Rinse and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Meanwhile, heat cream and pumpkin in a sauce pan on medium heat, until thickened. Reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in cheese until completely melted. The sauce will be quite thick.

Add in 1/2 pumpkin pie spice, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper. Add pasta and stir it into the pumpkin-cheese sauce and mix until thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into the greased dish. Sprinkle panko, parmesan cheese and rest of the pumpkin pie spice to completely cover the top of the macaroni. Add in more cayenne if you want a spicy crust.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until bread crumbs have browned.

Now, because pasta typically comes in 13 ounce boxes and you will have leftover pumpkin and cream cheese,  you can modify the recipe to make a larger quantity of mac and cheese. Or you can take the extra pumpkin and cream cheese and make pumpkin bars! Are you with me?



Swirled Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bars 
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Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature (if you made the mac and cheese, you’ll have a little less than 8 oz which is fine)

Instructions:
In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs, pumpkin, and 1/3 cup water until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. In another bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg; stir or beat into butter mixture until well blended. Spread batter evenly in a buttered and floured 10- by 15-inch baking pan.

In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, remaining egg, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Drop cream cheese mixture in 24 evenly spaced 1-tablespoon portions over batter. Pull a knife tip through filling to swirl slightly into batter.

Bake in a 350° oven until center of pumpkin batter (not cream cheese mixture) springs back when touched, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, then cut into 24 bars.

Note: You can chill them airtight for up to 3 days.

Both of these recipes have made a pumpkin believer out of me! Enjoy!

Sadie at 5 Months

Oh the exciting things that 5 months brings! This huge milestone is marked with two new teeth, a little girl who can sit up on her own (when feet and hands are perfectly propped), smiles at everyone and tries to bite her mommy’s nose! And, most importantly, 5 months has brought us a little girl who gets harder and harder to leave each day because of her silly and sweet personality.

It’s so fun to watch Sadie's personality change with each of these week-by-week photos as well as the change in the season here in Chicago! I still can't believe how quickly she is growing! 

Nicknames: Button, Sadie Boo, Baby Girl, Boo Boo Girl, Stinky, Stinker
Temperament: Happy as ever! You're such a smiley girl and everyone comments on it when we're out and about. But, at the same time if we're out and you're not happy about it, you let us know. Very, very loudly!
Things I Could Do Without: Those pesky teeth you're getting! You're still a pretty good night sleeper but those teeth tend to wake you up from time to time and it's not fun for any of us.
Item/Toy We Love The Most:  Chew beads. I love being able to throw this necklace around my neck when we're out. You can chomp on it when I'm holding you but it still looks like I'm wearing a fun necklace.
Item/Toy You Love The Most: Your play mat. It's been a favorite in the past and has become even more fun for you as you pull on all of the toys.
Things I’m Loving Most Right Now: All of your giggles and the way you study my face so closely, especially if you haven't seen me for awhile. I also love how in the mornings instead of nursing you smile at everything in your room (your dresser, the tree decal on the wall, your crib, etc). You are so happy it's a brand new day! You also have been enjoying "biting" my nose!
Things You’re Loving Most Right Now: Riding in your stroller. We transitioned you out of your car seat and into the main part of your stroller. You love sitting like a big girl and watching the world around you.
Sounds/Words: The race is on - will you say "mama" or "dada" first? I think you've been starting to babble "mama" but someone else in our house disagrees. We shall see!
Foods You Like: Breast milk but we're excited to give you your first "real" food soon!

I actually made this little peasant top for Sadie! I promise she liked it.



One of the last warm days of summer!



It’s fall and time for snuggly sweatshirts!



We got a little “fancy” this day. A lady must always have her purse.

Charlie's Scary Escape

This morning we had a terrifying few minutes where we almost lost our sweet Charlie forever. He slipped out the front door while we were doing an early morning weather check (note to all: it's chilly here in Chicago!), and raced across the street chasing a cat.

As Steve ran after him (and I yelled "Charlie" like a maniac from the front porch while holding the baby), Charlie abandoned the cat and started running north toward a busy intersection. Fortunately for us, Charlie's nose got the better of him and he stopped to smell something and Steve was able to corner him. Steve carried home a very wiggly Charlie who was obviously proud of his little adventure. I was still shaking at the thought of losing our most loyal companion.

I've seen so many people give up their animals after they have children due to lack of time and inability to give their pet the attention they need. I now understand how this happens, as we definitely have been guilty of neglecting Charlie lately. We pour so much love and attention into Sadie that at the end of the day there doesn't seem to be any left for our first baby. I know that I need to get better at cuddling with Charlie the way I did pre-baby and giving him a lot more of my time.

But I do know that Charlie will be a part of our family for a very long time (assuming there are no more escapades around the neighborhood). We're definitely not letting him go anywhere! I'm excited that a big part of Sadie's early childhood will be shaped by having her four-legged friend at her side...she already stares at his big nose and wagging tail with such delight! And from the very beginning Charlie has shown his love for Sadie, bringing his prized possessions to her when she cries and giving her an endless amount of kisses.

So this post is dedicated to our favorite buddy Charlie - we love you!

Comparing Milestones

My parents recently found my baby book – it had disappeared for quite a few years, but as it turns out was conveniently located in a hutch in their dining room! I always had “second child syndrome” and felt like my baby book recorded next to nothing compared to that of my older sister’s. But in looking at it, my mom did a pretty good job of tracking the important milestones in my first year of life. Which makes me realize I need to get it together and start filling out Sadie's baby book!

It’s been fun looking through things and really noticing how young I was when I hit certain milestones. I was a very, very active baby! And while I think that Sadie more closely resembles Steve, I have a sneaking suspicion that she may take after me in the “overly active baby” department and in the “long and lean” body type (although those days have passed…I’m far from long and lean as an adult!).

I thought it would be fun to do a side by side comparison between some of my baby stats and Sadie's stats!

Birth Stats
Me: 8 pounds, 4 ounces, 19.5 inches long
Sadie: 8 pounds, 9 ounces, 21 inches long

2 Month Stats
Me: 10 pounds, 1 ounce, 22 inches long
Sadie: 11 pounds, 11 ounces, 24.25 inches long 

4 Month Stats
Me: 12 pounds, 13 ounces, 24.75 inches long
Sadie: 14 pounds, 3 ounces, 25.4 inches long

First Tooth
Me: 4 1/2 months – lower right front tooth
Sadie: 4 1/2 months – she has her first tooth teeth poking right through! – the bottom two teeth

Rolling from Tummy to Back
Me: 3 1/2 months
Sadie: 9 weeks

Rolling from Back to Tummy
Me: 4 1/2 months
Sadie: Not yet! But she’s 4 1/2 months right now and looks like this could happen any day now!

First Slept Through the Night
Me: 3-4 weeks (although my mom says she was so exhausted, she may have stopped hearing me cry!)
Sadie: 12 weeks

Sat Up Alone
Me: 6 months
Sadie: Not yet, but she’s sitting great in her Bumbo at 4 1/2 months!

First Crawled
Me: 5 months
Sadie: Not yet!

First Pulled Up/Walked
Me: Pulled up at 6 months and walked around the furniture, walked between parents at 8 months, walked well at 8 1/2-9 months, climbed up on furniture and could walk backwards and almost run at 11 months.
Sadie: Nothing yet!

As you can see, Sadie is beating my stats on height and weight and is right on par with many of my milestones. Which is really exciting but also terrifying if she keeps on following in my (literal) footsteps. I cannot even imagine having Sadie walking around holding onto the furniture in a little over a month! We are so, so not ready for our little girl to be quite that active. I’d be more than happy with her sitting and playing with toys for quite awhile. No need to walk and run too early!

And to that, Sadie says, "Watch out!"