Bangs McCoy

Taggie pillers

My friend Kristin’s mom is running a little sale at her home in a few weeks, and they invited me to sell some stuff there. Since I don’t have any quilts ready to go yet, Kristin suggested I make some pillows. I do make pretty cute embroidered pillows - usually I do baby pillows with the baby’s first and middle name, and their birthday. For this boutique I thought it would be better to have some items that can be sold as-is and not special-ordered. I found some pictures of “taggie” pillows and blankets for babies. The edges are full ribbon loops for babies to enjoy - I know firsthand that these are very popular with Baby Jamie. So I decided to make some of those. Below are some pictures of my first efforts. The first was a rectangle, the second a square. The fronts are patchwork, including some soft and furry fabrics with different textures.

 

 

Add comment May 25th, 2007

Summer soccer

We signed Rees up to play soccer in a city pre-K league with his friend Robert. Guess who agreed to be the coach? Our very own Coach Berrett (Junior). We will be gone for the first game (we’ll be in Jackson) but will be present for the orientation, as well as the remaining six games.

Add comment May 24th, 2007

Discovery Gateway

Tonight we went to Discovery Gateway with the Luker family. That place is amazing. Rees and Peter were especially excited about the ball play area at the entrance, the puppet stage, the ball track wall, and the Lifeflight helicopter.  The whole first floor was also fascinating for Rees. It’s like a play city, with a store, house, post office, farm, etc. We will definitely be going back. Pictures will be posted soon.

Add comment May 21st, 2007

Another day, another mixtape (and number two)

Today I made new mixtape*. A duplicate copy was made for Bryan, because I have great taste in music. It would be very rude not to share my superior tape-mixing skillz. This one is a little masculine, so I threw in some Rufus at the end:

1. U2 - Vertigo (one of Rees’s favorites - “uno, dos, tres!”)
2. Fall Out Boy - This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race
3. Halou - Stonefruit
4. The Raconteurs - Steady As She Goes
5. Muse - Starlight
6. The Killers - Read My Mind
7. Duncan Sheik - On A High
8. The Decemberists - O Valencia!
9. Modest Mouse - Missed The Boat
10. Vega4 - Life Is Beautiful
11. Lily Allen - LND
12. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine (unofficially released version)
13. Modest Mouse - Dashboard
14. Toad The Wet Sprocket - Crowing
15. Death Cab For Cutie - Crooked Teeth
16. Snow Patrol - Chocolate
17. Collective Soul - Better Now
18. Rufus Wainwright - Beauty Mark

*of course, it’s a CD, but mixCD doesn’t have the same ring to it.

Also, today Rees did number two in the toilet for the first time ever. Maybe there is a light at the end of the diaper tunnel.

Add comment May 16th, 2007

The day Jamie was born

He was due on October 7, 2006. The morning of Tuesday, September 26, I woke up feeling contractions at about 5:00. I waited a few minutes before waking Bryan. This birth was going to be a little more complicated than our first - for one thing, we needed someone to watch Rees while we were at the hospital. Bob & Maryanne had volunteered to be “on call” for the task. Also, Rees was born on a Sunday, so I wasn’t concerned about stopping the world that morning for what I thought was going to be the big day. Since this time around was a Tuesday, Bryan would miss work, so I wanted to make sure it was the real thing. After about an hour and a half or so, I was sure. We started to get ready to go to the hospital. Bryan called work and also his parents. I called my mom. Bob came to get Rees, and we went to the hospital.

I had been nearly fully effaced for a few weeks, but only dilated to a two or three. When we arrived at the hospital, I was dilated to a five, so they got me all hooked up to the monitors and said I was there to stay. Soon my mom arrived. It was about that time that my labor slowed, so the nurse suggested I walk and move around for a while. The contractions were strong, but I felt fine between them, so I didn’t feel the need for pain management. My nurse (Heather) checked me at about 12:00 and I was dilated to an eight. She said that if I wanted an epidural, we’d better do it right away, so we did. It went smoothly, even though it was very stressful for me. Soon, Dr P arrived and happily hung out at the nurses station, checking up on me from time to time. Around 1:00, they broke my water, and by 1:45 it was time to push.

Having learned some lessons from Rees’s birth, Dr P and I decided on an episiotomy after just one or two pushes. James was born very quickly, around 2:00, weighing a healthy eight pounds, three ounces (ten days early!). No signs of jaundice or tongue-tie like his brother - just a happy, chubby baby with a big head. Bob and Maryanne brought Rees to the hospital soon after to meet Baby Jamie. Rees didn’t quite know what to do or think, but I think he had the feeling that things were about to change big-time.

More pictures here.

  

Add comment May 14th, 2007

Teeth and tricycles

Jamie’s first tooth finally poked through today - on the bottom, middle left side. It seems like he’s been working on it for a while now. Also, Rees learned how to pedal his tricycle for the first time today (it seems a little late, I know). I think it got delayed because we gave him the trike a little too early, so he got used to just pushing it with his feet on the ground. No matter how much we tried to teach him, or how many other kids he saw riding, it just didn’t click. Well, it finally clicked today.

Add comment May 11th, 2007