A Whole Lotta Love in Our Hearts

February marks the 8^th month of life for our precious Esther! Each day molds my heart into a soft gushy mess of love for my little family, but I wouldn’t change anything and look forward to what the next eight months holds for us.

LOVE?! That’s right, this is the month of love and we celebrated Esther’s very first valentine day…

February 14^th, Esther and I woke up to a sweet surprise in the kitchen…Daddy made us both breakfast. Esther had fresh fruits and oatmeal and I had our usual (eggs, bacon, toast and a cup of coffee and orange juice). As we entered the kitchen we each had an “I love you” balloon along with our own special collection of love from daddy!!!

Esther was so excited to find a plush puppy, cards and a new skill building toy.

Our morning verses for the day included:

1 Corinthians 13:1-7

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects always trusts, always hopes, always preservers…

I made fresh valentines cookies for the girls at the daycare and thanked them for all they do…next time remind me to make something healthier if there will be extra for ME to consume!!!

Many more exciting things have been brewing around our home…usually around this time of year I’m in full “spring” mode with this wonderful weather but along with that, this year, comes another month of milestones for Esther!

On valentines day, she started CRAWLING…although she would much rather be standing and shuffling around her music table or any large object in the middle of the floor, including but not limited to; adults, and dogs (Jacoba)! Esther also started pulling up on her own this month and is a ball of energy (So0o0o much fun).

Oh how they love each other!

Other special moments and milestones this month include:

• 1.) Swinging for the first time. Grandma Thompson and I made a trip to Babies"R"Us one weekend and couldn’t help ourselves…we purchased a swing to enjoy this spring and summer. I have a feeling this will quickly become a favorite in our back yard!

• 2.)    Clapping  and…

 

• 3.)    Signing the word “Mommy.” So far the only time Esther will actually say the word mommy verbally is when she is upset and WANTS mommy! We have no such luck at prying it out of her mouth otherwise. So for now I enjoy her signing my name (Mommy) while she nurses, is being changed on the changing table or quietly playing on the floor.

• 4.) Eating finger foods such as arrowhead cookies, bananas, and egg yokes 

             

A list of Esther’s signs so far include:

• 1.)    Milk
• 2.)    Daddy
• 3.)    Mommy
• 4.)    All done
• 5.)    Water
• 6.)    Ball

                                            

The weather this month has been gorgeous! With daytime highs in the upper 50’s and lower/ mid 60’s how can you not go for a day at the park?! We have enjoyed a family outing to the local park just down the street from our home and enjoyed soaking up the sun.

Oklahoma reached as high as 75 degrees this past week so we invited a few friends to come play with us that day. We always enjoy playdates no matter if we’re inside or outside.  And “Spring fever” is deffinatley kicking into full gear for me with such beautiful weather.

Jeff and I have been busy with work and classes as usual and want to thank you all so much for your prayers of support! Jeff will be enrolling this summer in classes to begin his masters program. I also found out that I was excepted into a summer vet internship on campus and was one of only six students selected for the summer course. We look forward to finding quality time...studying together! With only one more class to finish before completing my prerequisites, it is “full steam ahead” in the Gruntmeir house hold.

The Kitchen is where all the action is in our house!

Grandma Thompson and Esther

Silly face

Frugality At Its Best...DIY Baby Wipes!

DIY

So I decided to experiment and make our very own, homemade, baby wipes last week. After giving them a week trial…I wanted to share them with you!

I had so much fun crafting, as usual, and the amount of money Jeff and I will end up saving in the end isn’t shabby either.

I’ll take you through, step by step in my crafting fun…

First, choose a container to use for the wipes. We chose large Folgers plastic coffee containers because we had them at our disposal. Most of what I had I dug out of my left over “arts-and-craft” box I have for just an occasion! 

You’ll need:

•  Paint brushes
•  Fabric or paper of your choosing.( I used fabric on one container and paper on the other.)
•  Decoupage finish
•  Scissors
•  Hot glue gun/glue
• Decorations of all sorts will work! (Have fun with it)              

   

A cheap and inexpensive way to purchase fabric in such small quantities is to check the reject piles they will sometimes have…I purchased an 18”X 20” for $3.00 at Hobby Lobby!

 

After thoroughly cleaning each container I cut out the pattern from each material I chose. I used the Decoupage to glue the material to each container. You’ll want to clean your brush in water immediately after you’re finished so the decoupage doesn’t dry to and ruin your brush, it sets very quickly.

Paper material cut from a gift bag

Fabric material

And it’s that simple! After letting the decoupage set and dry I began to decorate with what I found around the house! And here is what I came up with…your options are endless with a little creativity

I had so much fun with these! Next week I will make a third one for Esther’s daycare to use.

Esther, helping mommy <3

Now for the DIY wipes…

You’ll need:

•  A roll of bounty paper towels, grade A…don’t skimp on the towels. You’ll want the ones that won’t break apart when moist.
• 2 cups of water
• 1.5 tablespoons of baby wash (I purchased the head-to-toe baby wash)
• 1 tablespoon of baby oil (I purchased the baby oil with Aloe and Vitamin E, for a more soothing feel and for its fragrance)

I cut a roll of bounty in half (using a large knife)

After mixing all the liquid ingredients together in my container I insert the paper towel, cut side down, inside.

Secure the lid on and flip over to allow the paper towel to soak through. I use cling wrap or plastic of some sort to give me extra sealing around the top so I don’t lose any liquid during this process.

Once the towel is thoroughly soaked through open the container and pull out the cardboard center then pull up the center tissue and…

VUALA! Homemade baby wipes in our beautiful boutique  looking container! I absolutely love these and they work just as well as store bought wipes.