Elmo cake

  My little girl loves Elmo & Abby, we had a birthday party for her when we went back to IL & I had a cake made for her for that. 

Since her actual birthday was just at home with the 3 of us, I wanted her to have a cake on her actual birthday, but didnt want to go out & buy another cake. 

So, I decided I'd try & make her an Elmo cake! 

I scoped out Pinterest for ideas & found nothing helpful. Any tutorial I found that I had in mind had to use an Elmo cake pan & I didnt want to mess with that, so I decided to free-hand it. 

It turned out pretty good considering I was winging it, but if I made it a second time I think it would turn out much better. I'll share with ya how I did it & what I would do different next time. Keep in mind I have no cake decorating skills what-so-ever, so dont laugh! 

Here is the final product... 

 

Ok so here's how I did it, first I just bought a box cake mix, I made it according to the directions & first poured 3 cupcakes full of batter, then the rest in a 9x13 pan & baked as directed. Here's my cupcakes...

I frosted 2 of them with the frosting out of the jar, then I took a little spoonful & mixed it with red & yellow food coloring to make orange for the nose...

You only need a little bit. 

Then I took the 9x13 cake & just cut around the edges to round the corners..

Then, I messed up, I iced the cake with the white frosting, next time I will make it red before I ice the cake (duh!) 

Then I drew on the mouth & the eyes with the black icing (sorry I didnt take a picture, it comes in a can with different tips in the baking aisle at Walmart) I believe its just called decorators icing. I havent ever used it before & I wasnt real impressed with it either (could be operator error- haha) but no, It was pretty greasy stuff! 

Luckily I had bought red too, so I had that for back up, so I spread it all around until I ran out & then just smoothed it out with a knife

Why I didnt just use the red food coloring... Because y'all know me! I cant get through a project without messing something up!! 

But after I got it all smooth it turned out decent, so it worked & of course she loved it!! 

If you look at where I wrote her name you can see the oils from that icing, that just shows ya how much oil is in that stuff... Yuck! 

So, here's what I would do next time: 

1) I would make my cupcakes bigger, Elmo's eyes & nose need to be bigger! 

2) I would color my frosting before I put it on the cake! 

3) I wasnt impressed with that frosting in a can. Again, could be me, I like the way the mouth turned out, but the way her name turned out I wasn't impressed with the way the oils came out around it. 

And maybe it would help if I had an ounce of cake decorating skills- haha! 

Anyway, that's all for now! Thanks for reading!! 

Kelly :) 

14 weeks

~* 14 weeks*~ 

  Well Ive relaxed alot more this week, maybe because Im out of my 1st trimester. I am 14 weeks & 1 day, the baby this week is the size of a naval orange (4&1/2" & weighs about 2-3oz.)        I've still been feeling really good, starting to get more energy back! I actually got all my Christmas stuff out, so Ill be posting pics of that soon :) 

  I still have no idea what the sex of the baby is, we find out Dec 2nd though, and then I'll get another ultrasound again right before Christmas, so hopefully we'll be able to tell in one of those! I have done about every gender predictor- wives tale test out there (just for fun) I havent ran out & bought anything yet because I really dont believe any of them. My husband says why do you even waste your time then... I dont know, I guess just to see how they work, who knows, Its something pregnant women do to pass the time? I dont know. 

  So far here's my results....

1) Chinese gender chart...Boy

2) Intelligender test.... Boy

3) String test... Girl

4) Baking Soda test.... Boy, then Girl

(1st time I did it, boy result, then used 1st morning urine, girl result) 

5) Skull Theory (yes, they say if you look at the sonogram pic & if the skull is more round, its girl, if its wider & flatter, boy) Can you really even tell at this point?? Ya got me!! 

  My mom also talked to a psychic like a year or so ago & she said that her daughter would have 2 girls... So, we'll see who/what is right! 

  Anyway, cravings havent been much different, I have really been in the mood for grilled cheese with pizza sauce on it, Ive eaten a few of those this week. Buffalo Mac & Cheese (homemade Mac & Cheese with Frank's Red Hot) thats been one if my favs this week too. Other than that, not a whole lot of anything has changed.

 Here is this weeks bump picture, again I never like pics of me, but if I dont keep it here "on my journal" then Ill forget so here it is... 

I think Im about the size here that I was with Reese at 17 weeks, which Ive heard with each one you show earlier or more or something like that...

That is all for now, thank you for reading :) 

Kelly~*

  

13 Weeks

   Whew! I made it... 13 weeks! First trimester is done! I had a dr appointment today & I swore after this appt I would calm down a little bit & try not to worry so much! Easier said than done. Ive only been going 2 weeks between appointments right now, but it has felt like an eternity! You never know how much hearing that little heartbeat means until there isnt one to hear. 

I nearly spun myself into an anxiety attack at the drs office today waiting (and I had to wait forever today too!) I know, I know, worrying doesnt help matters either, but have you ever tried not to worry about something? Ya... Worry is my middle name! 

Then, the little gal that took my blood pressure & stuff tried to listen first (Im guessing she was a nurse, but looked very young) she couldnt find anything... Ok dont freak out Kelly, I couldnt fight back the tears, I knew it, I knew something was wrong. Then she said "oh do you hear that" "oh its moving around alot in there"  No, No I dont hear it... I dont understand all the different noises, it all sounds like static to me, how do you know its not gas? Maybe my lunch digesting? 

So FINALLY my doctor came in & she found it almost immediately- WHEW! I have never been so relieved! The babys heartbeat was 164. Now that I am 13 weeks my risk for miscarriage decreases huge & so Im really hoping I can relax a little bit now! 

My dr has been so wonderful & supportive with me through all of this, Im so glad I found her, she is so understanding about everything. She always gives hugs (Ive never had a dr hug me ever, let alone every appt) and maybe thats the whole "southern way" and she says she's praying for me, such a sweet sweet lady! 

Other than that not much has changed in the last 2 weeks, I havent had too much for cravings. Im hungry all the time, but nothing really sounds good. Ive been making alot of soup (the cooler weather might have something to do with that though) 

Now watch this kid will be my picky eater, Reese, she'll eat just about anything-always has-  especially healthy. Maybe its because thats all Ive ever given her. I ate everything when I was pregnant with her, and I mean everything! I didnt care if it was healthy or not! 

Ive been sick about 3-4 times a week, always in the morning when Im brushing my teeth. Im still totally clueless as to what this baby's sex is, we should find out in about a month though :) 

Ok so Ill post this pic, but I need to do a retake or practice taking better selfies, because I dont think this is good at all, but it'll do for now... 

My 13 week bump... 

Thats all I have for now! Thank you to everyone who has said a little prayer for us, it really means the world! Ive also met some pretty amazing people in the past couple months & I just know that it was all part of Gods plan, he wanted us here for a reason! Its just so amazing just to see it all fall into place! 💝💝💝

Gender Prediction Test

  Ive been SO anxious since we've found out we were pregnant to find out the sex of the baby. With Reese I didn't want to know, I thought it would be fun to be surprised (but we found out, my husband couldnt wait!) 

 But not this time around! Im counting down the days until we can find out! I honestly do not care either way, I am just so blessed to even have another child- I really really didnt think we would have anymore. 

 So for fun I bought one of those over the counter gender prediction kits...

Im not holding my breath on this thing, because really its a 50/50 chance... The reviews were mixed on it, some said it worked everytime, others said dont waste your money. I thought it would be fun to see if it was right or not! 

Oh & I guess you want to know what it said huh!?! Well I followed the directions EXACTLY how it said & it said BOY!! 

 Also, the chinese gender chart (I know some people who SWEAR by it & let me just tell ya- it said boy with Reese too & look how accurate that was!) 

So I've got 2 boy results now, like I said I dont care either way, and I havent rushed out & started buying boy stuff yet either. Ill wait & see what my next ultrasound says ;) 

How about any of you? Ever did the gender test? And was it right? 

Happy Halloween!

   This mama is wore out after a very eventful week! 3 nights in a row of Halloween excitement- here is my cute little owl... 

 

This was the 1st night at her daycare, they had a little fall festival for the kids... How neat! They had all kinds of games & activities... 

Hopscotch... 

Fishing was her favorite! 

And Bingo!

Then a treat at the end! 

   The next night we had a similar thing at the church, which I got no pictures of, she wasn't there very long because she didnt want to do anything, she thought about the bouncy house for a minute, then when it came time to put her in, no way! I think she had enough excitement for one night! So her & daddy went home & I stayed & worked in the face-painting booth. 

   Night #3 we decided to stay home & hand out candy. Our neighbors did call & tell us to bring her over, they wanted to see her & had some special little treats for her :) They are the sweetest people & they love Reese like their own & she loves them too! She threw herself down in the middle of the driveway the other day because I wouldnt take her over there :( Anyway... 

She took some candy out of the big basket & put into hers so she could pass it out easier, but when the 1st kids came to the door she scowled at them like "Hey! Your not getting any of my candy!" So I took some out of her basket & showed her that we share & then we got more out of the big basket to refill hers. After a few more kids she got it, then she had fun transferring the candy around...

Watching for more kids...

Then when it started to slow down we did some puzzles while we waited for more kids...

Now I say "Reese do you know how cute you are and she says "O-tay" Thats her response for most things now days... "O-tay!" 

That was our excitement for the week! And wow... Is it really Nov 1st!?! 

We're having a baby!!

   I hope you are all doing great! Me- I have been a terrible, terrible blogger! I no longer have a creative bone in my body! I havent worked on a thing, lifted a paint brush or hot glue gun or whatever it was in MONTHS!! I promise I'll be crafty again, but right now all my energy has been sucked away, but I have a good excuse... We're having a baby!! 

I had to hold it in for what seemed like FOREVER!!! We went to the dr for our 1st appointment & then just told our immediate family, but told them not to tell until we went back 2 weeks later for another appointment, just to be safe.

 I guess we wanted to be double sure before we announced it, anyone who has ever lost a baby- (or 2 for us) each time its more & more difficult to tell) I felt like if I told too soon I would jinx it or something,so enough about that...  here's our little peanut...

 8 weeks, 6 days.... The heartbeat was 172- they said everything looked great & my due date is May 14th...

 Reese seems pretty excited, the sonographer even gave her her own little copy of the ultrasound to carry around. She'll point to my tummy & say baby, now whether or not she's excited once its here, we'll see!! 

We had a little photo shoot... 

So we finally announced it at 11 weeks! 

My 2nd dr appt they said everything looked perfect & the heartbeat was 170 this time. The dr has me coming every 2 weeks for now, just for piece of mind :) which is fine with me, I couldnt handle waiting a month, at least in the beginning!

I am going to have to get a better photographer (sorry Will) for my belly pictures though... 

He tried ;) 

He redeemed himself a few days later on our anniversary... 

Every pregnant womans dream!! He did good :) 

Do I have any idea what we're having? 

No way, not at all, the heartbeat is right on with what Reese's was, either way I dont care, Im just blessed to have another!

My cravings so far have been popcorn, golden grahams(which I never eat) and root beer ( I craved root beer with Reese too, havent had a root beer since I was pregnant with her) 

Ive been sick just a few times, always when Im brushing my teeth, Its just been so different this time around because Im not working as much, so Im not inhaling my meals in between clients. I just kinda snack all day & not much really sounds good, Ill have a yogurt, then an hour later I'll have string cheese, then a salad, etc & Ill eat all day long. With Reese I was like BIG MAC!! NOW!! And then 3 hours later I was eating a footlong sub, blizzard almost every night(because it was summer & I was miserable) So maybe my eating habits have had something to do with feeling better! 

So thats all for now, looks like my crafting/project blog will turn into a pregnancy blog for a little while, but Im still dying to get that piece painted for my dining room ;) 

Thank you all for reading!! 

XOXO 

 

Adventures In Bed Shopping

  Ok, my luck lately... Im going to write this again because somehow I erased the last one, so this ones going to be short & sweet :) 

 I had to share this one... Basically we've been shopping for a bed for awhile now. Our daughter is now in a full size bed, we put our queen in the guest bedroom & now we have a king. By the way after 3 years of marriage we both slept all night without having to wake up saying "move over, your hogging the bed!" (For those of you that don't know my husband, he is 6'5 & sleeps diagonal!!) Then every once in awhile ya get a toddler in there with ya who likes to sleep sideways... Its a pretty eventful night for all! 

So today on our final mattress venture, we actually made a purchase (Even though my husband says he hates to shop, he always wants to go & he never wants to buy, so that just means we have to do more shopping!) 

So, we get the mattress all loaded up in the truck (let me clarify... He) He loaded & strapped down the mattresses. And we're off, Im so happy, FINALLY, this dreaded bed shopping is half over with! I knew the headboard I wanted, well he decided he didnt want that one, "cant ya just make one" Um no, I paint, I dont build... 

That was our little arguement as we're cruising down I-40, when (oh ya, you guessed it) crap! The mattress just blew out of the truck (as he's watching it in the rearview, a semi runs it over) Are you freaking kidding me?!? That did not just happen!! So much for "oh ya, its not going anywhere" when I specifically asked him, "Is it tied down good?" 

So, here we are on I-40 (which is a major interstate that goes like halfway across the U.S 4-5 lanes of traffic, hundreds of cars, you get the idea) 

Oh & may I also add this was the point when he says..."I told ya we should've had it delivered!" SAY WHAAAAA!! I recall no moment of the words deliver... Ever, Because God forbid we might spend another $10 for delivery?!? 

And there is our brand new mattress, on I-40!! Run over by a semi... 

Well then we get pulled over, back up somewhat closer to the mattress, he says stay in the car, do not get out! So what else is there to do but take a few pics of this memorable moment...

Oh ya! And even better! He had his camo pants on too, now we really looked classy... No wonder nobody stopped to help -haha!! 

Never a dull moment!! 

I will say these few things though... A) Thank God no one got hurt, B) the flying mattress didnt cause a wreck & C) the mattress we bought was the cheapest one we could find (of course) and it was run over by a semi, and the only thing wrong with it was a scuff on the corner, not a loose nothing, not a busted spring, just a little road rash (its a Serta by the way)

After all that excitement we needed a nap! 

So, that was our weekend, what did you all do?? 

**(I am in no way getting endorsed by Serta for this... This is all true stuff... I couldn't make this up!)