The Man Bag, M-urse, Man-ssenger...

So I finally finished it...the Man Bag...the Murse (not to be confused with a male nurse lol)...the MAN-ssenger...it's made from cotton duck canvas...making it water resistant. It's padded with fusible fleece interfacing, has a large inside pocket and a small pocket for keys and pens and has a 45.5" canvas strap on D-rings. I had a blast designing this...with some input from my hubby...who is modeling it. This bag is super durable and would be great for a laptop, diaper bag...overnight bag...or want ever your manly heart desires...for more info/pics...click here

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Lap Top Messenger

I spent two sleepless nights thinking about designing a laptop messenger. I went ahead and made one today...it came out perfect. With dimensions of 13" by 18" it can accommodate a large laptop and would also be perfect as a diaper bag, overnight bag or to lug around your artist supplies.

I went to our local fabric shop yesterday...bribing my son with chicken nuggets (he hates going lol) and bought lots of new fabric...I spent the rest of the afternoon cutting out 8 messengers...so I have a lot of sewing to do...but I love it.

Spring cleaning or Nervous Energy?

So for the past week I've been doing things around the house, that I have been waiting to do forever. When we moved into our home, I spent days ripping off 80's wallpaper and painting. So by the time I made it to the bathrooms...I didn't care anymore. So they have been a boring white until this week...oh they did both have hideous borders that I scrapped off...but other than that...boring white. I decided on a deep chocolate brown with aqua accents...those colors seem so relaxing yet refreshing. After finishing the guest bathroom...I still had some paint left over...so I painted our bathroom as well. I love it.

I've also had this overwhelming urge to clean and organize all of the closets in the house. I don't know why. Maybe it's nervous energy with the adoption process...or an urgency to get things in order before we add to our family...knowing that there won't be much time to paint, organize and etc or...I just like things to be in order...who knows.

I also planted our spring veggies. If you haven't heard about "gardening by the square foot", you should google it. Last year it yielded 13 inch zucchinis and so many tomatoes we couldn't eat them all. I love being able to go outside and pick fresh herbs and veggies to cook with. It's also teaching Jude on how to care for something. I let him help me water, weed and pick.

Speaking of Jude, last night was "one of those nights" when we put him to bed and the fight began. He loves to wait about 20 minutes...when you finally dozed off and are done for the night...to scream..."I've got to go poooop!" Now...you can't deny him his right to go poop...and for the most part he really does need to go....so there I go...get him up, turn light on...tell him to sit down...and then walk back to my room...after 1 second...he says "I'm doooone....go check...nothing. Explain to him that he can't get up anymore and it's time for bed....he does this for the next 2 hours....it's midnight...my husband has to get up in 4 hours...and is not happy. He finally does go....but then screams..."it's stuck...help" I quickly get up, not knowing what's in store....I turn the corner and there he is on the potty...with his child potty seat stuck around his head. I immediately start laughing and grab the camera. Wow I'm such a good mom....right? Maybe this is how we all learned common sense. I took several minutes to get it off...me laughing...him crying....and pics to document it all.

keeping busy

Well I finished our scrapbook file this past weekend...and I turned it in before I remembered to take some pics. It was a lot of fun, time consuming and nerve racking. When you think about it...our children's birthmother will be holding that book...we carefully crafted our words...thinking about each subject and how she would feel reading it. For instance when it came to Jude...we could have made a thousand pages of him....I have pics of every week of his life for the 1st year...and every month after that lol, but we didn't want the BM to think her child would be 2nd best. So I made 2 pages of him...describing our struggles with infertility, briefly his birthstory and his excitement to be a big brother. The whole thing came out beautifully. So now our social worker is working on writing our homestudy. We have submitted all the paperwork for that. From this point on...it is a waiting game.

I've had a lot of extra energy this week...eventhough not a lot of sleep. I painted our guest bathroom a dark chocolate brown. I bought a new over the toilet storage thingy...in chocolate and have aqua accents...it came out lovely. I've also been busy working in our yard...planting lettuce, snappeas, purple onions and herbs...my dad helped me transplant some rose trees from my aunts house.

I need to make some more items for my etsy store...I just can't decide what. Blanket sets, Booties, Messengers or Magnets...I tend to sell in cycles....some things will fly off "the rack" one month...and the next another. So we will see....I'm thinking Messengers...it's spring..and soon summer...we all need something to carry all our crap in!

Jude helping grandpa plant the rose trees

a relief...

well today was the last "interview" portion for our homestudy. I'm so relieved and happy. It went well...and I felt way more relaxed....eventhough we were interviewed separately. I feel like it went smoothly.

Things you may need to have in place before your homestudy

1) a fire exit plan posted

2) fire extinquisher

3) emergency numbers posted

4) copy of children's immunizations or pet's shot records

5) keyed entry to any medicine cabinet

6) child locks on everything

7) comfort food...for afterwards :)

Jude was so cute today....he always asks a million questions about everything...and he asked why "that lady" was coming today...and then before I could answer...he so very matter-a-factly states "because she's going to help us get a baby sister..." I just nod.

He also peed in a cup today....we were in the shower and he insisted that I hand him his cup and close my eyes....I was washing my hair...when I realized what he has said....I looked down and he handed me a cup of pee...all I could do was laugh.

My Newest Booties Collection

So I got my first wholesale order ...well my first legit wholesale order last weekend...yes, while throwing my son a fabulous birthday party and getting ready for our homestudy! I completed them and decided to go ahead and list them as "not ready-made". I am working on having them all ready made...but it takes some time...here they are...and they are adorable! I think the hardest part was naming them all lol. I have about 5 more styles that I haven't listed....

P.S. I think the homestudy went well...you never know....we do have our next interview this Thursday.

The process...in a nutshell

Okay so here are the details....
First we submitted our application....
They accepted it.

Then they conduct a "home study" which is just a nice word for: judging whether or not your home, health, sex life, emotional status, mental status and everything else under the sun, is suitable for a child. They come into our home and observe and interview you for a certain amount of hours....and you also have to be fingerprinted for background checks...

if or when you pass...they type all this stuff up...for later in court when you are petitioning for adoption of a child...

okay then we are placed on a list...and wait...

then a birthmother/family will contact them...they will counsel her and help her make the decision on whether adoption is the right decision for her/family...and ask her questions on what type of family she is interested in.

then they present birthfamily with scrapbooks that each potential adoptive families have made of their lives

She will then choose.

petition court for termination of rights
(lots of legal stuff here...)

Baby is born.

Agency places baby with us and does home visits until we can legally petition for adoption

Petition for adoption and go to court...adoption is complete...submit forms for new birth certificate

and live happliy ever after...or until we decide to do it all over again lol