Eighteen Months of Lynney Bug !

Our First Picture July 11, 2009

Ashlynn Olivia Hellrung

November 7 2009

4:04 am

8 lbs 7 oz

19 1/2 inches

Newborn

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Four Months

Five Months

Six Months

Seven Months

Eight Months

Nine Months

Ten Months

Eleven Months

Twelve Months

Thirteen Months

Fourteen Months

Fifteen Months

Sixteen Months

Seventeen Months

Eighteen Months

I love you Ashlynn Olivia! 

You are so beautiful and watching you grow is such a gift. 

My Husband’s name is Josh.

My husband and I met in High School. Supposedly.

He claims we had a government type class together freshman year. We were doing a mock trial in the class and the people with the highest scores on the test got to pick their positions. I got the highest score in the class and chose to be the judge. He got the second highest score in the class and was apparently upset with me for picking the judge and held a grudge for the next five years. 

Fast forward five years and we met again in the spring of 2008. We were nineteen years old. My best friend had a class on Wednesday nights and I would pick him up after and we would go to Denny’s. One week he invited a girl from his class. This girl is now my sister in law and her name is Amanda.

((Amanda and I)) New Years Eve 2008-9

One night she brought Josh with her to Denny’s and we started talking about books. We both love to read and we promised to lend each other some of our favorites. After a couple weeks his sister went out of town to work at a church camp for the summer.

We didn’t see each other for a little while and then one night we randomly started IM-ing. I invited him over to my house, or rather my parents, and then we watched movies. I believe the first one was Juno.

From that night on we were inseparable.  That was June of 2008.

When I met Josh, I was bitter towards marriage because of my parents and I thought I would never get married, or if I did it would be when I was an old lady.

Three months later I knew we were going to get married. And I wasn’t going to be an old lady.  We had a pretty whirlwind romance.

He proposed that December while we were celebrating Christmas with his family. He got down on one knee in front of his extended family and asked me to marry him. I agreed immediately. He gave me my mother’s ring, which is what I wanted.

In January, my mom and I began to plan a wedding for June of 2010, not knowing that this was not to be.

On March 3^rd 2009 I took a pregnancy test. It was positive.

I had wanted kiddos young. I imagined that we would have a honeymoon baby actually, but apparently the powers that be had other ideas. 

After some debating this way and that, Josh and I decided to get married before the baby was born instead of on the day we had planned. This meant that my mom and I were now planning a wedding 11 months earlier than expected and also that I was going to be six months pregnant on our wedding day. 

Waiting to Try

So, as you know my husband and I went on a vacation this past week. 
We were gone for a week and each day I missed my little bug more and more than the day before. 
It was amazing to come home and see her. She looked like she'd grown four inches and was saying about 37 more words, including the phrase "What is it?" Which may be the most adorable thing I've every seen. She is picking everything up right now, looking at me, and saying "What is it?" 
It makes my heart smile. 
And it's things like this that make it hard to wait to have another one :) 
But we are. 
Because we want one of these babies: 

Before we have one of these babies: 

Yea. We want a little boy :) 
We've even picked out names for the next, and last, one. 
* Sigh *
How adorable will it be to have Ashlynn holding her little sibling ? 
Too adorable <3
But for now it's on hold. 
For 17 months to be exact. Josh and I have decided to start trying September of 2012.  
We hope to buy a house in Spring/Early Summer 2013 and we want to have a baby shortly thereafter. 
Yea ... we're a little crazy :) But at least Ashlynn should be potty trained by then ! She will be 3 1/2. 
But until then I'm going to enjoy all of the time I get with my little bug and the little moments that make me want to make her a big sister. 
So ! Does anyone have two little ones around 3 1/2 years apart? How do you like it? And of course how do you make it 17 months when you have baby fever ?! I have a feeling I will need help with that ! 

Rag Tag Blankie

My cousin had a baby boy this past Thursday night and I wanted to make her something cute for her new little buddy, so I put together this Rag Tag Blankie. 

 This is the beginning of the process. I've just used leftover squares from my rag quilts. the squares are 6" x 6". I think you could do 8" squares and make a little bigger, but still nice sized blankie. 

Match the front and back squares together, pinning them in the center.

 

You can see here both sides of the squares. 

These are the ribbons I used for this blanket, just some leftover ribbon from bows and other projects.  

Put two squares, lined up one on top of the other. Make sure that the two squares you want to be on the top of the blanket next to each other are on the top and bottom of this stack. 

Sew a 1/2 inch hem. And then do the same for the bottom two squares. 

After you have these two "rows", stack them together and sew a 1/2 inch hem. 

Do not sew the outside hem at this point. left up each square, fold a piece of ribbon in half, and pin it between the two pieces of fabric. Make sure that more than 1/2 in of the ribbon is inside the square, otherwise your hem will not hold it in place. 

Continue to place the ribbons around the square. I used four ribbons on each side, but you can use as many as you want. Use different sizes, colors, and textures.

The front should look like this with all the hems facing up. 

This is what the bottom should look like. None of your hems should be sticking up on this side. 

Sew a 1/2 in hem. 

Pull out your pins. As you take out each pin, give the ribbon a tug to make sure it is secure and isn't going anywhere. To make them more secure you can go around the square again to make two hems. You do not want to go less than 1/2 in though ! This will make ragging the blanket too difficult. 

These are my rag quilt snips. I got mine at Jo Anne's. You can find them at any craft store. They make ragging your blanket easier, but you can use fabric scissors. 

Take a coupon ! They are about 20$.

Take the snips are cut around the edge of the blanket and the inner hems. 

When you get to ribbons snip each layer separately over and under the ribbon.

When it's done throw it in the washer and dryer and it will rag to look like this: 

I am linking up at these amazing parties ! You should too !