DIY: Diaper Bouquet

I've never considered myself a very crafty person, but thanks to all the amazingly creative bloggers out there and Pinterest, creating something cute is as simple as reading and following directions. But still, I get excited when I successfully complete projects. This diaper bouquet I  made for a friend turned out lovely, so I wanted to share it.

Some friends and I threw our friend Katie a baby "sprinkle" this weekend. She is pregnant with her fourth girl and we thought she could use some new things. I was planning on making her a diaper cake because I've always thought it would be fun to do and it seemed appropriate since one of the main things she needs is diapers. But then I came across a diaper bouquet on Pinterest and it was just too perfect to pass up, especially for someone about to have her fourth daughter.

I used this tutorial and it was pretty easy to follow. The only thing I would change is to not roll up the diapers first. I did this and then kicked myself when I tried inserting the skewers. They were hard to get in and I was afraid of ripping the diapers (turns out I did a little). Since I wanted the diapers to be part of Katie's gift, I didn't want to ruin them. So the easiest solution was to wrap the skewer inside the diaper. Unfortunately this cost me a lot of time since I had to unroll and re-roll all the diapers, but I'm happy to pass along the tip to you. :)

I used a vase I had that is very awkward for flowers because of its wide opening, but was perfect for this project. I was able to use a whole package of 48 diapers (minus two that I'm embarrassed to say I bled on because I poked myself with a skewer. They're sharp, so be careful!). It was a little unstable when transporting because of the weight, but it stood by itself so I was fine with it.

I bought Luvs diapers because that's what Katie uses and at first I was a little nervous that they were printed, but it turns out that made the bouquet more colorful and I am actually really pleased with the finished product! Here it is:

And here's a sneak peek of my next DIY project, a frame to display our little girl's name in her nursery. I won't be able to share the finished product until she is born since we're keeping her name a secret, but I'm excited about it so I wanted to give you a little preview. The letters of her name will hang from the horizontal piece of twine near the top of the frame.

I hope you enjoyed my diaper bouquet. Feel free to share!

Biggest Update Yet

It's been a long time since I've written, and so much has happened since my last entry. I'm sure most of you know a bit about what's going on via Facebook and social media, but I apologize for not writing anything more extensive this year.

We found out the morning of Valentine's Day. This is that night.

Perhaps the most exciting news we received this year is that we're expecting a baby!! It's been no secret that I've desired a baby for most of our marriage, but we knew the timing wasn't right so we patiently waited until it was. On Feb. 14, we found out that I was 4 1/2 weeks pregnant with our first baby. Our little pumpkin is due on Oct. 21 and we couldn't be more excited!

A lot of people ask how I'm feeling, and I'm happy to report that I have been so blessed throughout my pregnancy. My first trimester brought me almost no symptoms: no vomiting, nausea, etc. I did have fatigue and occasional food aversions but that was about it. It was very nerve-wracking though. While regular first trimester symptoms are yucky and no fun, they at least offer assurance that everything is OK. I didn't have that most days and that was really scary. I spent most of the time worried something would happen, but I knew worrying wasn't good so I tried my best to just trust that Lord that He would bring us through this pregnancy.

How we announced the news on social media.

After I was 12 weeks along and we heard our pumpkin's heartbeat for the first time, I felt a lot better. We announced to most of our family and close friends in the first trimester, but then it was time to make the announcement public, which was so fun!

The second trimester also went fairly smoothly, though I did start to have trouble getting comfortable at night and my bathroom breaks became more frequent. I also received news during this time that I would be losing my job in the near future, which was really scary. I started looking for full-time jobs, which is one of the reasons I was hesitant to share our big news on my blog.

At the end of April we entered into a contract on a lovely town home in Downers Grove. We didn't think we'd be able to afford to live in Downers Grove (which is where our church and many of our friends live), so we were thrilled at our find. It has 2 1/2 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, a 1-car garage and a lovely deck out back. We were cautiously optimistic as my job situation hung in the balance and my self-employed status made securing a loan rather difficult.

This is how we did our gender reveal on Facebook.

In June we had our 20-week ultrasound and found out that our sweet little pumpkin is a girl. Of course I would have loved to have a son, but I was thrilled at the news that we'd be having a daughter. It felt like such an answer to prayer, which was comforting during that time of turmoil with not knowing when my job would end or if we'd get our house.

A month later our closing date rolled around and we were so thankful that everything worked out. On July 1 we became proud homeowners! We decided to wait a few weeks to get some projects done at the house and extend our time at our apartment since our lease went until the end of August, so we didn't move in until July 19.

The front of our house from the MLS listing.

Since then we've been busy painting rooms (well, Erik has at least) and trying to get settled. We're working on getting the nursery set up (so far it's painted and the crib is put together, just waiting on the arrival of the dresser and glider) and also unpacking the rest of the house.

I am 30 weeks along today. I'm still enjoying a fairly easy pregnancy, but starting to get more back pain and making even more frequent bathroom stops. It's difficult to get comfortable most of the time, especially at night. But this is all to be expected. Sometimes I get down about all of this, but mostly I am excited and can't wait to meet our little girl. She is perfectly healthy, as all of the tests and ultrasound have shown. Before you ask, we are keeping the name a secret. :) We can't wait to announce her birth and her name to the world!

My most-recent bump photo, taken Thursday.

As far as employment, I am still working as a contractor for Charisma Media and will continue doing so until I give birth. I'll pick up my search for a job in a couple months and hope to start a new one toward the beginning of 2015. Erik is still working at a methadone clinic in Aurora and has enough days saved up to spend almost a month at home with our little girl and me.

If you'd like to know how to be praying for us in this time, here are some prayer requests:

• For my ultrasound at the end of the week. I had a low-lying placenta at my 20-week ultrasound so they need to see its position. If it still low-lying or covering my cervix, it could complicate birth and may force a c-section.
• That these last 10 (or so) weeks of pregnancy will go smoothly and that we will use the time wisely to prepare and relax.
• That our little girl will be born healthy and we'll adjust well to being parents.
• For both of our job situations, and that God will provide finances and a clear answer on our path. Also that we will find an affordable day care we feel comfortable with.

Thanks for reading, everyone! This really has been a big update (baby, house, job, oh my!) and I hope you enjoyed it!