My friend Nicole came over the other day and was sharing with me an idea of felt books made for children (find examples here), they are SO NEAT!

Nicole inspired me to make a board book for Emma, one which I was going to buy here. But WHY NOT create it myself. Its no gorgeous felt book, but its really great for her age right now. I'll work on the felt when she might appreciate it more (2 years old maybe?)

I used this post that I found via pinterest as my guide. She takes a real board book that she got for free from a Wendy's and simply covers it with her own design on card stock, so simple. So that is what I've done.

Emma has ben busy getting her eye teeth in all week...
so if you're a mom I am sure you can imagine what my week has been like.


Here are some wonderful links I'd love to share this week.

I really enjoyed reading Kristi's post Reading the Bible vs. Studying the Bible: What’s the Difference?
over on And Babies Don't Keep (off topic: her blog title comes from a poem that pulls at my heart strings) Anyways, I loved her reminder of just simply taking time to read and relish in God's word as well as study it. Thanks Kristi.

My sister-in-law (@ peck cloths) makes these cute washcloths for babes, I have about a million that I use everyday for Emma after mealtimes and bath. They are so soft and durable, you can wash them over and over, but my favourite part is that the patterns are actually cute (that can be hard to find) check them out.

Ouch, Narcissistic By Nature written by Jen over on her blog Adorned hit me hard and really convicted me.

"Christian narcissism is when we believe, talk, and act as though the Christian life is all about one’s self: it’s about my progress, my failures, my growth in holiness, my sins, my quiet time, my walk with Jesus."

Such a good read for all of us.

Lisa-Jo Bakers wrote an amazing post 10 Things To Do Differently *Before* You Lose Your Temper on her blog Surprised by Motherhood. This is a great resource for a mom with one or many children running around her home.

Jen Wilkins wrote a wonderful post about cherishing all of the personalities and gifts that God blesses a child with in her post when your child's personality annoys you.

This adorable wrap is a MUST BUY for whenever we might be having baby #2... no I'm not pregnant. Settle down. I personally LOVE the Natural & Grey Stripe option.

We are so so happy with our latest scarf purchase (ok, our only scarf purchase) for Emma from Coral and Poppy. She loves wearing it, it keeps her cozy and its adorable. This plaid one is calling my name.. now if only I could fit it in the budget..

His birthday was at the end of September, but I think he might have this card hanging around for quite some time on his desk ;)



Photo cred: Sarah-Bear Van Kruistum (snapped up North on Labour Day holidays)

Since we moved Emma into a new bigger room I've been trying to fill up the space and make it cozy.

Emma is busy learning how to stand up and we think she will be walking by 12 months which will be so much fun this summer! I kinda missed the mark with her 8 month pictures.. but here she is at 9 months.



I have been busy learning embroidery, and LOVING it. I started with a simple hoop design for Emma's door, and now I am working on pillows for our bedroom. If spring gets here fast enough I might have to postpone this "winter" craft and finish the pillows next year, but we will see. Check out my pinterest "Embroidery Love" board for fun and inspiring ideas :)

Woah. That went fast!

Emma is 6 months old, and getting cuter by the day. She likes to Jolly Jump, blow bubbles, chew toys, eat carrots & peas, smile, and most importantly hang out with her hip parents ;). We hope you've had a great past 6 months, ours have been filled with happiness and laughter over this little bundle of joy. Happy 6 months Emma Bean!

CAMPING with babe TIPS :

1. Bring a play yard.
2. Hammocks are key.
Emma LOVED laying in the hammock with Andrew or I & it gave us some relaxing down time too.
3. Stay close to home.
We were able to call it quits a bit early (as there was a massive heat wave going through all of Ontario). It was important to be no more then an hour from home, so we could make a quick escape if things got rough.
4. Make sure your site has good access to the water & washrooms.
5. Bring a good stroller.
6. Have warm pjs for babe.

We aren't huge halloween fans here at the Hodgson's, but I couldn't resist putting Emma in this adorable dragon outfit (gifted by Auntie Rita.) Hope you and yours have a fun and safe night. xo

Before Emma turned 4 months old we took her to the beach (more then a dozen times), camping, and flying across the country.

Some would say I am crazy, others "adventurous" but I call it livin' life with my babe. When Emma was born I needed to get out, experience summer and enjoy God's creation. I knew outings would change when we had a baby, but I was determined to make it work and still enjoy time with family and friends.

I've tried to compile some notes and tips on traveling with your babe. I'll have to break it up into three posts, starting with...

BEACH DAYS!!

Emma was 4 weeks old when she had her first trip to the beach. Here are some things I found useful for her many beach trips:

1. Make sure YOU are comfortable.
I wore a maternity suit (with a comfy t-shirt and shorts in the beginning) that I had from doing water yoga when pregnant. The suit made me feel comfortable in my "new body" and covered me up well. I think it is important to feel at ease with yourself before walking into a new adventure with your baby - if your relaxed, they will be relaxed. One of my favourite bloggers, Lindsay at Hello Hue wrote a post on "say no to the frump:: 5+ swimsuits that won't make you miss your teeny bikini this summer." It has great links to some great suits that will make you feel good about being at the beach again.

2. Grab some shade.
When we were first married, Andrew and I purchased a beach shade tent (he is a ginger and I am a marshmallow). We needed protection from the sun. Little did we know how absolutely perfect this tent would be for a baby. Emma would nap under our Coleman Beach Shade the entire time at the beach. Make sure you purchase a tent with UV ray protection like this one. The tent also made a perfect hiding place when I had to nurse Emma on the beach :)

3. Bring a carrier.
My mom or I would wear Emma in a carrier while we set up. This worked perfectly, and would give us more hands to carry our gear down to the beach. We use the Snugli front and back carrier, we love it.

4. Have a buddy with you. (or your cute husband if he is available)
I usually went to the beach with my mom, or sister. Andrew is less fond of the beach, and he was usually working when the waters called my name. Having a "buddy" with me was key. These two LOVED holding Emma if I needed a break. Mostly Emma would just sleep in the tent but if she was ever fussy and I still wanted to get a swim in, these two were willing to hold her as long as I needed.

5. Bring lots of blankets.
To sit on, lay your baby on, wrap your baby up if its chilly, or block the sun.

6. Enjoy it and make memories.
Don't be afraid to take some pictures. We moms shy away from the camera too fast and miss out on cute pictures and fond memories.

Andrew and I both had baby books. Over the years I would go and look through my book and check out the time I was born, who brought me gifts, and how much I weighed. My mom even had a lock of hair from my first hair cut (a little creepy, but also cute). We never imagine how neat these books would be when we had Emma. It was so fun to compare and we could finally relate to what our parents had gone through when we were babes.

So it became an important project for me to make Emma a Baby book. I will admit, it can be tedious, with a needy infant in your living room while trying to cut and paste pictures. Also, I am still twisting Andrew's arm to write in his pieces. But its all worth it when I know how much it will mean to her, to look back on when she gets older.

Emma's 3 month old pictures are a little late, as our iMac hard drive decided to kick it at the beginning of September. Leslie (as we call her) has been an amazing iMac for me since i bought her in 2008, so I'm not going to complain too much about the repair. Leslie came home yesterday, so I quickly put together some of the shots I took just after Emma hit her 3 month mark (as Nana was bugging me that I never put any up).

Hope you enjoy these as much as my mom will :) xo

Emma is now more then 3 months old and Andrew and I are starting to get used to this whole parenting scene. 

Another month has flown by, and this little girl is growing like crazy. She's up to 23" long and just about 11 lbs, and she's absolutely adorable of course ;)