Scavenger Hunt Swap goodies

You may remember I participated in a Scavenger Hunt Swap; yesterday I received my package & look at all the goodies I got:

Sun tote bag ("Seasons" theme), Werther's candy & a cake pin cushion ("something sweet"), taggie blankie for the new baby ("something soft"), Dr. Seuss book & t-shirt ("something for the child in you"), glass dish filled with colorful origami stars & origami envelopes with coins in them (on the taggie blankie; for "origami"), baby boy scrapbooking supplies ("photograph"), cat & dog stuffed animals from vintage patterns ("retro/vintage"), baby hat for my niece on the way with extra embellishments tucked in the brim so I can make a matching onesie or socks ("hair accessory").
Yah! I love all my new stuff! :)

We have a weaner!

Yep, it's true.. Cooper is weaned.
People assure you that no child is still nursing when they get to college, but with Cooper I wasn't so sure about that. From the time he was an infant he wanted to nurse constantly and for at least an hour at a time most of the time. So imagine my shock when he stopped almost cold turkey.
A little over a month ago he was sick & congested. He nursed for a few seconds, then stopped. Started again, then stopped. I assumed he was having trouble breathing while nursing. He eventually just laid his head down on the pillow & fell asleep. For the next several days he would ask to nurse, but then cry or just sign "finished" when he was given the chance. I finally stopped offering and he stopped asking.
I had (have) really mixed feelings about him weaning. I always wanted to nurse him until he self-weaned. When I got pregnant, I wasn't so sure about that anymore. The thought of a newborn needing to be nursed constantly around the clock, plus a toddler was a little overwhelming. I cut Cooper back to just before nap-time & before bedtime. It was really difficult for the first week or so, but then he seemed satisfied with it. But then he did stop, & I didn't even realize it was happening. I thought he was not feeling well & would come back to nursing when he wasn't congested, but suddenly it was just over.
He did ask to nurse again one more time about a week after I had last offered. I was happy to oblige, but when he got close he just blew a raspberry in disgust and turned away. I think the pregnancy has affected the taste or smell or something and he's just not interested anymore.
I know it's probably for the best, but it still makes me sad.

In sibling news, we have a... well, I just let you see for yourself. There's no doubt - it's a boy.

Cooper's latest work

I just mentioned in my previous post that Cooper's been working a lot lately & while I was updating the sidebar I discovered some new photos of him online!
Until I can figure out how to copy the pictures, you can see them here.

Hi, my name is Sarah & I'm a Craftster.org addict...

Yeah, I know, it's getting to be a bit much. I just can't tear myself away from Craftster & almost all my free time is spent on swaps. It's just so much fun though...
My latest swap partner just received her package so I can post pictures of what I sent now. It was a "scavenger hunt" swap so we had to send items that fit into 8 categories. I sent:

Origami animals in glass jars (the category was "origami"), some scrapbooking supplies from the dollar store & a paperweight with a picture of a tree ("photograph"), four vintage children's books I found cheap on eBay (for "retro/vintage"; she mentioned she collects them), a crocheted neck warmer ("soft"), a reusable snack pouch with fruit fabric ("something sweet"), four embroidered towels ("seasons"), a sock monkey ("something for the child inside"), & a bucket hat ("hair accessory"). I also sent a baby hat & onesie as little extras 'cause she mentioned she had a great neice on the way.

I absolutely loved the bucket hat. I couldn't find a pattern for one (well, I couldn't find a FREE pattern for one!) so I bought a bucket hat at the dollar store, pulled out the seam ripper, & made my own pattern. This one wasn't perfect but I'm definitely going to try it again.
I'm so excited to see what I'll get... I'll post pictures when my package arrives.

When I'm not crafting for strangers, I've been taking Cooper to modeling jobs. He's had 3 in two weeks! Keep an eye out for him in the One Step Ahead catalog, especially the Christmas catalog!

Thanks Grandma & Grandpa!

Cooper loves his new table & chairs.

'Allo... any Labyrinth fans?

So I've mentioned this before, but I've become obsessed with Craftster.org. I love participating in their craft swaps. I recently volunteered to craft for someone who did receive anything in exchange for what she sent. The swap had a dollar store theme. The rules: spend $6-$12 at the dollar store & craft stuff with it with only 25% of it being items you have in your stash of craft items (such as thread, ribbon, etc). Normally there's a month or so to craft, but since I was kind of filling in for someone I had a limited amount of time... I think I finished everything & sent it out in a week. Here's what I bought at the dollar store:

Two tote bags, a children's apron, a dishtowel, a pair of socks, a teddy bear, a wooden plaque, a diary, Sesame Street flash cards, & paints.

The person I was crafting for likes Jim Henson & the movie Labyrinth. I decided to try to create two of the characters from the movie. Here's Ludo:

And here's my Ludo, made from the teddy bear and felt.


Here's the worm (who says " 'Allo! "):

And here's my version, made from a sock, some felt, & some blue yarn:

Okay, okay, they're not perfect replicas or anything, but I thought it was pretty good from being from the dollar store.

And here's everything I sent:

The worm & Ludo, an apron, a small purse, a (horribly) handpainted sign, a hanging storage thing, & the diary decorated with Sesame Street characters.

Weekend at Grandma & Grandpa's

We enjoyed a weekend with Grandma & Grandpa last week. Cooper spent lots of time outside & loved helping Grandma garden, riding in the wagon, & riding on the scooter with Grandpa.