Saturday, February 27, 2010

I have NO idea what I'm doing!

Join me won't you? As I embarrass myself terribly and bare my quilting soul. I have this project that's waiting for me in my sewing pile and it's a super-fantistic one for market, but it involves just a tinsy-bit of quilting. And since I've never actually quilted in my whole entire life, I thought maybe I'd practice. And amongst my practicing, I decided that I would make a quilt for my boys to take to Shriners and donate to a little girl (because it's black and pink of course). I was quite frightened to discover that I had enough black and white scraps to make an entire quilt...I mean really? I think that's like border-line obsession. I should really cut back.
Anyway, this is what some poor little girl is going to receive as a visitor gift and I hope she doesn't notice my quilting (which quite frankly looks like scribble). Because here's the truth, I still have an entire box of quilts that people gave to me while I was at Shriners. Some of the quilts were from family and some were given to me off of the quilt shelf in the hospital. There's one in particular that has handprints on it and I remember the nurse noticing my obsession with it and telling me that I could take it home...I was so excited! I don't know why I loved it so much, but I did and then there's another one that Betsy made for me and in the corner where they all signed their names, there are scribble marks from my once toddler niece...so I'm hoping my boys can pass a little of this love along.

Friday, February 26, 2010

So little time...

Tuesday March 2nd will be the very last day to place a custom order until June. I will let you know when orders can be placed again. I'm so sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Life has simply taken over! :)

Happy Sewing!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Achondroplasia FAQ

Lately I have had an unusual amount of emails from mothers with new babies that have been diagnosed with Achondroplasia. So I thought maybe I'd address a few questions here, so I could have a reference link for parents. I will do my best to answer questions, but keep in mind, I've been on both sides of the spectrum and truthfully, it's a lot easier to be little, than to raise a little baby. So most of my answers come from what I consider the absolute best source...my mom! :)

1. How old was Sawyer when he was diagnosed? How old was I?
Sawyer was two days old and I was 18 months old. From what I understand they should be able to diagnose the child during their ultrasound, but that doesn't always happen.

2. How should I prepare to raise a child with Achondroplasia?
I'm not entirely sure. I seem to be flying by the seat of my pants. I would recommend buying step stools and the shortest potty chair you can find. My mom gave me some GREAT advice. She said when I was growing up, she would get down at my level and walk around the house, seeing what I could and could not reach and then she'd find a way to adapt that for me. My closet rods were lower, step stools everywhere, and then they still have a drawer in their kitchen with dishes for me. Being that now their cupboards are built custom for them (which is high).

3. Are you the only little person in your family?
Yes. Why? I don't know. A friend of mine once said, "You're the happy meal in a super-sized family." I'll go with that answer. I have five brothers all above 6'5" and one sister who's 5'8" and my parents are the same. There is no history in the Keller family of Achondroplasia. But now that I have it, it can be passed on and has been passed on to my son Sawyer.

4. Do you worry about the health risks of Achondroplasia?
I did for a few months. I made myself sick and completely depressed. But then I decided that I could beat myself up for passing this on or I could buck up and deal with it. I mean really, things could be worse and quite frankly there's no other option. If there are going to be difficulties along the way, we can't prevent them, we can just handle them. And honestly, Ruger has been the expensive child...Sawyer is healthy and strong and has outgrown any physical trial that has come his way.

5. What are your thoughts on the limb lengthening procedure?
I talked about this a lot on my other blog, but I haven't so much on this one. I support anyone who decides to go through with it. I had my legs lengthened at 14 (not the typical age) and it was the best decision I could have ever made. I am stronger, I can drive a car, reach a faucet, my metabolism has even increased because of it, I'm much more active than I ever would have been. I have had a few follow up knee operations, but there are cons to every decision we make. And I do not believe that it is a cosmetic procedure. Six inches gained has in no way made me a supermodel.

6. Will you have Sawyer's legs lengethened?
Jason and I have decided that when Sawyer turns eight we will begin discussing the procedure with him and we will help him weigh his options and let him decide. The same goes for Ruger and his hearing. If there were ever a procedure that would help him hear completely, then we would weigh out all of the options with him.

7. And this question came up last weekend, I thought it was cute. Do you have to do a lot of hemming?
I hem some of my clothes, but most of the time my pants look like this:

Hopefully, I'll be better with Sawyer!
My personal advice to any new mother dealing with this. I believe that these little babies are born with Spirits much stronger than ours. They are given all of the personality traits that they will need to get through the trials that lie ahead for them. And when dealing with others remember that more often than not people are simply curious and they mean no harm. For those who do mean harm...their day will come.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Sew adorable (& I'm not talking about a bag)!

Sawyer has gained a great interest in my sewing machine and pin cushion. He loves to sit on the table and watch me sew. He knows how to lift the presser foot, push the foot pedal, and recently discovered how I thread my needle. The whole process fascinates him.

This picture would have been perfect yesterday! OH well, this is a heart Ruger made for me out of his train tracks, I couldn't resist snapping a shot. He's made leaps since he got his hearing aids. He's memorized about 15 songs, he speaks so much clearer, and he's even surpassed certain developmental skills that I wasn't even expecting. He's writing letters and drawing pictures....it's crazy to me that one issue can change their whole little life. He's loving this big new world! And he's itching to get back into preschool. Can't wait!

Monday, February 8, 2010

The Tiny Clutch

We're gearing up for market over here in my home! Writing lots of patterns, making lots of mistakes, pulling my hair out, wasting mounds of fabric, you know the usual! I can't seem to get enough sleep, my boys have ransacked the whole house, someone is ignoring my frequently asked texts, and my to do list isn't getting done. So many doctors to call and meetings to schedule and checks to write, who has the time really? I suppose that's why I find myself blogging all the time. It's a good excuse to ignore what you need to do!
But I did get this done..."The Tiny Clutch" is scheduled to released this spring, along with a few more. But I just couldn't resist showing it any longer. This little bag is about the size of a little lunch sack, with a flap closure and little handle. Perfect for toting around town. Watch for the pattern, it will be released sometime before market!

Oh, and just one more thing...all patterns are BUY TWO GET ONE FREE through Wednesday evening. Just visit my Etsy shop, buy two patterns and leave a comment at checkout for your third preference! Happy Monday!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday and I really wish I could be there to celebrate with her, but since I'm not we made a cake for her and ate it too! And now we're having a little celebration on my blog! Happy Birthday Mom! There's no one better than you!