So my life is now a gambling game. Can I finish this (whatever needs to be done) before the babies are born. Today I finished a project which I began only 4 days ago. I think it’s the fasted dress I’ve ever made from purchasing fabric through completion.
Sunday I discovered the need for a new dress.
Monday I bought the fabric. ( Usually it would then sit for weeks/months/years, but this time I didn’t dare wait.)
Tuesday I cut out the pieces.
Wednesday I sewed most of the day.
Today (Thursday) I unpicked the sash I had sewn wrong, resewed it correctly, and attached it to the dress. Done!!!
Presenting Cherry Pie’s new Sunday Dress.
Isn’t it beautiful? I love the fabric and the pattern (which I successfully altered to fit her waist. Woot!)
The pattern is from the book Sew Serendipity by Kay Whitt.
And check out this professional top stitching 😉
Also, all the seams inside are clean finished despite the fact that I do not own a serger.
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Now that Cherry Pie’s dress is done, there isn’t anything more I really care about finishing before the twins arrive. I’m super ready for them to be outside me instead of inside.
Per my last ultrasound, one twin is 5 pounds 9 ounces and the other is 6 pounds 7 ounces. That is 12 pounds of babies wedged between my ribs and hips. Yes I am ready for them to be out. Unfortunately for my crowded kidneys and me, the doctor figures we can wait 3 more weeks. So I’m hoping the babies are less patient than he. The good news is they have both turned head down (They were both transverse for quite awhile.)
Today was Cherry Pie’s first time to give a talk for Sacrament Meeting, she being newly 12. I looked up several stories, scriptures, and quotes for her. She chose a story from our family history to share and the quote she wanted.
Today is Mother’s Day. Today we remember and honor our Mothers. Our mothers give us life. They teach us the gospel. They feed us. They keep us from eating too much candy. They help us feel better when we are sad.
President Monson said: May each of us treasure this truth; one cannot forget mother and remember God. One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one.
I would like to share with you a story about my great great great grandmother, Lucy Ann Bingham. Lucy Ann had 13 children. In the spring of 1908, her youngest child, Florence, who was 6 years old, became very sick with scarlet fever. Lucy’s husband was away. Her neighbors were so afraid, they passed by the house on the far side of the street. With humble faith and patient work, Lucy Ann nursed Florence back to health. But before Florence was quite well, her 12 year old daughter, Bertha became sick. For 2 whole weeks, Bertha’s fever burned at 106*F every day. The doctor said there was no hope. He told others in town that he did not know why or how the child was still alive.
Lucy Ann worked and fasted and prayed. Bertha asked for a priesthood blessing, but the family was quarantined and no elders would come. After 2 weeks, suddenly Lucy Ann could tell that her daughter was dying. She gathered her children together around Bertha’s bed and prayed, “Heavenly Father give us wisdom to know what to do, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.” Just then, she heard out in the street, one man call to another. She went out and called to them, “My daughter is dying, are you afraid to come in and administer to her?” The 2 men left their horses in the street, came in, washed their hands, knelt by Bertha’s bed and anointed her with oil. Before they had finished the blessing, Bertha’s eyes were closed in peaceful sleep and her fever was gone. Lucy Ann’s prayers and the prayers of her children had been answered.
Later, Lucy Ann’s daughter wrote:
Mother’s hopes were high; that we, her children, would always remember and do the things she taught us, by her life, her words, and especially her deeds.
“Are there any sick among you?” She was there.
“Are you burdened with sorrow or shame?” a touch of her toil worn hand or words of encouragement she gave with a smile. Honor the Lord’s anointed. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy! If you cannot say anything good of people, say nothing at all. But if you look you will find good. Remember a tenth of your earnings belong to the Lord. These are words of our Savior, but they came to us from our mother’s lips.
I think all of our mothers have the same hope that we will remember and do the things they teach us and that we will obey the Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
12 years ago today Cherry Pie came into our lives, and she’s been charming us ever since. She got her ears pierced for her birthday. Happy Birthday, Cherry. We love you!
Cherry Pie memorized the first 50 digits of Pi and won third place at school today. The winner of second place had memorized 51 digits of Pi, and first place had memorized 60 digits of Pi!
Cherry Pie got her nickname–which is short for “The Princess of Sweetness and Cherry Pie” (‘Hans My Hedgehog‘ from Jim Henson’s ‘The Storyteller’) because she was so breathtakingly beautiful as a baby. I seriously spent the first 2 weeks after she was born on the couch holding her and surrounded by a pink warm fuzzy cocoon of baby girl happiness. She was so delicate like a flower or a spiderweb in the sunrise, covered in dew. I spent hours just admiring her. At some point, Bubba (story to come later), who was 2 started coming up and biting my knee, and I remembered that I had 2 children who needed love and attention.
Aside from being beautiful, Cherry Pie has a tart streak which keeps her from being overwhelmingly sugary and unbearable. She is fun and sporty and she has a twisted sense of humor (one might say slightly evil sense of humor) that is really startling and funny. Example: One day at the dinner table, she suddenly held her fork over her plate in a very threatening manner and, addressing her food, said, “Tell me the truth or I will stab you!”
I can understand this streak because I always loved the really gory fairy tales as a kid. You know, like the Cinderella version where the stepsisters actually carve off part of their feet to fit into the slipper. The little birds sing to the prince about “There’s blood in the shoe, the bride’s not right” and he goes back to get the real Cinderella.
Cherry Pie also inherited my compulsion to draw and color on walls. I’m sure my mother feels that this is only just and fair. Ironically, this particular mess was made at my mom’s house. Sorry, Mom.
Cherry Pie is a collector which is why she also gets called “Magpie” from time to time. She gathers pretty things up and hides them in her drawer and other little nests in corners of her room. Sometimes the things are not exactly hers. She also gathers little scraps of paper and bits of stickers for her nests. When she was 2, she would pull out fat quarters from my quilting fabric stash and hide them under her bed. I would find her later petting them and calling them “pity, pity.” Again, a compulsion that I understand well.
Took Cherry Pie to the hospital last night, thinking she might have appendicitis.
At that point, she couldn’t stand up straight because she was in so much pain.
The Resident Lieutenant is in Joplin – activated with his national guard unit to help with aftermath from the Joplin tornado. Seems like it is always when he is gone that stuff like this happens.
She really, really didn’t want to go to the hospital.
She really, really didn’t want to have an operation.
Finally, she said, “Okay, I will have my appendix out, since Grandpa had his appendix out.”
What a brave, brave girl.
After the operation, the surgeon told me she needed to take it easy for about a week.
After 3 days, I had to tell her not to climb trees yet. 😅
Marvelous Pigs in Satin 