New Mary Stuff

Last weekend, Stephen and his dad painted Mary's 'big girl' room pink, and it looks great! We decorated the walls with embroidery hoops and a magnetic white board. Mary loves to play with her letter magnets, and she's even started to learn some of their sounds.

We haven't put Mary in her new bed to sleep yet, but we do let her play in it when she wants to; hopefully she's getting used to it. There is a bed rail on one side, and the other side is up against the wall.

Mary loves, loves, loves her pink bunny pillow! It is the cutest thing! She makes her bunny face and sniffs each time she sees it.

We did a lot of consignment sale shopping recently, and one of the best deals I came home with was this great washer/dryer play station from Fisher-Price. It has an ironing board attached, and the little pink iron has become Mary's new favorite thing. "I-on, i-on, i-on," is the first thing I hear every morning when I get her up. She loves to "i-on," especially when Mama is ironing. At only $4, I couldn't ask for a better toy!

Mary is all smiles with her pink iron. At the consignment sales, I also picked up lots of cute tops to make into dresses for Mary's winter wardrobe. I made all the dresses she's wearing in these pictures from consigned tops or cheap Wal-Mart tops and new fabric (very inexpensive). The one with the yellow top has the fifty states and their capitals on it! So cute! Mary is big enough now to sit on my lap while I sew, which I absolutely love. She really gets into it and sits still for quite a while as we work. Her great-grandmother sewed her first quilt when she was 8; I think Mary may be able to do that too, if she stays as interested as she is now. When she's older we'd like to get Mary her own little sewing machine and put her to work.

We got a great report on Anna the last time we went to the doctor. Everything is going very well with the pregnancy, but as I'm getting closer to the third trimester I get tired much more easily and earlier in the day. By the time Stephen comes home from work I'm usually tuckered out. But God is so good to me to give me strength throughout the day, and He has blessed us with such a wonderful little girl. Mary is always so happy (that's one of her new words; she says "happaay" all the time); I truly enjoy staying home with her every day!

Have a wonderful weekend!