tiff mertz

So, I recently (finally) got myself a sewing machine! So, in order to get better use to my new toy, I hunted through the depths of Pinterest to find some crafts that I could easily make. Here it is! But with nothing in it yet. I stumbled upon  this tutorial on a site called Crazy Little Projects.  It seemed pretty doable, and didn't require a lot of supplies, so I hit up the JO-ANN Fabrics, got some fabrics with fun pattern options, and figured I'd give it a go! Her blog has a pattern, but I didn't actually use her printable pattern, as I didn't have a printer. But I made my own based on hers, and it seemed to work just fine! I also based mine off of the wipes holder that I already have, plus the space that 2-3 diapers take up. Not too shabby for a first time and being out of practice AND using an unfamiliar machine! I could have done a better job on the velcro lol. The idea for this project actually came to me a while back, when I wanted to take some diap

Wow...where has the time gone?! Needless to say, I've been unable to update due to being so busy working 40 hours a week and raising this little heart breaker. I'm disappointed to say that breastfeeding didn't last as long as I'd hoped. But, I'm proud that I tried. I tried to pump when going back to work for about a month before my supply dipped so much that it just wasn't worth the stress it was putting on me during my short breaks.  But, I'm proud to say that when it comes to starting Valentine out on baby foods, I've made all of Val's baby food. So far, he's had apples, bananas, peas, carrots, sweet potatos, regular potatoes, and we're about to try some green beans this week! The key behind making homemade baby food happen has been thanks to my Christmas present from my Texas in-laws....the Sage Spoonfuls system! This thing is AWESOME. I definitely intend to do a more in depth review of this product and my experien

Well...little Valentine hit 6 weeks this past Saturday, which means that I will be going back to work from maternity leave soon. In fact, I go back Thursday. It's wild that 6 weeks have already passed by so quickly. One of the challenges I anticipate having as I go back to work will be eating better. I've definitely not been eating healthy (and by that I mean getting a good breakfast, as well as eating more fruits and veggies like I should.) I've definitely slacked off and eaten a LOT of fast food, especially in the last 4 weeks. My plan for my first 2 days of work is to make extra food at dinner time while my husband is home and use that extra food as my lunches for those two days. I also plan to portion out my trail mix, which I tend to just snack on freely at my desk at work. The great thing about work is that I have a very easy time drinking lots of water while I'm there, as I have a water bottle with a built in filter I use every day. I usually drink through my w

So, as you can tell, I haven't updated since 36 weeks...and I'd planned on updated if we reached 40 weeks. I even went to work on my due date. Which was sort of lame. Kind of like working on your own birthday. Only it was no one's birthday. On my due date, 40 weeks. I was sooo ready. Lol. My due date was August 14th...and at 6 AM on August 15th, as I got ready to go to my doctor's appointment that day before work, my water broke and we were on our way. The short version is that Valentine John Mertz was born on August 16th, 2014 at 7:42 AM weighing 7 lbs 5.3 oz and 20.8 inches long. The long version is, well, longer obviously. We got to the hospital around 8am and didn't get a room until about 10-10:30 am. When we got our room, we started walking around to try to get contractions going because I really wasn't having any. They also did aromatherapy which, if nothing else, helped me feel really peaceful and relaxed and really just put me in an all

So...we're in the final weeks of pregnancy and I thought I'd share what's been going on in the last 4 weeks.. I'm just as surprised as you are that there isn't a Pikachu on here. Baby shower #1 was a huge success!! I had a wonderful time getting to not only watch people spoil my little dude, but also getting to catch up and see so many people in my hometown that I haven't been able to visit as much and whom I miss terrible! Yeah, they were pretty excited. :-) I also got to see family and friends who live kind of far away, so it was even more special! And I got to spend time with my moms. Grammy, Mama, and Nanny. I have found that I don't really like calling my husbands mom my mother-in-law...as though it's only "by law" that she is my mother. She has truly been another mother to me since I was 16 years old. Both she and John (Kev's step dad) have always been excellent parents who love their kids so much and truly want th

Well, here's the most current baby bump photo! I'm at work lol. I also got a haircut! It's not really what I wanted, but it'll grow out and be fine.  32 Weeks As far as Mr. Valentine goes, he's looking good. Every doctor's appointment is pretty standard now, with nothing new to report; just a very active baby. He's constantly kicking and punching me. I have been struggling just a tad with the summer heat. But, I've found a genius way around it. Swimming. I did go swimming in a real pool with some friends from work a couple Saturday's ago, but I got a pretty bad sunburn, so I have been avoiding the outside as much as I can since then to let it heal. But I have a back up plan for my house. I hate being stuck inside when the weather is nice (especially since this past winter was never ending!) so I found a children's pool with a slide that I can lay on, sort of like a lounge chair. It can also pull double duty next summer when I have a