Sunday, October 30, 2011

Here we go!

So its saturday night... but if you're reading this, its Sunday morning and we're at the hospital! Induction scheduled for 7am... bright and early. Hoping they will break my water first and see how that goes... if no luck - pitocin... either way Ms. Rozzlyn is getting evicted ... We're out of waiting time (see previous posts) and she needs to get out. Im sitting here staring at the empty MamaRoo... feeling her kicking around inside me... and its insanely surreal to think that by this time tomorrow night if all goes as planned...  Ill be in this same spot, blogging about my amazing water birth experience... looking at a beautiful baby girl in that chair. (if I can handle the idea of putting her down that is ;) wow... Its all happening so fast. Yet I feel like its been weeks of trying to coax her out! So - think of me! I need all the awesome pain free water birth vibes I can get!!!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Favorite Japanese Fabrics...

Most people know by now - I have a crazy obsession with Japanese fabrics... and people are always asking me where I get all my fabrics in the shop. Well, I can't tell you all my secrets of course. But I thought it would be fun to point out one of the more obvious sources - Etsy. There are some GREAT Prints available on etsy... my favorite way to shop for them are via the Supplies Section... just choose Supples, then enter the keywords into the bar & click search.
I chose "skull Japanese fabric" to see the new ones out there :) but there are OHHHHH so many great things to search so have fun with it! Click the pictures to be taken to the shop it is sold from.
Here are some of my favorites :)
GLITTER!! $7.00/half yard

Unicorns: $18.00 /yard

My all time favorite skully print...

I made Ms. Rozzlyn a blanket out of this one... $4.50/ FQ

CUTE ABC print!! $7.50/half yard

Also - i LOVE seersucker Japanese fabrics... such a fun texture. 
I might have to snag this one up :)
$8.50/Meter (just over a yard)

So that is how its done! Search around and see what you can find - share your favorites with us! I would love to see what inspires you :)





Friday, October 28, 2011

A peek into the new clothes coming after baby.

I did a sneak peek of these on the fan page the other day, so I figured I should sneak peek them here too. This is our new exclusive RockerByeBaby print - seen ONLY in our shop... custom designed by my amazing designer friend Mandy... basically we're replacing everything that we made that WAS in the Regent Skulls print with our new design. There is a girls & boys version of the polo on black... and a girls and boys version of the hoodie on Gray... Notice how awesome the gray is with the sketching in the bones & the skull... LOVE!!! This is definitely a new favorite in the RockerByeBaby house. Samples are headed out to the photographers, and by the time we are ready to reopen full force after baby, we will have awesome modeled pictures ready to put this guys up for sale. Can't wait!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Sigh... here we go again.

Sorry for my lack of posting - its just been chaotic around here... between working like a crazy woman, juggling toddlers, calling lawyers, organizing paperwork for insurance, trying to keep up my house, etc... its just been crazy. So many things have happened this week... and yet, I feel like we're no closer to having this baby girl.. and the pressure is officially on. So here is the update:

Zaq's unemployment went through, YAY! One HUGE thing off the panic list... it buys us some time (literally) to adjust to life with baby #3 without having to totally panic about how we will pay out mortgage. So I am very thankful for that. He has already been looking for another job, but at least we're not in a total rush now.

As soon as he was notified of the unemployment, I rushed down to the office to put together my state insurance packet... this took me about 3 hours start to finish. Wow, between bank statements, check stubs, birth certificates, and much more... it was insane! So the next morning after having it all together... I went down to the office at 8:30 am... was person number 4 in line, and ready to meet with someone to get an answer. Only to find out that I was mis-informed and wouldn't not get an immediate answer. I had to wait 10-15 days... and there was no way to get a (you should get it) because we are right on the border of the maximums. When I explained to the woman, "but I don't have 15 days... my due date was October 21st, she could come any day..." She looked at me like the stupidest person on earth and said "you're telling me you're already past your due date and you're just now bringing in your packet?" I swear I wanted to punch her... as if I had planned for my family to be in this situation... as if I was just sitting around being lazy and thought, oh hey, maybe I should have insurance for this delivery. I didn't have a choice... I HAD to wait until we had an answer from unemployment to give accurate income information or they would have just sent it back... Ugh. How rude...

Which now brings be to stress point #3: Baby.
Now that I have no guarantee about insurance... and can't risk thousands of dollars in medical bills, we have to have this baby & be out of the hospital by the night of October 31st. Today is October 27th - do the math... My birth plan is pretty much out the window... thanks Best Buy. This situation has taken control of so many aspects of my life... its just unfair... lawsuit, charges, whatever - nothing changes this experience... nothing will bring back this child birth... I don't get a do-over. I got one shot... and now its rushed. Im supposed to be waiting for my baby girl to make her arrival... going through all the natural steps to get a natural child birth... I had my membranes stripped again today with minimal results. The best news was that Im about 4 cm dilated... sadly, its not where I need to be. I need to be in full on labor to avoid the Sunday induction that has now been scheduled... Apparently the lawyer thinks we can add this to our case. Because of the emotional aspect of it all... and because of the fact that my safer natural water birth will now be one full of hospital intervention, monitors and pitocin. Great - but it still doesn't get me what I want.

SO yeah, thats where we are right now... in a whirlwind of chaos... baby Rozzlyn will be here Monday at the latest... that's about the best news I have to share right now.. I want to thank everyone for their support while we go through all of this... There have been so many kind words, thoughts & prayers sent our way... it means a lot. I know everything happens for a reason... and Im trying to stay oh so positive... Im just kinda hitting a wall with the optimism... physically and emotionally exhausted and starting to break down a bit. *just keep swimming... just keep swimming*

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Some Favorite Finds this week on Etsy.

When you spend as much time on Etsy as I do... it can be hard to find new drool-worthy duds... but this week proved to be nothing short of awesomeness... I went on a hunt for some daddy stuff... Christmas is coming quick and this year we will be on a big time budget... so I have to start planning ahead... and getting some awesomeness little bits at a time...

   

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Give a little... get a little...

Hey everyone!
Im here today to ask for a little help... A good friend of my hubby's, Tommy - is headed out on one of the most SELFLESS trips I have ever known anyone to take... in January, he is going "the garbage dumps and leper colonies of Hyderabad, India"

From Tommy:
"it's pretty simple, really: my friends and i will pour out our hearts to the lepers and children living in the garbage dumps of hyderabad, india. we are friends with a church right in the middle of a garbage dump and we love to do things like: throw feasts for the village, give blankets to the widows, play games with the kids, sing songs to everyone, pray with people, and meet the needs of beautiful people who are shamefully tossed aside like trash as a result of a cultural caste system that doesn't value them as humans. we will hug widows whose own sons won't even touch them, people who have not been hugged in like 20 years. we honor and value them. You and I might believe some different things, maybe we don't, but one thing that I really value is that when Jesus said to love the least of people, I take it seriously. Now, not everyone is able to just drop what they're doing and do stuff like this because of families, jobs, etc. but I've been placed in the unique position to. Maybe you're not sure about this "Jesus business" but you feel your heart strings tugged when you hear about this. Together, we can live out this vision."

Its people like Tommy that make this world a better place... doing selfless acts to help the people around him... to no benefit of himself. No matter how much he raises, he is taking this trip... either with the help of us, or out of his own pocket... but I know we can put a huge dent into the outrageous cost of his ticket to India.

Now, we have raised money for people before and had pretty huge turn outs - so I know we can make a difference for Tommy too... So with Halloween right around the corner - Ill make you a deal... Anyone that donates $5 will get entered into a giveaway to win a pack of Halloween Booger Bashers...  Donate $10 and be entered to win a Halloween Pacifier Clip & Halloween Booger Bashers... And if you donate $20 - you will be entered in to win a special one of a kind (unisex) Halloween Cotton/Minky blanket.

Here is how you do it...
Go to this website... Choose either the $20 option... or below it you can enter your own amount... it says over $20 but you can do less than that as well... so enter in either $5 or $10 in that box... then Check out with Paypal... (you can either use your paypal account for that, or just enter in your credit card info) Then check your email... you will have a receipt that is titled:

Then just forward it to me at rockerbyebaby@me.com with your name... 
I will then total up all the entries/donations... and on Monday we will pick a winner... so PLEASE give what you can... and PLEASE share and tell your friends... I know we can make a difference... 

Friday, October 21, 2011

My custom Hot Mama Gown...

OMG OMG OMG - Love. For years now - I have daydreamed about having my own awesome custom Hot Mama Gown... as soon as I got pregnant I immediately contacted the mama behind the magic and we worked out a plan to get it rolling... Deidrea is super mom in my eyes... juggling her business, family, interviews, TV spots like Shark Tank... whatever she does, she rocks it... and when it came to my custom gown... *maybe Im biased* but its easily the coolest one she has ever made :)
 I can't even begin to describe the excitement of the doorbell ringing and getting handed this box by Mr. UPS man... I swear my heart skipped a beat as soon as I realized what it was... I tore the box opened... drooled over the amazing packaging... and ripped open the sparkly hot pink tissue to find this <------- purely... awesomely... punky perfection... and in the perfect print... why? Because Ms. Rozzlyn has a matching blanket, onesie, and pacifier clip that I made her in this print... so of course we will be perfectly coordinating, and I can't be more excited about it...
Each Hot Mama Gown has some truly amazing features:

  • Hospital / Birthing Center friendly with short sleeves and a full coverage snap-open back
  • Two ribbon-tied panels allow for quick and easy access for discreet nursing
Plenty of room for a growing belly... and perfectly comfy & cozy for both before & after pregnancy. Saying I am excited to show it off in the delivery room is a total understatement... so be sure to check back soon, as of COURSE I will have to take a bajillion pictures actually wearing it :)

Also - if you're interested in your own custom Hot Mama Gown - all the info is here :)
"The custom order process goes a little something like this: Send us an email Sales@HotMamaGowns.com and tell us all about your idea. We’ll then discuss the final design and try our best to meet all your requests!"

Thursday, October 20, 2011

The last one standing - congrats ladies!!

*sigh* So, I lost the race... me and these 3 awesome mama's were all due within a week of each other and we joked about who would go first. Well, Im the last one still standing... Ms. Rozzlyn is just hanging out... cookin' away... I just wanted to take a second to introduce the 3 cutest baby girls on earth :)

Allison Paige 8.2lbs 21inches
Izlyn Grey 20 1/2 inches long and 8.6 ibs
LOOK AT ALL THAT HAIR!!!
Izzabelle Imogen 7 lbs .8oz.
Snuggled up on her boppy cover we made her :)
And a shameless plug - I made her crib bedding too :)

So congrats again to all these super mama's... you're all amazing... and all recovering from c-sections... I don't know how you do it!! Hopefully I will join you in the new baby world soon!  Kiss all those baby cheeks for me... and enjoy every second... it goes by so, so, so, fast... my "baby" is 4 now... wow.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Babble Babble Babble... Blah Blah Blah...

Im a huge follower of the Babble articles/blogs... they're typically funny, inspiring, educational, or something of that sort. But the one the posted today really kinda sent me into a whirl wind... It was about horrible hair cuts for kids... one of which included the Mohawk... and a picture of Gavin Rossdale's son - Kingston... Saying below it "Should your three-year-old really look like a pissed off 14-year-old?" Now lets be real - i think this is the worst possible picture that exists of poor Gavin, because I have seen him looking pretty dang cute... and the weird gag face they caught him making, maybe not his most flattering moment... but to make a comment like the one tagged, to me is just ignorant. However, to me it wasn't even the article that got me going... it was all of the comments below it from the parents... so so so sad... so close-minded... so judgmental... and we wonder how there can be so much hate in this world... its judgmental parents raising judgmental kids... Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the article. "Mullets should be made illegal and if u put one on ur kid u should be arrested 4 child abuse as 4 mohawks shame on parents for making your kids look ridiculous like that!" This parent should be arrested 4 bad grammar... "No. I am in the pick your battles camp, and agree that hair is harmless; however, I want my kids to project a certain image to the world, and trash is not it. There is enough judgement out there, why make it worse? The little boys I know that sport mohawks are some of the nastiest, most violent kids I know; self-fulfilling prophecy?" Trash? really? Nasty - Violent Kids? wow... I want to meet this nasty violent three year old with a mohawk she is talking about... he must be intense.
Over there on the right is my scary, violent, 3 year old. Doesn't he look so angry! Hide your kids!! Sheild your eyes!! Oh, Oh, and this is a favorite... "it looks retarded.. fowhawk maybe..." It looks retarded? So now we have a judgmental parent stereotyping about intelligence? Because calling someone retarded based on their looks is a really appropriate and politically correct thing to do... I bet that mom is a way better mom that I am... you know - since my kids has/had a mohawk. This one however... makes me really happy :) I love sarcasm... "Those kids are shitheads because of their hair-dos. There's this weird neurological thing that happens when a certain hair cut tops somebody's head - and with mohawks the wearer actually BECOMES a bad kid." <-- my hero. Its funny/sad to me that people can actually believe this kind of thing... that people are raising their KIDS to believe this kind of thing... that people can be good or bad based on their color, their location, their hair cut... their sexual orientation... their religious preference... the list goes on. If I can do one thing right in parenting, I hope it will be to raise my kids openly - and to let them make their own decisions on people based on the PERSON - not the things that surround them...

Would love to hear your input on this... maybe I'm being dramatic... maybe I'm taking it too personally... or maybe Im right on being offended by the ignorance that is pushed so harshly onto children... whatever your stance - I'm interested in hearing your perspective. And for your viewing pleasure... some more pictures of my mean and nasty child with a mohawk ;)
 Angry baby... obviously... He was probably cursing at me here...
This is at Zavery's baby shower... I bet Izzaq went and beat some poor baby with that chain afterwards, LOL

Collect the Whole Set :)

Two of my most recent Crib Bedding Sets that feature lots of fun nursery accessories - they look great don't they!!









<3