D.I.Y. Weighted Blanket

Last week while talking with the boys pt (physical therapist) about a few of David's random behaviors and lack of sleeping at night she mentioned perhaps he might need a weighted blanket.  Which seemed like a brilliant idea and totally easy to try.  I headed to Google to see about ordering one and about gagged when I saw the prices.  Which lead me (after a couple people mentioned it) to make it myself.  After doing some research it didn't look to hard to make, so I decide to give it a try.  

A quick trip to the fabric store and Michael's on Friday, and by Sunday evening we had a weighted blanket for probably 1/3 the price, or less.  And the fabric is yummy lovie soft minkyness.  Umm yes please.   

Of course, if you decide you want a weighted blanket I photo documented the whole process for you . . . your welcome.  

The first step was to determine the size.  Since my guys are little, their blanket is pretty small. 

I cut my two fabrics (front and back) in a 35 inch square, which after seam allowances the weighted area ended up to be a 30 inch square. 

Then I sewed it together inside out on three sides, like a pillow case. 

 Turn it right side out

After turning it right side out, I sewed an inch border around the three sides sewn together just to give it a little something.  (you can see the border in the picture above in the lower left hand corner).

Next, I sewed vertical tubes using a special foot on my machine that helps sew straight accurately spaced lines or you can draw the lines on to follow.  My tubes were 2 inch but you could go all the way to 5 inch tubes.  (the vertical tubes are on right hand side of the picture)

For weights you can use anything: popcorn, rice, beans, etc.  I heard mold can grow in blankets made with "organic" weighting material and I wanted the ability to machine wash the blanket so I decided to use plastic "polly-pellets" for weight (see picture below)

Using a food scale I measured out the amount of polly-pellets for the weight I needed for each square; it happened to be exactly 3 teaspoons per 2 inch square. Using a funnel we poured 3 teaspoons into each channel.   To determine weight:  the total weight should be 10% of the persons body + 1 lb.  Divide the weight of the blanket by the number of squares to get the weight for each square.

After pouring enough polly-pellets for one row of squares in each vertical tube I would then sew horizontally to seal it.  For my blanket I did this process 15 times.

After filling and sewing all 15 of the horizontal rows I top stitched the open end and boom......

We have a 4.5 lb weighted blanket.   

As I neared the 2 lb mark of the blanket it did get rather cumbersome for the machine to sew but we made it through.  When looking into making it, I read a couple places to prepare myself to break a lot of needles.  I am proud to say we didn't break one needle and we didn't end up with polly-pellets all over the floor!  

And of course what blog post is complete with out a picture of this kid!! Oh my goodness the cuteness.

Model Trains at the Oceano Depot

The twins got their first serious look at model trains today at the Oceano Depot where the San Luis Obispo Model Railroad Association was putting on a weekend show. And just to top things off, we followed up with lunch at the Station Grill and were rewarded for our efforts by a northbound Surfliner stopping at Grover Beach.

All the photos: http://jf2.com/130126/

Prepping for the Raingutter Regatta

Following a Taco Bar extravaganza, the two middle kids got a head start on building and painting their boats for the February 22nd Children's Center Raingutter Regatta.

All the photos are here: http://worshipweekly.com/130125.html

Our School - It's the little things

I love our school.

Coastal Christian School

My kids love their school.  They talk about their teachers and class mates and how they look forward to staying there through high school.

It's little things.

Like the fact I don't have to get out of the car when picking up the big kids.  You just pull up to the cross walk and the teachers send out your kids.  It's amazing.  Sleeping babies love it.

That each teacher knows each student, not just the ones in their class.

They go on lots of field trips.  They get out of the classroom.

They take the extra time to help my child who needs a little extra patients, a little extra teaching, and a little extra time.

The fact that after the recent shooting our kindergarten teacher sent home a note telling us parents how much she cares and loves for each of our children and would protect them like her own.  How she took the whole class into the bathroom to make sure they would all fit.  When they did she called one of the dads whom is a contractor and the next day had him install inside locks up high on both the door to the class and the bathroom.


I love our school.

It's the big things too.

They hold high academic standards

God is present in all they do.

They bow their heads before school, during school and at the end of the day.

They celebrate our saviors birth.

I love our school

Confessions from Sick Bay

We are now 7 days into the invasion of the flu/influenza/really bad cold/RSV.

The only unaffected by this rampage of sickness is..

Me 

Which means I have been playing care take to:

1 semi-sick great-grandpa

1 sick husband

2 sick grandparents

3 sick kids

(so I guess in truth the 3 older kids haven't been infected)

Oh and on little to no sleep.

At this point I am hoping to go down with the flu just so I have a reason to take a nap and get a full night sleep.

Although I know if I do come down with the flu I really wont get to take a nap or get a full night sleep, I will just continue to have to care for children while being sick...so I really hope I don't go down.

Yesterday I thought the babies were on the mend but then Jonathan spike a fever mid-afternoon.

David decided to spike a 102 fever in the middle of the night and was hacking up a lung.  

So off to doc this morning for the second time in 5 days. Yes, yes they do have RSV.  

The good news they are handling it well...if you mean well as in up all night crying and wanting to be held all day.

In the grand scheme of things that is well.  

Oh but this mama is tired and she had lots of fun play dates she wanted to attend.  Boo.

Jonathan cuddling up with his fever and mommy.

Santa Barbara Zoo by Train

Our big New Year's Eve day event was a trip to the Santa Barbara Zoo! The three older kids and the three adult fathers rode the train. The remainder slept in a little longer, drove to the SB Zoo, and were home long before the train riders. Here are the only two pics I got as I left the charger and battery on the train (never to be seen again, most likely).

Matteo ALWAYS takes time to study the train materials.

It was an electronics kind of Christmas, and everyone was fully engaged with their electrons...

Children's Museum to Closing McKeon-Phillips

It was an interesting day... Great fun at the San Luis Obispo Children's Museum, fabulous lunch with Trevor and Jen at the new Far Western Tavern in Orcutt, and a strangely melancholy visit to McKeon-Phillips Winery upon the recent news of their closing for good this Monday.

Photos: http://JF2.com/121228/

The picture above is from Trevor and Jen's wedding rehearsal dinner held at McKeon-Phillips Winery in December of 2008. We bought that table today. Photos from that weekend: http://JF2.com/081205/

God is Good

When we first heard about our boys we were told a bunch of medical jargen:  born at 25wk, 1lb, 12oz, stage 2 ROP, laser eye surgery, grade 2 bilateral brain bleeds, ventilators, chronic lung disease and the list went on.  That night I google every word.  I found words like blindness, cerebral palsy, learn disabilities, respiratory problems, sensory issues. 

We prayed, we talked with good friends, we moved forwarded.

At the hospital we sat with the doctors and nurses and held their tiny bodies hooked to all the alarms and tubes.  They told us then that we were not looking at babies who would be blind, sigh of relief, but they couldn't rule out cerebral palsy or learning and respiratory issue.  

We learned to care for them, how to feed them and bath them and still when we brought them home their overall health outcome was unknown.  With all Jonathan had been through, 3 months on a ventilator, lack of weight gain, brain bleeds and the fact that he was behind in his gestational age, cerebral palsy was brought up. 

So we started early intervention and gave him love and hugs, and slowly Jonathan began to meet his milestones but I was reserved in my excitement because statics said we shouldn't be so lucky.  But God is good and works in such amazing ways.

On Christmas day at 10.5 months (7 months adjusted) Jonathan beat all the odds and crawled. 

Never in my life have I been more happy to pull wrapping paper out of my babies mouth!

God is good.

God will heal.

And Off We Go

It was a wild ride today! Don't miss all the pics: http://JF2.com/121225/

Who Did This?!

You've seen the movie, "Elf", right! Well, have you ever had your very own Elf breakfast? Ya gotta give it a try!... Check out all the pics: http://JF2.com/121224/

Sam got the prize for the best Elf plate!

It's in Her DNA

Papa Bill shared some pictures this evening with Serafina of he and Francie (dearly departed wife) doing theatre during their college days. Serafina comes by it legitimately! A few more photos from this evening: http://JF2.com/121222/

The Bar Line is Closed

Papa Bill (and all the rest of us, too) got too see our little starlet at the Melodrama last night! Her new job is to man the CLOSED sign at the end of the bar line. Papa Bill also got in on a little of the back stage action as the Melodrama does last minute preparations for a show. "5 minutes to places!"

 

 

While Shepherds Watched...

Here are a few pics of the kids choirs singing at GraceSLO last Sunday. See if you can spot the two Regusci cherubs...

 

 

Remember Christmas = Forgiveness and Love

With all the chaos around, we want to make sure you fully understand this post will be about Love and Forgiveness.

Sadly, and tragically, last Friday a suicidal egomaniac killed innocent victims and rocked the foundations of our lives.  Even in the midst of this tragedy, our sensationalized media has utilized this event, and our fragile emotions, to discuss disgusting political issues and split our nation further apart.

We at the Compound are heartbroken and saddened that this event has not brought our nation closer together through love, charity, and forgiveness.

We Americans are amazing, charitable, spiritual people that love and care for neighbors, we may not even know, locally and all across the world.  We should not be known by these few unfortunate events that stream cross the media 24/7.  We should be known by the countless acts of love and charity that goes unnoticed every day.  Like giving food, blankets, shelter, and coats to the needy.  Toys, money, and love to good families struggling to make ends meet.  Countless children loved and cared for by foster and adoptive parents, and thankless gifts equaling over $6,000 to help a downsy baby, Yani, across the world be adopted by an amazing selfless family here in the States.

This is the America we love.  Merry Christmas and God Bless America

After many discussions at the compound about this horrific event, I wrote the following poem to highlight the compounds beliefs and what we will be focusing on this Christmas.

Remember Christmas = Forgiveness and Love 

Tragedy has struck

Our minute safe worlds are torn apart.

Is it bad luck?

Has the country, our people, lost their hearts?

So self-absorbed, so struck with fear, 

We forget the season of our Lord is near.

What do we do, where do we go?

Have we lost sight of the manger below?

This life changing event has caused us much grief,

And turned the most verbose around us mute;

Has rocked the core of our beliefs,

And provoked senseless political dispute.

Many philosophical questions are being asked,

Our intellectual and fragile minds are being racked.

The age old question - how can God exist?

With such death, hated, and evil in our midst.

When sensational brutal crimes are all we in the on TV

We miss the goodness, greatness, Godliness that surrounds.

Media bombards us with ugliness, not beautiful generosity, 

So we forget the vast majority of amazing people all around.

More guns! Less Guns! MORE! OR! LESS!

Don’t get wrapped up in this political mess.

For praise the Lord - A child is to be born

And he will help us constructively morn.

Please remove the rose colored glasses from your eyes,

And see your family, friends, and community clear.

We are Godly people, who will never die;

And cherish our life with no fear.

My family will pray for all victims of crimes,

And whose souls will miss the heavenly chimes.

My family will enter the season happily with love,

Praying, caroling, and celebrating our God above.

Remember it is Christmas and our Savior is alive,

Joyfully we realize Satan's war is lost, forever goodness has won.

Jesus spirit and words survive; though his body, crucified, will die,

Jesus cries out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they have done.”

Amen

All Things Baby

 

Who doesn't love a good baby update!  (If you follow me on instagram or face book you have probably seen a lot of these picture.)

 

 

About a month ago I asked our PT if she thought the babies might be sitting by Christmas.  She wasn't convinced they we would be independently sitting and would not say yes or no......well....

 

 

There is Jonathan, in what looks like a sitting position.   Now I do have to clarify and little.  He is not exactly sitting, but rather strategically balanced in a sitting position and the picture taken moments before he face planted...but we are so close...so close.....

 

The boys are modeling their outfits that Noni and Nono bought them in China town.  Are they not absolutely adorable? The red on the coats are dragons.  Appropriate since they were born in the year of the dragon.    But my absolute favorite of the entire outfits:

 

 The ponytails.  OMG...does it get better then that?  I think not.

The other new active we discovered and L.O.V.E  is swinging.

When you have twins (or two infants relatively the same age) you can smash them both in the park's baby swing and they act as natural backrest/cushion.  And well Jonathan thought this rocked.  The child never stopped laughing. 

 

This is what David thought about swinging. 

 

 And lastly both the boys giggling.  Hilarious. My sensory seeking boys, loving the swing!

In other news the babies haven't been sick since before Thanksgiving yeah!!  They are now 10 months (6months adjusted age).  We still don't like to sleep through the night, boo.  Solid foods are a no go right now.  They pretty much hate it with a passion but will chew on an empty spoon for hours.  And finally...drum roll....David has 2 front teeth!!  That was all he wanted for Christmas...haha.


Lastly, since we are on the subject of All Things Baby, have you donated to Yana's adoption fund yet?  Did you spread the word for the awesome giveway?  And after my last blog Jeanette came up with a new giveway for bloggers, check it out.  Did you see the new news on Life Rearranged?  Yana has a family.  A family stepped forward to adopt her.  So now is the time to bless this family with your donations because soon she will be home with them, being pushed in swings, and dressed up in pretty dresses.  There will be so many joyous moments for them and their will be the stress of doctor appointments and possibly surgeries.  You can help by donating, large or small, lowing their financial burden making their journey just a little less stressful.

Merry Christmas all!!