Saturday, January 24, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Save Handmade
There's a new law, taking effect February 10, 2009, entitled "Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act" or "CPSIA". This law requires all sellers of products marketed towards children to have their products undergo lead testing, certifying the product is under a certain lead limit. The testing is expensive and if this law holds, many small businesses, including ours (http://www.scarletstitch.com/) will either go out of business or will have to stop producing children's products and instead produce products geared towards an older audience.
Please click on the teddy bear on the right to read up on this ridiculous law and to contact our legislature to repeal the law before many small business owners are put out of business and even more damage is done to our economy.
Thank you,
Crystal
Please click on the teddy bear on the right to read up on this ridiculous law and to contact our legislature to repeal the law before many small business owners are put out of business and even more damage is done to our economy.
Thank you,
Crystal
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Year 2008 Summary
STEVE:
Shortly after Crystal and I were married, we decided that it was time for me to finish my education. We have not regretted that decision, but it has not been without its share of hardships. I have since completed two semesters and have one left to go. If the Lord so wills, I will graduate May '09. But schooling is not over; it's only the beginning. We have another 4-5 years of seminary education as I work toward an M. Div. and a Th. M. There is a possibility that I will even work toward a Ph.D., but let's take one thing at a time. The Lord has brought us through trials this year. I have not been able to secure long-term employment, yet the Lord has sustained through this entire year. Though God brings us through all sorts of trials he is always there to supply us with everything we need to make it through. I have thought of the words of John Calvin often: "In short, such is his apportioning of it is conflict, that, while he assails us with one hand, he defends us with the other; yea, inasmuch as he supplies us with more strength to resist than he employs in opposing us, we may truly and properly say, that he fights against us with his left hand, and for us with his right hand." We have every reason to be thankful this year for the goodness God has shown us.
CRYSTAL:
I fulfilled my pregnancy in Michigan, enjoying my home birth immensely. I enjoy being a mom, watching Steven grow through his many stages. This past year I found a passion for sewing as I began sewing cloth diapers for Steven. Shortly after starting to sew for a friend's company, Scarlet Stitch, I was blessed to become part-owner. You can view our cute kid's clothing line at www.scarletstitch.com. Steven and I were able to visit MN a few times, as well as visit Buffalo, New York with Steve and Steve's parent's for a family reunion. I've been blessed to conceive again and am happily expecting our next baby in June.
STEVEN JR:
Born March 24, Steven's been a strong boy ever since. He could hold his head up right from the beginning, began rolling over by six weeks of age, scotting around on his tummy by 5 months, crawling by 6 months, and at 9 months old is currently walking by holding onto furniture, occasionally letting go to stand by himself. He cut his first two bottom teeth and has grown back a blond head of hair to replace his darker head of hair at birth. He's enjoyed a few rides on the train, to and from MI and MN, as well as a few long car rides, including from MI to NY and MN to MI; He travels decidedly well. He's starting to "talk" more and more. He's enjoying eating pureed vegetables. He likes the phone, especially when one of his Grandmas is on the other end. He's enjoyed being potty trained (otherwise known as Elimination Communication or Pee Speak) since he was five weeks old and was recently interviewed, along with his mom, for a documentary to come out before this winter's end, entitled "One, Two...Pee. Pee Speak." (Soon you should be able to view the documentary's website: www.onetwopee.com.)
Shortly after Crystal and I were married, we decided that it was time for me to finish my education. We have not regretted that decision, but it has not been without its share of hardships. I have since completed two semesters and have one left to go. If the Lord so wills, I will graduate May '09. But schooling is not over; it's only the beginning. We have another 4-5 years of seminary education as I work toward an M. Div. and a Th. M. There is a possibility that I will even work toward a Ph.D., but let's take one thing at a time. The Lord has brought us through trials this year. I have not been able to secure long-term employment, yet the Lord has sustained through this entire year. Though God brings us through all sorts of trials he is always there to supply us with everything we need to make it through. I have thought of the words of John Calvin often: "In short, such is his apportioning of it is conflict, that, while he assails us with one hand, he defends us with the other; yea, inasmuch as he supplies us with more strength to resist than he employs in opposing us, we may truly and properly say, that he fights against us with his left hand, and for us with his right hand." We have every reason to be thankful this year for the goodness God has shown us.
CRYSTAL:
I fulfilled my pregnancy in Michigan, enjoying my home birth immensely. I enjoy being a mom, watching Steven grow through his many stages. This past year I found a passion for sewing as I began sewing cloth diapers for Steven. Shortly after starting to sew for a friend's company, Scarlet Stitch, I was blessed to become part-owner. You can view our cute kid's clothing line at www.scarletstitch.com. Steven and I were able to visit MN a few times, as well as visit Buffalo, New York with Steve and Steve's parent's for a family reunion. I've been blessed to conceive again and am happily expecting our next baby in June.
STEVEN JR:
Born March 24, Steven's been a strong boy ever since. He could hold his head up right from the beginning, began rolling over by six weeks of age, scotting around on his tummy by 5 months, crawling by 6 months, and at 9 months old is currently walking by holding onto furniture, occasionally letting go to stand by himself. He cut his first two bottom teeth and has grown back a blond head of hair to replace his darker head of hair at birth. He's enjoyed a few rides on the train, to and from MI and MN, as well as a few long car rides, including from MI to NY and MN to MI; He travels decidedly well. He's starting to "talk" more and more. He's enjoying eating pureed vegetables. He likes the phone, especially when one of his Grandmas is on the other end. He's enjoyed being potty trained (otherwise known as Elimination Communication or Pee Speak) since he was five weeks old and was recently interviewed, along with his mom, for a documentary to come out before this winter's end, entitled "One, Two...Pee. Pee Speak." (Soon you should be able to view the documentary's website: www.onetwopee.com.)
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Carr Update #61
We're getting back into the swing of things now that we're back home again.
STEVEN:
Sleep ~
Steven's having a tough time with his naps and sleeping. He wants us right there holding him until he falls asleep.
Teeth:
He getting his top FOUR teeth, poor guy.
SVEN:
School ~
Sven started classes on the 8th and is starting to feel the homework load. We're grateful and looking forward to his graduating this spring.
Work ~
He's back to searching for a job. Praying for God's provision - He is so faithful.
CRYSTAL:
Scarlet Stitch / Sewing ~
I've been busy with Scarlet Stitch business. In September, I was blessed to start sewing for the company; in November, I was blessed to become part-owner; and now, the two original owners have moved on to other pursuits and me and my partner, Jill Buie, are co-owners of the company. I'm enjoying all the paperwork right now, with tax time and all. Looking forward to getting into sewing SOON.
A few friends have hired me to sew various things for them. I'm so thankful for the opportunity! I love sewing and hope for more side jobs like these as time goes on.
STEVEN:
Sleep ~
Steven's having a tough time with his naps and sleeping. He wants us right there holding him until he falls asleep.
Teeth:
He getting his top FOUR teeth, poor guy.
SVEN:
School ~
Sven started classes on the 8th and is starting to feel the homework load. We're grateful and looking forward to his graduating this spring.
Work ~
He's back to searching for a job. Praying for God's provision - He is so faithful.
CRYSTAL:
Scarlet Stitch / Sewing ~
I've been busy with Scarlet Stitch business. In September, I was blessed to start sewing for the company; in November, I was blessed to become part-owner; and now, the two original owners have moved on to other pursuits and me and my partner, Jill Buie, are co-owners of the company. I'm enjoying all the paperwork right now, with tax time and all. Looking forward to getting into sewing SOON.
A few friends have hired me to sew various things for them. I'm so thankful for the opportunity! I love sewing and hope for more side jobs like these as time goes on.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
4 Months Pregnant
I'm thankful that I'm past the point of concern for the condition I had last pregnancy known as "encarcerated uterus". I've had no morning sickness this pregnancy, but have struggled with various colds and migraines.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Back Home!
We just got in from our weeks away from home in MN. Had a great time with family and friends. Very glad to be home, too. Steven is glad to be back - as soon as we brought him in and set him on the livingroom floor, he started laughing and smiling. As we unloaded all our stuff from the car, Steven was there to greet us with a big smile, laughing. I'll post pics and write more later.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Going to MN!
We head out tomorrow, dark and early, towards MN. We'll be staying in Superior, WI for a few days with Steve's brother's family, then heading to MN to spend about 1 month with family and friends. We're looking forward to it!!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Carr Update #55
Life seems to have been very busy lately; I'll do my best to update you.
STEVEN:
On ECing ("Elimination Communication" or Infant Potty Training):
We had more misses every since he started teething, with some days lots better than others. As soon as he had his first food, Sven caught his first poo on the potty and then Steven didn't poo on the potty for a little over a week! Instead, every poo for that week was in his diaper! I started using disposables, because the poo was just a little too 'yuck' for me and the cloth. Then Steven got over whatever it was and now he hasn't pooed in his diaper for awhile - hmm, what has it been? A couple days? Most all the poos are in the potty now. I have read that when they go through anything new they often have more misses, so at least he's back on track with his poos.
A lady contacted me, interested in interviewing Steven and I for a documentary on ECing. The interview will be sometime in the first 2 weeks of December. Kind of exciting :)
On Mobility:
Steven is a crawling pro now. He can pull himself up to standing with great ease. He's let go a few times and either stood there until he grabbed hold of something again or fell to his bum. He's walking along, holding onto furniture, or someone's hands.
On Sleeping:
He's doing better at night since he's started eating food, but he still wakes once between 11p and 2a to go potty (I guess that's a good thing!) and sometimes has trouble staying asleep between 7 and 9am. He doesn't do so well when we stay out too late and he is up late.
His naps are a little more rocky than night time. Often he'll need to be rocked to sleep or just about sleeping for his naps. At least for night time he mostly goes down by himself.
SVEN:
On Work:
Still searching, praying and applying. It's a trying time for us, but we pray God would strengthen our faith through it. Sven's not slacking, he's applying lots of places (he's even applied at McDonald's and didn't get hired, so it's not like he's not willing or trying to apply wherever.) God is good and keeps providing in surprising ways. We are so blessed. Thank you to our friends and family for your care and prayers.
On School:
Sven's finishing up this semester in a couple weeks. He has one more semester left of college in order to graduate and then go on to seminary.
CRYSTAL:
On Sewing:
My new-found passion for sewing has been rewarded. A couple months ago I started working for Scarlet Stitch. At the beginning of November I was invited to join as an equal owner of the company. I'm enjoying it immensely. We're having a sale on select items Dec. 1-6, so check us out at http://www.scarletstitch.com/ - tell your friends!
I daydream about the day, Lord willing, I can own a serger - oh the possibilities.
On Being Pregnant:
The pregnancy is going well. I haven't had any nauseau, so I'm very thankful. At three months pregnant with Steven I had to go to the ER due to a rare condition known as "incarcerated uterus", so I'm praying that will not happen again, as it was most unpleasant. (The timeframe this could occur is weeks 12-14.)
STEVEN:
On ECing ("Elimination Communication" or Infant Potty Training):
We had more misses every since he started teething, with some days lots better than others. As soon as he had his first food, Sven caught his first poo on the potty and then Steven didn't poo on the potty for a little over a week! Instead, every poo for that week was in his diaper! I started using disposables, because the poo was just a little too 'yuck' for me and the cloth. Then Steven got over whatever it was and now he hasn't pooed in his diaper for awhile - hmm, what has it been? A couple days? Most all the poos are in the potty now. I have read that when they go through anything new they often have more misses, so at least he's back on track with his poos.
A lady contacted me, interested in interviewing Steven and I for a documentary on ECing. The interview will be sometime in the first 2 weeks of December. Kind of exciting :)
On Mobility:
Steven is a crawling pro now. He can pull himself up to standing with great ease. He's let go a few times and either stood there until he grabbed hold of something again or fell to his bum. He's walking along, holding onto furniture, or someone's hands.
On Sleeping:
He's doing better at night since he's started eating food, but he still wakes once between 11p and 2a to go potty (I guess that's a good thing!) and sometimes has trouble staying asleep between 7 and 9am. He doesn't do so well when we stay out too late and he is up late.
His naps are a little more rocky than night time. Often he'll need to be rocked to sleep or just about sleeping for his naps. At least for night time he mostly goes down by himself.
SVEN:
On Work:
Still searching, praying and applying. It's a trying time for us, but we pray God would strengthen our faith through it. Sven's not slacking, he's applying lots of places (he's even applied at McDonald's and didn't get hired, so it's not like he's not willing or trying to apply wherever.) God is good and keeps providing in surprising ways. We are so blessed. Thank you to our friends and family for your care and prayers.
On School:
Sven's finishing up this semester in a couple weeks. He has one more semester left of college in order to graduate and then go on to seminary.
CRYSTAL:
On Sewing:
My new-found passion for sewing has been rewarded. A couple months ago I started working for Scarlet Stitch. At the beginning of November I was invited to join as an equal owner of the company. I'm enjoying it immensely. We're having a sale on select items Dec. 1-6, so check us out at http://www.scarletstitch.com/ - tell your friends!
I daydream about the day, Lord willing, I can own a serger - oh the possibilities.
On Being Pregnant:
The pregnancy is going well. I haven't had any nauseau, so I'm very thankful. At three months pregnant with Steven I had to go to the ER due to a rare condition known as "incarcerated uterus", so I'm praying that will not happen again, as it was most unpleasant. (The timeframe this could occur is weeks 12-14.)
Monday, November 24, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Food!
I had originally wanted to exclusively breastfeed Steven until he was one year old, meaning wait until then to introduce any other foods. Of course, with everything else in parenting, I knew I would see how things would go and change plans if needed. Steven started sleeping through the night when he was 3 months old, which was a wonderful surprise for me. Around 5 1/2 months he started waking up at night. It turns out this was most likely due to teething, as his 2 little teeth popped through shortly afterwards. Lately, it's been obvious to me that his continued waking at night and subsequent vigorous nursing during his night wakings is due to increased hunger. So, faced with two options: either continue night nursing or introduce solids to meet his dietary needs, we chose the later.
Steven just loves eating! It's so cute watching him eat, and fun feeding him because he loves it! He's been interested in food for sometime, so it's nice to be able to give it to him. Also, he's so content and full after eating, he seems to coo and talk more!
Here's a video of him eating carrots:
(sorry about the angle!)
Steven just loves eating! It's so cute watching him eat, and fun feeding him because he loves it! He's been interested in food for sometime, so it's nice to be able to give it to him. Also, he's so content and full after eating, he seems to coo and talk more!
Here's a video of him eating carrots:
(sorry about the angle!)
Diapers
For those of you who are interested, I've finally put pictures of the diapers I've made on our photo album site. (A couple of them are girl diapers I made as gifts.) Enjoy!
Friday, November 7, 2008
A Drink, Please!
Steven loves to drink from a glass. He found my empty one on the floor and tried hard to get a drink.
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