Jesus Loves Me

This must be the season for Christenings, cause I have had 2 requests, just this week for some embroidered items for Christenings. It's odd, cause I was just thinking about making Anna a cute onesie that says "Jesus Loves Me", so I already had some ideas floating around.
Here's a Gift Set someone ordered:

Super Sweet

Here's Hannah in her sweet swaddle...

Birthday Cutie

I just got some new applique designs, that are not up on my site yet, but are available. Here is a pic of a First Birthday shirt I did last week.
Adorable!
Thanks Allison, for sending me the picture.
Happy Birthday Alex!

Swaddler Stuff

So many people think that a Swaddler is just another blanket. It is not.
Swaddling your newborn has so many benefits. It helps reduce the chance of SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It also helps your baby sleep through the night. It helps them get through the "forth trimester". Swaddling your baby helps mimic the tight surroundings of the uterus, giving your baby a feeling of security and warmth as they adjust to life outside the womb.
Plus, if it is a Baby Orr Decor Swaddler, they will be the cutest baby in the nursery!
I love having all of Anna's first pictures with her bright red and pink polka dot Swaddler (Swaddler Swatch F, in case you are interested!) instead of the white blanket with pink and blue stripes that every other baby is wrapped in.
Another misconception is that a Swaddling blanket is the same as a receiving blanket. The Swaddlers are much bigger (over 40x40in), allowing you to get a tight wrap around your baby, without slipping. The receiving blankets barely wrap around newborns, and that is just for the small babies. Plus, they are not square, but rectangle, so you always have an uneven end. You have to use two receiving blankets to get a good swaddle. So, your Baby Orr Decor Swaddler will take you well into the stage in which they no longer need to or want to be swaddled, around 4 months old.
With Kenneth, my first, I did not use the Swaddler right away. Partially, because I forgot that I had been given a Swaddler. Once I remembered that we had it, I tried it one night, and I was amazed at how much longer he slept. That was a wonderful night! I swaddled him from that point on. The Swaddler I was given was great, but Kenneth quickly grew out of it. It was one that had the velcro, so it was pretty simple to swaddle him, but after a while the velcro didn't hold well, and it would pop open at night, loosing the swaddle. Anna's never slipped.
Stay tuned for another post on how to Swaddle your little stylin' one.

Blessings, blessings

I have had lots of orders for Framed Blessings lately. I just LOVE the idea of having my babies surrounded by the promises of Scripture.
Here are some pics:

How to use your Swaddler

-Place your The Cutesy Mom Swaddler on a flat surface and fold one corner down about 6 inches.
-Place your baby on his back with his head right above the fold.
-Pull the right corner (your right) over his body, keeping his left arm down at his side. Tuck the Swaddler between his right arm and side, and then bring it under his back. Be sure to get a snug wrap.


-Bring the bottom corner over his feet. This does not have to be tight, but you can tuck it in under his chin if you want to.


-Wrap the left corner over his body, with his right arm down at his side, and then tuck the remaining part of the blanket under your baby.
This should leave only his head and neck exposed. The weight of the baby should keep the swaddle nice and tight.
These are pics from Anna's first swaddle. They were not taken for tutorial purposes, but to capture Anna's first moments in this world. (Even puffy and red, she is the prettiest baby!) Hopefully they will help you visualize how to swaddle.

Cousins

The saddest thing about moving back to Florida is that I am now further away from my family. We have a blast when we are together. We mostly just pick on one another, and eat the whole time we are together. It is a blast.
There are 6 grandbabies, between my sister's kids and mine. My mom has had a new grandchild every Christmas, for the past 5 Christmases, and #6, Hannah will have her first Christmas this year!
We were able to make it up to the lake house for Labor day weekend. Above is Anna, with her cousin Kendal in their matching $2 Target shirts that I embroidered their initials on, which you can't see cause they are on their left side.
Kenneth and Jacob, pictured here, have a love/hate relationship. They love all the same toys, and they hate to share.
Their Mimi got them matching Lightning McQueen shoes, which even though there were two pairs, they still managed to fight over them.

I wonder...

...can you Swaddle a 9 month old (haha)? Cause Anna has decided to revert back to wanting to wake up 3 times throughout the night to eat. She has been sleeping through the night since she was in her second month, so this is brutal. It is so hard to go back! I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that we have her in a pack-n-play in the same room as us, since we are staying with Chris's parents until our house sells. And every little noise we make she seems to stir because of it. But I still wonder...

What's the craziest thing you have done to get your little one to sleep through the night?

Matthew

Isn't he cute!?! The burpcloth is the the Hannah style, with a few little extra stars I threw in there.

A sweet friend of mine, Melissa, got a bunch of Baby Orr Decor items for her new little one, Matthew. He is adorable! She got the most beautiful baby bedding, and I got to make a few Swaddlers for her, to match the bedding:



Thanks so much for sending the pics Melissa, I know (all too well) that life with a newborn and a toddler running around is crazy! I do hope, that the Swaddlers are helping you get more sleep at night!

I miss you all up there in Marietta.

Nursing Cover Testimonial

Here's another testimonial of a Baby Orr Decor Nursing Cover from a first-time mom, Laura. A good friend of mine, Robyn, gave Laura the Nursing Cover as a gift.

"I have been meaning to tell you how GLAD I am you gave it to me!! I've only recently branched out to nursing in public (in my car, at friends' houses, etc.), but I can't imagine not having it!! Especially being a 'bigger' girl, there's no way I could be discreet without it. But it has really made me more mobile in these past couple weeks; otherwise, I'd still be chained to the house only running out in between feedings."

Laura, I am so glad that the cover has given you greater mobility! Having a baby is so overwhelming in so many ways that it is so refreshing to be able to get out of the house when you want to.

Hannah

I went wild with embroidering things for my niece. My sister, Sarah, says they call her the embroidery baby!

Here are some of the things she is modeling around Birmingham:

Anna's Mullet

Anna got her first haircut a few weeks ago. She is only 8 months, but she had a mullet, and I couldn't stand it any more.

Before, with her Grandmom:


Getting it cut:


After!:



Ok, it doesn't look that much different, but I swear she had a mullet, I should have gotten a better shot from the back!
Either way, she looks adorable sitting in the stylist's chair.

Go Gators, some would say

I got a recent custom order for lots of Florida Gator items. Although I am a huge Auburn fan, it was fun to create these things for them.

Voting time!

Above photo by Melody Dowdy.

Kenneth and Anna are both entered in a little contest, to be the Face of Giggles and Coos. Giggles and Coos is a cute local Boutique here in DeLand, and carries my products.
You can vote for the kids here. Anna is #19 in the baby girls, and Kenneth is #9 in the toddler boys.
Thanks for your vote! You can vote once per email address and voting ends Wednesday, September 10th.

July 22nd is a great day.

I turned 30 in July, and for my birthday my sister had her baby...A GIRL! They didn’t know what they were having, so it is so much fun to find out, and it will be fun to share a birthday with my niece (along with two of my bridesmaids!).
 Now I can add my new designs one of which is named after Hannah. All the designs are named after a family member. Check them out here.

Here’s a pic of Austin, one of the proud big brothers, holding Hannah.

Med Tech

I just reconnected with an old friend of mine, Jin. We went through a year long Med Tech internship in 2000-01. Jin is so fun to be around, and we have so many great memories together! Jin even became an Auburn fan for the football season that we were in school together. War Eagle!
I got to make some items for a shower gift for a friend of hers. I love getting to do the Framed Blessings. I just love the idea of the promises of Scripture surrounding my kiddos while they sleep. Kenneth and Anna have lots in their rooms.





Jin also sent my website out to all her friends, even her financial planner, so I have been getting orders from the New England area now. So fun! Thanks Jin, love you!


Nursing Cover Details

Whoever came up with this idea is a genius. I did not have a Nursing Cover with my first child, Kenneth. I managed to nurse in public ok, but there were many stresses involved. Often the blanket I used would fall off, or my nursing pad would fall on the ground in the middle of a feeding. There were many times I wished I had an extra hand (now with two kids, I think that was a preview of things to come...). And I always felt so bad for Kenneth, nursing him under a blanket in the Florida heat.
A nursing cover REALLY helps in the success of being able to breast-feed for the long haul.
So, here are some of the wonderful features of my nursing covers:

Adjustable strap so you can position it at the height most comfortable for you, as well as give you two free hands to help your baby nurse.
A rigid boning along the top of the nursing cover allows you to see what you are doing. So many moms love this feature as they can keep eye contact with their baby while nursing, without exposing themselves.
The nursing cover is about 30x28in, which is big enough to nurse under, but not too bulky, to keep from taking up too much room in your diaper bag.
Each nursing cover comes with two pockets on the inside lining. These are great to house your nursing pads while you nurse. I cannot tell you how many times one would drop while I was nursing, and there was nothing I could do about it, until Kenneth was done!
The pockets are higher, and easier to get to, compared to other nursing covers on the market, such as Hooter Hiders / Bebe Au Lait. I have a friend who has owned a Hooter Hider, as well as a Baby Orr Decor Cover, and she has preferred my cover, with the higher pockets.
And of course, I try to make them each as cute as possible!

I am very detailed, and take pride in my work, leading to a quality Baby Orr Decor Nursing Cover!

What features do you love in your Nursing Cover?

Brandi Nursing at the Beach!

It is amazing the freedom a Nursing Cover can give you. Thanks for a great pic, Brandi!

Where is the craziest place you've nursed?

A note from Luke's Mommy

Dear Katie,

I'd like to order another Swaddler for Luke as soon as possible. It is A-MA-ZING! We had been in the hospital with Luke for 2 days before I sent Aaron home to get the one from Baby Orr Decor. What a difference it has made! It is so soft and just the perfect size to really get him all snug and cozy. He has slept like a champ ever since. Plus, the adorable monogram leaves no one guessing about his name. Thanks again for such a great swaddler - can't wait to get another one!

Love,
Alexis

p.s. Attached is the picture of my first "miracle" swaddle - where his name just landed in the perfect spot. :)

Mala's Nursing Cover

I hope to be able to post lots of pictures of you all using your Baby Orr Decor items. So, if you have one, send them my way.
Here is a picture of Mala on vacation using her Nursing Cover. I love the little feet hanging out!

and a note from mommy...

Katie,

You have no idea how excited I am about this nursing cover! AHH!!! It is wonderful. I wish I've had one since day one. LOVE the fabric. Totally my favorite shade of red! Before I got it, I was kind of sad, because I love looking at Lexi as she nurses. She gazes into my eyes as if she is thanking me. :) But the first time I used it (this morning) I realized I don't have to worry about that! I love the way the top of the cover curves out so that we can maintain our eye contact. You are so smart! So perfect!

Believe me, if my girlfriends decide to nurse, I will be buying one of these for them.

Thank you so much,

Mala

Anna's Swaddler

Here is my sweet Anna, on her birth day with her Mimi, sporting her cute Baby Orr Decor Swaddler. She slept in this well into her 4th month, and it was great to have her sleeping through the night early. The Swaddlers come as a large, 40x40 square of super-cute flannel. You can get a great swaddle with them, as they have just the right amount of stretch to them, and are larger than the recieving blankets which you really need two to get a swaddle right. The edges are finished with a decorative stitching, and the swaddlers can be personalized. These are a MUST for the newborn months, as they help our little ones transition from the comfort of the womb they were so used to...

Welcome!

I am glad you are here. I hope to be able to show off some of my projects as they come along, as well as put a personal note in here and there.
A full description of all my products are online at babyorrdecor.com.

Thanks for visiting, and please leave me a comment if you see something you like!