bellywater

several friends have asked me for instructions on how to make this sweet little summertime shirt that i'd posted pictures of over on our family blog.  there was no picture of the back of it, so it wasn't apparent how easy it is to make!

here heron models the back of the shirt.  she's obviously been hard at play... look at that dirt on her elbows!

ah, what i wouldn't give to be able to romp around in this shirt + bloomers all summer long! 

this is just a rectangle of fabric with straps.  for heron's size at one year old, the raw fabric size is 9 in long x 19 in wide.  the finished size is 11 in long x 24 in wide.  the raw edges are turned under 1/2 in, then 1/2 inch again + sewn, on all four sides.  add straps (2 in. wide raw, then fold in half + iron, then fold raw edges into center line & sew to make finished 1/2 in straps).  overlap 2 inches at the back of the shirt.  sew button on, & to keep it super-easy use a loop of thin elastic to avoid making a button hole.  easy!

i often pair this shirt with a simple little elastic skirt, instructions over at oliver + s (click on the "free patterns" link on the sidebar over on their blog).  the entire shirt + skirt outfit can be finished during the morning nap!

apple art

decorating is still in progress, but here are the newest members of heron's art collection, purchased in celebration of HER NEW ROOM!  finally, a nursery for little bird...

: gosling and cygnet print by emily martin of the black apple :

 

 : paper dolls by emily martin of the black apple :

(heron is a little young for these, but i think they're pretty enough to be framed!)

we are currently creating a nursery for heron now that she is almost 8 months old.  she slept with us until she was about 6 months old, then moved into a pack n play in the guest room.  she has peacefully been sleeping in her new crib for the past 3 nights.  finally, a room of her own!  we are currently living with my mom, who graciously allowed us to convert a crowded guest room into a bright & spacious nursery.  we sold the huge poster bed + dresser + bedside table and painted over the gloomy blue walls.   it is a beautiful place for a curious infant, & we're loving it!

welcome to the bird family

to represent her membership status in the garrels family, heron still needed a little something with the trademark swallow decal.  i made a simple jumper dress for her, the first of many i'm sure...

 

josh's hoodie was really just a creative cover-up for a candle burn hole. we always feel 1/2 sweet & 1/2 silly when we match. but now that heron matches us, i think it's really just sweet! and a prerequisite for familyhood.

an elfin hat

a few days ago josh, heron & i ventured outside to capture some action shots of our new crawler, & also to finally take pictures of her elf hat that i made a few months ago...

i found the pattern here.  i was looking for earflaps, a pattern that would recall the alpaca yarn's origin--peru.  so heron's hat looks part elfin, part incan!  i used the very same yarn that i used on josh's now trademark hat that i made him 7 years ago... on a train between lima and cusco, peru.

 

(his hand is on the giant ball of alpaca yarn that i'd just purchased at the market in arequipa)

the graduate

thanks, everyone, for your immediate responses to the diaper rash question! i also received input on my other blog, & even a phone call in response to my plea, & everyone reached the same diagnosis, which was right on! we visited the doctor yesterday, & heron's treatment is well underway. heron's heiny thanks you!

in other news, heron IS NOW A CRAWLER! yes, she has graduated from scooching! tuesday was the big day. later that same day she was also pulling herself up from a sitting to a standing position with the help of furniture, & then trying to climb. yikes!

here's a picture of the crawler taken today. it was the  sunny late afternoon, that golden time.  we took her out crawling in nature...

 

diaper rash emergency!

mothers, fathers, advice please! heron has a wretched diaper rash that's been getting worse over the past week & a half. we usually use cloth diapers + cloth wipes, & initially i thought that might be the culprit this time (because the last time i washed the cloth diapers i forgot the vinegar in the final rinse, & i thought residual detergent might be irritating her skin). so she's been wearing disposables for the last week just to see, & nothing has improved. i've tried 3 different kinds of creams--boudreaux's, A & D ointment, desitin. we've given her naked time for 1/2 hour to an hour after most diaper changes (she loves this!). i've used cotton balls with warm water for wipes, & tried drying her with the blow dryer (a friend said i should try this; heron hates this). she's still red & chapped up front, & can't stop itching. any advice from seasoned diaper-changers?  many thanks!

river bird in the water

between the death of my father & the birth of my first child, this site has been neglected. i don't know if anyone reads this anymore? i know that i eventually stop visiting blogs with infrequent posting. but i will still try to at least keep this one alive until i return to my usual crafting pace. i do look forward to sharing the art that i created between those two forever life-altering events of birth & death--the art for my husband's album, which will be released early august. until then, bear with me as most of my posts will probably be tributes to my newest joy, my daughter, the little bird--heron selah.

my husband josh & i are packing this week for a move to north carolina. i will miss this land, this river we've been living on. heron & i have been taking daily walks around the thirty acres of land (heron slung at my side), farewelling the trees, hoping to spy the great blue heron in the slow & shallow waters of the mississinewa. heron is already a nature girl, and is instantly soothed of any fussiness as soon as i set foot outside. she is already wonder-filled at the sight of trees, the sound of river, the feel of wind. lovely.

welcome, little bird!

with great joy we announce the birth of HERON SELAH GARRELS!

heron was born just over a week ago--thursday, may 29, at 12:43 a.m. in muncie, indiana.  she weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces & measured 20.25 inches long.  she was born after 7 fast but intense hours labor.  we praise the Lord for a beautiful & healthy baby girl, for a safe & natural delivery, for a wonderful midwife and attending nurse, and for michelle's amazing birth partner/coach, josh!

many have asked us where her name came from, so here is the story of HAIR-uhn SAY-la:

when josh & i first discovered i was pregnant we began to think of names that meant or symbolized healing to us.  soon we began to ponder bird names, for birds & wings have always symbolized healing to us because of the imagery in scripture (malachi 4:2 and matthew 9:20-22 in particular).  in the passage from matthew, the woman who has been bleeding for 12 years touches the hem of Christ's garment or prayer shawl, which is also called "wings".  this passage became important to us about seven years ago, soon after josh & i met but before we were married, & the Lord spoke through this passage that He would heal me of a similar condition & enable me to carry life.  for years i've had endometriosis, an affliction in which every doctor i'd seen over a period of 10 or so years had told me could very likely cause infertility, or, at the very least i would have a very difficult time conceiving.  but the Lord promised healing to us then, seven years ago, & He has done it!

 

so why a heron?  when josh & i moved to eaton, indiana for this season of recording (josh's album), we began to stalk the great blue heron along the banks of the mississinewa river.  she always seemed to show up at the most important moments, one of which was on our way to the clinic for a pregnancy test.  as we left the house we drove past the heron, stopped the car & watched her take off in flight.  in that moment i knew in my heart that i was pregnant, that we were having a girl, & the name "selah blue" came into my head.  but soon "heron" became the true name of our baby girl, & we were pretty certain about it for the majority of the pregnancy.

 

so this is heron selah, our healing little bird, our symbol of christ's healing & comfort & care for us.  & she has already brought us such comfort through the recent death of my father (6 weeks ago).  we praise the Lord for her!  she is the sweetest creature we've ever known, & we delight in spending our days with her.

the death of a friend

i have been absent from this site for so long due to the unexpected death of my dear father. it was just about a month ago that he passed away after a brief & mysterious battle at the hospital. we are doing well, i think, but still in shock.

: here is a favorite picture of my dad, taken last summer :

i haven't written about it here because this land of tears seems so sacred. & many of you probably read our family blog anyway, where i have written more about this (though i still save most of the processing for my journal, & one-on-one conversations with friends). i really don't know who else checks in on this bellywater blog, but for anyone who does & has wondered where i've been... this is what's been happening in the life of our family.

in addition, i am 37 weeks pregnant. this is such a joyful time, full of anticipation & wonder. yet so strange to be holding out an equal hand to sorrow & joy. two paths we straddle, & try to make them one. i do feel like i've been living under such mercy these days, by some invisible hand. these times are sad, but the Lord is near to us & our broken, mixed-up hearts. & we are grateful to have such imminent joy at our fingertips, the birth of our daughter...

words remain

on st. patrick's day josh & i had a fun lunch guest--neal taflinger from the indianapolis star. he drove up to interview josh + record a video of josh performing a new song called "words remain". this is one of my favorites; it always makes me cry. josh's voice + the charango (an instrument from my home country) is one of the most haunting concoctions in the world. so here's a little preview of some material on the new album.

and here's neal's full written interview on indy.com

i usually keep my home + work life with josh a little separate from bellywater handmade (& therefore this site). but increasingly i have been partnering with him in his work, & so the lines are blurry! on this latest project i have joined up with him in critique, some lyric-writing, harmonies, & art (album cover, promotion, website--all of which will have to be kept secret until the summer release of his album). we love this collaboration more & more, and, i think, are getting better at not hurting each other's feelings in the process!