belated 9 month pedatrician appointment stats

so, jennifer turned 9 months january 22nd, but got her 9 month checkup on february 14th (happy valentines! have some shots!)
i was hoping the delay might make her chart a little higher, cheat the system a bit, you know? but instead, she came in soooo tiny!

my child weighs 14lb, 15 oz, (3%)
she is 25.5" long (3%)
and her head is still big for her size, at 50% (didnt get the inches for that)
which means her proportions are still the same, she just hasn't grown much overall. i had suspected that she was a little bit small, but i thought she was in the 16lb range...she wasnt even to 15 yet?

otherwise, she is a very healthy and active little girl. due to her teeniness, we're adding a 4th meal to her day (Taco Bell advertises 4th meal, right?) and making sure she gets lots of good healthy stuff in that tummy! though she has always eaten breakfast and dinner very well, lunch has been sometimes hearty and sometimes sparse. so we're working on a fuller lunch, plus a full snacktime too.

she got caught up on her hep and flu shots and goes back in may for more stat checks :)

Valentines from the Corner sewing Table

I have been spending a lot of time at my other corner table recently. Last week i set up a designated craft space for my sewing machine and all of my artsy supplies to be at arms-reach rather than in a closet or under a bed. This has been dreamed of for years!
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Being a teacher this Valentines Day, I thought I should get something little to give to my class of 3yr-olds, but since we are tight on finances, i decided to make something for them. After a couple of days trying to think of something which would be fairly simple, made from materials i already have, and look cute...here's what I came up with!
first i cut out the felt. two squares of one color and a heart in a contrasting color. the hearts are 2", the squares were about 2.5"-3" each
next, with the sewing machine loaded with a contrast color as the main thread, and blend in color of bobbin thread (white, in this case) I zigzag stitched the heart to one of the squares. be careful as you make turns...with the needle DOWN, lift the presser foot and slightly turn the fabric, stitch a few, repeat as needed. make sure the needle is down when you lift so it doesn't lose your place. go slowly and it will turn out great.
(photos to show what settings i used...zigzag width and stitch length)
then I trimmed the edges of this square with pinking sheers. I originally waited to trim both layers after finishing, but i thought they looked kind of like ravioli with both edges trimmed, plus it was harder to cut through both evenly...these sheers are not new, and also kind of small. 12 students had me choose to spare my hands the agony.
next i reset the machine to a narrower zag and a slightly longer stitch to finish (totally your choice, but these are what i used.)
sew both squares together on 3 sides, stop with the needle in the DOWN position, but don't remove your work from the sewing machine.
Add a little bit of stuffing (they are tiny, so a little really will do fine)
then continue stitching the 4th side.
trim up any uneven edges.
lastly, with a yarn needle i stretched the felt and poked a hole in a corner and slipped a piece of ribbon through and attached the card. (I've found it difficult to use a hole punch on felt.)
these would also make cute pincushions! This last photo shows what i meant when i said my first ones looked kind of like ravioli! anyone looking to make some toy pasta? that would be an interesting play set....