The Day After Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day.

Our Thanksgiving was fantastic – we spent is in Linton with Corey's family and had lots of yummy food and a good time with family. Upon returning home we found out I have another cousin on the way, due to arrive in June. I'm beyond excited! Kya is happy too – she'll have a new buddy to play with!

Yesterday the weather was beyond frigid, so Kya got to bundle up in her new bunting. She'll be decked out in this cuddly suit during every outing for the next 4 months. If you are in the market for a toasty baby bunting, consider this North Face suit. The design is genius and very practical (works very well in the car seat).

Kya takes her snow suit very seriously – she puts on this "poker face" every time she wears it. It is absolutely hilarious. She'll only move her eyes, and it is everything I can do to get her to crack a smile.

Kya had a great night of sleep and slept in until after 7:15 am this morning. We had a slow morning with some cuddling and lots of giggles from Kya.

Enjoy your Friday!

Oh by the way ... 29 days until Christmas!

Bison Booties made the front page!

My Bison Booties made the front page of Etsy today! I was out running errands, so I missed it, but I was able to round up a screen shot.

In case you aren't familiar with the Etsy world, this is a VERY big deal. It is a golden ticket to some great exposure and hopefully some sales. I had another bootie sale today, so a cute little pair of pink booties will be on their way to sunny Florida.

It's beginning to look a lot like ...

Christmas!

First with the frigid cold weather today.

Kya's cold weather bunting is on it's way from REI, so I had to squeeze her into this hand-me-down newborn bunting. She was less than pleased, but she was warm.

Then we set up the tree!

Kya's new favorite source for entertainment: the Christmas tree.

OhMyGosh. It's already Mid-November.

Where oh where has November gone?

Another busy few weeks here in the Hager house. Among the busyness, Kya is getting funnier and more grownup everyday. I'd be lying if I said I have nothing else to post about, but that will come later ... when I have more time.

This evening, it's all about Miss Kya.

You all already know that Kya was a strawberry for Halloween.

What you may not know is that she and my cousin Parker were the cutest pair of trick-or-treaters on Halloween.

Parker was a builder. Muscles and all.

Last weekend we went to Kenmare for Maria's confirmation.

Kya got to play in the same tent Corey played in when he was a little boy. I'm trying to figure out how to make my own. It was THAT fun!

Ahem. Excuse this one. One day, at about six and a half months old (around the same time we started giving kya babyfood) I got rather sick and tired of changing poopy diapers. So when I saw that Kya was doing her business (and grunting to let me know) I scooped her up, took off her diaper, and held her over the toilet. And I'm proud to say that for the last month, we've changed no more than three poopy diapers. Corey's mom was nice enough to capture this one of Kya in action in Kenmare (haha). I think she'll love this photo 16 years from now.

Also in Kenmare ...

Kya got to ride in Matthew's custom wagon (he used it when he was younger).

It has quite the special attachment configuration, but rest assured, it was very sturdy. Kya was on her best behavior and never tried to escape.

She was really impressed with the ride!

Ok, back home in Mandan ...

I left Kya on the living room rug to play with her blocks for about 10 minutes while I fixed lunch. After about a minute, I hear her grunting. This is what I find. Kya must have rolled from where I left her, and scooted backwards until she was wedged (and very stuck) under the end table. What a stinker!

Today Corey, Kya and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings for an NDSU alumni gathering to cheer on the Bison football team. Here is Kya in her NDSU apparel ... which by the many comments we got regarding our adorable little boy ... makes her look rather boyish? We got some good laughs out of it!

My new Etsy store!

Big announcement: Bison Girl has an Etsy store!

If you are not familiar with Etsy, it is a marketplace for homemade goods, materials, and vintage/antique items. In short, it is way cool.

So what is Bison Girl selling on Etsy?!

Bison Booties, but of course.

I made my first pair of baby booties when I was pregnant with our daughter. At the time I had no clue how much wear she'd get out of them. Luckily, I made two pairs ahead of time. From birth to today, she wears her booties during every outing and most days she wears them at home too. We have hard floors, so without her booties, her toes get chilled.

Fast forward to today ... I have modified the pattern to my liking. I have also up-sized it for babies 6 months old and beyond (because I could not imagine a world without these perfect little booties). I can't keep all these great booties for myself. I have to let the world in on this secret.

See them for yourself: Bison Girl Etsy Store

I call them Bison Booties

They are fully lined and have a covered elastic back, so they comfortably stay on active little feet. On the inside, baby's feet rest on cuddly faux sherpa, which does a great job keeping the toes toasty warm. As an added bonus, the booties are considered to be "soft shoes" - which are best for infant/toddler foot development and balance.

Currently I make two sizes (but I will expand this soon).

• 0-6 month booties measure 4 inches from toe to heel. This size has faux suede or fabric under the shoe since at this age the baby will not be walking.
• 6-12 month booties are 4.75 inches from toe to heel. This model is designed for maximum safety of unsteady feet, so the under side has vintage deer leather (or another similar super non-slip surface).

Since the booties are made individually by hand, the sizes my vary a bit. For the best sizing, measure the baby's foot and add 1/4 inch. When in doubt, order up.

The 0-6 month size would make a great new baby gift, especially for infants born in the fall/winter. And I have booties for boys and girls!

Most questions should be answered in my store, but if you have any questions, just leave a comment under this post. Happy shopping :)