The Drum Roll, Please!

I'm not sure what has been more of a miracle... creating a new life in under 10 months or creating the space for it to live in.
View of the entry way off of our living room

The changing table area

Upclose of mirror and stencil detail

Crib

Gliding chair

Table

Our welcoming family silos

A special thanks to every one who helped get this room started and finished. Dustin and I have been spending a bit of time in this room now that it is finished because it is so clean and peaceful. I have my morning coffee in the rocking chair and I often find Dustin just staring in the window from the door. We're a bit jealous of the baby, really. Lucky kid.

The Mother of All Baby Showers

Wow. When my sister-in-law, Megan, and oldest sister, Bekki, put their powers together... significant party times happen. They are one powerful super-aunt.


This is just the beginning of lovliness...


The two co-throwers...


Dustin started off the henna decorating portion of the party...


Nearly everyone joined in on decorating my baby bump...
Aunt Megan and us


Grandma Robbie


Ta-dah!


The food was so, so tasty! Indian/Moroccan fusion...


Pretty water...


Individual lemon cheesecake desserts that my mama made...


Loving it...


Aunt Bekki, Me/baby, Grandma Cynthia who thanked Dustin and I for doing this ALL for her!


A year ago, I would have laughed at the thought of having a baby shower at my house. It was a wreak and Dustin and I were still in contemplating-starting-a-family mode. Neither seemed doable just yet. But, as I am growing accustom to saying, WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES. I was so honored to have this shower thrown for us and am every so appreciative to all of you who came together to celebrate our new family.

Great. Now I'm crying. Again.

I thank you. Dustin thanks you. Our belly fruit thanks you.

Pond Be Gone.

Last summer, things were different. Very, very, very different. I was scared of our yard. We were overwhelmed by it's treacherous pond and critters that had taken over. There were piles of river rock strewn about and shards of glass and old trash bits littered throughout the soil. It was dry and barren looking. I chose to ignore it while Dustin tilled it and flattened it in preparation for a day like the one we had in May.

Ol' Yard


Some might think that the quickest way to light a fire under some very tired asses is to rub to sticks together. Nay. Rather, have them offer to stage a baby shower at their home by the end of May and see what results you get then, eh?

Mature willow tree with new supporting plants


New front walk way that was once cement sidewalk



Current view of corner of landscaping



Current view of east side of house


Current view from back corner of house

Mug Shot

It's probably safe to assume that we all have the mug shot of Nick Nolte from a couple years back burned into our minds. Like, for eternity. If you aren't familiar with the image, 1)Where have you been? and 2)Oh! OH! PLEASE allow me the pleasure of being the first to introduce you to our dear Mr. Nolte on what appears to be the tail end of an extraordinarily fantastic night or the very beginning of a horribly bad one. Either way, his face is showing an all too familiar feeling.

P.S. Been there. Done that. Regrettably and with complete abandon.

Most mornings, it appears that Curtis is also part of the late night crowd. His fur, while typical for his breed, seems to have a mind of it's own. Like a mood ring, it tells us what to expect for the day. "Up and at 'em fur" means that we have to be prepared with lots of toy throwing and erractic energy. If the fur is flattened and docile, we are in for a treat! Maybe even a mid-morning nap... for Curtis and us. I should write to Nick Nolte and see what, exactly, his hair was trying to tell us. From my best guess, it was crying out for help. And a really deep conditioning.

The Iron Curtain

Similar to the Iron Curtain that divided Eastern and Western Europe, the wall that made up one of our living room walls (behind the couch) and separated it from the second bedroom, needed to come down.
For the good of the country, really.
Going.

Going.

Gone.

What is most critical here is that Dustin was right and I was wrong.
There, dude, I typed it. Happy? I worried that it would be "too much hassle" and not make much of a difference. I don't have a picture of me eating my words but I'll let the following do the work.
To reiterate, BEFORE...
View of living room

Views of second bedroom


AFTER...
View from original living room

View from old second bedroom

Over the River and Through the Woods...

... to grandmother's house we go!

Actually, since my mom moved back to Grants Pass over 2 months ago, the commute is SOOOO much better than the 8 hour drive it WOULD have been had she stayed in Tacoma. We are so grateful to have her near us again. I guess you have to be a grandma to understand the motivation and determination to move your entire life back to a town that you had left years before for a child that you haven't even met yet. I admire and appreciate that while still being bewildered by it. I guess I have 30 years or so to truly understand it. In the mean time, thank you, mom.

This is the three of us mama's on Mother's Day. This new baby is very lucky in that BOTH of the grandmom's live in the same town and within a mile of each other.

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

You know that feeling you get when you have all of the ambition in the world but then realize that if you don't lay down right now your face may melt due to being overtired and overstressed? Nope, me neither. Just asking.
I'll keep it brief and use lots of pictures so it appears like I'm doing a really huge blog. In truth, I don't have a lot of time to type it all out because the dog is on fire (again) and the cat just barfed in the living room and someone is at the door.
This is what we've been up to since the last time I typed... over 2 months ago...
Creating the baby's room



Grandma Robbie painting

And more painting

CARPET! In our home! And, best part, it is clean and pretty.

Changing table? Check.

Crib? Check.

Week 34 and Still Going Strong

Not lookin' to shabby, I'd say. Dustin holds up well under the mounting pressure of becoming a father. I like how he is bending his knees to support his enormous belly. Nice touch.

Now, me on the other hand... this picture was taken 2 weeks ago and stuff has changed even in that brief amount of time. The baby is now gaining approximately an ounce a day which may not seem that significant. And I suppose it wouldn't be if the baby were, say, on the OUTSIDE of my body. But it isn't on the outside. It is in there moving, rolling, punching, and gouging away. What a fascinating and exhausting process.

Now that we are really drawing to a close on the pregnancy (just four weeks to go by the time I post this) I want to get a poll of who thinks we are having a boy or a girl and when they think it'll come. Post a comment on this, please, if you have the time. Just about every waitress in town thinks I'm having a boy but, as we have tested nearly all of the old wives tales, we are having a She-Him or Shim. The results are always inconclusive or, when tested for the second time, the opposite of the first results.