Monthly Archives: October 2012

dear peanut

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oh, well, hello there!  as you can see, mozart the monkey is happily awaiting your arrival.  he has informed me, however, that his excitement is getting really intense and his patience is wearing thin.  so, you know, for mozart’s sake…you might want to consider coming soon.  for mozart.

us?  oh, we are fine.  yup.  just sitting here, patiently waiting for you.  the request isn’t for us.  we are good.  really, mozart is the one with the problem.

in other news…we have everything ready for you.  room ready.  car seat in.  bags packed.  plans made.  good to go.  your papa is on alert and is trying to maintain focus until he gets my call.  codename: skyfall.  that is the signal that things are starting to happen… skyfall.  we figured it was an apropos code.  it has a playful chicken little meets swanky secret agent 007 feel to it.

anywho…here we are.  still here.  waiting for skyfall.  any time, little one.  any time…  oh, we just can’t wait to meet you!

love, your mama + your papa

a peek inside a lovely little home

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i stumbled upon this fabulous home featured on design*sponge and just had to share.

isn’t it fabulous?  simple, cozy elegance.  with touches of antiques, old books, and original family art.  i love the strategic collections of mementos.  not cluttered shelves and tables of “stuff” but important trinkets on display that are as lovely as they are meaningful.

this sends my mind a-spinning with decorating projects…how about you?

snaps & snippets & blurbs

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happy monday!  still no baby around here…

but, we sure are having fun waiting for her to arrive.  lots of little tasks getting checked off the list, lots of time for sleeping in and movie watching.  and lots of time for cooking and eating.  this weekend, my sweet man whipped up that long-awaited pregnancy pasta that i was bragging about a few days back.  and yes, it was everything that we dreamed it would be.

let me assure you that we did more than just eat pasta this weekend.  but, those are the only pics that are making it onto today’s post.  because yes, it is worthy.

okay.  nursery?  check.  diapers?  check. car seat?  check.  stroller?  check.  clothing?  check.  pregnancy pasta?  check.

now, show yourself, baby!

{let the preparations begin}{garlic}{crisping up the prosciutto with the aromatic garlic olive oil}{charlie’s crazy eyes while coco spins…they really like their “shoot-oh” as ben calls it}{bubble, bubble}{whisking that carbonara sauce like a madman}{strands of creamy goodness}{final touches}{the final plate.  about two point three seconds before my fork dove in}

39 weeks

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cravings & such:  i have been wanting protein, big time.  just my body’s way of getting geared up for something pretty major in the coming weeks.  i have also been wanting candy.  sour, sour candy.  [thanks halloween marketing].  and people have been offering to make spicy food for me.  our family seems to have some chefs with ulterior motives.

the bump:  oh yes, i have one of those.

cool & cute things:  she is just hanging out in there.  napping and stretching.  and packing on that layer of fat.

new things:  she weighs about 6 pounds 7 ounces according to our ultrasound tech.  she is a little thing.  but, healthy and happy with a strong heartbeat.  plus, she is head down and super low in my pelvis…assume the position!

meaningful moments:  getting to see her little face during a quick ultrasound check-in this week.  she was sleeping and all curled up in my hip bone.  and, she was making the cutest little sucking movements.  her little lips were moving away!  oh, she was just so sweet.  i can’t wait to see that little face.

the countdown:  7 days…one week!  come on…just a tad early

current size:  a mini watermelon.  although, i like to think of her as more of a seasonally adjusted, tiny pumpkin. 

contemplations of mr. charles

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raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
brown paper packages tied up with strings
these are a few of my favorite things

cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
these are a few of my favorite things

…

well, you know what’s NOT one of my favorite things…?

“brown paper packages tied up with strings” that have nothing to do with me.

mom and dad have been bringing a lot of new things into the house lately and you know what?  none of it is for me!  none of my favorite things!  no chicken.  no treats.  no prosciutto [that's right, i like my bacon fancy].  nada.  zilch.  and even when they do bring home a little toy, it turns out, it isn’t for me!  can you believe it?  what is going on!?  they keep saying things like “for baby” and “elinor is coming”.  fine.  but, where are my presents?

and would you take a look at this contraption?

what the…?

will someone please tell me what am i supposed to do with that thing?

dad won’t let me climb in it.

mom doesn’t like when i sneeze at it.

i am pretty sure i won’t be allowed to nibble on it.

what kind of toy is that?

they brought it in the house, dad fiddled with it for a bit, mom looked at some booklet thingy, and then they took it out where the cars live.  are they just messing with me now?  and does it get to go for a ride in the car without me.  things just keep getting worse for me.

i am not sure how i feel about all of this.  hopefully this “elinor” that they keep saying is coming soon will make things better.  maybe all these other things are the lame gifts for my parents to play with and this “elinor” will be for me!  something that i can play with finally.  my parents seem to think she will be pretty great.  they get really excited when they talk about her.  well, let me tell you folks, i get dibs on the good present.  this “elinor” is mine.  she will be my buddy.  you can keep your strange black contraption and all of those fabric items with the snaps. onesies, i think you call them?  what kind of a name is “onesie” anyway?  fine.  you keep your “onesie”.  i will take the “elinor”.

FALLing for j.crew

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with a few exceptions, my wardrobe is basically j.crew.  from tissue tees to statement necklaces…i pick up what j.crew puts down.  here are my latest loves for fall.

1  ::  2  ::  3  ::  4  ::  5  ::  6  ::  7

dear peanut

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oh my goodness.  what if this is my last dear peanut letter?  we are so close now that it is a real possibility.  your papa and i keep saying things like…this could be our last weekend, just the two of us…this could be our last dinner before she comes…this could be your last day at the office…this could be the last load of laundry before she arrives…and on and on and on.  we aren’t getting our hopes up that you will arrive early but we are doing our best to prepare, just in case.  the reality is that i could very well be writing three more letters to you [eek!  please don't linger that long!] before your arrival.  this sure is a lesson in patience, little one.

God is teaching me to be still.  even though i am so very excited to meet you and get to know you, i am trying to soak up the last moments of this season.  i am trying to enjoy the final days of pregnancy…i know that not everybody gets to experience the birth of their child in this physical manner.  so, i am trying to not complain but to be grateful that my Heavenly Father has allowed me to carry you.  that He has allowed my body to adjust and to sustain you for this long.  so many women cannot conceive.  so many women have turbulent pregnancies.  some women’s bodies fight against them.  some women’s bodies just can’t or won’t carry them through to the end.  i have been given this special gift of pregnancy and heaven forbid that i take that for granted.  in my moments of frustration, i remind myself that God has blessed me with this time and wants to use this time to mold my heart.  no complaining allowed!

God is using all of it to prepare me.  when i bump my bump into a chair, He is teaching me to slow down and be watchful.  when i cannot do the things that i used to do in the same way, He is teaching me that i am not in control and that i need to rely on His supply and grace.  when i get frustrated, He is teaching me self-control.  when i have to swallow yet another capsule or vitamin or healthy supplement, He is teaching me to put the needs of others before my own.  God has me in training.  i am training to be a parent.  He is molding me into a mother.  preparing my heart for your arrival.  and i need to take advantage of this time because once you arrive, little one, we move into major on-the-job training.  bring on the feeding charts and piles of diapers and pediatrician visits and sleep deprivation.  it is going to be so blissfully bewildering.

love, your mama + your papa

escape fire

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have you heard of this yet? 

if not, then let me be the first to pass along the link and some info about a new documentary called escape fire.

learn about the issues here

check out the trailer here

go watch the movie at a theater near you

and get fired up!

ESCAPE FIRE examines the powerful forces maintaining the status quo, a medical industry designed for quick fixes rather than prevention, for profit-driven care rather than patient-driven care. after decades of resistance, a movement to bring innovative high-touch, low-cost methods of prevention and healing into our high-tech, costly system is finally gaining ground. this film follows dramatic human stories as well as leaders fighting to transform healthcare at the highest levels of medicine, industry, government, and even the US military. ESCAPE FIRE is about finding a way out. it’s about saving the health of a nation.

escapefiremovie.com

38 weeks

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cravings & such:  nothing new to report here.  just enjoying some of our favorite restaurants and meals before becoming a family of three.

the bump:  getting bigger and feeling heavier these days.  bumping the bump into things is super fun…

cool & cute things:  baby has really plumped up!  she probably weighs about 6.5 pounds and is over 19.5 inches log.  if she is born with brown eyes, they’ll likely stay brown.  if she is born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue OR turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she is 9 months old.  a child’s irises may gain more pigment in the months after birth but the usually won’t get “lighter” or more blue.  can’t wait to see them!  blue like papa?  greenish gray like her mama? brown like grandmama ridley?

new things:  baby girl has a firm grasp and her organs have matured to the point where she is ready for life outside the womb.  wahoo!  we are ready for life outsde the womb too.

meaningful moments:  playing with the baby carrier.  perusing the pages of her new books.  interviewing a naturopathic pediatrician [who we just love!]  enjoying her movements.  picking out fabric for a cute little project with my mom…montessori teething rings with mini minky blankets.  too cute.  thanks mom!

the countdown:  14 days! two weeks, give or take… 

current size:  the length of a leek

three things

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three things i am likin’ right now

this lovely bouquet

since my sister has a wedding coming up next spring [eek!] i have found myself perusing webpages and pins for lovely floral arrangements and inspiration for her big day.  talk about an instant pick-me-up.  flowers are fabulous like that.

this foxy shirt from asos

green + peachy pink + gold color combo