Friday, November 25, 2011

thankful

Hey y'all.  I wrote this last Sunday but didn't get a chance to finish and post it.  Many of you know why.  I promise to post what you really want to know soon, soon, soon...but in the meantime....

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Sunday, November 20, 2011

Hi.  Still pregnant.
We are officially accepting name suggestions, especially boy's names.  Have at it, please.  We tend to prefer names like, for example, Juniper.  If you can come up with a boy's name that's earthy and simple, has only one spelling and won't land him a black eye in middle school, you are a genius and we will forever be indebted.  We'll also take girl's name suggestions, but we're doing much better in that camp.  Boys names are just hard.    

:: A couple weeks ago, I had a sudden, irrepressible urge...
^I couldn't find a pattern I liked (they all required some weird origami sewing...and why oh why would you sew booties when you can knit them in the round?  Duh...) and so I went freestyle.  I even wrote down what I did (amazing).^  

With Juniper, I filled out every detail of "My Pregnancy Journal"; I glued in photos and wrote in the margins.  This time, I never cracked the spine.  I feel pretty bad about that.  As a second child myself, I really didn't want to fall into the second-child-neglectful-mother pattern, but I did.
Then all of a sudden I felt like this baby needed some attention.  And so instead of doing the million other tasks on my list while Juniper napped, I sat on the couch and knitted, resting my hands on the big, hard, pumpkin that takes up my midsection.  With every stitch I thought about the little human that is, incredibly, living in my belly.  I tried to visualize what he or she will look like; what his cry will sound like; wondered if she will be mellow or high-strung; pictured these tiny booties on tiny feet.

I never allowed myself to knit baby clothes while pregnant with Juniper.  (Why take the time to knit something they're going to spit up on, poop on and will only fit for 3 months?  That said, I did sew a small load of diapers.)
I've often regretted that decision.  We only get to be 8 pounds once in our lifetime.  There is only one time that we will be so small and helpless that we don't need leather-bottomed slippers.  When a good friend of mine had her first baby I told her to let the dishes go and revel in her newborn.  I am not a religious person per say, but I told her holding a newborn is like holding God.
And so, this time my baby will have cashmere, merino and silk engulfing those divine feet...poop stains and all.  

Oh.  And I didn't stop with the booties.
  
My friend made this hat for our second-born, remembering that I had always wanted one for our October girl:
^Modeled here by one of my step-dad's gorgeous sculptures.^

:: Ever since we brought home the I'm a Big Sister books and started talking about the baby in mama's belly, Juniper has been into it.  Right now, we're thinking the biggest issue with Juniper and the new baby will be her wanting to feed the baby peanuts and cover its head with a blanket during naps.  
At our 36 week ultrasound to check placental location and get the all-clear for a VBAC.  


:: Lately, Juniper has been digging into my bellybutton which is now pretty much an outie and a wee bit sensitive.


:: In other news, we planted garlic just in time...


...because the next day brought us this...

:: My dad and step-mom arrived a few days ago, so now we really have the all-clear to go ahead and meet this little bean in my belly.  In the meantime, we've been celebrating belated birthdays.

And helping grandma cook...

And preparing for the change that will rock our house.

I am getting antsy but my man has been a superhero, diligently working on the Honey-Do list while taking care of both me and bugs.  His coworkers keep asking how he stays so svelte..."Try working on a house with a pregnant wife," he says.  But we have both been breathing lightly since my parents arrived.  Anything that seemed urgent before has been set aside.  We're as ready as we're going to be.      
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That's as far as I got.

Then Monday came and we went for a wild ride.

And we are thankful.  Birth story to follow....


5 comments:

  1. Love those knit pants, love these photos.

    YAY mama! Oooh, thinking awesome, loving, warm thoughts right now. Thanksgiving babies are pretty dang wonderful.

    xxoo
    Nici

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  2. Awesome!!! I've been privy to some e-mails and pics via your dad to my mom.

    SOOOOO happy for your little family!

    Let the wild ride begin, indeed.

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  3. first of all, I just adore the pic of Juniper's eyes looking up at you, your belly filling the frame. second, there's a new babe...!! Can't wait to hear more. :)

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  4. wow - that was a surprise ending! Can't wait for the next installment!

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  5. So much joy your way! I look forward to hearing all about your (*and his*) birth story. So happy for you, sweet family of four.
    xoxo

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