Spring at the River

For the most part, I think the pictures say it all. We had a relaxing, enjoyable weekend at the river with Mo and Papa Mox. They had lots of quality time with Anna, and we adults had the evenings to talk and catch up. I may not be in any photos, but I was there, and I did get that long walk with my husband. Also not in photos: Anna and Mo planting flowers and veggies in the garage (because it was too cold outside), Anna enjoying her Sunday lunch in the crook of a tree, and some very good food.

Thank you, Dad and Jessica, for a wonderful weekend.

I have a number of pictures just like this one...someday I'll be able to do a time lapse collage of these two snuggled on the couch watching TV through the years. 

 The colorful birdhouse that Anna painted with Mo Saturday morning while Blake and I walked.

Marshmallows over the campfire. 

 Perfectly toasted!

She REALLY wanted to get in the water. She had to settle for dangling her hands in. 

Marshmallow face. 

 Fishing with Papa.

Blake's turn fishing. 

Pulling weeds in the sandbox. 

 Chasing bubbles from the bubble maker. Thanks Aunt Amy and Uncle Chris!

Another try at playing in the river. 

The first course of our five-course tasting menu created by The Weekend Chef: Inspired nachos with fried wonton wrappers, melty cheese, avocado, black bean sauce and pickled radish salsa. This was one of my favorites. 

The final course. Sadly, my culinary photography is pretty poor. The picture of everyone's favorite course, the curried pappardelle with seared scallops, was blurry. And, I failed to take a photo of the cucumber water with yogurt and lemon. The arugula salad with pancetta, torn croutons, and grapefruit vinaigrette was also scrumptious. 

Inspiration

I think I'm in need of some...inspiration, that is. I suppose there's a time for everything, and at this time, my mind and hands are occupied with so many things other than blogging. It's not that we are lacking in daily precious moments to record, or maddening ones for that matter. It's just that 1) I haven't been taking any pictures - for no reason other than I haven't felt inspired; 2) I'm occupied with (or preoccupied by?) trying to stay present with Anna during the days when I'm feeling very tired and distracted OR exhaustion OR my hyper-nesting-attacking-to-do-list self, which I know is not going to last much longer, because I'm already getting uncomfortable as we close in on the third trimester; 3) I'm really craving the creative outlet of writing something more than just a play-by-play of what we did when and how over the week or the weekend...yet, the aforementioned fatigue and distractions are making that difficult.

This weekend will be fuel for a picture post at the very least. We are headed to the river tomorrow afternoon to visit Papa and Mo Mox, and we're all really looking forward to the 'vacation.' I've been instructed to bring clothes for painting and gardening (for Anna). Blake has a five-course tasting menu planned for Saturday night. I'm bringing my walking shoes for a stroll on the country roads with Blake and some time around the bonfire with the family. I'm feeling more inspired just thinking about it.

The Weekend List

The impending birth of the little guy in my belly has me very focused on lists lately. I'm a natural list-maker, but they are even more prevalent right now, especially since my brain is functioning at less-than-full capacity AND I can't help but feel that, once He is born, it's going to be a very long time before anything gets done around the house.

The point is...I'm going to summarize our weekend with a list.

• The dishwasher arrived! Blake spent Friday night and part of Saturday morning installing it. After one month, our hands will finally get a break.
• I spent the evening on the computer mostly. I consolidated too many lists, made a couple of new ones (like a shopping list for our Ikea trip this weekend), shopped, and browsed.
• We ate pancakes and bacon Saturday morning. Anna decided she didn't want to go anywhere (we were going to take her to a glow-in-the-dark putt-putt place we found close by), but I think a day at home to just play was in order. It was wonderful to have a relaxing morning at home.
• Anna and Blake built a bonfire at lunch time. While they roasted hot dogs and watched the neighbor till a large patch of our lawn where the playset will go, I drove to The Great Indoors looking for deals (they are going out of business).
• We met, hopefully for the last time, with a deck builder in the afternoon. I think we finally know what we're doing.
• Blake grilled steak, made Thomas Keller's french fries (twice fried), and whipped up an asparagus salad for dinner...and we enjoyed loading the dishwasher.
• We worked again after Anna went to bed Saturday night - Blake mowed. I walked, painted trim in the basement, and deleted photos from our space-compromised laptop. 
• While Blake golfed Sunday morning, Anna and I fried eggs for breakfast, had another "dance class," cleaned Gill's fish tank, and played with play-doh.
• After lunch, we picked Blake up at the course and drove to Creatopia, a paint-your-own-pottery studio. A couple of picture frames later, we made our way to Ikea, where we purchased a couple small Expedit bookshelves (we have way too many of these in our house now) for craft storage in the basement and for the baby's room. 
• Laundry, dinner, dancing, bedtime for Anna, more mowing for Blake, a little blogging for me...and we were very ready to relax for what was left of the evening.

Two Days

Anna enjoyed two very fun-filled days at Mo D's last week. Here are the pictures (from Mo's iPhone) to prove it.

She spent a lot of time taking care of Riley.

She rode and drove at a carnival and slid and climbed at a park...

And, she spent time with Grace and the butterflies at Dow Gardens.

I think they even fit in a swim at the pool between the dog walks, park, carnival, and butterfly exhibit. Anna enjoyed it all - Thank you, Mo D!

Twenty-Three Weeks

It's been a while since I posted anything about our baby boy. He's grown enough in the last couple of weeks to make his presence known pretty regularly. This is, by far, one of the best parts of pregnancy - feeling the baby move and getting daily reassurance that all is well in there. Both Anna and Blake have felt his kicks as well. Anna continues to be enamored with him, kissing and hugging and talking to him every morning and every night.

I had a routine midwife appointment today. At twenty-three weeks, we are halfway through the monitoring for heart block. As of today, the baby's heart rate was steady and strong. By twenty-eight weeks, if he has not developed heart block, it should not develop, and a big weight will be lifted from our shoulders. He also seems to be growing just fine at this point. My uterus is measuring where it should be, and my weight is steadily increasing.

I'm sufficiently uncomfortable while sleeping, rolling from side to side throughout the night and getting up to pee at least twice - all good signs as well I suppose. I spent the last two days going through plastic bins in the basement, cleaning out stuff to donate, and reorganizing - and I had to rest frequently. I can't seem to grasp the concept of taking it easy, but the Braxton-Hicks contractions remind me that I need to do just that. Overall, I'm feeling good.

We have a freshly-painted bedroom, too - ready for pictures, books, bedding, and drapes. We are, of course, exploring names, but haven't settled on one. As with Anna, we won't decide for sure until we see him for the first time. I'm sure we'll have it narrowed down to a couple. That is, I'll have a couple I like and Blake will have the one that he's liked from the beginning, that he hasn't swayed from one little bit.

Thank you, again, to everyone for the positive thoughts. Things are looking and feeling good, and I'm hopeful that they'll continue this way!

Dancing Naked

Anna woke up Sunday morning after a restful night sleep, and shortly thereafter, she threw up. The dark, stormy day brewing outside crept inside as well. We hibernated in the basement on the couch. We watched movie after movie, getting up only to snatch the garbage bin or sanitize hands. By evening, she was sipping broth and munching noodles. By Monday, she was tired but asking for more and more food. By this morning, she was dancing around the house singing "Rio" songs while I finished packing the bags for her long-awaited trip to see the butterfly exhibit with Mo D in Midland.

After a horrid, purple-faced-can't-talk-because-I'm-crying-so-hard, leg-grabbing-and-body-throwing good-bye when I left for Spinning last night, I wasn't sure how today's departure would go. This separation, though, was on Anna's terms. She wanted to go, even if I could not (because I'm hosting book club tonight) and this, somehow, is the only stretch of two days we had available for her to go before the exhibit is over. Needless to say, she was absolutely fine when we kissed and hugged and waved good-bye.

As for me, I spent Sunday evening washing and putting away dishes. Seriously, it took well over an hour, even after Blake tackled some of them. I was planning ahead, knowing that my meeting after Spinning on Monday would get me home late, leaving little time for packing, picking up the toys, and going through the mail piles before the cleaners arrived this morning. And, I knew Anna and I would be in a hurry to get out of the house so she could be on her way to Mo's. It's been a rather nice balance of quiet time with Anna on Sunday and Monday, and frantic productivity in the evenings. 

Now, after saying good-bye to Anna mid-day and making stops at HomeGoods and Panerra, I am in my clean house with absolutely nobody else. It is utterly, eerily quiet. In almost four years, I'm pretty confident that I have not been alone in my home in the middle of the day on a Tuesday. While it does feel bizarre, and I certainly miss Anna already, it's strangely liberating. While I ought to be napping, I don't think I can rest. Soon, I'll be making bruschetta and pancetta wrapped asparagus and smothered grapes for my book club girlfriends - alone. I'll be sipping leftover soup for dinner while Blake golfs - alone. I'll be cleaning out the basement, running errands, meeting with the painter, and nesting - alone. A day or two of this will be glorious. I'm an introvert, after all. But, I have no doubt I'll be recharged and ready for Anna's return. Too much time alone isn't good for me either.

I was talking with a girlfriend today as I walked in the house and peered around the silent corners of the kitchen and family room. I'd envisioned this moment the night before when I couldn't sleep. "I'm glad you're on the phone with me for this," I said. I thought I might feel kinda lonely. Then, in the same breath, without thinking came something along the lines of "I don't know what to do with myself - I might have to dance around the house naked." I won't do it. But, I COULD if I wanted to!

Anna's Afternoon...

...included three of her favorite things: cooking, dancing, and crafting.

She relished digging her hands into the meatloaf for the first time. Anna has long had a fascination with my meatloaf-making process. While she always loves to help and watch in the kitchen, meatloaf is one thing she seems to be particularly enamored with.

She danced this morning at class AND she had a dance lesson with Aunt Kaity later in the day. Ever since Anna saw the video (at least 50 times) of Aunt Kaitlyn's Variety performance, she's been anxious to have a dance lesson with her. Anna's "shows" have been more and more frequent, and although she managed to pick up a few moves from watching the video all on her own, having a lesson from Aunt Kaity brought such a smile to her face. Thanks, Kaity!

She came up with another bird craft, of course. Anna decided she wanted to make something with tissue paper. A bird came to mind. A blue macaw, specifically. I was stumped, until I remembered taking little squares of tissue paper, wrapping them around the end of a pencil eraser, dipping it in glue, and securing it to something. It turned out to be a great project for her, as she could do every step on her own. This is the bird she ended up with.

Nesting

Two months ago, almost to the day, I posted a few random things about our lives. Pieces of that blog described my general desire to lay on the couch and watch TV after Anna went to bed and the lack of things getting done around the house in the evening. Things have changed more than I thought possible in eight weeks.

I'm more than halfway through the second trimester, and I'm taking full advantage of the increased energy levels. Nesting is not a joke - it's a powerful instinct that compels a pregnant mom to stay up too late and do too much. In the last few weeks, it's left me little time to blog. I don't remember the last time I watched a full episode of anything on television, except maybe Super Why! with Anna. I feel as though Blake and I, both, have been going non-stop around the house. The dishwashing load has certainly multiplied, but that's not entirely to blame. General nesting and house projects have taken over our minds and bodies...prepare to read a detailed account of my nighttime activities.

Before my girls' weekend, one of my main goals was to finish sewing skirts for my girlfriend's daughters. I had so much fun with this - I'm wanting for more time to sew, both things for our home (like a new shower curtain, a skirt for Anna, a crib skirt, chair cushion covers, fabric drawer liners to name just a few) and special items for other people. I also spent a fair amount of time in March planning and making lists, so that after the skirts were complete, I could begin tackling the baby preparation.

I've been chipping away at the baby's room for a while, but in the last two weeks, I've finally managed to get it cleaned out and ready for the painter to come next Wednesday. I have nine plastic bins full of baby and toddler clothes and shoes that are only now organized by size and by what I want to keep (for keepsake or for our little guy). Infant toys are in a separate bin in the closet for now, receiving blankets are piled in their as well, Anna's old onsies and itty bitty clothes are folded in the drawer, miscellaneous gear like the car seat, bathtub, and carriers are waiting patiently for use. There is, of course, a pretty decent pile of new little boy clothes to be washed and folded, too thanks to me, Mo D, and Mo J. I'm really excited to get the nursery decorated. I've been spending too much time on Etsy looking for just the right fabric for crib sheets as well as artwork for the baby's walls. The before and after photos are going to look so drastically different when it's all complete.

Patched and ready for paint.

Then there's the time I've been spending searching for volunteer opportunities, a new babysitter, playsets, deck builders, and this week, after finding out that our doula can't follow through on the commitment, a new birth doula. Blake and I did decide on Monday to purchase a build-it-yourself play structure for Anna's birthday, which we (meaning Blake and my dad) can put together in a weekend. For about the same cost as the used ones we were eyeing, it'll be new and built with love. We've also settled on someone to help us refurbish our horribly tattered deck, which Blake has begun tearing apart himself in the evenings. He's also spent a bit of time cleaning up the beds and trimming shrubs in the front and back of the house in the last few weeks. And, I'm two frames and one photo away from being done with the family photo wall that I've been wanting to put together for our upstairs hallway. I think the hardest part - placing and spacing the pictures exactly how I have them set out on the floor - is yet to come.

With all of this going on, some things have been put aside. It looks like the vegetable garden is going to wait another year, as we haven't yet figured out a solution to our watering problem - the arsenic levels in our well are cautionary, so we can't water with our garden hose. I also learned rain barrels that collect runoff from the house are not advisable for vegetable gardens. If anyone knows of a filter for a garden hose or other possible watering method we've overlooked, please let me know! Fortunately, we'll have more than enough veggies from the CSA again this year.

I'm hosting book club next week. It was my pick, and I'm only halfway through because of all this nesting. I'm thinking reading ought to be on my agenda tonight!

Celebrating Spring

The snow has been blowing all day today, making the eighty degree weather from a couple of weeks ago seem like a dream. I suppose this is more typical of Michigan springtime. Easter weekend actually felt like spring, with the sun shining brightly and the temps in the 50's and 60's. The nights were cold though, so we decided to hold off on planting our new tree outside. Instead, we celebrated springtime with the typical symbols of fertility and birth - bunnies and eggs - all around, a bit of candy (not sure where this tradition comes from?!), and time with family.

We were away on Easter morning, so we did an egg hunt on Friday after waking. She had fun last year, but this year was even better. I think the candy for breakfast at 6:15am is what makes this tradition so much fun.

I love this picture, because Anna looked for this egg (while standing right next to it) for what seemed like ages. She hadn't figured out yet that it was in the candle when I snapped this photo.

We made packaged cinnamon rolls Friday morning. I used to LOVE the Pillsbury version; however, they are loaded with preservatives, food coloring, and artificial flavors, not to mention soy and dairy. I found these at Whole Foods with no soy, dairy, or nasty fillers - and they are even better.

Shortly after our egg hunt, we discovered a visitor on our deck. Perfect timing!

Then we made cut out cookies, because we hadn't had enough sugar for the day. Eggs, bunnies, chicks, butterflies, and flowers.

Saturday morning we packed up and headed to Mo and Papa J's. Anna decorated eggs with Mo and Papa while Blake, Blair, Carolyn, and I enjoyed an afternoon at the theater watching Les Mis.

This picture was taken Sunday morning. I have no idea what the funny face is about, and even though it's blurry, I love it. The Easter bunny came to Mo and Papa's house and hid all the eggs Anna decorated the day before. Of course, there was a basket to dig through from Mo and Papa as well.

We headed to the club in the afternoon for brunch and a much anticipated visit to the Easter bunny. The highlight, however, was not the bunny, but rather the balloon guy who made Anna a ladybug with blue eyes. In the end, Anna decided she didn't even want to see the bunny this year. Go figure. When we finally made it home, Anna discovered a basket from the Easter bunny at our house as well, with a new book, a prism for making rainbows, and some other spring-related goodies.

We've ushered in Spring. Now if the weather would cooperate!

Gratitude for the Dishwasher

I suppose it's a sign of our times that I'm compelled to post about the fact that we have been without a dishwasher for two weeks. Two weeks! Yes, I'm complaining - and I even have a helpful husband who does dishes at night and on weekends. Maybe if we cooked less or switched to paper plates (or if my belly didn't bump into the counter top when I lean over the sink) it'd make things easier. But, it was supposed to be fixed three different times, so I just kept thinking we'd be running that full load of dishes in there soon. Don't worry...we don't have stinky dishes in the washer That load has been through so many rinse cycles, the dishes are virtually clean, but they are still sitting there, nonetheless.

Anyway, we found out Tuesday after my friend from Mr. Appliance visited for the third time that we have to replace our dishwasher. It cannot be repaired. The one we want to purchase is going to take two weeks to get here. So, we wait two more weeks and do a lot more dishes.

I may not know what to do with my extra time when we have a dishwasher again! This could be one of those "gifts" that helps me to appreciate just how lucky we are now to have the technology that we do. Today, I am very, very grateful for dishwashers and for the working one that will be with us soon.

Girlfriends

Girlfriends are the best. Emily took this pic of Anna and Harper with her phone as we were leaving this afternoon. Note the adorable beaded necklace - Emily had wooden beads to paint and ribbon for the girls to string the beads on to make necklaces. So cute!

Reunion, 2012

I spent this weekend in Chicago with five of my favorite women. I've written about it here and here, and after the late nights and my continued food hangover (somehow I feel hungover even though I didn't enjoy the cocktails), I'm sure these old posts are more poetic than I could dream of being now. I am always at a bit of a loss for words when it comes to describing how I feel about these girls and my time with them. I am so blessed.

A candid shot before the pose...the best photo of them all.

A Sprite magnet for all of us from Amy (Sprite was the name of the house we lived in our Senior year).

This year we reconvened in Chicago at Amy's place. As usual, we all brought various forms of decadent snacks and drinks to enjoy throughout the weekend. As usual, we stayed up late talking and laughing our asses off. We keep a running list of note-worthy quotes from each reunion, and I'm pretty sure we had a page filled by the end of the first night. We meandered around Andersonville on Saturday morning, eating and shopping and being girls together. We drank cocktails (or mocktails) at The Violet Hour. The list could go on and on.

Nearly every year we are together, there is a reason to celebrate something special. On Saturday afternoon, I was "sprinkled," or showered. A sprinkle is a smaller version of a shower given for the births of second or third children; however, it felt grand to me. The girls came up with a Mother Earth theme, so all of the gifts were eco-friendly, organic, or literally, green. While the material gifts were just perfect for our family, the celebration itself was the best gift. It meant so much to formally celebrate this little guy's life, especially in this venue, after all that's been happening.

The requisite puppy chow picture. I ate my weight in this stuff this year. 

 A very special shower gift from the girls, to be planted in our yard this weekend.

 The Violet Hour. No sign. Camouflaged door. Unbelievable drinks and atmosphere. I will be back here someday.

I arrived home last night typically full, both physically and emotionally. I can't wait until we all get together again.