36 weeks!

This is where I am when I am not sleeping. It's a very comfy chair!

Me at 36 weeks! I am holding one of the baskets that I am assembling to make breasfeeding easier. The books all say that I have a much better chance of sucess if I have everything at my fingertips. So, this is the basket that is going in the living room. There is also one for his room, our room, and the basement. They contain blankets, spit up cloths, bibs, food and water for me and other feeding essentials.

A bear's life

Practicing swaddling with Fozzy Bear

How do we know if the swaddler is the right size?

He's actually doing double duty here. 1) He's keeping Kovi out of the car seat and 2) giving Andrew and I some practice at manuvering a baby in and out of a car seat!

Sewing projects

I am making a bed skirt for the crib with the extra fabric from the curtains. I decided to be adventurous and put some kick pleats in. This is the pinning.

This is the sewing. Hard to see, but I think it will be cute on the skirt!

I also decided to take some pillow cases we are never going to use and turn them into swaddlers. With the fancy schmancy sewing machine, I hemmed this one, and then put a nifty flower pattern all around the sides! And the machine just sews it! It's SO cool!

Hard at work!

Andrew decided to take a break. The cats (who really don't like each other) have managed to be within 2 inches of each other. Goofiness!!

So this is me in Andrew's rocker. The blue pad was a gift from his parents. We have this rocker because Andrew's mom gave it to him a long time ago. Then, the first time I visited him I saw it and sat in it. I had to find out if it "fit" because SO many rockers don't! They are very personal things. It did fit, and further confirmed in my mind that God meant Andrew and I to be together!!! The afghan under my arm was made by Aunt Roz.

This is the 35 week belly. The baby is currently doing his best to exit my right rib cage. It's REALLY painful! But, at my appointment this week, my fabulous ob declared him head down and ready to go! But, I still think he's going to cook a little more.

35 weeks and waiting!

So, in Andrew's big shirts, the belly isn't as visible, but that's ok. This is me holding the Memere blanket. It's small but mighty!

Andrew assembled the router, and note the safety goggles! Already a good daddy!

On the practice piece of wood. The edge turned out perfectly!

It's hard to see here, but this is the routing edge for the bottom of the cradle Andrew is making. Power tools are pretty cool!

Animals get ready too!

Another picture that probably puts Andrew and I in the Parents hall of Shame. Yes, Kovi is snuggled into the car seat.

Aggie however, is often sweet and angelic.

Kovi napping on the 6mo baby clothes

Ahh, but Aggie spies an open closet and Must Investigate!

The Memere Blanket!

My mother's family is French Canadian. Among other things this means a few language idiosyncrasies in our language. One of which is what we call our grandparents. My mother will be called Grandmere, because she had a Grandmere who she loved very much. I called my mom's mom Memere. Memere was wonderful and good, and I miss her very much as she died in 1998. So you can imagine my surprise when I opened a card from my Aunt Lorraine (my mother's sister) and found out that the box it was attached to contained a blanket from Memere. Aunt Lorraine had kept this blanket for TEN YEARS for me. Memere knitted it for me a year before she died. Which means that while I was off gallivanting in the Jordan as a Peace Corps volunteer, she was crocheting a baby blanket! It was probably so that she could channel all that worry.

Post shower

We recieved many beautiful blankets as shower gifts. So I figured that I would show them off along with the belly pics! This one is the first of many (I'm sure) quilts from my fabulous mother in law Maryann. It is a double chain just like the quilt she made as a wedding gift for Andrew and me. This one is the momma baby snuggling quilt!

I sorted the gifts from the shower into various boxes and drawers and things. One box is the "must be washed right now or baby will be naked when he comes home pile", the other's are bigger clothes.

I filled the crib with the assorted "stuff" boppie, chocolate for mom, toys and stuffed animals.

More boxes! Just like moving! Well, I guess someone is moving in, so it makes sense!

Setting up for the baby shower

So we managed to take a grand total of 4 pictures with our own camera. Whoops! We were just too busy being social! Now these are some of the nicest people on the planet! Andrew, Mrs. Smith (at whose house we had the shower), my Aunt Roz, and Art Sundheim. A big shout out goes to Art for doing some major work for the shower, like getting the food from the caterer and packing the car! It was VERY MUCH a better Presidents Day 2008 than Art and I had in 2007.

Andrwe, Art and my mom

Getting ready for the drum circle

More shower pics

This set of pictures is from my sister in law Cathy!

Jake and Riley looking at pictures.


Jake looking pretty happy

I believe I am looking adoringly at Andrew

Andrew's reaction to most of the gifts. As in, what the heck is that?

Opening more presents!

Presents

It took Andrew and I spent 90 minutes opening presents. We received a wardrobe of adorable onesies and cute wee clothes. He's going to be the best dressed baby ever! Thanks to Ginger Nichols for the pictures!

The drum circle!

So, we confused a lot of people and told them we would be having a drum circle! A drum circle, is well, people sitting around a circle making music on percussion instruments. We had some good rhythms going for some of it, and for some of it we were just making a joyful noise. But it was really fun!

Here is Cliff demonstrating to Katie what to do. I think Katie got overwhelmed and went to go visit the horses!

Andrew trying to give Riley some rhythm cues.

Andrew leading the group in a groove!

First shower photos

We had a GREAT baby shower this weekend. It was so wonderful to see our family and so many of our friends. All those who weren't there were sorely missed!

Andrew and I are blessed and humbled by all the thought and prayers from everyone. Thank you so much for being part of our lives!

So, I don't think I was sleeping, but, it sure felt good to sit down!
Cliff standing guard in front of an open cabinet of beautiful glass. My Aunt Roz is next to him, and Mrs. Smith is seated.


This is Nancy, Godmother to the newest addition to our circle of Hunterdon friends, William. He slept and generally looked cute through the whole shower.
Mom and Aunt Ginny enjoying a chat. This section of the house is from 1710.

This is the dining room at Mrs. Smith's house. This is the new part, it's from the 1850s. All the furniture is antique, the vast majority of the pottery is Mrs. Smith's creation.