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Is there anything more wonderful than baby clothes?

babyclothes.JPGJan. 22: I am surrounded by a couch laden with little baby clothes.  My neighbor, Kathy, has a four-month-old daughter and a three-year-old daughter, and she just brought me a huge basket full of clothes for tiny babies.  I think that “little sister’s” wardrobe size just doubled.  We had received so many hand-me-downs from Vicki when Andrew was little, I was a little worried that baby sister wouldn’t have quite enough clothes.  That fear has now been banished.

I’ve been reveling in the little clothes.  Folding them, stacking them, fondling them.  Such sweet tiny outfits!  What little socks and tiny hats.  Such adorable little sleepers and dresses and gowns.  I think I could hold them all afternoon.
Basking in the loveliness of baby clothes makes me miss my mom.  If she were here, I would have called her right when I put Andrew down for his nap.  Whether she was working or at home, I would have said, “As soon as you can, drop everything and come over to my house.  We have some baby clothes to admire!”  I may have even tried to hold off looking at them until she came over (probably not).
Then we would look at each one, hold it up, admire the gussets and the embroidery and the well-thought-out features.  We would have come up with possible outfits, and Mom would have offered sage advice about various baby things.  If she were here, I could have even gotten annoyed at her for a moment if I wanted to.  That would be nice.

There are a couple pieces of clothing in the pile that are from some clothing lines that were around when Andrew was a baby.  I remember looking at them with Mom and wondering if we should buy something from those lines in case someone had a baby girl someday. Maybe Maretta…or one of my friends…  It sort of makes me happy and sad to look at those little outfits and remember some of those happy times. If there was one thing that made Mom ecstatic, it was shopping for clothes for kids.  She often said that the only reason she had kids was so she could dress them.  She was mostly kidding:)
With all these new clothes, I feel a little like it is Christmas Eve.
I have so much anticipation about this little person.  It’s a sweet moment to be in.  I’m not dealing with post-labor exhaustion.  The baby hasn’t outgrown anything yet.  It’s all just something sweet and wonderful to be thinking about.  So I’ll pile the clothes around me and dream baby dreams until Andrew wakes up from his nap.  It’s just me, Spooky, and the clothes:)

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More Andrew cuteness

overalls.JPGJan. 21: When I posted yesterday, I neglected to include several of Andrew’s recent cute mannerisms that I know will change shortly, so I wanted to record here for posterity.
He likes singing songs or saying things by changing the first letter.  For example, he gets a great kick out of singing, “Dinkle, dinkle dittle dar.”  Also, in a new interest in anatomy, he laughs hysterically as he says, “Not a teenis!”

The other day, Andrew came in the room and said quietly, “Daddy, I’d like to talk to you.” (while motioning for Bryan to come over to him…exactly like Bryan does with Andrew).  I could just overhear Andrew telling Bryan, “I feel nervous.”
What a sweet, sincere little person Andrew is!

I wanted to run the vacuum cleaner this morning, and Andrew asked me in a slightly panic-y tone of voice to please not vacuum because it scares him.  I showed him how much the vacuum helped me, and I understood that he didn’t like the loud noise.  I encouraged him to blow on his little horn so he would be making a lot of noise too.  So Andrew went into his room, went behind the rocking chair, and peeked wide-eyed around at me vacuuming the hall rug while he tooted determinedly on his little horn.

Andrew has been having a hard time falling asleep for naps. Today between his pre-nap books, we had a little talk about things that can help in falling asleep.  I told him about how cold and snowy it was outside and yet how warm and cozy his bed is.  And I told him how nice it can be to take a deep breath and snuggle down into your blankets.
When he crawled into his bed after the book, I noticed that he was breathing really funny and had to smile when I realized that he was just taking his versions of the deep breaths that I’d suggested.

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Thoughts on switching jobs

gwc.JPGJan. 21: Andrew and I are enjoying our first day of my new job as stay-at-home mom.  Well, were I still at work, I would have had today off, so may tomorrow will be more like the first official day that I won’t be reporting in to the Gathering Waters office like normal.  I had a really nice last few weeks at work.  Mike Carlson took over all my policy work, and I think he’s going to do a great job.  Liz is going to be taking on some of the more administrative parts of my job.  I sense is that they’ll all miss me and that it won’t be the same without me (so that makes me feel needed), but that they’ll get along alright without me (and that makes me feel like it’s OK to go).
By working part time the first three weeks in January, I was able to get all the loose ends of my work wrapped up.  My co-workers threw me a really fun going away party last Wednesday.  Activities included toenail painting, eating yummy food, watching a cool slide show about reasons they will and won’t miss me at work, reading a flow chart that describes how to get two children out of the house and into a car in summer or winter, and generally being silly.  I just simply love my co-workers.  So it’s a good thing that I’ll still see them lots in my new life.  We’ve got lunches planned:)
Last Thursday (my last day), we had a board meeting and a fancy Stewardship Fund celebration reception in Milwaukee.  I liked having the opportunity to say goodbye to our board members.  And it was fun to have my last work event be a party!  Some pictures of my going away party and the Stewardship event are in the gallery.

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Support at the end

Jan. 21: I got a really sad phone call last week from one of my co-workers.  Her dear friend has been dealing with breast cancer for a couple years, and Karen just received news that Cindy only has weeks left to live.  Although I only know Cindy slightly, my heart just aches for her family.  To know that another group of loving, supportive people are in the process of switching gears from treatment to maintenance to saying goodbye.  The worst part is that Cindy has two young kids.  That makes me so sad and scared.  It makes me cry to see again the strange twists that life can take.  No matter how much we all try to do the right things in our lives, sometimes things just don’t work out how we would like them to.  I keep trying to live life the best ways that I know how, but I think that the last year has encouraged me to hang on to the current moment more than ever before.
Oh, and I so want to be around to see my babies grow up.  Everyone should have that.  The alternative is just far too sad…for everyone.

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So much cuteness

tubby.JPGJan. 20: I feel like I have a whole book full of stories I want to share about Andrew.  He’s been doing such cute things!  This morning, for example, he slept late (7:20) and crawled into bed.  He was so sunshiny and loving.  The sun was out, so as I attempted to open my eyes, he had his nose touching mine, and he smiled as he blinked along with me.  Then he crawled over my (enormous) bulk to cuddle with Daddy.  He turned on my CD (James Galway) and told me when he was hearing the flute or the harp.
Bryan and I finished painting and decorating the bathroom last night, and I had put wall stickers up.  Andrew was pretty impressed to patter into the bathroom and see frogs and butterflies and caterpillars and other garden critters all over.
The little guy has needed a hair cut for quite some time, and after breakfast this morning, my little lion cub sat in front on his favorite show (Fantasia’s “Horses” aka the Pastoral Symphony).  Mommy Lion trimmed his curls while the little lion cub watched his show while sitting on the coffee table.  I’d done past hair cuts in the bathtub or longer ago in his high chair.  The video-watching scenario worked well.  I just hope I didn’t cut too much.  After I get it wet and can see how it curls up, I’ll know for sure.

Pictures from the last several weeks are in the gallery.

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Week 37 – Full term!

Jan. 20: I’m lounging on our comfy chair as I type, and my entire belly is rocking and rolling.  It’s sort of amazing to watch!
Bryan and Andrew are playing with play-doh and listening to fun songs.
Things are approaching readiness for the little one’s arrival.  I got a sweet blanket from Aunt Kate in the mail last week, and I’ve been sleeping with it since a) it’s so very soft and sweet and b) to get it smelling like Mama so the little one doesn’t have to cuddle up to a more sterile world.
I’ve been reading my books on labor, we are registered to do a tour of the Meriter Hospital birthing area this afternoon, and tomorrow evening, we are meeting with our doula (birthing assistant), Laura Anderson.  Laura was a great help and support for both Bryan and me when Andrew was born, so we’re looking forward to working with her again.
I have a set of baby clothes picked out to pack for the hospital.  I think this weekend I’ll at least make a list of the things I want to bring for myself.
We’re still working on names, and I think we have our list narrowed down to four.  I like them all, so we’re just going to wait until we meet her to decide.  It’s super cold outside.  I hope the weather warms a bit before we bring the little one home.  On the other hand, Andrew was born when it was 95 degrees, so if it happened to be -5 degrees when little sister is born, that would be a bit of a cool coincidence!

BabyCenter.com Week 37 Update:

How your baby’s growing:

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don’t be surprised if your baby’s hair isn’t the same color as yours.
Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

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Last day of work

Jan. 17: It’s a wintry Thursday morning, and I’m sitting in my office for the last time.  Today is my last day at Gathering Waters, and we’re all getting ready to head to Milwaukee for a board meeting and Stewardship Fund celebration event.  I’ve wrapped everything up, so weird!  Andrew’s having his last day at Karen’s today too.  It’s almost time for some big changes!

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Baby sister Week 36 update

Jan. 14: I’ve been fluctuating these days between feeling really-ultra pregnant-this-can’t-go-on with totally-normal-no-symptoms-even-sleeping-though-the-night.  Now that I had a weekend of accomplishing things at home, I feel calmer knowing that “little sister” has a space prepared for her.  Andrew has been so excited about tending to his dolly…putting her down for naps in the cradle, patting her when she cries, bringing her to me to give kisses.

I’m home with Andrew today, and then I have three days of work this week.  My last day is Thursday!  Hard to believe.  It’s going to be some big life changes.

Babycenter.com Week 36 update
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She’s shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she’s in a head-down position.

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One of those moms

Jan. 14: Andrew decided not to nap yesterday.  He was in his room for a couple hours, but he was singing and shouting and very much not sleeping.
After he got up, I decided to make a run back to Target with him to pick up a few more big plastic tubs (red and green on sale post-Christmas) so I can store all the books that got bumped when I made space for “little sister’s” pretty things.
The drive to Target was fine, but as I turned off the car, the CD we were listening to switched tracks, and the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears was up next.  Andrew decided he wanted to listen to the whole story NOW.  As I pulled him out of the car, he threw an incredible tantrum.
So I got stubborn and put him under one arm and carried him into the store kicking and screaming.  As we walked through the store, me 8 1/2 months pregnant, Andrew screaming and thrashing under one arm as I pushed the cart with the other arm, I couldn’t help but imagine all the other shoppers who must be looking at me with varying degrees of pity and relief that they weren’t me!

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Glorious lack of weekend plans

Jan. 12: Could it get better than this?  Andrew and Bryan are outside playing in the falling snow.  They are having a great time going, “woohoohhwowooooo” and then falling down.  Andrew has his Curious George ball ready to kick down the street.  It’s a quiet, gray morning, and the snow is falling softly.
These last weeks, Andrew wakes up in the morning and climbs in bed with me for a cuddle.  His sleeper is usually unzipped, and one of his legs is hanging out.  He likes me to smell his feet and say, “STINKY!  Ahhh choo!”  Then I zip him up, and we cuddle for five minutes or so before he gets up and goes back to his room to play for a bit.  Sometimes we both lie quietly, but this morning, we were looking at each other nose-to-nose, and he whispered, “I have dark brown eyes, Mama.”  Before he climbed out of bed, he patted my tummy and said, “Hi little sister.  She is coming soon.  Then it will be Daddy and Andrew and little sister and Mommy.”  He seems to be catching on to the idea.

I think I’ve entered some new nesting phase.  I decided in the last couple days that we needed to have more things ready for the baby, so since she won’t have her own nursery, I have plans this weekend to clear out one of our bookshelves and organize her dresser and pull up more of the baby items from the basement.  I also bought baby announcements when Joe and I went shopping yesterday, and I have a strong urge to address them.  I also have a strong urge to finish Andrew’s sweater.  But I just discovered last night that I haven’t ever done normal increases before, so first I need to learn how to do those so I can finish the sleeves.

We have nearly zilch scheduled for the weekend.  Wonderful.  I’m hoping to help Bryan prep the bathroom so he can paint it and then I can put up my little wall stickers and put out the new towels I got.  That will be a good project to have checked off.

Yesterday Joe and I made a shopping run to Target, and while Joe amused Andrew (fixing the cart with pretend super glue and racing around), I was able to get all sorts of random items that I’ve been wanting for a long time.  All day, I’ve been happy that Andrew’s craft drawer is better organized because of those new plastic tubs! And we got a new coffee maker.  It’s replacing Bryan’s from college, and it’s red, pretty, and doesn’t seem to spill coffee when you pour a cup.   Brilliant!