No baby yet, but I haven't had a stroke, so it is all good...

Hi there,

I am just popping in for a bit of a visual interlude... The picture above of my youngest (thus far) won a 2nd prize ribbon and a "Banner Award" at our county fair this year. Blondie and I are so excited because a "Banner Award" means that they are going to blow this picture up REALLY huge and hang it at the photo exhibit for next year's fair. He is excited because it is of him and I am excited because I can never figure out what they look for in judging the photos at the fair... but this year I guessed right!

I entered these two also, they didn't win anything, but I do like the colors and the texture in the photos.

These last two I just like and thought I would share.

We are still going in for baby appointments 2X a week. Our appointments consist of getting hooked up to the fetal heart monitor, sipping some juice and listening for our baby girl to wake up and move around a bit. It actually has been kind of fun, because it is a rare occasion that Big Daddy and I get to sit around and do nothing but chat. Sometimes he reads me silly articles from old Parenting magazines, sometimes we snicker about all of the silly products in said magazine that are for "People who have too much money and too little sense" His words, not mine...he is rarely so blunt, so that makes me laugh too.

The laughing can get tricky, because sometimes I laugh so hard that the monitor stops recording and then we just have to wait longer to get a "good read". The silliest I got was when he started retelling stories of my friend Sara from high school. (I don't think she reads this, but we were on the track team together for four years and her sense of herself and her sense of humor still never fail to make me laugh... uncontrollably sometimes) (I haven't seen her in 15+ years, but still, so funny.)

I am less afraid about inducing, my BP has stabilized somewhat so we are just playing by ear, which is good. Each day I lay around a lot and check for swelling (not too much) and headaches (none) and side pain (only from laughing). Our little mango baby continues to grow and come Monday we will officially be one week away from her due date.

Thanks for all of your kind thoughts, I appreciate every one.

Have a lovely weekend!

JMB

No baby yet, but I haven

Another day, another awkward family photo...

I just love this site. It always earns at least a chuckle. But I felt like this one really spoke to me... you should go and pick your favorite too.

I am doing OK. Yesterday was kind of a low for me, but today the boys are home, Big Daddy is home and it feels real nice!

JMB

Late breaking news...

I am officially 3 weeks away from my due date AND on a modified bed rest restriction due to high blood pressure. I am OK with slugging around a bit until the "blessed event", but any thing out of the norm is a bit anxiety raising for me. Yesterday at the office when we discovered that I was running a bit "hot" there was all this talk about induction and "delivering" me. It kind of freaked me out. I am still hoping for a natural birth, with as little intervention as possible. I go in tomorrow for another BP check and an ultrasound. I guess I will know more then. If you are so inclined keep me in your thoughts for a gentle and healthy birth. I would like that very much.

I am a little bit disappointed because our county fair is this week and I can't go (maybe???). I was more pro-active than usual this year (I don't know how, maybe it was the kids being in summer camp??) and I entered 3 quilts and 3 photographs. Big Daddy took the boys this evening and reported back that of the 4 items he could find (dragging the boys through the exhibits was a bowl of fun, I am betting) all 4 had ribbons!!!! The quilts won 2 seconds and a third place finish and the picture, they could find won, a second place. I am so excited!!! I have never placed in the fair before (I have entered various things maybe 2 or 3 other times.) I really want to go and see them...I will be asking the midwife tomorrow, if that could possibly be allowed. Wouldn't that be sweet? (I think that the one above was 3rd place for quilting in a wall hanging.)(the other two are here and here.)

JMB

Somedays Mommy makes a good decision...

Summer has been a little bit harder this year.

Mommy is very tired in the afternoon. Her belly is very heavy. She gets grumpy way faster.

But somedays despite the fact that she just wants to nap on the couch, she makes a good choice.

Her boys get to make airplanes, skip around outside, read some books at their favorite place and Mommy is not so very tired after all. These are the times to remember.

Sigh, Summer...

JMB

It was like 97 degrees, humid, and I'm 9 months pregnant...or Why I like Portland so much...

Two weeks ago, Big Daddy and I got to go up to Portland for a belated anniversary getaway. I was looking at the pictures and the few that I took made me remember what a great time I had... It is funny how photos/images of things that you saw can help you rewrite what actually happened. I enjoy going places with my husband, he is game for most of my "ideas" and likes to be spontaneous in terms of what we do/eat once we get to our destination. I do want to be honest this trip was so hot, humid, and I am so pregnant that my feelings the actual days of the trip were so much more, let's say "intense", than my feelings about our trip today.

I will spare you all my pregnant whining and I will just comment on how I feel about our trip today...

We walked to Farmer's Market from our hotel. The market is held on Portland State University's campus on Saturdays, which is up in the leafy and green park blocks. We sat and rested on many of the lovely benches on those blocks and heard a bagpipe up around the corner. I love bagpipes, they are awkward and strange looking and they can produce a lovely tune. When we got closer to the music I noticed that, not only was the piper playing out in the park, but he was on a unicycle. Nothing quite as cool and awkward as some pipes on one wheel... He was pretty cool and ALL about keeping Portland weird. We made our way to the market and they had SO many cool vendors and musicians. I would definitely recommend a trip to one and all.

We napped and headed out for lunch around 3:00 and found The Original (the website is pretty fun.) It was happy hour and so we could have had any number of fun cocktails...but wait, not me... but it would have been fun a different day. The Original is sort of a hipster diner joint. The food looked like 50's diner food with a gourmet twist. There was some sort of fries dish that somehow incorporated foie gras. I didn't try it, but good for them for making pate' more fatty... We shared the Ruben sandwich and a BLT (+avocado). They were the best sandwiches I have ever eaten. After chatting with the rockabilly host we found that this restaurant subscribes to the local fare craze (love it!) that is sweeping our area. I must say, it is a good plan. Simple quality food always tastes better than fancy imports to me!

We went to see "Hangover". It was really funny, but pretty gross. I did enjoy sitting next to a couple in their 60's on date night. The husband could not control his laughter, it was so hilarious. I like a good laugh. We spent the next day at IKEA (my husband insists on looking at EVERYTHING) (so I was happy to lounge in what ever chair was available.) But first we went to Mother's for brunch. I love this place, we have been there 3 times now and it is just tasty.

There, I have successfully written my whining out of my memory of my July 2009 trip to Portland. Maybe Big Daddy will read this and remember that I can be fun, I really can.

JMB

One, 2, THREE...

And they are all grown up...

We lost two teeth this week. My first baby lost two little teeth. He looks so much older to me now. I can see the new, grown up, ones peeking through his pink gums. When I want to take a picture he now gives me the full "razz-a-ma-tazz" sequence, but he still smiles. I love that, but part of me misses those baby teeth.

JMB

Some days you better just cut your losses and head to the bookstore...

I just couldn't handle it. The dog...I was gone for 1.5 hours and the dog made some nasty messes on the rug and in the kitchen. What??!! Then the ants came back. What??!!

I have only 45 minutes left of "kids in camp" time after all that was cleaned... What??!!

Thank you Barnes and Noble for being close and having just what I needed. Let us not bury our frustration in indulgences ALL THE TIME, but these were made for a day like last Tuesday.

JMB

P.S.

I really liked this magazine, LOTS of EYE candy and an article by Jude. Her work is...sigh... amazing.

Because I had to yesterday....

I was trying to organize my old quilting magazines... and the familiar anxiety happened... What am I doing here with other peoples' work?.... I need my own.

I like it and it might be my first mini... "just because." What are you doing "just because?"

JMB

Getting it done...

We had some ladies on the loose this weekend. Our "little" chicks are finally big enough to roam our back yard.
It is so fun to watch them investigate EVERYTHING. So far they have left the main food garden alone... I have been so lax in my yard work this summer that there are lots of exciting places to look through that are less groomed than usual.
I did have some perverse pleasure in throwing snails out for them while I weeded the garden. I love how I can call to them and then throw something in their direction and they will go and check it out and eat it. (I only throw treats like slightly mushy strawberries and snails.) Ahhh, cheap summer thrills. My little Blondie is turning in to quite the Chicken Whisperer. He loves to walk real close to them and just kind of pat their backs and look lovingly at them. His whole face lights up.

My Brownie has been really keen on harvesting things out of the garden. He loves to pick the tomatoes and berries and bring them to me or Daddy or Blondie, but will never eat any of them. It is quite cute and odd.
My crowning achievement this weekend were my July quilting bee blocks!!! Whoot! Once you get a little behind it can snowball! I don't want that!
These lovely green ones were for this bee. It was nice to sit down and just sew.
These were for this bee. I LOVE the colorful skin prints. I didn't know that I would, but they look really fun. I can't wait to see the final quilt.
It is sure to be zany.

I have more to share, but I just spent 45 minutes on the phone with my sister (fresh back from a trip to Joisey to see our niece...I miss her so! And our brother and his lovely wife too.) and my dear husband needs me to watch some BSG before he falls asleep.

JMB

Phinally, photoshop is back!

Welcome August! (I am feeling gutsy for sharing one of the few pregnancy pictures that exist, maybe I should have only posted the thumbnail version.)

I have been jonesin' for Photoshop since I made the mac switch over. I accidentally bought the wrong version (for a P.C., duh!) and then that just made me mad and I hid the box from myself for a few months... Then I found that you could do a trial from the Adobe web site, I was so excited... but then the day that I was going to download it, there was a code error in the trial and it wasn't going to be fixed until August 1. Drat thwarted again (I should have just bought it, but then I thought, it could be a lot different from the PC version.) July was a long month for me.

It was HOT HOT HOT here. I think that last week's high was 107 degrees. That is not right for Oregon. Just not right! Then, I guess I am 8 months pregnant??? What? De Nile is a deep and vast river here in mi casa. My belly is HUGE and I keep trying to figure out why it is so hard for me to move out of bed in the morning. Hmmmm, curious, could this be why I desire a nap EVERY SINGLE DAY?? Maybe.

I am down to a month + 2 days until the due date and I think Big Daddy and I are finally getting serious about this 3rd child. Oh, yes we are. (I don't know why but this whole pregnancy has been the last thing on my mind most days, Brownie is getting ready to lose his first tooth, for goodness sakes!) I am happy to say that I did make an appointment to look at the new hospital (I really loved the one that I delivered both of the boys at, but there is no Dr. support for midwives there... but that is a whole other ridiculous issue.) (Healthcare choices would be nice!) But I am proud to say that this Thursday we are going to figure out how to get to the labor and delivery area, I only had to beg a little bit before the maternity coordinator let us squeeze in to one of the tours this week. (I told her I had been having anxiety dreams, but are they dreams if you are awake?)

This morning I was scanning the web for a car seat, because you need one of those to come HOME from the hospital. Car seats are so complicated to buy, my sister happily suggested that I need to buy a pink one. Yeah, OK, but is it going to be safe???? Pink, schmink... but there has been a lot of pink clothes shopping, I can't deny that. I think that I might run out and buy some teeny tiny diapers tonight... just to be ready, you know.

The boys were in day camp the last two weeks for a few hours every morning. It was such a blessing. I really only feel like I have energy in the morning so I was able to get some sewing and quilting done. Our little baby Mango is the my only child to date that has a quilt made by ME to welcome her in to the world. She may not have a car seat and she may be born on the kitchen floor, but this baby girl has a quilt! (I guess I should take a picture of it... another thing on the list.)

The best thing about camp was really how much the boys LOVED it. We chose science camps this time around and they both came home everyday brimming over with facts, facts, and more facts. Their eyes were bright and they were so excited to go the next day. We have one more week of camp next week and I am hoping to finish a quilt for Blondie's bed. He has been so enamored with textiles lately. He says he loves quilts, just like his momma. Sweet music to my ears...

There you have it, the "brief" wrap up of the things that swirl in my head...maybe our kitchen will be finished later this week and I can post "After" pictures... Maybe.

JMB