not my bump

This past weekend my friends from church asked if I would take a few pictures of them before their baby arrives in November.  I was kind of nervous because I don't get many opportunities to take pictures of people, or at least adults.  Heather assured me that she wasn't looking for professional quality prints, just something to give the grandparents.  Despite our lack of planning, the timing worked out perfectly with ideal evening lighting and I was happy to try out all the spots around our house I'd cataloged as good little backdrops, should the need ever arise.  :) Looking back over them, I would've cropped a little more here or a little less there, but in general I'm pleased with the results!   Here's a few of the keepers:  

Sorry, no pictures of this girl yet - we just haven't taken any!  I would categorize myself as "showing" but more in the ate-two-much-dinner way than the pregnant-belly way.  So I'm sure that gets you all excited for the photos to come. :)  Happy Friday! 

1+1=3

It's true.  We have some news.  Our little family is growing.    

There's the baby!

Can you believe it?  Here's all the important information:

We are 14 weeks along!  Yesterday I got to hear the baby's heartbeat at my appointment.  The ultrasound above was taken at 10 weeks, the day before we left for Seattle.  It's very cute because its little arms are up by its face.  They say I'm due April 18th. 

I'm feeling good now, besides needing naps, which I've suddenly become very good at.  I was nauseous for a few weeks but only sick a couple times.  Nothing like my mother's 4 months of throwing up every day.  Phew.

We wanted to wait and tell my family in person when they come out for Thanksgiving.  However, a couple weeks ago I reached my limit of waiting and informed Matt we had to act faster than that!  We really wanted to make it special, regardless, since this is the first grandkid on my side and we didn't think either of our parents would see it coming.  I framed the ultrasound picture and sent them off in the mail.  

 For Matt's parents, I scrawled something on the back of the box that said the package was from Seattle, I hadn't put a card in and they needed to call us before opening it.  Matt somehow talked them into Skyping, which was of course our plan all along, and they were appropriately surprised!

 Hmm, what's this?

It's a baby!

Martha cried and hugged the picture like it was the actual baby.  Since they'd just welcomed baby Evan a week ago, we told them we didn't want them to experience any kind of slump in the grandchild department.  Matt has two brothers and his older brother had two boys, so I guess the family is due for a girl sometime soon!  We'll see!  

It was hard to hang up but I was anxious to tell my side.  I had the advantage of my dad's birthday as an excuse to send a package.  We tried to get my brother on but had to settle for two computers sort of facing each other.  

The whole family, virtually together!

Of course my dad had to open all his other presents before he got to the baby box, but when he did, it didn't take them long to put it all together! 

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaattt?!?

Poor Ryan was off in Houston on the other computer trying to figure out why everyone was squealing, until Matt showed him the ultrasound shot.  

It's nice that everyone was so excited! 

This is my mom saying SHE KNEW because she saw it in my eyes in my pictures from Seattle.  Mother's intuition, she said.

So that was super fun, and I was so relieved after telling them after keeping it inside for three months that I slept like a rock for the first time in weeks.  Of course we had a lot of people to tell during the weekend.  Adam was visiting from DC so we told him over breakfast, and he had to put up with me calling everyone for the next two days, what a sport.  

Now, I know what you're all thinking.  How did Moose take the news?  

He's doing pretty well.  Going from an only child to the oldest won't be easy, but he's so good with babies.  He will make a great Nana.

*burp

Last weekend was a very special one . . . we got a new nephew, Evan Henry, weighing in at 6 lb, 9 oz, born on Saturday!  And if that wasn't enough, my friend Kate popped out William (Liam) James on Sunday, 10-10-10, weighing a whopping 9 lbs, 14 oz.  Yay for the baby boys!  We are so thankful for their healthy deliveries.

Another of my friends here is due in November, so I decided to try my hand at some homemade baby gifts. I borrowed my friend Melissa's sewing machine for what I promised would be the last time and churned out a bunch of burp cloths.  I figured if you're going to burp the baby, it might as well be on something cute.

I picked up some fabric in the blue-green-brown category at Jo-Anns and sewed it to one side of a cloth diaper, the kind my mom always used when burping my little sister and I figured were still a popular choice today.  They are nice and absorbent.  I thought the pear fabric was adorable:

And stacked together, they look quite cheery. 

I have no idea how they'll hold up in the wash but I double stitched them . . . so we'll see.  Another nice thing was the cloth diapers aren't exact rectangles so my wayward stitches just add to the "organic" feel.  Perfect for my level of expertise.  And there's something very satisfying about making a gift!    

fall again, fall again

Fall is a beautiful season.  I loved our vacation schedule of leaving for the last 2 weeks of September to return to . . . October! Crisp days! Open windows! Falling leaves! Pumpkin Spice Lattes! And all of those other exciting aspects of fall.  As my friend who has transplanted in the South put it today, we really do have a lovely fall, while she phrased Charlotte's as a "poor excuse for one."  The leaves are still in their yellow-green stage but every day I see a little more color and file away the places I imagine will look especially stunning when the leaves have turned - the bay at high tide, a side street lined with maples.  

October also brings everyone's favorite holiday - Columbus Day.  I don't remember having this day off as a kid (maybe because I lived in a country that Columbus didn't land on), but they celebrate it all up here and the kids had a free Monday.  I took that opportunity to head out East for some fall fun.  

Since the kindergartner had been learning about apples in school, he was dying to pick them at an orchard.  Before we headed out, we went to the library and read a couple books about Johnny Appleseed to get everyone in the right frame of mind.  

I was shocked when we got to the orchard to see fifty cars - all minivans - lining the country road near the entrance.  Strollers and wagons at every turn.  Everyone seemed to have the same idea on their three day weekend!  The second disappointment was that there were no apples left on the trees, they had all fallen to the ground already.  Instead of apple picking, it was apple pick-up.  

But do you think they cared? 

No, they did not.  It was a treasure hunt of juicy proportions.  

 I know I always take this same picture, but it's cute, if overused. 

Of course the littlest was here, too, but he had fallen asleep in the car and was still waking up in his stroller.  Which, by the way, is hard to push through an apple orchard.  We kept getting apples stuck in the wheels and the boys had to kick them out.  We gave him an apple and he munched on that thing for the next two hours. 

We ended up picking 15 pounds of apples, which I thought was a lot until the neighbor announced at the bus stop that her two boys had picked 51 pounds.  I hear they're making applesauce.  Might have to stop by.  

I also felt the need to get this big basket, since I could picture it full of mums on the porch.  

The smell of a basket of apples in the sun- so sweet and fallish!   

help wanted

I am in the market for a sewing machine.  I've been borrowing my friend's but she needed it back to make Halloween costumes, and I decided I'll try not to ask for it again between now and Christmas.  And maybe Santa will get me one.  The problem is, I have zero idea what I need.

Basically, I've done three sewing projects, the most recent of which I can not share because it is a gift that has not been given yet.

All of the projects involved only one stitch and I'm not really sure what other stitches I would need.  I'm not real good at sewing in a straight line, either.  I'm just trying to give you an idea of my skill level, here.

So, please, comment . . . what is a good sewing machine for me?

seattle proper

This is my last post about Seattle so deal with it.  

I'm just sad vacation is over, is all.  Now I won't know WHAT to write about.  Except this little peanut of a two-year-old who is talking more than EVER and wore a pumpkin candy basket on his head like a hat for an hour yesterday.   

Back to vacation.

Which was PERFECT, because we had a couple days on either side of our into-the-wild camping adventure to experience the city of Seattle.  What a wonderful place it is!  I love the vibe of the city.  It's surrounded on almost all sides by water so there are bridges and ferries galore.  The people seem preoccupied with physicals fitness - whether that be jogging at all times of day on the paved walkways by the water, or the attitude of adventure that led to the amazing REI flagship store and all things outdoor-related.  They also love their dogs in Seattle, and I saw many seated on the floor of restaurants and walking through the city streets and parks.  Definitely a city I could live in - besides the rain rain rain.  Matt says I'd be gloomy, and I guess he's right.  But we got a couple beautiful days that made me think all the rain talk was just hype!  

We visited the observation deck on the 73rd floor of the Columbia Tower.  What a view!  Technically, this costs money, but I promise we didn't know that at the time and no one asked us anything. :)  You can see the Space Needle between our heads.

And there it is again, a little closer!  At the base of the Needle is a whole 'park' of sculptures, fountains, and cool buildings.  

Later we rode bikes down paved bike/running path that winds 20+ miles through the city.  We just rode to the locks, where they let big boats in through a series of gates.  The salmon ladders were there too, with an underwater viewing area that let us watch the salmon swimming upstream.  They go from salt to freshwater while swimming through the locks . . . I read a bit about them and they are pretty interesting creatures, if ugly.  We all know they're tasty, too. :)

 A warehouse on the docks. 

I also had the very special opportunity to see two of my cousins that were moving in to Seattle Pacific University.  It had been several years since I'd seen them!  Fun fact: our dads are twins so I guess technically we have half of the same genetic makeup.  That explains why Meggie, on the left, looks so much like my sister Elyse!  

Meggie is a PA this year - I loved seeing her wing decorations and it brought back some fond memories of good ol' TU!  Mary Claire is a freshman and has a lot to look forward to at this fine establishment!  I called Elyse and told her she should apply . . . I also got to see my Aunt Patti and have lunch with her as she was moving MC in.  I love family. :) (I am about to go camping which explains my large vest in this picture.)

 Here's another picture of the gum wall . . .

And the famous Pikes Place Market!

Where they are so cute as to grow flowers on the awnings!  

This is the fish-throwing spot . . . although I was amazing to see a fish slithering up and down on the ice, until Matt told me rather incredulously that he couldn't believe I thought that was real, couldn't I see the string tied to its tail?   No, Matt, I couldn't. 

 

 The fruit and vegetable stands looked so tasty and vendors cut off slices of apples and mangoes as we walked by.  Check out the giant mushroom below:

My FAVORITE part was the flowers . . . beautiful bouquets for five to ten dollars!!!!!!!!!!

 Glenn buying flowers for his sweetheart. :) 

 And, here it is, folks:

 The very first Starbucks.  Just a little place, really, but this is where it all began.

I must comment on some of the food we experienced in Seattle.  A notable lunch was had at Salumi, a little sandwich/meat place.  They cure all their own meat and there are salamis everywhere.  We found this joint because it is one of Anthony Bourdain's 13 Places to Eat Before You Die.  Thus, I have lived.  I am not a salami fan, but Matthew's sandwich was so amazing . . . as was my warm pork wonder.  :)  I had another wonderful sandwich at Paseo, which we walked to from Jess and Glenn's, and which is also top-rated in Seattle.  Yes, we ate well.

All good things must come to an end . . .

We are back to reality, which is a nice reality.  Matt cut his hair the first day back so he is shaggy mcgee no longer.  And, I must say, we are happy to be a family of three again!

ports

Port towns are the cutest things.  We love our local Port Jefferson, for it's ferry boat and cheap and generous ice cream shop. (I just realized I'll have to wait another 6-7 months for PJ ice cream. Sigh.)  But the port towns out West were even more enchanting - less crowded, more remote.

After traipsing about Port Townsend for the morning, we boarded our last ferry to cross over to Whidbey Island, our last jaunt before driving on to Seattle.  

 Goodbye, Port Townsend!

We had to do some adventuring at Whidbey, so we headed to a fairly awesome lighthouse that stood behind a fairly old fort - built in the early 1800's to protect the US from the unpredictable Canadians, who were under British rule.  The armory was fortified during WWI and manned during WWII to protect the valuable waterways.  Interesting.  

My hopes of every being a "Keeper of the Light," romantic though it sounds, were ruined when I got nauseous and disoriented at the top of the tower.  Another dream dashed. :)

From there we were itching to get to a restaurant that Jess had been telling me about for days.  In the small town of Coupeville, a local tavern served mussels plucked from the bay out back.  A big bowl o' mussels?  Yes, please!  We also had some outstanding fish and chips.  It didn't hurt that it was our first meal we didn't have to scrape together ourselves! 

 

Penn Cove

A little later in the fall, orcas supposedly swim into this bay.  I was sorry to have missed them.  

From there we headed back toward the mainland, over Deception Pass.  The bridge was quite interesting and Jess and Glenn knew enough about the bridge and the water around it to give us an informative tour. 

The water in the pass was a beautiful blue-green.  A sign nearby read that it was 30 fathoms deep, and was named Deception Pass by Captain Vancouver because of the swiftness of the current and the changes it makes with the tide.  We climbed all over the little island between the bridges and even spotted a seal swimming through the channel!

Our last commune with nature was at a little beach nearby.

We spent some time discussing whether we could see clouds or mountains on the horizon.

We discussed camping again, but the drone of planes from a nearby base and the close proximity of Seattle convinced us to just head back.

Despite how I might sound, it was a wonderful trip and such a joy to be out in the wild.  It's amazing how large this country is and the vast variety of terrain it offers.  I'm often to busy to stop and thank God for his awesome creation, but when I think of what I've seen in even my short life, I am thrilled by both His grandeur and attention to the minute details.  My photographs do little to capture the vastness of it all.