Plantin' and Paintin'!

Woot!  Wow baby, can you believe it was just a short time ago that we were at the beginning of this journey?  It seems to be going rather quickly, even though I am so anxious to see you and get you outside!

Funny how these fruit and veggie size comparisons are matching up with things on the outside right now.  Eggplants are ready to be planted!  Usually in this area we wait until after Mother's Day, but we've had a weird, funky winter and a dry and temperature fluctuating spring.  Speaking of planting... We prepped the "farm"!

it looks small, but you'd be surprised how much can grow!

We're planting tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, carrots, another kind of beans, radishes and strawberries! Hopefully, the strawberries will get strong and we can pick them together next year! I kept telling myself to keep it simple this year and grow only a few things... I don't have as much energy as usual, work is going to be a bit hectic... I have a BABY coming! But, in the end, we borrowed a tiller from work, and because of all the hard work we put in last summer getting the weeds under control and putting the ground "to bed" for the winter, it was actually pretty easy (Daddy may not say that, but he seemed to like running the tiller A LOT!) In that box over on the right, I seeded in carrots and radishes. This week, we have the tomato, pepper and strawberry seedlings to put in and then a few days after that, we will plant the cucumber, lettuce and bean seeds.  By the time you are ready to see it, it will be overflowing with beautiful, tasty food which we will then can, sauce, pickle and freeze for winter and make into yummy baby food for you and tasty meals for Daddy and I.

I took my first "Holistic Birthing" class on Sunday; it's the first of 4 classes and  and the last one Daddy will come to so he will know what he needs to do when it's time for you to come.  There were about 9 other ladies there in various stages of pregnancy and we talked about our Momma Bodies and all the things that are happening inside as you are growing, kicking and getting yourself situated. I learned how to keep my lateral abdominal muscles in shape so I can help get you out when its time and also to help me get back in shape afterwards!

We also started painting your room this week:

your crib will be in this corner!

A cute little pond!

We have some detailing work to do, get the decals in place and then start assembling your crib and all the other fun stuff that will be your new home.  I hope you like it! So... VERY busy since we got home a little more than a week ago. It's been A LOT of work and some other things have been pushed aside... like house cleaning and school for me... not good things :(.  But, this is all important and I know in the next 3 months, I'm going to have less and less energy and time to get everything ready for you, so I'm getting as much done now as I can.  I'm sore all over, but happy.

Love you, kiddo!

baby, baby baby oh baby

Well, we certainly had a whirlwind week! Most of it was spent making sure everything was ready for the baby shower and working. You were kicking up a storm earlier in the week, but it seems you have tired of the poke, poke you kick game... I keep trying, but you don't seem interested.  We've been playing music for you, which makes you swimmy!  Friday, Daddy and I went to school and picked up a bunch of plants to give out to our friends and family to thank them for coming.  We also walked around Philadelphia putting up posters for the beer store.

Not looking my best, but Batman doesn't seem to mind

 Before we knew it Grandma Iline  and Aunts Dani and Aimee had arrived and we were off to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner. Chef Robert made us a delicious Pastrami burger, but you and I had already filled up on amazing pork belly and octopus fried rice! Apparently, all the foods we are introducing you to will help you be a good adventurous eater.

Saturday, Daddy and I were getting the final preparations for the party; he stayed up late to get the pork smoked just right, we orbdered buffalo wings and all the items Jodie and I bought were brought up to be placed out. But... we were so ready... we had lots of time left over! So, Grandma and your two Aunts and I had some time to sit and relax, we made signs for the soda and beer and soon, people starting arriving.

Baby, you are such a lucky kid... we have the BEST group of people who are so excited to meet and play with you.  Everyone commented on my pretty dress that Aunt Dani gave me (so comfy!) and how good I looked and what an awesome kid you are going to be.  Your daddy and I are so proud to have such good friends who love and support us. Oh, and we got so many amazing gifts! You are going to be the most stylin' kid!

Soon, Jodie and Erica and I will start painting your room... it'll probably take two days, but it will be really great.  I already have it planned out; big blue sky with puffy clouds and a big tree and a pond with lots of animals. Makes me want to paint something fun for Daddy and I to sleep with too!

It's mom's birthday!

Hey baby!

Just wanted to share that it's my birthday today and my greatest gift ever is you and Daddy. I hope you enjoyed the massage this morning and our new "tap tap, kick" game that we are playing.

It was a really busy week, but one of the highlights was getting to play with these guys

Baby chicks!

 aren't they adorable?  you will get to meet some chicks someday too, baby.  I also planted lots of potatoes at my friends farm and had a lot of meetings.  I'm getting pretty busy and so these posts are hard to get to sometimes, but I'm making the time now for it.

It is so beautiful outside, I wish you could see it.

our Magnolia tree

This is the first year I haven't been sick on my birthday in quite a while, so I'm quite happy about that. I hope you enjoy dinner tonight, and I'll talk to you soon.

20 Weeks!!!

It's a milestone baby!!! We are halfway there :)

You are the size of a cantaloupe!

Everything is as it should be according to the doctor, although you were pretty stubborn; curling up and turning your back on the ultrasound technician while she was trying to measure you, tsk, tsk.

That top right picture looks like you are planning something...

Anyway, the rest of this week's post is going to be pretty pictures I took during a trip to Morris Arboretum. I was playing with some filters on my digital camera, and I think they came out rather interesting. 

                

                  Cornus officinalis Japanese cornelian cherry

Metasequoia glyptostroboides Dawn Redwood

Crocuses

Mermaid with Scarf and Mittens

 

I can't wait to take you there!

Woops!

Been a couple days since I posted something. It's not because I haven't thought about you, baby... I've done little else, actually! My job is gearing up again, so I'm a little bit busier. Plus, we were still a little unsure about how old you really are. Remember I said 2 weeks ago you were 13 weeks? It turns out, you are 13 weeks NOW!

So let's see, what's been happening... we saw you the other day!

what's going on in there baby?

You look so comfy in there. And you were moving around and doing somersaults... you made me laugh and the technician couldn't do his job! If you felt some poking, it's because he needed you to move so he could look at you all sides. Also, I got the all clear to tell the whole world! There are lots of people who are VERY excited to meet you; lots of family here in Philadelphia! Oh and all my friends at my work. Did you know I work on a farm?

Looks fun, right?

I can't wait to introduce you to my chicken and pig coworkers, as well as the human ones. I work on a project that is a bit closer to home. I drive a big yellow truck:

mmm... fruits and veggies!

and go all over bringing folks fresh fruits and veggies. You are due to be born right smack in the middle of the season! My own little veggie!

I missed 2 yoga classes and was trying to get it in by doing it on my own, but I missed going to the studio, and today I was able to fit it in. I was soooo happy to get back to it. I hope you felt all the stretching and positive energy I was directing toward you.

I've been kind of lazy about keeping track of the food I'm eating, but I feel like I'm back on track now.

Daddy is re-doing the bathroom and so there is a bit of a mess in the house, but once it gets done, we get to work on your room! Any suggestions? I was thinking about light green with brown accents, I'd paint a BIG tree on the wall and have birdies and flowers on it. I've also been thinking about things that you will need; bottles and clothes and all kinds of things.

The other evening, I was so tired and I laid down on the couch. Your fur sister, Sydney (you've probably heard her barking) decided she wanted to lay with me and put her head on my tummy, she laid there the whole time! She doesn't like to stay still for long, so this was really cool. I think she wanted to know how you were doing. Here's what she looks like:

Ready to party!

I think that's all that's been happening. I hope you are continuing to grow and be healthy. I can't wait to feel you kicking and see you again in a few weeks!

Plants!

Another thing I love, baby, is plants.  All kinds of plants, but I especially love plants that make food! Right now, its cold outside and food doesn't grow very well.  There are special places called farms where they grow lots of food and have big buildings called greenhouses where they can grow food all year around.  There are plants that do better in the cold, like potatoes, beets and green leafy plants like kale and collard greens and they can be outside. I work at a farm and we grow food plants!

I go to school at a place where I learn about trees, which are BIG plants, and pretty other plants that are not for eating. I am able to get small pieces of trees and other plants and bring them home to grow them to make the house look pretty from spring to fall. I also get food plants from work and grow them so we can have fresh food from right in our backyard.


Here are some of the plants I've gathered:

I can't remember what this plant is called, but it's very unusual with it's spotted leaves and I love the little purple flowers that have come up all winter.

This is called a Cissus dicolor, Begonia Vine.  I love the stripes on the leaves and the red veins.  The underside is red also.

This is a Persea americana, an Avocado seedling.  I grew it from that seed you see in the bottom of the picture. It's going to get to be a big tree!

Soon, we'll be out digging in the dirt, planting little seeds together and seeing what grows.  It could be something tasty, or beautiful or both!

Here's a fun song about plants!