Big Weekend in the Nursery!

Three-day weekends are great...an extra day to get work done! 

My friend Kathy came down from Michigan to hang out/help, and she was a great motivator. I organized my office, she and I rearranged kitchen cabinets, and we bought components for the baby room closet. She also "shopped" in my studio and took home fabric for her next quilt.

Meanwhile, Ed and Tucker finished up the painting. On Monday, we assembled the crib and glider (and reassembled the futon, which had been living in pieces in the hallway) and moved everything into the baby room. We still have some bits and pieces to put together, but the main parts of the room are done! I can't believe the changes in this room--the new woodwork looks professional and matches the rest of the house so well. 

Although I've been secretly telling it this for a week or so (while Ed has been sending it the opposite message: encouraging it to stay inside), the baby is officially welcome to come anytime! 

Girls' Lunch

Sunday afternoon, while Ed and Corey were hard at work, I attended a girls' lunch/shower at Carrie's house with our local girl friends. Carrie, our gracious hostess, went all out with a tea party theme, complete with tea (of course) and fancy little sandwiches. Yum! And for dessert...mini chocolate-filled pastries (I didn't realize how much I'd benefit from introducing her to frozen puff pastry sheets!) and mini brownie cupcakes. It was a perfect girls' afternoon: hanging out and talking. Maureen, the resident mom, and me (mom in training) regaled the other three girls with enough details of pregnancy and childbirth to make them reconsider having their own kids!

RPB Baby Shower

Ed's RPB coworkers threw us a shower Friday night. The key to successful co-ed baby showers: beer! It was great to hang out with everyone again, and we had plenty of good food to eat. The icing on the evening was definitely dessert: Brittany photoshopped Ed's and my faces together to create what our baby might look like, and Kristy topped a cake with that photo. (The photo is my face with Ed's eyes and hairline.) Let's hope that our baby doesn't look like this! 

Weekend Progress

Ed had a productive weekend again, this time with the help of our friend Tucker and my cousin Corey. The woodwork is done in the baby room! Well, almost...Ed just needs a piece for under each of the window sills. He and Tucker finished putting the wood up on Saturday, and Corey filled nail holes with wood putty on Sunday while Ed caulked. Next weekend it's all about the paint and stain! 

Why We Love Old Houses

We love the charm and character of our 100-year-old house but sometimes run into challenges during home improvement projects. Check out the beautifully square top doorway edge of the baby's room! Nothing a 1/2" shim couldn't fix, and the door molding will eventually cover up this solution.

A level is truly an old house's best friend. 

Ed's Ski Trip

Ed snuck away Super Bowl weekend for a quick ski trip in Aspen with Cliff and Dylan. Sounds like they had a great time and really good skiing conditions. Ed saved his Christmas beard for the ski trip but shaved when he got back.

36 weeks!

Here's the latest belly shot. I'm still feeling good...no complaints. Ed does have give me a push to roll me out of bed though...

Oh, and the other night at the grocery store, we encountered our first major busybody. I have no problem with friendly questions and good wishes from strangers, but this lady walked up and began grilling us in the dairy section about where we were delivering the baby, what my pain management plan was, etc., and of course sharing her opinions on all of the above as well. :) 

Besides the woman who told us we were "boring" for not finding out the baby's sex, this was the most amusing conversation we've had with strangers so far. And of course, her advice ended with what I've realized is the pregnancy mantra: "You can't imagine how much this will change your life." I'm guessing there will be more changes than my current trend of two nightly treks to the bathroom, or the fact that baby supplies have taken over our house! (Insert sarcastic smile here.)