little doc

A good while ago a couple of Avery's best college friends gave her a little doctor's play kit.  She's been loving the little stethoscope that makes cough and heart beat sounds, the needle, the medicine bottle (which is most often eye drops), and all the other little instruments.  But we had to face facts - the plastic container holding it all was the pits.  Silly thing kept falling apart.  So, a visit to mama's sewing room was called for and I created this little doctor's bag for the budding Doogie Howser.

She's had a lot of exposure to the doctor's office as I've upped my quota of personal doctor's visits from zero to way-too-many.  She's always excited to go and is the most patient visitor as we sometimes sit for half-an-hour in the exam room waiting for the doctor to come wrap things up.  We read People and talk about celebrity babies.  She asks what everything is that she sees on the counters, and I make up names for them.  Once the doctor shows up she sits in the corner and watches me with big eyes.

She's getting a good education.  Today we listened to the baby's heart-beat (and cough) and I got a big dose of medicine ...

... and a bandage.  Then we lay together on the couch and read through a pile of story books. 

greens

:: in my yard I never sit and face any direction but the one that faces the garden and thick hedge.  It's my little way of forgetting that I live in the prairies, because look at all that greeeeen!  

:: one of my latest 'quickie' sewing projects was a new hat for A from my new Oliver + S book, made a size up because this girl's got a big noggin.  Each of her hats from last summer, bought in size 4-5, are feeling snug.  She has her Daddy to thank for that.  I have her to thank for arriving early enough that her head was still smaller than a grapefruit at birth.

:: the official garden report: Week 4 and things are growing slightly taller than the competing weeds.  Potatoes show us daily growth (proud little plants) and we're running out of dirt to keep them hilled up with.  Weeding the carrots is super annoying.  Strawberries have little green fruit!  Tomatoes are finally growing.  Rutabaga is still undistinguishable from the weeds.  

:: green onions will come in handy for my latest need for nachos.  They can't do much to help my other big craving for sweets and chocolates and desserts.  Something is putting my usual cravings for salties to the curb and making me drool over pictures of fudgey oat bars and homemade twix and ice cream sundaes.

:: my little green-thumb regularly inspects the flowers and dead-heads as needed, gives everything a sniff and otherwise ignores them in favour of running around in circles, making things swim in her water table, or playing imaginary adventure games.  Her latest thrill-seeking game is pretending panic that the neighbour dog is imaginarily in our yard.  

:: inside, we've enjoyed (and since tossed) the last our our lilacs.  We have two long stretches of lilac bushes that make our yard smell beautiful for the short weeks they're blooming.  Happy last day of Spring ... and even happier first day of Summer tomorrow!  

hello in there

Avery has something to show you.  She had a privileged viewing of aquatic life today.  In a darkened room, on her Daddy's lap, she got to see what's going on in Mommy's belly.

We had a really great experience at our ultrasound today.  Everything about little baby Bladder Puncher is looking good and on track for growth.  Pretty cute too, if you ask us.  We left with a roll of 11 printed photos and a disc with all 62 captured images the tech took during his look-see.  We felt like we'd hit the jackpot!  I could give you the full report and the longest blog post in history, but I think I would die before my computer managed to upload that many pics ... not to mention how boring that would be.

It was sweet listening to A's little comments during our appointment.  As we absorbed ourselves in what was happening on the tech's screen, Avery was asking about the other objects in the room, like chairs and such.  It's still a pretty big muddle to her and we're pretty sure she won't really get it until this baby is here and isn't leaving to go back where it came from.

It's such a happy thing - watching that screen and seeing little hands rubbing eyes, tiny heart chambers pumping, and a sleepy little face.  Hello baby!  It was a very good day.

lately

Last weekend, Levi was in Kelowna to join his family in celebrating his Dad's retirement.  We video chatted on the Saturday and while it was downright tropical in Kelowna, it was threatening snow here, and nothing made me want to get out of town and on with our summer holidays more than that.  The weather is redeeming itself a little this week and we've finally had some hot, sunny days.

The garden is sprouting in all the right places and Avery and I have spent many afternoons out in our yard.  She's been so happy to play in her sandbox (which turned into a water table more recently), go down her little slide and chase after the birds while I sit in a chair and read (doctor's orders!).  So nice!

Today is Levi's birthday and our day is being dictated by whatever he feels like doing!  Later on we'll have some friends over for a bbq and serve up some birthday dessert ... which Levi is baking for himself as I type!  It's a good day!  Happy Birthday, my darling!

bumpdate :: half way

Today I am 20 weeks into growing this little baby.  Half way, if all goes according to textbook.

It hasn't been as easy this time around and lately my belly has been giving me those tightening, constricting feelings that usually don't show up for months.  Doctor's orders are to slow down, rest often, put my feet up regularly, and cut out any carrying, lifting, overworking.  It has me worried enough to want to be darn uncomfortable for another twenty weeks.  Just stay in there, baby.  Our main ultrasound isn't for another week and a half.  I'm hoping it will be reassuring and rest my worries, and no, we aren't going to find out whether baby is going to be a brother or sister.  I'm actually worried that we accidentally will.  That thrill of announcement after the final push was just way too amazing not to do it again.

As we wait (and hope and pray), I'm keeping a slowly growing list of potential names and a slowly growing creative page for possible nursery decor.  In choosing to wait for the surprise of girl vs. boy, I'm happy to start early in drumming up color schemes for "either", stealing pictures from etsy or ohdeeoh or wherever and making my little mock-ups.

What do you think?  Too girly?  Too boyish?  Just right for the baby brother who Avery wants to name Sister?  Although ... to be fair to record, she's changed her tune and as of today baby is going to be a girl.  She avoided the question of what we ought to call her, so that's still up in the air.

Only time will tell.

Although I think my belly is just as pointy as it was last time ...

sweet sewing

My old sewing room upstairs never received a drop of sunlight.  Here on the main floor, it doesn't get much, but it does get the morning's.  Yesterday this warm light was paired with the task of stuffing and sewing little dollies, some girly mountain music filling the room, and a happily playing little girl.  This morning of sewing and sunshine felt especially sweet.

10 little dollies, lined up in rows.  This morning they're off on their way.

She was my favorite one.