False Alarms & New Friends

The false alarm I am referring to is my 6:45am call of serious abdominal cramps and terrible back pains. As an inexperienced pregnant woman I thought, is this it? Is my labor starting? Then I remembered my midwife saying if you take a hot bath/shower and the pain goes away- it isn't true labor. So I took a hot shower and then went back to bed. When I woke an hour or so later I felt a little better. Whew! No Baby Yet! As I looked around the apartment and the baby's crib ( full of clean linens,clean baby clothes & other items) I thought- dear Lord- don't come just yet.. we still have SO much to do!
With that cue, Zach hooked up the car seat and we took some of the other things out of the closet. I even started decorating for Christmas! Yes, this will be by far the earliest I've ever started, but I wanted to have most things ready so whenever Hazel arrives, I won't have too much to do by way of the holidays.We traded (most) of our Harry Potter busts for our collection of (mostly) holiday-oriented snow globes. I hung a wreath and scattered a few semi-neutral winter pieces around.

The new friend I mentioned is this guy:::


(or girl) Zach found in the bushes by our recycling bin. Much smaller than any other kittens we've seen around our apt. complex. Z had been feeding and checking on it all day- he said he couldn't tell how old it was. When we walked back over to it, he was asleep on the paper plate we had fed him on earlier. The plate we used was a cake plate, so can get a visual of how tiny. As soon as it saw me, it ran directly into my arms! It was pretty amazing considering it was hissing and scared of Zach at first.So I carried it back to our apartment and directly to the bathroom. He mewed, we fed him some soft kitty food and Cat's Milk ( I don't even want to know). We called a bunch of places trying to find a home for him, but it was 5 on a weekend night- so we didn't have much luck. After writing emails to friends and family- including this photo in all of them- we got a few replies for possible homes. Then out of nowhere- my parents decided to adopt him. They've always had kitties and now have Bean- the one-eye-wonder cat and thought maybe it was time to get another. My mom had such a positive attitude about it- she was grateful they have a roof over their heads and that they could take this little guy in. At one point we we're scared we would have to raise a 3rd kitty with a baby on the way... he/she is adorable- but kittens are a lot of work so you can see why we we're so grateful to find him a home. Now we'll still be able to watch the baby grow and play with him!

Friday I started making these::::



They're little girl ornaments.You can hang them on a door knob, a tree branch or anywhere you want something sweet. I've filled them with a mix of organic lavender or rosebuds and polyfil. Just in time for the holidays!

The Halloween party I planned for- we passed on. My tummy just wasn't into leaving the house. Here is what I would have worn- minus the yellow stripes



This is where I've started sitting and taking cat naps, reading my favorite stories to Hazel and dreaming of when she'll arrive. The pillow and crocheted rug (!) are both from my dear friend Suzanne, who just moved. I love this little nook. Once Hazel arrives it will be my nursing corner as well.





Here is an excerpt from one of my favorite books to read to Hazel:::

A Child's Calendar, by John Updike- illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman
::::::::::::::::::
November
The stripped and shapely
Maple grieves
The loss of her
Departed leaves.

The ground is hard,
As hard as stone.
The year is old,
The birds have flown.

And yet the world,
Nevertheless,
Displays a certain loveliness-

The beauty of
The bone. Tall God
Must see our souls
This way, and nod.

Give thanks: we do,
Each in his place
Around the table
During grace.
:::::::::::::::::::::

It goes through every month. If I am running short on time I read her my favorite months or just the two I think she'll be born in ( Nov & Dec).
Hope you enjoy it~
Happy Monday
M