Bear Hug

There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.
-Albert Einstein







Hi, Friends



"A very lame winter" the forecasters are calling this one thus far. They say, with every decade... we're due for one.



The snow will fly some nights with the determination of a usual January snowfall... but it will hastily melt the next day seeming to reveal itself as an early spring thaw out.









...I'm glad I'm not the only one a little loopy these days.


My body is changing in a familiar way. Every time some sensation occurs, I'm all, oh yeah. I remember this.

Soon, I will almost forget what it's like. Time will dull the memory, so I will try to savor each and every last nano second of the baby belly.

...Even if it means being a little loopy sometimes.



I remember sitting in our old rocking chair dreaming about what it would all be like. A new baby. And I find myself doing the same now with some additional visual stimulation that wasn't there before...



Slowly but surely we have been getting ready.


Putting together the "new to us" changing table



Boots appreciates a new place to sit right now. Soon, her spot will be taken over by a pile of freshly laundered cloth diapers. Sorry, Boots!



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Last weekend, we celebrated my nephew's 1st birthday in a really big way













We gave our baby cousin a homemade knit doggy puppet and the cutest wooden pull toy duck


I love finding ways to use the kids old paintings

The morning of the party, Ashton quickly put this together for his cousin all by himself.
"I have a great idea, mama. It will be such a great idea."


"Matthew and the bright sun" ...Using the frame he made from vacation bible school last year.

Matthew sweetly napping while we sang his, "happy birthday"



brother stepped in to help blow out the candle



Matthew woke up after all of his guests left

The cute little stinker.



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When we returned home, we decorated our new goldfish bowls we received at the party





They named their new fishies, "Bob the Builder, Muck & Kitty"







Boots = never far away from our growing fish collection on top of the microwave



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..."I have a great idea. It will be a great idea mama. Let's have a beach party!"







S'mores to end our morning at the "beach"



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We have this to-do list to complete before Liam arrives. Essential and non-essential. (...the distinction is open to debate). I find myself all chore-oriented first thing in the morning, wanting to get things done. Also thinking up things like, if the baby comes soon I won't want to worry that I didn't spend enough time baking in the kitchen with the kids.







If I ever start feeling funky, agitated, overwhelmed we walk out the door. Sometimes it leads to an actual walk and sometimes, literally, we just walk out the door.





-My list of silly to-do's awaits!

(Like freezing this adorable owlie cookie my friend Amy made...)


With much love,
-Jessica