Thanks!

If you get a chance, click on over to:
http://www.firstgiving.com/winterplunge
and support the Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project and Boo's Winter Plunge into the Atlantic!

Brrrr....

taking today by the horns

yesterday was one of those days
that everyone in the world
seemed like they were in a bad mood
from my usual checkout lady at the grocery store
to my favorite waitress at my favorite restaurant
everyone was a total grouchhead
(except my dad who made me dinner
again
this week)
i myself was in a pretty dang good mood
considering
the freezing temps
icy roadways
and contractions that lead to nothing

so today
i wonder
will people be happier?
will i be able to be happy
after getting up at midnight last night
and having two really terrible dreams,
one involving murder
and the other involving a squirrel
biting my bum?
i woke up screaming twice.

i'm taking today by the horns
i'm going to rent
puff the magic dragon
and pete's dragon
and meet my dear friend
for chai
and eat popcorn
and nap
and do all the things
that i like.

i hope you do, too.
xx

sweet pum

what i love about pummie:

whenever he paints me a picture, he stops, looks at it, and beams with pride. then he looks up at me, and always says the same thing-

"mom, i made this for you. do you want to go inside it?"

and i invariably say yes

and pretend to jump into his work.

i love that his landscapes are so real to him. i love that he believes in himself. i love that the page could just be a big blur of blue, and he still invites me to take a little trip inside. every time.

books i've read 2008

(i'm convinced this necklace is magical. not only was it crafted by one of my favorite mamas...wendy from mother rising, but it has fairy powers. it was supposed to be for gray but sometimes i slip it on when i need to feel extra-special. thanks again, wend!)


so i feel like i've been pregnant for 245 years. people around town that i run into (um, like at the local donut shop, ahem) have been starting to say to me "you're STILL pregnant? when the hell is this baby due?". a little old woman at the checkout counter told me that it looks like the baby has dropped. the guy at the desk at the post office said "god bless you" when i told him that i was expecting my third. then he told me it was a boy. people are having dreams about the baby left and right. i think we're all ready for the newest gilbert to make their debut.

but in the meantime, what have i been doing?

well, reading.

lots of all-night reading. reading from 11pm-3pm. lots of vampire books.

i've read so many books this year, some trashy and some wonderous. what would i do without books to lay with me and keep me company?

here's the complete list of what fed my soul and filled my head in 2008:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

What is the What by Valentino Achek Deng

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

A New Earth: Awakening Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born by Tina Cassidy

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan

Look Me In The Eye: My Life With Asperger’s by John Elder Robison

Buddha: A Story Of Enlightenment by Deepak Chopra

Gluten Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern

The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule

Mommy Mantras by Bethany E. Casarjian PhD and Diane H. Dillon PhD

Notes From Nethers: Growing Up in a Sixites Commune by Sandra Eugster

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner

Three Cups of Tea: One’s Man’s Mission to Promote Peace, One School At a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston

Legacy of Luna by Julia Butterfly Hill

The Brambles by Eliza Minot

A Wolf At The Table: A Memoir Of My Father by Augusten Burroughs

Sophie’s World: A Novel About The History Of Philosophy by Jostein Gaarder

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith

I Love Dirt!: 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature by Jennifer Ward

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Luna by Julie Anne Peters

Her Last Death: A Memoir by Susanna Sonnenberg

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Marked by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

Chosen (Book 3) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

Marley & Me: Life and Love With the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan

Girlwood by Clare Dean

Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Madapple by Christina Meldrum

Parched by Heather King

Fever: 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Glass Houses: The Morganville Vampires- Book One by Rachel Caine

Frostbite: A Vampire Academy Novel by Richelle Mead

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle by L. J. Smith

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

Minion by L.A. Banks

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury by L.J. Smith

The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion by L.J. Smith

Masquerade: A Blue Bloods Novel by Melissa De La Cruz

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black

PlanetWalker: 17 Years of Silence, 22 Years of Walking by John Francis, Ph.D.

Evernight by Claudia Gray

In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Shadow Kiss: A Vampire Academy Novel by Richelle Mead

thank goodness for vampire trollishness.
and my local library.
and my husband who doesn't mind when i keep the light on all night.

xx

speechless

for some strange reason, i still find myself speechless here. i'm having lots of emotions, lots of ups and lots of laying-downs. gray is pretty good at summing up all the different things i've been feeling:







all because of this...

love update

there's really no words coming
except
i love you
and this crazy life.

xx

snowed in

we were snowed in for the majority of the weekend. it really forced us as a family to s.l.o.w. d.o.w.n. and just chill out. you know, like nap and stuff. it was kind of hard but pretty cool at the same time. there were some moments though where i considered hanging out in the car by myself though to stop the constant fondling and nudging and snugglefestivites that occured.

even though i'm touched-out, i'm feeling ready for the holiday week. hope you are, too. xx

how you likie my new 50 plus pound face? just more to love...

primal urge

i'm getting this really crazy strong almost psycho urge to go and pack a bag for the hospital. something i've never done in advance before, mind you. so what's up with this? i have no baby clothes ready- they are all in tubs in the basement and smell like funky mold. and i don't even know who this little baby will be so i would have no idea which clothes to wash. and i have no diapers or wipes or anything else like that ready to go. and no boobie-pads, which are key in post-labor nina beana land. maybe i should make a run to BJ's and pick up some stuff so i can rest peacefully at night? or i could basically pack a sportsbra and maybe some comfy fat pants and then call myself good to go? my babies really don't need anything except mama's milk and some crap-ass clothes and some lubbins. so i should chill. i really need to chill.

please friends, i urge you to bring me food and chocolate if i go early.

merry

(photo by gray)

trying to see
all the good around me
remaining open
to the signs that the universe is sending me.

listen
stay quiet
be open
slow down
remember what's important
take time
perspective

perspective

perspective.

complain complain

i've stopped sleeping completely. maybe john is right...maybe i am a vampire. i actually do sleep from 9p-12 every night. and then i'm up. but i can't do anything productive. because i'm tired. but i can't sleep. so i watch the food network and i stare at the christmas tree and i eat green apples and pecorino romano cheese.

my girl is sick. the antibiotics didn't work a couple of weeks ago and now she's even worse off than last time. she's got a double ear infection and strep throat and a high fever and weird blistery things on her face. she's a complete beast but i do feel terrible for her. but because i was up all last night, i'm having a hard time walking around taking care of people. the spiced apple turnover for mama after her doctor's appointment helped. but it didn't make the day completely peachy keen. john and i are sick too, but when you have a sick kid, you just can't be sick. so we power on.

speaking of sick, joey just pooped his pants. wanna know how he told me?:
"oops...i just did a little squirtsy-doodle!"

i forgot to mention...the boy is sick, too. with diarrhea. a major case of the squirtsy-doodles.

is it tomorrow yet?

even more good stuff

bellies and the fireplace at my dad's house, which is all the more sweeter because i don't have to get the wood, make the fire, keep it going, etc. and a fire appears whenever i request one. and the baby gets toasty and happy. and i drink tea. and watch the kids tear up the house.

freshly made sushi just for me by whole foods staff without ginger and wasabi that makes my sushi taste like poo.

dates to starbucks with johnny alone and then christmas shopping for the kids (one present each- ha!) and then our annual date trip to annie's hallmark where we buy our special ornaments and drop a ridonkulous amount of cashola but don't feel bad about it because it makes us so happy.

johnny's sympathy heartburn.

rubbing joey's head.

pushing gray to do something she wasn't feeling at the moment but then having it turn out OK and watching her realize that her mama is always right.

joey's impromptu "party" and "cake" last night.

watching joey clutch his new birthday firetruck, even when he's napping, and thinking of little randy on 'the christmas story'.

our rocking christmas tree makes me happy even though there are about 5 or 6 ornaments on each branch, especially the ones waist level and below.

joey just saying to me "mom, can i sit next to you? because i love you."

watching gray eat noodle soup.

christmas movies every day.

my date with joey today.

watching gray run off the bus after school with a huge smile on her face.

huge packages from sweet bloggie friends filled with gorgeous clothes that i can't wait to wear.

getting the mail every day and savoring every holiday card.

the second john walks in from work at the end of a long day.


xx

happy friday

"i am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye." - the brilliant kimya dawson


happy friday beloved peeps.

xx

FAQ

inspired by brittany's post about her own pregnancy stats, i offer you some of my most FAQ's about this pregnancy, and way too much information for your own good...

weeks pregnant: 30

pounds gained: about 35 plus at this point

number of babies inside: just one

boy or girl: no clue, but i think it's a girl

do you want to find out?: yes, we've tried (we've had three ultrasounds) but the tech can't see anything because of crossed buddha legs. at this point, we may just end up being surprised which is fine by us.

are the kids excited?: yes, very. especially joey. he's quite taken with the belly and the "bee-bee"

do you have names picked out?: yes. catalina redwood and teddy stonewall. and no, we're not kidding, and no, we're not changing our minds.

are you worried that teddy will hate you when he becomes a man and his real name is teddy? shouldn't you just name him ted?: no. we're not worried. there are many crazy and cruel things about this world, and if teddy's name is the biggest worry on his list, we'll consider him lucky. he can call himself whatever the hell he likes and we won't care. but his name is going to be teddy. and we'll always call him teddy bear. even in front of his partner.

will your daughter's name really be catalina catalano?: no. catalano is my maiden name, remember silly? it will be catalina redwood gilbert.

why redwood and why stonewall?: because. because we likie.

you're huge! do you think you'll make it until feb. 11th (due date)?: i don't know. i'm measuring at 32 weeks. i was informed at my appt yesterday that i should expect another big baby (joey was 8lbs. 13 oz.) which is fine by me. because i like fatty babies. i was 10 days late with gray and about a week early with joey so at this point who the heck knows.

how are you feeling?: just fine! except for when i can't walk. or poop. or during the contractions. or after 6pm.

what time do you go to bed?: around 7:15pm. it seems i can't make it much past that. but then i wake up around 12 or 1am and start my day. thank god for vampire books.



so that's the skinny folks! i'm hanging in there, enjoying the ride. i'm looking forward to meeting my sweet one, breastfeeding, and drinking again (kidding, but not really).

xx

good things part 3

*when gray is in a really really bad mood and threatening to ruin our family time date and beautiful walk in the sunshine, i stop, take a deep breath, and look around for a sign. i see a tree with a nice butthole just waiting to be poked. i say to her "if you put your finger in that tree's butthole i guarantee that your bad mood will disappear."

and it does.

good things part 2

*have i mentioned how much baby loves brussel sprouts? so much so, i fact, that last night, after cooking a whole bunch (four dollars worth, which is quite a bunch) of brussels, i went to sprinkle some salt and pepper on top before eating. unfortunately the pepper top was open (the part that you're supposed to be able to dunk your spoon into) and literally about five tablespoons of pepper dumped on top of my snack. did that stop me from eating them? no. pregnancy at it's best.

*joey watching the movie 'sinbad' right now (totally inappropriate but most of it is going over his head thankfully)...but he keeps screaming "MAN NIPPLES!" every time a half naked dude comes on the screen

*every morning when joey comes into my bed (at 5am) he snuggles in to me in the dark and whispers "i dreamed about the baby" and then pulls up my shirt and kisses my stomach

*refusing to wear maternity clothes this time around

*MAN NIPPLES!

*reading a whole chapter book last night about butterflies that talk and have attitude problems

*the kids going to bed at 5:30pm

*taco night

*library story time

*gray's thankful notes to her teachers

*johnny's cold feet in bed and him hogging all the blankets (i secretly like it)

*double boilers

*muffins

*movie date night coming up tomorrow night

xx

the good things

*gray being healthy and happy again after a couple of bad days last week with strep throat, a strep body rash, and a double ear infection

*a date with johnny this weekend for hot drink treats (chai and triple shot lattes) and then sushi

*christmas parades and seeing the kids on the float with high spirits even though it was about 10 degrees out

*being able to walk today. seriously, walking is pretty cool.

*lower back massages

*reading chapter books with the kids in my bed

*how the grinch stole christmas every day this week

*seeing the faces of the kids at the aquarium this weekend, and getting free tickets. watching the turtle eat lettuce and puke. examining the private parts of sharks.

*having all my thanksgiving shopping done

*vampire series books and the librarians that still love me even though all i take out now are bad young adult books. stacks and stacks of them every day.

*scholastic book order forms and gray getting off the bus today clutching two of them screaming "mom! TWO! TWO of them!!!"

*my date with joey today in front of a roaring, smoky fire reading dr. suess

*feeling the baby kick all night long, trying to imagine what s/he will be like in a couple of months

*connecting with a really fantastic doula-in-training who will attend our birth and who has been to ina may's farm in TN

*having all the dusty fancy plates and wine glasses already washed and ready for thursday

*grateful presents ready to be delivered to neighbors

*thanksgiving placecards

*reading in the car in the mornings while waiting for the bus, the heat blasting

*wearing brown shoes and black clothes and not caring because i'm pregnant and feel like i should be able to get away with any fashion transgression.

*joey's love for reading

*family dinners at the 99

*a whole bunch of appetizers just waiting to be made this week

*a huge pot of chicken soup on the stove right now waiting to be eaten

*family about to get-together and put aside differences this week

*brussel sprouts

*bowls of spinach

*bowls of broccoli

*seeing beautiful friends and family every time we're out somewhere in public- one of the benefits of living in the town that we both grew up in (it's actually quite comical how many people we saw at starbucks last weekend)

*oolong tea

*organic pregnancy tea

*vitamins helping me stay healthy, and keeping my baby safe

*going to bed at 6pm

*cinnamon buns

there's much more, but mama's going to veg for a bit. how's it hangin' in your world? xx

what i need

(photo by gray)

i'm hibernating.
and i can't stop.
haven't been taking many pictures.
haven't been blogging, emailing, phone calling.

i have been
surrounded
by my crafts
and stacks of magazines
and library books
and cup
after cup
of tea.

this is what i need right now
bedtimes at 7pm
vampire stories in the middle of the night
my family snuggled on the couch
surprise pieces of chocolate cake

and that's about it.

but i do miss you. xx

new

new week ahead
and everything seems possible again
starting it off with a new attitude
and a new coat
(vintage find for $5 with generous butt-pleats for my pregnancy butt)
that is bright orange
in the morning light
and a new plate
shaped like celery
gifted to me
by boo
it makes me want to race to the store
and buy celery
cream cheese
and paprika
and invite some friends over

today is midwife visit
and library
and snuggling on the couch
trying not to fall asleep
at 6pm today
because my day
started at 12am

i have been getting quite a lot of reading done
thanks to this
insomnia

off to start
life.

xx

quirky bird

gray is a quirky bird. sometimes bubbly and boisterous, other time moody, withdrawn, and kind of sad, she's always a trip. she likes to dress herself for school and sometimes comes up with some whacked outfits. she also doesn't like to be talked to when she gets off the bus for two hours, until it's time for bed. then she most always will have to go poop, even though it's past her bedtime. she likes carrots and dip and broccoli but you can't get her to eat a piece of cake (the frosting is a different story). she's a conundrum, a mystery that i'm always trying to figure out.

lately she's taken to writing names like "carlos" and "elvis" on scraps of paper (like my shopping lists) with hearts around them. boys at the bus stop run up to her and say "oooh grace, you're so pretty, i love you and you're my girlfriend!" and then i launch into my cheese-ball, "hey, we're all friends, we're all friends with each other on this beautiful planet" blah blah blah and all the little ones roll their eyes, rub their snot noses, and run away.

i'm in for a long ride.

this morning, she created this fantastic card for her bus driver. her bus driver is this pretty rad looking young woman who reminds me of annie lennox. short pixie hair dyed almost white with a nose ring and a love of funky hats. needless to say, gray is enamored. the card was classic gray- all hearts and rainbows and the bus driver's name. and then she said "i have an idea!" and so excitedly wrote "dawn- grace loves you!". she was like "this will make dawn so happy". how could i tell her that it may be borderline inappropriate to court your bus driver? so i smiled and said she'd love it.

and you know what, she totally did. i sat in my car and watched gray excitedly hand over the note, and the bus driver's face lit up like you would not believe. even from the distance i was at, i could tell with certainty that it would be the best part of her day.

and it was mine, too.




have a beautious weekend. i'll be hibernating with the fam. xx

be OK

i found this incredibly inspiring. i hope you do, too.

it's been about

i can't even tell you where i've been or what i've been up to.

it's been a lot about sitting and being in the moment. being away from the tv and away from the computer. being in the leaves. being with the kids and their art supplies and going on dates with them. lavishing them with the attention they both need right now. it's been about being in the kitchen, preparing meals, and nourishing the people that i love. it's about learning how to accept help from others, and loving when people take caramel. it's about the little things that seem so big- having a friend bake a minature "happy halloween" cake for you and hand deliver it. another friend buying me the most delicious italian take-out dinner that i could have possibly imagined. it's been about driving through the city at night past my bedtime in a cow costume. it's about plowing through stacks of books from the library at 2am in the morning. finding ways to surprise others in little ways. letting go of the need for a clean house and appreciating the love that takes place inside it instead.

i'm having guests over today. and instead of cleaning my bathroom at 4am this morning when i came downstairs, i sat down. i took a deep breath. i made a cup of tea and poured a big frosty cup of orange juice. i lit a candle. i thought about all the reasons why i'm lucky to have my life. and then i thought about how all the people that are coming over love me for who i am regardless of how my bathroom looks. there may be hairballs and mold and scary things lingering about in there, but it's real. so it will be as it is. i sat down with the glow of the computer and decided to check in with my bloggie peeps instead.

then i realized that it was actually not 4am but 3am (ah, daylight savings!)

but that's besides the point.

so even though i may be missing from here
i am still here
in the thick of it
spilling apple cider down my chin
all over my shirts
that don't fit anymore
because a baby
is popping out from the bottom

and i miss you
and think about you.

thank you all again for being here with me. xx

early holiday saley-sale

hello dearest of dearpeeps,

just a little FYI that there's a little saley-sale going on in my etsy shop. i really want my paintings to find a home for the holidays. so they are both marked down...way down. it's a great chance for someone to get an original mixed media piece of nina beana work- so hop on over and snag it!

xx
nb.

gratitude

(leaving a space for baby #3)


pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

dates with joey to our local orchard where you can sit down inside. johnny invested in my happiness and for just $20 bought me a new stainless steel mug from the orchard and i can go 50 times a day if i want and get "free" coffee, tea, or hot apple cider. needless to say, joey and i have been spending a ridiculous amount of our date time sitting at the table together, watching the customers, eating lemon poppy seed scones and refilling my apple cider. he draws, i get fatter. it's a pretty good deal.

whole foods. throat coat tea. finding decaf chai today. free organic chocolate milk.

sleeping all night (well, until 4am but that's progress!) for the past three nights.

having my head rubbed last night.

winning a brand new board game for the kids at a raffle last week.

my brother taking me out to dinner last night at one of my favorite restaurants.

piles of christmas presents already. lists for thanksgiving.

a huge bag of giant apples waiting to be turned into applesauce.

dinner tonight. sitting on my couch with people i love.

feeling the baby kick my laptop right now.

getting organized around the house.

feeling safe and warm in our little situation.

learning about my children who are very complex and completely beautiful and mind-boggling.

opening my mailbox and finding the most beautiful photo of roots from an even more beautiful friend. running inside, putting it in a frame, and hanging it on my favorite wall immediately.

this blog post.

this website.

campfires. hot chocolate machines. family dinners on sundays. endless marshmallows on sticks. the bittersweet popping all around us.


what's got your fires burnin'?

awake

i've pretty much
stopping sleeping
completely

maybe it's all the vampire stories?

but today
i'm thankful
for my family
for bonfires
for friends
who let me fart in front of them
and for project runway canada
at 2am in the morning

the sound of crunching leaves
is all around
and makes it all ok.

baby's favorite things

so this baby
still remains a mystery
as far as gender is concerned

there have been
some ultrasounds
but no conclusive evidence
of
if
the baby
has
a
peanut
or
a
beanerdog.

which is kind of ok.
i'm ok with the mystery.
i'm not sure i'd be as ok if i didn't already have a boy and a girl.
but babies don't need much
except love
so i'm really ok
with the not-knowing this time around.


lots of people
have asked
what i'm craving
this time around

unlike my pregnancy with grace
i am NOT craving ice cream
and milk from glass bottles

this time around
all i crave
is
SALT
and CHAI
(and bad teen lit and vampire books before bedtime)

truthfully i've kind of been eating like poo
but the baby's healthy so all is good.

xx

seriously pregnant

insanity, i tell you
the size of my buddha is complete insanity
as this baby grows
my clothes get smaller
even the maternity shirts
don't cover the whole thing
and that's ok
because soon
i will move on
to john's sweatshirts
and when those stop fitting
then i won't leave the house
because it will be snowing
and i'll be getting ready
for three.


embracing fall in all its glory.
this weekend there were parties and meals and gatherings
and fevers and coughs and clingy, sick kids
but there was so much love
and so many of the most perfect things that i heart
that this weekend
really
truly
rocked the casbah.

happy fall love love love weekend!

pleased to announce the opening of my humble little etsy shop!



see sidebar for handy-dandy etsy link, and stay posted for more goodies! thanks for all the wonderful support and encouragement so far- my peeps really do rock. xx

i woke up at 3am to have peace and quiet to watch this

why i love my husband clark griswold

we had a lovely and relaxing time up north this weekend. like a reallllly reallllly good time.

but here's why i stinkin' love my husband clark griswold.

we (read: me) were all frantically getting ready on saturday morning. there were multiple bags to be packed for multiple tradeoffs with the kids- there were soccer balls and cleats and shin pads not to be forgotten. the toothbrushes! the cough medicine! the wedding shoes and of course the purse for the new burts bees lipbalm for those crazy chapped lips. there were so many details, and we all went about our business, packing and packing and showering and uh, sleeping. johnny was quite the sleepyhead and needed to be prodded to get in the shower, pack, and eat before our departure. but that's cool, because that's soooo johnny. a complete sleepyhead.

to make a long story short, we get up north with a bit (maybe an hour?) of time to spare before the 3pm wedding. we do an early-check-in at our hotel down the street and lug all our bags and stuff up to the second floor of the hotel to our room. we decide to get dressed, run through a drive-through to pick up a quick bite to eat for preggie-mama, and then go to the wedding. mind you, we just had over a three hour drive to get to our final destination. mama's hungry!

so i start rummaging through my bag to grab my new dress. and my shoes. and my shawl. and i glance up at johnny, who's standing right in front of me looking like a deer caught in the headlights. all it took was one look at him and i say

"so you forgot your suit?"

and he nods.

so i put on my dress. and my shoes. and my shawl. and then we proceed to haul-ass to the nearest outlet store and buy a suit and shirt off the rack. the wedding! in a half-hour! dressing rooms, hip checking old people to get the goods. i'm dressed for a wedding, and john's in jeans and a t-shirt. i'm the pregnant mama hobbling through the store on high heels. pretty comical if you ask me.

but seriously, i couldn't love this man any more. this man who is my fourth child. this man who simultaneously holds our family together and causes more disasters* with his clark griswold charm. how on earth did we end up together so perfectly? he drives me nuts, yes, but i love him.


*(but this is why i cringe when we says he wants to get a motorcycle.)

ps- we really did have a fabulous time at the wedding. and managed to stay married ourselves, too. bonus!

dear luscious fall

hello fall.

well aren't you just perfect? perfect for walking around, drinking chai after chai, filling up cartfulls of crisp apples? and wearing capes. yes, i do love myself a cape now and then.

i adore you, fall. i really do.

the whole fall deal was made even sweeter this past weekend during our husband-and-wife trip to north conway, NH to celebrate the marriage of our friends. there was some serious foliage going on up there. breathtaking. and then there were the four bears we saw, right up close and personal. a mama bear and her three babies following along behind her, just crossing the road right in front of us on top of a mountain. my first thought when i looked at that mama was "that's me." there i go. my kindred bear-mama spirit. it was pretty magical and kinda freaky.

anyone who's curious...my cervix is CLOSED and LUSCIOUS (my midwife's word, not mine)! i spent the morning with my midwife getting checked because of some problems that i've been having- lots of pain and scary stuff. for anyone who knows me, you know that it was a big deal that i even called in the first place to get an appointment to go in...a first. but i've never been more relieved to hear that everything is fine, and that i'm actually in excruciating pain because i've gained over ten pounds in two weeks! hello! and i'm measuring a full two inches more than i was two weeks ago. so my body is going through some funkalicious changes, producing some uncomfortable feelings down under. but baby #3 is healthy and fine and the heart is beating great- and my private parts are luscious! so all is well in the world.


AND i don't have to cook dinner tonight because my dad's making chicken soup.

i love my life.

magic magic and more magic

this weekend, i hope the magic swirls around you.

i hope you are so stinkin' magical that dragonflies and fairies swarm to you and land right on your head when you least expect it.

i hope you think it's really rad that you are a fairy princess and the smallest of creatures feel safe with you.

then i hope you realize what's really happening and you totally freak out and lose your mind.

peace out!
xx

nesting, creating, and hibernating

so here's where i've been these past couple of weeks dear people:

in the office drowning in art supplies, marinating.

staring at the sparkly lights and the jars of goodies all around.

working on some paintings. which is big for me. like huge.

this is my painting. hello, painting. i love looking at it. i love the bits of ephemera and the layers of paint peeking through. i think it would make the greatest addition to a baby's room. i need to take some better pictures in real light (it's been raining here forever so i snazzed up the colors a bit). eventually, it will go up in my etsy shop which i also worked on getting setting up this week (thanks to the support and lubbins of dear pix). if you are pre-interested before it goes up and want more deets, please feel free to email me and we'll talk. xx

so this is me. here, sitting right here. with incense burning all around. and some fall candles. i'm either here or in my basement, sorting through about 30 moldy bags of mixed baby and toddler clothes. spending about $100 on those huge 30 gallon bins, sorting and sorting. stacking and stacking. nesting and preparing for the arrival of this baby who's gender remains unknown. sweeping and sorting and creating. thinking of christmas already. presents to make and design. getting ready for a weekend away in the mountains, sans kiddies. as much as i hate to be away from them again, especially with grace being gone all week until 4pm at kindergarten (kindergarten!)- but i really am looking forward to celebrating the love of our friends, eating in diners, and tucking away in a big hotel bed at the end of the night- just pregnant me and my husband.

so that's the scoop.

what the heck have you been up to? do tell.