Easter

Some of my favorites of Zoe from Easter. Hope everyone had as wonderful a time as we did!

 

 

Three Generations

I love capturing images of the three generations of our family. And I love how much love we all share.

 

 

Butterflies

Mum is here visiting. She and Zoe have such a good time together. Yesterday we went to the butterfly conservatory and the butterflies just loved Mum!  One landed on her head and just stayed! I love watching Zoe in the conservatory, though its particularly hard for me to be in there: bugs and birds in an enclosed space, all my fears wrapped up in a pretty package. Facing those fears is so worth it to see the looks of amazement on our little girl's face. 

 

 

 

Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude

I have to just focus on gratitude this week and the focus of this focus is on family, family, family.

I love our family and am grateful for the wonderful visit we had this weekend from my dad and stepmom. I love watching Zoe interact with them. It's truly a special blessing!

From grampa to granddaughter, hand to hand. So sweet!

One Small Step for a Baby, a Giant Leap in a Lifetime

Zoe took her first steps today. It was amazing. And then she climbed up the step from the sunporch into the foyer so I let her get on the steps from the foyer to upstairs and she climbed all the way up and into the bedroom for her nap!

Here I've saved THYME in a bottle.
If only it were as easy to save TIME!

It just makes me think about how quickly life goes by. It feels like just yesterday when we brought her home. Just yesterday when the only way for her to get from point A to point B was in my arms. And now she's cruising around the living room and climbing up the stairs!

I actually think that's why we write blogs and keep diaries and update our Facebook status. It makes us pause for a moment and think about the moment, the day, or the week. It kinda stops time for a second and saves it for us.

Cousins/Friends

In addition to the visits from the grandparents and the road trip to meet Uncle Joel, we enjoyed a visit from my sister, Kym, and niece and nephew, Isabelle and Alexander. Cousins are so special. We never lived close enough to really grow up with ours and Kym live in Pennsylvania, about 5 hours from us. Not far, but not around the corner either. Since having Zoe, the distance from family feels even greater. Especially from Kym, as it would be fun to be moms together and have our little ones grow up together. No matter, we may be apart, but visits like this summer's make all the difference!

Sharing is important, but when it comes to drool. . .

 

 

Summer Fun

It's been a fun, but busy summer. Here's a pictorial review of what we've been up to over the past few months:

Enjoyed a visit from Nana - May

And from Grampa and GG - June

Went to the beach - June

Went to the Butterfly Conservatory - July

Planted a garden and built a fence around it - May



Feasted on cucumbers from that well-protected garden - July

And undoubtedly the best of all was our August road trip to meet Uncle Joel:

 

Happy Easter



Easter Bunny sneak attack!



All tuckered out!

Zoe went to her first Easter egg hunt today. Actually, she started crying the minute we got there, so we rocked and watched the hunt from the upstairs window. It was a fun Easter hunt and brunch hosted by the wonderful Sue. Once Zoe fell asleep, I surrounded her with Easter eggs as though the Easter bunny had visited her in her slumber. Very fun for baby's first Easter! Happy Easter to all!

Dreams

It's funny thinking back (and looking back through my blog posts) about all the dreams I had while pregnant. I really wanted a baby girl and I knew I'd be having a baby girl - I knew it in my bones - but most of my dreams were of a baby boy - and most people who wanted to guess guessed baby boy. Michele and I were excited thinking about our baby and would have loved having a boy, but something inside me just knew that we were going to have Zoe. After that last push and our little one was out, I actually forgot to ask the sex! Michele, though, didn't hesitate to proudly announce "She's a girl! Zoe's here!" What an amazing moment! The moment Zoe came out to play!

A New Beginning

Day 1

It's crazy to think that my last post was in October. Even crazier to know that I'm writing this post with a sleeping baby in my arms. Our daughter was born five weeks early on December 7th and my life has completely changed since that event. Zoe Lorraine burst into this world at 7 pounds 3 oz and 20 inches long just anxious to meet her moms and make us the happiest women in the world!


Month 1



It's amazing to me how in one minute with one event everything changes. Even things that still exist, like my relationship with Michele, my love of reading and sewing and chocolate, my wonderful family and friends, are different. Everything is filtered through Zoe: Michele and I aren't just a loving couple, we're parents; I ravenously consume books on child care and development and children's books, plan quilts for Zoe and other projects that will make my life as a mom easier, and limit my chocolate consumption because, as a breastfeeding mom, I want Zoe to get only the best from me; and our family relationships and friendships all seem to center around Zoe: "Oh won't it be fun taking Zoe to meet Casey," "Aunt Kym is coming to meet Zoe," and "Zoe do you hear Nana on the phone? Say 'hi!'"

Month 2



I absolutely love it all. Everything is new and exciting. Things that were routine and maybe a bit boring are new challenges with Zoe. A trip to the grocery store used to be "Let me stop at Wegman's real quick for cheese" and is now "Okay, I have my list; Zoe's fed, so she'll probably sleep; do I have her sling to tote her around the store?; I'd better get cheese, it's not on the list, but I won't be able to get back out here this week, so I'd better get some just in case; Oh, there's Rita, she'll want to see Zoe before we leave; Zoe slept through shopping, but is awake the minute we get to the register, maybe if I bounce up and down she'll be okay until we get to the car; ok, we made it out of the store, but I'd better climb in the backseat and nurse before heading home(although we live 5 minutes away) so that we can make it home peacefully and I'll be able to get the bags in the house and the perishibles put away. . ." Grocery shopping is now a weekly adventure that I enjoy each time!



I just had no idea how completely this little girl would change my life and my outlook on the world. I'm so grateful for this opportunity to be a mom to this special little person! Hopefully, I'll be posting here often to share my new adventures as a mom, partner, quilter, gardener, vegetarian, daughter, friend, sister, and whatever other title this new beginning bring me!

Blissfully Busy

Oh my how busy it's been, but wonderfully so! I'm really loving this time right now as we get ready to welcome our little baby. Everything feels so exciting and new and fresh. Well, most everything. Even dark clouds, like my Aunt's death and my company being sold to our #1 competition (we just found out last Friday), can't really dim our joy and excitement. Aunt Jan is definitely in a better place making mischeif and dancing, and, since there's nothing I can do about the uncertainty at work, I've decided to just focus on all the great and wonderful things happening around me! And to that end, here are a few pictures of the fun we've had over the past few weeks.

Michele and I at our first childbirth class. We decided to
do three different classes: This one, a yoga-based labor positions class,
a hypnobirthing class, and a traditional, natural childbirth class.
We want the FULL experience!!

We got new outfits for the class!
Here's Michele, proudly sporting hers!

The baby's room: painted "pencil" yellow, prepped and ready
for flooring!

New windows, pretty walls, and soft, foamy, play-friendly floors
 - baby's room re-model DONE!

Oh, it's just waiting for a sweet little bundle of joy!
Thank you, Daddy and Gloria, for the gift of the crib and
changing table and the extra special gift of a visit to put it all
together with us!

A family photo shoot!! My dear friend and coworker, Diana,
took these and many more wonderful shots of Michele, Me and
our baby! I can't wait til the next photo shoot when little Zordan
will be giggling in our arms!

And Then There Was Furniture!

Michele and I were like little kids on Christmas morning this Wednesday when we got the call that our furniture was five minutes away. Two wonderful men brought in each piece and set it exactly where we wanted it. And just like that, our living room was done (well, except for the window treatments I still need to make)! It immediately felt so warm and welcoming. We hadn't realized how little warmth our previous parlor had until we removed the wallpaper and redecorated. It really feels like home! One neat thing is that at practically the same moment, Michele and I looked over at the new chair and the Winnie the Pooh books on the nearby shelf and said, "I can just imagine sitting there with little Zordan on my chest reading Winnie the Pooh." It's wonderful to be of like minds, though I have a feeling we'll be arguing over who gets that chair!

Two lovely delivery men bringing our new couch

The most comfortable chair ever! Perfect for cuddling
a little angel and reading Winnie the Pooh!

A salsa red couch adds just the right balance of color
against the butterscoth orange walls. Oh, how I LOVE that couch!

A pretty new TV stand with lovely storage for all our
DVDs and CDs. And, of course, Star Trek on the TV!!

Dinner with Deb

Two lovely ladies joining me
for a meal! What could be better?

This baby is bringing out in me a desire for friends and home. . .and food! That's a lot of fun! We got to enjoy a weekday dinner with our wonderful friend, Deb. I don't know why, but having friends over for dinner on weeknights is such a fun thing - maybe because it feels a little naughty (friends on school nights was a big 'no-no' in my childhood home).

We had a really yummy, but super simple meal of pasta with chunky vegetable sauce, salad, and garlic bread, heavy on the garlic. I did make the salad dressing myself, but following the recipe made a very thick (thick like pudding) dressing that I really had to doctor up to make it applicable to a salad.

Michele made the salad - so good!
And, yes, those are more of our
volunteer tomatoes!

The pasta sauce was actually made in response to a comment Michele made when we had the Tomato Venus Soup I shared the recipe for last week: "Yum, this would be good over pasta!" At the time, I thought that although it was a kinda thick soup it was far too soupy for a pasta sauce, but the idea stuck with me. To make it more sauce-appropriate, I chunky-cut a bunch of veggies (carrots, zucchini, broccoli, green peppers, red onion, and pretty much anything else I had in the crisper) and sauteed them up, then I went pretty much along with the recipe for the soup - just didn't garnish it with butter or sour cream at the end. It turned out really good and was an excellent way to clean out those last bits of half-used veggies in the fridge!


I really love this chunky sauce! And it's really pretty, too!



Gifts from Heart and Hands

In addition to the wonderful gifts of time, labor, and friendship we are being showered with, we've been blessed with some other wonderful things, too.

I know I mentioned previously the wonderful pregnancy organizer from our friend Deb - it has SO come in handy - well, my mom, who also knows us well, recently sent us a package. One of the best parts was that it was addressed to M + M and Zordan (our baby's temporary name until we meet and find out if s/he's a she (Zoe) or a he (Jordan)).

And inside, was a reference guide to babies (in response to my frequent comment to my mom: I really hope there's a book on that!) and a Michael Jackson DVD, for Michele, MJ's biggest fan.

To join the Dr. Suess book the the lovely Bridget gifted us with early on, we now have a collection of Winnie the Pooh books from Sue. They are currently gracing the book case in the new living room - right next to where the awesome accent chair will be - the perfect spot for reading time!

And then there are the baby blankets! Our dear friend Sue collected many, many baby blankets when she was pregnant with her now four-year-old son, Max. And she's started us out right with the beginnings of a collection of our own. One very special one was hand-knit by Sue! I know it will be a favorite!

We just feel so blessed with all the love in all these gifts and know that little Zordan will feel blessed as well!

Hosting a Tiny Human

It's been so long and life has been speeding by! Life for the most part is par for the course here in Michelleville - well except that I've taken on a passenger (or two) recently. I'm hosting a tiny human for the next few months - tee hee. I'm 12 weeks pregnant and so excited about this journey to mommyhood! I went through a rough patch with six weeks of sickness, but am now on the other side and feel like life is grand. Michele's been such a support and comfort during the weeks of sickness, she's just going to be the very best mom!!

Our little tiny human decided last night that s/he would like a blog, too, so if you'd like to follow our journey from the baby's point of view, definitely check it out: http://zordansworld.blogspot.com/

Here's to the joys of parenthood!! Yippee!!

Gifts of Our Hands

Just the prettiest carrot wall pocket ever!!

Michele and I both gave one another a very special Christmas gift made from our hearts and our hands. Michele's gift to me was extra, extra special because she's never actually made me anything before. She worked with our very sweet friend and brilliant potter, Sabra, to make me a ceramic carrot - that's right, I said "ceramic carrot!!" It's so very gorgeous and wonderful and beautiful and perfect!! Plus, it adds to my collection - I didn't have a ceramic carrot yet! This gift touched my heart like none other could! It's actually a wall pocket, which could hold flowers, but I think that would detract from the carrot. I think I may make little beaded carrots to live in the pocket, but we'll see. I still need to find the very perfect place to hang it.

I cannot wait to have this on the wall, but I MUST find the
perfectest most perfect place!

Now, I make Michele gifts quite often - in fact, it's rare that I give her a gift that isn't handmade. But I am particularly proud of this one. It's a simple design - nine patch squares - but I designed the kitty myself. I call it Kitty on My Quilt since it's a good bet one of our three cats will be cuddling with Michele on this quilt at any given moment. And I accidentally made it a bit too big - in my head I thought lap quilt, but it's actually twin-sized, so it's "accidentally" big enough for two! 

Isn't that an adorable kitty?

Definitely big enough to share!



A Belated Merry Christmas to You!

A hilariously well aimed fall!
What are the odds?

Oh how I hope you all have had a very merry Christmas! Michele and I had a wonderful time together and with wonderful friends! We started the holiday week putting up our tree - a little later than usual, but time has been getting away from us lately! We went through about 4 CDs of Christmas music getting the lights on the tree. We wanted to finally get all the lights blinking - we usually has only one string of blinking lights around the middle of the tree with all the other lights steady as an oak tree! We couldn't get them all blinking so we went blink-free. Our special ornament this year is actually two: I found initial ornaments at Michael's and got an M and a W made out of little bells. Michele was thrilled and so am I!

We spent Christmas Eve at church as always. It's my very favorite service of the year. Half in candlelight, which is just so charming. Plus, I get to sing my favorite carol: O Holy Night. Michele shot a video of it which I'll post one of these days if I can figure out how!

Merry Christmas from us!

Another Christmas Eve tradition is to have anyone who will come over for snacks after service. We had four lovely friends nosh on tapenade, cheeses, roasted tomato slices, homemade pickles, apple and pear slices, and mini muffins. I'd made the muffins from a recipe that came into my head a few mornings before: a regular banana bread recipe (actually this recipe was my favorite recipe which is vegan and was given to me by our beloved friends Cindy and Jeremiah) to which I added two handfuls each of chocolate chips, dried blueberries, craisins, and diced dried apricots. Boy were these yummy! Our friends and we just sat around eating and chatting until nearly midnight - a wonderful night before Christmas treat!

So delicious!

Christmas morning means homemade donuts and phone calls with family in the Wescott house. Oh, what lovely treats! The donuts were especially good this year, though combining donut making and phone calling meant that I forgot to let the donuts rise the first time - went directly from kneading to donut forming and rising instead of kneading, rising, punching down, donut making, and second rising. Next year I'll get them right! Regardless, they were WONDERFUL!!

I need to do a special post about the extra special gift Michele made for me and the special one I made for her, so I'll save any discussion of gifts. After chatting with all our loved ones, we spent most of the day eating donuts, drinking soynog, watching Roseanne (we're working through the series from beginning to end as it was both of our favorites when we were younger (I'm totally neglecting Star Trek, but that's OK.)), and eating more donuts. We rounded out the day with a dinner party with more wonderful friends - which was a good thing because we'd eaten nothing but donuts all day! Our holiday was full of blessings of wonderful friendship and love and I hope yours was as well!

Our special MW ornaments for 2010. They jingle so sweetly!

Gallery Opening Debrief

The display in the studio - this was the
view when you first walk in.

The showroom space - This is where
the exhibit will be til the 19th

Oh boy, was this weekend an amazing time! The opening went great - we had hoards of people on Friday night and a nice flow of serious buyers on Saturday. I loved the crowds on Friday, but really enjoyed having the time and space to talk to people on Saturday. My step mom, Gloria, came to see the show and we put her to work helping Michele keep the food restocked - boy did the Friday visiters EAT! On Saturday, Michele had to work, but since most folks were more interested in shopping than eating, there wasn't much food restocking. Spending time with Jennifer and Sabra from Crocus Clay was such a treat - I really loved getting to know them better. After the show on Saturday, we set up the "exhibit" that will be up in the showroom until the 19th and off we went to dinner and a show to reward ourselves for our hard work. And work hard we certainly did! It was so worth it, though! What an amazing time!

The overflow shelf - pleasantly

decreased by the
end of the weekend!



A bowl of overflow ornaments - very popular

and very gone by the end of the show!

End of day one getting on the freight

elevator - Gloria's first time and it made

us all feel VERY urban!