Tutti Fruity

I like food, that's no secret. I enjoy eating, cooking, and learning about food. But more than that- it's the idea of food, the feeling of food, and the aesthetics of food that I like. I have allusions to and representatives of food all over our house from fruit in the apothecary jars on the mantle in the living room, to the vintage food tins above my cabinets, the pear table cloth in the dining room and the cookie jars shaped like an orange, an ice cream cone and a basket of strawberries that live on the kitchen counter. I like dishes and aprons and clothing and bags with food on them. I paint food...almost exclusively. And of all foods I am partial to baked goods and fruits. Even my breakfast room curtains have fruits on them and the kitchen rug is shaped like cherries. It even seems that fruit has found its way into my baby stuff!!
These were some of the first things I bought...little fruit and veggie people. They're made by Under The Nile and are 100% organic. So they're totally "chew-on-able"! Why the next picture's sideways I do not know. Visit www.underthenile.com to see their products and read about the company.Of course, there's the fruit trees on the walls...These two things are teething aids.
www.greentogrow.com cute bottles, earth and baby friendlyThis little sprout outfit is one Debbie gave us...and the next one I bought from the same line...both have veggies- I love it!!Here's wishing you a fruitful Thursday!

randi and soda

Marking Off My List

It seemed, for about three days last week, that things were coming together at long last. I even posted a "Time of Things Coming Together Post" at sweetly happily artfully. The installation of the air conditioner was the last in a succession of things it seemed we were perpetually waiting on. Finally, last week I could count on one hand the number of things I still wanted/needed to do. And what's more, I was still feeling good...almost great, really...and I was looking forward to productive weeks to come. While there are still fewer things left on my lists than things I've taken care of, I've been set back this week and it's frustrating. Without complaining too much or going into ridiculous detail about which no one really cares- I will say that I don't feel well. It's this cold. And the fact that I'm not sleeping well at all. Even before congestion, sore throat, coughing and plegm was added on I was getting up every couple of hours to go to the bathroom and at least that often with heartburn and excrutiating hip aches. I've eliminated all carbonation, spicy foods, fried foods, orange juice and almost all cheese from my diet...and increased my milk and yogurt consumption and I sleep propped up- all in an attempt to remedy heart burn. Plus I take Tums...but never more than five a day, if that many. I don't know what to do about the hip issue. I have a body pillow. Other suggestions welcome. I understand frequent urination is just something I'll have to deal with...and this is fine. Fortunately, aforementioned cold seems to be getting better, just slower than I'd hoped. I refuse to medicate, so it's just a waiting game until the symptoms subside. It's reduced now to just a cough and runny nose...congestion, headache and a couple of vomitting episodes seem to be all just part of the past. In an attempt to will myself well (as is my usual m.o. when I'm sick) I've gotten up every day, gotten dressed and forced myself to be, at the very, least semi-productive. I got all my shower thank you notes finished, ran four errands, cooked dinner one night, cleaned out the fridge, did laundry and a bunch of dishes and organized all of the new baby stuff and put it away. Which brings me to the best part of my post and what I really wanted to report!! Back when we first found out we were expecting I did a lot of research on what you needed for a baby. I compiled a list of over 70 items (some of those things you needed multiples of so it was far more than 70 individual things) which included everything from the crib to nursing pads to diapers, bibs and baby wash. It seemed so intimidating back then, but having the list made it seem plausible and gave me some direction. Well, almost 30 weeks into this, my list is down to less than ten things! TEN! Here's Soda's closet...still a ways to go in terms of organization, I'm afraid...My current project, which I've been working on slowly this week, is whittling away at these last few things! It's hard to believe we're so close..and I have lots of people to thank for helping us get here! You all know who you are...THANK YOU! I just can't wait to actually use all this stuff!
Happy (and healthy) Wednesday to everyone!

*sniffle*

randi

Clear Skies With The Chance of A Shower

Happily, I can report that our new air conditioner is installed...along with a fancy programmable thermostat I still don't know how to work. It looks cool on the wall, though...and Josh has it figured out as best I can tell. All I know is that finally, regardless of the steadily rising temp outside, it's always a cool 72 degrees in here! And this makes me happy. I must admit, however, that the weather has been very pretty lately and reasonably mild. As I sit here in the breakfast room (where I LOVE working now because there is are three big windows in here I leave open all the time) everything in my backyard is lush and green and the wind is blowing the trees around...and I know if I open the door the air that rushes in will smell like the honeysuckle that lives along our fence. That's a beautiful thing. It may be Monday and I may be feeling a little crummy (don't know whether to blame allergies or an off-season cold), but it is hard not to be in high spirits because I'm coming off a truly wonderful weekend! We spent it in Ruston where four of the sweetest ladies threw me the most adorable baby shower! I had the best time and am still amazed and extremely grateful for all the gifts we received. I can't imagine there is a better outfitted baby than ours!! Few pictures were taken with my camera, so I'll have to post more if I can get some from the other people who were there with cameras. I really only got to shoot all the decor before the shower and got a quick shot of some of the gifts after the shower. It may be hard to tell, but these little water bottles were TOO CUTE! There was a picture of Soda on it (Soda Water, get it?) and then Josh and I on either side...Soda "Mom" and Soda "Pop"! I know, terribly clever, right? I love it!On the subject of showers, I should post these pictures and mention the great gifts we brought home from Pennsylvania...with all the things bestowed on us by family it was like having a mini-shower there!

That thing I'm holding up between us? That's right, it's a Penn State sippy cup. How cute is that? We have our fair share of Tech baby paraphernalia too...so don't worry, he'll be a well-rounded fan! :)While "thank you" doesn't begin to express the gratitude we have for all we've received by way of gifts and love and support...it's a beginning and it's all I have to offer for now- so...

-Heartfelt thank-yous all around!

With love,

Josh, Randi, Soda and Gatsby

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig

We have been home now from Pennsylvania (Soda's first road trip!) for almost a week. We had excellent travel weather, a fabulous visit with family and a much needed get away. And though it is a bit sad it's over, we're back to our old schedules again and are still basking in the happy memories of last week. Our internet had been on the fritz since before we left, but we finally discovered it was a router issue and got it resolved last night so today I am, at long last, able to post some pictures! All of the baby furniture arrived the week before we left, so we were able to leave the nursery pretty well put together! That was a nice feeling. It's almost entirely ready! I tried to post pics of it before the trip, but as aforementioned, the computer didn't permit me to do so. Here's Josh (and Gatsby) putting together the crib!

I lack only the glider (whose cushions I am recovering) and once that is done I promise to take pictures of the entire nursery and post them ASAP.

Now back to our trip...

Much to our delight (with the exception of Gatsby), and much to the chagrin of all the locals (who have had to live with the white stuff for months, it snowed while we were there!!

I'm dreaming of a white...Easter...This sums up how Gatsby felt about the snow...It had been over a year and a half since we'd last been to Port Allegany, but once we got there it didn't seem that long. The remarkable thing about that place is that it seems rarely to change from one visit to another. It suppose it isn't a lack of actually physical change altogether, though. Buildings and businesses are opened, closed, moved, rebuilt, torn down. People, from time to time, relocate, remarry or pass away. Some people grow older or better or both. Time passes there like it does anywhere else, but the feeling of the place never passes with it. It is always familiar, always sort of refreshing, yet comfy like some favorite old blanket that's been newly washed and dried on a clothesline in the sun. What you get there is not just a slice of life...it's a whole (rhubarb) pie! I always feel like it's this little world unto itself- this tiny little town hugged by the mountains so far away from home. I love it, and I hope we get to make many trips there with Soda...and I hope when he looks back on them, Port Allegany is the same comfy blanket for him that it is for me and his Dad.

Monday, Monday...

This week is looking already to be a very long one, but the weather is gorgeous so I suppose this is a great week to have linger. Also on the happy side- our new carpet arrives on Wednesday!!! and with the help of my parents and grandparents, all the old carpet has been removed and taken to our local Habitat Re-store. (Many many thanks to those hard-working family members of mine...we owe you guys big time!) As is obvious, I suppose, that means that with the carpet gone- all of our furniture (from all three bedrooms) and all the stuff that usually lives on the floor of all the closets- is now stacked in my breakfast and dining room...with the exception of our bed which is set up in the living room. It's sort of like camping out or something- and finding things is now an adventure of sorts. It's been so long since the house was completely in order (with hurricane repairs pending for months followed by this carpet thing-- which is actually an extension of the hurricane repairs) that when it's finally back together...I'm afraid I won't know what to do with myself! I'm not complaining- I couldn't be more excited about the carpet (and replacing it was something I'd always said I wanted to do before we had a baby and presto! a little over a month after the tree fell on our house we found out we were getting one- so I think the hurricane damage was really a blessing!! Therefore, carpet is praise number one for this Monday. Praise number two is that I finally heard from the nurse last week and all my blood work was normal!! Yay! So I don't have gestational diabetes nor is my sugar low- which we'd thought might be the case. I am much relieved and grateful. And finally, praise number three is that it's girl scout cookie time... and I'd been craving Samoas. Yummy.
So here's to pretty weather, positive test results, new carpet and cookies...cheers!

Wishing you a week of praises too,

Randi, Josh, Gatsby and Soda

Baby's First Photoshoot

So we had our 4D ultrasound this afternoon, which I'd really been looking forward to. The pictures were amazing- it was great. We have to wait for Dr. Tibiletti to interpret all the measurements and pictures before we know the real results- the ultrasound tech wouldn't answer many today. He looked like he should- all fingers and toes, stuff like that. He's very active- but I knew that already! Still haven't gotten my lab results so I'll have to report on that later. For now, here he is...

Little footsies...with long toes!

Trees!

Here's a sneak peek at what I've been doing in the nursery. I wanted to get all the wall painting done before the NEW CARPET gets here. It's backordered, so I still have some time. I keep adding touches. Anyway- this is the color scheme. The rest's a surprise for now.

Soda and Mom update: according to my appointment today we're A-OK for now. Dr. Tibiletti says (and I quote) that I'm "doing a fine job growing a new person"! Diabetes test is Monday; 4D ultrasound on Tuesday. Please pray those go well.

More later when I've more to report!

hugs to all-

Randi, Josh, Gatsby, and Soda