i can't stop staring - so i might as well just keep sharing, right? 

still trying to figure out how I feel about this:

some more pics; for Mom...

glad to be home again. trying not to forget what day of the week it is. very grateful for dinner from friends...

He's Here! 

check out daddy's blog for pics. 

(7 lbs 13 oz; 19 1/2 inches)

Well, Shoot. Why Not?

Pay It Forward

This little bloggy thing has been going around and I've been avoiding it but then I realized that it's always good for me to have some kind of motivation to make something - SO:

the first 3 people who comment on this post will get something from me that is handmade this year. Those 3 people must then post a post like this on their blog and commit to send 3 other people something. (handmade/homemade can totally mean food-treats, as far as I'm concerned). 

Just put a post like this on your blog, comment in this blog, and wait for something fun from me! 

woot.

when a friend calls and says, "we should come over and hang out tonight! we'll bring dessert." it usually just means she wants some pants hemmed before you go into labor. 

and then she'll be bored while you sew and do this to your pin cushion:

now it's all cute and I'm gonna feel guilty if I ever mess it up. 

on another note:

we went to Round Table pizza yesterday for lunch - since it's my favorite pizza place ever and located too far away for us to order in after the baby comes. none of that trendy, thin crusted pizza for me, thank you. This stuff you can sink your teeth into - and the garlic twists are simply without compare. 

D-s-u had his last day of work for a MONTH on Friday and excitement abounds here at home. There has been much fun-planning and spontaneous woo-hoo-ing the past couple of days. He has also started his own blog HERE to document his month-o-fun at home. :) 

I'm addicted. baby clothes are SO much fun to make.

one might even say, UBER-fun! 

we tried the beach yesterday - it was going to be the last nice day for awhile and I figured the kids (and sister) should get a chance to go to the beach one last time before the baby is born. 

which is assuming he's going to come 2 weeks early like his brothers did.  which would be very nice. I don't want to be pregnant for two more weeks.  Also, today is d-s-u's last day of work before his month-long vacation and I'd like to be able to use that time recovering with a baby instead of waddling around! 

I'm just saying.

but it was rather cold and foggy, as it turned out, and we lasted barely an hour before we bundled back up and headed for home, where the sun was shining. 

I think it was worth it though, for little sister. You can check her blog for why.

some of last week's creations:

uber-scrumptious cupcakes. that plate did not last two days.  y.u.m.

super-soft receiving blankets with fabric from Mom's shop. *love*

soon-t0-be booties and layettes for the project.  

I was feeling pretty darn crafty by the end of the week, and thinking I had accomplished "all this stuff."  

Meanwhile I'd been talking about getting our master bedroom cleaned and organized before another small human was required to share the space.  I'd been talking about it for a good few months. 

Finally the other day my dear-sweet-undeserved husband gave up and did it all for me.  

*kiss*

And then he gave us all a painting lesson for FHE tonight. The boys did swirly ribbons, sister started a fairy painting, d-s-u made a portrait of a fictional character and I copied a vintage pattern that I like. (because any images my imagination might provide me will decidedly NOT look as cute when I try to get them onto paper. kristen must copy)

it was fun! i think everyone (except perhaps our actual full-fledged artist) came away rather impressed with themselves. :)

I know, I know!  I haven't posted in awhile (sorry, catherine!). But, as you can see, it is not because I am happily taking care of a cute new baby:

No, I am still carrying him around behind my belly button.  I was up all night long last night though. In labor.  And then as soon as the sun came up it stopped. Completely. 

So I get to be tired and sore today. But it's a good thing (the no-baby-yet thing, not the tired-and-sore thing) because we desperately needed milk and quarters for laundry, which I have gotten this morning and feel much more together. 

pretty flowers!  that's just a random photo. Because I like their color.  it's one of my favorite things about Los Angeles - there are flowers EVERYWHERE, and all year long. It makes the city pretty.

This week I have made 3 receiving blankets, 1 1/2 layettes and one pair of booties for Kelly's project. I'm also going to sew 4 layettes for my little guy and a pair of booties. I've never sewn baby clothes before and it's VERY fun! I keep squee-ing as I sew... 

Yay! One down, who knows how many to go! I still can't believe how many squares I got from the denim I'd collected. 

I picked up some backing fabric today - a smooth and sturdy linen/rayon blend from the upholstery clearance section.
Also picked up some cute knits to make layettes with. We hardly have any newborn clothes! I'm using the pattern from the LDS Philanthropies website. It's easy and looks cozy and I'm already making 3 from that pattern for a friend's service project, so - !

wish me a productive weekend!

I told my mom that connor loved puzzles and that one would be a good present for christmas.  she got him a 750 piece garden painting. i'm not sure if we'll EVER actually get that thing completed! Connor did pretty good - better than I for sure - and Nancy was pretty much a wizard at it. But we still ended up needing the kitchen table after 3 days and had to put it away.

maybe we'll try again next year...

my youngest has spent some days looking like this:

last sunday and yesterday.  random barfiness? virus that just hung on? who knows.  poor kid though. Of course, yesterday morning after waking up at 5 a.m. and throwing up every 20 minutes for 5 hours he suddenly wanted a banana, milk, and a cookie; ate them all down, and was fine for the rest of the day. 

kids are amazing.