Hey ya'll! We're havin' a baby next week!

I was just looking over my calendar for the rest of the week.  It hit me with a bang that we really are having a baby soon.  As in soon.  The requests for things--favors, baby-sitting, playdates, etc. have trickled to a stop.  I've started saying "I don't know" or "no" to things if I am asked.  We do have a few things on the calendar, like midwife appointments.  And the ice cream Scooper Bowl (here is last year's).  (On my due date.  I wonder if that'll jinx going into labor.)  Other than that, though, the calendar is pretty clear.  Just waiting for Eliza to fill it up.

The house is getting more and more ready.  I emailed my mom yesterday, bragging that even the basement was getting a little tidying up.  And I thought I was done.  But then today the pantry started screaming at me.  So I let the kids run absolutely wild with their toy closet and started an overhaul organization and cleaning of the pantry.  Also we have a minor ant problem, noticed yesterday evening.  So now the kitchen floor is as clean as it ever has been and smells a weird sort of combination of vinegar and cinnamon.  Funny how these hormones care so much about exactly where my flour is stored and how spotless my kitchen floor is.  The normal me doesn't give that much mind.  (Well, except for the ants.  I would care about that any time.  It just seems triply urgent right now.)

I'm having a few more "practice" contractions each day.  I kind of stop for a second--not because they are at all uncomfortable at this point but because I want to almost savor them and encourage them.  Yes, baby, we're ready for you!

I was a bit whiny yesterday when my friend went into labor and had her baby.  She was due the week after me.  Of the group of seven or so women who were all announcing pregnancy at the same time last fall, I'm the last man standing (in a manner of speaking).  I feel 10 times more pregnant in comparison, seeing all these lovely sleeping babies being carried around and women who can bend over to tie their shoes.

This waiting game is not my favorite (as Eddy would say).  I've always wanted to be one step ahead of where I already am.  All growing up my mom would remind me that where we are now is great and slow down.  Yes yes yes.  I know.

Still, the closer we are to having Eliza fully with us the more quickly I want it to happen. 

Come baby, come!

Old School

This is just another random, drive-by dump of miscellaneous pictures by Collin.  If you were expecting cute stories of the boys and/or thoughtful insights on life, please check back later when Rachel is around.  Thanks.

We have the best landlord.  Even though we didn't know them yet at the time, Mike and Lily were part of the group of many friends whom we considered to be our saviors during our fire incident a few years ago when they whole-heartedly welcomed us as tenants into their nice home.  We were immediately sold on the inside of the house with its dark wood, spacious entry way, and clean basement (by Massachusetts standards).  At the time, the front was under construction because Mike and Lily were putting in new stairs to the front porch.  Little did we know how much care Mike invests into his yard, but after three years of staying here, we've been treated to having the best yard on the block -- with absolutely no effort on our part.  In fact, it's probably safe to say that we have the nicest yard we're ever going to have once we actually become homeowners.  Thanks, Mike!

Rachel was very sweet to turn her curry craving at Costco (they have a really good out-of-the-box tikka masala) into a Saturday date night candlelit dinner.  A few more chances of actual "just the two of us" date nights until Eliza arrives -- then all bets are off.

Speaking of Eliza, I saw this onesie at the Parent Talk sale.  It would have been an absolute must for most accountant dads, but we ended up not getting it due to an early exit we made spurred by the boys' behavior.  Oh well, she'll probably thank me later.

One on One Time

David Rd, Needham, MA. Didn't think we'd find one of these, but as we were driving back to the freeway after a side-street emergency potty run we found it!

In addition to all the last minute sewing and other projects, I've been more focused on giving the boys some one-on-one time.  Actually, I didn't start out doing this intentionally, but they have been seeking me out and I've allowed the moments to linger instead of running around with lists of things to do (in my usual, non-pregnant state). 

Davy came into my room as I was resting on my bed (but not asleep, smart boy) with his piggy bank under his arm.  He plopped down and started shaking all the change out of that thing.  It was noisy, but oh so fun to watch his "surprise" expression each time another coin dropped out.  Then he sorted it, all the while being such a cute smarty pants about numbers and counting and coins.  I just reveled in his growing up self.  My patience seemed endless as he wanted to talk with me and accepted my answers without the big fight it seems we are constantly getting into in the less ideal moments of the day.

Edward St, Belmont MA.  Just down the street from us and on our walk to the library!

Eddy has been my sweet buddy the past few weeks on errands on Friday morning while Davy is at Miss Mary's class.  I feel bad we are just going to the grocery store and sometimes sneaking in the fabric or thrift store.  But Edward doesn't seem to mind where we are, he just enjoys being there with me!  He holds my hand, helps me choose, gives me extra hugs.  He sings along with the music because it's his choice the whole time (no listening to Davy's choice of story.  Incidentally, we've discovered Lois Lowery's Goonie Bird Greene series via narrated books on CD.  They are phenomenal.  I have even laughed out loud on several occasions.  Highly recommend.)

I really love this time with just one of the children.  I get to see each of them as they are in this very moment.  The time seems to pass a little slower and a lot sweeter.  They become again individuals, not "the boys" or a pair of quarreling kids.  I see David and Edward more clearly as my babies, my big boys, my joy.  I'm so grateful for these quiet one-on-one times, especially before the flurry and blur of a new baby. 

The MFA in Boston is free for Memorial Day weekend, so yesterday we took a trip into town to enjoy some fine art.  Altogether as a family we saw some amazing Samurai armour and weapons.  The favorites were all the creative and scary helmets (the boys wanted to try them all on) and the face masks for the horses that were shaped like very intimidating dragons.  We also loved the little quilts that were hung like bunting across the central gallery of the museum.  The quilts were sent from all over the world to Boston, with love, after the terrible events around the Marathon.

We got the special family art packs the museum does on Saturdays and holidays--one for each of the boys.  Then Collin and I split up and spent a lovely half hour with just one of the boys each.  Edward and Dad took a bag of shape blocks and played I Spy matching.  Davy and I took a mummy fact box to the Egyptian wing and learned about ancient Egypt.  I feel like we all learned and enjoyed a bit more than usual, because again, it was a slower and more focused pace  . . . sans the constant reminders for "the boys" to settle down and leave their brother alone.

Lemonade 10 cents

Yesterday we had a yard sale and lemonade stand in our front yard.  The yard sale was actually pretty successful--we got rid of a ton of stuff and got over $100.  We blew the money on a Cheesecake Factory dinner and dessert, but it was so worth it. 

Davy also had his first lemonade stand.  I'll admit that I was the one who suggested and supplied the stand.  But he honestly worked hard at it and caught the vision.  He was so careful at pouring and offering the drinks to people.  He didn't even really care about the money--he just wanted to make sure everyone had a drink!  People were way too generous by handing him dollar bills.

Of course he couldn't resist testing some out every now and then.  Just to make sure it was still good, you understand.  I think for the most part he was pretty sanitary, though . . .

Edward even got to pour his own glass when the liquid level got low enough. 

I hope we're in for at least a few more lemonade stands this summer.  I'll start stocking the lemon juice concentrate and a few frozen cans just in case.

Introducing a new member of our family

. . . nope, not what you think.  Eliza is still safe and sound inside.  But here is the newest addition to the Lambournes, Cranberry Clunker (or the Cran Van for short):

With number three coming, we'd been looking for a van for a couple months.  Collin went and looked at a gazillion while the boys and I were still in Utah.  When we got back we looked some more and had even gotten close to buying a really nice, newer Sienna.  But then it showed some serious, expensive-to-fix defects in the pre-purchase mechanical check.  The van itself was already at our budget limit, like all the others of that caliber.  So we were disheartened and decided to hold off indefinitely.  We're hoping to go abroad for a couple years, so maybe it was a sign we should just deal with what we already have.  One day last week I brought up the infant car seat and made three car seats fit in the back of our Sonata.  It would do and we determined to be content.  The next day there was an email in my inbox from a friend for a friend.  The seller of this Chevrolet Venture was moving back to France and was parting with their very reasonably priced old van.  We went and checked it out and for the price it couldn't be beat. 

I'm considering it a blessing.  After the decision to be happy with what we already have, we are even more grateful for the benefits of more space.  We can continue giving our friends needed rides to church and around town.  We can take friends with us on adventures or even just home to play.  We can lend the trunk space to friends when they are moving, as friends have for us.  We can pick up even bigger things on trash day. (ha!) 

Mother's Day

Well, hello there, big belly!  I love looking through the pictures after I hand the camera over to Davy.  Most are deleted right away because they are blurry or twenty same shots of the back of Eddy's head, but every now and then there is a real keeper.  A moment caught in time from his perspective that makes me stop and reflect on being his height, his age.  As tough as it may seem to me to be this big with Eliza right now, it's just as tough to be the little kid constantly being (accidentally) bumped by the tummy and being told that Mommy can't do that right now.

All that negative aside, I saw this picture and thought, wow, this is really gorgeous.  This is a real privilege, especially at Mother's Day time, to have every energy be directed toward other people.

 

Collin and the boys did an incredible job at surprising and spoiling me yesterday.  I slept in, cuddled next to my sweet baby Eddy (who really is no longer a baby in most senses of the word), and woke to Davy and Collin bringing me breakfast on a tray.  A huge mug of hot chocolate (double strong the way I like it) made by Davy.  A bagel and granola, with the story of my thoughtful son to top it off.  Davy told Daddy that I like granola, but that he needed to save some because maybe Eddy would want some too.  Best of all were flower cards made by my boys. 

And a random act of kindness by someone at the grocery store started the weekend off just right.  I was at Market Basket check out line with all our week's groceries already on the conveyer belt when I said out loud, Oh no!  The lady in front of me was paying for hers but turned around and said, "what's the matter?"  "I just realized I forgot milk!"(I totally bypassed that part of the store in a mad dash to the bathroom for Edward and we had finished up our gallon that morning).  She took one more glance at me (in my state with a kid hanging off the empty cart) and said, "I'll run back for you."  And she did.  I was so grateful.  (Though if I'd been channeling my inner-Collin, I would have just kept quiet and gone home to make a pitcher full of powdered milk.  I guess that thought makes me triple grateful for the creamy cow stuff!)

Before Baby Projects

We've been pounding out projects around here.  There is nothing like a baby coming imminently to get the nesting hormones and the logical "we are facing months of upheaval before we reach a new normal" to get productive!  So here are some of the projects on which we've been hard at work.

First up is a fabric project I began and mostly finished in Utah.  I was inspired by a mommy blog I read where the mom did a US "scrap map" for her son's nursery.  I saw it and thought, Wow!  I bet this would look amazing for a world map.  I was right.  This scrap map is awesome, if I say so myself.  And really so easy.  Just print out a map, pin to iron-on prepared fabric, cut out the continents, iron, sew over, and tadah!

The best part was that I got to go through my mom's stash of scraps--way better than mine and many more years in the making!  Most of these scraps are actually from the Cedar City, Utah Shakespeare Festival.  My mom bought a pack years ago of scraps left over from the costumes made for the productions.  I loved the Shakespeare Festival growing up (and still do) and I love the fabrics.  I chose mostly masculine fabrics, though if you look closely there is a little shimmer and glitter here and there!  The finishing touch are animal buttons from this fantastic Etsy store.  I was ecstatic to have an excuse to look at and order from Etsy.  I don't let myself do that very often (or I would go crazy and we would be bankrupt and  in a serious hoarder mess).  I made the Mickey Mouse myself, though, to mark the Lambourne grandparent headquarters.

After I hung it above the boys' beds I stepped back to admire the effect.  Davy walked in and said, "Oh, I love it!  I love my map!"  Then he plopped right down on his bed and stared up at the map.  He requested stories about all the animals.  My favorite was the story about the panda bear.  He wanted the story of the crickets and seagulls in the pioneer days of Utah, only with teddy bears, bamboo, and panda bears.  You can tell yourself the rest.

Eddy puts on his own underwear, as you can tell.  He actually is required to wear pants most of the day, though you wouldn't know it from the pictures in this blog.  He was my cute helper making the beds.  And those Legos on the floor were his camera.  Edward is the sweetest shadow in the world, constantly at my side and getting underfoot.

The other project I started in Utah, with all my free time, was a crocheted bee mobile for our expected arrival.  Eliza Bee is going to be utterly sick of all the bee stuff I'm going to provide her with.  Bees are just plain cool, though, so I couldn't resist starting her off with a baby version of these beautiful insects.  I dusted off my half-forgotten crochet skills (with the help of some YouTube videos!) and made these fat bumble bees and bell flowers.  My sister Katy helped with the lacy bee wings.  When we got back the boys helped me choose a wreath from which we turned sideways and dangled the bees and flowers.  (This was one of the most pleasant Michael's runs in recent memory--the boys were good and "the ladies" (you know those ladies) were nice in their comments about the boys and my pregnancy.)  The mobile hangs above Eliza's corner in the kids' room.  It rotates and jingles nicely when given a gentle swing.

 

For the final project Collin got to take out his power tools.  First we demolished a wooden pallet I spotted beside a dumpster.  I had been scouring the vast countryside (well, almost) for months to find weathered wood planks I liked.  They are apparently so popular right now (thanks, Pinterest).  Anyway, I finally scored this week and was able to proceed with the project I'd been thinking about since last summer. 

Once we had a nice pile of grey weathered wood I chose my favorite.  The boys quickly took over the rest for their own games.

They built a garage for their car, going in and out to work and back.

I love that some old pieces of wood can keep them occupied for over an hour.

I love that an old piece of wood and my wish can keep Collin entertained for over an hour, too!  :)

He cut the plank I chose and cut it in half, beat up the too-smooth ends, sanded, drilled, and installed my beautiful new towel racks.

I don't have a before picture, but the towel rack before was just your generic, cheap plastic bar.  I love this version much better!