16.5 Weeks Weigh In

Here is the latest photo of my expanding waistline. The funny thing is I think I have gotten even bigger since this was taken just a few days ago!

I have my first Centering appointment next week. So funny but I feel like a kid going to class for the first time...am I going to be able to find the right place, will the other ladies like me, will I ask a stupid question. So silly! I will let you know how it goes. I hope to make my ultrasound appointment then as well so definitely stay tuned for that one.

Christmas in Eatonville

Nick and I were graciously welcomed to family dinner yesterday at Shanna's mom's home in Eatonville WA. (Explanation of family tree if you need it - Shanna is Nick's brother Josh's wife and we went to her mom's).

Dinner was delicious, the gift giving was very fun and we really had a great time.

Here is the view of Ranier from the living room:


Here is the London clan in force:


As an aside....to add even more Holiday excitement we made it 3 1/2 hours towards home to find that the highway had been closed for a manhunt. Wow! It was back-roads to Brightwood and double locked doors last night.

Was It Dolly In The Pasture With A Jersey Giant Club?

Okay folks, again we are in need of your opinion/speculation. Yesterday Nick went out to the side pasture where we keep the farm critters and found:

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B: Close Up


Where on Earth did these feathers come from? All our girls are perfectly unruffled and none have feathers this size and color. There is no blood. There are no wild birds of this color and size. There are more feathers at various spots around the yard. It is so crazy!

I am convinced Dolly was witness to a horrible crime as she was extra skittish this morning. Nick disagrees, but also does not have an explanation. What could have happened???? Here are some possible scenarios and you can vote via comments (like American Idol):

1) Luke finally got the "Big One".
2) Loretta aka Fatty goat finally got her revenge for every morsel of food those stupid chickens have stolen from her.
3) There was some sort of ritual bird sacrifice performed by the chickens Tuesday night at midnight.
4) Nick was sleep walking with his feather pillow.
5) Practical joke from the neighbors kid.
6) Boa remnants from the local gay bar brawl.

Feel free to write in.

Baby Stuff

Nick and I have been tossing around ideas of what to do for the nursery: decals, modern abstract bedding etc. The one common theme is that we do not want a "theme" and I am not up for painting.

So, the walls will remain tan/brown/mocha. However...I recently dicovered this awesome artist on etsy - Udonchow and think her prints would be wonderful in the babies room. This image below is an example of an original from her store but she has lots of great prints that are cheap.

What do you the internet audience think? I am thinking a group of her prints to hang and that way we can do just some colorful bedding and curtains. Help!

CERAMICS!

Nick recently got a NEW KILN! This is super exciting as his other kiln was one we bought off of Crsigslist that had seen better days even when it was "new" to us. At this point the bottom is totally rusted through, the coils constantly have to be put back in place and since it is a manual fire...each fire requires that Nick spend 8 hours babysitting it trying to moderate the temperature.

Not with the new baby!


Now he is able to fire inside (he bought the enviro vent) which is better for him and the kiln. Plus, since this one is relatively more efficent we can actually turn on a couple of lights while it is going. The best thing though is that since it can fire alone he has been running it overnight as to put the least tax on the house's electrical system.

He has already done one huge bisque fire so today is the pit fire:




We received some very good news last week from a local gallery that one of Nick's Mount Hood tiles had sold. We are hoping this is setting the scene for a great 2010!

How You KNow You Aren't In Brooklyn Anymore....

Yesterday Nick spent all day with his logger friend planting trees. Gotta love that statement! Aparently showing up listening to NPR with an artist in tow really blew the socks off of the erosion specialist who was braced for your "typical" logger coming out. She should have known better once she heard they were from the mountain!

After a long, wet, muddy day nothing cures you like a good drink so they headed to the local tavern. Upon arriving Nick sees a HORSE tied up outside. We may be in a small town but it is not everyday there is a horse at the bar. Even better is that they worried about him out front so he was moved to the outdoor patio area until his owner was ready to go. I wish I had a picture!!

The Best Part of Cabin Fever

A longtime friend of mine has a wonderful blog detailing her life and most importantly her journey through adopting a child from Africa. She is an excellent writer and it is always a great read. A few months ago she wrote about her love of learning and passion for reading. That is something I can definitely relate to. My mother has always been a wonderful example of being a lifelong learner and I think it has had a profoundly positive influence on me and the person I have become.

As the days get darker and shorter I am finding more and more time to get back into my favorite past-time of reading. I dusted off my library card and last weekend blew through The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman. The dust cover said it was a book you couldn't put down and that was you wouldn't be able to put down. They were absolutely right.

Now I have moved on to a couple of recommendations from another blog I enjoy, Dooce. She has put together some wonderful Christmas gift idea lists and since I do not have the pleasure of being a full time blogger I will merely link to her: Holiday for Him, Holiday for Her: Homegoods and Holiday for Her: Accessories and Clothing.

The first book I finished yesterday was Hillbilly Gothic: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood. This book chronicles Adrienne Martini's struggle with postpartum depression following the birth of her first child. It takes you from conception to loony-bin and back again. Her own mood disorder causes her to take a closer look at her family's history and she pieces together the signs that she is genetically predisposed to this happening. Really tough subject explored with a wit and honesty I couldn't resist.

My book for today is The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan. This book takes a look at the Middle Place - "that sliver of time when parenthood and childhood overlap" and how she fully transitions to "adulthood" after a diagnosis of breast cancer. We will see how it turns out but I am thinking this will be another page turner.

In case you couldn't tell, my favorite books allow me to express my inner voyeur. As someone who has always sort-of winged it through life (with a total type-a plan of course) I am always curious about how other people are making their way through their own life experiment.

What are your favorite books? It is a long winter up here and I will need something to ready before little London arrives!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

I must admit that I am a big fan of the Christmas holiday traditions. The smell of those cinnamon pine cones in the store makes my heart flutter with excitement. So, although I am in the throes of a nasty cold Nick lovingly obliged to go get me a Christmas tree. Obviously living in NYC all those years we did not often have a tree and I had NEVER cut one down myself until last year.

We found a really nice tree farm outside of Sandy and cut down a very cute 5 footer. I find 5 feet to be the perfect height for all things wonderful.

Here I am trying to make it look like Nick made the pregnant woman cut the tree down:


Here he is actually doing all the work:

Note that he is unable to look at the camera as he is actually working!

There was one CRAZY looking tree that Nick really wanted us to bring home. On which protuberance do you put the star on this thing?


After much chainsawing and swearing Nick got the tree up for me. I put on all the lights and decorations:


I think it is a keeper!

13.5 Weeks

I have had lots of requests for pics of my growing physique so here you go:

Note the awesome "fat girl" jeans. They have been a life saver.This picture was taken right before I sat down to the bourbon glazed ham and leeks au-gratin I made for dinner.

BONSAI!

On Thanksgiving Nick and I developed cabin fever while waiting for the chicken to cook so we decided to go for a drive. Nick took me by a house that has the MOST AMAZING Bonsai. It is right by the driveway and huge. The pics don't do it justice but you can get the idea....