Full and Fuller House

Peter and I went to an amazing community garage sale Saturday. The friends were hilarious, the kids were adorable, and the deals were A-MA-Zing. We got some more stuff to fit into our little apartment in preparation for our little Abby.

Pack-and-play: $20
Bouncy seat: $10
Dr. Brown glass bottles: free!
Getting a couple more things for our baby: not priceless, but still a really good deal!

What is priceless is my sweet friend, Emy, from whom I inherited these adorable pieces of art:



Her daughter had them on her wall and now I get to use them for Abby's! Aren't they just perfect for our little garden room? I'm really excited about putting them on the wall. They go perfectly with the bedding as well as the afghan I am about half way done crocheting. I'll put up some pictures of it when it's all done.

Slob meets nesting

TS Elliot said, "Success is relative. It is what we can make of the mess we have made of things."

I am confessing: I am a slob. Or, another way of putting it would be, that my threshold of mess is a lot higher than most people, like my poor husband. I do eventually reach that "breaking point" where I must clear out the clutter. So, I kick butt and clean it up, but then the process starts again.

Now, I'm pregnant, and starting to nest, the threshold of mess is lowering. It bothers me when I forget to put that glass in the kitchen. I'm getting really frustrated with that same pile of old mail I've moved from one place to another about 15 times. I finally got new floor mats for my car to cover that stain that's been there for about a year.

I'd like to think that this lowered threshold will stick, and maybe even be sustained after Abby's born. But I know exactly what this nesting is really all about: hormones. That and knowing that someone I want to impress is about to come into the house. Like when Grandma came to visit and Mom made us clean the house top to bottom.

So, Abby, I'll keep trying, but know that your mom is pretty messy. And while I'll always want to impress you, you might have to eventually live with some of my bad habits. Or we'll just see what we can make of the mess.

What I Dream for My Baby

Throughout this pregnancy, I've done a lot of dreaming.

In the beginning, I just wanted a healthy baby. Each day fulfilled that dream as I woke up and realized that, yes, I really am pregnant.

Then the dreams got weird. I heard about the hormones causing some odd nighttime visions. I just didn't anticipate a plot including dolphins, goldfish crackers, and a hippy John Cleese.

As I near the end of my pregnancy, I am eagerly looking forward to seeing my baby girl for the first time, still dreaming of a healthy pregnancy (no early arrivals please), and wondering how Peter and my life is going to change.

Most of all, I have 3 dreams for Baby Abby:

1) I dream that she will know God the way that I have come to know Him, and so much more!
2) I dream that she will find joy, purpose, and confidence in her life.
3) I dream that she will always know she can turn to her family for security, encouragement, and love.

I'm excited about being a mommy, about helping my baby find these dreams. I know I have a lot to learn, and I'm looking forward to it.