The kid can come any time now...

It seems like there was one delay after another in getting this baby's squares blankie done. First, I had a fabric fiasco that resulted in an expensive lesson learned about online fabric purchases...
I had bought the fabric with my mom down in Orem, and realized too late that I didn't have enough of some of the patterns. By the time I figured that out, I found out they didn't carry them in the Logan store. They did have them online, but you can't buy the fabric in less than 1 yard increments. So now I have fabric coming out of my ears.
After that, I just couldn't get motivated to do it.
I finally got things moving enough to cut the squares (with much help from my little friends).
At first I was really resenting the fact that I had little helpers. I couldn't do it fast enough for my liking, and I was constantly worried that someone was going to lose a finger. Jake did end up spilling blood, but luckily it was just a flesh wound.
After a little while though, I decided not to worry about getting it done in a timely matter. They were learning and having fun and I needed to relax. So I got the camera out and got this...

Those little fingers will never be this size again. I watched as each of them struggled to make little pillows with the fabric and batting and I loved it. Jake was meticulous. He wanted each one perfect, and Allie just wanted to get the job done. So funny how personalities develop and how I can see traits from Mike and me in each of them. (Mike can sometimes be the "just get the job done" type guy :)

These pictures are from a few different days of cutting, then I was done with that part...so the project continued to sit. I was having lots of false labor and worrying that I would really go into labor without the blanket being done. Yet, it still sat unfinished.

Then, I finally got the motivation I needed. We got the sewing under way and I got more "help" from the kids. This time it was in the form of laying out the pattern meticulously by Jake and playing hopscotch on the pattern by Allie. He got frustrated, but eventually joined Allie in the fun.

I did finally get the blanket done.

Jake loves it. Allie thinks it's just fine (as she runs off to do something else). I caught Jake snuggling up in it tonight and he had a suggestion... "what if I share my squares blankie with the baby, and he shares his with me?" The suggestion was followed up with comments that the baby's blanket was "so fluffy and comfy", and "what if the baby doesn't like green, but I like it so much". I could tell that the cogs in his brain were working out a way to make this new blanket his own. I suggested that when we get some time we'll make him another blanket that hasn't lost it's fluff. (we do have plenty of fabric after all:)

The Baby's room

When Allie and Jake moved into the same room and started sharing the bunk beds, I started getting the baby's room set up. I know it's early, but I have been so excited. It's fun to think of having a little babe around here and I can hardly wait for March.

So, we painted and put a new cover on the changing table that my grandpa made...


Then Allie and I loaded it up with diapers, just so we could get excited about seeing diapers that small and imagine a bum that will fit into those tiny things:)

Those tiny bums turn into bums that can barely fit on the changing table. It doesn't seem that long ago since these two were tiny little things on here.

Then I made Mike haul up the crib. It has been set up in a room downstairs ever since Allie graduated out of it. We can't take it down or it will fall apart, so we just left it put together. It is nice to walk into that room without facing a crib that looked very out of place. Now it is back in its' home where it belongs.

We also picked up the swing and other things that I have been storing down at my mom's house. Allie has had lots of fun playing with her babies in real baby toys.

I have made myself stop there. I want to fill the drawers with cute little tiny baby clothes, but that is kind of what my mom is there for. She has always come up to help me before the babies are born and she washes all the clothes and blankets. I can't really take that away from her...even if it does sound fun to get all those things out and ready too.

You'd think that with all these preparations I would be just weeks away from having the babe, but it's not the case. I am just too excited to wait. Plus, it is fun to walk by the room and see the baby things instead of an empty room.

Baby Boy

We finally got the last word on this baby's heart. The last ultrasound left the Dr. with some questions so they scheduled me to come in again a month later. Now that I am further along, the Dr. could be quite sure that if there were going to be problems, they would be able to see them by now. They didn't see anything. The 4 chamber heart was beautiful to my eyes, and it was cute to see his little face, hands, feet, and round little tummy. I had a lot of anxiety about this baby in the beginning. When they couldn't rule out anything at the first ultrasound, I was still a mess. Everyone tells me that healthy babies are the norm and that I shouldn't be as worried as I am, but my eyes have been opened and I couldn't help but imagine the worst case scenario. I know it sounds foolish to all of you to worry about another heart defect when Sam's was so rare. But the world of hearts is so complex. They can't say if Sam's defect was genetic or just a fluke. The only way to tell if it's genetic is if we have another baby with a heart defect. So, the possibility, though small, was there.
I am really grateful that I found peace with this baby after that first ultrasound, and that I have been able to choose to accept that peace. I haven't gone back to that state I was in before and I look forward to holding and meeting this sweet baby. This ultrasound wasn't nearly as nerve wracking as the last because I had peace. So, things look good. He is growing right on track, he is still a boy, and there are 4 beautifully working chambers in his heart.
The kids are still really excited and Allie likes to tell everyone that this baby has a healthy heart. She was at the ultrasound with us and was excited to see his cute face too.
So, that's our news.
I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. I am thankful for so many things. We are blessed.