this one's for you, gretchen (and sean)

i'm not going to think about it, i'm just going to do it.  i'm going to write a blog post a year later, put up some pictures from petey's FIRST birthday party and not worry if it's good enough after such a long hiatus.  things have been happening, babies, moving houses, aaaaand that's enough to keep me from this thing for a year, right?  it is. 

we had pete's first birthday party yesterday (official birthday tomorrow!) and it wasn't the best? first party to go down in history, but our families were here, petey b. was celebrated, and there was cake.  really, really good chocolate cake with butter cream frosting. and sprinkles.  but he had a fever (teething?) and just wasn't really up to much celebrating!  pobre petey. here are some pics.

 the spread.. backlit :/

 poppy & mimi with the kiddos

one!

sprinkles sprinkles everywhere...

 zach channeling pat circa high school...

 his first year in pictures...

 not 100%

 oo, that looks tasty.

must be the 3 sticks of butter in the frosting...

oh, petey b.

better late than never...

introducting peter benjamin stork, born may 7 at 2:58 in the afternoon, weighing in at an enormous 9 pounds 1 ounce, and 20 1/2 inches long.  i successfully VBAC'ed (vaginal birth after cesarean, even though i think the 2 of you reading this know what that is), which is why i say 9 pounds is enormous, or as one good friend put it, just rude.  we mainly call him pete, although petey slips in every once in awhile, because it's unavoidable for me.  also petey b., which i think is adorable.  he is a very good babe, and we're all adjusting pretty normally, i think - mainly indifference from the older brothers, although they're getting more and more interested every day.  here are a few pictures from the beginning of his little life...

 what i loved most about the whole experience was how normal it

all was compared to how the boys were born...

 yeah, i rounded up when i said 9#1.  i can do that, i delivered him.

 sweet pete.

kathy and alex came to visit...

 going home

big brothers.

36 weeks... getting there!

yes, i could have smiled... i'm sorry, the baby has all of my brain power and apparently, it was too hard to take a decent picture and look halfway decent at the same time. better luck next time.  

at this point, the doctor said he isn't going to stop me if i go into labor, so it's all very up in the air.  so much so that a repeat c-section is sounding more and more appealing all the time.  it's very odd, not knowing when.  and the fact that bryan works the craziest hours and it isn't exactly easy for him to leave (or not sleep after a night shift) makes a scheduled event seem like the way to go.  but i can't do it.  for six years, i taught women how to deliver a baby- i should be able to do this myself.  we shall see...

majali illustrations

images courtesy of majalin on etsy

as i've been getting the nursery ready for this little guy, i've realized that i'm putting way more into it than i did with the boys.  i think there are a few reasons for it: pinterest wasn't a thing yet, i was into the "less is more" frame of mind since there would already be two babies around, and apparently i don't have enough to do now.  we've painted it a different color (i say we, i mean bryan + his wonderful mama), got a new crib (we gave one to my sister-in-law, who is due a week before me and liam's chewed his rails down like a beaver) and now i'm filling in with art and a few little extras.  three of those extras are prints from a swedish artist on etsy named maja lindberg.  i fell in love with the middle print, called reflection, awhile ago and thought these would be perfect for the nursery.  her whole shop is filled with sweet illustrations, mostly geared towards children's spaces.  love, love, LOVE.

32 weeks!

(i know, the position of my arm is awkward, but it looked gigantic at my side)

(i know, i have issues)

despite what people think, i still have a little less than a couple of months to go!  on a side note, it's 2012, people.  haven't we learned that it isn't okay to comment on the size of a pregnant belly?!  jeesh...  it really isn't offending me, i promise, i have a good amount of experience with pregnant bellies and don't feel at all like mine is enormous.  it's making the rest of my body feel about 85 years old, but that's just not anything anyone wants to read about.

32 weeks, a wonderfully active baby, two equally active 3 year-olds, and a waddle that would fit me right in with march of the penguins.  life is good.

a baby quilt

ever since my mom and i took a quilting class before christmas, i've been itching to make one for the new little one.  this last weekend, i got a chance to go to a fabric store that i could literally spend hours in.  my mom and i went in while poppy (my dad) walked around the block with the boys.  it was a little overwhelming, but i eventually chose what i wanted.  not finding what i wanted in the way of a pattern, i made one up.  i don't say that lightly, because i'm only halfway through sewing the top, but it's a very simple striped pattern, so i'm hoping there isn't much i can do to mess it up.  because my impatient self will find a way, if there is one.  here's the start of it, we'll see what comes of it...

it's a great picture, i know...

having fun with instagram

i've started trying to take more pictures, and this wonderful app helps me out tremendously, considering i am nowhere near a professional photographer.  i don't even think i'm near an amateur one.  here are a few from the past month or so...

 the plaza at sunset, a rare dinner out with bryan

 cutting out lots and lots of felt circles for a banner to hang in the nursery

(navy/kelly green/white)

the watercolor print for his room

 potty training!

(can you sense the sarcasm in the exclamation point?)

 making it look like we're starting them playing the piano already

another rarity: reading, sharing, sitting so close without combat 

and finally, something evil made its way into our home, hitting finn first

(this is a miracle drug.)