Annabelle Tenora, Warm, Cozy, Not Quite Ready for Non-Amniotic World

Crib and glider, complete with gliding ottoman with
nursing step.  

We are officially t-minus 14 days until the due date.  Considering that is "calculated" from a best guess based on a hunch, it could be any day now.  Laura was dilated to 3cm on the 20th and keeps having "cramps" occasionally, especially at night.  We are keeping up the calm environment at home like we always do and making sure we both get plenty of rest for the inevitable, adorable visitor.  Last night I made over a gallon of our new favorite homemade pasta sauce.  Most of it is now residing in our freezer, for future sleep-deprived consumption.

We we vigorously working on the nursery a couple months ago and got the room to about 95% just in case our creation decided to drop in early.  Over the last few weeks we have been completing the final 5% of detail items.  These have been the small but important items like placement of the wet bag, strategic shelving, and organizing of all drawers, shelves and closet space.  Laura has all the clothes hung on tiny hangers, separated by size and labeled just so.  I'm surprised they aren't color-coded to be honest! :-)

Changing Table, Lofted Books and a Bouncer (the kind
without a tight black t-shirt)

Take a very good look at the changing area, this is as organized and clean as it will ever be!  Laura has (of course) sorted and stored all the necessary changing equipment in bins at arms reach.  We will be cloth diapering as well, so that adds a little fun and eco-sense into the whole diapering endeavor.  Right now we have 12 newborn cloth diapers and a few dozen reusable wipes.  Spray extra off into where is normally goes, rinse, wash and repeat.  Nothing to it...  Right...  No gagging involved, I'm sure...

We are committed though, despite all the crazy looks and the not so optimistic comments when we respond to the "Huggies or Pampers?" questions.

The books shelved above are mostly Suess, but there are more on the way via Amazon.  Some Eric Carle, some other board books, but at my behest there is a comprehensive book of American Poetry that I will be supplementing in for Sneeches and Oliphants as well.  You can only have so much "Good Night Moon" before two paths need to diverge in a yellow wood, or it should be many and many year ago in a kingdom by the sea.

Our baby book, selected by the lovely Laura, arrived via post the other day.  We began filling it out the other night.  The questions were relatively easy until it asked Laura what her favorite fashion trend was and what my favorite sports team was...

Since Laura's answer might have been "sweat pants" and mine would have been just as relevant to ask me about my favorite Russian Cosmonaut, we both crossed those off and hand wrote "Music" above them.  Then when we both felt awkward writing "Tears for Fears" in the blank space despite it so desperately wanting, we just provided our stalwart answers that daren't embarrass us years down the road. I "Beatles, Modest Mouse, and Death Cab for Cutie;" She "Ani Difranco,    ."  I believe the space left in the line represents all the bands, singers and songwriters she'd rather not divulge or have a written record of having listened to.  In my mind, this space might have been filled with New Kids on the Block, 98 degrees or Michael Buble.  But in reality there is just a space that begs for more.  In her defense she shares my love of Jeff Buckley, Ben Folds and Beck, and that speaks volumes to her good taste.  Just one simple man's opinion though.

Looking forward, and knowing our shared love of camping, sleeping bags and long, drawn out adventures, but contrasted with our detest for hot, humid environments there is no telling what a poignant experience our little half-and-half is having in utero.  Decisions and determination aside, she will be with us in-arms sooner than later and we are prepared and ready as we will ever be.  We have sponged up all the information that is reasonable for a diverse amount of resources and now yearn to put it into practice.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Thanks for reading,

Nathan (and Laura)

All Things That Grow

Hello and welcome,

I was recently thinking that we have been posting mostly about our little one on the way, and thought that it wasn't a representative cross-section of our lives right now.  Although sometimes it seems that we are consumed with getting ready for the baby, we are still keeping up other hobbies and other things we enjoy.   

It seems that a lot of our hobbies relate to nature and tending to things that grow. To the right is a picture of the second flower of the season off of our bird of paradise.  We had this plant in the natural soil in the ground for almost two years without a single flower.  About four months ago I grew impatient and finally dug up the plant and potted it in some real soil.  For those non-Floridians, Florida soil is about 1" of top soil (at best) and the rest is sand or sandy loam.  Not very good conditions for anything except palm trees. Good soil yields good flowers. :-)

For those that haven't been to the house, above is the top portion of our pond system.  Since Koi are basically pigs with fins, you can't keep any plants out in the open with them or they will eat them.  But it's important for the water quality, oxygen levels and the over all micro-ecosystem that you heavily involve plants.  Our solution was to have two separate sections, one with plants (the upper section) and one with the Koi (the lower section).  So our water is pumped into a small waterfall at the back of the upper section and cascades into the the lower Koi section.

Shown above is our little aquatic swine.  Their feeding rates are determined by the temperature, so in the summer in Florida they can eat 5 times a day! This section was a bear to building because I built it with straight walls.  Long story short I built a heavy duty wood frame and had to lug it into the hole before lining it. Pain to do, glad I did it, ecstatic I don't have to do it again.

Gardens of all sorts

About a month ago we decided to start an herb and vegetable garden.  I was planning on a building a window box type garden and fasten it to the fence post for the herbs.  We have had great luck growing tomato plants upside down in the past, and Laura had the great idea to grow herbs on top and tomatoes on the bottom.  I altered the design and it has been working terrifically.

The cilantro has been slow to start but the basil is out of control (top left).  We have been trimming it regularly but it just keeps pushing through.

The tomatoes are growing out of the bottom, both already have flowers and one even already has a tiny green tomato on it!

We started a traditional vegetable garden in the corner of our yard.  Right now we have two types of squash and peas growing.  The cucumber seeds never made it out of the germination stage.  Oh well, we'll have plenty of squash.

The last is just a recent pet peeve.  I recently just restarted my love affair with avocados.  In the last month or so, I have been eating at least one a day.  I feel so wasteful when I throw out that big, wonderful seed. So as you can see, I am going to grow them into trees.  Not sure what I am going to do with them all, but at least they don't end up in the trash or compost.  Seems so silly to just toss them!  If you have done this before and have tips please post in the comments section.

That being said, if it works and you are reading this, you should probably start looking for a spot where you can plant your 10 avocado trees I am going to give you.

Thats all I have for now.  We did finally finish the nursery to 100%, so look for a post about that in a couple days.

As always thanks for reading and all your support!

 

Go well and be well, 

Nathan (and Laura)

Bump Photos, Named Baby

Welcome!  It's been a while since we last posted.  Rumor is that there are some other things going on in our life. At the end of May we thought it might be prudent to take some more "bump" photos outside of the house, after all we live less than 5 miles from the ocean.  So we hopped into the car and headed down to the beach.  We plan to take some more photos now that she is less than a month away from the due date.  I finally got to sifting through them and doing a little photo editing. You can click on them to see them full size.  The small blog photos don't quite capture it I think.  More to come, hope you enjoy this small batch!

Unless something changes at the birth, we have tentatively named her, :-)

That being said, I changed the poll to the right of the blog.  Feel free to vote on the new one.