Sick, but not morning sickness :)

Jeff got the stomach flu last weekend, and now I'm getting over it. The first day is the worst; absolute worst cramps I've had besides labor!! I spent Friday morning in the bathroom or on the floor in the bathroom with Benjamin laughing at silly mom with her moans and antics. Thankfully Jeff could take the day off and keep the little one occupied. After the first day, it's not bad, but neither do you feel great. I'm still not quite over it and thought it might be kind to keep the virus to myself instead of dispersing it among the church folks and the missionaries (we are ending a weeklong missions conference).

So, Jeff took Benjamin to church, all dressed up and adorable, and I'm at home. As a mom you're sometimes wishing you had some time to yourself; just a little bit! Now that I have it, I'm not sure what to do. The quiet sure is nice, though. I'm enjoying the crisp fall weather and the blue, blue sky outside my window with not a cloud in sight.

It was nice to see our friends Will and Alison last night, though I had to stay a respectful distance, crying "Unclean." They came to pick up the books and art that were staying over at our place until they could return from Scotland. It was funny; they ate in their car and we ate in the house. None of us wanted to risk Alison getting the virus, since she's due in another month and a half. Jeff and I were pretty disappointed, because we'd planned for them to spend the weekend here. Maybe another time. :) We're glad to have them back!

I'm off to get some guitar practice in, then get caught up on my Bible readings...

Great Expectations

Well, baby number 2 is on the way. He or she is due in mid-April to early May. Probably early May, considering my track record. The spacing is great; Benjamin will have a playmate close in age. Also, the baby will come near the end of the schoolyear so I won't miss many lessons and will have a good 3 months to enjoy the new one. The downside of the timing is we'll miss my little brother Chuck's wedding in Rhode Island in June.

We're surprised, grateful, Jeff is really excited. I'm...hmm. I'm not even feeling pregnant and definitely not yet on the baby-excitement-bandwagon. But give me time and I'll come around. :) The suspicion had been growing in my mind that, since it took us so long to conceive Benjamin, we might just be a one-child family. I was getting (too) used to having my body (mostly) to myself; starting to get the hang of this motherhood thing a little bit. And we are out of the hard stage with Benjamin. He sleeps through the night, he's much more independent, mobile, interacting with us, learning to do for himself more every day. Now, it's back to square one! Sigh...but yet how wonderful, too.

I told Laura that, this time, I didn't have any hunches about gender. But since we talked I realized that, yes, I do. I think it's going to be a girl. We'll see if I'm right!

God is good, and he definitely answered prayer in this case. I casually asked some dear friends to pray for a sibling for Benjamin. Within days we were expecting. Maybe I'll send some more requests their way, since they have a hotline.

This time around I'm looking forward to prenatals with Amy in Gville. It will be nice to have the same care throughout the pregnancy. And it is nice to have so many unknowns out of the way, and less educating-of-self to do. I like knowing what to expect--at least some of the factors.

And if it is a girl, won't I have fun learning to make sweet little dresses. :)

More Crafty Stuff

I finished another pair of pjs. I embellished them with some bought ribbon and I think they turned out ok.
I made a mistake, though, in making them looser than the other pairs. I was thinking looser would mean more comfy, but I forgot that pants ride up when you're sleeping and then your legs get cold. They work fine for wearing around the house, though. Now I just need a brown shirt that matches.
So when do I find time for sewing...? We sneak into the craft room whenever Benjamin and I need a change of scenery. There are all sorts of fabric scraps, thread and bits of ribbon for him to play with. It's kind of perfect that we can both enjoy ourselves while I'm making stuff.


















Also finished a deep red scarf I've been working at for a while. It's very simple...just rows of half double crochet with fringe on the ends. I made a matching hat but it's a little small. Maybe I'll "frog" it (just learned that new term; it means rip out) and make a couple of red and white Christmasy hats for the pregnancy center.

First Birthday

Benjamin turned one September 23rd. We celebrated on Thursday, though because Tuesdays we get home late. Even so he was pretty sleepy the whole time. :) I made the cake (confession; from a mix) and Jeff and I decorated it. I really do think Jeff is more handy at cakedecorating than I am. He traced the "one" out for me and I filled it in with blue icing.

Yes, I chickened out and didn't let Benjamin "have at it." But I like the messy cake pictures so I smeared a little on his face!

We celebrated his bday early when we were at Jeff's mom's. He got a few new things...some cute clothes and a farm set that makes all kinds of animal sounds. He also got a talking playskool bus from his Omi and some winter clothes from my mom. I'm so excited that he's already ONE and taking off! Every day he learns something new.