O Silent Night | Nursery Tour

Tonight feels a little like Christmas Eve as it's the night before NW's due date. I doubt he will actually arrive tomorrow, but the possibility still lingers. Each night from here on out will hold some of that same Yuletide magical anticipation, falling asleep with childlike excitement for a celebration ahead! And while there's no cozy armchair by a spruced up tree or halls decked in red, green, and white, I happily find myself in a rocking chair in a nursery trimmed in grey, white, brown, and blue. Visions of diapers and onesies dance in my head : ) Just as Mary and Joseph welcomed baby Jesus on that first Christmas, we'll be welcoming our own little son soon enough!

DIY "PLAY" screen print poster from SLU Block Party

Curtains and paintings originally from Target, purchased at Goodwill.

Rocking chair from Offer Up, lamp from friend.

Dresser purchased from old neighbors

Rug from Offer Up. Borrowed mini crib from friends.

Side table from old neighbors with DIY fabric added.

Family heirloom dresser. Prints from She Reads Truth.  

Trading Christmas carols for lullabies,

SJW

Just the Two of Us

This Sunday, Mr. Fleece and I drove an hour east to Snoqualmie and took in the early morning sights of Gold Creek Pond. Recommended by a friend, we decided to walk the paved one mile hike around the pond for ourselves. Great for wheelchairs, non-hikers, strollers, and women almost 40 weeks pregnant :) the views you get are well worth the drive. We took two laps and spent some time making Ebony run back and forth in a grassy field.

While I love the urban feel (and convenience!) of Greenlake - there's nothing like getting out of the house around sunrise and driving toward the mountains. While temperatures were frigid at 29 degrees, in October no less, I loved the peaceful fog rolling across the surface of the water and the salmon swimming about. The feeling of the sun's rays when the beams finally made it over the top of the crest was pretty magical too!

Making it back into the city for our 11am church gathering was just the cherry on top - we felt quite accomplished having already enjoyed so much of the day! From there we walked to lunch in Pike Place Market at a Bolivian restaurant called Copacobana, sitting on the outdoor patio, overlooking the hustle and bustle. 

I love experiencing both the wild and the city all in one day!

Living like locals,

- SJW

The Future | Maternity Photoshoot

It's almost impossible not to ponder and await the future when you're pregnant. That future-focused mindset is somewhat embedded into the whole experience - the constantly approaching due date and growing anticipation of meeting your child. I'm not immune to these natural inclinations. Every night that I fall asleep I wonder will tonight be the night? Is that a contraction or just him kicking and moving around my tiny bladder?  :)

If it wasn't clear before, it's certainly clear now - I do not know the future. I do not know when Norman will arrive. I do not know if there will be complications. I do not know if he'll have hair, or birthmarks, or jaundice, or how much he'll weigh.

Instead, I want to focus on what I do know. 

I know that I'm still pregnant. 

I know that these finals days are a sweet time of excitement and joy. 

I know every full night of sleep is a gift. 

I know Mr. Fleece loves me.

I know we have the support and prayers of many. 

Most importantly, I believe there's a holy personal God who knows and cares for me and is sustaining me through this process and enormous life change. 

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. - Colossians 1:16-17. 

Enjoying the little things as I await this little one,

- SJW

Photo credit: Kate Van Amringe Photography 

Life Wright Now | September 2018

September was a sweet baby-centric month for us - from our babymoon, to in-laws visiting, to parenting classes at the hospital, to interviewing a doula, to securing a pediatrician, to a maternity photo-shoot, to installing the car seat, and baby showers with friends. It's been a month of celebration, preparation, and anticipation! 

Here are some other miscellaneous highlights:

Watching | I've given into my Blake Lively crush and started watching Gossip Girl for the first time. Loving that upper east-side preppy style :)

Eating | I ate out a fair amount this month - tried Mr. Gyros in Ballard, Maslow's in South Lake Union, Esters Enoteca in Fremont, and Djan's in Wallingford for my baby shower. Good food at all of the restaurants, but would definitely recommend Djan's for the chocolate mouse cake alone! 

Reading | Unfortunately, there hasn't been a "I-can't-put-this-down" book in a while and instead I've found myself checking out a bunch of cooking and home decor books from the library. My current reading list includes:

Listening | "Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for Your Eyes" definitely wins song of the month! The lyrics are cute, creative, and clever :) 

It's a little hard to believe we'll step into October tomorrow! I've always thought of October as my birthday month, but this year it's more like BIRTH-day month....eek! NW could come any day now! In the meantime, here's some things I'm looking forward to as we play the waiting game :) 

- Enjoying Free First Friday at Bellevue Art Museum

- Seeing A Thousand Splendid Suns at Seattle Repertory Theatre

- Touring the Amazon Spheres

- Listening to Rupi Kaur at The Paramount

Embracing Fall,

SJW 

Sink or Swim

I love the anticipation of jumping into a body of water. Be it pool, pond, or lake - there's something about those moments right before you leap into the air and submerge underwater - especially if you anticipate it being cold! Growing up in Texas, I equate summer with time at the pool. I thoroughly enjoy laying out - soaking up the sun's rays, reading a great book poolside, and dipping in every now and then to cool off and swim around. So when I thought about planning a last "hurrah" summer weekend getaway for me and Mr. Fleece, a pool felt essential.

We ended up at a quaint Airbnb 15 minutes outside of downtown Bellingham - swimming pool included. Their fabulous garden with "harvest as much as you want" produce was an added perk! Escaping the city for a low-key countryside stay was exactly the retreat I wanted. It reminded me a lot of summer days at my Papa's farm in Missouri, even more so because I spent the weekend phone-free.

We ventured into town each morning, but hunkered down at the Airbnb each afternoon and evening and were in bed by 9:30pm every night. Soaking up all the sleep we can get before baby NW arrives and shakes things up. Having our relationship be just the two of us for 11 year now (six years married), it's going to be quite a wild ride welcoming an infant to our family! Thankful for all the opportunities we've had to vacation, explore, and travel together and excited for what that will look like as a family of three! 

Bellingham Favorites:

Saturday Farmer's Market

Village Books

Brunch @ Old Town Cafe

Woods Coffee & Boulevard Park

"Fish Fryday" @ Boundary Bay Brewery's Beer Garden

Fairhaven Village Fish & Chips (didn't go here this time, but it's so delicious!)

Current Reads:

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp

Gutbliss: A 10-day Plan to Ban Bloat, Flush Toxins, and Dump your Digestive Baggage by Robynne Chutkan (via Mr. Fleece)

By all accounts our "Bellyingham" babymoon weekend was a success - most significantly since I didn't go into labor on "Labor" Day...at least not yet :) 

- SJW

I Do Not Have Abibliophobia

I've been re-exploring the world of children's books, mostly out of curiosity to find new books that weren't around when I was a kid and choose books I want in a family library of our own.

So with library card in hand, over the last few months, I've easily reserved over 60 picture books. I love reading through multiple books in one short sitting - it's quite relaxing. Through this exercise, I've found that I value unique or whimsical illustrations, paired with playful, clever, or educational themes and advanced diction that emphasizes learning, creativity, or imagination. It should favorably answer the one key question "Do I want to pick it up and read it again?"

My hope is to be fairly selective of the books we actually own and continue to use the library as the amazing resource that it is for greater variety and exposure. I am fully aware that children can often be disinterested in reading and go through phrases, but I will never underestimate the importance of reading aloud to a child and introducing them to important topics through literature.

Two of my new favorites are The Loud Book and The Quiet Book, both written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Renata Liwska.

Librarian at heart,

SJW

The Journey of Motherhood

I have watched babies, held babies, sung and read to babies, changed diapers of babies, put babies to sleep, and completed other baby-centric tasks. But I've never birthed a baby, nursed a baby, or most importantly, called a baby mine. In a few months, that will suddenly change! The great switch-over lingers ahead, beyond the horizon, like the first port of call off the cruise ship (yes, nausea & weight gain expected!) of pregnancy.

In Sitka on our Alaskan Cruise (2014)

I've heard the travel tales of other passengers, other parents who have docked and explored the streets of newborn-care and have parenting souvenirs to share. But you just never know how your experience will compare. What will my trip be like? I'll take recommendations of foods to try, places to go, and things to see, but I also want to make my own decisions after reading the guidebooks I've picked out, acknowledging that some of your "must-haves" and "must-dos" may not be essential for me.

One of our most memorable dinners in the San Juan Islands (2016)

I don't want to worry about other people's travel plans (no meds/epidural, hospital/birth center, doula/no-doula, mid-wife/obgyn, breast/formula, cloth diapers/disposables, pacifier/no pacifier, working full time/stay at home). It's helpful to remember that just like people vacation in drastically different ways, people approach childbirth & parenting in different ways too. Some people camp by the river, others ski for two days straight, others visit family in the mid-west, still others stay at a luxury resort. Truth be told, I've done all of these and have fond memories from each. There may be some personal preference toward one choice, but who am I to say that any are better? 

Skiing at Whistler (2018)

Plus, one important factor for every vacation is the weather - something completely outside our control. Similarly, a baby's disposition, demeanor, and DNA play a huge role in indicating their unique needs and level of attention and care. It's the reality of the classic phrase, "every baby's different." What a beautiful and frustrating reality!

Raining in Hawaii (2017)

I don't know yet what kind of mother I'll be - how I'll cope, comfort, or cry alongside my child :) I expect there will be laughter, tears, joy, heartache, pain, discomfort, amazement, and exhaustion. A great mixture of conflicting and confusing emotions. For now, I'm picking out registry provisions, enjoying the views of a larger belly, and experiencing the increasing anticipation before we land!

Windy cruise in the Mediterranean (2017)

Looking forward to meeting our little travel companion, 

SJW