Showered with Love

This weekend was a testament to how blessed we are with great friends. We are fortunate enough to have great friends all over the map and so lucky to have some right in our own neighborhood. Saturday Richard and Dewayne helped Aaron install hardwood floors in our guest room. Needless to say this was a time consuming project. I know how much I love my Saturdays and getting a break from work so to have 2 people donate so much of their precious free time to pitch in and help was just amazing. Aaron now has a new skill and we have lovely, clean floors. Not to mention the value they add to our house. Without their knowledge, we probably would not have gotten around to it on our own. Here are some action shots. Lucky for me I am too large to be anything but in the way at this point so I just cleaned out the fridge and freezer (nesting again).

Then Sunday night Jeff, Julie, Richard, and Dewayne threw us a neighborhood shower which was perfect in every way. The food was incredible - everyone had been cooking all weekend for it. Richard made blue cheese ranch burgers, cheddar bacon burgers, and incredible baked beans with creamy deviled eggs. Julie made her excellent guacamole (seriously good), her mom's potato salad and another one of her oh-so-professional cakes. Aaron was in charge of drinks as usual and made yummy Sunshine Punch with fresh mint, mangos, pineapple and citrus. Cucumber sandwiches and crudite?? Pulleez!! This is my idea of baby shower food! Do these people know us or what?

Aaron modeling his carrier that his mom got us (plus my childhood teddy bear). We love it. Its very modern and comfortable and Aaron has secretly always wanted a pouch. Soon he'll have something to put in one!

Harrison playing with Bourdreaux Butt Paste and a travel size bottle of vodka that he loves to carry around. The butt paste was part of Jeff and Julie's present. We probably need the bottle of vodka as well for those first few crazy weeks with the baby!

Me trying to figure out how Aaron worked the carrier. Richard about choked on his punch when I pulled Teddy Bear out by the ear. Probably what NOT to do. Those parenting classes might not have been as successful as we thought.

Harrison hitting the bottle.

Thanks again guys for everything! We are really touched by your thoughtfulness time and time again. Its so neat for us to think our little one will have such a great family unit so close to home as well as a little play mate!

New David Sedaris Book

In case you didn't know or already have a copy - "Engulfed in Flames", the new David Sedaris book is out! Yea! This was exactly what I needed to give me a break from parenting and baby care books. I am 3/4 of the way through and it is quite amusing although not the same snort-inducing stuff of "Naked" and "Barrel Fever" which is to be expected because there are only so many hilarious things that can happen in a person's life, even in a family like Sedaris'.

For anyone who isn't familiar with the author, he is actually from Raleigh but I accidentally stumbled upon him before we left Oklahoma. In fact, his book "Naked" was on the shelf at my ex-boyfriend's house and I grabbed it to read on a road trip to Colorado with Aaron! (FYI: ex and I had amicably broken up but still were trying to figure out how to share the dog so I was still popping in from time to time). Ex had never read the book. His mom had purchased it because the title "Naked" was tongue and cheek and she thought it decorated HER bathroom in HIS house well (maybe a contributor to the breakup perhaps?)

Anyhoot, I don't know what I expected from the title -maybe porn? Just kidding but the book was so funny that I am sure that Aaron was having second thoughts about his new girlfriend who was crying the ugly cry through tears she was laughing so hard all the way to Colorado. I insisted reading passages to him while he drove. Long story short, we have enjoyed every book of his since and followed his career closely. He is a regular contributor and was discovered on "This American Life" on NPR - great show. I highly recommend getting his books on audio because his voice is half the fun. We even drove to Charlotte to hear him read from his new book years ago.

His sister, Amy Sedaris was on "Strangers with Candy" and "Sex and the City" and wrote "I Like You" which was a very funny recipe and entertaining book that came out last year I think. I'll try to put some YouTube stuff of his on blog soon.

See Sedaris reading on Letterman...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBdymtyXt8Y

Random Picture to Make You Laugh -Pito the Cat

Thought this was funny. Pito is a cat in Asia who walks around with his owner wearing a kitty backpack. When they wait for the bus he sits on his owner's lap using his pack as a cushion. I thought this was hilarious odd behavior until I saw Shiloh in the pics below in other post. Still funny.

Pimp My Stroller

I cannot believe I am posting about our stroller. First, I cannot believe I now OWN a stroller but much more surprised that I am so excited about it. This was a present from my parent's and it is quite possibly the coolest stroller ever. The reason we were interested in it is that it is actually a jogging stroller so it rides like butter and is all-terrain - perfect for those botanical gardens we frequent. See, for all you newbies (like us) you usually have to buy both kinds of strollers but some genius put the two together.

I am so close to swaddling Fitzi up and taking this baby around the block to show it off. I am that proud. It didn't help that our neighbor, Jeff, just got back from Prague and told us we were very European because they were all over the place there. We puffed up even more. What have we become?

I'd like to give a "shout out" to Lindsay for finding this masterpiece and mom and dad for such a cool gift. We hope the baby gets as much out of it as his parents.

The Get-Along Gang

Here are some pictures of our furry friends. Between JoJo and Fitzi - our pups at home, Izzy - our home garden cat, Shiloh - Aaron's nursery cat at Meredith College and Lacy - Aaron's visiting work companion at Meredith, we have quite a menagerie. Funny thing is they all love each other. Take a look.

Okay, Fitzi and JoJo love Lacy but I'm pretty sure she thinks they are overly friendly rodents.

I wish I could have captured the snuggle fest that happened before Shiloh decided to sit like this. She and Fitzi were having a sleepover at our house last weekend when we realized how close they really are. They wrap up in each other's arms and Shiloh licks Fitzi's face and back and Fitzi licks Shiloh's ears inside out. If we were quick enough we'd put it on YouTube. So cute.

Shiloh was actually watching a movie this way for quite a while. If she had on pants, I'm pretty sure her paw would have been in them a la Al Bundy*.

(* have to make fun of myself here. I originally had "Ted Bundy" written down and actually posted it so for those of you who read it and were too polite not to point out that Ted was a serial killer, not a couch potato, thank you).

Catching up

It has been forever since my last post and not because there hasn't been anything going on - that's for sure! I've just been a bad blogger and haven't been taking many pictures either due to fatigue or time going too quickly! In a quick recap of what has been on the agenda here:


1.)Aaron's dad, Mick, came to help us paint the nursery and add to our crown moulding project - the dining room and nursery are done! Yea! Thanks Mick! I hope to post nursery pics soon. He always works very hard when he's here but hopefully he was able to enjoy some good Southern food, plants and Jeep excitement,too. You should never tell people you are handy at anything! They will put you to work, right Mick?



2.)Aaron has had Meredith College graduation which is a very busy time for him. He and his guys work for weeks to make the campus look spectacular so he has been working several weekends and the reward is that the campus looks AMAZING. Here's an idea but doesn't do it justice. It was actually a huge project that you must see in person. Pictured is Lacy, Aaron's work companion.


3.) My parents came in from KY and we had a wonderful time doing the things we all love to do when they visit. Mom likes to do a little shopping around and going to Hays Barton Pharmacy for burgers and a piece of cake. Dad likes any culinary stop and outdoor excursion like Duke gardens and the Farmer's Market. He won't leave without a biscuit and I love taking them to the actual market. They get as big a kick out of the gorgeous produce as I do. You don't even have to buy anything - its just so beautiful. We did buy some stuff for mom to make my favorite childhood meal - pinto beans, fried squash and potatoes with cornbread. Yum. We also pigged out on strawberries that are just ridiculously red and sweet right now. I was terrible about taking pics but Aaron got a couple of gorgeous ones from Duke.

The rest of the weekend was low key - evenings and mornings in the backyard in hammock and chairs with pups, rainy evenings were on the front porch watching it come down which we used to do in Pauls Valley. We all enjoyed the relaxation after what has been a very busy Spring for everyone.

Nursery Inspiration Board

Vintage 50's pull down map
Morrocan rug (in orange)

Blabla sock animals

adorable "Jellycat" lions - supersoft

Steal of a crib similar to high dollar modern crib I loved. This is not the bedding we're using. Unsure of that at this time.

Already purchased antique teak bench


Not too soon to start baby collecting Jonathan Adler pottery like his mom.

Possibly a large plush giraffe or something

The nursery is far from done but we do have some pieces assembled. Here are some inspiration pieces we are using for sure or just using to inspire the look. We'll be using turquoise, green, and orange as most of the color and the vintage pull down map pictured is similar to the one we are using as "art" off of ebay. This has been somewhat of a challenge for me as I am not liking most children's furniture and I promise that there will be some functional pieces in there! We're kind of doing it intuitively by what we like and think our son would like until he has his own opinion. Then bring on the Cheryl Tiegs posters and lava lamps! Just kidding. Keep you posted!

Awwwww!

There is no point to this post other than to make everyone say "Awwww". This was from one of my design blogs that lets people send in pictures of their dogs in their home decor. Not sure if this is even real but who cares? Look at that tummy! I can practically smell the puppy breath. Always liked the chair, too.

With Friends Like These...

Still homebound for voice and have the opportunity to do something I have been wanting to do for a while. The above picture is just a glimpse at the generosity of our friends. In preparation for our arrival, Jeff and Julie were so sweet to lend us a TON of Harrison's baby gear. We are talking Exersaucers, Carseats, Swings, Bouncie Seats, Bathtubs, Car mirrors, Diaper Warmers, Boppie, the list goes on and on. These would have been major purchases for us and this act of kindness will save us about $1000. Not to mention it is definitely the "green" thing to do by recycling this stuff rather than buy it all new again AND we didn't have to put it together! We appreciate it so much!

Not pictured (because I am not about to become a maternity model) are the scads of maternity clothes both Julie and my friend Lindsay have loaned me. Odds are every day I am wearing something of theirs. I've gotten many compliments on how stylish I've been while pregnant and I give all credit to them. Not fun to spend tons of money on temporary clothes. This stuff is so cute I actually look forward to wearing it.

I have also really enjoyed the useful books (Sharon) and pj's (Aime) sent which have been so handy and have spoiled me so much. These things always came about the time I realized I needed to be getting them soon. The books because we know nothing at this point and the pj's because Aaron's boxers were probably never cute on me and certainly aren't with this belly.

Speaking of spoiling, Richard and Dwayne have been making sure my cravings have been met. Dwayne bought me a huge bag of Laffy Taffy (the only candy I really, really like) and Richard made sure that I had met my calcium needs for the day by bringing 3 pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream over when they knew Aaron wasn't home. Don't worry I didn't eat all 3 - we each took one although Aaron was a little concerned when he came home to find 3 empty ice cream containers in the trash.

You guys are so great! It is so touching to have this support and love all around us. Maybe it pays to be the last one to have kids - you get all of the stuff! Love you guys!

Frog in My Throat

Some of you know this by now but I am home because I have NO VOICE!!! AT ALL!!! I've had a bad cold for several days but woke up yesterday to answer the phone and nothing came out. I've never had this happen before. Its very frustrating. If you want to irritate a sales rep to death, take away her voice. I even had to miss a big dinner program I worked really hard on last night. Sigh. This sucks. So if you are feeling bored at work email me. My emails have grown very long the last 24 hours or so because I can't do any other talking during the day.

This is the frog I picture in my throat. He looks annoying and he probably is smoking just to make sure I sound extra croaky.

Evolving Patio

Well, now that the pergola is almost finished, we are trying to get the back patio as comfortable as possible. See, from what I hear, after a baby is born, you become quite a bit more homebound. So we are trying to find ways to maximize our space and create more "destinations" in our home to enjoy. We scored the motherload this weekend!
After the dejection of finding out that outdoor furniture is INSANELY EXPENSIVE at several places or extremely ugly, we went to Target to find that they had successfully knocked off Smith and Hawken in a weather proof set that is ridiculously comfortable for cheap, cheap, cheap. Aaron is building a firepit in the center of the four chairs to prop our feet and make s'mores. We'll move the chimenea when we get that part finished.

Luckily, they had a coordinating hammock or the deal would have been off. This has really added quality to our evenings. The weather has been so nice and we have spent at least 30 minutes each night out here enjoying a fire or just gazing up at the stars. We have barely turned on the television in two weeks. So worth it.

Izzy loves it as well. She's getting older and appreciates a good cushion to nap on.

Operation: Nursery

Now that we know we're having a boy, we were able to start the nursery with a vision. Here we are putting together the dresser and crib. It was actually kind of interesting to see how this stuff is put together. Notice protruding belly.

Aaron finally pitching in. Just kidding. Obviously the bulk of construction falls on him. He's used to it. Hey, I'm busy constructing brain stems and elbows and stuff, right?

Aaron found this antique teak bench out at a cool store downtown. Its small enough to be easy for a child to lay on (we're adding a cushion) but comfortable enough for anyone to sit. We plan to put his stuffed animals on it.

Another view

Shiloh's contribution. This is what an active "Barn Cat" does on the weekend. She thinks this bouncer seat from Jeff and Julie was made for her.

Will post more finished pics of nursery later. Definitely a work in progress.

Happy Easter!

PEEP SHOW

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Work has been crazy and we have been trying to prepare some stuff around the house with any spare time. Just wanted to wish everyone a HAPPY EASTER! Will post more soon!

Also, I had to post this adorable picture from back when we surprised our neighbors with the baby's gender. Julie was sweet enough to use her mad baking skills to make 2 cakes - one for a girl (love the peeps!) and one for a boy ( M&M's with nuts, get it?). She knew they'd both get eaten! You should see the cake she made for Harrison's first birthday!

Boy or Girl?

Hard to tell from this shot what the gender is. All you can tell is that this is one attractive baby! Ha! Baby Schettler actually made everyone work very hard not only to detect gender but also get any measurements. Thank goodness for a persistent doctor! It was in the very last minutes of the 30 + minute ultrasound that we saw signs of our baby's gender.......

Clear enough for you? For those who have not had much experience with these pics - imagine the baby is sitting on a piece of glass and you are seeing it from the rear view. For those who don't want to work that hard.....IT'S A BOY!!!

It was very cool finding out the sex of the baby at this point. After you find out your pregnant, there really isn't much else to do besides wait so it was fun to look forward to this moment. We were able to "marinate" in it all day - what a unique experience to have someone assign a gender to you to raise! No matter what they say it takes your breath away momentarily! Now we can have a playmate for Harrison and Jake!

Portland..Plant Paradise & Adventures of Aaron

Ahh, what an awesome trip! Me and the boys- magnolia mccracken and grandpa john, recently returned from a fast and furious nursery and garden trip to the northwest. Using Portland as our home base we ventured far and wide to collect plants and grafting wood to propagate back in NC.

Mccracken and me taking in the horticultural hotties at the nursery

French Canadian misty mountains, magnolias, and maples

Flowers on fresh snow

Witchazel's frenzied flowers

A gathering of Portland's professional plantsmen after many margaritas

Chinatown and an authentic china garden. Fabulous foo dogs for you know who-a favorite of Stacey's.. I'm always on the lookout for shiny asian ornaments for my darling daisy.

Artistic asian elephants and amazingly detailed designs. We found this amazing full size bronze sculpture of mamma and mini elephant in one of Portland's chinatown parks.

After browsing books in Powell's-largest independent bookstore in the world!! We found ourselves feasting on dim sum for dinner- a revolving asian buffet on wheels.. wantons, dumplings, black pepper calamari and much much more. If ever you get a chance, try a sesame seed ball for dessert. These are like semi sweet filled doughnut holes that have been rolled in sesame seeds.. Yum!!

Mccracken and grandpa john packing our bags..

Oops! Is that one of Stacey's bags bulged out with our northwestern budwood? To my credit, I lined her luggage with plastic and made sure to shake all.. or at least most of the seeds from the front pocket. Better keep those bags handy as mr. magnolia and I are plotting another Portland trip in the fast approaching future. This time to scout out nurseries, accomodations, and gardens for the Magnolia Society meeting in May of 2009. Any takers??

I've Been Tagged!!

My friend, Erin, tagged me. I'll take a moment to explain this some readers (since my mom is still perplexed that she is not getting emailed about the blog posts instead of just checking it when she has time or is interested - or is bored at work like everyone else). Occasionally another blogger can "tag" you and you have to tell everyone five things about yourself that no one knows. It usually doesn't result in anything earth shattering, just funny stuff. So here goes!

1.) I once was a man. Just kidding. Erin, we have this one in common - I HATE to be hot. I'd like to hibernate in the summer. I ALWAYS sleep with a fan no matter what (many of you know this). My boss jokes that he would prefer not working with me June-September because I just gripe about how hot the car gets when we are on a sales call and take time-consuming efforts to keep this from happening like using the folding car shade, unrolling windows just so, etc. Yes, I will be hugely pregnant in July. Stop laughing. I planned it so I can stay inside the rest of July, Aug, September.

2.)I clean the living room every night before going to bed because it is the first room I see when I come downstairs and it ruins my chi to see it look like we've been robbed.

3.) Aside from my husband I think Sam Elliott is the sexiest man alive. I know he's, like, 60 or so but its true. Part of it is his voice: "Beef. Its what's for dinner". Ahhhhh.

4.) My favorite movie since I was old enough to watch them is "Urban Cowboy". This movie certainly won't win any awards for anything but bad, bad costume design but my parents can attest to me doing impersonations of Sissy when I was 5. Mortifying. (Things are starting to come clear between #3 and #4. I have definitely been influenced by my dad's penchant for westerns).

5.) I hate shopping malls and department stores. I actually only shop when I physically can't go another day without that particular article I need. The only time I enjoy it is when I am in a very cool city with things I have never seen before - one of a kind shops, truly unique home decor shops, etc. I also get annoyed when I have to spend money on shoes and jeans. You have to have both and they are expensive to get good ones. Just not rewarding to me. Good thing I don't see the same people at work everyday so I can repeat outfits a lot.