HELLOmynameisHeather

Spilling the Bean

A lot of my family lives nearby. So, when the time came to let everyone in on our baby news, I let my kids concoct a plan for spilling the beans. Charlotte and Elijah discussed their ideas for several days before deciding their scheme.

This was the plan:

Elijah was to make Charlotte a "Big Sister" shirt to wear at the Mother's Day party, after the swimming was done. Very curious. Charlotte was to draw up a mysterious note for Granny announcing our news. The note would distract Granny from noticing the "Big Sister" shirt at first.

Then, when Granny looked up after reading her note, any confusion would be quickly dispelled when she saw Charlotte's shirt. Charlotte, a big sister?

In the end, the reveal went down perfectly as planned. Though I think the giggling may have given away as much as the tee shirt and the creatively-spelled letter did. While Granny was reading, my older brother Matt said, "Hey Charlotte, what's up with your shirt?" It wasn't long before the whole crew caught on. Mystery solved. Like a good episode of Scooby Doo.

Here is Charlotte's note. On the envelope is a picture of Red Riding Hood on her way to Granny's house with an idea to share. Awesome. The note inside translates to, "This is how many people are in my family -- 5. No really. I love you Granny, so much."

Elijah made the purple "Big Sister" shirt by himself. (I had made a similar shirt for him to wear when he met Charlotte in the hospital for the first time. I'll try to track down the photos. He was very proud of that shirt.)

It's a miracle my leather couch is still intact. My mom stopped by the afternoon Elijah was prepping the letters, so he ran upstairs to finish his work without her glimpsing it. Later, I discovered him kneeling in front of the couch, running sharp scissors along the smooth leather cushions to cut out each letter. "Whoa, hey, what's going on up here!?" To his credit, he was properly penitent. I think he said something like, "You're right. What was I thinking?" Or did he argue first? I can't remember.

It was fun to watch these kids hatch out a plan together. I figure they are old enough to remember a lot of this experience -- why not get them involved. A 14-year-old, a 6-year-old, and a newborn. It's going to be an interesting dynamic.

Oh! I have to tell you Elijah's response when we first told him about the baby. This is classic -- especially considering his age and his commensurate understanding of the subject. I asked him how he felt about the news and he replied, "I'm surprised... I'm excited... And I'm a bit alarmed."

Pinch Me

I have big news.  And that news is growing bigger every day -- requiring a wardrobe overhaul every 3 weeks it seems.

I’m having a baby!

A little boy.  And he’s coming in August, so I don’t have much more time for this news to soak in.  Perhaps announcing him to the world will help dispel my disbelief.  Like one big pinch.

I only just told my kids a couple of weeks ago and my family found out on Mother’s Day.  I’ve known for quite a while, but was amused by the idea of everyone else enjoying a rather short wait from May till August.  At least, that’s the simplified version of things -- the version that skips over waiting to see that the pregnancy was going to stick well into the second trimester.

I’ve never had an easy time getting pregnant and I haven’t always had the best of luck in having a pregnancy keep past 14 weeks or so, hence the crazy-big age gaps between my children. (There are 8 years between Elijah and Charlotte, and nearly 7 years between Charlotte and this baby.)

But this guy was a complete surprise -- ergo my disbelief.  In fact, the week I got pregnant was the same week I got rid of all of my baby gear -- all but the girl clothes -- and only because I ran out of time.  So long stroller, so long swing, so long car seats, so long toys, clothes -- everything.  Ah, Murphy’s Law.  Not that there are a whole lot of Elijah’s baby clothes that I’m wishing I had back -- 15 years was a long time ago.

So guess who gets to go shopping!  And soak every step of this up like a thirsty sponge.

Summer Reading

I recently asked for book recommendations on Twitter. Here’s a list of what came through. Of course, who knows what literary taste each of these books reflects, but I’m enjoying the adventure of finding out. If you are looking for a summer read, one of these might suit your fancy -- but read at your own risk. I don’t know anything about these books.

• 19 Minutes by Jody Picoult (several people recommended this, but warned that it’s “heavy”)
• Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler
• The Birth House by Sideshow Ami
• Charlotte Collins by Jennifer Becton (“if you like Jane Austen”)
• Christmas Jars
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
• Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (“anything” by him)
• The Giving Tree (ha! a kid's book)
• The Great Night by Chris Adrian
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
• Mistress of the Art of Death (looks like this is a series)
• Modoc (this is about an elephant!?)
• The Red Tent (several people recommended this one)
• Remarkable Creatures
• Sarah’s Key
• The Tailor’s Daughter
• The Time Traveler’s Wife

And I’ll add Bossypants by Tina Fey to the list.  I’m curious to see what that one is about.  Has anyone read it?

Several of these titles were not available at the library yesterday with multiple holds placed on each of the copies -- a good sign.  The three I ended up taking home for Round 1 were:  Back When We Were Grownups, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Corrections (by Jonathan Franzen). 

Thanks to everyone who sent their picks.  I have to read at night to fall asleep, otherwise, my mind invents all sorts of excuses to stay up!  If you have a suggestion or two to add, please share it.  Maybe tell us a little about it.  Twitter does’t afford space for much explanation, does it?  Here you can cast more than 140 characters in the role.

Signature Styles

I have a bit of catch up to do.  More than a bit.

I made a list of all the blog posts I would have done if I hadn’t lost my Wonder Woman headband last month. (Or is it a tiara?)  It’s quite a list and I’m just not prepared to skip past “Go” and move on with things without spinning out a few re-caps.  There are too many cool things I have missed sharing.

I'll start with Signature Styles.  That's me on the cover of a new book.  Newsworthy, right?   I think so.  In Jenny Doh’s latest title for Lark Crafts, she features 20 creative women and discusses each gal’s personal style as it relates to her work, her wardrobe and more.  Each “stitcher” has designed a project for the book as well.  For example, Megan Hunt includes instructions for an awesome little ruffled flower bracelet and Amy Tangerine shares techniques for "Crafty" tee shirt applique.  It’s a jam-packed read, with lots of eye candy. 

For my part, I designed this quick and kicky wristlet purse.  It’s the ultimate easy-assemble purse pattern for customizing your wardrobe.  With a design so simple to sew, why not prep the perfect purse for every outfit?

I’m really impressed with this book. I’m only about halfway through reading each of the features, but once I’ve devoured it entirely, I’m certain to keep it within easy reach for a quick visual escape.  It was a pleasure to work with Jenny and of course, an honor to be included.

Signature Styles hit bookstores just this last month. If you’re interested in a signed copy, we are stocking a few at our online shop -- for a limited time.

Other women featured in this new book include: Serena Thompson, Meg McElwee, Elsie Flannigan, Rashida Coleman-Hale, Kathy Cano-Murillo (who I just had dinner with last week), Betz White, Meg Allan Cole, Bari J. Ackerman, Erika & Monika Simmons, Kayte Terry, Megan Hunt, Sonya Nimri, Megan Nicolay, Ruth Singer, Sandy Stone, Bonzie & Ger, Teva Durham, and Amy Tangerine.

Feeling oddly curious about the history and significance of Wonder Woman's headband?  Click here. It's amazing what you can learn on the internet.