If I could wrap it up, I would

Our nursery is complete!! I really need to walk away. John says that if I keep decorating, it will turn into a museum. So, I'm DONE! I'm leaving it alone. I have a list of other things that I need to do before baby arrives, and none of them involve setting foot in that room, thank god!

But (a quick note about the room)...I'm so in love with it. John and I worked really hard to create a cozy little nest for our newbie, and we filled the room with meaning and soul. I can't wait to tell him why we chose what we chose for his welcome-to-the-world space.

Since he's not here yet, I'll tell YOU :)
His name is Singer Nash Noel. We call him Singer Nash (and Baby Boy), and the name means music, strength, and family...to us. John and I made the giant Scrabble tiles as a sort of inside joke. We've played so much Scrabble over our five years together, and if we could only find a way to peacefully play...but NO! It is full out WAR when John and I Scrabble. And we love it that way. Hopefully, Singer will get into the game when he's older. Who knows? He may hate Scrabble. But, I can fantasize of family game night, right?

John takes photos of animals. This is one of his favorite things to do when we're out and about. If he sees a critter, he busts out the camera for a photo shoot. It was only appropriate that we included Daddy's Nature Pics in baby's room. The places represented include: Bo and Elizabeth's Texas country home, the Noel family River House, San Diego (home of our dear Barnes family), and the first house we ever lived in together. Oh, and two of the eight photos were taken by yours truly :)

My dear, sweet mama brought her craftiness all the way from Florida. She sewed the curtains, dust ruffle, two pillows, and a changing pad cover all out of the sweetest disco print material you've ever seen!!! And, the white blankie was handmade by her. My mom wants to be called Yaya, which means Grama in Spanish. I love it, and I think Yaya needs a giant gold star.


Have I blogged about how awesome it is to have a really talented painter for a sister? The piece above the toy shelf was one of Nat's still life studies at school, and the portrait of John and I was a wedding gift. We are so blessed by this woman's creativity and expression. Hopefully, Singer will get some of her artistic genes.

Oh, and the peace cranes hanging around the nursery were folded by my Philly friends Kira and Alexis as a shower gift. They represent all the positive energy I hold near in preparation for the birth.

I'm getting really excited, as I'm sure you can see. Motherhood is my greatest adventure thus far, and I can't wait to embark.

What a journey!
--Jess

Getting there!!

We're getting ready to greet our little guy, and I can hardly wait. I'm posting pics of his nursery this week...I'll think we'll be done. But, in the meantime, check out this comfy, cozy, beached sea lion.

Happy 34 weeks!!
--Jess

Philadelphia International Flower Show

We subbed to Center City this morning, and despite the snow falling from the sky outside, inside the Convention Center was SPRING!! The flower show is the largest in the world, and it is truly spectacular. Florists from different companies spanning the globe build these huge exhibits demonstrating their companies' strengths. I'll let the photos do the talking:






What a perfect way to celebrate the coming of spring. I think John and I will make this an annual Philly tradition.

And, to my flora-cultural guru, Shannon: a pic of the display that used buttons to anchor the plants. It reminded me of you :)

Flower power,
Jess

Blessings

My mother-in-law sent us a calendar for Christmas. It has pictures of labs (the dog, not the experiment place) on every month. I've started jotting down things to look forward to, and the calendar serves to remind me of how truly blessed I am. I'm not going to bore you with all the things to come (I'll just blog about them as they happen!!), but I will say that I'm so excited about the upcoming months. Friends, family, art, and adventure galore is arriving...just like the much awaited Spring.

I am feeling so blessed. I took some time today to meditate on how truly thankful I am, and I am reflecting on peace and strength (my themes for this year).

Be blessed! Notice and count them! It's beautiful.
Warmly,
Jess


PS: Almost 32 weeks!!

Valentine's Day (on a budget)

I'm recapping John and my Valentine's Day yesterday to prove that couples can still have a super fun, romantic day during these recession times. I love my husband, he's my best friend, and we don't need to spend a lot of money to celebrate that. We can celebrate our love in thrifty ways :)

--I woke up early to the sound of John showering and shaving (a rarity on the weekends). He smelled delightful all day, and he was smooth-faced. Lovely.

--While I was showering, John went to the Italian bakery down the street and picked up pastries!! So GOOD! I ate way too many, and probably put the baby in a sugar-coma...poor baby.

--Then, we went through all our photo files, and picked out about eight that we're going to frame for the baby's room. The cool thing about this is that we've been together for five years, and we have a lot of memories. It was a lot of fun going through past adventures that we've had together, and it was romantic too!

--We went to John's lab so he could set up and experiment, and he talked me through his process. It was crazy meticulous, and it made me appreciate my husband's brain. Then, we went for a walk around UPENN's medical school. These old buildings make up a sort of maze, and it was fun getting "lost" in the campus.

--Came home, ate leftovers and took a nap while watching the Olympics. Luging = Snoozing (for me anyway).

--I baked John a "Fudge Brownie Cake" after our dinner of soy hotdogs, baked beans, and collards. He loved his Valentine's Day treat, and I was really proud of my new-yet-fabulous baking skills.

This was such a special day for us because we made and effort to spend time together and love on each other. I couldn't have asked for a better V-Day.

Love is all you need....seriously!
--Jess

Record-breaking Blizzard

YIKES!! I am waaayyyy too Southern for this kind of weather. When our friends said, "you guys are going to be cold up there in Philly" I really had no idea how cold it could get. Enjoy the photos that John took. I have to credit him. I sent him out with the camera while I stayed warm with a cup of tea.

Park across the street:
Our street:

The essence of Malcolm captured to a T (he loves the snow!!) :

Still thankful for the unsexy puffer coat,
Jess

Pioneer Days

When I was a kid, I religiously read the "Little House" series. I must have read each book at least three times, and I loved them all equally. Laura Ingalls Wilder describes this simple life of home, family, and childhood, and growing up, I couldn't resist her stories. My sister and I even dressed in calico frocks and bonnets and pretended we were pioneers crossing the plains in a covered wagon, or sweeping the dirt floors of our dug-out. Ahh, memories.

Today, living in Philly and freezing, I've had some domestic opportunities that remind me of Wilder's days. She often wrote about wintertime; when it was so cold outside and you had to stay indoors for months. She wrote about what the family would do to entertain themselves, and how they would spend their time staying warm inside.

I've had a cold for the past week, so I've been REALLY staying inside (avoiding anything that makes me leave our warm home). But, I've enjoyed getting some things done that require a little patience, time, effort, and opportunity. My friends call this "Nesting" and perhaps that is true. Maybe these adventures in domesticity have something to do with my pregnancy hormones. Nevertheless, I'm having fun :)

Mixed berry cobbler...from SCRATCH
Cinnamon streussle cake...FROM SCRATCH!



Baby's closet...

"Going home" hoodie for baby...

And, in case you're wondering where all the baked goods are going...here is a pic of my bump with the only shoes I can actually see when I wear them--Tiger Slippers. They're GRRREAT!

Hahah..John hates those slippers! Can you imagine?!?! I think he's just jealous that he doesn't have a pair.

Few more months...and then comes Spring,
Jess