Baby Fawn

Love at first sight.

Welcome To The World

She is here & she is gorgeous.

Gretchen Fawn ♥
Born at home on January 29th, 2009 at 9.29pm.
9lbs 6oz, 51cm & absolutely mesmerizing.

I promise to post her story & some photos soon. Much love.

My Love For Snow

I am so happy that it snowed today.


Taken January 28th, 2009.


Taken January 18th, 2009.

Good Morning

I woke up this morning to a note on our door today that said our water will be shut off for repairs on the 29th at 9am for the entire day. I spoke with the superintendent & she said she probably can't change the day.

Great.

Cross your fingers that I don't go into labour tonight/tomorrow & have to go to the hospital for such a silly reason.

Edit: It looks as though they might be able to have our water off just for 1/2 hour & then it could be back on for the rest of the day. Hopefully this works out. Hopefully the superintendent also stops talking to me in the hallway of the building while smoking & coughing in my face. That would be lovely.

Stretched, Swept & Waiting

Oh yes, I'm still pregnant.

My midwife did a stretch & sweep this afternoon and I'm now almost 2cm dilated. I've had some cramping & I've also lost a little of my plug.

If the little one isn't born by Friday then I'll have a non-stress test up at the hospital, and another membrane sweep done next Wednesday. Cross your fingers that I get to cancel both of those appointments.

I'm still feeling really good & am having contractions, so at least my body is practicing. Take care friends & hopefully I'll have some good news soon.

ps. The sweep wasn't nearly as painful as I'd been warned. Uncomfortable, yes, but not excruciating. It also made me feel like I might accidentally pee on my midwife since my bladder was being squashed from all directions.

Forty Weeks & Three Days

I realize my belly isn't really changing much these days, but I keep taking photos so that someday I'll be able to show them to my daughter and say, "look, this was the day before you were born."

In Case You Were Wondering

Despite her tardiness, I'm actually staying pretty positive. Tomorrow afternoon we have a midwife appointment & I promise to let you all know how that goes. I'm hoping she'll offer me a stretch & sweep (and yes, I understand the lovely feeling that goes along with that).

I just keep reminding myself, over & over that I can't stay pregnant forever! Within the next week & a 1/2 she will be born & we will all be fabulous.

Peace.

She's Still Rather Cozy In There

Still pregnant, of course & despite my discomfort, today has been rather productive. At 10am I went with my Gramma to do some last minute shopping & on the way we dropped my poor sick boy off at Emerg (we don't have a family doctor) where he was diagnosed with Bronchitis (as I'd predicted). Thankfully, he now has some antibiotics & the next four days off of work to rest & get better. I'm also so relieved that I don't have what he has -- his throat hasn't been sore at all, and that is basically my only symptom. Today my throat is a little raw & I have a ticklish little cough -- all completely manageable. The less manageable part is all of the aching that I feel from my little one being so far down in my pelvis, yet seemingly so far from making her debut.

Like mother, like daughter -- she's already showing her stubborn streak.

While the boy was in Emerg I shopped around for some last minute baby items (like a bathing support for the bathtub/sink, some washable nursing pads, more receiving blankets, more washcloths & a sweet little sheet for her bassinet -- brown with little polka dots). I think that I am finally happy with everything I have & the manic nesting can stop.

Hopefully.

I have decided that today should be my last day of productivity (of errand running & shopping, that is). I think that from now on I need to stay relaxed & calm with a cup of tea in my hands at every moment. I will still clean my house as my OCD tendencies will lead me to do, but really, I find that a little soothing in its own right.

I can hardly believe it's almost 5pm already. Where did my sleepy Sunday go? Perhaps I'll enjoy some more raspberry leaf tea & bask in the remaining hours of the weekend. I hope you can all do the same.

Bye for now.

A Few Of My Favourite Things

Details.

Forty Weeks & One Day

According to the lunar calendar my due date is tomorrow. Let's hope the moon is right.

Sleep tight, mes amis.

Still Pregnant

Oh, yes. Hello forty weeks & one day! I was hoping I wouldn't reach this day without a baby in my arms, but apparently she didn't get the memo. At this point I'm not too worried about her being late since she is showing some signs of getting ready. I'm a little dilated (only about 1cm) & she's way down in my pelvis (so much so that walking is difficult because of all the pressure). I suppose that for now, it's just up to me to stay patient & rested.

Unfourtunately, we have a bit of a sickness happening over here (ick). The boy has been coughing, aching & feverish for a couple days & my throat is rather sore. Fantastic timing, right? Hopefully a few days of rest with lots of vitamin c & fluids will get us back to feeling normal. I can't imagine being sick while in labour, so please cross your fingers for us.

I am really hoping that she'll come out this weekend, but if she decides she's much too comfortable on the inside I have a midwife appointment on Tuesday where we'll be discussing my past-due options. Thankfully I'll be able to try everything natural before anyone will suggest a medical induction at a hospital. I won't even bother worrying about that yet.

Thank you to everyone for being so supportive (these past couple days, especially). You're all so sweet sending me little messages & well wishes!

Hopefully I'll be reporting the good news soon. Until then, have a stellar Saturday, everyone. It's time for me to find some tea, toast, blankets & maybe a nice book to cozy up with.

Fawned Friday

Hello Friday Fawners! I hope you enjoy a few of the things I've been oohing & ahhing after this week.

01. This is basically my mantra.
02. I am a sucker for all things tea related. These sweet little buttons are no exception.
03. This little nom nommer is bound to make you smile.
04. I would love to snuggle into this beautifully knitted owl sweater.
05. I've been swooning over this photographer.
06. Delight in the beauty & simplicity of the typewriter.
07. Tea love!
08. Let the sunshine in.


Image source.

09. Pretty dear print.
10. Count the days with a human calendar.

What are you fawned of today?

Forty Weeks

Thirty Nine Weeks & Six Days

Uno

Another Little Peek

We're down to the wire & I thought I'd share another glimpse into her soon to be sanctuary (which actually won't be used much while she's camped up with the boy & I, but you get the idea).



The curtains are up! The glider's in position! The clothes are washed & sorted (and hanging in an achingly cute little row)! I can't stop touching her little outfits, rearranging them & sorting them. It's like some crazed addiction.



This is a very small sampling of the little lady's wardrobe (which is amazing seeing how I have only actually only purchased one onesie & one hoodie for her). Thanks to the generosity of friends & family, she's going to be an incredibly well dressed little girl. I have sorted out & washed the smaller sizes (newborn, 0-3 & 3 months) to prepare us for the first few months, while the rest of her vast collection (sizes 3-6 months to 24 months) waits patiently in storage totes.

She absolutely has more clothing than I do -- which will be fabulous for diverting attention away from the post pregnancy bod that I'll be hauling around for a few months until things start to look the way they used to.

But I digress.

Her room is looking fabulous & I can't wait to sit in the glider with her, snuggling for hours.

Soon, little one. Very soon.

Eins, Zwei

A Day In The Life Of A Happy, Happy Boston

The dog is usually the last one up in the morning. He will often stay in bed for a while, snuggled under our covers, after my partner & I have both gotten up. This morning I pulled the blankets off of him to be greeted with a sound which can only be described as the sighing of an old man.

After going outside for a little walk, Winston chose to spend his morning chasing the sun across the kitchen floor. He started near the bedroom door & followed the patches of sunlight til they were hiding near the kitchen table.



I left his sweater on after his morning outing because he just seemed so cozy (& I think that he looks rather dapper in red).

When the sun was no longer situated in convenient patches on the floor, Winston perched in the window of whatever room I happen to be in. He likes to be near me & is always curious about what I'm doing. Right now he is watching me type, as he sits in the window of the office on a little red blanket, behind the purple curtains that I put up the other day.

Soon my partner will be home & the peace will be shattered for a moment while Winston launches a full scale invasion at the front door, armed with a licking tongue, happy barks & an excited jumping frenzy will ensue. Most of this insanity is my fault since I will admit to telling Winston that "daddy's coming home" so that he listens for the door to open. However, I really do think that my boy enjoys the welcoming party when he gets home from work.

Wouldn't you?

Un, Deux, Trois

Today Is A Beautiful Day

Today I can officially say that my daughter will be born into a better world. We may not be American, but living just to the north is close enough to feel it.

Happy January 20th.

Edit: His speech gave me chills. Today is an incredible day.

One, Two, Three, Four

A Few Of My Favourite Things

Details.

Snowy Sundays

Have a happy, snowy Sunday, mes amis.

Love You More Than Blank

I hope that most of you have probably had a chance to check out the I Love You More Than Blank project by now. It's such a sweet idea & I couldn't help but send in my statement.



Can you guess which one is mine?

Thirty Nine Weeks

More Mailbox Love

A huge thank you to Ann Douglas for sending me two of her fantastic books -- The Mother of All Pregnancy Books & The Mother of All Baby Books.

Ann & I happen to live in the same fabulous little city & when she found out that I had a little one on the way, she sent me these two books, with sweet little messages inside their covers.

My favourite part about Ann's books is that they are Canadian! Most of the parenting books that I've been perusing are American & though they are perfectly reputable, I can't help but feel a little left out. I love that Ann's books include information about things like the Canadian Child Tax Benefit, and other useful Canadian statistics.

Thank you so much, Ann!

Now it's time for me to snuggle down on my purple couch with some raspberry leaf tea & the chapter about labour.

Fawned Friday

Welcome to the 2nd installment of Fawned Friday. I hope you enjoy & are inspired!

01. I love this idea -- an inversed map of the world.
02. I am so excited about Heather's new book!
03. Having lots of fun making fake tilt-shifts with this site.



04. Adorable & affordable handmade babyware.
05. I adore these little apples & want to make a whole collection of them.
06. This print keeps popping up all over & I've fallen for it. So sweet, so simple.
07. Boston Terrier paper dolls? I'm smitten!
08. The history of the internet -- informative & visually stimulating!
09. My favourite 3191 compilation to date. These two photos simply melt into one another.
10. I should definitely make one of these for our kitties.
11. Spread the love & show your friends some appreciation.
12. These most definitely belong in my kitchen.
13. A pretty print for coffee lovers.


Image by Sandra Juto.

14. I am very much smitten with this office.
15. This is the most fabulous little puzzle I've come across. I really hope that I can find it in Canada somewhere. I'm also digging this from the same site.
16. Say with with a bean.
17. This is such a neat baby book idea. I could keep up with something like this.
18. Much love for this sleepy pup.
19. Anatomical heart cards. Fabulous.
20. No bike lane? No problem.

What are you fawned of today?

Merci, Merci

A pretty package came in the mail for me this afternoon.




Balms galore!

The woman who sent me this present is Margi, a fellow Canadian & the mastermind behind Between Loads of Laundry & Loads of Recipes. She is one of the incredibly kind people who I have come into contact with through blogging.

Thank you so much for the thoughtful present, Margi!

Wow. I am amazed every single day at the kind & generous people who I have "met" through blogging these past six months. Even though the internet is this huge unfathomable thing, so much kindness has come my way via the blogosphere (a word which still makes me giggle a little every time).

So, that being said, I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you! to my readers. Without you I'd be simply be blathering to the void, day in & day out. You all make So Fawned such a positive thing for me & I wish I could invite you all over for tea.

Ah, alright, I have to stop before a tear up again! Damn these pregnancy hormones.

Thank you all so much & have a fabulous Thursday evening.

Sigmund The Circle Cat

Last night I made a little circle cat. He is fleecy & fits in the palm of my hand.


Hello, Sigmund.

I think he'll made a lovely, tactile little toy for our daughter to drool on someday. For now he is in the hallway, sitting atop one of the thermostats.

The Waiting Game Continues

This afternoon we had another midwife appointment & once again, all is well & good. The little one is still head down, deep in my pelvis & I've been having lots of contractions.

It's all a matter of trying to be patient at this point.

During the appointment we also discussed ways to prepare my body for labour -- things like drinking raspberry leaf tea (which I love & have been drinking for a couple weeks now) and taking evening primrose capsules (which are going on the shopping list). She also mentioned we could try having intercourse & that the female orgasm can be very helpful with getting things started because of all that nice oxytocin. I'm starting to think the end of pregnancy is rather nice, considering you get prescriptions for things like tea, flowers & sex.

Just nine days til my due date, mes amis.

When do you think our little one will grace us with her presence?

Colour Love

Remember those plain & boring doors from when we first moved into our new apartment? Well, thanks to two of my lovely friends, they are now a fabulous espresso brown.

I love how much warmer the hallway feels.


Kitten also approves.

We have plans to paint more of the apartment in the future, but not until the little one is out & a little older. Then the colours shall take over. Little by little, we are making this apartment our home.

Into The Woods

Yesterday I went to my 2nd art class out in the woods. We discussed our current project, welcomed a newcomer to the class & did some studio work. I got to spend some quality time with paints & pastels.

The project we're working on right now has to do with the concept of freeing. It has been very enjoyable so far & I can't wait to keep working on my sketchbook before the next class.

Another fabulous thing about this class is that it's a completely baby friendly environment. Next month, as long as my body feels up to it, I'll be attending class with my little one snuggled close in her Cuddlywrap. It's so nice to have such a great group of supportive women to work with this year. Our classes are just once a month, but once the baby is born I'm sure that's all I'll be able to handle.

As per usual, after class comes tea time. My very favourite sort of time.


Our instructor has the most fabulous collection of teacups imaginable. This orange piece is stunning.




Sinfully delicious little squares. Any recipe that combines oatmeal, chocolate & shortbread is a winner in my books.

I'm very excited to see what everyone takes from this class. The other women in the group are so full of talent & I know that there is going to be a lot of incredible things happening.

I hope you're all having a lovely, creative Tuesday evening. Much love & take care.

Silhouettes In The Window

The furry ones always manage to find the warmest spot in the house.

Underneath the window in the living room there is a baseboard heater. This keeps the window sill incredibly warm. A little while ago we noticed that the pets enjoyed hanging out on this toasty perch, so I put a little blanket on the sill for them to cozy up on.

Sometimes two of them (in this case Kitten & Winston) like to sit up there together.

Sleep well, friends. Tomorrow is my second art class & I need to get to sleep since the girls & I are all meeting up for an early breakfast before we head out into the woods. Guten nacht.

A Fabulous Way To Start The Weekend

This morning (well, afternoon I suppose, since it was just past twelve) I made a dozen oatmeal chocolate chip muffins.

I wish I could say they were from scratch, but even if they weren't, they were still made with love! I've already had two (the boy ate the 3rd) & I'm thinking about going back for another.




A friend bought me this set of melamine deer plates for my birthday a couple years ago.





It's so nice to have a weekend where neither of us has any plans, the boy doesn't have to go to work & we've both been lounging in our comfy pants all day! Ahh, yes. It's the perfect time to take pleasure in days like this.

What do you all have planned for this weekend?

Thirty Eight Weeks & One Day

A Little Preview

Today I am thirty eight weeks pregnant. Everything is happening so fast and I can't believe there are only two weeks until my due date. Incredible.

We are all ready for her arrival -- her room is 90% finished (just waiting on some furniture), I've gathered all we need for the home birth & I am 110% ready to take on the world.

Last night I was arranging a few thing in her room & thought that I would share my favourite little corner with you.



01. My favourite photo of my partner & I. I think it's kind of nice to have a picture of her parents in the room -- it's very much a feel the love sort of thing.
02. A very small acrylic painting that I did in my third year of university.
03. A gorgeous print from Double Parlour (a gift from my dear friend, Iris).
04. Take one ornate gold frame, add one 8x10 piece of pretty fabric and you get a simple piece of textile art that takes about fourteen seconds to create & display. I have more of that fabric, but I haven't decided what else to use it for -- any ideas?
05. I have taken all of my newborn sized clothing out to be washed before her arrival. Don't worry -- I have a ton more 3 & 3 to 6 month clothing just in case she isn't so small.
06. My little moses basket is sitting on the change table.
07. Her book collection is already growing & full of wonderment.


A little closeup of the textile art. I'm so very much in love with this fabric.

Have a fabulous evening everyone.

Just fourteen more days!