just hatched!

Graham Sebastian
April 9, 2009
1:58 p.m.
7 lbs...on the dot!
20 3/4 inches

Look who arrived directly from heaven and just in time for Easter!? Our little love bundle came just hours after I wrote this, and had completely resigned myself to the idea that he might never come. Funny how the old watched pot theory is so completely true. Am wishing I had gone to bed a few hours earlier that night...Because another good night's sleep is probably a year away. But that doesn't seem to matter anymore.

He's here now. It's so surreal.

And today we are home, safe, happy and sound, counting our Easter Blessings. So grateful for our eternal life with Christ, but particularly overwhelmed with joy about this new little creation that has forever changed us...For only the best. Seriously, words escape me.

We were amazingly blessed with a super smooth, uncomplicated, {unmedicated!!!} labor + birth. Graham has a perfect bill of health and is already changing and growing! We can't stop staring, and snuggling, and kissing, and adoring. Jeff has been nothing but non-stop supportive. I never realized how much we would grow together throughout this experience. We are adjusting well and just cherishing every single moment of our little life of three. Seriously, just when you think you know love...

kellie's shower invites

This week I put the finishing touches on the invitations for my friend Kellie's baby shower in May. {Funny, isn't it? I just can't escape all of the baby-on-the-way excitement!!} They were super simple to make: The actual invites are tucked into fun little diapers, folded out of pretty double-sided paper. The safety pins on the front are my favorite. Her baby's gender is a surprise, so am hoping that this fun orange + red + pink color scheme is neutral enough! Can't wait to share pics of the shower itself...

what to do when you are due.

This week baby's due date has officially come and gone. Weird how much you can invest in just one day on the calendar. Everything depends on it. Not that I was foolish enough to think he would actually come on Monday (isn't it true only 5% of babes do arrive on their d-days?)...But I'm finding myself completely ready and anxious and just plain twiddling my thumbs this week.

I had a feeling he'd be late, but I can't help but worry that maybe he just won't come and I'll either 1. stay pregnant forever or 2. wind up getting induced (not in the birth plan!). I didn't think it would be so hard to wait, wait, wait...Especially amid all of the well-meaning calls and emails: "just checking in to see if you happened to have the baby and forgot to call me." Am trying to stay relaxed, positive, and patient.

Sort of ironic that here we are, waiting, after all those little pre-term labor scares a few months ago. But for this big, full-term, healthy baby boy, I am so incredibly thankful. And on the bright side, I had a chance to finish knitting up his little sailboat sweater. God knows the perfect time when baby+my bod will be completely ready for his big debut. And as much as I'm starving to finally hold this little man in my arms, I'm trying to cherish these last few quiet evenings of just me+Jeff. I know we'll look back longingly on these days. Some day. And who knows? Maybe we'll have an Easter baby after all.

best of berkeley

Last Saturday I met up with my friend Becca in Berkeley for a girlfriendly adventure. We spent the afternoon sauntering around in the Elmwood district, enjoying lunch, perfect sunshine, and happened upon a few of the most delightful places on earth:
We stopped in at Ici for dessert. We knew this place was worth checking out, after seeing a line of 15+ people out its door at any given time of day. {What more advertising does a business need!?} And it's true, this place is the real deal indeed. Our short wait in line was beyond worthwhile. Their ever-changing menu offers 11+ different flavors (like burnt caramel, saffron, or meyer's lemon sorbet) by the scoopful every day. And if one of these does not tickle your fancy, they also have the most amazing ice cream sandwiches, bon bons, and bombes in store. Of course everything is handmade with sustainable, local ingredients, and at a surprisingly affordable price. Swoon! If only I could spend the rest of my days inside their cooler. Seriously, when in Berkeley, this place is a must-stop!We also strolled into one of the most enchanting shops you could ever imagine; the Tail of the Yak {photo found here, and more lovely photos here!}. This place is a true feast for the senses. Its owners have collected some of the most unique+beautiful little novelties from every corner of the earth. Ribbons, papers, trinkets, dishes, art, chandeliers, jewelry, you name it. And perhaps the most breathtaking display: The doves. Yes, beautiful white doves, nesting in a 6' wooden cage draped with beautiful satin ribbon. This is the stuff dreams are made of! We were just lost in the magic of it all. I ended up buying 3 of these {antique repro?} German Easter eggs. They look so sweet on my coffee table!

a very good week indeed.

Wow. It's been a really wonderful week around here. So many things were accomplished + enjoyed. It must have had something to do with this gorgeous bouquet gracing my kitchen table. Ranunculus + phlox(?), it just doesn't get more cheerful. Believe it or not, these were leftover centerpieces from a shower I helped throw for someone at church. Amazing the beauties and deals you'll find at Trader Joe's!

And back to the weekly happenings...I think I may have hit nesting mode in full force. I got lost in the grocery store for nearly 2 hours. Stocking up like I was about to hibernate, hoarding everything that was not on the list. I finally snapped out of it when my cart was filled to the brim and I couldn't stuff another single item on the bottom rack either. Guess I was m.i.a. a little too long--I came home to find a frenzied husband, worried sick that I'd gone into labor on the g-store floor...Or something much, much worse.

Once home safe+sound with my industrial supply of groceries, I started cooking. I planned all of our meals this week around recipes that could be easily doubled, easily frozen, and easily consumed in the early days with baby...And double I did. I found the extra cooking to be a great place to invest my surplus energy. That is, until I ran out of freezer space. :(

Next came the cleaning frenzy. I cleaned things I've never cleaned before. Overhauled and organized the closets and kitchen cabinets. I thought I'd be so sore today after scrubbing all of the floors in our apartment on my hands and knees...But impressively, I'm still feeling mostly great. Even Jeff got in on the cleaning spree spirit. Our car has never been so sparkling. It feels sooo good to have a sanitary living space.

In between all of the nesting madness, were fun chances to catch up with friends. Wednesday we had a picnic on the beach, flew a kite, and ate chocolate cupcakes to help celebrate a very special little boy's big 3rd birthday. Jeff snapped a few pics...I'll share when they're edited! I had a chance to catch up with one of my sweet coworkers at a super cool, undiscovered coffee shop in my neighborhood. And I just got back from hanging out in Berkeley for the day with my friend Becca. (More on that to come!)

We even had a date night at our FAVORITE neighborhood restaurant. We were giddy, discussing plans for our little family's distant future and our not-so-distant summer plans. We indulged in our favorite dishes and even managed to save room for their to-die-for Scharffenberger flourless chocolate cake. We gazed lovingly into each other's eyes and enjoyed every single second, knowing that quite possibly this could be our very last date night sans babysitter.

The more I check off the list, the more I'm feeling officially ready for baby cakes. Any day!

jenny + luke wedding inspiration

Jeff's little sister, Jenny is getting married in August! She and her cute bf, Luke, just got engaged a few weeks ago and they're now on the wedding planning fast track! Of course, we are thrilled for them and I am extra excited about all of her gorgeous ideas for the big day...They're planning sweet+simple yellow wedding in rural Wisconsin, packed with thoughtful DIY details and country charm. I've been bookmarking a few pieces of inspiration for her:
I love the simplicity of these invites. The bright yellow envelopes and pretty patterned liners give them just enough punch, but would be fairly simple to design and construct yourself.
A pretty letterpress graphic like this could be imitated with the right rubber stamps and inks.
Talk about ambitious, Jenny and her future mom-in-law are planning to grow most of the flowers themselves this summer! This palette is completely inspiring me. I'm imagining huge+bright blooms of zinnias, dahlias, garden roses, and maybe even a few sunflowers.
Swooning over these yellow centerpieces via Style Me PrettyAnother great idea for a shoestring budget: Use favors as centerpieces. {via Martha}
So what if daffodils aren't in season in August? This DIY daffodil centerpiece via {frolic!} offers a clever tutorial.
Imagining how beautiful their reception will be...Outdoors, in a bright white tent. No lemony yellow summer wedding would be complete without a lemonade bar.
Luminaries would add the perfect touch of romance at dusk: these are simply made from paper bags, one inside another, with ribbons. Via Oh Happy Day

all set!

Finally, as promised...The little nursery is all set! {Or at least the corner of our apartment we'll call the nursery.} Our rocking chair arrived last week and so far we're super satisfied with the splurge. I am extra excited because the amazing Fairlight is going to custom-sew one of her darling Dream pillows for us to finish off the chair. I sent her some leftover fabric pieces {above} for the job. I cannot wait to see the finished product!! And even more, I just can't wait for all of the snuggling that will be happening here soon...
I especially love how the changing table turned out. You just can't top a Craigslist + spray paint job! I can't tell you how many times I've organized and reorganized everything in the little wicker baskets. I know, I'm just crazy...Our little man had better get here soon! And last but not least, Curious George has been more than happy to test drive all of baby's gear:

itty bitty booties+bibs

The baby crafts just keep rolling...How else would this restless mama-in-the-making pass her time? One bright sunshiny day last week, I made this pair of tiny booties and a whole bunch of bibs while hanging out + crafting with my friend Becca. The booties above are made of wool felt, inspired by an adorable project in this book. These dandy little bibs {based on a pattern from this book} were so fun and easy to make! Aren't they yummy? It's almost a shame they'll soon be defiled with baby food. But am hoping that the cute + busy patterned cotton fabrics on the front and soft flannel on the back will make them super easy to wash. I whipped up a few extra batches to have on hand for future baby gifts...

le belly {38.5 weeks!}

Believe it or not, it's truly been 9 whole months and this babe is ready to pop any day now! It's so weird to me that we're coming close to the end and a whole crazy new season is about to begin. Words can't even sum up how I'm feeling: Antsy yet hesitant, anxious yet patient, wonderful yet whale-ish, cranky yet elated, and overall ready yet not. I am so ready to remember how it feels to be un-pregnant...To be able to leap off the couch, ride rollercoasters, un-gain 35 lbs, and maybe even wear my old jeans again. But I think I will very much miss feeling a busy boy inside of me. Wild twists, tiny fingers, hiccups, foot in my ribs and all. I will miss Jeff kissing my face and my belly goodnight. We did one last little preggo photoshoot this week to remember this super special time. I know it's a little freaky to see so much belly around here, so I posted the rest of the pics here, in case you're still interested. ;)

I know I'm about to trade in all of the ups+downs of pregnancy for the most amazing little gift life has to offer...but with its own little set of ups+downs. We are completely giddy about meeting the little mister. Wait, that's an understatement. It's crazy how much a little belly can change your life.

Our apartment is completely rearranged and ready for the most important person in the world to arrive. The rocking chair is here, onesies folded, and swing assembled. We are officially birthing class grads--we wrapped up our final class this week. That's a great thing, because I don't know how many more "sharing" sessions and live birth videos Jeff could take! {Err, now he just has to survive the real deal!} I am 85% packed for the hospital. Just need to throw in my slippers+bathrobe+iPod on our way out the door. I'm feeling surprisingly calm about this whole labor thing (for today anyway). It's natural, my body will know just what to do to get this baby out, and worrying will only make my job way harder. I'm going to be just fine, right? Yet I'm having completely irrational fears about my water breaking in public (gasp!). I know it makes no sense.

I just have an inkling that baby is going to wait at least another week or two to make his debut...But I promise, promise, promise to keep you updated!

i just keep sewing and sewing and sewing...

Confession: I've been a sewing machine addict this week. So many fun projects to do, so many adorable fabrics, so little time before baby comes! But all of this crafting is definitely keeping me sane, thinking delightful+positive thoughts, and getting me even more excited to meet our little one! First up, I made a little fabric banner to decorate the nursery. {Oh, and now that I've given you a little taste, I promise to post more nursery pics next week when our rocker arrives!} I had so much fun with this one, I couldn't even resist making 3 more. :)
A dipes+wipes case to toss in what will inevitably become my very large mom purse. It is the perfect size for a travel-size plastic box of wipes and a few diapers. Isn't this fabric just darling? I want to buy a few more yards! Edit: This fabric is from my favorite local fabric boutique, Peapod Fabrics in SF. You can order it through the owner's web catalog here. {Look for it in the kids section!}And a new travel toiletry bag for moi; pattern from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. {This is the part where I learned how to sew in a basic zipper...Easier than I thought!} Started packing for the hospital this week and this is the perfect place to stuff all of my extra essentials!
And last but not least, my fav: A sweet little kimono top for baby! {Pattern also from Weekend Sewing.} This will be perfect for the first week when he still has his little umbilical cord! Look close--the fabric is full of Mother Goose characters. Then again, don't look too close: that bias tape was tricky. Willie-nillie seams or not, I will still cherish his first little shirt!