Pizza Placemats

I made these placemats for the "Pizza and Movie" basket for the pre-school silent auction. I learned that cable news doesn't have a corner on the "bias" market. I thought bias tape was interchangeable with binding and I could make my own binding for cheaper. By the time I realized the curved corners weren't working too well it was too late. I was working on a deadline so I powered through and they are done, if imperfectly so.

La Familia

Smiling Baby

I definitely answer the phone less now that I have kids. Important things are going on!

Unto us a child is born! Name TBA...

On Saturday Dec 4 (a few days after the Dec 1 guess date) I woke up at 2:03 with contractions. They were close together - mostly 3 minutes apart - and I called the midwife at about 3:45. I don't think I realized how close they were and I should have called an hour earlier. Who knew the baby would come in two and a half hours!

My water broke at 4:20 and pushing began almost immediately - I was afraid I couldn't make it to the birthing pool in the living room (but I did). Joseph called the midwife again and she was just getting off the freeway. The baby was crowning before she got in the house and we completed our first water birth at 4:34 am. He was calm and didn't cry for quite awhile. He was 8 lbs 8 oz of perfection and 21 1/2inches long.



With our midwife Nanci Stanley, Samuel, and baby no-name-yet.






He looks a lot like Luke, but that name is taken.

More fall celebration pictures

We redeemed a free ice cream coupon on Samuel's birthday. He ALWAYS chooses chocolate. Luke and I shared a nutty coconut ice cream.




Jack-o-lantern pancakes (whole wheat of course). Samuel was so enthused he wanted one for every child in his class. I hope the parents weren't too weirded-out to find a pancake in the take-home treat bag.




Spiderweb cookies were fun to make. Last year I scored all kinds of free tube frosting at post-holiday sales and this was my chance to use it.



Samuel's idea of how I should cut out his Halloween costume.







This angle shows the shark fin in the back.

8 months pregnant

I look a little like a pumpkin in the rust-colored shirt, but I am okay with tha because I love my new haircut! I can feel the cool fall air rushing through one ear and right out the other.

Happy Birthday & Halloween in one shot!