I've been up to a lot this summer, and seemingly nothing at all. Back in the spring, I mapped my summer out as follows: read various books on self-discovery and personal development, spend my days on a blanket in the park, find a signature summer wine, work on my green thumb, perfect a fancy hairdo, and knit a supply of hats, scarves, and various other items to sell in the fall. Instead, I spent most of July and August laying on the floor of my living room watching reruns of "The Office", watching my bottles of wine collect dust on the wine-rack, and let all the herbs in my balcony garden go to seed and the tomato plants suffer starvation.
It turns out that, to my surprise, while I was making my summer plans my body was spending the month of June making a tiny blueberry sized baby!!! The perfect little disruption from my selfish, indulgent summer plans!
We are so excited to be making this little gift, and despite one month of despising everything edible and being too EXHAUSTED to do anything other than breath, I feel AMAZING! As I write this I am 14 weeks, or three and a half months pregnant. Yay second trimester!! The little Sea Monkey is about the size of a tomato, and is probably sucking it's thumb right now, the little monkey! Here are some photos from last week:
The Sea Monkey is laying upside-down here, but still managing to give a little "wave", although I think it's actually the umbilical cord.
Here we can see a profile of babe's perfect little face!! AAAWWW!!
Since learning of the little monkey, we've been busy reading about "what to expect", attending midwife appointments, hearing the perfect galloping heartbeat, and dreaming about what little babe will be like. I tried to hold off on knitting anything for baby for as long as I could, but today I just had to make this heart-melting little baby hat:
Couldn't you just melt?! It's made from the softest organic cotton in such nice colours. I am itching to make 100 more adorable tiny hats!
Ok, enough baby talk for now. I have also been into a few other things this summer, including some quality beach time, learning how to dragonboat, and a beautiful August wedding!
Warren's parents bought a beach house in Port Stanley this summer. It's located on Lake Erie on the most beautiful beach. We spent some time there tanning, swimming and enjoying family sillyness! I made sure to grow a nice little pebble collection for a beach-inspired craft that I dreamed up.
The beach also inspired me to make these nautical bracelets for my dragonboat team to wear while we raced:
More summer crafts included some fabric flowers which the bridesmaids wore at my friend's wedding:
I have so many beautiful photos from that wedding... but that will have to wait for another day.
For now, I hope you enjoyed our little news, and looking at some of the crafts I have been working on this summer.
But, alas, I must sign off. Being a baby incubator it tiring and it's late!
Love Always,
Joan Blondins
...to be alone. by yourself. and enjoy your own company without checking 'bbm' to see if your friend read your message (why did they not reply back??), or calling someone up just to fill the silence.
I love this little clip (click here!).
Love Always,
Joan Bloindina
When it's super hot and sticky like it has been this past few weeks, the first instinct I have is to complain. My hair is frizzy. My clothes are sticking to my skin. I can't sleep. The cat's are cranky. But then I remember that I love summer! Here is a small list of the nice little things that means it's summer:
~stained green thumbs from opening pounds of sweet-pea pods
~several shampoos before the campfire smell leaves my hair
~strawbetty-red stained blotches on the wood cutting board
~kids playing at the park on the walk to work
~sand in the car, bugs on the windshield
~sleeping with no covers
~rainbows over the cityscape
~caring for friends and family's cats and gardens in their absense
~flip-flop tan lines
~ signs of life EVERYWHERE
~ a collection of SEASHELLS, STONES, and other TREASURES at the bottom of all my purses
I have to remind myself to appreciate these little things. Once winter arrives I ache in their absence.
Love Always
Joan Blondina
