Olivia

Olivia Marie is here! She arrived at the end of August. She weighed eight pounds, four ounces and measured twenty-one inches long. Will and I are absolutely in love with her, and the pup is crazy about her too. It's been such an adventure already and we can't imagine life without her.

I'm going to take a bit of time away from blogging to simply spend time with her. I hope you all have a lovely couple weeks -- and I look forward to seeing you again soon!

Photo by me.

Thinking Pink

Well, our due date came and went last week and our little girl is showing no signs of arriving. I like to think she's comfy and cozy and just taking her time. Of course, we're so excited to meet her and having a hard time waiting!

Maybe because my mind is on the baby, I am drawn to gorgeous shades of pink even more than usual. I love all these paintings by Vancouver artist Zoe Pawlak. She is incredibly versatile but there's something beautiful that connects all her work.

Photos from here. 

Getting Close

Our baby is due in three weeks, and we spent part of the weekend putting some finishing touches on the nursery. I love spending time in this room already! Sunshine filters in through the trees outside, and inside there are so many sweet touches from loved ones. My mom sewed the pink and white crib skirt and bed pillows, and my aunt made a quilt and crocheted a cast of Star Wars characters as a gift to my husband. We're just so excited for what's to come!

Photos by me. 

Sunshine

I just ordered this adorable print series from the Ink Society for the nursery. My mom used to sing this song to me when I was little, and I hope to do the same with our little girl.

I also have my eye on these beautiful prints from the Etsy shop!

Pretty sweet, no?

Photos from here. 

Baby Love

This weekend was lovely, and filled with so many baby celebrations and preparations!

My husband and I had a wonderful time on our babymoon at the spa. We got a couples massage and then swam, read and relaxed outside by the pool. Our suite was luxurious, from the fluffy bed to a whirlpool tub to the fruit salad, chocolate cake and a bottle of chilled non-alcoholic champagne waiting for us. All this pampering came at the perfect time.

On Saturday, my sister threw me a baby shower at our parents' house. She and my mom went all out -- pink flowers, baby photos of Will and me on display, pink champage and fruit punch, cupcakes and frosted cookies in the shape of hearts and baby feet. Both of my grandmas, as well as aunts, cousins, neighbors and my best girlfriends came, and it was amazing being surrounded by such important women in my life. Their love and support has meant so much!

Photos by me. 

Spa Time!

I'm happy to say that my husband and I are headed to a spa for the next two days. It's a little babymoon getaway -- a chance to pause, relax, get a bit pampered and spend some time together. I'm definitely more of a spa person than he is, but hopefully we can both unwind and have a great time. I can't wait!

Photo from here.  

Fun on the Farm

Whew, was this a full weekend! My husband and I had our first baby shower, thrown by my coworkers. Spouses and kids were invited, and the party was held at our favorite brewpub, so the vibe was really fun and relaxed. It was such a nice time! We spent the rest of the weekend working on the nursery and doing tons of projects around the house. But Saturday night, we went to my friend's family's farm, where they were having a cookout and playing outdoor games. When it got dark, we pulled up chairs, told stories, laughed and roasted smores over a bonfire. It was a perfect summer night.

Photos by me. 

A Girl!

My husband and I just went to our first ultrasound -- and found out we're having a girl! We couldn't be more excited. It was amazing to see her little nose and feet and to hear her heartbeat. We are so in love with her already. Now we're thinking about what we'll name her and dreaming about what she'll be like. We're over the moon!

Photo from here. 

Happy News

I'm excited to share that my husband and I are expecting! After the ups and downs of last spring, we couldn't be happier about this pregnancy. I'm just into the second trimester now, and starting to feel less exhausted and queasy, which is wonderful. I've started wearing some maternity clothes, and Will and I have been making plans for the baby's room. It's all really exciting!

Photo by my mom. (Do you like the wallpaper at my grandma's house?)

Weekend Wish

We're heading into a long holiday weekend, with plans to spend time with our families. I'm especially excited to see my nephew. He just turned six months old and I cannot believe how he's changed our lives in such a short amount of time. He's the most incredible little guy -- charming, smart, smiley, curious. He's known as the flirt of his daycare and the only time he seems to get crabby is when he's hungry and his food is taking too long. I pretty much want to spend the entire next three days cuddling and playing with him. Not a bad goal, I think.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Photo by me. 

Sad

I'm sad to share that I've had a miscarriage. My husband and I suspected something was wrong, and a trip to the hospital confirmed that we lost the baby. We're really sad about it, but we're also grateful that if something bad had to happen that it happened now instead of further along the way. I do trust that everything is happening the way it's supposed to, and that this is just a sincerely, thoroughly sad point.

Photo from here. 

An Announcement

My husband and I just found out that I'm pregnant! I still can't quite wrap my mind around this. My emotions keep cycling through feeling happy, then calm, then nervous, then overwhelmed and then happy again. I hope this is normal. But no matter how I'm feeling at any particular moment, I want to be mindful and appreciative through this experience. I'm surely going to turn to my family and friends for advice and support along the way. Actually, I already have. And everyone's been so kind and supportive and excited -- I feel like I'm surrounded with love!

Photo from here.  

An Arrival

This morning my sister gave birth to her first baby, the adorable, perfect, don't-know-how-we-ever-lived-without-him Evan. My heart is so full of love for him and happiness for my sister and her husband. What a truly wonderful day.

Photo by me.