24 weeks | nursery time

I think one of my greatest coping strategies to get through pregnancy, is to focus my energy and attention on the positive and exciting versus dwell on all of my own personal discomforts. This week I had a super fun time starting to think about the nursery. I always thought I would have two boys, so I never gave much thought to what a girls room would look like. I spent a lot of time thinking about femininity, play, color... and ultimately my inner girliness lead me to thoughts of romanticism: paris, the 20s, boudoirs, feathers and velvet, sensuality, tactility, love. The trick will be to modernize this into am age appropriate nursery instead of it looking like a agent provocateur dressing room.
Friday afternoon mom and I headed downtown to Michael Levine to select some fabrics and trim for bumpers, pillows, sheets, etc. It is so easy to get lost in that place, so I went in with a strong color palate I wanted to work from (derived from a rug I fell in love with). What we left with far exceeded by expectations, and really began to bring the idea of having a baby girl 'home'. More to come as the nursery takes shape.


aches and pains of week 24: indigestion, congestion, lower back ache, floating rib pain, hot hot hot

bye bye crib. hello bed.

This week marked another big milestone for our little/big boy - the transition from crib to bed. We knew when we found out we were expecting #2 that we would need the crib come winter, and we wanted to transition him out of it several months in advance so that he didn't feel like his real estate was being encroached on by the new addition. At the time that we ordered the bunk bed it felt like he may not be ready. He hated being covered. Refused to use a pillow, and was just very comfortable in the confines of his little world. He isn't the type of child to try and get out of the crib. He loves to sleep, loves his space, and is happy to be there.
In the past month I have noticed a huge shift in his maturity, and readiness for this type of big change. He loved taking a nap in mommy and daddy's bed when we visited San Diego, he started using many of his 'friends' as pillows, and when we spoke about it, he seemed excited and happy.
After a long day waiting for the delivery, and a not so smooth setup, we are finally there. The bed looks wonderful in his little space, and he is sleeping as he always has. He waits for us to get him in the morning, and treats it as he did his crib throughout the night. We know we are lucky that he is such a good sleeper, and so adaptable to change. He very much just goes with things, and makes our lives a whole lot easier.
We love you Isaac, and are so proud of you. Just another reminder that you are no longer our little baby, but our sweet sweet boy.

22|23 weeks :: Seattle|Toronto

We just returned from a 10 day tour of Seattle and Toronto. David had to direct a scoring session in Seattle so we decided to make a family vacation out of it. I really wanted to do something special with us 3 prior to our new arrival in December, and this worked out perfectly. We stayed at Hotel 1000 in Seattle's downtown core, and spent our days exploring by foot (and bugaboo). Took a fantastic ferry ride across to Bainbridge Island, visitied the library and music experience project, enjoyed many great meals, and even got to see Davids live orchestral recording session. It was a tremendous amount of packing and planning to make sure that we would be fully equiped, but in the end it was so worth it. The time there went off without a hitch, and Isaac was in a brillaint mood. Just watching him experience new things, and a new city was pleasure enough. He was flexible, adorable, and a total joy.
From Seattle we hopped a flight to Toronto for leg 2 of our adventure. We were greated warmly from Barb and Paul with homemade dinner and a house filled with Isaac gear. David and I stayed at the Hyatt downtown which gave us a bit of a break, and Barb and Paul got a lot of bonding time with Isaac. He was so comfortable with them, and was so obviously enjoying his time there, it was a pleasure to see. I was able to head out of town with Leila for a night to see the Kohn's new cottage. We had a great and relaxing time on the lake, and also got to see Naomi, Guy and the kids. Upon return Magdie went into labor, and a few hours later little Max Lucas was born. I have officially been in Toronto for all three of the births of her kids. Funny how things work out.

aches and pains of week 22|23: nausea, lower back pain, floating rib pain, indigestion

little observations

Isaac continues to make the most adorable, simple, observations.
Some of the latest:

+ Looking in our eyes, touching our face, and saying "mommy has a smooth face like me. daddy has a scruffy face."

+ When I recently put a light pink polo shirt on him he informed me that "he looked like a girl".

+ He has decided we should paint the nursery "pink, because im having a baby sister".

+ He has started to want "alone time" where he sits on the beanbag in his room and reads books. (yes we can hear him read them)

+ He continues to have "great ideas" and lets us know what they are.

Every day we are surprised with these simple observations that make us smile and remind us of his continuous development.

21 weeks

"The sea's only gifts are harsh blows, and occasionally the chance to feel strong. Now I don't know much about the sea, but I do know that that's the way it is here. And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head."


Andrew is visiting this week, and we just finished watching "Into the Wild"... again. The above quote has resonated with me since the first time I saw the movie. I have always found that experiences that tested me deeply, both physically and mentally, were the only true reminders of my own strength. In this resistance, both organic and manipulated I am always reminded of my own power and potential. I have endured long distance runs, survived my bachelor in architecture, put myself in plenty of situations that forced me to grow... For me, there was no greater experience to measure myself, to 'find myself in the most ancient of human conditions, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head' than that of pregnancy, labor, and delivery. With each day that brings its own set of challenges and difficulties, I am reminded of my strength as a woman, and the ultimate culmination of all of my efforts as I look down the road to childbirth. Pregnancy, with all of its ups and downs, does provide a gift... childbirth. I have had no greater experience in my life, and no greater opportunity to feel strong. For this I am thankful, and feel grateful for the opportunity to experience it once again.
















photo week 21: outside PRADA with uncle Andrew
aches and pains week 21: indigestion, headaches, poor sleep, tight muscles, the beginning of 'floating rib' and morning sickness.