Celebrating Baby Girl Foss

Between trips to Charlottesville during the week that was, all the lovely ladies gathered to celebrate the nearly-here birth of Baby Girl Foss. It's almost time to hold her!

My sister threw an incredibly beautiful and super-sweet pink baby shower. It was lots of fun to eat, drink, and be merry as Kristin opened gifts. There weren't nearly as many handmade items from me as I'd imagined. She's not even here yet, and I'm already not the grandmother I envisioned. But I thought I'd sew all of the last three weeks and that turned out to be not the plan at all. I have several layette items cut and waiting, so I'm going to get busy. 

Karoline did make some very sweet self-binding receiving blankets. The tutorial is here. Don't believe that lady for a minute when she tells you it's a ten minute project. At least don't believe her if you're a normal, regular seamstress. Or if you're seven years old. 

Katie did a great job embellishing some cloth diapers with Anna Maria Horner ribbons. So pretty!

And, of course, there was baby's first book basket:-).

I did do quite a bit of reading this week. I listened to Bob Goff's Love Does in the car as I drove. It was nice enough to pass the time, but I don't really recommend the audio version. i think I would have liked it better if I'd just read it for myself. And, of course, I read Surprised by Motherhood. I talked about it quite a bit earlier this week. Do drop by that post and tell Kristin what how you've been surprised by motherhood. You'll be entered to win a copy of the book!

In the book basket:

Angelina Ballerina

Goodnight Moon

Pat the Bunny

Guess How Much I Love You

In the Garden with Van Gogh

Dancing with Degas

A Picnic with Monet

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

The Very Hungry Caterpillar 

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

What have you been sewing and reading lately? Tell me all about! It's spring at last--what does that do for our needle project list?

Surprised by Motherhood

All during the Week that Was, in waiting rooms, while waiting in tiny exam rooms and wondering if we'd been forgotten, and on sunny patios while eating salad in solitary, I had a companion. In fits and spurts, and all out of order, I read Surprised by Motherhood.

A few pages in, the story was familiar. I recognized it. I heard in a lilting, lovely South African accent. Three years ago, as we sat creekside, Lisa-Jo with her brand new baby girl, and watched wild boys romp happily through the woods, I asked her to tell me this very story.

I'd just promised a mom with cancer that if she were to leave her children--if the unthinkable happened and cancer snuffed out life--I'd be there. I'd do whatever it was she wanted me to do for them. And then, I realized I had no idea what that was. So, on a glorious day, in my favorite place, Lisa-Jo and I sat and talked and talked and talked. She knew what it was. She knew it all too well. It was the familiar, often-played record of her memory. Lisa-Jo had lost her mother to cancer when she was 18. She knew exactly how it felt. She shared those memories with me and she told me something else--something I rarely heard from other mothers. She told me all about how she didn't want to be anybody's mother, how she came to motherhood much by surprise and how every day it continued to baffle, bemuse, and make beautiful her life.

Those musings are a book now and that book is lovely and lilting and lyrical as a South African mango grove. It's beautifully written and refreshingly honest. Every time I sat to read (and after the first few chapters, I read all out of order), I kept thinking that I wanted my daughter-in-love to have this book right now. Kristin is just weeks (days maybe?) from birthing her first baby. Lisa-Jo just might be the perfect doula, not so much to coach her through those hours of birth, though there are definitely words of encouragement needed there and Lisa-Jo has them, but to coach her into the new becoming that happens when that baby--naked and wrinkly and vulnerable--is laid across a woman's chest and forever embedded into her heart. A girl needs a doula for everything that happens after that moment of birth and 

Lisa-Jo Baker is doula extraordinaire. 

When we become mothers, when the first few stitches of that new person are cast on in our wombs, or in our hearts, we set our feet on a path that stretches into eternity and there is no turning back. We become for that new soul the person who will be there to feel the aches of both body and spirit, to feed the bellies and the minds, to kiss the boo-boos and hear about the front porch kiss. We walk that path with bloodied feet sometimes, stretched in ways we cannot have imagined. Head thrown back against the pillows we listen to suck and gulp in the dark of the midnight hours, baby gathering food and warmth and the very essence of unconditional love from our bodies and in that same place in the blink of an eye, we listen nearly frantic for the slam of the car door, the footsteps in the hall, the "Goodnight, Mom" whispered in a baritone hush. We are there for all of it. All of it. The glorious moments of the championship winning goals and the crushing humiliation of bad decisions. We are in it for life. 

And I remember often that spring day three years ago when Lisa-Jo let me see what life looked like if the unthinkable happens, and a mother is torn away too soon. She spoke into my fiercest fears. She poured grace, rich and honeyed, but sticky and messy, into the deepest doubts I harbor. What if? What if we don't get to mother forever? Well, then God works some crazy miracles and makes an extraordinary mother of the motherless child. Further, He uses her to mother weary mothers all over the world. This book is His gift to every woman who wondered if she really could do it--whatever the it of that mothering day was. This book is the gentle, lilting voice of a very good mother in the ear of every woman who has ever wished that someone would come along and mother her for awhile. Read this book and then pass it along to a young woman, ripe with child, who is likely to be very surprised by motherhood. 

If you just can't wait until yours arrives, you can read a digital sampler of the book here. But you're going to want your own. and you'll probably want an extra to tuck into the basket next time you deliver a meal to a new mama or a baby gift to shower. 

Would you like to win a copy? Leave a comment below. Tell Kristin what surprised you most about motherhood. Let's gather up a big, beautiful, maybe messy bouquet for the new mama. if you leave a comment, you'll be entered to win a copy of Lisa-Jo's Surprised by Motherhood.

Oh She Glows! {for Lent}

I was so excited that the new Oh She Glows cookbook arrived yesterday. Even though my fasting was made perfectly simple thanks to a stomach bug, I spent several hours in bed yesterday doing some planning with a new vegan cookbook that I'd pre-ordered sometime last year. Menu planning while fighting a stomach bug is very similar to watching hours of Food Network to distract from morning sickness. It makes no sense at all, but I've done both.  I found the Oh She Glows blog to be a treasure trove of inspiration and guidance. But really, I so prefer cookbooks to cooking blogs. I think my aversion to clicking and clicking again is especially pronounced with cooking blogs. However, I'm a bit of a cookbook addict.

This one didn't disappoint. I've put to paper three weeks worth of meal plans taken from this book. Already! I'm so excited to get started (just as soon as my digestive system catches up;-). I think it's going to be very family-friendly. I might need to toss in a chicken breast or a hamburger here and there if they start to protest about the lack of meat, but with Lent on my side and this new study to point to, I like my chances of going totally meatless more often than not. 

As far as sewing goes, you get fabric again this week--lots of surprises in the works. Some pink. Some blue. Some for Michael's baby. Some for Bobby's baby. Both Kristin and Sloane have great midwives and they're both getting serious about getting ready-- the Easter season shines bright with anticipation. And the little aunties are busy as bees in the sewing room.

What about you? Sewing plans for Easter? Reading plans for Lent? Do share!

A Baby Blanket and Some Pregnancy Books

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Last year, Kristin guest-posted and shared with us a quilt she was making. It's finished! She joins us again:

I started this blanket over a year ago, before we were expecting a baby. I was hoping to make a kantha quilt to throw on my couch. Now it’s the perfect play quilt, baby swaddler, mom’s-first-quilt-so-you-can-throw-up-on-it-but-please-don’t-rip-it-because-I-don’t-know-how-to-fix-it blanket. Truth be told, I had a baby blanket in mind from the first stitch.  

There are a few small puckers on the back that perhaps one day I’ll be able to fix. I’m still new to sewing and very, very impatient. Bad combo when creating heirlooms but we’ll see how this one weathers.

Lately, I’ve been reading about pregnancy, labor and delivery during every free moment. I have 3 books {one for each trimester} I’ve found to be comforting and helpful.

Bump It Up: Transform Your Pregnancy into the Ultimate Style Statement 
by Amy Tara Koch

This book was actually a gift from a close friend and coincidentally ended up being my first trimester bible, beating out all of the thoroughly researched and reviewed books I purchased or borrowed. As a primigravida who was not quite expecting that pink plus sign just yet, I was at a total loss when it came to pregnancy preparation. Koch has a savvy and chic way of celebrating pregnancy without asking mom to buy a new wardrobe or adopt a new lifestyle. She does not dwell on morning sickness. Instead, she explains how to cover up the appearance of being sick. I had a hard time in the first trimester, not only with nausea and dizziness, but with a thicker waste on my 5 ft body along with rashes and eczema that covered my face. Intentional meals were impossible to commit to and I found myself falling asleep before dinner. Low self-esteem and guilt does not mix well when you’re embarking on one of the biggest blessings of your life. This book helped me get out of the hole I buried myself in and enjoy the first semester. It also has advice for each trimester so I'm still reading through it today.

Active Birth: The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally
by Janet Balaskas {Intro by Michel Odent}

During the end of my second trimester, I grew a deep curiosity for labor and delivery. Suddenly, I realized that this baby has to come out somehow! As far as labor books go, Active Birth is probably my favorite. Balaskas lays out basic information and applies common sense and simple physics to childbirth. Although the book is a bit dated, so is natural childbirth.

Even if you have no interest in natural childbirth, I think it’s important to know basic anatomy of a woman with child and how to aid labor instead of work against it. I think it will make a difference to be aware of and understand what is happening physically instead of solely trying to manage my labor pains.       

Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method
by Marie F. Mongan

Hypnobirthing is the latest craze in the birthing world. What I love about this book is that Mongan breaks down the phases of labor slowly, detailed and deliberately. This is a great third trimester book because it feeds the part of my mind craving more information without being overwhelming or redundant. The tone of the book is also clear and decisive. For example, she writes “You will be relaxed… You will experience…” There’s no ambiguity or speculation.

Personally, I’m open to a changing birth plan and I don’t need a book or a doctor to convince me that I want this baby to have a safe birth. We, as expecting parents, are gradually gaining more confidence. I’m secure in one thing: Michael will be ready. He’s very quick in reactive situations... it must be a big brother thing. I, on the other hand, react passively and slowly. Hopefully we'll be a winning combination. 

Next on the sewing list is a receiving blanket! I guess we'll need a few of those?

What are you sewing and reading this week? I really do want to hear all about it!

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Snow, Sew, and So much more

 

I remember practially holding my breath by the radio in the morning, burrowed deep beneath the covers, waiting to hear the announcer tell us if school was canceled. If we missed the announcement, there was frantic dial spinning and rapid tuning to catch it on another station. No more. Now, within seconds of the decision, my phone starts dinging with the news, heralded from far and wide.

And my kids don't even go to school!

The school decision has a domino effect, even here. No school in the neighborhood means that friends can come play in the middle of the day. It means that dance is canceled and the studio firmly closed. It means soccer becomes a last minute dcision and a moving target--everybody and his brother scrambles to secure indoor space all over the region and at all hours of the day. Why, sure, I didn't have anything planned or anything, let's just go check out driving conditions in two different counties.

School has been canceled for the whole week. They've even made the decision for tomorrow already.

"School" is not canceled in the Foss household. Actually, I'm feeling pretty good about the whole thing. If my children get some work done every day this week, I figure that makes up for the week when the school kids went back after  Christmas and we were still distracted by the presence of our college boys. We're all even now. More or less.

Not a lot of sewing is happening here, much to my surprise. I've been distracted away from pajama sewing by a little Valentine towel embellishment. And, as in years past, for some reason, snow means a beeswax furniture polishing blitz. We're stocked up on Daddy Van's Beeswax polish. Bored children get the polish and a rag. Kitchen cabinets, furniture, banisters--there's no end to the polishing that can be done while the snow falls and the wind howls.

We did made some really pretty snowflake ballerinas with a whole bunch of girlfriends. This craft was surprisingly successful even with tiny girls. The girl total that day was around ten, I think and everyone enjoyed the craft. I highly recommend clicking that link and giving it a whirl (or a twirl).

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 There is, of course a basket of "Snow Books." The basket grows fuller every year. Here's a list of favorites. Christine Scarlett sent me some recommendations last year (or mayb the year before) and we've added to our basket based on her suggestions. So, here's hers and mine, all together and happy.

::Our Snowman by M.B. Goffstein (I love the line, "Year after year, these things work," and I look for opportunities to say it in real life.)

::The Snow Child retold by Freya Littledale, illustrated by Barbara Lavallee (other versions available)

:: The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt, illustrated by Yaroslava (Jan Brett and others have also done this.  It is fun to do a comparison.) Jan Brett's is here.

::The Hat by Jan Brett (Hats and Mittens: they go together;-)

::  The Snow Speaks by Nancy White Carlstrom and Jane Dyer (enchanting and one of my favorite illustrators.  Pull it out again during the Christmas season.)

::  Winter Harvest by Jane Chelsea Aragon and Leslie Baker (a calming evening story)

::  Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and John Schoenherr (Caldecott, classic)

::  Ollie's Ski Trip by Elsa Beskow (nice one to read on a day of sledding, skating, or X-C skiing)

:: Flannel Kisses by Linda Crotta Brennan, illustrated by Mari Takabayashi (a just-don't-miss book favorite)

::  City of Snow, The Great Blizzard of 1888 by Linda Oatman High, illustrations by Laura Francesca Fillipucci (true story)*

::  A Day on Skates, The Story of a Dutch Picnic by Hilda van Stockum (for older readers or as a read aloud over several days)

::Snow (I love the lyrical Cynthia Rylant. She does beautiful things with snow.)

::Snowsong Whistling (We pull this one out in the autumn and love it together through February.)

::The Snowy Day (Karoline's favorite for several years. We even have a Peter doll.)

::Owl Moon (Another Caldecott. I love this story of a late night adventure with Dad.)

::Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening (beautiful, effortless poetry memorization)

::My Brother Loved Snowflakes (this one, with the one just below, makes the spine for really good unit study on the science of snowflakes

::Snowflake Bentley (Caldecott-worthy woodcuts, true story)

::The Rag Coat (this one makes us so grateful for warmth)

::Jan Brett's Snowy Treasury (all the Jan Brett snow books, bound together. Definitely a treasure.)

::The Three Snow Bears (another Jan Brett favorite)

::Katy and the Big Snow

 Here are some more links for snow discoveries:

• Six-fold symmetry of the snow crystal (click here and then click on "Nature, Number, and Geometry")HT: Kim
•   Make a virtual snowman
• The Snowflake Bentley Website
• Learn some new facts about snow
• Intermediate level list to help understand winter weather
• Snow art, snow castles, virtual snowflakes, and lots of snow info
• The official site of the Snowman story , with some games
• The FEMA Winter Storm site for kids
• Jan Brett activities

::And, finally the popcorn and marshmallows. This is standard snow food, but my littlest children probably don't know the whole meaning behind the tradition. When Michael was little, there was snow predicted one day. I made a big deal, stocked the snow books, talked it up in a big, big way. He was so looking forward to snowballs. No snow. So, I popped popcorn and made popcorn "snowballs." Saved the day. Now when snow is forecasted, I stockpile the ingredients for popcorn balls. That way, we have big, round, white balls no matter what.

 

Melt two sticks of butter in a very big pot.

 

While the butter is melting, pop 1 cup of popcorn, the old fashioned way.

Dump a bag of marshmallows into the melted butter.

  Stir until melted.

 

Pour the popcorn into the melted marshmallows and stir well.

 

Generously grease your hands with butter. As soon as the marshmallow-coated popcorn is just barely cool enough to handle, form into balls.

Even if you don't have snow, read the books and make the popcorn balls. Childhood should be sweet.

So, what about you? Is it cold and snowy there? How are you spending your days. Of course, please tell us about your sewing and your reading. And also, let us know if you have any snow links to add to the list.

And the snow,

while it is here,

reminds us of this:

that nothing lasts forever

except memories.

~from Snow