Can't Hide it Anymore... (with a stomach like this)

Well, the rumors are flying and my stomach is growing, so i figured it was time to face the music and finally admit that i'm "expecting" a kid in a few months. 87 days, to be exact!

If you've known me for very long - or even just stoppped by the shop during one of my "noisy kid" rants - you know that i've never really thought of myself as the type to have children. Doug and I have really enjoyed our [quiet] lives together for the past 11 years... but, sometimes fate just takes over! That said, we are just 12 weeks away from becoming parents - and are both terrified and ... well, terrified. Haha.



All jokes and dry humor aside, we are getting more excited each day, thanks in large part to the support from the girls at the store - and all of the other women that pass through the physical and figurative JBW doors. Heck, it's hard for us to NOT be excited when we open a package and pull out a teensy weensy sweater (like the one above knit by Beth at Lorna's Laces) or a pair of handknit socks... (like the ones to the left- knit by Jeanne in shepherd sport/chocolate - she's promised me that she'll write the pattern so that i can also knit a pair for the kid).


And yes, even I have started to knit stuff for the little bugger. I have to say - knitting stuff for a little kid is pretty amazing... it doesn't take very long or very much yarn... and I can be sure that he will wear it!!

What have i made so far? Well... there's the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran intarsia blanket (pictured), the Artyarns Supermerino baby socks, the Mission Falls 1824 Cotton Bob Blanket, and the Manos cardigan (in which i'm going to sew a zipper... and rip out the buttons). Wow - when i type it all out, it looks like i've sure gotten a lot of knitting done!



Even Buddy and Wiley have gotten into the spirit, making sure that everything we receive/buy meets with their approval. In this photo, I think Buddy is jockeying for rights to wear Beth's sweater, once the kid grows out of it!! I have to say - working in a yarn store while pregnant (and dying to knit) has been a bit of a struggle... especially since we just received all of those great new Noro and Debbie Bliss yarns. Since I've chosen blues and browns (cause i LOVE brown) as our "colors", it's been killing me to walk into the shop and sift through all of the gorgeous shades of blue and brown ... i want to knit them all!! Life is rough, eh?

So, that's my news. And the news of the shop, i guess :) If, for some reason, you'd like to see pics of the kid so far (and of how we've progressed), I've set up a basic blog at http://babyzander.blogspot.com/. And I figured i'd go ahead and answer some frequently asked questions, just in case you were wondering... :)

1. Is it a boy or girl? It's a BOY!
2. Where are you going to deliver? Truckee only has 1 hospital, so i guess i'll be delivering there!
3. Are you going to have an epidural? I have no idea! I've never done this before, so am not sure what it's going to be like... i guess i'll just have to decide on labor day :)
4. Are you going to nurse? I'm planning on it.
5. Can I touch your stomach when I come into the shop next time? Only if you don't mind if I touch yours - haha!
6. How do you feel? I feel great so far - all things considered, of course. I did have slight morning sickness for the first 5 months, but that is mostly gone (tho i do get car sick now - and never used to). I'm still able to exercise every day, so i think that has helped me feel better than i might otherwise.
7. Have you picked out a name yet? Yes! Doug and I both picked out the same name (independently and at different times) a few months ago. We'll announce his name at birth. For now, the girls at the store call him "The Rock" - and we've given him a temporary middle name of "Rambo."
8. How have Buddy and Wiley reacted to the news? Buddy is oblivious but Wiley has started to sit a bit closer to me at night... we're not sure, but it seems like he's starting to get a bit more protective of me. It's pretty sweet... and I certainly can't complain about him resting his head on my lap some evenings :)
   

So that's it! Wish me luck these next few months... and if you notice that i suddenly disappear from the blog or the shop, you'll know why. :)