Side trip

A work conference took me to Missouri in May 2011. It was my first time away from Westley James, and it was simultaneously grueling and freeing. I called home often and enjoyed some time away. Funny how life changes, though. I declined the invitations for drinks and mingling with associates in the evenings to head back to my wonderfully quiet hotel room for bubble baths, magazines and, of course, sleep! I shared a pot of coffee and a morning of conversation with one of my favorite uncles before leaving town. And I also brought my camera and had some fun on a little side trip:

I also stopped by a quilt store on my way home and picked up a few things for me and a few things for some of my favorite quilters.

I made it back to Wichita in time for a dinner date with my two boys. It was good to be away, but better to be home.

We survived the Fight for Air Climb!

We did it! We climbed 828 stairs and ran 1.14 flat miles for the American Lung Association's Fight for Air Climb race at Intrust Bank Arena on Saturday! We did it to honor Mom. At the race, there was a dedication wall of sorts where you could write why you were climbing. My answer?

Because my mom has COPD and continues to fight for a life that continues to take her breath away.

In the kitchen at Mom and Dad's, there's a plaque hanging in the kitchen that says life isn't about how many breaths you take, but about the moments that take your breath away. I'd like to think that lung disease has made that a very good lesson and reminder for all of us.

I transformed my race T on Friday night, turning it into a boatneck tank and adding a red heart on which I wrote, "I climb for my Mom."

Sincere thanks to all of you who have donated or pledged to our fundraising efforts. Our total pledges and donations add up to $485!

My mother-in-law Janice joined us Saturday so she could watch Westley and cheer for us while we ran.

Another fun element was that my friend Lindsey ran the race, too. Here we are yesterday ...


... and here we last April, both about eight months pregnant. We had babies five days apart in May 2010.


Click to see a couple of additional photos from the event.

Material girls

On Saturday, Mom, Westley and I went to Material Girls, a relatively new quilt store in Wichita's Delano neighborhood. We ran into friends and Brian's Aunt Lynn and had fun chatting. Several ladies were friends with Faith, so the conversations were therapeutic.

I don't have as much time for quilting right now, but it was fun to see some beautiful quilts, admire some new fabric (including a gorgeous brown cuddle fabric with a paisley texture to it) and make some plans for later.

Big socks to fill

Two years ago, I took this photo of my nephew Kaden on our giant Christmas stocking. Brian and I were babysitting, and I thought it might be a fun way to remember his first Christmas.


After we took the stocking down for the year earlier this week, I tried to take a photo of Westley in a similar pose. Instead, this is what we got:



Behind him you can see the homemade Christmas tree skirt I pieced and quilted several years ago.

On Shutterbug Rebels: My favorite photo of Westley from this shoot.

Swaying with my sweetie

Fewer things make a better combination than a baby, a quilt and a hammock. (Well, there is chocolate and peanut butter ... )

This is the Classic Pooh quilt I made for Westley before he was born. It goes so well in his Pooh-themed nursery, and we've already spent so many hours snuggled up with it and playing on it. Here are Brian's beautiful photos from a recent chilly fall afternoon:


Speaking of Classic Pooh, the Pooh bear suit we bought at Target for Westley last winter when I was pregnant ended up being a great purchase. It's so warm, and he doesn't mind wearing it at all. Stinkin' cute!


Hi, Daddy!


See the wonderful bee detail on the quilting? Mom and I picked out that design, and a local professional quilter did a beautiful job with it for my Baby B.

P.S. Look at those eyes! OMG. I'm so in trouble when the disciplining phase starts ...

P.P.S. Look how big he already is compared to when we were snuggling in the hammock this summer!

First picnic in the park!

On a gorgeous day earlier this month, Gigi joined Brian and me for Westley's first picnic. We shared sandwiches, strawberries and other treats at Sedgwick County Park. Brian did a little bit of fishing, and Mom and I admired dragonflies, puffy white clouds and our little troublemaker. There were ants, but we agreed that the uninvited guests made the experience quintessential.




The photo above reminds me of another one I shot earlier this summer of Westley with Brian playing softball in the background. I love to compare the two and see how much West has grown since then. (I'm also thinking that the baby in foreground/daddy in background could be a fun photo theme to continue.)

Click to view additional photos from the picnic.

Added: See the beautiful quilt in the above photos? It was a wonderful gift from the Bee-Attitudes, a quilting bee at Aldersgate UMC that Mom and I were involved in years ago. I was humbled and honored by the thoughtful gift.

April shower

I was blessed to have my two dear friends Nicole and Ann throw a baby shower for me last weekend at our church, Aldersgate UMC.







The girls put together such a thoughtful, wonderful shower. Their little details showed all of the time and planning they put into the event. I loved the blue punch, pictured above, with a rubber ducky floating in it. The ducky is a nifty baby product that will indicate when bathwater is too warm for baby. I'll put that little guy to good use.

They also had a table set up with a bouquet of cheerful tulips, scrapbook pages for my guests to sign and baby pictures of Brian and me:


I received so many thoughtful gifts, including some adorable handmade bibs, a beautiful white crocheted baby blanket (at left) and a quilt certain to become a family heirloom:






Brian's grandmother embroidered the blocks in this quilt in the 1940s. Janice, my mother-in-law, pieced the top and had it professionally quilted. I love how it links generations -- and the women's creativity -- together.

I also received books, baby necessities and a few more Classic Pooh items for the nursery. My friend Lyn found this Classic Pooh Christmas blanket. It'll be fun to make it part of baby's first Christmas:


My friend Crystal gave a creative gift: She borrowed the "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" wedding tradition for her gift. Among the items she gave me was a loaner on her baby car seat base, which is a great help to us. Brian and I plan install those soon and have them checked at a hospital safety inspection.












My Aunt Terry and Uncle Joey surprised me by driving into town from Columbia, Mo., to visit. Terry joined friends and family at the shower, and it was so great to have her there. Brian's cousin Joni and her two sweet daughters, Audrey (pictured with me below) and Caroline, drove down from the Kansas City area. It made the day even more special to have them there.


My co-worker and fellow preggo Lindsey had the honor of guessing to the exact dimension how big my baby bump was in the cut-a-piece-of-yarn-to-guess-how-big-mama-to-be-is-around-the-middle game. She admitted that she used her own preggo belly as a guide of sorts. We teased her for cheating but agreed that she was just being resourceful.
















Also in attendance were Brian's Grandmother, who soon will meet her first great-grandchild, and "Grandma Foos", a special woman in our lives. Her daughter has been friends with my mother-in-law since they were in high school. (Don't these ladies look stunning? Their color coordination was completely accidental, but looked fabulous.)

The best part part of the day was looking around the room and realizing all of the strong, loving women in my life who offer their advice and support to my growing family.

Thank you, ladies, for everything.

See additional photos from the shower in my Facebook photo album.

In stitches

I was so happy to finish my quilt top for Roo this week. I hooked up with Mom after work one night and took the project to our favorite local quilter for her to work her magic. The quilting should be adorable: a loopy busy bee pattern in honey-colored thread. Can't wait to get it back so I can sew on the binding and call it done!

Shop dog

Mom & I spent Saturday morning shopping at Picket Fence Quilt Co., our favorite local quilting store, for a few last pieces of fabric to round out what I need to get started on my Classic Pooh quilt for Roo.

I've decided to use the Lucky Stars pattern by Terry Atkinson. (Click to see another quilt I've made using this pattern.)


While there, I spent some time playing with Halley, one of my favorite local shop dogs. (The airedales at The Slope come in a close second.)

February quilting inspiration

Mom & I met up Tuesday evening for the February meeting of the Prairie Quilt Guild. We weren't fans of master quilter Susan Stewart's presentation, but we were blown away by her beautiful creations. Here are photos I snapped of her pieces, as well as those of other members who showed their finished projects. (Stewart's Web site is worth a visit, especially to see her cute kitties.)







As I often do at guild, I purchased tickets to win the latest raffle quilt. This one is a benefit for West High School, and I think it's awesome. Fingers crossed!

A quilt for Roo

Now that our Classic Pooh-themed nursery is well-established, I have my next task ahead: sewing a Classic Pooh quilt. Baby B. will not be short of quilts, even ones handmade by me. I think it's wonderful and that a child cannot have too many. I already have visions of picnics in the park, chilly afternoons at the zoo, snuggly movie nights at home or at the drive-in, etc. And this is too wonderful an experience to pass up, especially after making more quilts than I can count to coordinate with friends' baby nurseries.

I've kept my eyes open and had quilting friends watching for Classic Pooh fabrics in local quilt shops, with no such luck. So I rooted around on eBay and put together this collection of fabrics:


Mom & I plan to shop for additional pieces to round out the collection. And I still have to pick a pattern before I get the project started. (I'm considering the Lucky Stars pattern by Terry Atkinson. It's one of my favorites.)

Meow Meow gave the fabrics her official kitty cat approval by lying on them when I spread them out for the above photo, so I know I'm on the right track.

"Too Cool for Drool" take two

I finished a second batch of burp clothes for Baby B. using recycle T-shirts. That puts my total made to a nice baker's dozen. (I think I may need every single one here in about three months!) Click to see photos and my blog post about the first batch I finished last month.

As with the first seven I made, the above burp cloths were make from T-shirts that represent some great memories, including:

• my years as a scholarship recipient and cast member of Gridiron, a Wichita journalism variety show.

• an Aldersgate youth group trip to Biloxi, Miss., where we performed volunteer relief work for Hurricane Katrina victims.
  

This project has been rewarding. I like the symbolism of taking something that represents my past and remaking it for my future. From where I stand, both look full of love and blessings.

New year for quilting

Mom & I went to Prairie Quilt Guild last week for the January meeting and found lots of inspiration for a new year of quilting: