pink or blue

So that we half know what we're doing when the big day arrives, hubs and I took a tour of the hospital last evening. I was less than overwhelmed, but it's sort of known as the baby hospital in town, so it's fine. No matter that it probably hasn't been updated since I was born there. Looks aren't everything. It didn't help that there was this painfully annoying couple making bad jokes the whole time. The woman had on white cargo shorts with green underwear. I mean, really? Ok, moving on from that horrible vision… the tour ended on a high note at the nursery. All the warm fuzzy feelings were restored in my body as we peered through the glass windows at all the babes. Wrapped up tight like baked potatoes. I can't believe we're going to have one of those! A girl or a boy? My instinct has said boy the whole time. And all the predictions from family and friends confirm that instinct, but what if it's a girl? My instincts have definitely been wrong before. Not that it really matters, because we will instantly love it.

A little hot potato of our very own. If we can dress it in either of these outfits I'll be a happy girl.

elias & grace

belly blessing

We've had countless events on Pontotoc Farm and except for my wedding, this one my take the cake. It was a mighty revival of sorts. The woman who married us is Rev. Becca Stevens and she is one of the most incredible women I've ever met. I don't even know how to describe what it is, but her spirit and way with words is like nothing I've experienced. At her church they have one yearly baptism on a farm somewhere is Middle Tennessee. This year they were looking for a new home and my parents were happy to help. About 100 people gathered next to the barn in a patch of shade. Folks were dressed for the heat and palm fans were waving steadily in the crowd. A lot of flushed cheeks were a glow, but as soon as Becca started her sermon, everyone was comforted by a slight breeze.






Becca even wanted me to participate. I wish hubs had been there to witness, but he was still en route from coastal trip. The four pregnant women there all gathered up front for a blessing of the belly. Becca rubbed my feet & wrists in this citrus cinnamon scented oil. She crossed my forehead and then touched my belly while she said a small prayer. The sun was shining down and I felt this intense presence and sense of calm from within. It was quick, but the smells, warmth and her touch felt intoxicating. I hope I'll always remember that sensation and can't wait to tell the story to my baby.





Everyone then walked down the path to the river. The band played "Down to the River to Pray" which was very surreal. After the massive flood in Tennessee a few weeks ago, it was only right that we now gathered by the water with reverence. Babies and their parents got in the water and the Baptism was so sweet to watch. Mom & I looked at each other in wonder at what we were witnessing.

New life begins breaking through stone hearts by moving a grain of sand.

Flowers open from seeds watered in secret in the belly of the earth.
Love can grow in crannies between rocks that haven't been moved in years.
Sweet saxifrage, the rock breaker, blooms where other flowers can't see life.
Their pure white tatted blossoms cover hillsides on once barren limestone walls.
Faith should follow love and grow with such grace. - Becca Stevens

soul sister

I'm loving this new song. Maybe it's cheesy, but I crank it up every time it comes on the radio and it puts me in a good mood. We showered soul sister, cousin Lauren, with a bambino party last week. Friends gathered and toasted to her upcoming due date. I can't wait for her little nugget to nuzzle up against my neck. And I'm crossing my fingers baby b comes into this world with a full head of hair just like it's momma.



We're not sure if baby b is a boy or girl so I kept this invitation colorful and neutral. And since the momma loves her cowboy boots, I thought they were the perfect touch.

all dressed up

Their clothes were all set out. Cufflinks, shoes and pearls. Momma and Daddy-O were off to a ball. It reminded me of when I was little. I'd watch them get all dressed up and dapper then Wilbur and I were left to play with the babysitter we adored. This didn't happen very often, but I remember all of the dresses Momma wore. The fuschia tulip style cocktail number, the long swan like gown and the silver Asian dress that fit like a glove. They're all hanging in the closet in fact, waiting to be twirled around one more time.




Friends Fiona & Jim came by for a little sip of champers before they all headed out. And even brother Will was all gussied up for his committee job. I was a little sad to be staying at home, but my feet were not. The terriers, Coop and I all settled into the living room while I read my book and ate pizza. Not a bad alternative indeed.

lunch date

Check out this little tub of love I got to have lunch with. Her name is Maida and I wanted to squeeze her arm & leg rolls. I'm hoping she and my punkin' will be fast friends like her momma and me. We noshed and caught up at Bonjo Java with all the hipsters. Awesome breakfast & lunch. I'm sorry, but we talked babies. A lot. Annoying I know, but this is what I'm thinking about all the time. Thank goodness for friends that can fill you in on all the down and dirty details the books don't share. Knowing your friends babies is one of the amazing treats in life.


And speaking of tubs… I polished off this tub of unbelievable ice cream last night. In fact, I've been eating on it the last 3 nights. Baby happy.

Mmmm… peonies are about to pop here!

back at it

Well did you think I tumbled down a rabbit hole and disappeared somewhere? Nope, just rolled back home and haven't stopped since I got here. Two baby showers, a cooking party and a birthday celebration. Oh yes and work. Pesky thing. I have some amazing pics to share, but darn it if I didn't leave my camera cord back in the bungalow. Gotta figure that one out asap.

Tomorrow I visit my old doc to start anew at some 35 weeks. My wardrobe is slim pickins these days as I continue to pop. My mom laughed as I came down the stairs in a sweatshirt that came up past my navel! And it's official. I have cankles. Yes folks, cankles. My poor ankles and toes are swollen up real nice. I even broke down and bought Crocs. I swore I would never be caught dead in those ugly things, but here I am waddling around in them. Ahh well, comfort over fashion at this point. And listen to this weird thing. My hands are falling asleep at night depending on which side I'm on. Very odd and I'll be asking the ole doc about that one, because it's very annoying to wake up to. I'm pretty sure I have another ultrasound tomorrow and can't wait to see the punkin' rolling around. In the meantime I am missing my husband something awful. Hurry home darlin.


After a few tough days, Cooper is settling in to life on the farm. Sniffing around in the tall grass, sleeping a lot and just takin'er easy.

on the move

The crib was taken apart (again) and all the baby things were packed up (again). Two cars were loaded up. Baby stuff in one and dog and luggage in the other. Thank goodness for mothers. Hubs is out of town with his class. So she came to get me and helped me leave the house in good order! Cooper was all packed so we heaved the big 'un up and into the car. Minus one driver error, traffic in Chattanooga and multiple pit stops for the prego lady… all in all we made it! Whew. I'm off to put my feet up & hit the hay early. Be back soon with more to report.

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weekend in pictures

Art, food and sunny weather made for a really special weekend in Greenville. We headed downtown for Artisphere which is booth after booth of various artists from around the South. Hubs and I filled up on some tacos and walked around enjoying the evening.



The rest of our weekend was spent getting ready for our temporary move back home. I had hubs hanging things and moving furniture back and fourth all afternoon. Mind you, these were things I'd been meaning to do for months. Nothing like a deadline to make things happen 'round here. Procrastinators that we are. And we had a little family picnic in the backyard on Sunday. Just us and Cooper. Sweet thing is not moving much these days, but he will still trot after a tennis ball. By gosh, he's a lab and it's in his blood. But after one or two tosses, he's down for the count. We laid on a blanket with the paper and shared a piece of cake. I even let my big white belly get a little sun. The butter bean enjoyed. I'm just sure of it.

all grown up

My friends are part of my family. They make me feel good and I get so much love from them. I've had one of the same friends since pre-first grade. She had the neatest handwriting, this amazing ice-cream cone sleeping bag and a stuffed bear I was totally jealous of. She was so cool and I wanted to copy everything she did. We grew up together. Shared canoe rides, college visits, bareback rides, and frozen hair on a ski trip. And most of all we shared a love of horses. We both had ponies and competed in events. We'd pack up our tack trunks and set off on road trips near & far, with horses and parents in tow. We liked horses much better than boys back then. In fact… maybe we still do. Sorry babe!

She has this spirit that makes you feel alive and special. She's counseled me on many hard decisions and ended the conversations with us roaring in laughter. I'm a lucky gal to call her my friend. So it's with a sort of mother's pride that I send her a big virtual hug. You see, Carrie graduated from UT vet school over the weekend. Four incredibly hard years of learning and long hours and sacrifice. And with the help of her lovable, sweet dog Greta…she did it! By gosh she did it! Her passion for horses is undeniable and anyone she works with will fall in love with her spirit and want to be friends, just like I did.



Congratulations Cares. You have no idea how proud I am of you. Knock 'em dead this summer and I can't wait to toast with a little bubbly… preferably after a long ride around the farm.

momma dear

I hope I'm half as good of a mother to this little baby as you've been to me.
I am thankful daily for all your blessings. xo

baby reading

Earlier this week, while belly and I stayed behind, hubs went out to see Widespread play. I dropped him and his friends off at the show and shuttled myself on back to the bungalow. No noodling for me. I really thought hard about it, but the noise and smoke was probably not the best idea. Plus my feet have been swelling towards the end of the day. Happy with my decision, I headed back and settled in with my new stack of books. I know I said I wasn't going to go crazy reading baby books, but I caved. The truth is I was kind of excited to delve in, but soon discovered I needed to alternate between baby book and Vogue. A little glorious fashion thrown in the mix kept my brain from overheating with too much information.



Happiest Baby on the Block : a gift from a friend (hoping this helps when I have a screaming baby in my hands)

Operating Instructions : saw it on here and seems really sweet

Nuture Shock : recommended by a friend, parenting psychology - looks interesting

What to Expect - the 1st year : folks call it the Bible for babies

Don't worry. I won't overdo it on "how to" books. Just giving myself a little help since I'm so clueless. And did I mention I went to a baby class at the hospital? The breastfeeding part was particularly helpful, but gracious it was ta-tas overload. The woman giving the class was a hoot. She wanted us to take the baby dolls and "practice" nursing techniques. I felt ridiculous holding this plastic baby to my chest in front of a large group of couples. Guess I'd better get used to it considering how often I'll have a live one attached to me pretty soon.



Somehow this little fella ended up in my Amazon package as well. He's very lovable and even makes soothing sounds like a heartbeat and whales. Ahh, I'm relaxed already. Now off to enjoy some lunch with a friend on this Friday afternoon. Happy weekend.

home

Just when I was sinking my toes into the ground around here. Just when I had gotten my bearings and gone into full on nesting mode around the house… life through us a little curve ball. Part of hubs school requirement is a summer internship. He interviewed around and was offered a good job here in Greenville so that was that. We'd be away from our family, but they'd visit when the baby came and besides, we had a new home here. And honestly I was pretty excited to be in our own little world with this soon to arrive little nugget. Well by gosh if all of that didn't just fly right on out the window last Thursday. I'll spare you the details, but basically hubs got a better offer and it just so happened to be in Nashville. One simply too good to pass up. So off we go. Me, him, Coop dog and baby to live with my parents and their three dogs.

Whoa. Are we just plain mad? Possibly, but now I'm getting really excited. We'll have friends visit us, take care of us and most of all have a little help from my momma. Yeah, I think I'm going to need it. So we'll leave our sweet little bungalow for a bit, but luckily have a friend to sublet and take care of it while we're away. Sniff, sniff. And it's only for a couple months.

It's a little stressful, but we've gotten pretty good at adapting. And we'll be together. Together as we welcome a little sweet pea this summer. And I'll just keep humming my favorite song… home, let me come home. home is wherever I'm with you.

photo by mary claire crow

a german meal

My husband has a thing for German food. Or maybe it's just the beer. I can't explain it, he just does. He and a close friend even celebrated their birthdays together at this kitschy German restaurant back home for a number of years. It was the kind of place with a band dressed in full garb, swigging back large mugs of beer and who made everyone in a line do the chicken dance around the place. Not my cup of tea, but pretty funny to watch. Anyway, this is not like that at all, but he discovered a German place in Greenville and was so excited to take me. The Schwaben House. Now if you go, don't be discouraged by the run down strip center that it's in. The atmosphere is a little lacking, but the food makes up for it. Plus it's an adventure!

It's basically a husband & wife plus their cook so the service was great and they explain the whole menu. I ordered the homemade dumpling filled with spinach & pork and it came with a side of German potato salad. It was so so good. And hubs ordered some sort of pot roast with dressing balls. I'm pretty sure they're not called dressing balls, but that's precisely what they tasted like so I'm sticking with that. We'll be back to sample more and next time I'm havin' me a cold one.



Umm, I just realized how odd it is I'm blogging about German food on Cinco de Mayo. Totally forgot. Guess I need to add a little salsa to my meal today!

rain, a market, and julep cups

Let me first start by saying… oh my goodness! Poor Nashville had some serious flooding over the weekend. Seriously folks, it's crazy looking through all the photos from the rain storm. My parents farm is pretty much underwater, though the flood is quickly subsiding. Momma said it felt like being on an island as the water kept rising. They had to evacuate the horses because the barns were quickly filling with water. Such a nightmare, but everyone is safe and sound thank goodness! Needless to say I was glued to the weather channel all weekend and feeling panicky. They showed a temporary classroom (trailer) floating down the interstate. And Miss Naomi Judd's buffalo had escaped the disaster, but were roaming around Williamson Co. somewhere. Dad said the big round hay bales from our farm had even floated down and ended up in the middle of the road. Fences destroyed, huge water troughs floated off and I can't imagine how frightening it all must have been. There will be loads and loads of cleanup and damage, but I am thankful the rain is gone! Please say a little prayer for the Tennessee folks.

During all this catastrophe back home, we were high and dry here in Greenville. Our Saturday consisted of visiting the Saturday Market on Main St. It was fabulous. Lots of vendors with delicious food and friendly faces out and about. And maybe it's because I have babies on the brain, but there were loads of little ones everywhere I turned. I found us checking out strollers. Something I've never paid attention to before. Hubs even spotted one Bob - hilarious that he now notices these things! We were standing in line for some fresh pasta when hubs struck up a conversation with a guy wearing a Keenland cap. Turns out he and his wife are really good friends with some friends ours back home. It's a small darn world I tell ya. We bought some goat cheese + pancetta raviloi and I can already attest to how delish it is. Such a simple, but lovely way to spend the morning.



Even though the clouds were out and the rain had soaked the tracks, the horses were all spiffed up and looking their very best. Derby coverage was on all afternoon and we fixed up some sporty cocktails for the big race. My favorite part is when the horses are being ponied out to the track. You can see their muscles flexed and anxiety rising. We placed our bets (just us two!) and were on our feet with anticipation. It was a stunning race and I loved watching the horses galloping their hearts out. Such stunning creatures.

The cast of characters… fruit + oj + perrier for moi (kinda like this drink)
and a little brown liquor for my hubs.