Past Due

This baby is not the only one who's past due---this blog post is also overdue.

Yesterday was my due date, and we watched it come and go. I feel enormous. Thankfully, I've been having quite a few contractions, which reminds me that this baby WILL eventually come out. He likes to sit right under my ribs, and I often feel like I will just pop. As my dear husband said the other day, "It's like you're exploding...in slow motion." Hmm. 

Here's a picture of Baby Newhall poking out of my belly. He happens to have the hiccups right now. 

So what have we up to this last week?

Well, I made a delicious sweet potato curry soup, and a loaf of oatmeal bread to go with that.

I took a walk and discovered a park near my home---with actual green grass. That's pretty rare for California. I'd love to take a picnic there someday.

We went to Goodwill and bought a gorgeous chair to match our living room theme--(I call it college-kid-coffeeshop-chic). Only $30, thank you very much.

We went to Costco and walked around...for amusement. We enjoy window-shopping a little too much.

Here's a picture of my very handsome man and some pasta, which we plan to buy, if we ever feel like spending $8 all in one place. Like I said, we were strictly window-shopping.

We also bought a pumpkin, baked it, and transformed it into a quickly-vanishing pumpkin pie.

We grow more impatient with every passing day (particularly me) and hope that Walter will soon be here. I can't wait to see what he looks like! I imagine he will have blue eyes, but have also thought it would be neat if he had grey eyes. His daddy's eyes are a gorgeous blue-grey mix--so there's a chance. 

Let's hope that the next time I post, Walter will be out in the world with me!

Love,

Margaret

New Apartment

Welcome, everyone. Please remember the buddy system. 

Hold hands and don't touch anything!

We begin this tour at the front door (left). 

Yes, come right in. Take a seat on this couch, covered in papers...ahem!

In fact, come right in to the kitchen. 

Door A holds a miniature bathroom. 

Door B holds the pantry. 

View A of the kitchen. Pay close attention to the curtains which I hung myself. 

Also take note of the cute little bran muffins on the counter. 

And the fact that all the dishes are clean. 

This is a memorable moment.

View B of the kitchen. 

A very large refrigerator and a dirty kitchen floor.

Here's our backyard! 

We can't wait to grow tomatoes and peppers and beans 

and goodness knows what else next year.

Second shot of backyard--complete with bicycles. 

You can take us out of Portland, 

but you can't take Portland out of us.

Here's a gorgeous tree which keeps our house so shady and cool. 

When I opened the back door to take these shots, 

I was hit by a wave of dry, dusty heat. 

It was a relief to close the door and have a cool house.

Artsy shot of my pantry. Isn't it beautiful?

Okay, upstairs we go. Here's the bathroom. 

Large linen closet (left) and a shower/tub inside that doorway.

Our bedroom, complete with Pack n' Play! 

The shades are closed due to the heat, 

but we're lucky to have a view of a wall instead of a parking lot. 

Added privacy.

Other side of my bedroom. 

I think my dresser looks a lot cuter in this picture than in real life.

 Never mind the mess.

Close-up of the crib! 

I'm thinking I need to claim the "bunny-guys" and 

hang them instead of those sad little stars. 

Love the plaid, though.

Oh yes...the second bedroom. 

The sorting room. 

Well, actually, more like the "Where can I hide this?" room. 

I'll clean it up...one of these days...

Yours truly, a beach-ball with legs.

Artsy photo of a chocolate cake I made the other night. It's quite tasty. 

Though truth be told, it's made with honey and yoghurt instead of sugar and milk.

Alright! Now you've seen it. Please drop by for tea again soon.

Love, Margaret                                                                          

October

This is the first day of my life.
'Swear I was born right in the doorway.
Yours is the first face that I saw.
'Think I was blind before I met you.
-Bright Eyes

We didn't know if this would be our last weekend with just the two of us. We spent the hours as only lovers can--laughing and holding hands. We went downtown on Saturday, and walked along the little creek by the mission.

We went to the library, and signed up for membership cards. Next, we went to a coffeeshop, where we shared a much-too-sweet pumpkin latte, and later we walked to the local cinema to see the movie, 'Looper'.
After the movie, we toured a local soap shop (Matthew bought me a lovely bar of Lavender-Rosemary soap). We went to Eureka Burger for lunch, which was absolutely delicious. Then, tired and happy, we drove home.

Sunday morning, we woke early and drove out to Pismo beach. We went to Mass at Saint Paul the Apostle. Afterwards, we went to a little local coffeeshop, "The Steamed Bean", and walked down Shell Beach.

It was high tide and we just stood and watched the waves crash onto the rocks and smelled the salty air. It was so foggy when we arrived, but the sun eventually made its way through the clouds and burned off the fog. After we went home, we spent a quiet and relaxing afternoon at home, and went to our friends' house for dinner. We stayed out much too late and crashed into bed last night.

And now it is Monday morning, the first day of October, and I am at home waiting for my love...

Love,

Margaret