josh + kati + marion

We’ll see how this goes

Already, I can hear my husband laughing.

Click here for the flowers of the week album

I got home just in time last week to take delivery of our new couch – yay!!

This is the old one – so long!

I have to say though, it has served us remarkably well. I bought it at the warehouse sale back when I worked for Restoration Hardware, for 10% of the selling price It went from Baltimore, to Atlanta, to storage in Mississippi, to Indiana, then finally to Texas. But it was time for it to go.

Hello new couch!

It’s part of the Dr. Pitt collection by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams and we are ridiculously pleased with it.

We needed a smaller scale sofa (the old one was 96″) but we also needed a sofa big enough for either one of our moms to sleep on – since Poppy is stealing the space where we used to unfold the air mattress.

This fits all of our needs perfectly.

It’s the Graham fabric

In Leaf. It’s really more of a lemongrass color though – than a true green leaf color. Either way, we love it. Despite the fact it clashes with the walls – which hopefully will be changing soon.

After some playing around this weekend though, we came up with a configuration that works perfectly for us.

The loveseat by itself, and the corner chair and ottoman together to make a chaise.

We also got a new entertainment center. (Which is really just the short expedit turned on it’s side, with some casters.)

So now all we need is a new coffee table, a new rug (the cowhide is destined for the nursery/office), some paint on the walls, and the pictures for the mantle that are ordered to be in, and the room will finally feel like a real room and less like we’ve hacked it together.

Thomas is the only animal allowed on the new furniture. You try keeping a cat off. It’s not possible.

Nanuq is not happy about this. That’s his very serious face.

And Gracie is, well, she’s just Gracie.

Click here for the full album of new couch pictures.

I’m a bit behind in blogging. I was out of town last week – staying with my grandmother back home. I’ve found the perfect travel knitting project though – so that was really nice. I’m not revealing what it is, since it’s destined for a blog reader.

If it doesn’t turn out like I want though, I’m pretty sure I can make it into a Poppy blanket. Or at least I think I can.

It’s also a holiday gift, I figure come September I won’t have a lot of time for knitting, so I might as well knock out a few presents.

Flowers of the week this week are courtesy of my sister!

The flowers are so big and over the top, it was hard to get any close ups

They are just amazing though!

Click here for the flowers of the week album

I thought it would be fun to gather up all the old wives tales I could find and see if they told me boy or girl for Poppy – so here’s what I’ve found and my answers to them.

The Mayans determined the sex of the baby by taking the mother’s age at conception, and the year of conception. If both are even or both are odd…it’s a girl. If one is even and one odd it’s a boy.

• I was/am 29 and the year was 2007 – so that says girl

One wives’ tale I heard when I was pregnant was if your legs resemble tree trunks, it’s a boy. If they are trim and fit, it’s a girl

• At 16 weeks, I have no sign of cankles, so I’m going to say girl

A girl will “sap” her mama’s beauty

• My face is worse than it ever was in high school, so that says girl

A girl will make you more nauseous.

• I don’t have any other successful pregnancies to base a comparison on, so this one is undecided

If the mother-to-be trips or falls over her own feet during pregnancy, it’s a boy. If the mother is graceful, it will be a girl.

• I’m about as clumsy as you can imagine, so this one is boy

If you’re having a girl, then the fetal heart rate will be above 140. A boy will have a heart rate below 140.

• We’ve had four heartbeat checks – 150, 171, 160, 162 – so that says girl

Many people believe that your cravings are caused by the sex of your baby. So, if you can’t get enough chocolate, you could be having a girl. Does the idea of drinking straight lemon juice sound delicious to you? Then those sour cravings are a result of the little boy inside of you.

• I’m craving salad – I think that makes this one an undecided

Thankfully, this one doesn’t refer to your weight gain. The belief is that, if your husband puts on weight during your pregnancy, then you will be having a girl.

• No weight gain for Josh – so this one is a boy

Do you have acne? Some believe that getting acne during your pregnancy indicates you’re carrying a girl. Maybe the acne is caused by twice the amount of female hormones?

• Yup, definitely a girl if this one is true!

If you pick up a mug by the handle, it’s a boy. If it you pick it up around the middle, it’s a girl.

• It’s a boy then. Either that, or my desire to not burn my hand!

5 – girl
3 – boy
2 – undecided

I also did seven different Chinese gender charts

Chart #1 said girl
Chart #2 said girl
Chart #3 said girl
Chart #4 said girl
Chart #5 said boy
Chart #6 said boy
Chart #7 said girl

Either way, we’ll find out for sure on May 6th!!

Pregnancy brain has really kicked in, as evidenced by the fact I forgot one of my best friends – Stacy! Stacy said forget the baby, what this girl needs is mama presents!

Wonderful, lovely mama presents like Lush bath bombs

Happy Pill

An unidentified one…which makes it more fun

Little things like that, make Lush some of the most fun products in the world

Probably the most thoughtful gift like, ever. This is going to be amazing on swollen hands and feet!

New Vera Bradley! In the super fun Daisy Daisy pattern.

Girl knows me so well! Plus, there were like eleventybillion other amazing things, but I’ve already put them to use and I’m too lazy to round them up for pictures!

Seriously, I have the best friends ever!

I’m trying to be brave and optimistic, so I’ve started doing some little Poppy knitting.

First project, a hat!

2008 FO count (this is projects started and finished in 2008): 9
Charity baby blanket
Charity baby hat
Hearts scarf (mom)
Hearts hat (mom)
Pink umbilical cord hat (Nicole)
Blue umbilical cord hat (Nicole)
Baby tunic with i-cord edging (Nicole)
Spring green hat (Tony)
Loopy hat (Poppy)

Full details on my Ravelry page

I really really do. And I have evidence!

From my amazing friend Brenda

Who knows what’s important.

From Cheryl

Really, does it get any cuter than that?!

From Beth who clearly knows her stuff!

A poppy dress! Which simply could not be any more perfect?

With bloomers!

It also came with instructions that if Poppy weren’t a girl

Gracie could wear it.

It might work best as a bonnet.

And from my awesome mother-in-law – cookies that are so, so good and so helpful!

It says “cookies for people”

But these guys can’t read.

Not to mention, so many amazing cards of support and love. It humbles me to know how loved Poppy already is and how supported we are as we go through this new adventure.

PS – yes the pups did get the cookies as treats. I’m not that mean. Although I am sick, and I guess this is how I amuse myself.

Click here for Nanuq’s album
Click here for Gracie Lou’s album

Music stats for March are up in the sidebar – now with video!