Thursday, February 18, 2010

Showered with Love: Celebrating 9 Months

Just a brief little note today. I've got three agents coming to the farmhouse on the weekend and into next week, just to give me a sense of its value and some tips on what I can do in preparation for putting it up for sale so as to maximize the asking price. I hope to have it up for sale by the end of March at the latest, if not earlier. (I sigh as I type that. A sigh of melancholy. A sigh of relief, too. I know it's the right decision for us both.) Yesterday, I could smell Spring in the air, even though it was snowing...

Frontierswoman gatherin' her firewood.

My son has now turned 9 months old. I cannot believe he is almost one year! He is as old now as the time he spent growing in my womb. Two different worlds, altogether, but our bond is the same. It is surreal to think back when I carried him in my belly. The absolute JOY of that! I never thought I'd get to know it.

Diabolical cuteness. Mwahahaha.

The day my mother and sisters held my shower was Sunday, May 3, 2009. My twin sister (who was also my birth partner) did all the preparations herself and, with my mom, helped me clean my farmhouse that morning while I waddled around trying to assist them. What would I have done without them? My twin sister actually handcrafted about 100 birds for the special day. She not only printed them and tied them together, but she's a graphic designer, so she designed each beautiful, intricate pattern on them herself. WOW.

More William Morris than Alfred Hitchcock.

Pre baby shower.

This room was a former studio space I had renovated into a bedroom for myself and my new baby, so we could share some mama-baby space for a while on the main floor of the farmhouse, conveniently closer to laundry and kitchen.

 

(I know Ciara, my Irish blogger friend from Milkmoon, will appreciate my apron lampshade - something I threw over the lamp to soften the light - and the Burton print from the National Gallery of Ireland, Meeting on the Turret Stairs, which portrays a bit of a tragic love story.)

Post baby shower. Birds and gifts galore!

We are now in our separate bedrooms upstairs, of course, but this is the room in which I did all my nesting, preparing for the arrival of my sweet child. There was a lot of love put into this room. And the day of the shower, a lot of birds flew around rejoicing. It was as though I had my own winged messengers foretelling the coming of the birth of my son. He was born about a week later...the happiest day of my life (thus far).

cake at my shower: robin with nest
(this photo and cake courtesy of my twin sister and birth partner)

The next big family birthday celebration is for one of my brothers who will turn the big 5-0 in April. After which, I'll be thinking about a very special cake for the following month. By then I trust my home will be sold and I'll be in that in-between stage just preparing to move without the stress of still having the house on the market. In May, I hope to still be here at the farmhouse to celebrate my son's first birthday party. My plan is to move by June 1st, if it all goes smoothly. I can't believe that is only 3 months away.

It will fly, like all the birds in the room of his first waking memories...

16 comments:

järnebrand said...

Beautiful post. I absolutely love the photos, especially the close up one of the bird. And the one of the frontierswoman gathering her firewood, too. :)
Time flies. June will be here soon. The light and the sun will return. Stuck in a blizzard, like I am today, I know this. But it still feels far away. You take care.

nancy said...

Thanks Jo - please do call me Nancy. S'my name! :) Yes, it's still snowing here, but I know it's not far away. And so much to do before all the snow melts! Keep warm and keep smiling...

Brian Miller said...

wonderful pics...look at his face! hope the move goes well and you fly fly fly...

Anonymous said...

Oh, that little face! And his precious little hands... he looks like a delighted scientist.

Lovely. Just lovely. Except for having to leave your beautiful farm house... I couldn't. I just couldn't.

nancy said...

thanks for the vote of confidence, Ti. HA HA! seriously. my heart will be pulled six ways of Sunday over this, but i know it's time...and he will be happier in some noisy neighbourhood filled with kids. i will miss the silence, but at least i will enjoy adult conversation again. 'stead of talking to the cows by myself out here.

Cam said...

Nancy, your farmhouse is so beautiful, and tranquil, and...I would just love to live there! I also crave community, but you've got a pretty tempting scene there!

Katherine Krige said...

That is a heart-break, but I certainly understand. It looks like a beautiful home that you have, but people and community are important. Good luck with selling.

Michael said...

Happy 9 months to your Sonshine and Well Wishes to moving back into the race, though I'd imagine the firewood will miss you guys.

Ciara Brehony said...

Oh Nancy, I know exactly what you mean that your heart will be pulled six ways when you have to leave. We too live in a heavenly place as you know, and to be honest, even though I am always thinking about the advantages of moving, especially now as the eldest is really feeling the remoteness, and my heart truly is still the urbanite, some days I don't know if I ever will be able to leave. It has become such a part of us, particularly as three of the children were born in the house, and the eldest was only four months old when we moved in...
I do crave an more urban life, and in some ways I am glad we can't afford to move because I think I would go insane if I had to make that choice!!

That picture of your room with the birds strung all around is simply stunning. Oh it's just gorgeous! And yes, I ADORE your ingenious lampshade, however did you guess I would!! I might just have to steal your idea...

So, congratulations on Nine Months! It truly is a milestone, and the beginning of the next phase of his life. What an adorable picture, and adorable bonny boy!!

nancy said...

thanks, Cam, Katherine, Michael and Ciara. i know it's a heart tug. but i've been embracing change (as you well know) since making the first step of change in my life - leaving my marriage 3 years ago. this house began as mine and my husband's, and with all the wonderful memories it carries, there are some sad ones within these walls, too, that i'd like to let go of myself. i am excited to begin a new beginning somewhere in a home that is truly mine and my son's, ours from the beginning and see where life takes us from there. thanks all, for your warm and supportive comments.

Mimi said...

Nancy, I can see how it will tear at you to leave the farmhouse (even though I don't do remote!)- it looks like a wonderful house. But time does march on, as Sonnie's latest pic shows, and we have to move with it.
You can keep the good memories, and just let the sad ones fly away on the wind..
Hope all goes well with the move, I'm sure it will and that you'll find the perfect buyer and the perfect new home.

minh said...

I feel like "nooooooo...don´t do it!" but I also know that you make the best decisions for yourself and your sonshine.
A beautiful story with the pics, the one about robins brought tears to my eyes. You write so beautifully.

We don´t have the tradition of baby showers here in Finland, but it seems like a great idea, celebrating the pregnancy and welcoming the baby.

Did you give a homebirth as well? I´m really impressed and respect that a LOT. It must be something else to give birth at home, with family around, everything safe and homely, no beeping machines and cold hospital corridors...but it also requires a lot of confidence, I wouldn´t have been able to do that when I had my son, I was only 20 at the time and didn´t trust myself in these matters.
Good luck with selling the house!
Annami

nancy said...

thanks Mimi - this is true. i love your "i don't do remote"... ;)

thanks Annami - no, i tried to have a homebirth, but there were complications - i laboured at home for 12 hours but then my water broke and meconium was detected which can be serious so i was transferred to hospital at that point (no choice but i went willingly - anything to make sure the baby was safe). here is my story.

Anonymous said...

Masses of good luck with the house sale. What adorable photos and a beautiful house.

CJ xx

Robin said...

Your sonshine truly is a wee bit of sunshine in all our lives.

Best of luck with the moves Nance, I know you'll make your next house a home in no time, wherever it may be.

imbeingheldhostage said...

Gorgeous tour, post, photos and lOVE your house. The print is lovely too, thanks for the link for the reference.

The things we do (give up) to keep smiles on our beautiful little-ones faces...