Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Final Preparations for Nutterbutter's Arrival

Here we are on the night of September 25th, or as we might call it, Nutterbutter Eve. Tomorrow is the official due date for her arrival. No signs of labor yet. But below, as you will see, the house is ready. And we are ready too. The excitement level around here is pretty amazing.


We start with an assortment of clothes, almost all of it the result of the incredible generosity of family and friends. We cannot put into words how much we appreciate it all. And John finds it difficult to think about how all of these clothes will no longer fit by spring. Unreal.



And here we have a picture of the three items that John will constantly put on Nutterbutter. Do you really need all of those clothes when you have a Mets t-shirt, a Who onesie, and a Yale onesie? I mean, really.




And no blog post would be complete without some good old fashioned belly photos. For those of you (John included) who might have thought the belly could only stretch so far, here we have proof of the wonder of the human body. Sarah's belly is a constant source of movement and joy. Apparently it is also a source of heartburn, or at least that is the explanation given for the late night runs to Dairy Queen for blizzards.


Sarah's size is one thing, but last week when we visited the doctor and got our final ultrasound, Nutterbutter's weight was estimated at 7 lbs 9 oz. And apparently she will gain another pound in the last week. Holy mackerel! This is a great excuse for the belly size, but a scary thought when it comes to the actual delivery.


Has there been a demand for pictures of John's belly? No. But really, all of those pictures of Sarah's belly over the past months have made it necessary to give at least some time to the other belly in the house. No significant difference over the last nine months. And as you will see, no six-pack either.



We have the clothes and we've got the bodies, but do we have the room? That is the question on everyone's mind, right? Well, it may not have been keeping you up at night, but it has certainly been a big concern here. The baby's room needed to be painted, furniture needed to be assembled, and everything needed to be properly arranged. Much to John's surprise, much of this involved baskets. Who knew?


Our first photo shows the alcove in Nutter's room. The first item that should draw your eye rests in the right corner. It is a beautiful Moses basket that Sarah's Mom made. The white ruffle you see is actually taken from Sarah's wedding dress. Grandma Gayle is also waiting for word of Nutter's actual name so she can finish the tooth fairy pillows, also made from the wedding dress. Needless to say, we are all very impressed with and thankful for Grandma Gayle's handiwork.


The second picture also represents skilled handiwork. And no, this is not another reference to how we put together the crib. Take a close look at the crib bumper and bedskirt. Those items are the work of Nutter's Great Aunt Teri.




Here's a closer look at the bumper. Great Aunt Teri didn't stop there, however. There's also a quilt and a cute pillow that matches. Sarah and John love it all, and are happy with the way it has all come together. And John is excited that part of this process included finding where all the great quilting stores in Lexington are located.


And the last picture highlights the place that we expect to spend a lot of time with Nutterbutter, reading her stories and rocking her to sleep. Don't worry, all visitors will have the opportunity to sit in this chair. It is very comfortable and rocks very smoothly. And in case you haven't already noticed, the walls have changed color since last they were on the blog. John was able to get this room painted once school started. That means one less room left to paint in the house. Good times.

So there it is, the last post before Nutter's arrival. We are very excited and can't wait to share her arrival with our family and friends!