(With apologies to Lori as this post may be teetering on the edge of the annoying nursery post).
9. You ask your husband to replace the tired old kitchen light bulb with this super cool cherry light. "Kids will like this!"
8. There are balloons at your dinner parties. Balloons that YOU provided.
7. You jump for joy after finding these way cool Pottery Barn Kids book shelves on Craig's List.
(And Damn you Pottery Barn Kids! Why do you torment me? Why do you make me feel that my kids will only be happy in your beautiful monogrammed surroundings? I curse you and your pricey-ness!)
6. You dust off your tired old sock monkey collection in preparation for a possible second life. See the doll? A friend Steven works with found that doll and bought it for him, because it LOOKS EXACTLY like him! Imagine our surprise/horror when we shook the doll's hand and it said, "Hi, It's Me...Steve". Serendipitous Non? (Also, remind me to tell you the story of Monkton one day).
5. You purchase crafty letters for your kids' room. Doesn't matter that you don't know their names yet, everyone believes in PEACE right? I know that isn't the correct spelling, but the artist didn't make umlauts.
4. You set up a twin bed next to your queen bed to experiment with possible co-sleeping scenarios.
3. You invite previously uninvited four-legged creatures to sleep with you to experience possible co-sleeping situations. Note to those who may want to try this, canines dream in their sleep. Moses, apparently, dreams of running. His paws move when he dreams. His paws wake me from my restful slumber.
2. You are seen wearing an empty Ergo carrier in your living room. You are "making sure it fits".
And the Number one sign of possible proposal readiness and/0r extreme nesting is... Your idea of a rocking Saturday afternoon is hanging with this crowd.*
Those two in the middle did not appreciate our singing. Not one bit.Oh I forgot one...
You take this out of your music library to make room for this.
*Cutie Credits, from left to right...
Aliyah
Celeste
Zoe
Marley
Tessa (aka 'The Wren' nickname by Steven).
Judah
(Not pictured due to napping schedule, Mimi!)
Steven holds all other children up to 'The Wren.' Cindy you'll be happy to know that Steven thought Olly looked 'Wren-like', his highest compliment.
Oh, and in case you don't remember, The Wren is indeed the one who gave me a message from Ethiopia.
Special thanks to my amazing friends who include me in these gatherings even though I show up with nary a sippy cup, nor a playmate of suitable stature.
Posts
You are definitely ready!
ReplyDeleteI could not for the life of me figure out the first picture...a cherry lamp? I'm still not sure I get it.
I admire you for hanging out with the cuties, I haven't made it yet to any of the family events with the local Ethiopian adoption support group (though I've been to some of the parent-only meetings), it just feels too weird to show up alone. I'll have to work on getting over that.
I loved this post! SELAM in their room is so cute - how creative. Selam might just end up on my wall someday. Samba can't sleep with us because she has to sleep in the middle and pushes us to the edges of our queen bed. Of course, during a thunderstorm, she gets her way. Last night, to get myself wound down before bed, I went in the kids' room and read their bedtime stories. It felt so good!
ReplyDeleteOkay, we might have to start a support group for proposal waiters. I'm sorry you didn't win my little poll - how I wish! I'm coming to the realization that it could take months! Ahhhhhhh! Let's plan a trip somewhere or something to pass more time!
You will be so well prepared! Yep...I think you're ready. Come on proposal!!! It's time already!
ReplyDeleteyou're ready (need I say to The Fates that you've BEEN READY!!!!!!) and you're going to be the best parents ever. if you love the pottery barn kids stuff wander over to the Land of Nod. I'm convinced that one of the reasons my kids will need serious therapy is because their mother is a serious cheapskate.
ReplyDelete9 Reasons why you are the most fantastic mother:
ReplyDelete1. You understand large fruit over table is necessary to decor.
2. You provide balloons for entertainment.
3. You preserve college and retirement funds by finding pottery barn finds online.
4. You have family toys and a father figure doll.
5. Crafty letters (signature of a true nursery) and promoting spirituality.
6. You are arranging your room to share with little ones.
7. You benevolently practice co-sleeping (and are learning how to sleep and be kicked)!
8. You have already purchased your baby carrier and fitted it.
9. Your playdate's are already scheduled!
Shoot! You should be on a plane tomorrow!
Ha! That doll really does look like your husband! I thought that before I even read it...so crazy! :)
ReplyDeleteYup. You're ready! Any day now....
I'm shouting it from the mountain top - Julie is ready!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, this really is some serious nesting!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love it. Can't wait to read of your proposal.
selam!
emily
Hang in there! You'll get that call before you know it!! You're so ready, if you'd like you can borrow my little man for a bit on Saturday. I'm excited to finally meet you!
ReplyDeleteYes! Damn you, Pottery Barn, damn you!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, girl, you are nesting. And how. Love the cherry lamp and the little kid bed in your room. You are ready, more than ready, mama.
Christine
Oh, wait, I forgot to say that I so covet your Steve doll. (cue the angels singing....) My son loves Steve from Blues Clues and I never even knew the doll existed. If I got that for him, I think he would be apoplectic. Ebay, here I come!
ReplyDeleteChristine
That house (and that mama!) sure are ready for the pitter patter of little feet. Bring it on!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one hanging out with beautiful Ethiopian children while be classified as pre-adoptive. I love my local group. But let me tell you how jealous I am that you got to see Judah. He is my Wren. (I love that by the way.) An amen to the Pottery Barn comment. I just get my ideas from them and buy my items elsewhere. Or on clearance. I defenitly think you are ready for you proposal!
ReplyDeleteHmmm...Wren-like. I'm having a moment...I feel something coming on...like beaming myself from this chair over to the nearest pottery barn to buy some block letters which say "Wren-Like". Okay, maybe I won't do that, Olly might be confused when he learns to read...
ReplyDeleteGive Slo our biggest thanks for the compliment. :)
BTW, isn't that "Steve" guy from Blues Clues?
Cindy
Yes indeed, Steve from BC. When you squeeze his hand he also says,"You are amazing!" "Wow! You are Great!" "We are gonna play Blues Clues," "A clue? Where?" "Hi, it's me Steve" "You are so smart" "You are such a great friend" "I love playing Blues Clues" and then he sings..."You can be anything that you wanna be.." I put him in the bed with me when Slo is on location. He even has his brown eyes.
ReplyDeleteBTW, that cherry light - I am extremely jealous of it. If I weren't so against outright copying tactics-slash-design plagairism (somehow I know I'm spelling that word wrong), I might use some copying tactics.
ReplyDeleteLove it.
Cindy
I agree, you are so ready!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I too, curse pottery barn and their priciness!!!
That is some major nesting. I would say NOW is the time for that proposal.
ReplyDeleteHanging out with Ethiopian children is fantastic. It gives me so much hope and joy to see them so happy with their families.
p.s. PBK is the devil.
this post made me laugh out loud.
ReplyDeleteabsolutely ready-
co sleeping is working pretty well for us :)
Love the cherry light! Great post. You're ready!!!!
ReplyDeleteLeslie
I dig the cherry lamp. Makes me think of Neil Diamond. Hmmm. Weird it did that to me.
ReplyDeleteI L.O.V.E. the cherry light! I'm so coveting it. Oh and I want the sock monkey-in-the-box to!!
ReplyDeleteYep, you are soooo ready!! Come on proposal!!
ps Still laughing at the photo of Marley and Tessa's less then enthusiastic response to our fabulous singing!
You are going to be such an amazing mother. Wow, I cannot wait until you get your proposal. I haven't had my laptop working for a few days, and the first thing I did (well, after checking my email) was check to see if you had received it yet. It's coming soon. I know it.
ReplyDeletePottery Barn... I want to quit you.
ReplyDeleteI love it. I love that you are experimenting with various co-sleeping scenarios. R. spends half the night in her crib right NEXT to us, and half the night in BETWEEN us. It's nice. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not a nursery grump. I like your sheets.
ReplyDeleteI loooooove this post!
ReplyDeleteI agree with all the points fioli makes - so I won't repeat - read her post again and that's what I say too!
I covet very very little that others have - but I WANT that cherry kitchen lightbulb! I bought a fish shower curtain before our first arrived for the same reason.
I cannot co-sleep after months of trying. I can co-laydown, co-cuddle, co-complain, co-toss and turn, but after months of no sleep we did not try. I love the idea of the bed on the side of the bed and I think we will do this too.
You are sooooo ready!
As far as decor - if you let them pick they will never pick pottery barn - so don't worry - they will want ripped out pages of magazines and if they are like Q they will tape up the candy wrappers of their favorite candy bars all over their walls. Luckily it's inexpensive.
And my favorite - Selam - we will be copying.
Pottery Barn Kids - I finally began pitching the catalogs before paging through. But, NOT BEFORE I justified the double rocker, with down stuffing, in an appropriate fabric, as a way for all 4 of us to bond and attach to each other once MZ got home. It got lumped in with all the other adoption expenses. No wonder we did an ET adoption on a China budget!!
ReplyDeleteOh wait, is that a Pottery Barn bed I see in your room? I've coveted that bed...