PIXIEPRINTS

We’re only 11 days away from Little One’s ETA! 

Week 38 - only two weeks to go! 

We had a fantastic time with Jonny’s family last weekend!  Sean was in town after six months working overseas, which was so fun because we had not seen him since revealing the news over Christmas that he was going to be an Uncle.  Sean’s visit also provided the perfect opportunity to ask him if he would be Little One’s Godfather - he loves kiddos and we know he is going to do an awesome job!  We also celebrated Deb’s birthday and Father’s Day with Stan. It was beautiful to witness Stan & Deb’s obvious happiness that exuded from having both of their boys together under one roof --- “all the chicks in the nest.”  Baby P will soon experience the blessings of having such fun grandparents and uncles! 

Sean, Deb, and JP sampling Indy microbrews at Brew-Ha-Ha on Mass Ave. 

This week kicked-off my maternity leave and I didn’t realize just how much I needed this refreshing time until it actually started. I went to a friend’s pool for a few hours on Monday, which reminded me of my childhood definition of “summer.”  Movements in the water felt weightless and effortless and free.  It took so much pressure off my hips and when I left the pool, all I could think about was that I want a pool in our backyard!  Does Target sell kiddie-pools for adults?   

Poolside Relaxing! 

I have been washing all of Baby’s clothes, bedding, and blankies and have started reading a few books that have (admittedly) been collecting dust since we first learned of our pregnancy. One of these books is called Great With Child and was recommended by my friend Chandra – an educator, dedicated wife, exceptional mother to a cutie-patootie named Lincoln, and an entrepreneur (check out her simplification + organization business here)!  While lounging poolside, a certain paragraph in Great With Child stuck out to me: 

Relating to this paragraph

This book (and our beautiful friends & family), continue to reinforce that everything I am experiencing is normal.  The exhaustion. The splatter of emotions.  The nesting. It’s all part of the path that leads to a new life – a life of “pixie prints that no one else can make.”  

FATHER

“I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us.” – Umberto Eco

FULL TERM! Keep-on-cookin-baby, but we're ready when you are! 

We joyfully dedicate today’s blog to our Fathers - two inspiring men who have taught us, and continue to teach us, oh-so-much!

LESSONS KRISTIE HAS LEARNED FROM GARY:  

1.       Push Yourself.   Growing up, my dad coached my soccer team, “The Loveland Lightning,” for 8 years.  He gave up countless weeknights and weekends, all while studying for his MBA. It was sometimes hard being the coach’s daughter because I felt he was tougher on me than the other girls. On the field he used to say, “Kristie! PUSH YOURSELF!!”  I hated this … a lot. J  But I eventually learned that I was an excellent slide-tackler (and I still have a hematoma on my shin to prove it).  My Dad taught me that if I found something I enjoyed and pushed myself to excel, I could be great!  Success is always an option if you work hard enough.   

2.       Give.  There are lots of stories about my dad getting in trouble when he was a little kid. My favorite is the one about him starting a fire under the front porch of his parents’ house.   As he grew into an adult, he remained a goofball, although a bit more grounded. For example, after winning a City Amateur Golf Tournament, he dedicated his win to a local boy that recently passed away from a heart defect.  After becoming a father, my Dad remained a kid-at-heart, but continued to set an example of giving.  When Korey was born, he ran around the hospital excitedly handing out candy to everyone he saw – even to those who weren’t a part of Korey’s delivery. There’s unlimited happiness (and fun) to be found in giving unto others.

3.       A Family that Boats Together, Stays Together.  Every family eventually reaches a certain pinnacle of “busy.”  There are lots of groundhog days: wakeup, school/work, practice, homework, dinner, more homework, bed.   Wash. Rinse. Repeat.  But then one year, my parents bought a boat. It was a Celebrity named “Cheers” and we loved every little teak-wood inch of it.  Just about every other weekend in the summertime we’d drive 3.5 hours to Lake Cumberland, KY --- leaving the Groundhog behind. Right before I married Jonny, my dad told me how happy he was that I was marrying a boater.  “A family that boats together, stays together,” he said.  We can’t wait to put our Little One on the boat and make memories, just like the awesome ones my parents created for us on Lake Cumberland. 

LESSONS JONNY HAS LEARNED FROM STAN:  

1.      There isn’t a problem, just a different solution.  My dad has a fix for anything.  Whether it is a way to fix an appliance or push through a work issue (as he calls them, “opportunities”), he can always figure out a way to better the situation.  He always finds a different way to approach things when my line of thinking gets blocked.  If you need proof, go to his garage and tell him a certain tool you need.  He can either find one or get something that will do the job even better.  It isn’t the problem that you need to think about, it’s how to solve it.

2.       Camping is fun.  Actually camping is therapeutic.  Our family has had lots of great camping trips over the years.  When we were little, we would camp at Raystown Lake, and then we had scouting trips.  We also had overnight camping trips to the farm.  Being out there in the “wilderness” gave me a lot of great memories that I will never forget, but it also taught me valuable skills of how to make do with what we had.  We learned to be resourceful, adaptive, and cook some mean grub over the fire.   Camping isn’t just about setting up a tent and sleeping in a bag, it is about learning, doing, and having a lot of fun spending uninterrupted time with your family around the fire.

3.       Don’t be afraid to try.  This isn’t something my Dad has actually ever said to me, but the man can do about anything when it comes to building, repairing or remodeling.  When we first moved into our house in Loveland, we had a typical basement.  He spent countless hours transforming it into a space that we spent a lot of time in as kids.  Now, I haven't learned how to finish a basement (yet), but I have learned how to think through a project.  I have also learned not to step on nails.  My Dad and I are working to build some cabinets for our kitchen at the moment.   Do I know how to build cabinets?  NOPE! But I am learning and once this project is completed, it will probably be one of my favorite parts of our house.

A father nurtures, supports, coaches, and protects. Jonny will surely pass these lessons down to our Little One, a reflection of the limitless love we have received from our remarkable fathers!

Here are some pictures of Jonny’s fathers-day (to-be) weekend celebration: 

Father's Day breakfast - homemade banana muffins (coffeeeee on the side)! 

Jonny napping in his new hammock - made in the shade! 

Italian Fest downtown, where a couple of Catholic Sisters gave us a rubber baby to demonstrate how big our baby was 25 weeks ago. We have come a LONG WAY! 

Jonny and his new axe - it's time to chop down some trees! 

Looks like JP is going to do just great pushing a stroller in a few weeks! 

Trees are down and we're ready for a bonfire tonight :) 

Power-washing where the trees used to be.  This is Jonny's version of "nesting." 

Dad! You're the best, you're the best!  I'm so excited that I dunked my beard a little too deep in the water bowl! 

Happy Father's Day, Dad! I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for this day!!! 

Tired from alllll the fun we've had on Father's Day! Time for a snuggle & a snooze! 

BOATING

From the beginning, I have told people how fortunate we feel to be having a baby – pregnancy is a beautiful gift.  Not wanting to be the person who complains about being tired, nauseous, etc., I try to stay focused on the positive. But the truth is – many things really are much less comfy right now.  One night last week, I was lying on the floor and Jonny was massaging my hips, which have lately become very sore.  I asked Jonny “why do you think this is happening?” and he said “Why do most people have morning sickness and you didn’t? I guess it’s just a tradeoff.”  True-dat, JP.

Professional photo of our Beautiful Gift 

So, in keeping with my commitment to the positive, I give you my top ten reasons why pregnancy has been a beautiful gift:

1.       Watching Jonny’s eyes open with excitement when he sees or feels the baby move

2.       Imagining what (and who) the baby will look like

3.       Absorbing the irreplaceable advice, love, and support from our “village”

4.       Creating four new and totally excited grandparents

5.       Receiving compliments from friends & strangers. It never gets old to hear “you look great!”

6.       Learning, more than ever, how well I trust my own instincts and intuition

7.       Feeling the baby grow. Tiny butterflies transform into tumbles, punches, and stretches

8.       Discovering how much love you can have for someone you haven’t even met yet

9.       Letting people rub my tummy, especially when they’ve never felt a baby belly before

10.   Anticipating how we’ll be as parents. And knowing (deep-down) that we’ll be great.

Now, I’m not a saint. And so I’ll take this time to admit that I am REALLY ready for a glass of wine. 

Hopefully only 4 more weeks of these chalkboard updates! 

We brought our boat home from Kentucky for the summer.  We decided it’s comforting to know that if we’re craving some wind in our hair, our favorite toy is right in the driveway. Parked and taunting us. Saturday was one of those 75°-and-sunny kind of days … and we just couldn’t resist.  Eight months pregnant or not, I am a boater ... and now Baby P is too! 

We recently bought a new DSLR camera and below is one of the first pictures we took: Conley basking in the sunlight of “his room” (i.e. the Baby’s nursery).  Both of our boys seem to understand that a big change is coming in the next few weeks. They follow me everywhere I go and like to nudge their noses up to my tummy.  Two very protective big brothers! 

Conley loves sleeping in the Baby's Room --- waiting for Little One's arrival! 

THIRTY FIVE

It’s week 35 and there’s only 35 days left until “Little One’s” arrival! Here are some pictures & updates from our past few weeks:

Gramma Kiki visits us in Indianapolis/Cincinnati for a family baby shower! 

Week 33 was a week of Baby Shower fun!  My “P&G family” hosted a shower at work - an overwhelming display of adorableness.  My co-workers have become like family over the past seven years and I feel indescribably lucky to have such generous & thoughtful colleagues.  We were also thrown a gorgeous baby shower by our families.  It was the first time our parents were all together since we revealed the news of our bundle-of-joy --- truly the greatest gift of all. The shower had a “cute as a button” theme and it could not have been more heartfelt. Yet another remarkable display of affection for Baby P, who is already loved by so very many! 

The "Cute As A Button" Cake from our Shower

My mom stayed in town the week after the baby shower to help us with some “nesting.”   I could go on-and-on about all the projects she helped us with, but will instead focus on two appliances that she introduced to our home: an Iron and a Sewing Machine.

34 weeks - Baby weighs as much as a cantaloupe! 

KRISTIE vs. THE IRON

I have a love/love relationship with my dry cleaner (big shout-out to Kelly Kidd if you are reading this)!  There’s honestly never been a moment in my life when I’ve thought “I should just iron this instead of taking it to the cleaner.” Up until a few weeks ago, I didn’t even own an iron.  Jonny used to have a red one and I hid it in the deep, dark corner of our laundry room cabinet where it would never be seen (or used).  My mom, on the other hand, loves to iron EVERYTHING. She irons pajamas. She irons pillowcases. She irons dish towels. As I said, EVERYTHING.  So when she bought me an iron a few weeks ago, I ran like hell – far, far, away.  I pouted and kicked and screamed “why are you doing this to me?????” (a slight exaggeration perhaps, but that’s how I felt).  So when I bought some new bedding for our master, my mom suggested I iron the sheets... and the dust ruffle... and the duvet. And just to make her happy and to prove to her that I could iron without grimacing, I did it.   And you know what? I LIKED IT!  I have been thinking ever since about what I want to iron next - probably the cute hospital gowns and PJ's that my mom bought me for the hospital. Sometimes (most times), moms really do know best!  

Kiki's sewing expertise coming to life in the nursery - hemmed curtains & tailored changing pad cover

KRISTIE vs. THE SEWING MACHINE

My mom gave us a sewing machine as a baby shower gift, which is very special because I have so many memories of my mom sewing as I was growing up --- especially around Halloween. She always made our costumes: a crayon, a dinosaur, a princess, little red riding hood, etc.  I remember one year she was extra-busy with work and she didn’t have time to sew me a costume. She creatively whipped up an idea in less than 10 minutes: put a black garbage bag over my head, stuffed the inside with cotton, and glued fake leaves to the outside. “Tell them you’re a bag of leaves,” she said.  “Oookkkkk,” I tentatively responded as I waddled out the door wearing my garbage bag sweat-suit.  After ringing a few doorbells, people kept asking if my costume was a tree.  This was very upsetting to me and I think it was the last year I went trick-or-treating.  What can I say? I was very spoiled by her many awesome costumes from previous years.  I am excited to take some sewing lessons so I can walk in Mama Dub’s footsteps and create similar memories for our kiddos to laugh about one day. 

Week 35 - Baby weighs as much as a Honeydew Melon! 

Week 35 marks a few Baby P milestones. For starters, Kiki got to hear Little One's heart beat proudly & strongly at our last doctor’s appointment. The baby was so happy about this that he/she kicked the doctor after he put the Doppler on my stomach.  Secondly, after 35 weeks the doctor has very few concerns about the baby requiring prenatal care. The kidneys and liver are fully developed and the lungs are just growing stronger by the day. Our baby’s biggest job right now is to get nice & plump – to gain about ½ lb. per week.  

Jonny and I are having lots of fun tickling the baby lately, which usually causes him/her to move.  I’m really craving drinks right now and am constantly thirsty. Sometimes I go to the refrigerated drink section of our Fresh Market and I just stare at it for minutes at a time … debating which flavored tea or soda I want to try.   So if you see a very pregnant lady at your local grocery store just staring into space and appearing lost or indecisive, just leave her alone.  I promise you - she’s working through a lot of things in her head at that moment and trying to make a big decision. J  

And on a final note, our baby experienced his/her first Indy 500 this year. It was a wild day with our hilarious friends that we love so much! 

Rickshaw nonsense at the Indy 500

MOTHER

“Mom is such a small word for something that means ‘everything in the world.’”

Baby weighs 3.75 lbs. --- getting chubbier everyday! 

In honor of Mother’s Day, Jonny and I thought it would be fun to share 3 things that each of our exceptional Moms has taught us.  These are lessons we will pass along to our Little One:  

Lessons Kristie has learned from Cathi: 

1.       Color outside the lines.  Be unique, think big, and don’t be afraid to go against the grain once in a while … especially if it will lead you to happiness. I promise that if your kindergarten teacher calls me with concerns that you don’t color inside the lines, I won’t be mad. In fact, I will be smiling inside.

2.       Respect yourself.   When you lay your head on the pillow at the end of each day, you want to feel proud of yourself.  Don’t let the popular opinion negatively influence the person you are or the person you can be.  And give others that same respect.

3.       Don’t say “hate.” You should especially avoid this word when speaking about your mother.  Trust me on this. When you are 10 years old and want to test the boundaries just to see what happens when you say those three little words (“I hate you”), you’ll be immediately heartbroken.   

Lessons Jon has learned from Deb: 

1.       Never be satisfied.  Watching my Mom as I grew up taught me to always strive to be the best, and do the best.  She often told me I was a great kid, but when I could improve, she would definitely let me know.  She taught me to always work hard to be better.  Even when I thought I had something down-pat, she could offer advice on how to improve.  She knew everything from English papers to trumpet solos, and taught me to better myself at everything she could.  

2.       Always care for others.  Throughout my childhood, my mom was always helping others.  Her other full time job (besides dressing Sean and I for sledding in the snow) was in-home health care.  Her patients were a top priority, even though there were many times of uncertainty and danger. Despite this, she continued to do her job because she enjoyed helping others.  Currently working in a school system, her students mean the world to her and she works tirelessly to help shape their futures.  No matter how small the help, or thankless the job, she has shown me that helping others is a sure way to increase your own happiness.

3.       Be Accountable.  As with all moms, my Mom is extremely busy.  Even though Sean and I are "out of the house," she still has a million things going on every day.  Even with all of the jobs that she does, she is always accountable to do what she says she will.  If I, or my newly growing family, needed anything, she would offer to help and you could take that offer to the bank.  She always says what she means, and does what she says.  

There is one last lesson from BOTH of our parents: “be good.”  This has been a phrase we first heard as children and have continued to hear ever since. To this day, most of the phone conversations with our parents end with “Be good. Love you!”   We love this Warzala-Pritchard tradition ... definitely one we'll be using as we raise Baby P!

Mother’s Day is dedicated to the wonder-women who raise their kiddos with so much unconditional love.   I can’t wait to be swallowed by that unimaginable amount of love that a mother has for her child. Only 8 short weeks to go… 

Playing our wedding song ("Whatever It Is" - Zac Brown Band) for the little Wiggle-Worm

Planted 7 flats of Begonias in honor of Mother's Day --- it's finally Springtime!  

Jonny lounging with the dogs on our comfy new deck furniture. 

Perfect ending to a perfect Mother's Day (to be) --- YUMMM!

DREAMS

Baby P is exactly two months away from his/her ETA!

16" and 3.3 lbs --- about to hit another growth spurt! 

I have read that the baby’s arms & legs are now proportionate to the head … and it definitely feels that way.  Baby P's "wiggleworm" personality has not changed one bit.  Sometimes it feels like he/she is rocking back and forth underneath my ribs, as if trying to get a back scratch.  And there are other times when a little foot presses up on my stomach and then stays there, just as happy as can be. I love to gently push back on that little foot and to feel the reaction of the baby moving away. It’s like we are communicating without any words and those moments are so special.  Above all, Jonny and my favorite movements are those super-strong ones that cause my shirt to jump off my belly, which is the craziest thing to see. They happen in the blink-of-an-eye, but when we catch one it bewilders both of us. We are really, actually, truly having a baby.  And it is growing bigger and stronger every single day.

I also read that the baby can now dream when he/she sleeps. And this has me wondering: what does a baby who has yet to be born actually dream about? Are the dreams about things that the baby can experience in the womb: our voices, music, or what it’s like to see light instead of darkness?  Or are the dreams just like the ones people have? And if the latter, how does the baby know about the vast possibilities of dreams having not yet experienced all of the things that this beautiful life has to offer?

Whatever he or she is dreaming of, I hope the dreams are B-I-G. And sweet. And full of potential. And I hope at least one of them is about how it will feel to be held by his/her Mom & Dad for the first time --- because that’s definitely what we’ve been dreaming about lately.

With Love,

Kristie 

HAPPY

As I write this we are inching near the 31 week milestone … only 64 days until THE day! 

30 Weeks along ... 10 more to go! 

Last week was a bit of an emotional vortex in the Pritchard house.  Forest (our “big dog”) was diagnosed with cancer.  I cried every day for a week upon learning this news.  And the tears weren’t small & pretty. They were torrential rainfall kind of tears that don’t stop until your eyes are physically incapable of producing more salty drops of sadness.  And when the physical tears vanished, my attention diverted to a throbbing heartache. Each heartbeat felt like a mallet to a gong – vibrating and permeating my body with the twinge of reality that we’ll soon be missing the sound of 4 paws clickity-clacking around our house.  

But one cannot simmer in weeks such as those without eventually collapsing into the arms of hope. I began to think about how many tears I’ve avoided in the past 8 years as a result of Forest’s gentle, unconditional love.  About how one swat of his paw in request of an ear-scratch could bring a smile to my face (and still can).  He has raised Jonny and I to be a stronger couple. We value the selfless act and responsibility of caring for something other than ourselves --- more than we care about ourselves most days.  The volume of tears I cried last week will never outweigh all the laughter he has given us. And so, I am resolved to make the time we have left with Forest a time that is filled with h-a-p-p-i-n-e-s-s. 

Forest being a happy dog ... he has the sweetest eyes! 

We’ve since been spoiling the Big Dog with lots of non-traditional treats: peanut butter, snickerdoodle cookies, rawhide bones… even some Worcestershire sauce.  We also outfitted him with some kickin’ boots (or “Air Jordans,” as Jonny calls them) to wear around the house, which give his hips some relief when he walks on our hardwood floors. He is happily following us around much more easily than he has been in the past few weeks.  His hardest time of day is nighttime, so we have been waking up intermittently throughout the night to pet him on the head and soothe him until he falls back asleep.  In keeping with my promise to find the “happy” in things, I remind myself that the nighttime snuggles are Forest’s way of training us for our lives with a baby. 

In baby news, I was showered in Cincinnati last weekend by some of my gorgeous girlfriends from near & far!  Every last detail was so personal and thoughtful. They knew I have been craving cheese & sweets, so they served different snacks with pasteurized feta and the most beautiful desserts. I literally ate 4 cake pops …. (shhhhh, don’t tell)!  And we played a fun game of matching celebrities to their kids’ names, which I won and didn’t mind bragging about - ha! Everyone was so generous with advice, gifts, and most of all, sincere friendship. My heart overflows with gratitude to have such wonderful girls – I can’t imagine a full life without each of them.   

Baby P getting lots of rubs & kisses at the shower!  

We now visit the OBGYN every two weeks and had another visit this week.  Our pregnancy continues to progress as beautifully as we could have imagined. The baby's measurements are right on track and his/her heartbeat continues to strum proudly & strongly (156 bpm)! It really seems that as soon as we’ve left one appointment we’re heading back to another --- time is FLYING!  Our nursery is still coming together and our next job is to start hanging some framed artwork on the walls … want a sneak peek??

Yesssssss, Baby P! You will be a sleeper! 

... Jonny is still trying to learn this lesson :)