Seeing as I'm a first time mom (and delusional) I've compiled a list of projects I want to do before Lovey arrives that is about a mile long (orange items are the ones that are most important to finish before our baby is born).

1. Noah's Ark X-Stitch (my progress so far...actually I'm a little bit farther than this but I have to back track a little because I screwed up...again)

2. A little baby quilt (never made a quilt before but it's going to be all squares...how hard could that be right?)

3. Washable nursing pads (something like these)

4. A fabric ball and blocks (like this).

5. A wrap or two. Which should take all of 10 minutes according to those instructions.

6. Some little shoes (I like Robeez but I don't like leather).

7. Maybe some burp cloths (I know you can just use prefold diapers but I'd like a few colorful ones. As an artist I have an obsession with all things colorful and pretty).

8. Maybe some bibs?

9. Maybe do some applique on some onesies? Like this.

10. A quiet book (for Church).

11. A seek and find toy (also for Church). Like this or this.

12. A blessing dress made out of my wedding dress and my baptism dress.

13. Some simple dresses made out of the same fabric I'm using to make some skirts for myself. Then baby and I can match! It's gonna be SO CUTE (and cheesy).

14. Some X-stitch booties. I have the booties already (bought them at a craft store with a gift card). I just have to pick a design to stitch on the bottoms.

15. Some hats on my knitting loom. So easy!!!

16. And for me...some skirts (suitable for maternity wear and normal wear)

17. Also for me, some no-slip socks (with puffy paint) so I stop falling down the stairs (I'll explain further down).

18. And lastly (for me) mail off my labor beads.

OK, so before you get too baffled wondering what labor beads are let me explain.

I belong to an online due date club. All the moms and moms-to-be are due in December. About 30 of us are buying beads for each other. We'll mail them all (with little notes explaining why we chose the beads we did and wishes for the best) to the lady organizing the swap and she'll sort them out so each person has one bead from each other person. She will then mail the beads back to us. We then string the beads onto a necklace. That necklace is for wearing when we go into labor. It's a neat reminder or how we're all thinking of each other and supporting each other. And after we give birth we can use them as nursing necklaces (click here for an explanation of what a nursing necklace is).

I picked out little glass leaf beads in honor of the new additions to everyone's family trees! I'd show you a picture but the camera batteries need recharged. So I'll probably just wait until the necklace is made and take a picture then.

If any of my friends or family want to send me a bead to add to my necklace I would really love that. I'm very sad that I won't be able to share this exciting time with you in person and the symbolism of having a bead from you with me while I'm in labor would mean a lot to me.

And now...for the stair story:
Monday as I was coming down the stairs in the morning I slipped (who would have thought carpet could be so slippery?). I didn't fall far but I fell hard. I had just been reading in one of my pregnancy books the night before about how important it is to not get jostled in the second and third trimester because you can dislodge the placenta (and that's bad!). The book even emphasized that even a minor fender bender should warrant a visit to the doctor to make sure baby is OK, even if mom isn't hurt. I tried to call the maternity clinic to ask if I needed to come in. I got a machine. So I tried calling the hospital (because I didn't have the number specifically for labor and delivery) and went straight to hold without getting to talk to a real person. So I hung up and tried the clinic again. This time I got through and they told me that since I was past 20 weeks they wanted me to go to labor and delivery and get checked out. Of course, I'm horribly shaken up over the whole thing. I didn't know how to get a hold of Adam so I had to call his boss and tell him I needed Adam to come home and take me to the hospital. Fortunately Adam is currently working at a job site that is nearby and he got home quickly. In the end baby was fine and I was fine other than being sore and being emotional. Of course...the very next day I slipped and almost fell again. So yes...I'll be making no slip socks. And my land lords are reinstalling the handrails as I type (they were being refinished).

Now, do I think I'm going to get all those projects done? Eh....maybe not. But I've split everything up into steps. If I do two steps (any two steps) per day and I cross-stitch for 30 minutes a day I should be done with time to spare. The trick will be making sure I do a little something every day. But it'll be worth it. I used to have a stretchy wrap on my online registry. It was one of the more affordable wraps. But even affordable wraps get quite pricey. Making my own is going to save us quite a bit! And a lot of the projects on my list (quilt, ball/blocks, dresses) are going to be made almost entirely out of supplies I already have on hand. If I was a better seamstress (and even more ambitious than I already am) I might try to sew some diapers. But I figure it'll be a miracle if I even finish all these projects.

I just want to say "CONGRATULATIONS" again to my dear friend Nora! Nora was married for time and all eternity this past Saturday in St. Louis MO. I'm very, very happy for her! Her and her new hubby look so perfect together and she looked absolutely beautiful in her wedding gown.

Well...my friend just dropped off the latest book in the Twilight series. So I'm going to get started without further delay!

Again, I miss all of you who are far away! I'm always happy to get a letter, e-mail, message on Facebook, etc. so please keep in touch!