Love in Feb.

Daniel and I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. We never have. Okay, scratch that...we don't celebrate Valentine's day together....My mother loves Valentine's day and always sends a card and a box of homemade Valentine cookies...and Daniel and I eat them UP! We love them and we always love our card. In fact, the cookies were so good this year I didn't remember to take a picture of them all laid out until they were all gone! Thanks mom!

This is just to say that although Valentine's day came and went for us this year as it does every year, we had a most magical month full of love. My dear lady friends from NYC and NJ threw a fabulous shower for me and reminded me that even here, in this cold state far from old friends and family we are surrounded by people who care. I've had people walk me to the subway in the freezing sleet/slush/snow making sure that I do not fall on my butt. I've had offers for friends to watch Pascal if we have to run to the hospital quickly. It is SO VERY good to feel loved.

The baby has shown me some love too. She now kicks for some favorite songs and books and she seems to have figured out that her momma is in pain if she lays her head into my round ligament. My new favorite move is feeling her kick when I'm swimming on my back. It's like we are both saying, "we love love love the water! and the water loves us back!"

Daniel, of course, cannot stay still so he has tirelessly created the nursery/office henceforth known as the noffice. This has been a labor of love. His favorite books went away and then he let me PAINT one of his bookshelves!!! He fixed up a wardrobe for the baby (I'm not sure that there was any love shed on the doors..they were a pain). He's put up the crib, assembled the high chair, and then last night of all things he finished the floor to our bedroom so now the entire upstairs has a new clean splinter free floor.

I've tried to remain vigilant about my writing but I took a break over the last week to create some nursery art. I love these little owls, I saw them online for 45 dollars a piece and then once I enlarged the picture I said....I CAN DO THAT! So I broke out the paint, the collage paper and some glue and I think they turned out okay! And I think the frames were a dollar, I painted them with leftover primer and the paper ran me about 5 bucks...so I just saved around 120 dollars! And I LOVE saying that!

I sit here in the Feb.'s last hurrah of a snowstorm and await the spring (which I also love and feel I shall adore it doubly this year).

Love to all,

Stephanie