surprise!

week 20 ultrasound.  first of all, found out the baby is healthy.  my due date was moved up 10 days, to october 17.  

this time around josh & i had the ultrasound tech write the gender on a piece of paper, then we went out to brunch to share a sweet moment together while we opened the envelope.  of course we ordered the bambino plate--scrambled eggs, bacon, & biscuit with honey butter, to split.  we waited until "dessert" (can you have dessert with brunch?)--three chocolate potato doughnuts with creme anglaise, to open the envelope to the biggest surprise--we're having a BOY!  (ironically, we'd chosen the restaurant tasty 'n sons for the moment of truth.  we have renamed it "mitchy 'n sons"...)  with our other two kids i've known instantly, intuitively, from the moment i discovered i was pregnant, not only what their gender was, but even some clue to their personality that has helped guide us into choosing their names.  but goodness.  i was even more convinced this time than with the other two that my intuition was right.  so i had a few minutes of shock.  not disappointment, just shock.  

so... i'll be passing this darling little dress that i bought for the little miss along to sara, & i'll have another little dude to sport those seersucker pants & guayabera shirt!  and, a whole lot of rowdy days ahead!  

josh told heron, who was disappointed to discover she's not getting a sister, "we think this one's gonna be a little wild..."   that thought is helping her warm up to the idea ;)

heron selah, age 4

happy birthday, lovely.

heron's special day

heron's fourth birthday began with some special heron + mama time, while the boys slept.  we looked at her baby pictures, & read about why we named her heron.

: once the boys were up she opened gifts from mama, papa, & nana :

after some playtime + trapeze class, we met up with our friends avalon + rachel at slappycakes (make-your-own-pancakes, right at your table!).

: A is for Avalon, H is for Heron, S is for Shepherd :

: each kid is given their own spatula :

: our friend miriam, a waitress at slappycakes, gave heron a special birthday treat :

(deep-fried banana + chocolate sauce + whipped cream with candles)

: mmm... :

: sharing her treat, & the inevitable griddle burn :

after pancakes avalon & rachel joined us for playtime at our neighborhood's peninsula park.  then we took naps, played with new toys, & ate heron's requested dinner--"daddy's burritos".  the day ended with a slumber party with mama.

our sick babies

: kids' sick day soon became family movie time :

(working from home has its perks)

: homemade pho :

: recovery : tea + books + fruit + sunshine :

little blue heron & the bird sanctuary

it has become our family tradition to take a birthday portrait of each of the kids just before their special day.  i enclose a little print of the photo in their party invitations.  little blue's fourth birthday is fast approaching, so, though she is not prone to enjoy portrait sessions, she agreed to let me take her picture, & chose portland's bird sanctuary (where it is currently "great blue heron week") for the location.  she wore a little vintage dress i'd picked out for this very occasion while we were touring through exeter, california, last summer.  (see portraits from year 1, year 2, and year 3)

we took some friends along (kari, tisha, & their babies!), hiked down into the ravine, & enjoyed a quilted picnic by the pond in the gazebo.

: the kids loved watching the newts at the bottom of the pond :

: after lunch, the official photo shoot began.  things got off to a bit of a cheesy start :

... not quite what i'd had in mind for portraits, but those pictures are SO heron!

: we hiked around, swung from trees, & took more candids :

(which capture our day's adventure, & more of who heron is at age almost-four)

i couldn't leave shepherd out of the shoot--he was looking so dapper in those seersucker pants + guayabera shirt!

finally, kari asked heron to sing us a song.  she immediately started singing bible songs, leaping from log to log, pausing every few minutes to look at me for a picture.  

it was a brilliant idea, & i finally got the shot i was hoping for! 

(posted on the blog on her birthday--may 29)

sewing dream machine

for a girl who once considered cloth to be her primary artistic medium, it has been almost soul-wrenching to live without a sewing machine for over a year.  my janome sewed one-too-many teepees (one for heron, one for a friend's school auction), without enough maintenance, oiling, & needle changes by her owner, and last february, finally gave up the ghost.  i have been loaned three machines over the past year+, but, wanting to spare the lives of friends' machines, have used them only occasionally.  a new machine was meant to be my christmas present, but i couldn't settle on the perfect one until i met this little beauty last week.  loyalties are changing--i love bernina!  & i can't wait to sew some summer dresses for my sweet little girl. 

donut date

every tuesday morning, while heron is in trapeze class, little man & i have a date.  we always share a vanilla steamer & a marionberry danish.  but today he requested an "old-fashioned donut".  note that this is not simply a "donut" to sheppy.  he actually said, "old-fashioned donut, please!" to the barista.  he is a very precise little guy!