Saturday, October 17, 2009

Baby Week


During the week that Seventh Grandson was born, I did take quite a few pictures, but I only lately managed to make them available to my blog. I present a sketchy photo journal of my time here with the family so far.



When I arrived in town, walking was the order of the day. Behind the hospital nature paths wind about, surrounded by ponds and trees such as these birches.




I am sleeping in a room with this quilt. A grandma in H's church made this quilt as a wedding present last year. This year she sewed a smaller quilt for Baby.




During the waiting time I sat in a corner of the hospital room and worked on potholder tops. This one uses some scraps from the crib quilt I made earlier.









After a while I did a second free-form design in aqua and purple.







In my sewing basket were two ratty and thin potholders I had basted together already. While H. was in early labor I put a bright spicy new cover on them/it. That item doesn't need to go home with me and get stuffed and backed, so I gave it to her potholder drawer already.




Fast forward to Day 3 or 4, and Baby is wrapped in The Quilt, showing its cozy Minky backing.














I took a video of eight deer on the back lawn, while the fawns were prancing about playing with each other. And this still shot of one of the deer looking into the laundry room window. The deer often study us through the windows when we are watching them.

It was raining the first two days of Baby's life, and when the rain stopped, the leaves had become autumnal.

Some Jonagolds that we got at the apple farm ten days ago went into this pie, which I baked in H's convection oven. Maybe the oven is the reason it came out looking so perfect? It didn't taste perfect, though, because those apples don't have enough complexity in their flavor.












Eleanor of Aquitaine is one of the household cats, and the most curious about this new resident.


































She caught her first mouse this week.





















When Baby was six days old, H. wrapped him up in a Moby wrap and we three took a walk. We ended up at the back of their property, with its big Ponderosa pines...


and their cones.


The maple tree in the back yard is changing. Baby is changing every day. I wish we lived in clans all together, so I wouldn't have to leave one part of the family to go be with another. It's a reminder that this world, always leaving something longed-for, is not our true home.

11 comments:

Pom Pom said...

I wish we lived in clans, too. I love having everyone around, in and out, close enough to fall asleep on the sofa and then pad home in the middle of the night. The baby is so beautiful! He's so tiny! Oh, how I love babies.

Jeannette said...

So happy for you that you could be there at all...but there are many maps of distance I also long to be able to fold up!
Was that mouse in the house?

gretchen from lifenut said...

It makes me so happy to think of a cat named Eleanor of Aquitaine. Long live the queen!

DebD said...

Your newest grandson is so beautiful. I love the kitty name so much! And, all the photos were lovely. Thanks for sharing part of your time with us.

M.K. said...

Oh, your last paragraph rings like a bell with me. So true. I can imagine a world in which all those we love live with us, it's almost palpable. Won't that new earth be wonderful?

Anita said...

What a perfectly beautiful child. Oh how I love to hold a new baby. Lovely you could be there for this event. All of your pictures make me want to come visit...We used Jonathans for pies when I was a child and I still love to eat one whenever they are available out here.

GretchenJoanna said...

Jeannette, yes the mouse was in the house!
Anita, I like the Jonathan's more piquant flavor better than the Jonagold, which has more of the Golden Delicious to it.

Leslie said...

So much to comment on in this post! What a sweet baby all bundled up. I am not familiar with Minky lining but it looks scrumptiously soft! And I love the green quilt and the headboard is very similiar to one I recently bought at the thrift store. I am going to repaint it one of these days.

So you are sewing your potholders by hand? Very impressive. One of these days I would like to work on improving my seamstressing skills.

margaret said...

In his blue hat picture Baby really looks as if he's singing - you have a future cantor there, I can tell :) And I can just feel the softness of Eleanor of Acquitaine's fur (great name, btw, Miss Darcy is feeling quite shabby in comparison).

Gumbo Lily said...

I adore that minky! I used some to make winter hats for a couple Littles. Works great. That Babe looks adorable all wrapped up.

And the pie. I'd like a piece right now....with whipped cream.

Happy Baby Week!

Jody

Anonymous said...

Great potholder!

we have a few mice in the house...our cat has spent the last few days sitting in front of the stove waiting for a mouse to come out. She doesn't move for hours. If only I had that much patience...