I've had a sprinkle!

What's a sprinkle?

It's not quite a “shower” but it's a party to celebrate the impending arrival of our new little guy. We don't really need anything big since we're all stocked up on baby stuff still, but my sweet friend Brynn wanted to throw a shower and who am I to say no?

The best way to describe the shower is – it was a lovely afternoon. It was so nice to spend time with my friends and to feel so loved.

And of course, I have pictures:

In the mean time, I'm just hugely pregnant and beyond uncomfortable. I've been up since 2:30 this morning... I finally just gave up trying to sleep around 4 and got up and starting doing laundry and puttering around with chores downstairs. Today I got Grant's school supplies ready for preschool... and washed the little guy's new blankets. Felt like such a big moment for me as a mom... getting the two boys ready for their next big things... Grant going to school... Baby Willis joining us.

Now hopefully I'll get some sleep.

Tonight's dinner was the best dinner Drew & I have had in probably a year. Maybe more.  Maybe ever.

It actually started last night, as we lay in bed talking, for some reason lamb chops came up.  In an instant, I had a craving.  But for the fact that it was 9:15pm I would have gone to the store right then to get the chops. They just sounded so good.

We started early this morning, heading to a mechanic to have a new wheel bearing put into my car. Why is that significant? It's the first time we've ever taken a car to a garage for work. Ever. Drew does 100% of our car maintenance and he does an excellent job. This was a job where the tool to do it right would have cost more than twice what we paid to have it done today.

Anyway, we dropped off my car, drove Drew in to the university and I headed straight to Harris Teeter. I picked up some potatoes, asparagus, a couple of lemons and some lamb chops. Total cost: about $15.

As soon as Grant & I got home I mixed up the marinade shared by Rachel several years ago. It couldn't be simpler. Fresh rosemary from our garden, the juice from a lemon, the zest of a lemon, a couple of cloves of garlic (minced), olive oil and salt and pepper. The chops marinated in the fridge all afternoon. In fact, every time I walked by the fridge, I opened the doors and turned the bag over to make sure the chops were really coated.

We got the call that the car would be ready for pick up at 4:30. Grant & I packed up and headed back to UNCC, got Drew, got my car (it was fixed properly and right on budget) then we headed home.  Everyone was hungry so it was time for me to get to work. I peeled and boiled the potatoes. Next, I snapped the asparagus (all it needs is salt, pepper and olive oil) and put it in the oven. Meanwhile, chomping at the bit, Drew heated up the grill and got the chops going. After about five minute he came in and said “wow, these are going to be really good.” By now the potatoes were soft so I put them in the kitchen aid to mash them (with a bit of milk, butter salt and pepper). Drew turned the chops on the grill and came in again saying “oh honey, you have no idea. These are going to be really good.” The potatoes were just about ready, the asparagus was crispy without being burned and the chops came off the grill.

I wish I could tell you how amazing they smelled. The lemon and rosemary wafted through our kitchen leaving me with a sort of primordial urge to sit down and start eating. We piled our plates high with veggies and sat down in our kitchen.

The first bite was almost shocking. The lamb was tender, juicy, cooked perfectly, sublimely fatty. There was little talking after the second bite. The only sounds were sort of guttural grunts as we devoured what was on our plates, juices dripping down our chins. The smell, the taste, the feel of the chops was nothing short of intoxicating. The potatoes were warm and creamy, almost sweet. The asparagus crunchy, a little bitter, perfectly done.

The dinner alone cast our evening in a hazy, happy glow. We lounged happily on the couch watching Top Chef reruns... completely satisfied with what we'd eaten this evening. We even lazily held hands, occasionally commenting again about how wonderful the dinner was, trying to remember when the last time either one of us ate anything that left us as wholly satisfied as this. For the first time in weeks I actually felt no physical discomfort. My body was relaxed, my mind was relaxed. I had no concerns or worries or thoughts of “oh I need to do this” or “I better get the dishes done.” None of it. Just sheer bliss and satisfaction. Drew, amazingly, felt the same. The stress of the first week of classes, of leaving the car with a mechanic, of the anticipation of our new son, it all melted away with his first bite of lamb chop.

My blood sugar after dinner: 112.

Now, as we wind our evening down, our lamb chop-induced high starting to wear off, we're happily cuddling... though each is working on a separate lap top for a little while. We'll doze together, watching the new “Top Chef” confident that nothing they cook tonight will come close to the delicious dinner we ate together this evening.

Grant & I often play “Happy, Sad, Mad & Scared.” I say the emotion and he makes the matching face. This is what we get when we say “happy!”

And this is what Grant has been for the past week.

Grandma & Grandpa Willis came from Boston to visit and play. Drew & his dad went on their moth hunts while Grandma & Grant played outside. Our little splash pool saw a lot of action this week.  (Lots of pictures here)

I got a much needed respite. I had a manicure and pedicure. I got my hair cut.

I went to the OB and then over to triage for monitoring since baby Willis failed his NST. (no worries, all is fine with baby Willis. He just gets stage fright). I read the book Julie & Julia. I cooked. I made a cake for my Mother-in-Law's upcoming birthday. It was quite a lovely visit, at least for me. I suspect Grant & Grandma wore each other out.

Julie & Julia was a bit, well, boring. As much as you know I love cooking and trying new things, I suspect Julia Powell's actual blog would be more interesting than a book about writing a blog. I personally did not see any angst in whether Julia would finish in her one-year deadline. I mean, who cares if it's a year and a week? I suppose she did at the time, but I failed to feel that “urgency” of a deadline. I also found their constant 11pm dinners, their nasty Long Island City apartment, the “mundane” details of their lives, well, off-putting. I wish the book focused more on seeming parallels between Julie and Julia. The occasional excerpts from Julia Child's husbands letters seemed out of place. Julie had a great idea and it changed her life. I'm glad she did “the project” and I'm glad she blogged about it. The book, eh.

Grandma & Grandpa Willis left this morning. The three of us went to the farmer's market this morning. Not much going on there either. I managed to get a few Heirloom Tomatoes and some corn. Drew & Grant our out mowing the lawn right now. I'll get dinner going in a bit, though it's just for me & Grant. Drew announced earlier that he would be going to Subway for dinner. I think he's angry about eating chips and salsa for lunch. Underneath it all, I think he's just tired and wants some time to himself. Maybe I can make that happen.