So.. this past weekend was really, really busy.

Wednesday night David & Teresa moved in.
Thursday night Cadi slept over.
Friday I baked cupcakes, prepped sandwiches, made pretzel salad and helped clean Ruth’s house (including what everyone called a speedy [but efficient!] mopping of her kitchen).

I had to get up too early on Saturday. But, I did take a nap after the party guests left!

Saturday we finished up all the food with 30 minutes to go til the party started. My mom, sisters and Esther all got started on the baby shower project (in lieu of games), decorating bibs & onesies for Naomi’s first year of life. The party went smoothly; all but 2 guests did the craft project, everyone loved the food (yay!) and Ruth got some great gifts. Including about a thousand diapers and 10 million pounds of wipes. That baby is going to have one clean bottom.

Included in the gifts, of course, was the pair of booties, bib and hat I knit for Naomi. (Pictures to come, I promise.) Instead of wrapping the gifts, I knit her a little tote purse, which turned out pretty well. I need to finish the handle and add a closure to it, but at least I finished the body part (I was a little worried Friday night about that).

Today things are back to normal; I had to go to work (sigh), Sariah and the girls went home. I think now is when the having roommates thing is going to set in, since things are “normal” and.. they are still here!

So.. it’s weird. Cadi just turned 11. Eleven! Esther’s last day of 1st grade is today. Next fall Jared (and I believe Rori, too) starts Kindergarten. It seems like time has flown by. I can’t imagine how it would be if they were my own.

At least there is a new little one to start the cycle, due in just a month. A month! And knowing Ruth, little Naomi will make her appearance early so I give her 2 weeks, maybe 3. I can’t wait to meet her. To hold her and smell her and kiss her tiny little head and fingers. (Side note: I still have undeveloped photos from when I first met Esther, 7 years ago. Thank goodness for digital cameras. But, I really should develop those and see if anything has survived the last 7 years of being stored in a trunk!)

Can you tell I just love babies? Other people’s babies.

Not that I wouldn’t want my own. But one would be enough, and I hope it’s a boy. That’s in the “someday” file.

In the mean time, the past week I have been knitting like crazy (photos to come, don’t want to spoil it before I give them to Ruth) and I have completed my 3 little projects for Naomi. I have a few projects to work on over the next few months; I may have something to give her when she’s born, but if not, there’s Christmas. I’m working on one last thing for the gift, I have 3 days to work on it and I hope I can do it. If not, it’s ok. But it’d be nice. (And I haven’t forgotten Andrew’s Birthday Christmas scarf. Or my bag.)

Friday is going to be busy. I am throwing Ruth’s baby shower and have a menu planned that luckily most can be done ahead of time. I’m taking the day off work so I can cook and bake and prep. Saturday morning is the baby shower – strawberry themed. Did you know it’s hard to find strawberry decorations and things? I would have thought it’d be so easy, being summer. But, no. Apparently it’s butterflies that are in right now.

And people have forgotten their manners (re: RSVP). I have gotten two calls so far. My mom and sisters are coming, that’s a given. But everyone else..? I may end up with too much food. Although I’m sure any leftover cupcakes or pretzel salad will find somewhere to go!

So.. this is my last weekend living alone. I have lived by myself for a year and a half, so it will take some getting used to. Sleeping with the door closed, closing the door when I pee (sorry, it’s true), being aware of my noise levels when others are sleeping. But there will be some definite positives, including getting more time with my sister-in-law that until now I have only seen now and then. She is extremely creative and very sweet, and maybe some of that will rub off on me. I hope we have some evenings knitting together. My brother has already said he’ll help me in the yard with all the weeds (read: jungle) I have back there. And it will just be nice to have people around.

To spend my last weekend alone, I’ll probably spend a lot of time running around naked (not true), cleaning (true) and getting the fridge and pantry organized to make room for them (true). I will play loud music all night (not true) and sleep naked on the couch (not true). Ooh! Knitting naked! (NOT TRUE – naked with sharp needles???) Ok why do most of my imaginary items involve nudity???

Maybe we will have some funny mishaps I can use for blog material. Or maybe not. But either way, it’ll be nice to have them around for a while and actually use the room upstairs that has been empty for over a year!