tootie

this is the nickname i've given my girl. and no, i'm not referring to the character on the 80's sitcom (the facts of life). i'm refering to her flatulence. i love her, but she's stinky!!!

things are going well in our little family. jack love's his sis--wakes up in the morning comes into the room saying "hi mama. Seven?" then he loves and kisses on her. it's really very sweet.

he gets pretty upset when she's upset, which isn't very fun for me. but i do understand it.

our days lately consist of ...

wake up, nurse seven, try to feed jack (all he wants to eat these days is fruit), am park run, nap from noon to 3 pm ( this is where i try to sneak in some sewing time around nursing the babe), wake up from nap, try to feed jack (fruit?), pm park run, dinner (ha ha ha), bath and bed.

oh yeah and seven goes to sleep around 11 pm and jack wakes up at 5 am, so you do the math = not alot of sleep for mama (or daddy either some nights).

mark's taken over the nighttime jack stuff, and the early morning stuff. which i don't know what i would do without.

my mama's group has been making us dinner for the last 2 and a half weeks, and tonight is the last night. crap is all i can say. it's been an immeasurable help. and overall the foods been pretty good. tonight's mama brought us a huge vat of haagen daas chocolate ice cream. i love it, but don't love the fact that it's not going to help with the baby pudge. oh well.

here are some more photos.

One Month Old

seven just turned 1 month on saturday. it's gone by amazingly fast. with jack i had alot more time to just sit around and watch movies and relax. it's near impossible to do that now, with a 2 year old that needs to get out of the house.

these photos are from when my dad was here. sleeping with the baby. see the family resemblance?!

for sale

i haven't been doing much knitting, but i have been doing lots of sewing. trying to get an etsy store together. making some baby clothes. the store is set up i just need to finish up a few more pieces and get them listed. it's just been hard to squeeze any uninterrupted time in, but i take what i can get. the process is taking a bit longer, but i still feel productive. as for pics of all this... no time yet. but maybe soon.

photos only

here are some photos. a proper post with some knitting pics too, to come soon.

la familia

thursday may 22, 2008

big brother and lil peanut

friday may 23, 2008

Snuggles

Lil Peanut

Here's the lil peanut. Almost 3 weeks early, but healthy and lovely.

She was in a bit of a hurry to get here and decided to come early. Shbe did take her time coming out though.

Date of birth: Wednesday May 21, 2008 at 8:39 pm.

Weight: 6lbs 13.1oz

Length: 19 in

Mama and baby are doing well, as are big bro and daddy.

Jack did get alot of daddy time while i was in labor and recovery.

That's all for now. I'm going to take advantage of both babes being down for a nap and take one myself. Birth story will be coming shortly. As will more photos.

xoxo

buddha belly

the Buddha belly is forever immortalized

37 weeks

this was less of a pain to do than i anticipated. i started doing it by myself and then mark help me finish up. the plaster was starting to dry and i didn't want to wreck the sides by moving around.

the only question now is: What do i do with it? Make it all artsy and hand it on the wall, or leave it in a box?

she hasn't come yet and the contractions have subsided and now we're basically ready. all the major things are done. now i just have the little things that i wanted to do before she arrives, i.e. fininsh jack's photo album, some sewing, etc.

the time is now!

Or at least pretty soon. I think the babe might be showing up sooner rather than later. things are moving and contractions are getting somewhat uncomfortable, even though they are still irregular. I have been doing a lot these last couple of days, so i'm sure that has something to do with it. i've also dreamt about going into labor the last two nights.

i called the midwife and she told me to have a drink of water and relax for a bit. that kind of made things less painful, but it didn't stop the contractions all together. i'm going to bed after this, just to get a full night in.

the yard sale went well. there's still a few things i want to get rid of.

i can't for the life of me find the hardware for the co-sleeper. i'll have to look some more tomorrow. tomorrow is house cleaning day and time to re-evaluate the things i want to get done before babelicious arrives. her bag is packed. just a couple of options of things to wear on the way home from the hospital. My bag is still undone, but the camera is charged and the laptop is ready to go at a moments notice. I'm going to finish that up tomorrow.

on the knitting front, i did start a swallowtail shawl (ravelry link) with the sundara aran silky merino from the seasons yarn club. i love this yarn. the color (ruby port) the feel of it. it's all so beautiful. i can't wait to finish it. i'm bringing it as my hospital knitting. not sure if i'll actually do any, but at least i'll have something there that i'm really into it it comes up.

if i get around to some photos tomorrow i'll post some wip pics of the shawl.

goodnite

jaywalkers

here are the finished jaywalkers for my mom. i sent them off today. so mom, if you're reading this, here's to spoiling the surprise...

Pattern: Jaywalkers by Grumperina
Materials: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, Bucks Bar, 2 skeins

Needles: US 1

Started: April 5, 2008
Finished: May 12,2008

the last leg of the race

the final 4 weeks are upon us. the house is a shambles. I'm trying to get a yard sale together for this weekend, finish cushion covers, reupholster the futon, see the doula.... the list is long. and this is what i have to carry around

35 weeks 2 days

not to mention the 26lbs of love that is Jack!! Factor in three flights of stairs up to the apartment= tired mama! it's good though. it's keeping me in shape.

my doula is coming today to meet me. i really want to do the natural childbirth thing this time. with jack i was just too tired in the end and just wanted to get some sleep so i went with the epidural. supposedly second children are supposed to come in half the time, so that sounds promising.

non-knitting post

uncomfort zone....

this is the phase of my pregnancy i'm entering. the time when every position sitting or laying down is uncomfortable. i can barely sit long enough to knit.

i have been working on a couple of different things, some socks and a shawl, but progress is slow. i'm trying to get things done for when the new babe comes.

unlike when jack was born, i'm must more laid back about this one. still need to install the infant seat. not getting a double stroller. i''ll just wear her at the beginning i think. and if i do end up using the infant seat when i go to a restaurant or something, jack can just walk in while i carry the lil one.

i'm considering using the cloth diapers i got then jack was born and just see how much of a pain it is to bring them to the laundry mat. or try to sell them again.

one great thing is that we decided not to move. just remembering moving when jack was 3 weeks old makes me sick to my stomach. i think we'll just stay in this apt. until we find something to buy. it's small but comfortable. and i just can't get my head around moving again.

my aunt and cousin came down at the beginning of the week. she took some photos of the belly and some great ones of jack.

34 weeks

He looks so much like Mark in this photo

You can see what he's going to look like as a man in the first picture. my little monkey love.

loose ends part 2

i've been kind of lost on the knitting front. have cast on for a couple of different things only to find guage off or it's just something i'm never going to wear so why continue. so i'm kind of stuck right now.

i did just get a copy of Victorian Lace Today and that really has my head going. sacking my stash looking for the yarn i could use to start one of the dozens of lovely patterns in that book. but night time comes along and i'm just too tired to get around to anything complex. so i've been putting that off abit as well.

i do have some FO photos to share.

this is leo the lion. he's a hybrid of a couple of the humanoids from this book. i like how he turned out. hope his new friend likes him too. little leo turned one last week.

and then of course there's Elijah by Ysolda Teague. i made him out of some satin acrylic for ease of care and really like how soft he is. perfect for baby. another friend gift, this one is yet to be born.

i added a little tail (sorry it's side ways) that wasn't in the original pattern, because, you know, elephants have tails!! it was just a quick braid out of six strands of yarn, with a little fringe left on the end.

loose ends pt. 1

i haven't posted in ages, but that doesn't mean i haven't been knitting. i really just haven't felt like writting about knitting, or much else for that matter. but here's part one of a finished object parade. i'm currently finishing off a few different projects and they'll get photographed later today or tomorrow.

First off is a photo of some things i received from one of my swaps. a sock yarn swap. the yarn is lovely, black with yello pink and red. aptly named black butterfly. some delicious chocolate that took me about 3 days to eat. (i'm pregnant is my excuse)

i've also finished the nut muffins' baby blanket. i love how it turned out. the i-cord trim was fun to do, even though it was time consuming. but it really gives the blanket a tailored look.

Pattern: Baby Blanket by Elizabeth Zimmerman

Materials: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted, Periwinkle, 4 skeins and a little bit

Jaegger Worsted, Cranberry, <>

Needles: US 7 for blanket, US 6 bamboo dpns for i-cord

Started: December 2007

Finished: February 2008

this blanket had some issues at the beginning. i'd origanally planned to knit the large motif garter blanket from the Opinionated Knitter. but laziness settled in and i didn't want to join all those pieces together so i frogged an almost completed blanket and started over. this is the story of my knitting life. ask my man and he'll tell you how many times he's seen me completely start over from the beginning. i'm glad i did it this way.

hope the little one likes it. it's super soft after washing too. and unlike j's koigu blanket, it's machine washable. yeah!!! because this blanket is quite a bit larger than his. almost crib size i'd say, but i haven't measured it.

oh yeah and here's an update of my belly.

28 weeks

it's a bit dark, but all you need to see is the growing profile anyway. i'm definately feeling pregnant lately. short of breath. can't sleep on my stomach or my back anymore. i'm still finding some comfortable positions to sleep in and i haven't had to break out the body pillow, but my days are numbered.

march of time

i know february's a short month, but where the hell did it go? went to visit mom and dad last week. bought my first NORO and PANDA SILK. i was going to make a striped scarf out of the NORO Kureyon, instead it became some fingerless mitts. more details with photos-- to come as soon as the weather starts cooperating.



i'm also due for some belly pix, which will be taken when jack goes down for his nap. i've been feeling huge lately and there's still 14 weeks left. i'm just starting to feel the weight of it all. can't sleep on my stomach anymore and back sleeping is gettin uncomfortable too. but i still do it. i slept on my back a lot with jack, even at the end because side sleeping sucked too.

garter madness

finished the BSJ, here'a a terrible flash photo of it. i ended up reknitting the button band and bottom because i didn't like the way the other yarn. this is more what i had envisioned when i started knitting with the midnight garden and ran out of that and needed another yarn to finish.

and i love the owl buttons. jack keeps saying "owl, hoo hoo" everytime he sees it.

pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman

yarn: Skeintilly Clad DK in midnight garden, 2 skeins 120yds each
Jaeger Matchmaker DK 3/4 skein

needles: US5

start date: january 2007

finish date: february 8, 2008

comments: this was such an enjoyable project. at first i was a abit intimidated by the way the pattern was written, but when i stopped thinking about it and just started knitting it all made sense. a really quick knit too. aside from the fact that i reknit the border, it only took 3 days (or 4 depending on how you look at it) to knit. then i had to find the perfect buttons. the only down side to the owls... their price, $2.70 each x 5, plus tax.

in other news, a belly update. i feel like it realy exploded as of late and i'm way bigger than i was with jack. i know i started 10lbs heavier, but come on. it's not sooooo bad, but i'm definately looking preggo.

23 weeks

I'm still working on the baby blanket. it's 1/2 done and i just joined the 3rd skein of yarn. i'm having to order another skein, because i know i'll be a few yards short for the main color. I bought some contrasting yarn for the i-cord edging. i still need to find a good tutorial for that. maybe ill brave the weather tomorrow to take some photos. it's supposed to be freezing but sunny. plus mark has the camera today.

next in the garter/baby line-up: saartje's booties, sweet baby cap, and a modular totem for jack. the totem willbe for this spring so i better get crackin'.

cutest f@&^ing buttons on earth!!!!

okay, i just went to windsor button to get some buttons for the BSJ and some yarn to finish the baby blanket and lookey what i brought home

are these the cutest things or what??!!!

more later, must feed the monkey

bookbinding

the amis and baby blanket took a back seat today to something i've been wanting to learn for ages.

bookbinding!

You see, i've been working on getting jack's photo album going. i got all the photos form sutterfly, they're all sorted/dated, but the book i had origianlly bought...yuck. well not yuck really cause it's a nice album, but not for this. the paper is black and it's 12x12 format which isn't the look that i want for jack's baby album. so i started looking around at ready made ones and was going to get a kolo album. so, i'm at the paper source (i've always loved going in there to admire the papers and fantasize about what i could make) and i'm looking at their different albums--the kolo line, the paper source books (which are really lovely, but the cover paper was too feminine). the prices were a bit high for me $60-$85. ouch!!

so the nice girl (sorry i didn't get your name) whose helping me wade through all this says if i know someone who knows bookbinding, they have a kit and i can choose my own cover paper, binding cloth and inside paper color(black or cream for the insides). i'm like how hard can this be? so she runs it down to me, sets me up with all the stuff i need, i pick out my cover paper and bookcloth... (this is so exciting) and she gives me a cheat sheet of instuctions on how to put it together. the instructions are given to people who pay for their bookbinding workshop, but this girl was hooking me up. thank you thank you thank you.

i couldn't wait to get home.

i get home and an hour and a half later...tada!! a fucking beautiful photo album, deserving of monkeylove's photos. ilove it!!!!!!!!!! and it cost me $57 including tax for the guts and tools i needed instead of $86 for one album. next time i'll only have to spend about $30 for the guts.

bookboard with bookcloth attached

the 2 covers with the bookcloth joining them

cover papers, before being attached

cover papers attached and looking mighty fine

finished book

isn't it loverly?!!

the only thing they didn't have was self-adhesive photo corners, so i'll get those at michael's tomorrow and start putting this bad boy together.

this was a great project. can't wait to make "nut muffin's" baby book. i think i might make some smaller journal with stuff i have around the house (i.e. all that scrapbooking paper that never gets any use!!) i'm also making some small things to start selling on etsy. i want to get a few different things together and then set up a store.

ami craze

i get a bit carried away when i learn something new, and crocheting amigurumi is no different. i'm already on my 4th. i love it and knitting on the baby blanket has taken a back seat. my newest ami is a lion. the idea is pieced together from a couple of the humanoid animals in beth doherty's book. "face of a cat + hair of a bear = leo the lion" . My friends' son turns 1 in march and his name is Leo. not too original, but he's pretty damn cute. here's a not so wonderful WIP photo of him.




here are the other 2 little guys i made. they've already gone to their new homes.

FOOK!

that's right, my potty mouth has gotten me into trouble. sort of. luckily my craft may have saved the day. "FOOK!" is jack's new word this morning, but when he says it he's referring to this...

...and not the expletive i tend to still use in his presence. this is fine when we're at home because i know what he's talking about, but on the street.... hopefully he won't see too many crochet hooks walking around town.

i've been working on some more crocheted animals. both of which have found other homes. owlet went to nicole and i'm working on a bunny for little adrien's birthday today. pictures for both will be posted later.

belly update

on the non knitting front, there are new belly pictures. I didn't start as early this time as i did with jack. hopefully the babe won't mind.

18 weeks, 5 days

the morning sickness is finally over, so i've started gaining a couple of pounds. nothing major. i have an ultrasound on friday and we're going to find out the sex this time. i think it's a girl and mark thinks it's a boy. as long as there are 10 fingers and toes.

there was a lot of knitting going in between august and now, i just never got around to posting about any of it. always felt like i could be using the time to knit instead of type. but i do like documenting it all and having a record of the things i've done. so in the next week or so, i'll try to get some better photos of the all the FO's and post up small blurbs about each.

i finished ene's scarf, but need to have my aunt send me a good photo of it. here are some crapola photos.

the top photo's color is more accurate, but you can't see much of the detail. hopefully better photos will be coming soon.