12.26.2009

15 Weeks


Note: I LOVE the look on Katy's face in this photo.

How far along?
15 Weeks (actually 15w6d, so I'm sliding in under the buzzer here)

Total Weight Gain: 1 lb (+5) since pre-pregnancy

Maternity Clothes? Splurged and bought the 1969 GAP Maternity Jeans and I LOVE THEM. I can still get away with my regular jeans, but need to wear them unbuttoned with the Bella Band.

Stretch Marks? Nope. Started using Burt Bee's Mama Bee every time I get out of the shower for preventative measures.

Sleep? Sleeping great, actually.

Best Moment This Week: Getting all the fun little baby gifts for Christmas. I want to sleep with the stuffed elephant my sister-in-law got the baby because it's so soft and cute!

Movement: Starting to feel slight movements around every other day.

Food Cravings: Pickles and Pickled Radishes. French Fries. Plain Yogurt.

Gender: Still feeling Boy

Labor Signs: Lord I hope not!

Belly Button - In or Out? In

What I miss: Raw sushi. I would give anything for a slab of ahi right now. And wine. Not alcohol, but the taste of real wine, not the alcohol-free stuff.

What I am looking forward to: Shopping at Motherhood Maternity for the first time next week

Weekly Wisdom: When you are being emotional and insane, trust your DH that he's probably right and you are over-reacting.

Milestones: Consistent movements from the Bean

12.21.2009

Tis the Season

It's finally starting to look and feel like Christmas around here. We've spent lots of time staying out of the blustery weather outside, opting instead for a fire and cocktails (ahem, MOCKTAILS) on the couch.






Katy's ready too.

It's been a low-key Holiday season for us; I opted out of my yearly Christmas Brunch because this Bean is still giving me fits of morning sickness and wasn't able to commit, and we've missed both of our company Holiday parties for other non-Holiday related activities. But with the cold, foggy weather and the house now smelling like pine and mulled cider, I think I'm here.



I've also got some knitting mojo back. I've got three more baby gifts due by February (including something for a set of twins!), but I've shifted back to knitting for myself. I'm working on a couple new sweaters, sized to fit my new preggo shape so I've GOT to finish them this season. The first you can see in the above photo is Sedum, with Knit Picks Caldena. The speed of large gauge is offset by seed stitch, but I love this cardi so I'm dealing with it. It's my goal to have this finished by New Years, so I can take it to the Cabin. As always, we'll see how that goes.

Here we are as of last night:


The 2nd sweater is Peasy by PiPiBird (I just LOVE all her patterns. I already knit Buttercup, and it's one of my favorite sweaters).

I needed something to offset the bulkiness of Sedum, and I already had the yarn so this was a perfect fit.



This is what I plan to take to with me over New Years to knit, along with my sewing machine and some baby patterns. The Bean has revived my desire to bring my sewing skills up to par with my knitting skills, and long stay at the cabin amongst falling snow is the perfect backdrop.

12.14.2009

14 Weeks



How far along? 14 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: (+4) since pre-pregnancy

Maternity Clothes? My pants still all seem to fit, but I definitely think I'm starting to show. My b00bs have grown like crazy so I need either maternity tops or my larger, looser fitting tops.

Stretch Marks? Nope. Started using Burt Bee's Mama Bee every time I get out of the shower for preventative measures.

Sleep? Feeling better rested in the morning since I'm taking less trips to the bathroom. However, still exhausted by the time I get home from work.

Best Moment This Week: Telling the world I'm going to me a mama, seeing the Bean do a backflip on ultrasound.

Movement: Pretty sure I'm starting to feel the Bean "tap" me. It feels like little flicks inside my belly.

Food Cravings: Pickles, and Ramen noodles. And of course, both have zero nutritional content.

Gender: Still feeling Boy

Labor Signs: Lord I hope not!

Belly Button - In or Out? In

What I miss: Raw sushi. I would give anything for a slab of ahi right now. And wine. Not alcohol, but the taste of real wine, not the alcohol-free stuff.

What I am looking forward to: Looking more pregnant and not just fat.

Weekly Wisdom: People can be nuts about what you can and can't do/eat during pregnancy. Do what feels right to YOU.

Milestones: 2nd trimester!

12.09.2009

12.9.09

The amount of baby knitting going on over here has been unbelievable! And not just for me! It seems like almost everyone we know is busy baking buns. So this is going to be a big FO parade:

Baby Earflap Hat for Baby C (another baby C)

(this was overdue by like oh, 6 months. At least the baby was born in June couldn't wear it anyway)

Denver Baby Sweater for Baby F

This was made entirely from yarn scraps in my leftovers bowl. I see lots of "leftover" sweaters in my future....

Quickie Boy Sweater for Baby C (yet another baby C)

This might be my favorite pattern of all time - it really is super, SUPER fast.

Baby Surprise Sweater for Baby K

When I gave this gift at a friend's baby shower, I was getting grilled about when DH and I would be trying for a little one. A few weeks earlier, my MIL and SIL were at a baby shower and their gift was the 7th one opened, which is supposed to indicate that family would be the next to have a baby. Since SIL is 22 and not married yet, they all were sure it was me. Well, strangely enough it WAS me, but we weren't breaking the news yet. So this came up over and over at this shower, and I just had to laugh and pretend to sip my mimosa (which was really just OJ)

And finally, I did knit a little something for Baby Bean.

Felted Tweed Daisy, For Baby WnN

Since Baby Bean is due in June, s/he will obviously not be covered in handknits for awhile, so this is 6-9 month size.

I'm working on a few other things for the Bean, including a baby blanket and stripey sweater. Since we don't know the gender I'm using a lot of green and brown, which I would probably continue to so anyway. I've abandoned quite a few other projects in lieu of baby knitting, so this kid is going to be well covered.

11.30.2009

And Then It Was Thanksgiving...

Once again, the entire month of November completely passed me by. We hosted Thanksgiving for the 2nd year at Casa WnN and it was a complete comedy of errors (more on that in a few).

Happy Thanksgiving!
(PS - Do you know how hard it is to get a dog to look at the camera?)


Katy to the left...


...aaand Katy to the right


Anyhow, I forgot to take a photo of the food, but it was basically exactly the same as last year, so take a look at that and imagine it on the counter again. I did get a photo of the table though:



I had visions of creating this warm, cozy household for dinner time but since it was 75 degrees outside, we opened the windows and turned on the fan instead.

I did remember to take one more photo that day.



I'll give you one hint: That's not Thanksgiving leftovers.

Yup, we're expecting a baby (hence the blog silence for the last couple months.) I've had no desire to wake up early and sit down at the computer to blog, I'd much rather stay in bed! We're due June 13, 2010, making me 12 weeks along. The belly is here to stay, although it's in that weird middle stage that looks more like a spare tire and less like a cute little maternity bump.

I'm starting to feel better, which is a blessing and a curse because when I felt yucky nothing sounded good to me (to eat or otherwise), but now I'm starting to miss wine, sushi, blue cheese, and hot bubble baths LIKE CRAZY. But it's worth it.

So without further adieu, meet Baby C at 10 weeks in his/her cute little gummy-bear stage:


It's still sinking in that this little dude/tte has taken up residence inside me. Even more, I can't believe we are already 3 months along!



So Thanksgiving was about 10 seconds away from becoming a train-wreck this year because of Baby Bean. I'd been feeling great the few days prior, and thus agreed that I was completely feeling up to hosting again this year. Of course, Thanksgiving Day came around and BAM. I was so sick I could barely lift my head off the pillow. DH, bless his heart, jumped in head first and attempted to get things going.

Fiasco #1: DH made the marinade for the meat, but put the 3T of salt that was supposed to be used for sprinkling at the end INTO the actual marinade and I caught it about 30 seconds before the meat went in, resulting in trip #1 to the grocery store for a new set of ingredients

Fiasco #2: DH started peeling the 5 pound bag of potatoes for the gratin. I was in such a fog it didn't register when I saw him peeling them into the sink, that I should remind him that the peels shouldn't go down the disposal. So the sink completely clogs, resulting in trip #2 to the store for a plunger, and trip #3 to the store for some Drain-O. Neither worked, so he had to take apart the entire plumbing to manually extract the peels. It is now 12:30pm, guests are due at 1:30pm.

Fiasco #3: I put my beloved Dutch Oven into the oven to heat it up for the bread I was baking, not realizing some Tabasco sauce had leaked inside of it (don't ask how that happened). So after 30 minutes in the oven at 450 degrees, the inside was a total burnt mess.

There were a few other miscellaneous casualties of the day, but I'll stop there. I do believe it will be a Thanksgiving we will remember for a long time.

So anyhow, I've actually been knitting like crazy (tons of baby stuff - not just for me, I also have about 6 friends who are preggo as well!) and have lots of FOs to share. I'm going to enjoy the rest of my Furlough Monday and will be back soon.

11.16.2009

10 Weeks (Back posted)



How far along?
10 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: (+2.5) since pre-pregnancy

Maternity Clothes? My pants still all seem to fit, but I definitely think I'm starting to show.

Stretch Marks? Nope

Sleep? MORE PLEASE!

Best Moment This Week: Seeing the Bean moving around like crazy on the 10-week ultrasound, and telling our grandmothers that they are going to be GREAT-grandmothers.

Movement: None

Food Cravings: Ice Cream/Milkshakes. At least they have calcium, right?

Gender: This week I'm feeling Boy

Labor Signs: Lord I hope not!

Belly Button - In or Out? In

What I miss: Raw sushi. I would give anything for a slab of ahi right now. And wine. Not alcohol, but the taste of real wine, not the alcohol-free stuff.

What I am looking forward to: Clearing the 12-week mark.

Weekly Wisdom: I didn't know it was possible for my boobs to get this big.

Milestones: Starting to "show" the pregnancy

11.02.2009

8 Weeks (Back Posted)



How far along?
8 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: (+1) since pre-pregnancy

Maternity Clothes? My "skinny jeans" are a little tight, wearing them unbuttoned today with a Bella Band.

Stretch Marks? Nope

Sleep? Can't get enough. I am dead by 5pm, come back to life for a few hours, and then crash by 10pm. But the worse is waking up in the mornings - I feel like I haven't slept a wink, even when I've gotten 9 hours or more!

Best Moment This Week: Seeing Bean's heartbeat on the Ultrasound!

Movement: Nope

Food Cravings: Pickles. Yes it's cliche, but they help my nausea. Gyros. Tacos.

Gender: This week I'm feeling Girl

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button - In or Out? In

What I miss: Raw sushi. I would give anything for a slab of ahi right now. And wine. Not alcohol, but the taste of real wine, not the alcohol-free stuff.

What I am looking forward to: Being able to tell people!

Weekly Wisdom: Spotting is not the end of the world. Matt will never let me forget this.

Milestones: Heartbeat! Chance of MC down to only 5%!

10.27.2009

Miss Me?

26 days without a post? That might be a new record.

Anyway, instead of attempting to pick up where I left off, we are going to fast-forward to the past weekend.

Matt and I were craving a little alone time so what did we decide to do? Drive to the coast. With the dog. Because nothing says romantic getaway like:



People, I have never in my life seen a dog this happy.



We drove to San Simeon and just sat on the beach for awhile. It was an absolutely lovely day. Perfect.





We then drove back to Cambria and checked into the Creekside Inn. I should stop here and say that Cambria is one of the most doggie-friendly towns we have been to (well, short of Florence but we can't hop in our car and drive there).



Katy got a treat at check-in, so she was sold. Since it was still early, we enjoyed a beverage and the view from our patio.



We then walked into town, browsed a couple shops (where Katy got even MORE treats... I swear, I don't think the dog ate one bite of her everyday food because she got so many treats!) then headed to Mustache Pete's for dinner. Kudos to this place for not only allowing Katy to come to dinner with us, but so honoring my craving for a plate of crab legs (not even on the menu!)



We were asleep by 10pm which was heavenly. We must be getting old because only 2 short years ago, we would probably just be heading out the door at 10pm! Anyway, it was a great 24 hour trip and I'm looking forward to doing it again soon.



Time to go home Katy!

10.01.2009

The Paradox of Our Time

My dad sent this to me today. It's a great message, and I was motivated to share.

A Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.*


* I love this quote. We have it hanging on the wall of our home.

9.29.2009

FO: Elemental Boatneck

Elemental Boatneck



Needle

US 3 / 3.25 mm
US 4 / 3.5 mm

Yarn
Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy
6.15 skeins = 941.0 yards (860.4m)
034 Pale Silver

Ravelry Page




I really, really, REALLY wished I would have listened to that little voice inside my head that I ignore all too often and added a few more inches of length to the body.

That being said, I do like this pattern.

9.24.2009

Dinner at Chez Persimmon

I had an urge to make dinner a little extra gourmet last night. I picked up some saffron CHEAP at Trader Joes a couple months ago, and was looking for a non-Paella recipe to use it in. Enter Mussels in Saffron and White Wine Broth. Wine? Saffron? Mussels? YES PLEASE


Making the broth. The house smelled sooooo yummy

I also splurged for the Heirloom Tomatoes & fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano and made a simple salad with olive oil, basil, and chives.



Bought some flowers and set the table outside


Nevermind that it was still 92 degrees at 7pm....

Couldn't wait to dive in!


Fuzzy photos due to iPhone+low light, but don't let that fool you. This was A+ good

And, I now get to look at the flowers every day. I love white roses!

9.23.2009

The Schuyler Blanket Project

I am so ridiculously behind on this blog, and for no good reason. It seems I always get the 'blogging blahs' in September - it's probably my busiest time at work, but other than that I have no explanation.

But what motivated me here today was to talk about a wonderful group I've gotten involved with over on Ravelry called the The Schuyler Blanket Project. I've long been a much better blog READER than a blog COMMENTER, and I read a lot of people's blogs that don't know I read them. However, when I read about the ordeal that Tammany at Opera Yarns went through, it left a very dull, empty feeling inside of me. Matt and I are really hoping to start a family soon and I couldn't even imagine going through what she and her husband have dealt with over the last couple months.

She's now spearheading the efforts over at The Schuyler Blanket Project, which "creates blankets for other bereaved families and to provide them with comfort and love". I've been lagging in my knitting motivation, but I've found great joy in working on squares for this wonderful project.

If you are on Ravelry, check it out.

9.16.2009

Alice is that you?

CAN'T. WAIT!


9.11.2009

How To Write a Catch-up Post in 5 Minutes

So. Busy. This. Week.

I've had so many interesting things going on the last couple weeks to blog about, but I haven't found the brainpower and/or time to do it.

For example, I could have told you about how AWESOME the bread turned out, and how DELICIOUS it was slathered with the roasted-tomato puree and fresh Parmesan.



I could also talk about how my trip over to knitpicks.com for some Bare Sock Yarn ended up yielding me some new stash.





Or maybe about my experience of finally learning how to shoot 2 of the 4 guns that currently reside in our house.



Of course there is also my completed Elemental Boatneck, and how I'm not digging the way it fits me but is perfect for my sister.



There was also the incident where I nearly died laughing upon picking up Viva from her first trip to the groomer in 2 years. Bows on a cat? Really?



Finally there was the newest installment of the Shi-Bui Sock Project that Lisa and I have had in progress since July [See Ravelry for previous installments]



But again, I don't have the time or the brainpower. Maybe next week.

9.04.2009

What I Did On My Furlough Day

These humble tomatoes...



became...



which will be consumed once this...



has been baked in the morning.

(OK, I also did laundry, folded an EXISTING pile of laundry that was 3 times bigger than me, grocery shopped, & knit)

An FO to share tomorrow.