Happy Holidays!

(photos copyrighted by jcpenny, used with permission)

'noman

One good thing that came from the *dun dun duh* Arctic Blast 08 is that we finally got to make a snowman! My niece has been wanting to make a snowman since it started snowing two weeks ago. At first the snow didn’t stick, then it blew around all blizzard-like… When that stopped, it was too powdery. We finally got some snowman making snow a few days ago, but by the time she woke up from nap it was raining (well, freezing rain).

Then it started snowing on Christmas. Then it poured down rain. Then it snowed again! The weather has gone all schizophrenic on us. When it stopped snowing, we were finally able to go out and make the snowman. Good thing she got a snowman making kit for Christmas! There was enough snow left over to make another one, but people were getting cold and the turkey was almost out of the oven.

Which brings me to another good thing about the *dun dun dun* Arctic Blast 08. We cooked the whole Christmas eve dinner by ourselves (our generation: me, Richard, my sis-in-law and her sister). We had fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes and corn bread. Then for dessert we had blueberry swirl cheesecake!

For Christmas dinner, we at least had my mom there to help with things. It was our first turkey! We were supposed to go to my aunt’s house in Scappoose, but that wasn’t an option. We were going to deep fry it… Well, we had to bake it, but it turned out really good. Richard brined it and we baked it in the convection oven. Er… and we had green beans and mashed potatoes again, but that’s okay, they were gooooood! I even made gravy (yes, hell might have froze over). I personally think the gravy was the best part of the dinner, but I may be bias. We finished it up with more blueberry swirl cheesecake and peanut butter cream pie.

Today was back to work after having snow days all this week. My bus still isn’t running so I’m relying on others to get me to and from work. Hopefully it will be running by Monday.

Snow Day!

Dear Bloggers:
Sunday was a snow day in Portland (and surrounding areas). I love the snow. However, the silly East wind blew the whole time. This is my only picture, from my cell phone as I ran from the car to my brother's house. Yes, I did leave and take my precious baby across town in the blizzard to bake cookies... okay, it wasn't quite a blizzard, but I've never seen snow blown around quite like it was on Sunday.

It's going to snow tomorrow, perhaps. They aren't often right... but they were right about Sunday. Maybe it won't be so windy and I can bundle Sabrina up and get some pictures... if it does snow.

I got to work yesterday morning via public transportation (good ol' trimet). My building was closed, but the office was open. I decided to treat myself to a Seattle's Best eggnog latte and it was gross! I should have just crossed the street to Starbucks, but it was so cold! Learned my lesson...

I've let my flickr account expire. I've just been too lazy to renew it. However, I've exceded my monthly uploads already (from before it expired), so I might do that tonight. I have some pictures to upload of the kids playing nicely together (for all of 2 minutes).

8 months

DSC_0263, originally uploaded by a-chan.

8 months, really?

Stats:
Sitting
Almost crawling forward, but can get where she wants most of the time by rolling, scooting, crawling backwards and doing 360s on her bum.
Waving. Yes, she's an early waver (okay, not all that early, the interwebs say not all 8 month olds can).
Leans towards me with outstretched arms if she wants me to hold her
She says: "Ah-da-da-da-da" and "Mom-mom-mom-mom" and sometimes there's an "N" in there for "mnah-nah-nah"
Going slow on the food because of her eczema. It's hard to tell if she's really allergic to foods or if her skin is flaring up for other reasons.

Naps in the car and then won't nap at home (as in, 5 minute car rides from church to home or the mall to a restaurant across the street).

Up next: project info in that cute hat and the cornucopia I crocheted for Thanksgiving.

Blue Moon De-Stash sale

Okay, you caught me. I didn't go. My SIL and I have been talking about getting the kids' pictures taken (professionally)... and talking and talking and talking. Well, they had my oldest niece this weekend, so we made the appointment.

Yeah, 9:40am in Clackamas. There was no possible way to get to Scappoose in time for the sale. The pictures are really cute. They're going to email me some images that I can use online. I'll post them as soon as I get them.

But back to the yarn sale. My cousin DID go and she got me some goooood stuff! I gave her a $30 limit and the kinds of yarn I like and she knows my colors. This is what she found:

The blue-ish one is Twisted and the green is Worsten Wear. I can't wait to pick these up from her. I'm thinking baby sweaters (no surprise there, I seem to be in a baby rut. Not a bad place to be when you have a baby!)

Up next: 8 month update! (insert freak out here)

In the wild

DSC00118, originally uploaded by a-chan.

I think I probably blogged this one back in the day when I did it. If not here's it's ravelry page: 1st feather and fan scarf

This just in:

Richard used the word "frogging" correctly in a sentence! As in: "Are you frogging that whole thing?" (with his tone being "What the hell are you doing, it was almost done!") ... I wasn't. My gourd was too long, so I shortened it.

Project info

Pattern - Octopode Pandemonium by PepperKitty

Made for - Ally

Hook - 3.75 mm (F)

Yarn - Caron Simply Soft from stash
Mods - none that I can remember

Notes: This was a hit with the the adults, the birthday girl (4!) was running around all crazy like so I'm not sure if she liked it or not. I sewed the legs on as I finished them and they are a bit crooked. The one I'm working on now I'm waiting to finish all the legs, then pin them on before I sew it.

Now I'm in a crocheting mood. I have 3 legs left on the next octopus and I'm most of the way through a cornucopia for Thanksgiving (just have a corn ear and an eggplant left, I'm done with the pumpkin, squash, and apple). After that, who knows? (well, I know. I just cast on for some washclothes that match the yellow/pink/orange shrug for Gracie's 1st birthday. I think I'll buy some cool soap for her since Sabrina has to use the boring soap.)

FO parade

Project info

Pattern - Confection Baby Shrug by Tonya Wagner
Made for - Sabrina
Size - 6 month

Needles - US 8 / 5.0 mm & US 9 / 5.5 mm

Yarn - Blue Moon Fiber Arts Twisted in Spinel
Mods - For the sleeves, I went up a needle size and knit them in round.

Project info

Name - baby shrug

Pattern - Confection Baby Shrug by Tonya Wagner
Size - 12 month
Made for - Gracie
Needles - US 8 / 5.0 mm & US 7 for the edge
Yarn - Plymouth Yarn Fantasy Naturale Multi & Solid. Lost the ball band a few years ago, so I don't know what colors they are without looking it up.

Modeled by - Sabrina @ 7 months
Mods - I went down a needle size for the ribbing.

ps. please ignore the big foot in the first picture, i can't edit it out right now... at least it's not an ugly foot.

Month7

DSC_0031, originally uploaded by a-chan.

Foods eaten:
rice cereal
carrots
bananas (real and packaged)
green beans

Up next:
sweet potatoes

Ready for Halloween?

DSC_0123, originally uploaded by a-chan.

We sure are! Well, I'm hoping we are. We took Sabrina to the drs office on Tuesday because I thought she might have a bladder infection (she didn't). Instead, they found pretty bad ear infections. Her only symptoms were a fever (101.1 which dropped before we even got there) and a runny nose.

So my happy baby is on amoxicillin for the second time. Both Richard and I are allergic to penicillin, so I’ve been a nut case about this. So far so good. She’s hasn’t been fussy at all and has still been sleeping real well. It’s like she’s not sick at all. She gave me a big old grin this morning before I left for work.

I’m hoping she’ll be okay going trick-or-treating around the block with her cousins (as a penguin). Keylie, Alivia and Evan are going as Wendy, Princess Tigerlily and Peter Pan (respectively). My SIL is worried about dressing Alivia up as an Indian, but I don’t think it’s a problem. Would there be a problem if she wanted to dress up as Pocahontas? I could be way off about this... I’m sure I’ll be corrected if I’m “wrong”

I've finished some projects recently, but of course I haven't taken any picture of them!

Sabrina @ 6 months

IMGP0075, originally uploaded by a-chan.

(although this pix is from OFFF, so it's not "new")

6 month stats:
14lbs 5oz
25.5in long

We finally started her on rice cereal. We waited the full 6 months because of her skin problem, but she doesn't seem to have a problem with it. Next up, carrots!

I ended up shaving off her mullet/reverse monk do. She ended up with a cool mohawk, but that's falling out now too. I look back at the pictures from the first couple of months and get a little teary eyed at how small she was and how much hair she had... *sniff sniff*

Big decision time

Blue ribbon!, originally uploaded by a-chan.

So, here's another way back moment. I've blogged about this sweater before, but the short story is that I don't really like it, it's too warm, doesn't fit properly (come on, it's chunky yarn... on a chunky body!). Every time I think "hey maybe I can wear it," I pull it out and put it on and it doesn't fit and it's itchy.

I've been thinking about this for over a year. I think I’m going to frog it. I know, sounds horrible. Frogging a blue ribbon sweater? Who really does that, really? But I’m tired of it sitting there. I think I could make a Versatility wit the yarn, if it frogs well. If not, then I'll knit something to felt.

What do you think?

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

MOV00047
Originally uploaded by a-chan

Just testing the video "blog this" on flickr. My phone takes crappy videos, I know... And don’t pay any attention to the background noices (unless you want to hear about changing diapers after a kid has eaten grapes...)

The way back machine

DSC_0162, originally uploaded by a-chan.

This was my first ever finished project! I knit a lot of it on the drive from Portland to Dallas (Texas! Not Oregon!) I believe it was red heart, held double, probably on size 10 needles. It must have been 2003, but I don’t really remember.

I recently found it in the bottom of my brothers closet.

Corn maze @ The Pumpkin Patch

DSC_0049, originally uploaded by a-chan.

I'm not sure why I like this picture so much. Sometimes the focus on my camera doesn't focus on what I want it to, but I take the picture anyways. I almost cropped it down, but I like that little ear of corn on the right side.

Anyways, Sabrina and I spent Saturday afternoon at The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie's Island. It was the first time any of us had been over the new bridge... not quite as exciting as I thought!

We did the maze. I've never done it before. It was more fun than I thought it would be. When we use to go to the pumpkin patch, it was to pick pumpkins! But that was in the late 80s/early 90s. There was no corn maze. I've been put off of the maze simply because it seemed it was always packed. What's the fun in getting lost in the corn if you're surrounded by 50 other people?

So we went early. There was one other family (a mom and two boys). We were actually a little lost for awhile! It was great. Sabrina slept in the ergo the whole time. She's such a good baby!

Then we went to the market. Got some potatoes, corn and pumpkin butter. I'm really excited about the pumpkin butter! I have some whole wheat toaster biscuits that are begging me to try it on them.

Knitting news:
I have a baby sweater finished (except for buttons and other "finishing") and a second one that is so close to being done! I ran out of yarn, so it's going to be short sleeved. Maybe I'll finish it this week on the bus.

Cape Meares LIghthouse

DSC_0227, originally uploaded by a-chan.

Sharkwater

On vacation, Richard convinced me that we needed to go to the Maui Ocean Center. We went there my very first trip to Maui (5 years ago, maybe?) I wasn't sure I wanted to go this year. Sabrina is too little to really enjoy any of it. But we went anyways.

There was a video playing, it had already started when we walked in, but we decided to stay anyways since we paid to be in there. It was the most amazing conservation video I've ever seen. It really changed something inside me. I feel outraged, saddened and sorry for sharks.

On the ride "home" (to Richard's mom's house) we were both very quite and thoughtful. Eventually Richard said "I want to buy that DVD." Up until that point, I wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

The movie can be very disturbing, I wouldn't let young kids watch it. I just want to share it with everyone I know. Check out the trailer!

And I just checked, netflix has it (DVD and blu-ray).

Back from Maui....

@ big beach, originally uploaded by a-chan.

Some day we'll move there. Even with their measly selection of yarn stores... that's what the internet is for, right? I never want to leave and I always want to go back.

Doh!

DSC_0202, originally uploaded by a-chan.

So I thought I missed the deadline to have my paper work in for the Oregon State Fair. I went to check and I still have a few days, however, I'm going to be leaving for Maui on the 30th and I won't be back until August 13th, 2 days after the drop off day. I guess I could ask some one really nicely to drop my stuff off, but I've been a slacker and the sweater and scarf I was going to enter are not done. They could be done by the 11th, but they can't be done by the 29th. Oh well. There's always next year.

And why should I be complaining at all, I'm going to Maui! Sabrina is going to meet her lelong and all her aunties and uncles.

Besides showing Sabrina off, we're really going to Richard's brother's wedding. I need to find something to wear! Nothing I own fits, my body hasn't decided what it's going to do. The maternity clothes are too big, but my old pants won't button! ACK!

photo fun

photo fun, originally uploaded by a-chan.

Or, more like PhotoFunia.com.

At first when I saw the link on Mason-Dixon Knitting, I thought it was cool. Then when I clicked the link, I didn't think it was cool... but then I tried it and I guess it is pretty cool!

On the knitting front, I'm most of the way through my Mabel's Scarf. I am using the recommended Malabrigo Merino Worsted. I just started the second skein, but I don't think I'll use the whole thing. I have only been knitting on the bus, so nobody had seen the scarf. I brought it out at scrapbooking night and now everyone wants one for Christmas. I guess that's fine as long as I start now. $22 for the yarn and tons of hours knitting with it are worthy of Christmas presents. I was already thinking of knitting one for my dad out of either black or a charcoal.

I'm seriously debating buying the Country Kiddie pattern. I think it will look adorable on Sabrina. If I buy it now, I can *maybe* have it done before vacation (Maui, here we come!)

meme

meme, originally uploaded by a-chan.
1. Annika and Aimee, 2. popcorn box cake, 3. Creepy B&W, 4. ♫ YO Yo yo, there's no place like a green penthouse... so i told the genie i wanted to be well hung. ^o^ ♫ nah... wildlife from singapore♫, 5. Wentworth Miller, 6. Zooming, 7. The Boardwalk, 8. SWEETIE PIE, 9. february baby sweater, 10. a cup of chubby goodness, 11. Happy Birthday Flickr Account, 12. Cotton Candy
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

I saw this meme on a few blogs today and decided I needed to join in on the fun! I think I saw it first on Stitch Marker, then on Ruby Banshee... I thought I saw it somewhere else, but I can't remember now.

If you want to join along:
Use fd’s Flickr Toys,

• Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
• Using only the first page, pick an image.
• Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

Mable's

DSC00038, originally uploaded by a-chan.

for the fun of it

I have been knitting a little... as in, 4 baby socks (one pair and two singles). I've weaved in ends to a baby blanket for a cousin that has been "done" for almost two months.

Here's some pics... not of knitting, but a cute baby:




(granny, cousin evan and sabrina)





Sabrina is smiling, but never for the camera. She's sleeping at least 6 hours in a row at night, sometimes more like 8. She has some cradle cap and a constant "baby rash" on her cheeks. But she's cute!

And I don't want to go back to work. I got the date moved from the 30th to the 1st so I'll only have a 3 day week... daycare would prefer to start at the beginning of the month. We surprisingly got her in the same daycare as her cousins, yay! I was always close to my cousins and I'm glad that Sabrina will be close to hers. Alivia really loves her, but Evan is a little uncertain. He didn't attach himself to me like Alivia did, so I'm not sure if that's the difference or it could be that he's a boy or that he's young enough not to know what to think. Alivia is really cute with Sabrina. She's always telling me "her is pretty" and asking to hold her.... I should find a picture of that, it's really cute.

I do have pictures of some of the socks, so maybe I'll post them soon.

Sabrina’s story

(This is a warning to those who may not want to read this, it is a birth story and I may write some things that may be TMI)



Figuring out where to start this is hard.

After my OB told me was was ready to give birth, I started walking a lot trying to bring on labor, like people say really works... it doesn't. After 2 weeks, I hadn't progressed any farther and I stopped the extra walks.

Sunday, April 6th, I woke up really sore. I thought it was weird because I hadn't been on an extra walk in almost a week. I drove out to Scappoose for dinner at Aunt T's house, thinking that another thing people say brings on labor is driving far from the hospital. During the day my thighs got more and more sore and we all decided I was going to go into labor soon. We even made jokes of it happening on the way back into town. (Sore thighs are the beginning of back labor, if you didn't know, I didn't)

Of course, I got home and nothing happened. Sad and not wanting to go to work in the morning, I went to bed (about midnight). No sooner than I fell asleep, I had to go to the bathroom really bad. I jumped up and was halfway across the room when I noticed my underwear was wet and thought, that's weird, I need to check the bed when I'm done. I made it to the bathroom and just as I sat down, my water broke. (It probably broke in bed, but ran fast enough). But, I was stuck on the toilet because whenever I started to stand up, more came out.

I thought that I would labor at home until I needed to go to the hospital. However, they like you to deliver in under 24 hours after your water breaks because of possibilities of infection. Contractions didn't start until two hours after the water broke. The hospital wanted me to call them back at 6:30 to see where I was. That was silly because they would have had me come in whether I was contracting or not. They did let me eat a little before I checked in (yogurt).

I checked in around 8 and was in triage for a few hours. They didn't believe me that I was having contractions because the monitors weren't picking them up. And they weren't sure that my water broke because the ultrasound machine showed a lot of water. I was sure I was having contractions and that my water broke.

Once they admitted me, I got the "good" nurses who believed me that I was having contractions and that my water broke (it didn't help that I was leaking all over the place). Grandma Thanua, Aunt Sharon and and La Rae showed up minutes after got to our room and they totally distracted me while I got my iv. Then mom showed up.

They decided against the pitocin because I was having contractions and it would be best if I didn't have to have the pitocin.

What happened the rest of the day kind of runs all together. I know I took a shower and I walked all over the place until I couldn't stand it and got the epidural. They started the pitocin then. I don't know when that happened. I remember taking a nap right after the epidural and then knitting a bit. We watched little people big world and jon and kate + 8.

At some point later it was announced that there was just a tiny bit of cervics left and they decided to "help" it a little. That hurt.

Some point later they decided I could start pushing. I had just had a bit more medicine put in my epidural so I really couldn't feel the pushing for awhile. But I pushed for 2.5 hours. The birthing classes told us that the average for new moms is 2-4 hours of pushing. Most people I have talked to didn't push for very long, and definitely not even close to 2 hours.

Oh. they had me convinced I was pushing out a 9 pound baby. When she finally came out and they put her on my stomach, she was this slimy little thing. No way was she 9 lbs. but I didn't say anything until they weighed her (6lbs 13.5 oz). When she was coming out, the doctor made a surprised sound and said something along the lines of "well, hello there! you're facing the wrong way!" She came out sunnyside up, which is one reason they thought she was bigger than she was.

Then they delivered the placenta, no biggy. But wait, there was more! I had a bunch of blood clots up there that they also had to get rid of. I swear that hurt more than the actual deliver.

Sabrina was born at 12:50. They listed my labor lasting 25 hours. I also had a fever and because I'm allergic to penicillin, they gave me some strong ass antibiotics that ate my veins. They were going to have to give me a 3rd iv, but my bloodwork came back good and I didn't have to have any more meds.

We had to stay an extra day because of my fever. When they took Sabrina to the nursery to do her exam, they decided her jaundice was bad enough to need the phototherapy. She only needed 24 hours of it, so we didn't leave the hospital until Friday the 11th. The phototherapy was hard. She had to stay under the lights for 3 hours at a time, then I got to feed her, pump and Richard gave her a bottle of either pumped milk or formula. Then she had to go back under the lights. The special care nursery rooms are only really set up for one person to stay with the baby, but Richard wasn't going to leave us so we made do.

I wish I hadn't been sick during my maternity leave, I hardly feel I've had the full time off. I wish I could have another month off. But I can't. I go back to work on July 1st. The good news is that we got Sabrina a spot at the daycare that Evan and Alivia (and Keylie for the summer). Man, childcare is expensive!

laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Well, I thought my next blog was going to be about Sabrina and my labor story. I didn't get to it, but I will. For now, though, I'd like to share with you that I no longer have a gallbladder.

The surgery went well. It was early Thursday morning and I slept most of the day. I couldn't nurse Sabrina for 24 hours, so I had the fun time of doing "pump n dumps." With the anesthesia and vicodin, I couldn't feel that my boobs were about ready to burst. I woke up and looked at the clock and realized it had been a good 9 hours since I fed Sabrina. I seriously looked like I had two large cantaloupes growing out of me (good thing i couldn't feel the pain involved). Sabrina ate through all my stored milk and took the formula (yay! she wouldn't the last time we had to give it to her).

So, all's well. I'm a bit sore and I should be going to bed (you'd think the vicodin would help with that). Mom is stayed a few nights with us to help with Sabrina (yay! i got to sleep as long as I wanted!) Erin came over Thursday afternoon when Richard had to go to work. I'm so thankful that my family is so helpful!

I guess that's all. Next blog will be about Sabrina, I promise!

wasting time

Because the baby fell asleep and Richard isn't home from work yet:

Using the top 100 yarns on Ravelry (by number of projects):
Bold the ones you’ve used and would use again;
Cross out the ones you’ve used and would not use again;
and Italicize the ones you’ve never tried, but would like to.
(and i'm doing nothing to the ones that i'm not even interested in)

Add comments as desired, and then pass the meme along to 5 knitters/crocheters. Link back to this post and to the person who tagged you.

1. Cascade 220 Wool - sad, I know, I'll use it when I have a project for it, but i'm not really into 100% wool that's not superwash
2. Patons Classic Wool Merino
3. Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted
4. Noro Kureyon - just enough for one of those cool stripy scarves. i'd only use it again for a felting project
5. Caron Simply Soft
6. Lily Sugar’n Cream Solid
7. Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted
9. Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solid
10. Noro Silk Garden - some day i'll have the money for some
11. Koigu Painter’s Palette Premium Merino (KPPPM)
12. Knit Picks Wool of the Andes
13. Lion Brand Homespun
14. Lion Brand Cotton-Ease
15. Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock Multi
16. Manos del Uruguay 100% Wool
17. Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky - LOVE this yarn for chunky hats... can you say "meathead?"
18. Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran
19. Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock - Lightweight
20. Plymouth Encore Worsted
21. Cascade 220 Heathers
22. Lily Sugar’n Cream Ombres & Prints
23. Zitron Trekking (XXL) .
24. Patons SWS (Soy Wool Stripes)
25. Rowan Kidsilk Haze
26. Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
27. Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc. Peaches & Creme Ombres
28. Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece
29. Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock - Mediumweight
30. Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick
31. Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc. Peaches & Creme Solids
32. Cascade 220 Superwash
33. Berroco Ultra Alpaca
34. Knit Picks Swish Superwash
35. Knit Picks Essential
36. Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice Solid
37. Colinette Jitterbug
38. Lion Brand Lion Wool Solid
39. Knit Picks Shine Sport
40. Dale of Norway/Dalegarn Baby Ull
41. Lion Brand Microspun - a bit splitty, but it's soft.
42. Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino
43. Knit Picks Palette
44. South West Trading Company TOFUtsies
45. Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool
46. Mission Falls 1824 Wool
47. Rowan RYC Cashsoft DK
48. Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Multis/Ombres - it has it's place, I swear...
49. Rowan Felted Tweed - i'm not sure if i would use it again, i still have an awful lot of it
50. Rowan Calmer
51. Lion Brand Wool-Ease Heather
52. Knit Picks Merino Style
53. Garnstudio Drops Alpaca
54. Claudia Hand Painted Yarns Fingering
55. Knit Picks Andean Silk
56. Red Heart Ltd. Soft Yarn Solids
57. Elann Peruvian Highland Wool
58. Tahki Cotton Classic
59. Dream in Color Smooshy
60. Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton
61. Dream in Color Classy
62. Rowan Big Wool
63. Peace Fleece Worsted
64. Caron Simply Soft Brites
65. Plymouth Galway Worsted
66. Karabella Aurora 8
67. Rowan Wool Cotton
68. Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton
69. Knit Picks Shine Worsted
70. Brown Sheep Wildfoote Luxury Sock
71. Lion Brand Fun Fur Solid - it has it's place
72. Misti International Misti Alpaca Chunky
73. Handmaiden Fine Yarn Sea Silk
74. Mountain Colors Bearfoot
75. Lion Brand Jiffy Solid
76. Knit Picks Shadow - well, i haven't used it, but it's in my stash
77. Bernat Softee Chunky Solids & Marls
78. Austermann Step
79. Bernat Cottontots Solid
80. Cascade Ecological Wool
81. Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud
82. Patons Shetland Chunky
83. Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky
84. Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted
85. Malabrigo Yarn Lace
86. Bernat Satin Solids
87. Lily Sugar’n Cream Stripes
88. Knit Picks Gloss
89. Lion Brand Magic Stripes
90. Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk
91. Cascade 220 Quatro
92. Rowan All Seasons Cotton
93. Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock Solid
94. JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk 2/18
95. Novita 7 Veljestä
96. Rowan Kid Classic
97. Mission Falls 1824 Cotton
98. Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted Multi
99. Cascade Fixation Spray Dyed/Effects
100.Patons Kroy Socks 4-Ply

Sabrina Noelani

DSC_0059, originally uploaded by a-chan.

We're finally home!

Sabrina Noelani was born at 12:49am on April 8, 2008. She's 6lbs 13.5 oz, 20 inches long and her head is 12.5 inches. She was born sunnyside up, so her head is shaped a bit funny and she has a bad bruise. We ended up staying a few days extra because she was born a bit over 24 hours after my water broke and because of my fever during labor. She also had jaundice, so she recieved 24 hours of phototherapy.

I'll go into more detail later, it's a fun story. Click to see more pictures.

o hai!

DSC00035, originally uploaded by a-chan.

O Hai!

No baby news. I’m walking, I’m working and I’m drinking a lot of water. The only other thing I know of to get the baby moving would be very uncomfortable right now.

The picture was taken on my lunch walk. I walked by it yesterday and thought of taking a picture, but I just kept walking. Today, I decided SOMEONE needed to take the picture.

I almost couldn’t get out of bed this morning to go to work. I wasn’t planning on working until I go into labor, but my last day is set for April 11. If I stop working now that labor is immanent and then I don’t actually have her for another week or two, well, I would be out of that money. I’m just hoping my water doesn’t break at work because I’m not bringing a change of clothes to work every day and it would take Richard 30 minutes to get here.

Every little pain, twinge, strain and weird feeling makes me stop and think to myself “is this it?” But it’s not and life goes on. I really didn’t think I’d get to the point of wanting to be done with being pregnant... and I’m not really. I’m just so anxious for her to be here. They were teasing me when they said it would be in the next two weeks... well, I do have one week of the two left, so I guess it could happen.

Baby update - March Baby?

So, I went to my appointment today and had my first "check" to see where I am and apparently I'm 90% effaced and 2 cm dilated and her head is in the 0 position... For those of you that don't know what that means, well, I'm getting ready to pop, a month early (of course, you can't predict that sort of thing, but it will be sooner rather than later). I definitely won't see my due date.... and it will probably be in March (for a reminder, I'm due April 18th)

I was told that a lot of women might be mad at me because they would have been in a lot more discomfort than me if they were about ready. I wasn't all that surprised, I knew something was going on down there, but I really didn't think I was that far along.

Maybe the next baby update will be when she's born!

I was looking for a picture of me, but we still don't have a good one that shows off the belly. All the pictures from the baby shower are of me sitting down unwrapping presents... and I look like a whale... okay, maybe not that bad, but with my dark pants, it looks like my lower body is a big blob! So instead, you get a picture of some happy onion rings:

One whole month!

So I just went to see when my last post was... Feb. 14th and today is March 14th. I should probably do a baby update and then share my FOs (yes, I've been cranking things out since my last post).

Baby update:
A few weeks ago I was woken up by a call from Kaiser saying that the "specialist" had reviewed my last ultrasound and had ordered up some non-stress tests... Twice a week till the end of my pregnancy. For those of you that don't know what a non-stress test is: They make me go in and strap me into the baby monitors (same ones used in the labor rooms) to monitor the baby's heartbeat (both at rest and when she's active) and any contractions. I'm not sure if this next part is normal, but they did a short little ultrasound to check on the amniotic fluid levels. Of course this news freaked my mom out (a nurse) and she almost canceled her trip to Disneyland. Good thing that the first test was before she left because I "passed" with flying colors and Mom agreed to go to Disneyland. I would have felt really guilty if she had stayed home for no reason.

The second test wasn't so good. Baby Banana didn't want to wake up and stay awake. It was kind of stressful because they weren't really saying out loud what was going on. They used this buzzer thing to try and wake her up... imagine a vibrator that makes a buzzing noise like a game show's buzzer. That test took an hour and a half instead of 20 minutes... but in the end everything was okay.

The third test was just as good as the first one and I met with my normal lady afterwards and she said I didn't need to go for those tests any more! I was excited because the $20 co-pay twice a week would have added up to a good chunk of change.

I haven't been in since then, but my next appointment is Monday. I think I've finally made it to the uncomfortable faze. I'm having a harder time sleeping at night, I've finally started having some Braxton-hicks contractions (I actually thought I might have needed to make a trip to labor and delivery last night, but they stopped), and I'm feeling just a bit off. This pregnacy has been such a mild one, that I didn't think I'd ever reach the point where I'd want out (or, I'd want Baby Banana out.. hehe). Oh, I might add, I'm at 35 weeks now, two more weeks till full term, 5 weeks until due date. I'm hoping for sooner than later. She should be about 5.25 lbs now.

And for the FOs:



Ravelry project page
Pattern: Baby sweater on two needles - The Knitters Almanac (Elizabeth Zimmermann)
Yarn: Socks that Rock - Mediumweight (mill end)
Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm
Mods: I decided on only 3 button holes, all three in the garter stitch section. The first time I knit this I didn't like how many button holes I ended up with in the end.



Ravelry project page
Pattern: Daisy from knitty - Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Cotton Stria (two skeins)
Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm
Mods: Went down two needles sizes hoping for a bit of a smaller sweater for a coming home outfit, but it still looks kinda big.
Things I would do differently: I don't like sewing up seams, so I think I would try to figure out how to do it with out having to sew the seams, should be easy...

Could this be nesting?

DSC00023, originally uploaded by a-chan.

Last night I had this strong urge to bake cupcakes... Okay, maybe I was just craving them. I skipped the knit night at cubespace so I could go home and bake.

I didn't want to go to the store, so I used what I had.... a box of devil food's cake mix was in the back of the cupboard! Then, I didn't have enough cream cheese for frosting, so I scoured my cupcake books and found a buttercream icing I could do. I don't like butter cream, but it turn out good and everybody at work loved it! They totally ate all of them, it's a good thing I left some at home for us!

But now I'm out of red food coloring and powdered sugar, so I do need to make a trip to the store... oh well, at least I didn't use all the milk and eggs.

Help me decide!

Some of you may have seen the challenge on Mason-Dixon Knitting... if not, well, they wanted people to dress up something from their house... I thought my penguin statue needed a cloak. Richard thought the gnome needed a hat. But I can only have one entry. Please let me know which one you like the best! A comment works, or if you want, a ravelry message works to (I changed my name there to a-chan). Please click the images to see their full sizes on flickr.

The penguin in his magician's cloak:



The ikea gnome in his winter set:

baby update and February baby sweater

Okay, I suppose it's time for another baby update. I don't remember where I left off (and I'm too lazy to check!).

I will start with some answers from questions the other Aimee asked: My due date is April 18th. And about the ultrasounds, back in December I had an abnormal ultrasound (I had low amniotic fluid). So I was sent to a specialist who told me that even though it's low, it's still in the normal range. But she thought it would be best if I had ultrasounds once a month just to check it out. My OB agreed. My 6th ultrasound is scheduled for the 20th. It's nice getting to see the baby a lot, but it's also a little stressful knowing that there might be something wrong. So far so good, but things can change. And I'm having a girl! Sabrina Noelani. My husband wanted a Hawaiian middle name because he was born in Hawaii (but he's not Hawaiian).

The newest baby news is that I passed the glucose test so I don't have gestational diabetes. Yay! Since I'm a little overweight and since diabetes runs in both sides of my family, I have taken the test twice and have passed with flying colors both times! Oh, and I'm not anemic, so no iron supplements for me! YAY! I've only gained 14lbs, which is good. I got a stern talking to at the last appointment because I gained too much in 6 weeks, but since I hadn't gained anything before that, I just got the "don't do it again," but it was over Christmas..... And I'm happy to say that at yesterday's appointment I hadn't gained anything. That does worry me a bit, but they don't think there's anything wrong with it. I mean, I don't think I can possibly eat any more food! Unless, of course, they want me to have a milkshake everyday...

Knitting progress: I finished Daisy from knitty, I just have to sew the seams up.... I don't think I'll do that pattern again since there's so much seaming to do, I'd rather do it in the round. I've also started a February Baby Sweater (or Baby Sweater on Two Needles (February)) for my cousin who is having twins!! And because I need a picture (no matter how crap-tastic it is):

Slytherin Pinwheel

The last time we saw this blanket was all the way back in August! I don't remember if I mentioned finishing it, but I did! I decided it would make a great Christmas present for the Biggie Smalls. And he loves it! In the last month he has loved it so much it's already made its way through the wash several times. When I was visiting last weekend, it was freshly washed and being enjoyed by multiple people. First, my sis-in-law was using it as a lap warmer. I told her I could knit her one, but she's fine with sharing. Later, I found it being used as a super hero cape by Keylie.



Some random specs:
yarn: Reynolds Utopia (100% acrylic*)
needles: US #8 in multiple length circs
pattern: Pinwheel baby blanket
mods: I use Judy's magic cast on since it's less fiddly than the patterns way

*Okay, about the Reynolds Utopia. I love knitting with this acrylic! It's my favorite acrylic ever. It's so much better than Red Heart or any of the other brands you'd find at a big box craft store. I was hooked after the first use. That being said, I have only had the experience of washing it for the first time. When I visited this blankie last weekend, it was so soft! With every wash, it keeps getting better and better! If you're in the market for some good acrylic for an item that needs to be machine washed, I totally recommend Reynolds Utopia (sometimes under the name Unger Utopia, not sure why)

Yarnia!

DSC_0004.JPG, originally uploaded by a-chan.

The only thing better than snow mixed in the rain is a new yarn store... granted, I didn't buy anything. Oh well. I couldn't think of a project and I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on yarn if I wasn't going to use it... wow, I've come a long way!

Anyways, I didn't have cash and you had to have cash for $10 and under.

I did get a look around and I will be going back. I'll probably get some yarn for baby sweater or something. I really liked some of the sample cones (that were for sale). I ran into David from Cubespace and Larissa was also there (although, I didn't introduce myself to her, I always think it's odd going up to some one and saying "I read your blog" I'd feel like a dork).

Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday. I don't know if I'm going to watch to game or not. I am going to the Knitting Bee for their annual yarn sale. Then I might make the trek to Scappoose for a little visit, but I plan on spending most of the day home alone. I bought some things to make a 7-layer dip and I have some chips... I think there's a wedding cake special on Food network that looks really good.

I finished the border on the second U of O blanket last night. Now I just have to weave in about 100 ends. It's turned out really nice and I'm hoping some of the stitches will even out in the wash.



The pinwheel is waiting to go in the wash. I'm still crossing my fingers that the border will magically stop folding over...

Tonight I'm enjoying....

DSC_0005.JPG, originally uploaded by a-chan.

No, that's not my baby! That's Baby Gracie! (my friend's baby).... I just needed a picture....

Tonight I'm enjoying:
stove-top popped popcorn (a little salt and no butter!)
home made orange julius
time by myself
the baby socks I'm working on
sweat pants
the incredibles
my green fleece blanket from ikea

Tonight I'm NOT enjoying:
cold hands
cracked hands
not knowing what I want to eat
voluntarily not going to a party
this head cold!


Growing up, for special occasions (Friday nights, slumber parties, new years eve) my mom would make us orange julius' and popcorn. I think for dinner, but that could just be my bad memory. It might have been for dessert. Anyways, I fondly remember evenings playing Monopoly, canasta, and rummikub while drinking the orange julius' , crunching the popcorn... Some times as a family (my mom and my brother and I), sometimes with the cousins and sometimes with friends. Those are great memories... the kind I want to share and pass on with my kids when they're older.

Another set of memories this brings up is those evenings when it was just my mom and me when I was in high school, eating popcorn, drinking orange julius' and knitting.... while watching bad movies. I never finished any projects back then, I just enjoyed the knitting. I re-taught myself how to knit from my mom's old 4-H books and some other really 70's knitting pamphlets. She's left handed and knits funny for even a left hander, so I tried not to look at what she was doing. I believe I would work on these hiddious slippers out of really nasty left-overs. I'm sort of glad I never finished, but it would have been nice to have something tangible from those days.

One Way

DSC00021, originally uploaded by a-chan.

I don't ever show my religious side on the blog, but I thought this was too funny!

On the knitting front, I finished one baby tube sock last night. Most of it was knit at Cubespace. It was my first time going and I rather enjoyed myself. I'll probably go back since it's on my way home from work (for the most part). It's a cute little space, from what I saw of it. The people seemed to to be more my age-ish and more my style than a lot of knitting groups I've been to.... (No offense to any of you, I value knitting time with anyone, no matter who you are).

No baby updates until Monday when I have my 6th ultrasound. That sounds like a lot, but they're just monitoring to be on the safe side. So far, so good.

Crappy pictures

DSC00020, originally uploaded by a-chan.

You would think that having a dslr camera would mean better pictures... and it should. However, sometimes I'm taken by the moment and snap shots with my handy camera phone. I hope that explains the horridness of this picture.

What you're looking at is the left overs from the pinwheel blanket. I did run out of yarn and while on a search for a fitting yarn to use for the last 5 inches, I found two little balls of my yarn... THE yarn. Who knows why I had wound off two balls, but I did. I was able to finish the blanket with the same yarn in the same color. Interesting. I'm still perplexed over this. Now I even have a little extra, though, not enough to make anything with.

Old pinwheel

I had been daydreaming about doing a garter stitch border on my Log cabin for a bind off. I thought that if I just sat down and tried it, I could figure it out. Before I got that far, I was browsing through blogs and came upon Jared's post about his The Pi Shawl (Blanket). BTW, it's gorgeous! Anyways, he did what he called an "attached (9-stitch) garter side-to-side edging." That sounded similar to what I was thinking and I commented asking for more information.... Low and behold, he found me on Ravelry (another reason I love that site!) and pointed me towards Elizabeth Zimmermann's book Knitter's Almanac, which I already have (BONUS!)

But then I decided I wanted to do an i-cord bind-off on the log cabin... I really wanted to try this new garter stitch edging, so I thought and I thought and finally I remembered this blaket:



I started it a long time ago during a baby-boom in the family, but everyone had boys (except one girl, but her daddy likes red, so her blanket is red). I've bound off of this thing at least twice and it still didn't like it.



I have to say that this edging is not something to take on lightly, it sure does take awhile. I'm doing a 10 stitch border. I should be doing an 8 stitch border since I'm going to run out of yarn.

I don't really care much for this blanket because I knit it before I corrected my twisted stitch. It's not perfect, but I'm not willing to start over on it. I should have used a size 8 for the border. I use an 8 for the main part, but my gauge was tight with the twisted stitch so I thought I could get away with the 7. It's folding onto itself, which is really no different than it rolling (like pinwheel blankets tend to do). Eh. What's one more blanket for baby banana? Since it's not a gift, I don't really care for perfection. When I run out of yarn, I'll just use a different color. I know I have a dark green in the same yarn, but I also know I have another light yellow and another light teal color that may work.

Oh, did I mention that Baby Banana is going to be a GIRL!! YAY!