The Wait is Over

Weighing in at 7 lbs. 11 oz, and 21 inches, the little one has arrived!
Mom and Dad couldn't be prouder. We love our little guy.

Waiting......

Nesting

We are full-term, and the anxiety I was feeling the last couple of weeks has lifted! I am getting pretty darn big and am beginning to wonder just exactly how big this baby's going to be.

The past two weeks I have been hectic ones around our house. It started with a shower, hosted by my lovely sister (shower at sister's) where my family was very generous to us in helping get ready to welcome baby. Here's a picture of some of the loot, which was hastily thrown into a closet on cleaning lady day:

Then there was a party at our house with friends, the pre-baby annual fall party which was fun, but exhausting. Sorry, I didn't take any picks.

Then the fun began, a faucet broke. We called a plumber, who sortof fixed it. Then J.C. did something to it again while trying to fix it (I was sitting on the couch and heard a geyser type sound followed by some swearing. I didn't ask), and we had our handy friend come over and put in a new one (Thanks handy friend). J.C. cut his finger and broke a blind for the baby's room. It was a bad week for the dad to be.

This was all leading up to the big event Saturday, good-bye ratty 20 year old carpeting that smelled like cat pee in places. Hello new floors. Who does this when they are 36 weeks and counting? That's right, we do.... And somehow we survived, and the floors and the new carpeting got in. There was the minor inconvenience of the installation guys thinking they didn't have enough carpet (yes, we do have large closets, and yes, we did give you those measurements), and finally running out of hardwoods ( and realizing this after they had taken the toilet out of the half bath downstairs). But they came back Tuesday, forcing me to take an afternoon off of work (thank goodness I don't have a real job), and the house is much improved:

The rest of the week J.C. spent putting together furniture for baby's room. This was also not without it travails. One of the drawers on the changing table was not drilled, and the crib seemed to require super human strength to put together. But mostly this to seems to be getting done.

While husband did all his getting the house ready stuff, I sort of sat around feeling not very helpful. I went shopping with a friend while the floor guys were there Saturday. And during the week I washed a lot of baby stuff. Is our baby really going to be that small?

So now what's left? Assembly some shower gifts, and put the damn car seats in the car. Wish us luck with that..... We might actually get them in before I'm in the hospital.

And since it got cold, I started to knit the baby a hat. He can't arrive before I finish it, right?

Getting to Me

So for the most part I've had it pretty easy being pregnant. Little morning sickness, haven't felt too weird about gaining weight, there was the bad heartburn I was having for awhile but that went away, and there was the ankle thing.... But basically not too bad.

However, I just crossed the 35 week, and it's starting to get to me, and it wasn't what I expected (you know, the usually physical complaints), but the mental aspect. Nobody warned me about this. I am becoming a neurotic and perhaps hysterical at times, expectant mother. I find myself crying about once a day because I'm worried. Not about the approaching labour process, but about the baby. Is he moving enough, have I done everything I could to make sure he is healthy, have I payed enough attention to my body to know if there was a problem, have I had the right discussions with my doctor. The thing that makes it worse is that I'm completely aware that I am being completely irrational. And I dislike this feeling so much that I'm looking forward to going through labour, so that I can have the baby on the outside where I can check to see if he is breathing, and thriving, even if it means going through labour and having a baby to take care of, and giving up my beloved sleep. It's got to be a little easier than this madness.

5 more weeks!!!!

Time is speeding up

It's been so long, that I don't remeber any of the html or the what I called the little special elements I created for headings and such . At some point I will look it up, but for now just typing something is probably all one can hope for.

We've been busy, and I feel like I'm just trying to get to November, because I've decided that November must be a chill month. I mean I'm going to be 9th months pregnant. Yikes!!!! I still have problems beleiving that I'm actually having a baby, even though there ample evidence. He's moving around right now actually.

I'm really excited about having the baby, but its hard to let myself get too excited. I guess I'm the don't count you chickens type, and I don't want to get too excited for fear that something might go wrong. I'm already really in love with the little guy, and I'm a little scared about that too.

To recap what is going on, we went to the beach in the beginning of September to hang out and relax. After that there has been painting of the baby's room, other work around the house, shopping, baby classes, and doctor's appointments. Somehow I also try to do some work.

This week I've felt particularly pregnant (33 weeks). I keep dropping things. I actually threw up because of my prenatal vitamin. Baby's been moving around alot and with more force then before (which is nice, I like to know he's getting stronger). I'm starting to outgrow some of the maternity clothes. I mysteriously hurt my ankle, so in addition to being big and cumbersome, I've been hobbling around. (It is starting to feel better by the way.) I've also been working on a talk, which is depressing because I feel like I've done nothing over the last year since I gave my talk last year.

Anyway that's how things are. Knitting progress is slow because I need to read the directions and I don't feel like it. I've been working on my crocheted blanket. It's really wide, and will take me years to complete, but doesn't really require a lot of thought.

I need to go walk the dog, maybe I'll post some pictures some other time.

We are still around....

Apparently it was still spring when I last sat down and wrote one of these little bloggy things. Now it is fully the dog days of August in D.C.; hot, humid,
and dry. I hope our lawn survives okay, I feel a little guilty about watering it, even at night. A big tree up the street from us died because of the drouhgt. If their water column breaks they are done for. Poor tree... poor homeowner who now needs to have the giant tree cut down....

There's actually been quite a lot going on around these parts over the last five months, so I will quickly update, in no particular chronological order.

• Finished peapod sweater:






another view





• Working on a red vest sweater, for a baby, (pattern from "natural knits, for Babies and Moms" by Louisa Harding, knit in Shine Sport)





• Went to a small scientific meeting in Italy, where quite a few people were talking about my paper, which is weird because at larger, less focused meetings nobody generally cares about this stuff. Picture of Italy at flickr sight



• Bought a shiny used 1971 Yamah U1 piano. Has a very nice sound, and doesn't have problems turning on and off. Still haven't figured out what to do with the old electric piano which was a nice idea in principal, but would strongly urge anyone thinking about buying one to consider a used real piano instead.







• Seriously thinking about writing a K grant, mulling over ideas which will take a lot of work to flesh out




And lastly, but certainly no leastly...




• Started working on producing another human being, about four more months to go:




Me at 21 weeks:








Baby at 20 weeks:

A Couch Needs a Blanket

Inspired by others, and our new blank canvas IKEA couch, I have started a very simple project: Double crochet striped blanket. I also decided this would be the oppurtunity to get rid rid of some of the nasty acrylic yarn hanging around the bottom of my yarn chest. I don't mind using acrylic for a blanket, because it is cheap, durable, doesn't itch that much, and with double crochet you don't exactly have to worry about uneven stitches like you do with straight untextured knitting.

The only thing is, as I got thinking about this project I decided that the few colors of acrylic yarn I had weren't going to cut. I probably didn't have enough material. Then I went to the local craft store and became mesmerized by the color options and the cheapness, and bought something like eight skeins of crappy yarn. It seems that instead of getting rid of the crappy yarn it has instead multiplied.

Alas....What's a girl to do? If it makes my blanket cool, it's worth it.

New project for the baby boom. Pea Pod sweater from Interweave knits available for free on their web page. These baby sweaters make me realize that sometime plain old straight knitting is all I want to do.

Finished Object 2007

The orange baby sweater was finished last weekend, in time for Jen and Matt's baby shower.

It turns out the sweater matches the running stroller we donated money to get them.

It did pretty good with the ends, and the seams and like. Also it is a very quick knit, took me two weeks, with most of the knitting accomplished in week one.

Hippo models:

See, I really did finish the knitting of this sweater. I'm even working on the ends

Quick Morning Update

• A. My paper has been excepted at MBC, soon to be in press!!!!!! (I heard saturday and did a little dance in my kitchen)




• B. I finished knitting and seaming the baby kimono sweater.
  (pictures as soon as I charge my camera batteries




• C. I had a carrot soup catastrophe, involving a random accident and me not completely understanding the limitations of my cuisnart. (Upshot is that my husband has agreed to get me the kitchenaid blender I have been coveting for at least five years

That's all for now. Have a good Monday!

Orangey

The pink sweater is out. The garter stitch edges are rolling in too much... a bad marriage of yarn and pattern. So when my knitpicks order came in, I couldn't help myself.

A sleeve and a half of the kimono style sweate form "Natural Knits", in the unatural shine sport

Update....

Alas, the little star sweater does not fit!!!! But not for the reason I was worried about. Apparently it is the mock turtle neck design which does not happen to work so well for my nephew, who might have a large head (because he is a genius). I guess I should stick to the v-necks and cardigns for my adventures in childrens clothes. I am chalking this one up to a design flaw, because obviously my knitting was flawless....

Fixing it?...hmmm it could be tricky because of the way a seamed it. But maybe I will try. Of course he will probably out grow it by the time I fix it...

This is why I'm afraid to knit for other people.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

We've been experiencing a slew of lazy afternoons. Some due to weather. Some due to a generalized lethargy that seems to have settled in around here.

I've been trying to cook a meal (or sometimes two) to eat during the week, to make my life easier. I'm also trying to incorporate more vegetarian dishes. For some reason boneless skinless chicken breast just stopped being appealing and indian and vegetarian food and sweet potatoes seem like great stuff. I've really had me a serious hankering for sweet potatoes, particularly sweet potato fries. mmmmmm....

So I guess that sort of explains the necessity of lazy sunday mode, but I think we are settling into too much of a rythmn. Big breakfast saturday, shopping after, run, go out and eat dinner somewhere. Little breakfast saturday. Stand around and postulate about what we might want to do today. End up doing nothing. Cook food.

By the way, I'm cooking peach mango chutney right now, and it is perfuming the house with the odor of sugar, cardamon, ginger, and cinnamon...very nice

The reason for the lack of blogging is laziness and slow progress. We will work to correct this.

Well, not really lack of progress. I finally sewed in all the ends of the little star sweater, and have handed it off to my sister. When asked if he wanted to try on the sweater it only took his aunt five months to complete, Sam vehemently shook his head no, and started to cry. He has apparently suddenly become picky about his clothes.

Also this weekend I finished two backs:

The green one(elann Sierra Aran, fiddlehead green) is the Marseilles pullover (IK summer 2006), the pink one (elann, baby alpaca/silk blend ) is the ballerina wrap from "Adorabe Knits" by Zoe Mellor.

I also order yarn for some other items for the not yet born. There seems to be a baby boom going on in the DC area as an alarming high number of couples we know are expecting (and soon). In truth I was feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of knitting baby gifts, but I figure they can get them after the baby's born, so its not really a big deal. I also have my eyes on my next project for myself, but I better finish Marseilles first. I fear this might be a sweater I will never get to wear.....

Recovery

The surgery went well, and I got some pretty flowers from my lab-mates.

I'm already venturing back to work, although I'm still a little tired so it might be a day or two til I'm able to stay the whole day and not need/want a mid afternoon nap.

My family came over to cheer me up and feed my Sunday which was nice, and I found some time to sew up this:

That leaves the ends to work in, and there are alot of them, but it might fit afterall.

Is this really the fortune you want to get the night before having surgery?

Because of said hospital stay and feeling like I was getting a cold all week, I've been taking it easy, which meant getting the opportunity to do a little knitting. I finished the knitting on the little star sweater and proceeded to seaming.

I'm getting better at armhole and shoulder seams, although they're still not like the ones in the books!

I was very worried about the proportions and sizing of this sweater, but now that I've started to seam it, I feel like it might not be a horrible thing to inflict on a 2 year old after all. (He won't remember it anyway, right?) I really don't want to be the crazy Aunt who knits the sweaters with sleeves that are vastly different sizes.

I guess the final verdict will be when he gets to try it on.

Anyway, now I have to figure out what little and easy project to bring with me to the hospital......

Exorcism, a photo essay

BEFORE:

DURING:

AFTER:

While listening to Neko Case live courteous of a free download from NPR

Consequently, very little knitting to report on chez H.Po and Snuffles.