Crafting Update

It's been a while since I did a crafting update, so here are some of the things I've been working on:

-Monster Pants: These have been a true challenge. My motivation comes in spurts with long periods of inactivity between. The motivation just isn't there to finish them because they've been taking so long and because I really hate weaving in ends. I've finally finished the knitting part, and I think they'll still fit G, but I have the duplicate stitches and the i-cord to finish still. I can do this! [I hate weaving in ends from stripes and I absolutely loathe knitting ribbing because my purls are always too loose and makes the ribbing look bad]

-Crochet Turban-Inspired Earwarmer: I made one of these earlier this year and ended up giving it to my sister in law. My stitches are always so tight, but this time I really focused on keeping them loose, and I think I went the opposite direction: the headband ended up a bit too loose. I might remake another, but I've had a few other projects I want to finish

-Newborn Bunny Set: I crocheted a bunny set for a baby due around Easter. It was surprise because I wasn't sure I could get it done, but I spent a full day crocheting and finished it all, even getting it in the mail before baby arrived! I made my own hat pattern up, and used a diaper cover pattern. I made the pom pom tail removable so the diaper cover would be useful past the photos

-Newborn Gnome Set: I saw this on Ravelry, and it is too adorable! I wanted to crochet it, so I used my candy cane cocoon pattern, and made a belt (I'm proud of the buckle) and then used other patterns for the hat and beard, which is removable.

I was waiting to make our peapod's outfit til we found out the sex. James really likes the cupcake hat, so I'll try my hand at that, but I might also make a giraffe outfit, we'll see. I didn't want to do a pumpkin again, even though she's a fall baby too. I'm making myself finish the monster pants before I start on this though.

-Quick Crochets: I've done a few quick crochet projects to try to get my motivation back and start using up the stash yarn I have. I made a face scrubbie (and have plans to make more) and a potholder that I'm relatively happy with. The pattern was for just one side, but I wanted to add a pocket, and it didn't turn out quite as well as I was hoping, but it works, especially since we didn't know where our potholders had gone in the move.

 

-Maternity Calendar Shirt: Another one! I messed up the first one, and I will be using it in the first few photos, but my mom is sending another, and I'm hoping it turns out much better (less paint, more daubing, gentler). We'll see. So far, time has been spent on other things.

-Stockinette Scarf: I was actually hired by James' cousin to make him a scarf to replace one he'd lost. I can't wait! The yarn from knitpicks has arrived and my needles are ready and waiting to cast on! It'll be a long one, and probably in stockinette. Practice purling, I guess.

-Wave Blanket: I also ordered four different blues for a wave blanket (chevron) that was originally going to be for G's room, but might end up being for the whole family. That'll be crochet, but it's on the bottom of the list for right now. I might bring it on vacation if I'm close to finishing other projects so that I only bring one project with me on the plane.

-G's drawers: The beautiful bedroom set we bought for G has flowers on the top drawer of the dresser and the nightstand drawer. So we're going to be painting the drawers: the dresser will be painted ombre, and the nightstand will be either the lightest or one of the medium colours.

-Paintings for Baby Girl's Room: I'll be doing similar paintings to the ones I did for G's room, but with land animals. I have the canvases, paint and brushes, so I'll be getting started on them soon!

-Doctor Who Quiet Book: Saw this online and loved it! I've been wanting to make a quiet book for G anyways, and I'm really loving Doctor Who lately, so this is perfect. I have the felt and I'm (again) using the pictures for inspiration for it. I hope it turns out well, but this is at the bottom of my craft priority list.

There are other things I want to work on, but my craft supplies haven't been unpacked yet. Eventually we'll be all settled and it'll be easier. Hopefully the quicker crochet projects will help my motivation to finish those adorable monster pants. He'll probably be able to wear them once or twice before he outgrows them, but maybe I'll make other pairs. Without stripes.

Ultrasound

We had our midway ultrasound this past Monday! It was the big one, where you find out the sex of the baby (if you want to) and they check out all the organs to make sure everything is ok.

We did find out that our little peapod is a girl, and we couldn't be more excited! I'd been joking that I wouldn't be able to resist ruffle butt leggings this time, regardless of the sex, but I'm so excited to raise a little girl too, and I know G will be a great big brother.

I got my first "glowing" comment when I dropped G off at daycare. Probably had a great deal to do with the fact that I'd showered, put on makeup and was wearing something other than sweats. ;) We do have a name for her, but like before we're not sharing it til she gets here. It took longer than with G to pick a name, but I think we did a pretty good job.


They checked out all her organs, and everything is looking good! We got to see her swallow amniotic fluid, which was neat (never saw G do that), heard her heartbeat again and saw lots of organs: heart, stomach, diaphragm, kidneys, etc. She has five fingers on each hand and was moving around like crazy! Even the tech said she was really busy, and it took a while to figure out the sex because she wouldn't hold still! Something tells me my energy levels will be pretty low between two rambunctious bundles of movement in the coming years.

There was one thing that they said. The doctor told us that they noticed I had a two vessel cord, or a single umbilical artery (SUA). Usually the cord is made up of one vein that delivers blood from the placenta to the baby, and two arteries that carry it away again. Sometimes, (in about 1% of all pregnancies) there's only one artery, and that's what's happened here. No one knows why it happens, and the doctor was thoroughly unconcerned. He told us that I'd get an extra ultrasound to check growth because sometimes it can result in a smaller baby, though nothing else should be affected. In fact, she's perfectly on track, weighing in at about 8 oz and measuring 6 inches long.

However, I had to go and google it. I was banned from google last time because the internet is alarmist, and I thought I'd been pretty good this time, but I really should've stayed away. There are other things that a SUA can be related to, including heart and kidney problems as well as chromosomal defects. Considering that the doctor told us we didn't need any special genetic testing and that everything so far was looking good and he wasn't worried, I know I shouldn't worry, but of course I do. I got so panicked the next morning that James and my mom convinced me to call the doctor, and the nurse was very nice and reassuring, telling me that they see this quite frequently and there aren't usually any problems, especially since the doctor said everything else looks good.

Ultimately, there's nothing to be done til the next ultrasound at 28 weeks, and really nothing to do til she's born. So until then, I'll be praying that she stays healthy and safe and I'll keep looking at the pictures they sent us home with:

Toes!

There she is! They got really good profile shots this time!

I think that's part of her leg. She was lying at an odd angle for the tech

Not quite sucking her thumb, but hands up to her face.
See how fuzzy she is? She was a little ball of movement!

More profiles

She has ten fingers, five on each hand!

They'll check the cord again in the next ultrasound, as well as looking more closely at her face to check for a cleft palette. 

18 Weeks

How far along: 18 weeks
Total weight gain: 0 lb
Favourite clothes: Are blankets considered clothes?
Sleeping: Not so great, G keeps waking up
Best Moment: Watching G hunt Easter eggs was awesome
Worst Moment: No nap days are always difficult
Miss anything: Nothing in particular
Cravings: Ben and Jerry's Phish Food. All the time!
New symptoms: Still my hips
Looking forward to: The ultrasound!
Crafting: Monster. Pants. They will be the death of me

Easter Sunday was a blast, but a long day. We made it to church in time for the egg hunt, and I had an excuse to dress G up in the suit my parents got him for Christmas. Baby suits are quite possibly the most adorable things ever! He looked so grown up and handsome. He wouldn't leave his tie on, but that's ok. He had a BLAST at the egg hunt; we accidentally started early (they didn't really announce the start very well) and by then there was no stopping him! He kept walking around the flower beds looking under bushes for eggs, even after they'd all been found, and he ended up with quite a large number. We re-hid some and gave others away, because he really doesn't care about the candy, he just liked finding them and opening and closing the eggs themselves. He also loved carrying the basket, which was almost too big for him to hold. It was adorable. It was a no nap day though; he kept getting a second, then third, fourth and fifth wind. We had lunch with the whole family down at the beach, and got to take some family photos, which ended up pretty good considering we have three kids under 5 to wrangle into smiling and holding still and looking at the camera. It was a good Easter, and I got to video chat with my parents a bit too.

Monday we packed up to head home, but had lunch with almost everyone again (James' mom and brother had to go to work). G's nap was cut short, so it pretty much another no nap day (he slept two hours in the car, but those are never good naps). We made pretty good time home, and it was G's first night in the twin bed! I sat outside his door because I was worried about him falling, but within a minute, I heard him clicking his turtle light on and off, which meant he had crawled out of the bed, no problem. When I checked on him before bed, I found him against the door, so that I had to gently push him with the door to get inside. We put down some pillows to protect from a fall the next night and added a step stool to help him back into bed, but I found him asleep on the pillows the second night. He had completely covered himself with his blankie. It was a step in the right direction though. I heard him get up once in the middle of the night, so I think he might've spent quite some time asleep on the pillows, but for the past few nights he's stayed in the bed pretty consistently. I'm surprised at how quickly he's adapted.

G had his well visit on Tuesday. He still hasn't gained much weight, but the doctor isn't worried, so I'm trying not to be. He's in the 3rd percentile for weight, 10th for height and 75th for head circumference!! His development is pretty much spot on, and it seems like every day has new words, from "nye nye" (night night) to "choo choo." It's so much fun to watch him figure things out!

We're still getting settled in and unpacking is slow going. A friend came over and helped me unpack the kitchen in one day. We're storing a lot of it until the remodeling is done, but it's so great to have the stuff we use most and our food unpacked! It's made life a lot easier, that's for sure. It's been a pretty slow week though, which was kind of nice. It was a relaxing change, especially after such a fun, busy weekend.

[I added Baby Girl to the chalkboard this time because I did the chalkboard after the ultrasound. More on that in a separate post, and technically it's not in this week :)  ]

18 Weeks: Baby Girl is the size of a cuttlefish

I'm a cuttlefish, see?

Belly/Baby

17 Weeks

How far along: 17 weeks
Total weight gain: ? {Since October, I have had no idea where my scale is, and that's probably better for me, so I only weigh in at the doctor's}
Favourite clothes: Khaki/cargo pant from a consignment store I found last time
Sleeping: Meh.With everything going on, it's hit or miss
Best Moment: Meeting our nephew for the first time!
Worst Moment: Accident at daycare--see below. And moving.
Miss anything: Honestly what I miss the most at this point is energy. I feel so exhausted all the time and keep falling asleep without realizing it during the day, but I have things I need to do!
Cravings: Sushi
New symptoms: My hips have been worse this week. I've been using some essential oils, and they've been helping, but I need to be more diligent about applying them daily, and when I miss a few days, it's not so good
Looking forward to: Next Monday (4/28) we find out the baby's sex!
Crafting: I finished the gnome outfit! Yay! I've been doing some quick crochet projects, but I need to finish those monster pants.

The big day finally arrived! We moved into the house on Wednesday. All the pre-move-in stuff isn't completely done, but the areas we're living in for now are pretty much finished, so in we went. My father in law and brothers in law came out to help us move, which was wonderful! They were a huge help loading and unloading the furniture into and out of the truck, since I'm useless for that right now. I did the best I could and only had 2 or 3 melt downs, which is a total win. We won't count the stress and anxiety that comes after a move yet. 

Thursday was a difficult day. Getting G to daycare takes bout 40 minutes each way, and he hates the car, which makes driving anywhere incredibly trying. We turned around his car seat in an attempt to help, but I'm pretty sure it's the restraint that's the issue and there's not anything I can do about that. He's just so active and hates to be still or be held against his will. They had an egg hunt in the morning, so I brought his basket and his filled eggs, but around lunchtime I got a call from his daycare that he'd been standing right behind his teacher during a diaper change and she'd knocked him over and then tripped and was afraid she'd stepped on him. They called because he did that no breathing scream that sometimes happens and because the teacher was so worried/scared. He is fine, and by the time James went to see if he needed to go see the doctor, he was running around like nothing had happened. Either way, the director gave us her home number in case we did need to bring him into the doctor over the weekend. He's perfectly fine, and he does have a habit of getting right behind your feet when you're doing something. James and I have both tripped over him multiple times, and there was no harm done. The teacher was more freaked out than G was. 

Friday we went to pick up G's new twin bed set! We found someone in CraigsList who was selling a set with the bed, bookshelf/headboard, mattress, side table and high boy dresser for $300. We both knew we wanted a captain's bed with the drawers underneath and this was a great deal considering the new set is over $1,000. They were quite far away, almost in Mississippi, and we weren't sure about it since it was definitely designed for a girl: the knobs on the drawers are flowers (we can replace them), there are feminine cutouts (we can offset with non-flowery bedding) and there are pink flowers drawn on two of the drawers. We thought we might be able to sand them off, but there's a laminate, so that won't work. We decided we would paint the drawers (just the drawers) instead. We figure we can match his wall colour for the side table, and I'll try an ombre for the high boy drawers. He doesn't care, and I think it'll end up looking great when it's done. The people were so nice; they helped James load it all in the trailer, and they even gave us their son's booster seat for the car and a padding that protects your seat. Either way we got an awesome bed set for G at a great price and could now work on transitioning him into a big boy bed.

After we unloaded the trailer, we showered, packed up and headed to Panama City for Easter with James' family. It was so great to see everyone, and especially our 4 month old nephew, who we'd never met. G got his first taste of what having a sibling would be like as I held the baby. We had a bit of jealousy, but with all the distractions it wasn't so bad. James' mom had organized a big egg hunt/party for people on Saturday, but unfortunately, G decided to nap through almost the whole thing, so he missed the Easter Bunny and the egg hunt. We had fun seeing the little kids and catching up with family though. Besides, we made it for the egg hunt at church (check back next week for the full story!) It was a nice weekend seeing people we don't get to see very much, especially watching our older nephew hugging on G almost every chance he got. They were very cute playing together!

17 weeks: Baby 2 is the size of a sea turtle hatchling

Look at that bump!

16 Weeks

How far along: 16 weeks
Total weight gain: ?
Favourite clothes: New maternity jeans from mom
Sleeping: Pretty good. Pulled out one of my old maternity pillows and it's seemed to help
Best Moment: Designing the kitchen was a blast!
Worst Moment: I basically did a 20 minute squat to rinse hair dye out of my hair. I thought I was going to die.
Miss anything: Wine.
Cravings: Phish food. I can't keep it in the house because I eat it too quickly.
New symptoms: Baby is definitely moving around
Looking forward to: Easter with James' family
Crafting: Finishing up the gnome outfit, then I plan to finish the monster pants and I found a crocheted teething ring I want to try to make.

We went to a first birthday party last Monday that was really fun. The birthday boy was a friend's son and it was great to see them. G enjoyed the different selection of toys, though there was too much going on for him to eat much. He especially loved chasing the cat, who ended up taking refuge in the garage (poor kitty). It was fun to see a cake smash; I think that's my absolute favourite part of first birthdays, and good to meet some more people/parents in the area.

James has bee so busy at work with summer camp prep. Camp is going to be a crazy time and there will be a lot of changes around then too. We'll move to camp for the summer since James will have late nights, and G is switching daycares then too. He won't go every day, and he'll only be there from 9-1, so it'll take some adjusting for us both. I think it'll be good, and G will enjoy "participating" in camp in the afternoons, I'm sure.

On Friday we went to Pensacola with a trailer to pick up the flooring we got for the house. Even though it won't be installed until summer, they were having a sale, so we went ahead and got it. We also stopped by a cabinet place and ended up designing the entire kitchen. It was so fun, and good to get some numbers to work with. There's a lot to think about, but looking at the projected end result is exciting; I can't wait to have a nice, open style kitchen! We still have to think about downstairs, but there's been a huge difference just by removing the popcorn ceilings and getting paint on the walls. We're planning on moving in Wednesday, when James' dad, brother and brother-in-law are coming to help us move furniture. We haven't really packed much, though James did use G's nap on Saturday to pack up the books and some other things. The kitchen is the biggest thing to pack, and we need to divide what we want to keep out and what can stay packed until after the remodel (wine glasses, blender, stand mixer, etc). 

We can't wait to move in and hang paintings and start really feeling at home. I can't wait for us to all start feeling healthier, because I'm convinced the mold has been the cause of our congestion and coughing and feeling icky all over. It'll be so good to be less isolated and I'm really looking forward to being able to walk downtown or go down to the pier to crochet (with plenty of bug spray of course!) 

In other news: The baby has been moving around. I can't feel her/him that much (only 2 weeks til we find out!) but s/he feels like a goldfish swimming around, though there was that one night that I definitely felt some jabs. G has been doing so well! It seem like every day he learns new words and he's very talkative. Hes been loving the tofu nuggets and the toy slide we pulled out again. He's also been consistently going potty, so I have hope for potty training, maybe before sibling arrives!

16 Weeks: Baby 2 is the size of an emperor penguin egg

Bump

18 Months

Challenges: Tantrums continue to plague us, especially while cooking. He's also been grabbing my glasses, hitting and kicking when he's upset.
Triumphs: Feeding himself with a spoon! He's been pottying on his potty seat! (see below) Brushing his own teeth!
Words: "Aww duh" (all done), "baw" (ball), "joosh" (juice), "shuzz" (shoes), "guh guh guh" (go go go), "doggy". Daycare says he knows "duck" and "pig" as well, "ticka ticka ticka!" (tickle tickle tickle), "pat, pat, pat" and pats his lap along with Little Einsteins, then raises his arms up in the air , "nummy" (yummy?)
Favourite toys: He's enjoying playing with his fake food, especially putting it in and taking it out of the shopping cart he has. He's been obsessed with books lately; sitting down is fair game for having a book brought to you. Toy slide--he can do it himself!

3/23: G was wet, so I asked if he wanted a diaper change. He headed down the hall as usual, but instead of finding him at his bedroom door, I found him leaning against the bathroom door. I figured it couldn't hurt to put him on the potty seat. He ended up peeing! He's gone potty a few times on the seat now. We aren't skipping any diapers, and we're definitely not "training" yet, but positive reinforcement isn't going to hurt. He claps for himself when he's done. Its kinda adorable.

We had gumbo one night this month, and G ate two bowls full, consistently and (pretty) accurately using his spoon for the first time! He's been on and off with the spoon since then, but he's doing way better with it than he used to! We're still working on drinking out of cups. That's been a challenge for sure.

Ms. Carol told me that he ran after a chick they had for picture day, yelling "duck! duck! duck!" I had no idea he could say "duck" and she told me he can also say "pig," make animal noises, wiggle his fingers and count to two, do Head and Shoulders, and the hand motions for Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. He's one of only two kids who can communicate with words, and one of two active participants in their circle time. She said if she could have a class full of kids like him, she'd have no problems.

He's started patting his lap with Little Einsteins and lifting his hands into the air when they say "Blast off!" He also loves to dance when there's music on the TV. He could care less about the shows or the dialogue, but it's adorable to watch him dance to music. He kinda bounces up and down, and does big claps, throwing his arms wide and then clapping.

James brushes G's teeth after his bath, but a week or so ago, he grabbed the toothbrush himself and started brushing his own teeth! How is he growing up so quickly?? In other growing up news, he points at his arms when we say arm/s, and we can now say "clean up!" and help him clean up his toys. He'll still fuss when we then take him away from the toys, but it's a step in the right direction.

Our other big news is that we are getting G a twin bed! We don't want to switch him out of the crib right before the baby arrives, so we figure we should start early with getting him used to his big boy bed. We'll probably start with the mattress on the floor to minimize any falling/can't get back in bed after getting out, but we think we've found a bedroom set on Craigslist that will work. It's so exciting!


Update: 4/22: G is 31" tall (10th percentile), 21 lb 10 oz (3rd percentile) and has a giant head in the 75th percentile :)

LOOK AT THE SUIT!!!

He loves the beach!

He's hard to catch nowadays

15 Weeks

How far along: 15 Weeks
Total weight gain: -7
Favourite clothes: A pair of gray yoga pants from target. Black shows too much dog hair
Sleeping: Decently, though it was difficult to sleep with James gone and a sick baby
Best Moment: Hearing the heartbeat it always a highlight for me
Worst Moment: Sometimes I just get down in a funk and feel really lonely and like the friends we have don't like us. I had a night like that this past week and it always make me just want to curl up in bed and cry.
Miss anything: Just the usual off limits things
Cravings: Sweets, BLT (still), salmon, nectarines, blood oranges
New symptoms: ACNE.
Looking forward to: April 28, ultrasound to check out all the organs and the baby's sex!
Crafting: Most of my crafting supplies are packed up right now, which is making me crazy because I want to make something! But I'm still working on the gnome outfit and the monster pants

Monday: We had another OB appointment Monday. I ended up being late because as I was driving to the appointment, I saw a dog on the side of the road. As I passed, he tried to run up to my car. I pulled over, thinking there'd be a tag on his collar, but no luck. He looked like his leg may have been injured at some point--he was walking kinda funny, and sat funny too. I called animal control to take him to the humane society and waited with him while they came. He was such a sweetheart, but would not get in my car for anything, not even animal crackers. I even lifted him in, and he jumped right out. Eventually, two guys who live down the road came out, and brought some rope for me to use as a leash. They ended up taking him so I could leave for my appointment, and I got a call from the guy who was picking him up about a half mile down the road--he'd seen the guys with the golf cart and dog, so I know he got picked up ok. I really hope they find either his owners or a new family for him because he was a sweet dog. (I was late, but the doctor understood; I had called ahead of time to explain)

Tuesday: I was running some errands and ended up in the yarn section at Michael's. A woman was there with her 2 year old son, who had just as much understanding of "indoor voice" as G. He was adorable and we struck up a conversation. Turns out she lives right around the corner from our house, so I've already met a nearby mom! We exchanged contact information and she told me to call her once we get settled. Hopefully I've found a playdate for G and a mommy date for me!
I got a call after this that G had a fever of 101 and had to be picked up. Luckily, James was able to leave work and get him (I was 45 minutes away). Poor guy was pretty hot and congested when I got home.

Wednesday: G couldn't go back to daycare on Wednesday, so I kept him home for a sick day. We watched too much TV and rested a lot. He developed a pretty nasty cough that kept him from getting much rest and we're still dealing with it now. His fever broke, and he felt much better by Thursday. The congestion and cough got so bad I ended up confronting my irrational fear of a pillow in his crib and putting one in. The only difference it seemed to make is that his bed head is now way worse. He moves around so much he hardly stays on the pillow anyways.
It might be teething. Fever, tummy problems, biting, lack of appetite...only time will tell if those molars are coming in because I'm definitely not getting my fingers anywhere near his mouth nowadays.

Thursday-Saturday: James hosted his first conference at Beckwith this weekend: Adults Who Work with Youth. Thursday we went to Pensacola to pick up his guest speaker, tacking on a trip to a hardwood flooring store and Sam's to pick up smoke/CO detectors. Since he'd be coming home after 11 pm and would have to be there by 8 am, he decided to just stay at camp, which meant two nights and three days without Daddy. G is all about Dad right now, so it's been difficult, and taking care of a sick baby who's not getting much sleep means a lot of stress and sleepless nights for me too. He ended up peeing on the floor of our bedroom right after I took him off the potty, and then I picked up a dead frog, thinking it was a dust bunny. I scared G because I screamed, loudly, for about a full minute. I wanted to wash my hand in bleach, but had to deal with it on my own. I joined the conference for lunch on Friday, and even though it ended Saturday morning, James didn't get back until 4 or so. Gee, I can't wait for summer camp.

Other than G's cold, it's been a pretty good week, although I'm realizing that the fatigue I indulged in with the last pregnancy was a true luxury. That just doesn't happen now. Not only is there a demanding little Tasmanian devil running my life these days, but even when he's not home, I need to use that time to empty/load the dishwasher, prep food, clean up after him, do laundry, run errands, get groceries, etc. His naps have gotten so short that I barely have time to shove food in my mouth and unload the dishwasher before he wakes up, so I can't get as much done during nap time now.

ALSO. I MAY have felt the baby kick Thursday night. I know it's really early, but it's only about a week and a half before last time, and it definitely felt like kicks. Yay!

15 Weeks: Baby 2 is the size of Nemo!
(Ignore the floopy hair)

Starting to feel like a little goldfish is swimming around in my belly too! :)