Another Update at 35 Weeks

Yea, I know I did one earlier this week, but guess what... when I'm getting contractions every 10 or so minutes for about 15-20 hours, you guys get regular updates!!!! Have you seen the Office episode with the baby delivery? Yea, that's how I feel right now. It seems all the girls are interested in how often my contractions are and how intense. It's great... I'm waiting for Steve Catrell to jump out and say he's got the car ready to go... lol.

I was in L&D on Tuesday to monitor me and the Peanut. I thought my water broke (but turns out it wasn't...). Even though I was having contractions regularly (though not intensely), I wasn't "progressing" enough. They gave me some medicine to slow down the contractions from 2-3 minutes to only 8-10 minutes apart. I'm 1-2 cm dialated but not effaced at all and she was really high earlier this week, but now she's dropped a bit. I really hope she holds off for another week since I'm only 36 weeks on Sunday. They won't try to stop me again, though if I go in now. I also hope she holds off because Dad is going to be in Arizona this week on vacation!

Rob is definitely ready, he says. He keeps telling/asking her if she's coming out yet. He put the stroller and carseat together yesterday and is fascinated with how little the room is in the carseat, especially with the infant items in there. The only thing we haven't set up yet is the swing and we're waiting for Rob to get rid of the old TV still sitting in the Living Room... I've been waiting on that one for over a year. Oh, and we're picking up the dresser from Sue's house on Saturday. Other than that, I've just about finished the curtains and then I'll need to do the bumper and we're actually ready to go.

Watch, with all these contractions, she'll still wait until she's a week late.

March Missions and Update

It’s been quite a long time since I’ve updated my knitting blog, long in googleweb time at least. I actually got a lot of things accomplished in the past month. We had the Ravelympics, which is the online group, Ravely, knitting competition while the Olympics are on. So my BSG group was a team and we put different missions on hold for the month of February. We did pretty well, I think as a group in general!

Before the start, I was able to complete two hats. One was a hat that I had started over the summer and needed to seam the sides up. I ended up gifting that to one of my online birth buddies. It looked so cute all stitched up!

The next project I did was for my Sister-In-Law (SIL) boyfriend’s mom. She wanted a hat to give to her granddaughter in Florida. I didn’t know at the time that she was going down on February 10, 2010. I was sewing slowly until she told me that one. Whoops. So I moved on that and was able to sell it to her before she left. Her granddaughter LOVED the hat! Purple with a bright pink flower on it. Awesome!

So February 12 was the beginning of the Ravelympics. Little did I know that my hubby was flying in my BFF in from California for my baby shower weekend! So Laura, Rob, and I ended up going out both Friday and Saturday nights. Boy was I exhausted. I hadn’t gone out so much or so late since getting pregnant. I felt so bad too on Saturday night, they were both drinking and having a great time and I was so miserably tired that I went to bed before they were even ready! Check out my loot below!

That being said, I was able to complete SIX whole hats in two weeks. Yes, they’re baby hats, but STILL six hats that were the same pattern gets old after a while. But I did it! And I got all but two in the mail to the girls on my birth board. I’m waiting on one to get me her address and another, I’m meeting sometime soon in person since we live close.

After all these baby knits, Rob asked me what I made for Peanut. Well, nothing yet, so I found this awesome patterned Baby Beret hat to make. I was able to make it for one of the BSG March Missions!!! It took me all of five days to make, and would’ve been quicker, but we ended up getting the carpet done in the baby room halfway through the week. I got distracted by organizing the room for the baby! Oops again! But the hat turned out so nice.

The room turned out pretty cool too! The walls were painted weeks ago, and the carpet looked so spiffy. Rob had the crib AND changing table together before I even got home from work. I was definitely impressed. So I sorted my old boxes out of the closets and reorganized baby items and my yarn stash in the two. Awesome.

My second mission for BSG, I decided to finally try my hand in Fair Isle knitting. At The Knitter’s Edge, they were doing a group knit of a cute Tam hat by Patton’s Yarn, I believe, but I could be wrong. I’ll have to see when I get home. I had a few questions but was able to knit it up in a WEEK!!! Sweet, I couldn’t believe it.

I stayed up knitting to avoid thinking about things. I finished it late on Saturday night, and on Sunday, my darling kitties of almost seven years were being adopted by a friend’s Brother-In-Law (BIL). It was extremely sad for me to do, but they left me little choice. They had been going after the baby items recently and I didn’t want to chance them actually attacking Peanut when she came home. Plus, we did convert my craft/kitty room to the baby’s room. I also felt so badly because I haven’t had any time to give them love or affection that they needed. They weren’t allowed in the bedrooms upstairs or on any furniture because hubby’s allergic... so I finally broke down and found a new home for them. I was not a happy person on Sunday evening or even since then. I miss them tremendously.

Rhoddo

Dar

So back to knitting, I’ve been working on Peanut’s blanket more and more, since I’ve realized that I’m 36 days away from her due date!! I can’t believe that one! She’s due 4/18/2010. Time’s flown by. I also still need to make the curtains for her room and the crib bumper. Hopefully tonight, I’ll be able to focus on one or both of those items. I have everything; I just need to MAKE it!

My third mission for BSG this month will be Trever’s birthday present. I just hope I can get it done in the next few weeks. I don’t see why I couldn’t, but I’m nesting horribly now and even have a spreadsheet list organized of things I want to get done around the house!!! Oh lordy!

Baby Update: Week 35

Not too new to report, just getting bigger! Thursday will be an official MONTH away! I've had a few bouts of nervousness, but mostly, I'm just excited to meet her. I can't wait to see who she looks like (though I know at first she'll look like a weird alien thing) and what her personality will be like. And in case you didn't hear, I found the kitties a new home. They had been going after all the baby items recently, and we started fearing that they would attempt some serious damage with Peanut if I turn my back. Besides, they haven't been getting the attention recently that they needed. So my animal lover coworker said her brother-in-law was looking for a cat and decided to take both. He's got a 5 bedroom home with plenty of hiding spaces and windows to bird watch about an hour north of here in the Pocono's. It was pretty heartbreaking to see them off, but I honestly think it was the best thing for them. They left me with loads of scratches all over my hands and arms to remember them by, wasn't that sweet of them?

Baby Update: Week 34

Wow, okay, so when I looked at my newest belly photo th other day, it was a "wow, where the heck did that belly come from?!?!?" Just had my 34 week check up yesterday and the doctor was saying we're measuring right on schedule and he's happy with my weight gain. He's not too worried about my hip pain or my dizziness. He says it's from Peanut sitting on my sciatic nerve (oh joy), but we don't really want her to move because she's in a great birth position. I have 2 weeks until my next appointment, then I start going weekly!!! It's getting close. I'm just getting so excited to meet her!!!!

30 Weeks and Lots of Knitting Energy!

I was able to complete my Convertible Gloves I made for Jess' mom. And I got them done by my own personal deadline of February 5!!! I even was able to put buttons on them. Jess loved them, so hurray! I modified the mitten portion again! I did 22 rows of the stockinette stitch for the back of the hand, and the ribbing on the palm side. After that, I did a K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches on back of hand, K2TOG, K1. For the palm of the hand I did a similar pattern of K1, SSK, continue in rib to last 3 stitches on palm of hand, K2TOG, K1. I did this until there were 12 stitches total, 6 along the back of the hand, 6 along the front. I then grafted them together as if it were the toe of a sock. Once that was done, I made a quick loop that fit around the button I sewed onto the back of the hand ribbing portion at the wrist of the glove. They turned out wonderfully, I think. And I can't wait to see what Jess' mom's reaction will be. She has no idea that I made them!

Convertibles with Fingers Shown

Convertibles with Fingers Covered

I'm creating a hat for a friend's mom to give to her granddaughter. She's leaving to see her granddaughter this week. I didn't realize this until Saturday. However, yesterday, at the Superbowl party we were at, I was able to get 3/4 of the hat done. I should be able to have it done before she leaves! I'm so excited to get it done. I found the perfect flower to knit onto the hat too. It's a basic hat pattern for the background, but I found a flower scarf that I'll be modifying to put on the hat. I cannot wait to see how it turns out!

I was able to get Crystal her matching hats for her and Hannah. They are so cute together. She was thrilled to see them and put them on. Luckily, both hats fit perfectly well. I told Crystal whenever Hannah grows out of that one, to let me know and I'll keep making her newer ones!!! And she liked the blanket. YAY!

And at lunch, I got my friend's baby hat done. I hope it gets over to her before she moves! I'll be sending it via USPS, but probably overnight it. It was stupid of me to wait until today to mail it, but there was no way I was driving out in the snow on Saturday. Rob's car could barely handle it; I cannot imagine how terrible my car would have been!

Oh, and here's my 30 week photo! I cannot believe that it's been 30 weeks already. I'm not ready for Peanut to get here quite yet. The carpet in her room needs to be installed and then we need to put furniture together and in the room. We only have 2 outfits for her too, but Dana assures Rob that I won't need to purchase clothes for Peanut for a long, LONG time!

Has It Really Been 10 Years?!

What a difference 10 years makes. I mean, seriously, have you looked back on your life, your surroundings, and the world and how much has changed over the past 10 years? I ask this because as of next Sunday, February 14, 2010, my world forever changed, 10 years ago.

As far as time in the world surrounding, there was an entire two term president that my Mom never knew about. Two presidents that she knew and voted for passed away after she did. 9/11 never happened when she was alive. She never knew about airport security since before she passed, you could travel right to the gate with your loved one to watch them board the plane. Huge corporations began to collapse, eventually over lending and people buying homes they couldn't afford lead us to the place we're in now. My Mom was a conservative, so I'm sure I would hear her complain about those people who bought houses that they could never afford. Two invasions of Middle Eastern countries occurred and we still have troops over there. Katrina and other natural disasters (the Sumatra Earthquake, Haiti Earthquake) have occurred that could not even be imagined years ago.

Pop music culture has changed drastically! When she was sick, Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears were the most listened to music on the radio and Faith Hill and Tim McGraw where on top of the world in the country world. Now the two seem to have merged with people like Lady Antebellum and Taylor Swift. Lady Gaga and Nickleback have taken over many pop stations as has numerous R&B groups. Hollywood has run out of ideas for new and interesting movies. Instead, we get too many remakes or older book conversions or comic book heroes. But I still watch them just as much as ever!

In my own hometown, so many farm fields have disappeared to many housing developments thanks to out of control contractors who are now out of business... Meyer's Restaurant and Bakery closed up years ago, which made the best birthday cakes in the world! A whole new middle school has been built. The traffic along Rt. 309 is a crawl once rush hour hits or a holiday weekend is going on. Many new stores and shopping centers packed along a small stretch of highway. The place is hardly recognizable to me now and I realize it is no longer my home.

At the house where Dad still lives, nothing much has been improved or changed. Some weathering has occurred and Dad is now trying to reinsulate the downstairs bathroom. The barn hasn't been cleaned out or even touched since Mom's horse, Tosca, had to be put down. All the cats that we had when Mom was alive have been hit on the road or otherwise died except Suzy who loves tearing up Dad's couch! I remember when we bought that couch! It was from Ethan Allen! I was chatting with Dad last night and he told me a sad truth. He's lived in the farmhouse now longer without my mom than with her, by 3 years.

As for me, I know I've come full circle in the past 10 years. I was a goodie-too-shoe back in high school as a junior in my second semester. I had two proms (junior and senior), graduated from high school. I then went out to Arizona to attend the same college both my parents attended and met at. I started as an Astronomy Major then switched to Geology. I got a bit crazy and was somewhat of a wild child (a term my Dad used for Mom when she was in school). I dated a guy for too many years in a bad relationship that I thought I deserved. When I went on field camp (a month long camping trip to study rocks and all sorts of fun things like that!), I realized how freeing getting away from Tucson was for me. I spent the following month after that with my Dad over the summer. I realized how much I missed him and the East Coast seasons! The following semester I graduated after 4.5 years with a BS in Geosciences with an emphasis in Geological Engineering and Geophysics. When I moved back, I got a job almost immediately for a firm down in Philly. I had a blast going out with friends and dating, but became broke almost instantly! I lived there for about a year before realizing I was definitely NOT a city girl! It also didn't help that I met a country boy who lived north of my Dad. We dated for a week, but then I was introduced as his girlfriend at a party and I was not ready for that. Unfortunately, I fled for a while. But Rob's friend, Tara, talked to him for weeks to convince him not to give up on me. She is the whole reason why we stayed friends. She understood what I was feeling and how I wasn't ready for a relationship, and definitely not ready for the relationship that was about to change my entire life. We began dating, again, but this time seriously, after Tara was killed in a car wreck. After a few months of dating, we decided to move in together, much to Dad's dismay! I found a new job shortly after, still about an hour away. Then, Rob proposed to me on 9/8/07 in Virginia Beach. I found a job closer to where we lived in March of '08 and then we purchased our first home in June '08. Later that year, we were married in front of friends and family on 10/11/08. It was a bittersweet day, knowing both Mom and Rob's Dad were not physically there. But that day still remains the happiest day of my life so far. Now, Rob and I are expecting our first child, a girl to be named Tara Grace, after our friend as a tribute to her. We were never able to thank her while she was alive so we felt this is the best way to honor her.

Ten years is a long time, but yet, at the same time, it feels like just yesterday that Mom and I were out in the garden pulling weeds or going swimming or riding our horses. I only hope to be this close to my own daughter, yet remain a good and vigilant parent. I am scared of what the future holds, but at the same time, I try to focus on the positives in my life. I feel as though I have learned a good deal of life, though certainly not enough to consider myself intelligent on the subject. I passed that phase of 'know it all' once I met Rob and he changed my entire world and gave me something to look forward to, living ever day thanking God for the blessings He has bestowed upon me and my family.