Thursday, July 31, 2008

a good report!

I am in great spirits this afternoon! Mary and I had a fun morning. We did crafts and she got her bangs trimmed. She stayed with John while I went to to the doctor, and they had lunch together. I worried she'd be melting down when I got home because it was nap time, but she was fine. John went back to work, and I put her down for her nap without a fight. When she got up on my lap, she said "oh, HI! nursie boobie" in the sleepiest little voice I have ever heard. Then she hummed along while a sang to her. It was such a sweet moment. Every day when she falls asleep on my lap, I have a little bit harder time putting her in bed. I just want to sit there and hold her and watch her sleep. Even though I need the "me" time while she naps in her bed, it's really hard to let go of her these days.

The doctor appointment went well. I was worried about it for some reason. I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions, but apparently they aren't "doing" anything. My weight was the same as two weeks ago (thank goodness, I really don't want to gain another pound!!!), blood pressure was excellent. The baby is head down and has dropped. I go weekly now until the end. I have a feeling the next 28 days are going to fly by. I am excited though. I cannot wait to meet this little person inside me.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

I've been busy

I've been doing a million things, but I feel like I haven't made much progress. I got some teal blue and olive green diapers and shirts dyed up but am having trouble getting the excess dye out of them. I got most of the woolies waterproofed, and they are drying. I got a flannel fitted sheet made for the co-sleeper. I shut down the "sewing room" and got our dining room back.

Mom asked for a couple dishcloths for a friend, so I made those Monday. She's also told me what she wants for Christmas (knitted wrist warmers), so I am in the middle of making them. I got some custom orders put in through Etsy for other Christmas gifts. I am going to try really hard to give all handmade gifts this year. I also have some yarn coming for a felted handbag that will be a gift too. I have a feeling I won't be knitting much between the end of August and Christmas, so I am doing what I can now.

Today I scrubbed the kitchen counter tops with a toothbrush. I still have a million cleaning projects I'd love to get to. I can't see what the last crazy project is. The day before Mary was born I scrubbed out the under sink kitchen cabinet with a toothbrush. It was so cramped under there and it took all my energy. Funny.

Going to the doctor tomorrow. I'll try to update tomorrow afternoon.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Dye job

These are the diapers I dyed up. I used Dylon dye. Each package is supposed to dye a half pound of dry material. But when you finish up your first batch, you can put more items in the dye bath and get a lighter color. That's what I did with the purple and the orange (though the second orange turned a little peachy). I have one more batch dyed, but I still need to wash them up. It's olive green. I was worried the items would come out too green, so I think I put about a pound of diapers and shirts in the dye bath.

Mary helped me fold and sort this stuff this morning. When she saw the shirts, she said "oh, those are really small." Yeah. I don't think she's ever seen a newborn. At least not lately. I think she thinks her 10 month old cousin Lucas is a "baby." Anyway, here are the shirts.

The one on the bottom of the pile (top of pic) is actually a second batch from the light green. It's interesting how it turned out a light teal color instead of light lime. I just try to go with the flow with dyes. I never know what I am going to get. This is my first time dyeing cotton, but I've dyed wool yarn many, many times.

I got a ring sling custom ordered this morning. One more thing off the list. This afternoon we are going on a tour of the hospital. I altered the diaper pattern I had downloaded and finally made a diaper that should fit an actual baby. I think I'll make a couple more of those and then put the sewing machine away. Our dining room has been my sewing room for way too long.

35 days to go!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Mary and the tutu

So, Mary asked for a tutu a couple weeks ago. She rarely asks for things, and honestly we rarely buy her things. I am trying so hard not to have our house overloaded with toys. Books and puzzles are okay, but other stuff gets on my nerves. Anyway, I decided a tutu would be fun. So I asked her what color she wanted (clearly, I'm an idiot). She said orange. I waited 2 days and asked her again . Still orange. This after I'd looked and really only found a million pink/purple/white ones. Okay, orange it was. I coughed up the extra money for the one decent orange one I could find on Etsy.

This is what all pics taken in the house look like these days (well, she was in the middle of dancing!):

Then we went out on the deck where the lighting was better. She's checking herself out in the glass door that leads to the deck.


The best shot I got. It was really, really bright out there today.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

This is how I surf

Sometimes Mary wakes up half way though naptime, so I hold her and nurse her back to sleep while I surf the net. Of course she isn't the kind of kid you can move once she is asleep, so I get "stuck" on my chair with usually the remote and my laptop. Probably not the best way to teach my kid to sleep on her own, but hey, it gives me another 30 mins to an hour of quiet time a day.

Today Louise decided to join us. I guess she didn't think I looked warm enough with a 35 pound toddler wrapped in her blanket on me. Notice how Lou's back leg is pressed right up on my neck? Yeah, I am sure she thought it was the best day ever. hmm, I sorta wish I'd combed my hair a little better this morning.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Quick picture


It was too hot to even go out on the deck to take a picture today! So I took this inside. Seven dishcloths made in about 5 days. The lighter pink one on the right with the funky middle was a new pattern for me, as were the striped one in the middle and the triangles in the bottom front. It was a fun project, and it was a good way to use up scraps from other projects.

I'm not the only one nesting


Check out this little bird! We hung up 5 birdhouse gourds this summer. John's Dad grew them in his garden last year. We thought they'd be more for decoration than for birds, but what a treat to see one in use. This one is in a cherry tree right next to my hosta garden and Mary's sandbox. Yesterday while Mary played in the sand, I watched this bird take sticks and other small items into the gourd. It was so cool. I was surprised that it wasn't too scared with Mary right there. I hope I see it again this afternoon when we go out.

I got my dishcloth project done! woohoo! I need to take some pics and send them out in the mail tomorrow. Next up, dyeing prefolds and making a couple more diapers.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

This project is in progress:)

I feel like we never have time to get a decent pic of me. Probably because I hate having my pic taken, and also because I am never happy with any pic of myself.

Anyway, that's me. 33 weeks, 5 days pregnant.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Another project done

Another project done, which means only 3 million to go before the baby arrives in 6 weeks. It's the Tailgate Rag Rug from the book Mason Dixon Knitting. I started this bad boy in March as soon as I bought the book with some Christmas money. Then I had to order the yarn online. I was so excited. About a third of the way in, I thought my hands would fall off. It's knit with 2 strands of double worsted yarn. So it was like trying to force 4 strands of regular yarn over the needles with every stitch. And the cotton just didn't want to move on the needles at all. The edging material is is a pair of old sheets that I ripped up into one inch strips. It iddn't want to be knit either! There was just no give to it. But I pulled it out last week and finished it! I think it's going to be Mary's "step out rug" for her bathroom/bathtub.

I got a package in the mail last week!
Well, now that I think about it, I got more than one package in the mail last week but these are diapers for the baby. The smaller ones should fit for 2 or 3 months and the bigger ones will fit after than until maybe 18 months. I should have hung one of Mary's prefolds on the line with them. They really are pretty small. This weekend, I am going to dye them up with Dylon dyes. I am so excited. It will be my first attempt at dyeing something other than yarn.

This week I am working fast and hard on a set of seven dishcloths for a friend. I started on Sunday and am working on the fourth one. I told her I'd mail them Saturday. Pics to come!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

woohooo!

Before:



Sorry about the glare, that half of the kitchen has both double windows and double (glass) doors.

After!!!! (still needs knobs)




The pics can't capture how wonderful it looks with the lights on. Maybe I'll try to get a pic at night. It's amazing how the light bounces off all the colors of the pottery. It's like a work of art. It's better than I even imagined when I decided to paint it.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Well, this is an eye opener

I honestly wish I had not come across this, but it's something to think about:

Good reasons to use cloth bags

Around here, you can buy a reusable bag for under a dollar. Walmart, Meijer, Marsh and Kroger carry them. Why don't you think about picking a couple up the next time you do your shopping?

So close!

John got the lights in the hutch last night, and I got the final coat of paint on this morning. I still need to clean a little bit of paint off the glass. Also we don't have any hardware for it yet. I know what I want but haven't found it yet. We are giving it 48 hours to dry out in the garage, and John will bring it in Sunday. I am going to give it 24-48 hours in the air conditioning before I put the Fiesta back in. I do have before pics too, so I'll have to dig those up.
I am really happy with how it came out. My Fiesta is going to look so much better in it than it did when the hutch was brown.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

oh, yeah, it's nesting

Wrote this Weds....fell asleep before I had a chance to post it:)


I stayed up last night and sewed a bit. I almost have the valance done. I just need to look at the rod to see how big to make the top seam. Next up, flannel sheet for the co-sleeper.

Yesterday I made a list of things to do. Half way though making it, my mind went blank which was probably for the best. This morning I got up, started a load of laundry, vacuumed our bedroom and Mary's, Mary's bathroom, and the living room. I put clean sheets on Mary's bed, dusted the living room and straighted up the kitchen. It still needs a good cleaning though. I put the laundry out on the line. When John gets "home" (he works from home, but stays in his office from 8am-5pm), I am going to go do a coat of paint on the hutch doors. Then I am going to finish the valance after Mary goes to bed.

John is going to be out of town next week, which is when I really can get a lot done. I have no idea how that's possible, but it always ends up happening. I have a pretty long list started, but who knows how much I will get done. I wasn't going to make any more diapers, but I know flannel is still on sale and I have a ten percent off coupon for the craft store this weekend. Plus the dining room is still in sewing room mode. So maybe I should sew. I also want to make one more pair of shorties for the baby. Hmm, what to do??

Mary's sticking play-doh to the front of the TV. I should stop her. Plus I need to get her in the tub. The sandbox was really dusty today for some reason.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Done!

One project done, 317 million to go!

I dug out the material I want to use for the kitchen valance, and have the measurements figured out. Off to cut.