There isn't too much going on here--baby eats and grows, the house is sort of messy, missed the earthquake because I was in the car--but here are a series of links I thought were cool...

Foundling swatches--these are kind of heartbreaking, but also really cool.

Funny column about yoga and the people/smells you encounter. Which reminds me that I need to sign up for my class next month!

Self-explanatory video:



Article about apiaries at O'Hare--love this.

Interweave Knits Accessories 2009 is currently on sale for 10 cents! A bunch of cute patterns here. I really like the Sideways Grande Cloche (that's a Rav link...but I think it may be publically available).

And here's a picture of the sock I'm working on. This is actually the first sock, but it's about how far I am on the second sock. I just want to get them done at this point. The yarn (Online Supersocke Hiking) is kind of rough, and I don't love the colorway, and the pattern (#1 Husband) doesn't really set me on fire.



I am just not a fan of blue and orange together (bad Met fan!). Mark doesn't seem to mind. I got the yarn from his sister when she was destashing--it is certainly not something I would've picked out... But I am powering through! I've had to remove some ratty/felted socks from his drawer lately, so he actually could use a pair. I may be done by the end of the weekend...

Sorry, I couldn't resist.  (Speaking of Doctor Who, I finally had the chance to get caught up with the last few episodes on Monday...and my head asploded.  Whoa.)  

I finally finished my scarf--and it is lying on the futon, unblocked, ends not woven in.  I have a bit of time before the fair, I suppose.  I've started working on a little cardigan for myself, but I'm not sure if it's going to work out yet.

In other crafts, I really like this!  It could work well for Christmas cards...

Rosina came home four weeks ago today!  It's hard to believe it's been so long.  They actually let us know it was coming up the day I last posted, but it wasn't really sure until the next day...and then it happened really quickly.  The first few days were as challenging as expected, and I was a little concerned about how I would handle having here here all day by myself, but it's going well.  (Though now I have a cold, and am trying really hard not to pass it along to her...I'm starting to feel better, and so far, so good.)  She only wakes up once to eat between midnight and sunrise--and that feeding is mine, since I don't have anywhere to be in the morning--which is great considering that she's still small.  The cloth diapering is going well so far, too. Preemies are developmentally hybrids, apparently, with the eating, sleeping and some immune functions usually following their actual age, and most of the other stuff (vision, motor coordination) corresponding to their corrected age (i.e. due date) for a year or more.  She's really not bad to have around, honestly!  The car seat picture is from her car seat test at the hospital, and this other one is from earlier today:

Huge, I know...  ;)  She's gained about two pounds in the last month!  (Unfortunately the milk factory is closed... I just couldn't keep it going, despite everything we tried.  Preemie formula is expensive, but it seems to be working, LOL.)  Anyway, lest you think this is becoming a baby blog, I created a photo site for Rosina here, if you're interested.  One of the things that's changed in the past month (like my sleep patterns!) is that I have learned to knit while holding a baby!  It's amazing what we can accomplish out of necessity.  I'm not sure I would try it with dpns or straight needles, but circs seem to work just fine.  Look, I even finished a pair of socks!

I started these the day we got back from the baby shower, worked a few rounds while I was in the hospital, and carried them with me as my purse project the whole time Rosina was in the NICU.  I was usually so intent on her that I didn't work on them at the hospital, but by the end I spent a little time on them by her crib.  The majority was done over the past month, during which I learned how to wield an Addi Turbo Lace circ while holding a newborn!  The basic construction is from Hat Heel, with the lace pattern from Kai-Mei on the leg.  I think I've gotten the Hat Heel construction out of my system now...  I started a more boring pair of socks for Mark out of some deep stash, and am nearly done with the blue cabled scarf--pictures when it's done.

And now, to feed a tiny ogre... But here are some links I've been holding onto for a while.

*I have been watching a LOT of Star Trek: The Next Generation since it went onto NetFlix Watch Instantly. You learn a lot watching the series in order.  For one thing, they sure do have a lot of sex up in there.  It's like The Love Boat sometimes.  Also, Wesley Crusher doesn't bother me so much anymore.  Speaking of which, this blog (and this post in particular) has rocked my world.

* This is a cute shirt.

* This video is pretty awesome.  Speaking of which, AF has now come back (boo!), so I should call my doctor about that.

The time since I last posted has probably been the most traumatic and the most difficult in my life, but I think it was worth it:

Rosina Jane was born May 14, 2011 at 1:34 P.M. At 31 weeks gestation, she weighed 2 pounds 6 ounces and was 15 inches long. (tl;dr: non-gory birth story follows; everyone is fine.)

It all happened very, very quickly. After the swollen-foot post of April 30, I woke up the following Tuesday (May 4) with a face so puffy I didn't recognize myself. I got a doctor's appointment for that afternoon, and I had gained 13 pounds since my last appointment the previous Tuesday, plus my blood pressure was a bit high. There was some question about us going to the baby shower, but the baby did fine on the non-stress test, and after an appointment that Thursday (5/6) with similar results I was allowed to go, but had to do a 24-hour urine collection (fun) the following Tuesday (5/10), the same day as my next appointment. We did make it up there, but the trip was absolutely crazy and I was a complete zombie most of the time (which should've been a clue). My blood pressure was higher at the next appointment, and the doctor was rather worried, but sent me away asking me to keep an eye on it, and said we'd know more when the urine test results came in at the next appointment (Thursday 5/12). The next day (5/11) I checked my blood pressure while out running a bunch of errands, and it was really high (cue the first freakout of too many to count--I packed a bag for the hospital, but ended up partially unpacking it), so the doctor on call told me to go on bed rest. It wasn't for long, though, because the next day at my appointment the scary results of my urine test were in, and my blood pressure was still high--so I was on my way to the hospital. Cue Freakout #2, and repack that bag... Thank goodness Mark was able to make it to that appointment. There were some logistical issues regarding getting my car home, but he was able to figure it out--and off we were to the birthing center.

The next 48 hours or so are a blur of bad news and Ativan and overnight fetal monitoring... In a blindingly short time we went from bed rest of indeterminate length (but you will be in that bed until the baby's born) to the baby's small and needs to be born this weekend (but we'll see if she can tolerate labor) to you're having a C-section, like in the next hour. Each time a doctor came in, they had progressively more frightening things to say. But in hindsight, even though nothing went the way we wanted or planned, it went as well as it could have. The operation was so, so scary, and the spinal block insertion (yes, I did want a natural childbirth) hurt more than anything I'd ever experienced... but it worked, with no after effects. And my scar is weird--I've never had surgery before--but it's not too bad, and I recuperated pretty quickly. (I still have some numb spots, which may never come back, and it's a bit sore if I touch the area or attempt to exercise much, but I'm in better shape than most, apparently.) My mother came down for my first full week out of the hospital to help out, but I was managing pretty well so she had my father come pick her up after four days. (My father already had a golf trip planned for the weekend of May 14, so my mother was actually in the hospital with us when I delivered. She was on her best behavior, happily, though since then that has not always been the case!)  I checked out of the hospital on May 17, but checked back in on the 19th. I was feeling really, really tired, and I had heard about people for whom delivery did not cure preeclampsia...so I checked my blood pressure, and it was super high.  Off we went to the ER in our city, where the shit totally hit the fan--at one point my blood pressure was 215 over 100+, I was really scared, and there was what I will refer to as a "vigorous catheterization" (I do not recommend it)--and I went back over to the birthing center in an ambulance.  As they were wheeling me through the ward, I actually waved to the nurses and said, "I'm back!", since I knew like, two-thirds of them.  I spent 24 hours on a magnesium sulfate drip (aka HELL), then took my trusty wheelchair down the hall to visit the baby.  I was discharged that Saturday, but I'm still on blood pressure medication; I'll need to get checked out again by my regular doctor in another month or so.

But that's me; you want to hear about the baby! That Friday, while we were in between visits from the ultrasound tech and the doctor, we decided to pick out a name. I'd had this particular name in mind for a while--my great-grandmother's name, with Mark's mother's name for the middle name--and Mark agreed right away. For obvious reasons, it was important to me that she not have a common name. ;) The first time I saw her was in the OR, just before they took her out of the room. All I had time to say was, "She's so tiny!", and she was gone. And she really was tiny. I'd never seen a baby so tiny. Well, truthfully, I'd never seen a baby that skinny.  Indescribably skinny.  (She's about two weeks old in that top picture--she looked way more like Mr. Bigglesworth when she was born...)  Mark was able to go see her when I went to recovery (he was with me the whole time, except for the initial prep time in the OR; of course, I could've used him right then...), and he actually had pretty positive news from the doctors. She was really small, but didn't seem to have any other problems. And that's been the case the whole time. She was on a CPAP on room air (so no oxygen) for less than two days, and had two rounds of photo-treatment for jaundice (and man, did she hate wearing those bili-goggles!), and that has been IT. Minimal dips in her breathing and heart rate, no trouble holding her temperature, no problems sucking or tolerating her feeds, no big reflux issues, no eye issues so far... She did rip out her IV quite a few times in the nine or ten days she had one, and she rips out her feeding tube about every other day, but otherwise she is very low-maintenance. One nurse called her "the most boring baby in the NICU"--which is what you want to be in the NICU.  Since the beginning all she has needed to do is gain weight, and she's done quite well at that... It hasn't been easy, and it still isn't.  All we want to do is bring her home, so we can get our lives started!  The only step she still has to pass is to be able to take all her feedings by mouth; then the feeding tube can come out for good, we room in with her at the hospital overnight, and we're literally home free.  It will be a few more days, but the end is in sight.

The whole experience has been so opposite what we expected and wanted (of course), but I think we're going to make it after all. (The other day I sang The Mary Tyler Moore Show to Rosina.)  The main thing right now is that neither of us are getting enough sleep.  I am pumping around the clock, which unfortunately is not going that well, and I take it way too personally (and yes, I've tried all the usual things--it's just not normal to use a machine all the time instead of a baby, so I'm hoping my supply will perk up once she comes home).  I also tried to start working from home a few hours a day, only three weeks after the C-section--a bad idea that only lasted a few weeks.  That along with the general hospital hassle and the stress of the situation, and well, it's sometimes a day-by-day thing for me.  But it does get better every day.  And Mark has been his usual fantastic, reliable self--I'd never have been able to make it through without him.  (Without him there wouldn't be a baby, of course.)

All this is to say that, while in some ways I feel like a completely different person than I was two months ago, I'm really the same... I just spend my time in different ways, I guess.  (It's already been taking me so long to get simple things done, I can't imagine what it will be like once she's home...)  I certainly have a lot less time on the computer at the moment, which in some ways is a good thing, but I do hope to keep blogging on a relatively regular basis.  Obviously I'm not doing any singing, and the crafting is going extremely slowly, but I'm sure I'll think of things to write about!

Feet swollen.  Drinking inhuman amounts of water.  Yeah, that's my riveting life.  Mark is in meetings tonight and tomorrow, so I decided to surprise him by putting some begonias in the windowboxes and planting cucumbers and squash in the vegetable patch.  I got the windowboxes done.  Damn, I have no endurance.  (The worst problem was dealing with the stupid hose, honestly.)  Hopefully I won't be too beat tomorrow to at least get started with the vegetables, but I'll have to turn the soil and add compost... Ugh, that's a hard enough job for two people, plus our wheelbarrow has a flat tire... Maybe I will leave it until Sunday.

Next in the finished project picture parade:  the baby blanket!

Another item that's been done for two months, but I'm only now taking pictures.  I was so happy with the blanket, but then just today I noticed the mistake.  You can see it in the picture if you look hard enough.  I am kind of pissed about it, but there's nothing I can do.  Well, I suppose I could duplicate stitch over it.  Maybe I will.  I'll see how much it bothers me...  My current travel project is a plain sock out of leftovers, but my main project is this scarf, which I've been wanting to make for years.  How cool is this concept?!  Oh wait, there aren't any pictures in that PDF.  Here's what it actually looks like:

If I like the final product, I may enter it in the fair.  I certainly don't plan on wearing a wool scarf between now and October...  The pattern requires wrong-side cabling, which took me a bit to wrap my brain around, but now that I'm in the rhythm it's not too nuts.

In random notes, I kind of want this, partly because it looks like an isolation booth.  Also, this is 1960s pop from Singapore, which I am enjoying...

Busy weekend!  Still recovering... The childbirth class was great.  It confirmed the thoughts I already had about wanting to be able to move around during labor, and we learned a lot about the hospital process (good because they unfortunately don't offer tours of the birthing center at the moment).  As a bonus, Mark got some pointers on massage.  If there were one thing I could change about my husband, it would be his lackluster massage skills.  (Worse, he's in complete denial about them.)  Anyway, it was very helpful.  We also got a huge haul of adorable infant clothes from our friends.  The baby probably won't be in 0-3 month size for more than a few weeks (or less), and now we really don't need anything in that size.

Hooray for pictures!  And since it's way too hot here, already, here are pictures of things I made in January that haven't been worn in two months.  Two super-easy projects that were quick to finish, showed off awesome yarn, and are really warm and soft...

Camelot Hat, adapted for Noro Silk Garden (birthday present from Cathy, last year?)--CO 84, and did quicker decreases at the top to make it more snub-nosed.  I changed colors every two rows.

Toast, adapted again for gauge and man-hands (CO 36, I think)--same two colorways.

Doctor Who premiere:  whoa.  That is all I will say.  And on a related (and Easter-y) note, the skill involved in making these is just mind-boggling...

Earth Day!  I celebrated last weekend by going to the Burt's Bees tent sale at the city Planet Earth Celebration... Yeah, I don't think that counts, either.  Today I got my prefold diapers and Snappis in the mail, though--that should count for something.  And tomorrow we're picking up some hand-me-downs from friends who have two daughters.  Hopefully we won't need clothes for a while!

But on a related note, this is worth it, even just for the rock T-shirts...



More music-related snarkiness here.  Oh, and here, too, sort of.

Since we finally have this camera thing straightened out, I downloaded a bunch of photos this afternoon.  In honor of tomorrow's Doctor Who premiere, here are my finished Rainbow socks.  (I'm actually wearing them today, since we have one random day in the fifties before it goes back into the eighties...)



I tried really hard to get the colors to line up, but I think I did something different in the first sock while I was working out the pattern mods.  They're close, but not identical.

In other preggo news, we have our childbirth class this weekend.  The reality is setting in here.  I got my oil changed yesterday, and the date on my sticker is September...at which point I will have a two-month-old.  Whoa...

Happy news:  I passed my glucose test!  Yay!  I believe I'm going to get some froyo tonight.

Sad news:  Elisabeth Sladen has died.  I don't think it was even publicly known that she was sick.  We just watched one of her last series with Tom Baker the other night.  Huge shock. :(

Despite golfball- and larger-sized hail, we managed to weather the tornadoes without even a loss of power Saturday.  That said, four miles from a tornado touchdown is way closer than I would prefer to be.  It also meant spending most of our wedding anniversary at home, though we did go out to the very romantic Carrabba's for dinner. snerk

I did promise pictures, didn't I. 



This is a sock blocker keychain kit I got years ago in a swap.  Was it Secret Pal 11?  I don't even remember.  But it's way cute and only took about an hour.  I wish I knew what this sock yarn was, because it was lovely to work with.

I made this pattern (Phineas) for Mark a few years ago, but used yarn that felted despite its claims to be superwash. :(  Anyway, since it was a pretty satisfying pattern I decided to make it again for him. 



I used Deborah Norville Serenity Sock, which works out really well at a tighter gauge (I get 8.5 sts/in on size 1s with it) and washes nicely.  Not bad for $7, you know?  I spent some time last week washing and blocking a bunch of stuff, new and old, so I should actually have some pictures, maybe tomorrow!  In the meantime, I've been working on various practical things--baby legwarmers, a water bottle cozy, socks with leftover yarn--and am putting together a baby blanket for a girl from Stitch & Bitch with squares I collected from the group.  I just have the border to crochet at this point, so it should move relatively smoothly from here on in.  I was planning to work on it during my long baby shower trip next month, but I see no need to wait.

Speaking of our own baby, I feel like I ought to have taken more pictures of my largeness by now.  Maybe I'll get Mark to take some today.  I am officially in my third trimester, and have still only gained 5-7 pounds! :)  I wish I could get through the night without waking up for ninety minutes at 5 A.M., and I wish my intestines would cooperate (hence the weight range! TMI?), but if these and some aches and pains are my only complaints, I'll take it. The kicking is mainly a pleasant reminder that she's still in there, and Braxton-Hicks don't really bother me.  I had my glucose challenge test on Friday (yuck), and I should have the results sometime today.  Major fingers crossed for me!  Considering how many times I've had a piece of cheese or a bowl of cereal instead of a bag of Mini-Eggs, I think I deserve to win this one. :)

Before I sign off, two pop-culture notes:
1.  For all the 30 Rock fans out there.  I love me some Liz Lemon...
2.  Happy 40th to sexy Scot and new dad David Tennant!  I may go home and watch some Doctor Who in his honor...

SciFi squee notes:

1.  I hope the baby likes Klingons, since this is what I'm planning to do while she eats.

2.  This.  Just this, over and over again.



Mark found the camera (this is what happens when you put your laundry away, boo), so I should have project pictures soon!

Birthday post! 



Um...not much going on here, actually.  Keeping busy, trying to take naps.  My life is so exciting... Oh, and still no camera. *&^%$&^#$#@$#^%

This is so crazy.  I can't imagine the skill it takes to do this!

I've made paper in the past, but I love the idea of including seeds. 

Next Tuesday is Drop Everything And Read Day, in honor of Beverly Cleary's birthday.  So do it! :)

I know this is supposed to be silly, but on my birthday it seems like a good idea.  I should totally scan some pictures...even though it would mean including a hideous one from 1989...

Observation:  If this evening is any indication, I will have to get Mark to help the next time I give myself a pedicure.  Or maybe I will leave it to the experts...

Another observation:  this is strangely cute but also disturbing.  Oh, I am so afraid that my baby will have no hair and people will think she's a boy... (sarcasm)  My niece is rocking a fauxhawk mullet right now, and nobody seems to mind.

I am in Wilmington right now, typing in a hotel room, waiting for Mark to finish up his meeting.  Oh, and I finished that shawl, in only ten days!  So I had to start another one...  Pictures as soon as somebody finds the camera.

If I had actually finished this post last week, I was going to talk about how lovely my neighborhood looks with the azaleas beginning to bloom and stuff...and then it got seriously bitch cold.  I scraped ice off my rear window this morning.  This weather is insane.  As I'm sure it is throughout the country, but whatever...

My lack of posts are mostly related to the fact that I am exhausted.  I've rarely gotten more than six hours of sleep a night total in the past two weeks, and it is beginning to wear on me.  I've been experimenting with afternoon naps, which have been antithetical to my nature since I can remember (ask my mother--it was not fun to have a two-year-old who refused to nap because she might miss something).  It does help, but I'm still a bit resistant... Also, I have been really hungry.  The baby is about a pound-and-a-half now, and I've still only gained three pounds.  Yay pregnancy diet, but jeez, I am feeling the need to consume mass quantities.  I bought a whole lot of cheese last week, so between that and cereal and oranges I am still trying to snack healthy...

Much finishing going on here!  The blanket is completely finished, finally, and the sweater just needs buttons.  (I will have pictures once Mark locates the camera.  This is an epidemic here.)  I'm also on the second sock of this pair:



I think I mentioned that I frogged the cowl I made with Felici Time Traveler (since it wasn't warm enough) and decided to make another pair of Rainbow socks...  It's working out quite well.  I had to futz with the pattern for my gauge, but so far so good.  I'm halfway through the leg of the second sock now.  I'm also working on a lace shawl made from a frogged sweater--and am almost done already.  I need a bigger project! :)

I have been hyper-productive today... You may notice that I changed the blog template. I was getting extremely tired of having to change all the default settings for every photo or video I posted because my years-old template was too narrow.  And now I'm orange.  Eh, it's spring.  The template change only took a few minutes, though.  After work I stopped by the new Whole Foods near my house--there were many senior citizens there, and I bought a basil plant for the windowbox.  Then I vacuumed out my car (which I'd been avoiding for way too long) and washed it myself.  When I got home I planted the basil, and noticed that somehow some of the mint from last year survived, so I moved it to a more advantageous location in the box. Then I took care of the compost (which I'd been avoiding as well).  Then I hemmed a pair of pants, and put the machine away.  Then I packed my bag for this weekend--Mark has a meeting in Charlotte tomorrow afternoon and Saturday morning (unluckily concurrent with the NCAA basketball tournament...), and I'm tagging along so we can go to IKEA and buy the crib, and also eat Swedish meatballs. :)  Anyway. Then I filed my nails, since I broke a few during the car washing.  Then I created a spreadsheet for my singing income and expenses (again, avoiding!), so we can finally do our taxes!  (I almost actually made money this year, if you don't count mileage.  Which I don't even bother with, since I need to show a profit.  Especially because this year I probably will have no singing income at all.  Oh well...)

And now I am vegging out for a few minutes before I leave for my lovely knitting group.  I only have one repeat left in my baby blanket, blessedly.  I haven't decided on a border yet, but I may just pick up stitches along the long sides and bind them off, so they'll match the top and bottom border.  I could also do applied I-cord, but the first option will be MUCH faster. I'm willing to experiment.  I just want to be done with it!  I don't like it when projects take more than two months.  I am ready to move on to a shawl!

Speaking of projects, here's one I was pretty happy with in the beginning, but not so much at the moment:

This is the Felted Clogs pattern by the greatly-missed Bev Galeskas.  The construction is pretty weird at first, but it all makes sense in the end, and comes out really cool.  I did have to felt the hell out of them (I used the last of my Noro Big Kureyon for the upper, and KnitPicks WOTA Bulky for the sole).  I really loved these, and wore them around the house every day for more than a month (we have ceramic tile in the bathrooms, kitchen and dining room--brr!), but then the other day I noticed I had already worn a hole through one of the heels.  What the heck?!  So I'm kind of mad at them right now.  (I suppose I should be mad at KnitPicks...)  I'll probably just darn up the hole and buy some soles for them, but in the meantime I've switched to my lighter slippers.  It's going to be 80 degrees or more for five of the next seven days, so I'm not too concerned.

I leave you with the extreme awesomeness of this video.  I literally caught the last word of this on the radio this afternoon, sadness.  Neil Diamond is my Seventies boyfriend.  I have this long-range plan to sing this with Mark at karaoke someday, but he will need some coaching vocally with the higher parts.  Maybe if I just told him to do a Neil Diamond impression...

CIMG5183 a photo by doctorgirlfriend on Flickr.

I started this crocheted ripple afghan in January of 2010. Did I ever blog about it? I don't remember. I made it mainly to use up my nicer leftovers. When I got to 90 rows this past January, I finally decided it was done. (Partially because I was running out of leftovers, and partially because I wanted to start the baby blanket.) It's almost entirely wool and wool blends, from doubled sock yarn to cashmere to bulky Noro. It is very, very warm. I decided to make the ends fringe so I wouldn't have to sew them in, and added some extra cream yarn to bulk them up a bit. There are a few ends to sew in within the rows, but I'm not overly concerned. Overall, this was a great project to work on when I needed something relatively mindless, and is currently very practical since we keep our house at 64 degrees or less during the winter. (Winter's over here, but our house does run chilly.)

Doctor's appointment yesterday: uneventful. I got to pick up my Glucola for my next appointment, oh joy. I've still only gained two pounds (which I gather means I've sort of lost about twelve, in a way--who knew pregnancy would be an effective diet?!), and am hoping that means that I won't have to worry about gestational diabetes. The last things I want are 1. an enormous baby and 2. doctors hovering over me and judging my every choice, in that order. I think the main thing I'm doing is, well, not doing much differently. I just try to snack on dairy or protein instead of carbs. I did decide to take it easy on white sugar for Lent, but that's just lip service anyway--I'm really doing it so I can pass my glucose test, so I'll be left the hell alone! :) My birthday is between now and then, and our anniversary is the day after the test, but I'm not going to be a grinch about that.

Must run to a makeup yoga class, but here's a very bizarre link: crazy bra ads (the nipple one is particularly strange...ah, the '70s).

Because my day job is at a scientific journal, I spend most of my time sending and receiving emails from overseas.  We were supposed to sponsor an award at this conference outside Tokyo later this week, but the convention center is damaged, and the conference is canceled.  Then I was following up on an unrelated issue, and noticed that one of our board members actually lives in Sendai.  I've never met this man, but I cannot imagine what he is going through. It's all just very sad, and I hope the worst is over...

 

On a happier, more materialistic note, we set up our baby registries this weekend.  It was actually kind of exhausting.  I had been doing all this research on strollers and carseats and stuff, and ended up mostly relying on Consumer Reports.  Friday night Mark had a meeting, so I went out to Target to do some preparatory field work.  At least only one stroller fell on my head...it was that kind of embarrassing moment where you're kind of injured, but actually glad nobody was around to see it.  I probably should've reported the incident, but I was not bleeding, so I figured I was okay. ;)  Anyway, we're all set up now.  I'll probably continue to add things one by one as I think of things.  I'm just really afraid we're going to get Precious Moments/Disney princess/"Daddy's Little Angel"-type stuff that I find tacky and/or offensive.  I know I can't really control this (although doesn't my family know me?!  Shouldn't they know that I hate that kind of crap?!), so in the meantime I will practice my fake plastic smile and PRAY that people give me receipts...  Yeah, we also hate things that make noise, and are minimalists.  This should be interesting!

 

Another FO picture, as promised.  I finished this tiny Multnomah in late January, I think... I had a 300-yard skein of Jitterbug, purchased before I learned that it wasn't that great for socks (hence the name Jitterbug...).



Because I had so little yardage, I knew I would have to fudge a bit.  I went up a few needle sizes, omitted the WS decreases because I don't care for crescent-shaped shawls anyway, and started the lace when I was able to do a bit more than ten repeats on each side.  Then I just knit until I ran out of yarn.  It actually works pretty well as a neckerchief, and is surprisingly soft.

 

Must run to PT (I have this gluteal muscle thing...which ironically would make actual running a problem), but I shall leave you with this lovely gem.  Which reminds me:  apparently I still know most of the words to "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough", and even remembered the Don Henley harmony line when it came on the radio this morning.  That fact is much more embarrassing than anything related to the below video.

CIMG5190 a photo by doctorgirlfriend on Flickr.

Pictures!! It took a bit longer than expected, since the camera was absolutely dead... So this is a tiny February Baby Sweater I'm making for the nugget. (The nugget is a girl, by the way, hence the hot-pink sweater.) I just want something light for when we have to go to the grocery store or sit in air conditioning--and Berroco Comfort DK will be a good fiber choice, I think. I took measurements of a 3-6 month cardigan at the store, and sized the pattern down accordingly by knitting it on size 4s.

Speaking of the nugget, she is kicking me like crazy right now. I really don't mind it yet at this point (22 weeks), but eventually it may get old. I don't know yet... I've been doing a lot of research for our registry this week, and tonight Mark had a meeting so I went down to Target to scope out a few things (not for the first time, but this time I actually had a list, and Consumer Reports recommendations and stuff). Other than an infant carrier falling on my head (I thought it had drawn blood...), it was a relatively useful trip. And I may have purchased a tiny Beatles onesie that was on sale. I haven't bought anything else yet (though I'm in the process of making cloth wipes), so I thought it would be okay. They only had a teensy size, so maybe she can wear it home from the hospital. It is awesome.

In non-baby news, I actually got some good singing work done last month. I managed to squeeze in a new recording--one that actually sounds like me (though I suppose I'll never be completely satisfied)--and I coached the Verdi Requiem after learning it in record time. At the moment I'm learning Schumann's Frauenliebe und -Leben so I'll be prepared if I can actually schedule a lesson in the next two months. My voice is actually working just fine, and I got the okay to continue taking Prevacid (my reflux is bad enough when I'm not hatching a pod person). All I need to sing well is enough sleep!

Oh yes, and I've been plugging away on the blanket--I've got less than three repeats left, and then have to decide on a border. It's damn heavy at this point. I've also got a pair of socks on the needles... I decided to frog the cowl I made from my Felici Time Traveler (it was not nearly warm enough, cf. my sad chullo), and am making another pair of Rainbow Socks with the yarn. I'm making some modifications for gauge, and I really like the way the first sock is turning out.

Oh, poor blog, I have neglected you.  For the same recurring reasons--being busy, fatigue, lack of photos despite ongoing knitting and other projects--but also because I've been getting sucked way too much into Facebook lately.  And I don't really like Facebook.  I mean, I like the immediacy, and the ease of sending messages and posting links, but I don't like that it's such a time-suck, or having to hide all the stupid game messages, or posts by people who I'm friends with for various reasons but who are generally INSANE--plus there's the privacy issue, and the fact that Mark Zuckerberg seems like a total jerk.  And I don't like censoring myself.  I don't have to censor myself here, since nobody in my family knows about it, and even my husband doesn't read it.  (Bless him, or else I wouldn't have been able to bitch about my inlaws when it was most cathartic.) 

 

Anyway, I had pretty much decided over the weekend that I was going to try to up my blog usage and minimize the Facebook stuff, when two things happened yesterday that kind of sealed the deal:

 

1.  My mother tried to friend me.  Ack.  She doesn't actually use Facebook except to look at pictures of my niece, so I suppose she did it in anticipation of the nugget's arrival.  When the time comes, I have no qualms about setting up a separate photosharing account just for baby pictures--particularly because you can make everything password-protected, so there's no weirdness about sharing bathtub pictures or anything.  I am not friending my mother on Facebook.  She doesn't need to see every single political link I post to my page, or every off-color comment I make on someone's status update.  I know there are ways to block things by creating groups, but like I said before, I don't really like Facebook.

 

2.  Yesterday I posted a status update:  "The word of the day is:  Santana."  I was making a specific reference to Tuesday night's Glee episode, in which we learn a whole lot about the awesomely bitchy Santana Lopez.  (Great episode in general, despite my feelings about Gwyneth Paltrow's singing, blech.)  I had three people "like" my update--all female relatives in their late 40s.  Clearly they thought I meant the BAND Santana, which is cool and all, but wow, they didn't get it.  And I had no intention of elucidating, since the subject matter of this particular episode (and wow, like, every episode) would have grievously offended my extremely holier-than-thou, homophobic cousin (by marriage).  This woman and I are not tight, and I really don't give a crap what she thinks, but I prefer my internet presence to be a peaceful one, since God knows I create enough drama in real life. 

 

So I believe these two events have clinched it for me.  I can use Facebook to receive messages, to update my artist page, and to look at cute babies, but other than that I'm just over it.  I'm actually writing this as an email (we'll see if it goes through), and will stick with this and Flickr for posting if it seems to make things easier.  Tomorrow I may actually have pictures (we'll see...the camera lives in Mark's car, apparently!), but I will definitely post more.  I wasn't kidding when I said I was busy!  And hopefully, if I can stick with this, I will send a FB message to select people to inform/remind them of the blog, and I can get some more readers!

 

Oh, but here are two links:

 

I recently discovered "Advice Smackdown" on alphamom, and I think I love this woman.  This post and the comments that follow are really touching, and I think I will refer back to it as I get closer to my due date. 

 

Ten ways to save money on gas.  I guess I need to drive the speed limit on 540...

 

I haven't been on the internet much outside of work--mainly because I've been working my way through Bones on Netflix. Also, I am not always very motivated to do anything besides sit on my ass. This includes knitting! I have started my blanket:


(Welsh Blanket from the Fall 2009 Debbie Bliss magazine), and finished a few other things, including my chullo:


This hat makes me a little angry. It looks great folded on the table, but is perhaps a bit too whimsical for me. The main problem, though, is that it's not warm enough to wear when it's below freezing. Which is when most people want to wear hats. I'll probably get some use out of it this month (after which I won't need a hat!), but I've only worn it once so far. Grr.

Speaking of being unmotivated, this includes singing. I have been a total slacker, mainly because it's not like I have upcoming gigs... I did get suckered into an ugly situation last month (the first time I've sung for free in four years, and it was under false pretenses!), which went well but I was quite glad when it was over. I am supposed to be learning some new stuff to run with my coach at the end of the month, but I'm not too worried. And I've been able to schedule a recording session this weekend! My recordings are really, really old now, and the sound quality is terrible. At least I can put something nice up to tide my four fans (LOL) over while I'm on baby hiatus, and if I decide to try to do some auditions next winter I'll have the recordings already prepared. It's only two arias, and they're nice and low.

Minor pregnancy note: it is a rather unreal experience when the guy you lost your virginity to (yuck, I am cringing at the archaism!) congratulates you on your pregnancy on Facebook. I have no problem with him at all--we parted on good terms, a million years ago, and he's a good person. It's just kind of weird, because, well, he's been there, you know?

The inlaws came and went, and...well, it was awful, and I don't feel like rehashing it again. I've had enough opportunity to vent in real life, so will spare you the details. The situation was not improved by the complete lack of discipline in the children (to be expected from a father who lets his two very young sons watch Family Guy, I suppose), and the fact that we were SNOWED IN. The only reason casualties were averted is that my sisters-in-law live in very small towns, and will take any opportunity to go to the mall--from which I happily excused myself on all but one occasion (when I bought shoes, so yay me). I was extremely happy when everyone was gone. It had been four years since the whole family had convened, and by the next time I will have my own child to distract me. Good deal. If it takes another four years, you won't hear any protest from this corner...

Within 36 hours of their leaving I got a cold, and was pretty much a waste for my whole four-day New Year's weekend. I slept until 10 or 11 each day, and I totally needed it. I am finally out of the woods with it, and will get to catch up on my sleep again tomorrow (my day off). On Friday I will be officially in my second trimester, and other than the spotting (which did freak me out for a few weeks there) and having trouble sleeping it really hasn't been too rough. I know how lucky I am! I actually have my first prenatal yoga class tonight. I'll probably be the least pregnant woman in the class, but I had to give up my regular yoga class and I've been missing it. With the back problems I've already been having, this should be very helpful! It will also be nice to be able to talk to other preggos, since I know most of my childfree friends don't need to hear everything. :)

Since presents have been given and received, check out these mittens I made for Cathy:



The pattern is Snowfall Mittens, and I used some recycled red wool blend from an Old Navy sweater and cream Patons Classic Wool. I made a number of modifications to adjust the size, but it's pretty much as written. It wasn't too hard a pattern--I do love repetition in my colorwork charts!

Speaking of colorwork, my Knitpicks Andean Chullo (Ravelry link--has KP discontinued this?!) is finished and blocked except for the tassels. I was grumpy with the applied I-cord trim for a while--it just didn't look right--but I decided to pick up a row of stitches around beforehand instead of picking them up as I did the I-cord, and it looked so much better. It was a lot of I-cord, but I managed to finish last Thursday at knit night. Pictures next time! It is awesome. Other than this, I am currently working on several things that should be finished in the next week...then it's on to the baby blanket. The yarn is en route, and it's a slip-stitch pattern so I may as well get started now!