Handiwork

I have two hand-craft projects I'm working on right now.

I have big plans to crochet Tessa a doll before the baby comes...but I'm not a skilled crochet-er so I am starting small. Look at this excellent carrot I crocheted. Can anyone think of a use for a carrot made of yarn?



I am now in the middle of crocheting a mouse...then I'll move up to a cute pig.

But I am taking a break from that to work on some quilt blocks I'm supposed to have done months ago for a group of quilters from my church...I'm incredibly embarrassed it has taken me this long - but now that I've started I'm pretty excited about it.


I'm doing "English Paper Piecing" which I can do almost entirely whilst laying down. Super super fun.

Me and A-Rod

If it weren't for ethnicity, career, salary, and number of times testifying before Congress me and A-Rod would be besties...

Aaron has informed me that discussing cervii is not necessarily a polite conversation - but - such is my life at the moment, my apologies...

Turns out mine got shorter as is now "80% effaced" or about .5 cm long. That is a drop of a centimeter in 5 days. Still, there is not much they can do to stop anything, particularly because I'm not generally contracting (a few scares here and there but nothing that lasts). The one thing they can and did do was start me on the steroid shot that helps the baby's lungs (and I think brain as well) mature a bit faster. We think this made a big difference with Tessa, and this time we will likely get the full 48 hours that they like to have before delivery (and hopefully more) in addition to the additional month (or more) that we currently have on where Tessa was.

Anyway, thats just the latest.

Modern Correspondence

Because I once watched the movie "Rebecca" three times in a row I know that in the glamorous olden days the wealthy women would sit at their desks in the morning and write letters to each other as part of their "job" as the women of the house.

I SWEAR my life is the modern, gestating version of this and what I do is NOT mindless internet searching.

Yes, I do tend to blog stalk via bloglines.com and my "correspondence" tends lean more towards reading and less towards writing my own, but in my defense, typing while laying on your side is a major pain. (Man, am I milking this bedrest thing or WHAT!?)

But anyway, I thought I'd take some time to update my sidebar links and give shout outs to the random strangers of whom I am a devoted reader.

My most productive internet activity has been to enter in the giveaways but this is only because I just WON SOMETHING from Pink Chalk Studio and it has made my week! The giveaway prize arrived in the mail a few days ago - I could post pictures of the actual fabric but - well - lazy, so here is a link. I received a fat quarter of each of those prints - YEAH!

Here are some of the other crafty blogs I am addicted to, book mark like crazy, and will never actually accomplish anything from. (Hey, I know myself pretty well)
Craft Apple (actually I lied, I am almost done with a project made from a pattern I purchased from here...I'll post pics if and when I finish it).
Crafty Crow
Crazy Mom Quilts
Lovely Design
One Pretty Thing
Plumpudding
She Sew Sassy
Simple Sparrow
Tallgrass Prairie Studio

Here are some design related blogs I like
desiretoinspire.net
Green Mormon Architect
How About Orange
Ikea Hacker

This is a blog I contribute to...on occasion. I definitely wish I did more because at one point in my life I was a BIG reader...now I'm a big "some day I'll read"-er.
Reading for Sanity

Advice blogs (hum, not a lot of originality in the names, are there?)
Simple Mom
Simple Marriage
The Simple Dollar

And last but not least, random editorial blogs I like to read (heavily biased towards fertility blogs)
A Little Pregnant
Julia
Seriously So Blessed (warning: when I first started reading this blog I couldn't post on my own for at least three weeks, so great was the fear that I accidentally become the person this blogger is mocking...also, probably makes more sense if you are Mormon or know a LOT of them).
Stuff White People Like

To close I'd like to ask for suggestions...I can't very easily turn down a craft blog, but what I'm looking for is something with design theory and/or some sort of intellectually stimulating material - I used to be smart once and wonder if I can do it again. ;)

Sharing

Some things are just too funny not to share...

Pretty Pink Dress

Tessa got a pretty handmade dress from her Grandma U**. When we pulled it out of the package it was so beautiful that she immediately wanted to put it on her doll.

But - she isn't so good at posing for pictures lately. Perhaps you've noticed the number of pictures of her has dropped off. Generally it is because she wants to hold the camera and gets mad when we don't let her. But on Sunday it was because she was just heartbroken at the thought of having her picture taken, I can't even guess why.



Luckily it wasn't anything that a snack and some galoshes wouldn't fix...



Or a cellphone...

28 weeks + 1 week

28 weeks
When I first went into labor with Tessa and before everyone realized that we would be lucky to get 48 hours till her birth the doctors told me that they were going to try and get me to 28 weeks. I didn't make it there until 2 years later...but YEAH for that.

So - here is what I look like at 28-ish weeks - and YEAH (did I already say that?)

29 weeks
Oh - and - btw - I was in the hospital for observation for a few hours Monday morning. I was having contractions 6-10 minutes apart from 3-9 am. No change in my cervix though so I got an IV then home I came. The contractions are pretty much non-existant now so - whew. I'm taking this as a subtle reminder to keep taking it easy and not get to cavalier about this whole thing. As glad as I am to be at 29 weeks (YEAH) it is still way to early to have a baby...plus we haven't picked a name yet.

Birthday Cheer

The paparazzi finally gets its act together and posts some birthday pictures of our TWO year old.

Loved the candles but wouldn't even try to blow them out.

You know, its time for me to come clean, or not...my kid is the one with the perpetually messy face. If you can still be my friend I'd appreciate it.

And as if to punish me for that, this picture posted twice and I can't get it to delete.

One major bummer about being on bedrest is that I could do the fun stuff for V-day or Tessa's birthday that I wanted to do...but she had balloons, cupcakes and playdoh (and tons of books) so she didn't seem to mind.

Tessa was a great helper while Daddy assembled her table and chairs.

Bit of Heaven

Tessa brings me more joy than anyone. Not a huge revelation, I know but still, I can't believe how much happiness she adds to our family.

A few weekends ago Aaron and I were discussing "finances" and "the economy" (both ours and the country's). Talk about a bummer of a Friday night conversation. Until Tessa decided we needed to take turns attacking her with kisses. Suddenly we transferred to a blissful Friday night moment.



This little bundle of love had also struck a few days previously. I mentioned a while ago that our Bishop gave me a blessing to strengthen me in my anxiety. Aaron and Tessa joined me in his office and as he concluded I felt comforted and reassured. I stood to leave and with no prompting from me or Daddy Tessa launched herself into my arms for a bear hug. Forget about any self composure I had.

I've never felt so loved.


Where did we get this kid? Both of her parents are selfish stinkers, I kid you not. We don't deserve her, but I'm crazy happy to have her.

The reason for the 7 year itch

This year I've really noticed that all the stuff we got for our wedding is...old. I think this may be why couples experience the seven year itch. All the irons/towels/frying pans that symbolize their happy union are broken/dingy/peeling - leading inevitably to dissatisfaction.

Case in point - (or case and point...not sure which it is) - behold the very last of the beautiful glasses we were given seven (almost eight) years ago...


It was one of eight but one by one they were knocked off (quite literally) leaving just this little guy. We drank from him for a long time even though he had a short little crack down the side. And just a few days ago (after drinking milk, that is why he looks so dingy) I noticed the crack had extended all the way around and now connected to itself. Somehow it had not broken - but I decided to just put him out of his misery and tossed him.

But - don't you fear. You see we are in our eighth year of marriage, with the 9th just around the corner, and as such have mastered all there is too know about teamwork and cooperation.

Case in/and point -

One of my year long goals is to be organized, and I had broken this down into a monthly goal for January of having the dishes done each night before bed.

If you've ever lived with me you'll know that this goal is HUGE and I was going pretty well with it...then bedrest hit and I thought that goal would go out the window.

Enter my eternal companion, who knew about my goal (it would have been hard not to notice the drastic reduction in kitchen clutter). He stepped up and as a team, I feel like we accomplished this goal.

Okay - yes, DUMB little thing, but if he hadn't done that it would have been another goal I had that I failed to accomplish. And having something in the "I accomplished this" catagory means a lot to me.

So thank you honey!

Two

Two.

Two.

I know, I can't believe it either!

Where are you going to put another baby??

As most of you know, a little over four years ago we bought a fairly dismal one-bedroom condo. It is pretty spectaluar now. Two years ago we finished the major life-safety issues of our remodel in the nick-of-time, literally the week before Tessa came home from the hospital. This was just when the housing market started to teeter and we really liked our cute little nest. So, although that would have been a normal point in our life's journey to move we stuck around and have been quite cozy.

Now...well - I am pretty sure we could make this place work with two kids. In fact sometimes I catch myself daydreaming about what it would be like to live in this condo when we add baby #3 (in some distant future), and how maybe the discovery channel would do a special about our non-materialistic alternate lifestyle. Of course, it would be extremely boring to watch me dink around the internet all day (I will still get to do that with three kids - right? ...right?) and there would be no place for the cameras...

Needless to say, now is an even more natural place in our life's journey to sell our one bedroom and find a two (or, dare I fantasize, three!) bedroom place (don't start getting excited/upset, we are staying in MA). So we are hemming and hawing our way to "getting this place ready to sell."

This is the latest finished project. These pendants took us literally YEARS to agree on. They are made from an Ikea fixture, a Lowes shade and canopy, and a plumbing pipe.

We'll probably do it, but just today I was telling Aaron about all the cool ideas I have for fitting another person into our dwelling unit and I almost forgot my real motivation for selling...

Two flights of stairs.

I can justify staying here with many reasons. Housing crappy market being a big one. Love it here, another biggie. And my favorite, most self righteous reason has to do with materialism and not trying to keep up with the Joneses and "our pioneer ancestors raised eight kids in 850 square foot cabins."

But.

But.

Those pioneers could just open the back door and let the kids and dogs and chickens run in and out all day. AND they did not have to carry a baby carrier up two flights of windy stairs with a toddler at their heels. (Cooking over a fire-heated stew pot a babe-in-arms and a toddler at your heels...piece of cake I'm certain.)

But anyway, while we are working on the very very very last projects in this house (I promise) we have rearranged. Its not conventional, and I think it takes people by surprise. But I love it.

Of course...it is always messy so I'm not going to post and pictures of it RIGHT NOW...here are some progress pics to give you an idea...

This is our study as it appeared for approximately 10 minutes on Thanksgiving...pretty hot isn't it!


Then later that weekend we moved our bed out of the, well, bedroom giving Tessa her own room. (This is it before we moved the toys into the newly dubbed "nursery").


Then Aaron and Tessa moved reassembled the bed in the study where the Thanksgiving table sat the day before.

Sorry the pictures are so vague...this post will never get posted if I don't just work with what I've got.

Bailout Needed - STAT

I read this article on Yahoo yesterday and have been overcome with worry and anxiety ever since. You see, it claims that Krispy Kreme runs the risk of failing this year. {staggering sorrow ungulfs me at the thought}

The ONLY way I have managed to continue living a productive life (excluding the past three weeks) after the local Krispy Kreme shops closed was the subliminal knowledge that they still exist - out there and that maybe I'd be able to someday eat another. BUT WHAT IF THAT NEVER HAPPENS!? What if that delicious and delectable flavor ceases to exist all together? What kind of life will that be?

So. Christin, I call on you to repent from the idea that 30 minutes is too far to drive (yes, she directly states that here) and Maria, I implore you to stop at the one near you house weekly, even if it means an extra - what? 3-4 hours on the treadmill. You must sacrifice for those of us who can't do it ourselves. You must.

Househusband

Last Saturday Aaron made both a delicious breakfast AND a healthy dinner. In addition to cleaning, shopping, etc. Yes, it made me look bad, but I got breakfast, dinner and a clean house so I'm not complaining.

The funny quote of the day - "Look at me - I'm multi-tasking!" (aka - making more than one type of food at a time, in this case oatmeal and toast ;) )

Other than that. Not much going on around here. My little sister Alicia will be arriving Tuesday night (last I heard) and that will be so fabulous.

For us.

She gets to sleep on the couch, so I'm not sure how great it'll be for her...but nevertheless she agreed to come so Hallelujah!

26 weeks

I'm 26 weeks (Tessa was born at 26 weeks, 2days) and my ultrasound today showed that there was just slightly more shortening of the cervix* than 2 weeks ago. Yes - it is still shorter, but not "imminent delivery" short.

I feel totally relieved. I've been trying not to act nervous but I spent all last night dreaming about being in the hospital about to deliver a 2nd baby at 26 weeks. Subconscious anxiety strikes again.

I have a maternity shirt that says "Coming this SPRING" and apparently that is 6 weeks away. I wear it a lot.

I hope the baby can read.

*It is now 1.7 cm long if you are THAT curious.