My darling Momma

When I was 13 I went to summer camp for a week- one that my sister, Krista, had gone to the summer before and loved. When I went I was still in the throws of teenage shyness and awkwardness- not knowing anyone there and not wanting any attention.
Unfortunately the camp had a supposedly fun policy that any camper who received more than 3 pieces of mail on a given day had to get up and sing 'I'm a little teapot' in front of everyone. My mom knowing this and being totally taken in by the idea this is a fun policy had everyone in my family - including the cats - write me separate letters. I knew I was in trouble when I got the camp counselor was calling out the names of the campers to come up and get their mail and when he handed me mine I noticed the envelope had a small number 4 in the upper corner. Then came the rest for a total of 5, dooming me to singing with hand movements the chosen song.
Even though I was mortified to get up in front of everyone I still loved my most darling mom for being so thoughtful and thinking of me that week. She's like that, loving, thoughtful and willing to go to great lengths for her children. The best of all mommas.
The reason this camp memory returned to me recently is that lately I've been getting a small package each week with one item of gender neutral baby clothing or other baby article. This last week (the 4th week of the packages in my mailbox) I noticed a small number 4 written in the upper corner and I gave my mom a ring and asked about it. Apparently when she and Krista went to Carter's a while back there was a great sale on and she couldn't resist the darling baby things but thought it would be way more fun for both her and me to send me one at a time rather than one large package (5 more to come). Like I said, she's like that, loving, thoughtful and willing to go to great lengths for her children. The best of all mommas.

Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four

Val and Christi

Weekend with the girls

Every year I get together with Christi and Val for a girls weekend- we've all been friends since sophomore year of high school in NC. In the past we've gone to the beach, the mountains and this year we all gathered in Atlanta since Christi's daughter Elsa is still nursing.

It's a pretty low-key weekend- not too much planned: chatting, playing with Elsa, knitting, pedicures, making homemade mozzarella, chick flicks, eating at favorite restaurants, and in general catching up. It's all wonderfully relaxing....sigh.

The above picture is my pedicure in action...some sort of heated boot with lotiony something or other on my feet, a growing belly and the beginnings of a sweater for baby.

thoughts on girl vs. boy

Anyone who asked me prior to today knows that my answer to the question "Are you hoping for a boy or girl?" has been a definite "Girl!". I know girls, I have two sisters, I understand what girls go through...but boys, they are an enigma to me. So I've gotten quite a few emails and responses from friends and family after finding out he is indeed a he wondering how I am feeling about having a boy.
Here's what I wrote to my friend Shelly:

I know it sounds totally cheesy but part of the reason (a very small part) of why I preferred a girl is that there are so many cute knitting patterns out there for girls. :)
However, Tim had said a little while ago that he'd be a bit more comfortable with a boy b/c he'd have a better idea what to do with him- as a child, I think, not so much a baby....that'll still be quite the adventure for him! But he can imagine fishing, woodworking, playing with radio-controlled cars, etc (you know, all the things he loved as a boy) with a son. I think he couldn't imagine doing the same with a girl (and maybe he also had some thoughts that I'd take all of a girl's time baking, knitting, etc).
So since Tim said that I'd been thinking more and more that I'd be okay with a boy and enjoy seeing Tim with a son. And recently my thoughts about finding out the sex were supplanted by silly worries about whether or not it would even be healthy...so seeing that everything looked good was good enough for me.
Not to say that I wouldn't have had a special leap of heart if he had been a girl, but from the very get go I had guessed we'd had better odds of having a boy based on the timing of when I got pregnant.

So I am having a boy- and I will love him dearly, even if he pees on me when I am changing his diaper, even if he wants to hang out with papa on the river on the weekends instead of with me in the kitchen or at the yarn store.
But I think I'll still want a girl next time...if, after labor and delivery, I still want to go this route again and if I can convince Tim!

20 week appointment...It's a...

Today Tim and I went to the midwife for the much anticipated 20-week ultrasound. I was more anxious about this appointment than I was the very first. Just wanted the baby to healthy - and if possible, see if we have a boy or girl. Good thing they took my blood pressure (100/60) after confirming that everything looked right on target.
Tim and I really enjoyed seeing the little tyke- moving, squirming, swallowing, sucking a thumb, and even a hiccup. Strange that it's so active yet I hardly feel a small percentage of the movement. I am told this is because the placenta is in the front so if the baby kicks there I would have a hard time feeling it from the inside, let alone Tim from the outside. In the above picture baby is sucking its thumb.






A tiny hand and fingers...


















tiny foot and toes...















a tiny ____ proving it very much to be a boy.











The face...which I think is a bit scary looking but I am sure it will look much better when he comes out.
Which might happen a bit sooner than expected as he is measuring big for his age so if they were to calculate my due date based on how he looks now they say it would be Nov.1...however, since (as I've said before) I KNOW when I got pregnant- looks like he is already taking after Tim who was born at 9 and a half pounds. Currently the no yet named baby is about 15oz.
Currently the momma gained 7lbs since my last appointment nearly five weeks ago. HOWEVER, I definitely was weighed on the mean scale today b/c when I weighed myself this morning on my home scale I had only gained 3.5 lbs since the last visit. The midwife did admit that the practice has 4 scales and she has weighed herself on all of them and they vary from one another by about 3lbs.
I've gained 12lbs total so far and asked how that compares to the norm. The answer: some haven't gained anything by this point (how is that possible? If the baby already weighs almost a pound? Plus, uterus, placenta, amniotic fluid, blood, etc...) and some have gained 30lbs (much disapproving look by midwife), but the average is 10lbs. So I'm basically on track and I'll blame those 2 extra lbs on the great food I ate on vacation at the beach!

Completed!

Most of the projects in the previous post were knit as a 3-6 months size...hoping that will work with whatever size baby comes out.
Two of the above sweaters- the shawl collar and the fair isle- I knit before I was pregnant so I guessed on a size- both are 9-12 months...so may not work at all but we'll see! The mauve sweater (which Tim is slightly appalled by the idea of me putting that on a boy) is 3-6 months- so should work.
My completed stash is a heck of a lot smaller than my uncompleted stash...sigh.

To be completed...

I took up knitting seriously not quite 2 years ago. I LOVE IT. It is relaxing, a creative outlet and gives me something tangible to feel proud of.
When I first got pregnant I thought I'd go into a knitting frenzy since I'd finally be able to make all the cute patterns knowing what size would be needed. Oddly, for the first trimester I don't think I knit at all- perhaps it was the exhaustion or perhaps it was just plain shock- but I didn't get one thing done.
The second trimester has been a different story- these are the things I've started but haven't finished quite yet (mostly done with the actual knitting, just need to do the seaming and other finishing details). Like I said, I love knitting...not so much the tedious finishing.
Clockwise from left top: the yarn for the going home from the hospital outfit- the book's picture is what I will make- leggings and top...not sure about the green...so I might switch it out for a tan; cream cabled socks (one finished, the other needs a seam); chocolate brown hooded sweater; green and cream striped sweater; one fair isle sock completed (my own design)- needs it match made; green booties and cream hat (the hat will look like the gray one in the book); tan alpaca Baby Surprise Jacket (a famous baby sweater created by Elizabeth Zimmerman in the 60s).
I am going to force myself to complete all these before starting on anything new....at least that's the plan.
I did totally forget two other in the midst projects- mainly because I started and stopped them so long ago they rarely come to mind...a gray cable baby blanket and a cotton bathrobe...most likely will just rip them out and make something different!