daddy time

Daddy and the baby girl, chillin' on the computer on a Sunday afternoon.

what I'm doing right now

Ms. Z has given me a crash refresher course in the variability of newborns from day to day, hour to hour really. we've had some nights where she sleeps for a decent stretch and we've had nights like what tonight seems to be where we nurse for a few minutes, then burp, then get a diaper change, then try to go to sleep in no particular order and at any point in the "cycle" we start all over again, sprinkled with bouts of fussiness.
I caught her in a sleeping moment for this pic.


Of course right after I took this she woke and wanted to be burped then nursed, then she spit and needed to be changed. . . It's amazing how God equips us new moms with the ability to deal with this and not go insane.

kid pics

snow day

Well it was supposed to be a snow day, both yesterday and leftover snow today. What was supposed to be from weather.com's forcast and what actually happened are two different things. the boys still went out with daddy for some 4-wheelin' and outdoor play. Here they are getting finished getting dressed. Baby girl and I stayed in where it was warm this time.

tiny love

I can't help when I see her feet but to fall in love again every time. . .

Happy BIrthday Janeen

Janeen's 9th birthday party at Chuckie Cheese's. This day was Zuri's due date too. The kids had a blast!

Janeen's daddy, my kid's Uncle Colin

Grandma and Grandpa

Birthday girl

little brother Jason

big brother admires our sweet baby

This was all fine and good,but I should have known a good thing wouldn't last. . . she has blowout diapers these days as none of her cloth diapers fit well around her tiny thighs and I'm resistant to order smaller sizes to be used for a short time. . .

Well this is the first day i was dressing her in this set. She pooed the soaker, blanket and her swing and then after I cleaned her up, spit up all over her kimono. I've got some laundry to do!

i still haven't figured out closures for these. . . The kimono I just wrapped closed, the wrap soaker is held with a single diaper pin.

modeling woolens

impromptu photo session

Charmie's mittens

I finally started and finished Charmie's mittens. I made Mardie a pair and had full intentions of making Charmie a pair as well. I finally got around to it. This is the same yarn as Mardie's pair, Brown Sheep Nature's Spectrum, but just a different colorway. He liked them enough to stop playing his video games on the sight of them to try them on. . . of course I could only snap 3 pictures before he said, "no more pictures mommy, I'm running of of time." This as he frantically rips them off his hands!

Happy Birthday Mommy and Mom

Three ladies were hoping that Z would come on their birthday. My dh's Mom (Jan 4) My Mommy (Jan 8) and my Niece (Jan 18, Z's actual due date).
Unfortuntately none of them got their wish. Daddy got his, and his tax break when she came in December.
Anything can happen, but I figure we are probably done having kids, as I figure my sis is probably done too so I decided that what better birthday gifts for Mommy and Mom than to make them combo Mother/Grandmother bracelets.
I used slightly larger stones for their children and smaller ones for the grandkids.
Ruby-Janet, Garnet -Janeen, Aquamarine - Jason, Citrine - Jada, Peridot - Teddy, Amythest - Me, Emerald - Charmie, Sapphire - Mardie, Blue Topaz - Zuri.

Blue Topaz - Rocky, Emerald - Charmie, Sapphire - Mardie, and Blue Topaz - Zuri.

Blastoff

Charmie and Mardie snuck out onto the deck with their blankets to play rocketship on my tea cart. Here they are getting ready for blastoff.

"5"
"4"
"3"
"2"
"1"

My momma poncho is done

I have always worn my children. It's something I believe in. I started with Charmie from the beginning and it's become somewhat an addiction for me. I love all of the different kind of cloth carriers out there for helping us to be able to bond and care for our little ones. After researching different slings and carriers for Charmie I came across outerwear for mommas and babies who are slung. I really wanted one then, but could not and would not afford the $100+ price tag. . . so alas I had no sling wear.
That is until now!
I had found a knitting pattern on Little Turtle Knits for The Babywearer. It spoke to me, but I couldn't get the motivation, etc. to make one. I decided I needed one though for Zuri and I to wear. She's a little to small to be in it now since she can't hold up her head so Mardie makes a great model. I still sometimes sling him anyway.

It's reversible so here he is on the back.

Here's the poncho flat

And Mardie on the front.
I can see that the opening gapes a little more than I'd like so I will devise some sort of closure probably with either a drawstring or knit on ribbing. I have to decide.
I started this 3 knit nights ago so it's been about 7 weeks in the making. I took plenty of breaks for nesting, having a baby, finishing up other projects, etc.
I'm very happy with how my color combinations in the yarn worked up. I wanted a variety of color, but nothing too bright, loud, etc. I used a single strand of chocolate brown wool held together with one of 4 different hand painted yarn and changed colors every two rows. I had a main handpaint that was used every 4 rows. So the color went like this: always one strand of MC, row 1-color a, row -2 color b, row -3 color a, row 4 color c, row 5 color a, row 6 color d, repeat. This gave me continuity of my main strand and main handpaint, but then tastes of the other variations.
This was a great experimentation for me in mixing various handpaints/varigated yarns. Without the main color they didn't match each other and didn't go together, with out repeating the main handpaint the color would have jumped around more than I would have liked. This effect produced a mottled look, there isn't really any pooling and there are subtle stripes. All things that I love.
I'm am looking forward to Zuri and I getting a ton of use from this garment, it was definately worth the knit.
My only regret is that I didnt' get it finished in time to wear as a maternity poncho.

I altered the baby neck opening. I added 4 rows of 2x2 ribbing in size 10 needles and then bound it off in the original size 13 needles for stretch. It's stretchy enough to fit over Mardie's head still, but acts like a moc turtleneck and tapers in nicely. I'm sure with Z it will still be large for a little while.

NO MORE LIGHTS!!!!!!!

Today Ms. Zuri got a great report from her Dr. Her biliruben was 12.9 when they checked it at today's heel stick appointment so we can ship off the glow worm and baby girl is off the lights! What a relief!
We are all happy that baby girl is growing and getting healthy. She weighed 5lbs. 7oz. by the Dr. scale at today's check!
Thank you all for all of your prayers, thoughts, gifts, time, meals and well wishes!

The gift of warmth

My sis made me a gift to keep my head and ears warm. Since I have a certain head shape and hair style I needed it to be slightly smaller and thinner than it came out. . . She followed instructions, but the yarn and design is super stretchy with all of those ribs. She suggested that some people had felted their finished projcet to get the proper fit so I decided to carefully felt the one she made for me.
I LOVE IT! It's perfect and now that it's felted it will do an even better job of cutting the wind to my ears.
Thank you Janet so much for making Calorimitry for me. I am looking forward to wearing it. I now have to choose between this and the Noro scarf you made for me last year!

More Gifties

My sister knit this baby wrap called Cache for Zuri from the softest merio wool yarn. She then gave me enough to either make soaker shorts or embelish longies. The wrap is a bit large for Zuri for us to do an action shot. My niece Jada models it on Janet's blog and she's a chunky 1yo. Looks like in a year baby girl will have a super fly outfit in wool!

Here's a pram sized blanket or lovey hand crocheted by my dear friend Elizabeth (Tinkerbell). Tink made this and the much larger crib/toddler bed sized blankets below for Zuri. Tink and I have been friends since summer camp if that tells you anything. I love and adore her and was so happy to have introduced/reintroduced her to crochet at college. It paid off.
Along with all of the other gifties they are beautiful and treasured. To those of you who have thought to give us gifts, thank you so much!

Gifties

A beautiful bouquet from Rocky's boss, Pete. Every baby I've had he's sent me flowers. They always make me feel so special. Thanks Pete!

Beatuiful stitch holders handmade by Jenny. These were a CHRISTmas gift. Jenny brought over a Bradley method and some natural birthing books last Saturday when we were laboring along with these and some yummy labor tea.

A cute giraffe, hand knit by Tommy a member of my knitting circle for Zuri. He makes toys for the children in his ministry at his church and I've been admiring them for months. He commissioned this for Zuri and I've seen it come along. Jenny brought it to us in the hospy.