1 month, 7 days, 9 hours, 41 minutes, 2 seconds

.... But who's counting? I can honestly say that I could go my whole lifetime without having another contraction. Really. They can stop at ANY TIME NOW! Not that I think That's gonna happen, but one can dream. I think it might be nice that when I go to the Doc on Tuesday that he says that maybe I've dialated a bit. Just a bit - just enough to know that the damn things are doing something... unlike when I was pregnant with Jake where they kept coming and doing nothing. Also at my Tuesday appt I will have a strep test (Didnt know you could get strep down there, didja?) and I should get to schedule my c-section. I'm very excited about that - to have an end date. To know that after that day I will not be pregnant any more. Perhaps earlier, but no later. That is a great piece of mind to have.

On the homefront, it looks like we will be getting a storage unit for a month or so, so that even if Dad comes right after Christmas like he's planning, that the baby's room will be done and ready. We had planned that the garage will turn into a den, and the dungeon (our spare room that contains all of Travis' computer/dragon/medieval weponry/books/stuff) will move into the den and the dungeon will turn into Sean's room. The original plan was that my Dad would come down (he's a contractor, you see) and help us with the garage>den plan in November. Then it turned into beginning of December. Now it's after Christmas, because he wants to be here when the baby comes. I can completly understand this, since he wasnt here when Jake was born, but still I am not comfortable with creating Sean's room a week before he's due to arrive. Guess I'm neurotic like that. Especially since we have so much to go through once he has a room - the attic is full of baby stuff like crib/stroller/carseat/clothes/feeding stuff/etc. All of it has to be scrubbed clean before Sean can even think to use any of it. Also, my baby shower is Saturday and I assume that I will get presents - and I currently have no place to put them. I have clothes with no home, diapers with no home (both of which are currently living in my MIL's closet). Stress I tell ya. BUT, with the storage unit comes something we can control. It lets me move all the crap out of the house that we dont need yet in the garage and the dungeon, and lets me concentrate on Sean's room.

Now I just have to figure out how to make the dungeon's paint - which is a very dark blue (like, well I see lots of examples around me but nothing thats universal. Just dark like a medium dark denim) into something that is appropriate for a baby without having to paint the whole entire room! I have been thinking of doing some kind of cloud looking faux finish, but I'm not sure yet. Suggestions would be great!

I still have not had time to look at the camera instructions, I have been pretty busy whenever I can on the Christmas top. I dont really want to call it a sweater since there are no sleeves (yay!) but you know.

I have been working on the www.knotlooseends.com website a tad bit - Gnombert's page has many more pictures, and they actually seem to be working. I was not, however, successful in creating the about me page, er, my portion of the about me page. I'll try again once I'm not up to my eyeballs in proofreading.

That's it for now, really. Tomorrow is December 1st and time to start the Advent calendar. Wonder how likely it is that Jake will share his little bits of candy? Yeah, I didnt think so either.

New toy! And a website.

I got a new camera! It's this one: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7942453&st=finepix+z3&type=product&id=1152228566775 and so far I love it. It turns on quick, and takes closeup pics good and it's pink. In support of breast cancer awarness. Yay pink! I'm still reading the manual so I havent uploaded any of the play around pics I've taken. And since it's been busy here at work I havent had more time to read. Tonight hopefully. Or tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.

And also, a website. www.knotlooseends.com is up and psuedo functioning. Well parts of it are functioning. Other parts, not so much. You can see pics of Gnombert in some of his travels, and you can see the main page of it. I'm trying to add a catalog page to put up all the stuff we have for sale there. Trying being the key word here. It wouldnt be so bad if the program didnt suck so bad. It's ok in the morning, but by afternoon it's so slow it times itself out when I try to do anything - especiall add pictures. It doesnt like pictures. Wonder if it's the old blogger in disguise? But anyway, along with catalog pages, I want to add an about us page (a mini profile of all us gals that are part of KLE), a blog RSS feed where people can come every day to see our favorite blogs - and shop for stuff while they are there! If there is anyone reading this that knows internet magic, and has free time, please let me know and I will put you to work! And now that we have a website, if only we could win the damn lotto we could open our store - aptly named Knot Loose Ends! One can dream.

I have successfully written out 1 Christmas card, but I have been proofing all day along with trying to make this website thing work. The proofing is about 1/4 done. I hate doing this part of my job, but hey, what can ya do.

Jake has decided that I am not allowed to have the same shoes as he has. I want them black Converses SOO bad. My MIL had called the BX to have them hold a pair in my size for her for me for Christmas. Jake said I could have pink. Or purple. Or white like Grampy (my dad) but not black. And I like the black ones. We'll see how it turns out.

My baby shower is on Saturday. Not a lot of people coming, but that's fine I suppose. I guess that since it's getting so close to Christmas that everyone has holiday stuff to do, shopping and family and all that. It should be a fun time. And there will be cake, so of course that will be good.

Babyville: Sean's fingernails are growing long. Dont be suprised if you need to trim both finger and toe nails after he arrives.

Happy Turkey Day. And progress!

Did you have a great Turkey day? We did! Happy fat and lazy, we ate a lot.

Then on Saturday had more. Gnomebert enjoyed his company, but the pic I took of him with the turkey came out with him blury but the turkey in perfect focus. Guess the camera was hungry too!

I made a lot of progress these past few blogless days.

We have these:

And These and these:

And then I started on this:

I really wanted to make it out of the green like they have in the pic, but I didnt have any like that... and I wasnt going to go shopping on Saturday for that. Yes, I did go shopping at 5am on Friday, why do you ask? But anyway, I was all done with all my projects and needed something else to work on, so I started this for one of the folks on my Christmas list that I havent been able to figure out what to give. I think she'll like it. Although I do think she'd have liked it in the original color a bit more. Whoops. And also, I am knitting this the right and real way - following directions and everything! It's an endless k4p4 rib that I have been tempted to make disappear on occasion. That picture represents 2 pretty much whole days of knitting. I'll guess thats about 8 or 9 hours worth right there. It's about 4.5 inches so far. That (the back) needs to be 11 before my next set of directions. I'm not exactly thrilled. That's a lot of knitting, and I dont know if I can get it done in 28 days... but I will give it the ole college try. I timed a row, and it takes me 7 minutes - of uninterupted knitting - to do 1 row. I think there's like 36 rows in 4 inches or somethinglikethat. The calculator claims that should have only taken me 4.2 hours. The calculator lies. And also, that timed thing was last night... after doing it over and over and over again for quite a while. I think I'm getting faster at it anyway.

Babyville: 33 wks LMP - Sean weighs 4.23 lbs or 1918 grams and is 17.2 inches or 43.7 cm long. WOW! leaps and bounds, I tell ya!

Solidarity. My HairStory

As a show of solidarity to Laurie at www.crazyauntpurl.com I have decided to post pics of my own hairstory... with the pics that I have on hand anyway... Mom... Remember, you were suppose to send me some! Hurry, hurry. The blog is ferocious and impatient.

This is me and my best friend Jennifer - that would be 1989. I had the poufy bang thing going - along with that dress. I really wish I had a full legnth pic of it - its tight and straight and if I remember correctly it had a little flair skirty thing at the waist - but the bottom of the skirt was straight. And short. And I wore it with a silver peace sign on a black leather cord - you cant see that either. This, my friends, was school picture day! Oh yes.

I do have more, just not on this computer. Well, thats a lie, I have a few of OTHER people on here, but not of me. I'll do some more from home I guess. Mom says she has an idea where to look at her place too.

Happy Turkey day to you!

Good intentions, and all that

I have been meaning to post in here for 3 days. I've had stuff to say, and pictures and all that, but too. much. work. And coming from me, with my not so worky work, that says something! Ok, here we go.

Weekend:

My mother in law got Jake another pair of sneakers. He has 4 that fit him, that are all the same size, and I scoffed at her. No, he really doesnt need another pair of sneakers, really. Yes, you should take them back. Oh, they're Converse hi tops, well then, never mind. Send 'em over! Here's Jake playing on his skateboard looking might thrilled. He was having a good time, I swear it! And look! Converses. I'm so jealous. I did tell her that I wear a size 4.5 in boys, maybe I'll get lucky for Christmas! And yes, I would wear them. I had a pair of hot pink ones when I was in 8th grade. Loved. those. shoes! My mom, of course, hated them. And hated them more after I wrote all these different rock band names on them in black sharpie marker. She made me throw them away in favor of a pair of pretend-keds at the flea market one day. My life has never been the same. sigh. Moving on.

I made a pecan pie for our work Thanksgiving luncheon and I saw this when I cracked my eggs in the bowl:

I can find hidden Mickey's anywhere!

Monday:

I have made lots of progress on my birthing sock Part 2. I'm up to the round and round bit now, this was taken on Monday I think. Once these are done, I'll do the bootie buttons and finish Sean's hat. After those are done, I plan to sit down with some of my knitting books and actually learn to knit. I will knit swatches, and learn how to knit correctly and do fancy things like fix mistakes! That's the goal anyway.

Tuesday: Doc appt. I have gained 7 pounds. For those of you counting, that's 4 in the last 2 weeks. However, I was wearing real shoes, not sandals, and I was wearing courderoy pants. I blame it on that. We'll see in 2 weeks when I go back. Not that 7 pounds for 8 months pregnant is horrible, really. But, with Jake I only gained 2. I got pregnant weighing 190 (yikes) and gave birth weighing 192. Pregnancy was the best diet ever since I lost 20 pounds just walking out of the hospital, and never really gained much back - just a few pounds by the time I got pregnant this time. No clue, I just say thank you.

Today: Work, work work, trying to get all the crap done that needs to get done before we are off for 3 days. We are also going to be leaving early today so we can all get our computers defraged. Yay for getting out early!

Tomorrow is Turkey day with some of my family on my Mom's side. Travis will try to get out of work early to come with but we wont know that until it's time. Saturday we'll have Thanksgiving with his family.

Friday is shopping day. To say Black Friday has such a negative connotation to it! I love shopping day. Every year Travis says "I cant believe you're going out" to which I reply, every year, "I do this every year." Then he says "You're crazy". Then I say "Yeah, but that's why you married me." Not sure where I will be going yet, they have a few cool things at Joann's, but I havent seen the others yet. I usually only go to 2 or 3 stores. Michaels/ Joann/ Penneys/ Target - those. I wont go to ToysRus because I'm not on crack. I wont go to the Mall Propper, since again, no crack. I usually get home by 10ish, sleep for an hour or 2 then I'm all set for the rest of the day. I usually do my Christmas Cards that day too.

A week's worth of Babyville: Sean's tastebuds develop. Lunar Month 9, 32 wks LMP - he weighs 3.75 lbs or 1702 grams and is 16.19 inches or 42.4 cm long. He may hiccup (really really often), cry, taste sweet and sour and respond to pain, light and sound. I may gain weight faster now than any other point in my pregnancy (it was the pants, I swear). Sean's brain and nerves are developing and directing bodily functions. The volume of amniotic fluid begins to deminish and his bones are getting stronger, limbs get fatter and skin takes on a healthy glow!

Friday Yay!

Guess What?

That would be my Daddy's socks (on my feet, they are terribly big on my feet!). Both of Daddy's socks. Ends woven in and everything! Please ignore the lack of Dysoning going on with the floor!

So, here's the project update.....

Tracie's socks - done and given

Dani's socks - done

Daddy's socks - done

Mom's sweater - done

Jake's sweater - done

Birthing socks - 1 done. #2 is about 1/20th done

Sean's hoodie - done

Sean's booties - done but need buttons

Sean's hat - 1/2 done

YAY! I have also purchased Christmas gifts for My mom, his mom, Jake's teacher, my Step-Mom (who already got socks so dont feel bad for her) and 1 girlfriends little girl. To be purchased (or made if, you know, crack starts appearing in my mac n cheese) something for Kerry's girls, my Step-Dad, Travis' parents, my neice and nephew and a few more things for Jake. Jason and Stacy usually get a bottle of something and that's Travis' department. Oh, and I need something for the Secret Santa with the gals, and I really hope I get Dani because I found something that has HER name on it! Well, Travis found it. For his Grandma. But it fits for Dani too. I wont be able to resist, and I shall fight to the death whomever else may pick her name from the hat... or just give it to her anyway. Like the socks, though those will probably be for her birfday... not far away from Christmas. No, I dont remember when, I just remember it's not far from Christmas. Horrible, I swear.

Yesterday wasnt a pleasent day pregnancy wise. I felt pretty wonky all day. Woozy in the morning, and I had to keep sitting down. The contractions were terrible yesterday, many more than normal (I thought I was doing better today, but no, not so much) and I was sweaty/clammy for a bit. I got home and laid down for a bit on the couch, but not long enough.

I just wish that I could sleep for more than 3 hours in a row at night - between having to pee and the cat that is thisclose to getting locked in the garage and the snoring (no, not mine). How it usually happens is that we go to bed a bit after 10. around 1 I get up to go pee, and have to go sleep on the couch because it tends to be very loud in our bedroom. I'm fine until about 4, maybe 4:30 until the cat starts to be crazy. And by crazy I mean jumping on the tables and pulling down the loudest thing he can find and playing with it. Bouncy balls/bubble paper/a water bottle cap (from the trash)/kitty toy WITH A BELL INSIDE and he plays with this thing while I sit up and say quit it. He plays with it as I hold up the squirt bottle in a very threatening manner. He plays as I am squirting his furry ass, then runs away. He soon comes back and starts to play with it again until I get up and go get whatever he has (hoping he drops it and doesnt run away with it, which he is also wont to do) and put it up somewhere. Somewhere high. Then back to sleep where Travis wakes me up at 6:40 for the snooze alarm so I go back to our bed, lay there for the 9.8 seconds it takes him to fall back asleep and start with the snoring, and I just get up 7 minutes early.

Perhaps today I shall go home from work early and take a nap. Oh and yay for leftovers yesterday for dinner. No such luck today, but I did forget to get out whatever meat is required for whatever is on the menu on the fridge. Whoops. Oh well, perhaps we shall have pizza.

That's it for now. Nothing in babyville to report. Have a fabulous weekend.

Moving right along.

Ok, so I got the buttons sewn onto Sean's hoodie, and I am pleased with the results. Travis says the hood is too big, and Damarys says that the buttons look like sea shells (they're not, they are wood) and Patty says it's cute and now that my knitting is done the baby can come. Except... my knitting is not done. Here's the hoodie:

I like it, I dont care what they say! I have about 1/2 inch left on Dad's sock before I start the toe. It is going much quicker than I remembering the first one going... which is a very good thing! It felt like the last one went on forever! But, I guess I shouldnt be too excited, I feel the same way about the patterning on the birthing sock which will be coming up next, no, not Sean's hat, but my 2nd birthing sock. That is because I cannot give birth with A birthing sock, but Sean can come home with no hat because he will be wearing a hoodie... nice logic, eh? I thought so too.

I am struggling with what to get for my Step-Dad for Christmas. He doesnt wear socks, I am hoarding all of our Home Depot gift cards for ourselves and the Chocolate Cake he wants just doesnt seem substantial enough. Is substantial spelt right? Oh well. Anyway, so I was thinking that just beceause he doesn't wear socks, doesn't mean he wouldn't wear a sweater? Course I'm not sure that he even owns pants... shorts - in spades... but pants, not so much. You can wear a sweater with red beach shorts, right? For those breezy days? Yes? No? Urg, maybe he will get a chocolate cake.

I think that's it for now. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to bring you a pic of a pair of Daddy socks... wish me luck!

Babyville: (explicit words ahead... caution!) Sean's testicles have dropped from his abdomen, where they grew, into his scrotum. (see, told you).

I'm such a slacker!

Sorry about that! It's been kinda busy and I've been kinda lazy, you understand. But at least I have stuff to report!



Lets see, I had finished the birthing sock and I've gotten to the gusset of my Dad's second sock. By this evening I hope to be done with that and on to the round and round bit.



Sean's hoodie will not be able to have a zipper in it - so I've got to get the buttons out to see what will work with it. I have those cute little car buttons, and I thought about them but I think they are too small. I think that I will use them though for the booties.



After Dad's second sock is done, I'll do my other birthing sock then work on Sean's hat. It really doesnt have much left before I do the decreases - which will require math, and counting... wish me luck!



I got a new book from Zoomba - 100 Crochet Projects. It's a pretty big book with lots of ugly patterns in it, scattered among a few cute ones. I need to sit down and mark the ones that I like. I dont know how long this one will last in my book stash - I'm just not that thrilled with it. Even the patterns of the cute things are not things I love, just like - not a good sign! I also just ordered (with my birthday Barnes & Nobel gift card from Tracie thankyouverymuch) the 2007 Crochet Calendar and http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9781405452328&itm=2 this book. It looks interesting, and I really do need help with the knitting. How sad is it that my plan is that after I'm done with the birthing sock and Sean's hat and Dad's sock that I will work on swatching knitting - to see if I can figure out how to do it right? I know, backasswards. Yep, that's me! Moving on.



Everything is going rather well, I had to go to DQ this afternoon for an emergency Blizzard... whoops! But it was so good!



I saw this on the way home the other day. Now maybe it's just me, but shouldnt a spare tire

be something that would actuall function as a spare tire? Can you see it, the BIG GAPING HOLE on the left side there? Yeah, scary.

Babyville - (sorry my slackerdom has gotten us behind) You may have more Braxton-Hicks contractions but dont worry. If you have many in succession you might actually be beginning pre-labor. If that is the case, call your doc right away. Try laying down and see if the contractions subside. (sidebar - yeah, these are kicking my arse! I am particularly un-fond of the ones I get while driving. Wonder if I can get a cot in my drivers seat?). 31 Wks LMP - Sean weighs 3.31 lbs or 1502 grams and is 16.18 inches or 41.1 cm long.

Forward Ho!

I am on the round and round bit of the birthing socks... they are coming out very nice (except that I cannot count to 3 reliably), and I have decided that I need to not do a patterned sock with self patterning yarn. It really does take away from the yarn, which is SO not the point when the yarn is so pretty. Here's what I have so far:









The top shows it in the pattern, the bottom of the foot shows just straight knitting and lets the yarn show itself off. See why I love it? Anyway, thats where that stands.

Once this sock is done, I'll do Daddy's other sock. I will try really really hard to motivate myself to do Daddy's other sock... especially since I have had no luck convincing him to lop off his other foot to save me from myself. I'll keep trying though!

The other day when I was driving home from work it was raining and icky, but I saw this:









Can you see it? A rainbow blob in the middle of the clouds? It had no rainbow parts on the other sides of the clouds - no arch, nothing. It was really cool to see.

Good news on the baby front... no more quaint little hospital for the baby... My insurance finally bucked up and started flying right! They added the real hospital back! YAY! Sean has been hiccuping often. I let Jake feel it the other night and he was thrilled to pieces. He says "That means he's growing!". I love baby logic!

Speaking of Jake and logic, he asked Travis the other day "Daddy, why do squirrels eat their homes?" Uh, huh? was Travis' response. "Well, squirrels eat acorns, and acorns become trees, and squirrels live in trees. So why would they eat the acorns?" Travis mumbled something about too many acorns and plenty of trees, and left it at that. We were both kind of awestruck at the thought process required to come up with that.

Babyville: Sean's body continues to grow quickly. His brain is developing well with different sections taking shape.

Sorry for the slackerness...

Lets see, for my birthday the office went to lunch on 11/2 to celebrate mine and our Marketing Director Dave's birthday (which is Halloween) and we went to Roadhouse Grill where we had some good steak and a messy brownie sundae (I'm the girl ;)!): Yummo!













Nothing really on Friday, except I finished Sean's hoodie - I put it on the doll so you could see what it looks like on - I still need to get a zipper put in, then it's ready. http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/brandeekins/2006_1105Image0005.jpg

Saturday was the craft fair and the duel mine and Tracie's birthday party. I didnt sell much at the craft fair but it was more than my booth cost. Tra did well, selling a shrug and getting a commission for a baby blanket. Kerry sold a dishcloth - but since it was like an all day crochet meeting, it was ok! Then we headed back to my place to get ready for the party. Lots of fun, food and libations were had (not by me - I drank tea). I have some great friends that fed the yarn habit, and Loews card from my Mom to help with building the extra room. My MIL is also giving us Home Depot, and my aunt gave us a Home Depot card for getting them into Disney - they were thrilled! So we've probably gotten about $300 so far toward the project which is wonderful!

Sunday I went shopping at Kohl's and got 2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of socks and a Bed-In-A-Bag with 2 sheet sets for $112. I was so excited! And I was able to pay cash with the money from the craft fair plus some birthday money. Then to Joann's to get a zipper and a couple other things to use up my gift card there (What's sad is that I still have $2.12 left. That wouldn't be so aad if it werent a $10 gift card! That just means more shopping to come!) Then home, where we had the crappy bucs game and then to Bailey's 1st birthday (a friends little girl): she really REALLY liked her cake!

Babyville: On Friday I am officially in my 3rd Trimester. Sean can make grasping motions and likes to suck his thumb. 30 wks LMP, he weighs 2.91 pounds or 1319 grams and is 15.71 inches or 39.9 cm long!

Happy Birthday to me. And my Mother in-law

Yep, November 1, 1975 at 12:33am my Mother's LONG pregnancy was over. Thanks Mom, for life and everything. It is also my Mother-In-Law's birthday, so happy birthday to her.
Let's see whats going on... I had my 3 hour fasting glucose test yesterday, it was long and painful, I have 2 puncture marks on each arm as souviners. Joy. I had Damarys take a pic but you cant really see them. Oh well. During my doctors office confinement I got the cuff and a few rounds of my birthing socks done. I'm using an actual pattern it's called a waffle rib. 3 rows of k2p2 rib then 1 row of purl. I like how it looks, I love the colors. It's been a bit difficult for me since I am not a fan of ribbing since it involves paying attention, but it looks nice. Here's it so far:









I should find out either tomorrow or Friday the results of my test. I hope I studied hard enough... gestational diabetes sucks.

Tonight is crochet group, I have purposly been not working on Sean's hoodie, because I wanted to have something to work on there. Let me see if I can remember what I have done - back, 2 fronts and 1.5 sleeves I think. I have 1 sleeve connected to 1 front, and I think that's as far as I've gotten. I should be able to finish the other sleeve tonight, and stitch most or all of it together. Once thats done I'll work on the hood. Tracie's got the idea to make it as a rectangle, stitching the top long side together to make the hood and stitching the bottom to the top of the jacket. Hopefully that will work. Otherwise I will have to look at some of the other patterns out there for them. I have been writing down this pattern as I go, and will post it later on - hopefully. We see how well that worked for the sock!

Saturday is the craft fair at Jake's school. It was so good last year, I really hope that we do as well this year! It's always such a great turnout, which is suprising since it's a pretty small school, and even smaller church! But hey, thats all good! Saturday evening is Tracie and I's b-day party. Should be lots of fun, the high is only supposed to be like 77, so we will easily be able to accomodate a bon-fire. yippee.

Oh, on the way home yesterday I saw this: http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/brandeekins/trainingwheels.jpg. Now I've seen 3 wheel motorcycles, but never a motorcycle with training wheels! I was amused.

Babyville: Sean is getting fatter (because he needs so much help with that... considering his mac-n-cheese belly) and the skin is less wrinkled after filling out.