Sundays Are Better Than Mondays

So this week has been a bit of a trial.  Having a chest cold and being pregnant is not so much fun.  Plus, I feel bad for the baby - she must be getting jostled around quite a bit with all the coughing.  But, the doctor says it's nothing serious, and he very nicely gave me some medicine to get me back on my feet. 

I finished all that I'm going to read of Everyday Blessings.  I really enjoyed the first part, and I think the book has a lot of good things to say.  The second part seemed a bit more opinionated about the "right" way to parent.  I started to feel almost defensive while reading it, so I took Kev's advice and stopped reading.  Simple solution.  I feel like I can't add it to my list of ten books, because I haven't read the entire book.  But that's alright, it was worth reading the first half, even if it doesn't make the list.

A Great Weekend and a Crummy Monday

"Mondays.  It's like the dementia grows by...I'm not even talking to anybody right now." - Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

I had a lovely weekend with friends and family.  My family threw me a baby shower, and friends came in from out of town to celebrate with me.  I even got to see my brother-in-law, who's been in Seattle for a few weeks, for a moment.  So by Sunday afternoon I felt very lucky and content.

But then Sunday night came and I started to feel a little under-the-weather.  And then Monday morning came and I felt tired, with a runny nose and a scratchy throat.  And on top of this Monday crumminess, Kev has injured his neck, and is therefore also feeling crummy.

So we did what any dedicated parents-to-be would do.  We skipped our childbearing class and decided to relax for the evening instead.  A nice omelet, a little tea, and a bit of knitting is all I need.  Now if I could only fix Kev's neck for him...

A Latte and Yo-Yo Ma

It's been a pregnant day.  I have felt tired, large, stretched, and swollen all day.  The kicker though was how long I sat in my obgyn's office waiting to see the doctor.  Why would you make pregnant women wait in a hot office for over an hour?  Don't these people realize how uncomfortable those chairs are?

But it's ok, because after the long day, I treated myself to a latte from a local coffee house.  And I am currently listening to Yo-Yo Ma's Classic Yo-Yo.  Bach's Prelude in G is my favorite.

I think I'll go knit something.

In Search of Soak Wash

I have off work today, which is lovely.  I plan on having lunch with a friend, and then I am going on a mission to find some Soak Wash.  I've heard great things about this no-rinse wash for hand knits, but I've never tried it.  Finances being what they are, I'm trying to find some in a local store so that I won't have to pay for shipping.  Unfortunately, not many places around me carry the stuff.  I have a few finished projects that really need to be washed and blocked, so here's hoping I can locate a bottle today.

However, if I am unsuccessful, I do have a back-up plan.  Kaleidoscope Yarns, one of my favorite online yarn stores, sells Soak Wash.  They also sell a bit of Malabrigo lace yarn, which is used in one of the projects I was seriously considering (Citron by Hilary Smith Callis).  This project would help me fulfill one of my goals for 2010 (knitting myself something).  Plus, it only calls for one skein, so it would fit better in the budget.  Unfortunately, this plan does not fit in January's budget (see finances comment above), so I would have to make myself wait to order until February.  Wish me luck with that. 

Mish Mash

A lovely person on ravelry has started this group.  The idea is to knit or crochet a bunch of squares and send them off to be made into blankets for the victims of the earthquake.  Even though it's very warm in Haiti, the people there still need something to sleep on.  It's been nice to be able to do something to help.

We met with a pediatrician today for a prenatal visit.  I have no idea how to judge a pediatric office, but this place seemed fairly standard.  We waited a long time to be called back, then a little bit longer in a very, very pink room, and then the doctor came in.  But I have to say the doc was very nice and I think he would be ok???  Oh so many decisions.

A new Knit Picks catalog came in today :)  I'm not sure why, but I love leafing through the pages of their catalogs. 

A Bit of a Freak-out Moment

We had our second childbearing class last night.  We watched a "real life" video about giving birth (the kind with all the gory details).  And I had a bit of a freak-out moment.  I'm not even kidding, it was all I could do not to cry.  I was overwhelmed with thoughts of "I cannot do that.  There is no way I can do that."  But then Kev reminded me that I was going to have to do it, and that breathing would help.

So I made it through that class.  And then I went to an informational Lunch & Learn put on by the Nursing Mothers Support Group at work.  Another freak-out moment.  I'm sure nursing is what I want to do, but pumping at work still scares me.  This might have something to do with the fact that I do not have access to a nursing mother's room and I don't have my own office.  Plus, the room that I might be able to use does not have a lock on it.  So instead of focusing on how great it is that the organization I work for has a Nursing Mothers Support Group, I sat there and freaked out a bit.

When it really comes down to it, I think all this freaking out has to do with the fact that I have only 9 weeks to go.  For some reason, I hit 30 weeks and started feeling like I was out of time.  I don't have a pediatrician, I don't have a sitter, I haven't taken the tour of the hospital yet, I don't even have a crib!  Of course, all of these things are in hand, and I have many well-laid plans.  But that didn't seem to stop the freak out.

*Sigh*

I suppose all there is to do is to go to work on Evy's next sweater.  I'm excited about this one.  I'm using Knit Picks Swish for the first time (I love it so far).  The pattern's a little trickier than my usual, so let's hope it turns out ok =/

Two FOs!!

I finished two projects this weekend!  Only one counts towards my 10 in 2010 goal though.  The french press cozy I knit and felted in 2009, but I sewed on the buttons and added some (not very good) embroidery this weekend :)  I didn't have a pattern for this project.  I just grabbed some black worsted weight wool, size 9 needles, and started knitting in st st.  When I thought it was long enough, I made some button holes, knit for a few more rows, and cast off.  Then I threw it in the wash and felted it up a bit.  And now Kev and I have a nice replacement for the towel we were using to keep out coffee warm.

I made the baby sweater for my sister's baby (she is also expecting).  I was determined to get it finished before her oldest son's birthday party this afternoon so I could give it to her in a timely fashion.  And voila!  The pattern is Leigh Radford's Baby Bolero from One Skein.  It knit up really quickly.  I used Berroco Comfort yarn in worsted weight.  This was my first experience with Comfort.  I liked it ok.  It split a bit too much for my taste, but it is very soft and will be nice and comfortable when the new baby comes.

New

Everything is new this year.  I know, everything is new everyday of every year, but there are a few things that feel decidedly new.  Like the fact that I'll birth a child this year.  Still not used to that idea.  I'm not really one for New Year's resolutions, plus I'm about 9 days late, but I do have some goals for 2010.

Goal #1:  Birth a healthy child.
Goal #2:  Knit 10 projects, at least one of which is for me, and one of which is for Kev.
Goal #3:  Read 10 books.

I feel like I have a pretty good start on goal #1 (we'll see come March).  And actually, I've already started two projects since the new year.  But I never knit for myself, and I rarely knit for Kev.  So goal #2 is really about spreading the love around.  As for goal #3, I feel like I stopped reading once I graduated from college.  Pretty bad for an English major.  So my goal is to read more.  First book on my list: Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn.  I'm a big fan of Jon Kabat-Zinn so I'm sure this will be a helpful book.  I guess I should really finish this one by March :)