the green acorn

40 weeks

2009-11-29T21:25:00.004-06:00

As usual, the weeks have been moving along quite nicely, and that's so odd to me. I get on BabyCenter and read about how many women are downright livid that they're still pregnant, about how they break down and cry anytime someone asks them how much longer they've got, and how they are ready to go to jail for murder if their family calls one more time and asks if they're gone into labor yet. :) For me, I have really enjoyed being pregnant. There are many things that have been rough - the aches in my bones, the difficulty sleeping, the stretch marks (ugh), the inability to cozy up next to Victor without making a scene, the overall lack of mobility that once was mine - but there have also been so many wonderful things that I have treasured. I have loved talking about my baby and my belly with people, total strangers even. I have loved having that belly loved on. I have had gorgeous skin that has not been a source of stress for nine, almost ten months now! I have watched my body change so much, watched it accommodate new life, and have felt that life thriving in me for around 25 whole weeks now. I have had the most pleasant dreams about this baby, and a peace about being a mother that I never knew (or thought) I'd have. And whenever I feel I cannot see an end in sight, that I will go on in total discomfort for the rest of my life, :) I remind myself of the good things. And since there are so many for me, it is fairly easy to turn that frown upside down. :)

Even so, it's getting harder. I am so thankful to have weekly appointments now, because I find myself living for them. "Just make it till Tuesday" has been my motto since my appointment last Wednesday. This appointment will be especially fun, because we'll be planning our induction date!

I had hoped to have Miles by this point. I had hoped for a small, or at least average-sized November baby. That's really all I've hoped for in this pregnancy, aside from the obvious healthy mom and baby. It looks, however, like I'll be having a rather large December baby, and that's the ONLY thing that's got me down. I don't care that I'm still pregnant, not at all. But my selfishness is getting the best of me - the selfishness that wanted that "little baby". Those don't run in our family, I know, but I wanted one anyway.

"You'll love him anyway." Oh heavens, YES! I know this very well. I will, I do! But who doesn't get an idea of how things will go in their minds and hope for those plans to pan out? I'm just looking at some of these clothes he has, and he's already outgrown them. My baby has already outgrown some of his clothes, and he's not even here yet. I hate that. If he's going to be getting bigger and bigger, it's not fair that I can't hold him through it. Instead, I'm just getting more stretch marks!

Wow! I'm being a lot more negative than I thought! Suppose it really IS getting harder, then, huh?? ;)

Emotions are a funny thing. Because while I'm wanting so much to go into labor this moment, I am simultaneously wanting to keep it at bay! Victor and I - we have a good thing going here! We have all our time to OURSELVES! It ours, ours, OURS! No sharing, no responsibilities, sleeping in when we want, eating when we want, doing what we want, it's been fan-flippin-tastic. I've had enough people tell me these days are soon to be gone that I'm panicking just a little. I don't WANT to give up the free time, the down time, the us time, the me time! I've never before been responsible for something 24/7. And for a first-timer of 24/7 responsibility, holy cow! What a thing to start with!

Oh, the hormones. I can pull myself out of this "I'm so ready, so NOT ready" cloud in an instant and laugh at myself. Everything's gonna be fine. These feelings are actually a little funny, and sooo not fair not being able to control them! :P

Ah, sweet baby. Just come on out and let's get this party started already! It's the waiting that's the killer! Oh, and if it's possible, try to manage that growing of yours, ok? I've gotta push you out of what I will soon be swearing was NOT made for nine pounds!!

Well readers - friends, family, heck - strangers, it's been fun. Crazy, emotional, but one fun ride. Driver, I think this is my stop. (...I think...)

;)

38 weeks

2009-11-29T21:24:00.005-06:00

(Note - this was actually written on my computer 2 weeks ago, but I'm just now remembering to update my blog)

This is a very raw post, and I have no idea where it will end up. Here it goes!

This morning started off like every other morning for the past few months, I had been restless since daylight, but was still in bed trying to catch a little more sleep. Victor got up, got ready for work and left as usual, and I got up shortly after. I had the two leftover cinnamon rolls that I'd made for breakfast yesterday and a tall glass of chocolate milk (Kroger makes a great milk mix, by the way.) I got a load of laundry going, and started looking around for things to do. There's not much to do these days; what I can do is done and what isn't I can't do because it involves carrying, moving or bending beyond what I'm able to do. :) Needless to say, I've been a bit bored lately.

Anyway, I finished watching Dark Crystal (those 80's movies get weirder the older you get), got the safety eyes put on Alison's elephant, checked Facebook, and decided to lay down for a bit at around 1:30. A few minutes later, Victor called. "Whatcha doin'?" "Oh, nothing. Just laying down." "You feel okay?" "Yah, there's just nothing else to do." :) "...I just lost my job."

My hands are still clammy from the news. Apparently his work has just lost over a million dollars (when you work for a Christian company that relies heavily, if not mainly, on giving and the economy goes sour, these things aren't so shocking) and Victor's job just didn't dodge the bullet.

I didn't really say much - the panic, dread and tears that I think should have come didn't. Rather, I was reminded of my conversation with my sister just the day before. Jehovah Jireh. The Lord provides. Katie was telling me her own story about when she and Matt were first married. It was 9 degrees outside, and their heater had given out. They left for church that Sunday, but soon the engine light came on in the car. As if having no heat (and no money to pay for repairs) wasn't enough, a dead car wasn't going to help. So they turned around and went home. By the time they'd gotten home, the lock on their door had already frozen over. They went to the neighbors to get (what's it called? The un-freeze stuff?) something to get the lock open, and when they got in, the house was so cold. They decided to trek a mile or so to Mom and Dad's house, even thought Mom and Dad had no electricity either (from the ice storm). But they had a fireplace! Once Matt got a fire going, he grabbed his Bible and just let it fall open. Jesus feeds the 5000. That's where it fell! So together they read the story and were reminded that our Jesus can take the piddly things and turn them into something grand. They knew everything would be fine, even if they were totally clueless as to how.

Later that night when they went home, they could smell something burning. They went to the heater, jaws hanging almost to the floor - the coils were hot! Not only had Dad tested the current the day before - and there was none - but Katie has disconnected the power. But the crazy thing had turned on, gotten power, and was warming their house.

"I've never in my life experienced something so miraculous and real" said Katie to me yesterday. And that's not the only time she has seen God work something wonderful in their lives. She said something in the story that caught her eye that she'd never noticed before was how Jesus approached Philip and pretty much said, "Hey man. What are we going to do? It's getting late, these people have been listening to me all day, they're hungry, but there's no food. What are we going to do??" Katie said it's like Jesus wanted Philip to come to that realization of, "Oh no! I don't know! What ARE we going to do??" so Jesus could step in and work his "magic". :)

So earlier this week when Katie's car gave out, she called Matt to tell him. "No! I was JUST praying for HELP this morning, for more money, provision! This is the total opposite!" said Matt. "Matt. How many times has God taken care of us? Will he not again?" and just like that, Matt said, "You're right. I'm being like Philip. Let's get to the place where God can work a miracle faster than that. God, it's yours! We can't do anything! Take it!" he said, and the way Katie told me, it sounded almost humorous. :)

"...I just lost my job."

What are we going to do? I don't know. But it's out of our hands. "Krista, God has always provided for us. And He will now." Do you want me to state the obvious? We're about to have a baby. That has enough worries of its own. But now without a job? Are we not poor enough already? But no. All I could say was, "Well, it looks like we get to go on an adventure." I'm a little scared. This isn't how I thought things would happen. And while it's not good news now, I think it will be eventually.

Rejoice in the Lord, always, and again I say, REJOICE!

What do I have to rejoice about? For starters, I'm going to ENJOY the time that I now have at home with Victor! Until such a time comes with this is no longer a burden and Victor finds a new job, I am going to enjoy the time I have with him. Every day I thank the Lord for how he has provided for us. What do I have to fear?

37 Weeks

2009-11-07T14:45:00.004-06:00

...is much better. Now that Miles is full term and can come any day now, I feel a sense of relief and excitement that just wasn't there last week. I was able to get out and take some pictures of things I've made recently for Miles (which was a lot of fun). Any day now, my little boy (!) will be wearing this outfit. There's no way that couldn't make any emotional pregnant lady feel better! :)

Last night I found a link through BabyCenter to a live birth. A couple had set up a session through, I'm guessing, their hospital and were broadcasting the whole thing. It was really well done, didn't show anything sketchy at all, and was absolutely amazing. Victor came in and started watching it with me (all on his own!) after he heard those first few cries. We both just sat there, quiet and amazed, while the reality of what's about to happen sunk in even more. For him especially. He walked out of the room, got our smallest dog, Audrey, came back and sat next to me and just sighed. He almost had tears in his eyes. "This just got real for me." He had a happy, small smile on his face. It was a very precious moment. I think we just sat there for a few minutes before snapping back to "now" and both saying, "We're SO not ready!" :)

Miles is now somewhere in the neighborhood of 19-20 inches long. Most places I'm reading from say babies at this stage are just over 6 pounds, but I'm pretty sure Miles is more than that, since at 34 weeks he was 5 lbs 5 oz (at best guess). Babies put on about a half pound each week, so I'm guessing he's closer to 7lbs. Hopefully not more. :)

He's fully baked, and ready to make an appearance any moment. It's a crazy thing living with that knowledge. It's an electric, exciting and slightly unnerving feeling that makes going out a whole new ballgame. We're about to go to WalMart, and I've already got a game plan in mind if my water should break. Granted, all of this will likely not happen for another week to three weeks, but I want to be prepared. I am so excited! Waking up every morning is a little more exciting than the morning before. Will today be the day? What might happen? HOW will it happen? Am I packed and ready?

37 weeks. Thirty-seven weeks. It's gone by so fast, and one of life's most altering experiences is upon us. I am about to be called to be someone other than I have been my entire life. I am about to become a mother. And Victor, my husband - that guy I met so many years ago with whom I have acted like a total kid myself - is about to be a father. We, together, are about to be charged with the greatest responsibility I know of; the care and faithful upbringing of a life that has been trusted to us by God. Um... WOAH! That is big. Very big. And scary. And one heck of an adventure that is gonna rock our worlds. The closer I get to my due date, the more intensely I want to hold my baby, to stare at his face and dream about our life together. We may be poor, we may be riddled with flaws and nasty imperfections, but I'll tell you what - this baby is going to be loved so much. And that love will demonstrate itself not only in words but in actions. And one of those first actions that I am most eagerly anticipating is kissing all over his face and tummy. :) I can't wait to see him smile. I can't wait to smell him after a bath. I can't wait to wrap him up in a blanket and sit with him snuggled between me and Victor on the couch. I can't wait to watch him sleep. But even more, I can't wait to share with him the riches of life that God has blessed us with. The seasons, and how each is special and unique, the smell of fun things made in the kitchen, the thrill of just being a boy - mixing, mashing and making a mess, the comfort of a warm hug and kind word, and the peace of knowing that he has a maker who made all of these things possible, and did so just for him.

Oh yah. Life's about to get a little sweeter. :)

36 Weeks

2009-11-02T23:45:00.002-06:00

I've written the first line to this post like five times - but each attempt sounds like such a negative start that I end up erasing it. Things like, "I'm absolutely drained" or "I feel awful" just seem like such a terrible way to start a post. Alas, it's the gospel truth. This past week has been rough. Before I was pregnant I was on a low dose of anxiety medicine, but man it made such a difference in my days. Just getting to the point in my life where I thought I even needed to talk to a doctor about the way I felt (and how it just didn't seem normal or like *me*) took years. It's a hard thing to grasp that emotions, just like muscles and bones, can get out of whack and need fixing. Even harder to recognize that and seek out advice other than your local girl gossip. :) I can sum it up by saying shortly after high school, during my first year of college, I started feeling - I can't quite describe it - down, gloomy, totally unmotivated and super nervous - like, I could throw myself into a panicked frenzy over such a small thing. I wrote it off as adjusting to college life, but after several years of battling with this emotional mess, I finally decided to ask a doctor if it was possible to, gosh I don't know, actually have something wrong with my emotions? Looking back, I almost laugh because it was so obvious, but I had never EVER given any thought to the subject of anxiety and depression. And if I would have, I would have surely written if off as malarky. It's so easy to do that when I don't understand something.

Anyway, my sweet doctor just smiled and said, "Well, yah..." and got me on a low dose of what I can only describe as the pill version of sunshine. I felt like my life was mine again. Food had flavor, the world had color and life - MY life - had purpose. You just don't know what living outside of that knowledge (even though you tell yourself) is like until you've been there. Since then, I have been the "me" I missed for so long. You don't have to understand it, just believe me. And believe my dear husband who has seen the light return to my countenance. :)

When I found out I was pregnant, one of the first things I wanted to know was how or if that medicine might affect the baby. Turns out very little has been done by way of research in this area. I literally have one doctor telling me it's fine, that nothing bad has been found for it or other drugs in its class and another telling me that it actually could be harmful. I just decided to wean myself from it to be safe at around 20 weeks. While I've not been thrust into the pit of despair like I thought I would, life has definitely been different. A normal, un-pregnant me would have a difficult time coping with the return of anxiety and depression. But a pregnant me? Oh I'm just a mess some days. :) Crying, feeling weepy for days, and exploding like a volcano when I can't get a pizza into the oven because the thawed dough is stuck to some plastic wrap. And then crying about it for an hour... (you get the picture?). It's nearly impossible to distinguish between what's just pregnancy hormones and what's a result of my anxiety. But this past week has been a challenge for both me and Victor. I've been up and down and up and down and am just tired. The smallest things bring me to tears (and I am not by nature a crier!)

What used to happen only once every few weeks is now happening every other day. I just feel like I'm losing control of everything.

BUT at the same time, I'm beside myself with joy about becoming a mom. All of the good things in life are still so good to me. I just have this new ability to turn on the tears (or the anger or the panic) like a switch! It's exhausting. So this week's post is just me saying that I'm ready, more so than ever, to be done. Almost every kick from Miles still makes me smile. His little nudges and turns still warm my heart. But it's time for me to get back to being me again, and I can't as long as I'm carrying him.

I know it's natural to get that "okay I'm done now! :)" feeling towards the end. The excitement of the unknown and the anticipation of the big day is hardly something one can just put out of mind. And the absolute and unending discomfort of the final weeks, I firmly believe, serves only to add to that feeling of "doneness". :) But on top of that I'm trying to manage all these restive emotions.

My emotions have long been something I treasure. Life, I believe, is so much sweeter, more colorful and enjoyable when you have a rush of feeling accompany an experience. But these days I find myself wishing I could be a stoic and just let these next few weeks wash past me without feeling it. It seems like it would be easier that way.

So that's where I am. Don't get me wrong - which must be easy to do after I've just written hundreds of words about being down - I am still loving life. I'm smiling right now just thinking about how awesome Victor has been lately, and about how much fun we're going to have with little Miles. There is an overabundance of things that I am thankful for, things that make me glad and things that give me a little spring in my step. I'm just having to cope with sudden interruptions of bawling my eyes out or blowing my top or breaking into a nervous sweat for no reason. And it's draaaaaiiiiinnnnniiiinnnng. :)

To the moms who've been there - you rock. I never knew what would be required of me during pregnancy. So much, it seems, and yet I'm glad to have done it. To the moms who don't yet know they're moms - the end can get hard, but focus on the things you know are true. And focus HARD, because every fiber in your being will tell you your world is crashing around you. And to the dads - keep being the men of character, encouragement, strength and love that we need you to be. It's a selfless duty that may or may not yield a tangible reward, but your efforts will be reflected in your wives. I know that after today (I was so disappointed after going to the doctor and not getting checked for dilation which set the stage for me to be short-fused and weepy) the only reason I'm breathing easy is because of Victor's great hugs and wise words.

*Whew!* I'm glad to have written this all out. It's all a part of my story, and I know I'll be happy to have it down the road. Now all I want to do is kick back on the couch with Victor and snack on something. :)

Baby, it's cold outside!

2009-10-17T15:54:00.005-05:00

I'm now 34 weeks. And boy oh boy, am I feeling every week of it. :) Monday of this week added a whole new aspect to this pregnancy; being sick. I feel bad for whining before - now I really have something to whine about! No one likes a cold - the sore throat, itchy eyes, sneezes that promise you sweet relief and then DON'T COME!, chest congestion, the works. But on top of that, I can't cough hard enough to get any of this mess out of my chest, and I can't take the normal medicines. I get to experience this beast in all of it's natural fury, lucky me. :)

Aside from that though, things are still going really well. Turns out that Miles is and has been sideways for some time now, so yesterday I went to Dr. Don's for a little back adjustment (which has all but eliminated my pelvic pain!) in hopes that Miles will turn. We're giving it till Monday to declare it a success of failure. I really hope it works, since my only other option if he doesn't turn is to have a cesarian. Bleh. I mean, BLEH. That totally freaks me out - being awake whilst being cut open... oh my gosh. I could just see myself throwing up all over the place. People keep telling me not to worry too much, that women do it every day but all I can manage to think in my head is, "So?? I haven't done this before! I've never even had a sprained ankle!" I suppose if it happens that way, it happens that way. I just hope it doesn't. :)

But really, it's hard to complain about much of anything knowing that my precious baby is just weeks away from being warm in my arms. Victor and I are getting more and more excited as the days go on - we find ourselves talking about him at almost every free moment. I don't even really know what we talk about, but we manage to kill a lot of time doing it.

Everything is set up in his room. All that's left is to get my last order in from Target (it has the changing pad cover in it) and finish the last few rows of his blanket. Katie is coming up Tuesday to get everything in it's place, and then we're all ready! Victor ordered tags for the Honda yesterday (in Clarksville, you can just order them and have them mailed to your house rather than having to go to the DMV each year, nice!) We decided that we'll put Miles' car seat base in when the tags get here, which should be sometime this week. I am so ready for him to be here. I'm ready to have my balance back, my coordination, my OTC drugs, my favorite sleeping positions (belly all the way!). But I'm also ready to be a mother, I think. No, I am. I really am. I'm ready to make the hard choices, to fight for my sons purity, to train him up in the way he should go. But I'm also ready to have fun. I'm ready to laugh with Victor and Miles over the memories we've made, I'm ready to snuggle Miles after a bath, and I am SO ready to breast feed him, which is such a weird longing to have, but I can't wait. I can't WAIT! I can't wait for all these precious moments that God has in store for us.

Oh, and I am SO ready for these dag-blangin' stretch marks to STTTTTOOOOPPPPP! Oh my gosh. It's like they are alien invaders, hell-bent on taking over my entire body! :) But you know what? I say whatever. Do your worst. I've got a son on the way, and ain't nothin' bringing me down. Not even trans-abdominal conscious surgery. I can do it. :)

And lastly, per the post title, it's cold. I have been waiting for these days to get here ever since I found out that I was pregnant. THIS is the time of year that has been designated for Miles' arrival, and what a blessing it is. For as long as I can remember, fall and winter have been our family's favorite. I always say that the other seven months of the year are just filler months, put in place simply to get us ready for the excitement that comes with these five. I feel so blessed to be having our first child during this time, having not even planned him. God POURS out His love on us in so many ways, and for me this is one. We couldn't have planned a better time to have a baby. (As I type this, though, I am struggling to keep all the SNOT in my nose that is no doubt a direct result of this "blessed" change in weather! Ha!)

Here's lookin' at ya, kid. :)

2009-10-06T15:39:00.003-05:00

Victor and I, quite impulsively, bought a session at the 3D center today and got to see Miles one last time before he's due. Well technically I still have one last ultrasound at the doctor, but it won't be 3D and it also will be a quickie just to measure a few things. Here are a few of the shots we got:

At one point his head was turned away from the camera. The tech told me I could pat his bum to get him to move, and when I did he made the SADDEST little face like, "Mommy, why are you spanking me?" His little lip puckered out and it looked like he wanted to cry! It was SO sad!! You can see it in pictures 3 and 4. :( But we just laughed because it was so funny. It was so good to see him. We left with 97 pictures on a CD and a 28 minute DVD. It may be a total waste of money, I mean - it certainly isn't necessary, but it was wonderful. I'm glad we did it. I'm looking forward to a before and after shot!

32 weeks

2009-10-05T12:19:00.004-05:00

When you know that you're baby is just a few weeks from being in your arms, it's easy to wish away this phase of immobility and discomfort (and sleeplessness and moodiness and hunger and swelling...). Being pregnant is still an amazing thing, but I'm getting so excited for the next step.

Miles has started getting more and more cramped in his quarters and is consequently moving around a lot less. I feel him many times during the day, but his movements are much more subtle. Poor little guy. I'll be heading into my next doctor's visit in about an hour and a half, and I'm eager to see what they can tell me about his position, about my swelling (I've had to take off my wedding band) and this sudden lower back pain. My guess, his position is bottoms up (just like normal) I'm swelling to an acceptable degree (just like normal) and that back pain? It's normal. :) But it's always good to hear your OB say it anyway. I am NOT, however, looking forward to getting weighed today. These past two weeks I've been eating like a crazy lady again. We've been eating out TONS (it's so much easier to have someone else cook...) and when we're home, I've been snacking on chips way more than I should. Totally haven't kept myself in check. I'm sure it's gonna show on the scales, I just hope it's not bad and they don't get mad at me.

In other news, we switched cell service last week, so my handy-dandy iPhone is out of commission, meaning those easy-to-snag belly pictures are a little more difficult to get. So I don't have any new pictures to put up. However, we are getting a Canon 7D next Sunday!!! So you can expect to see a whole slew of newer and better pictures very soon. We are both SO excited about this purchase we can hardly stand it.

This week's post is more of an obligatory one than anything. I want to write about where I am now, but I don't have anything profound or special to say, so I think that's about it! :) Just movin' along, passing the time, and trying to get to Miles' birthday as fast as I can!

Oh! One more thing - this Saturday is the Red Door Fall Fest downtown (here, not Nashville) and I'm signed up to be a vendor. So that's another thing I've got going this week to keep me occupied. I hope to get lots of fun pics and come back here next week with a flurry of fun memories! Keep your fingers crossed for me, ok? Now it's off to the shower to get ready for this appointment. Maybe I'll get on here after while and put some pics up of things I'll be selling. Ciao!

It's up, and I'm out. Waaay out.

2009-09-14T12:50:00.003-05:00

That's right! My website is a go! Well, several of the features I'm wanting (like oh, I don't know, being able to actually buy something from me) are still not there, but the basics are. And it looks awesome. I love it! Check it out - www.the-green-acorn.com.

In other news, I am 29 weeks pregnant. At least. I have gotten so big lately! I mean, my belly has always measured ahead of the game but NOW, wow. I'm just wondering if after that miscarriage we conceived earlier than the doctor's think, and this little guy is farther along. Or maybe, like my grandmother, my belly is just full of fluid! Either way, my cute belly can no longer be hidden. I like going out to WalMart or wherever - you know how you always make eye contact with strangers and smile politely when passing? Well immediately after eye contact I get belly-eye contact. :P Everyone checks out my tummy and knows I'm about to be a mommy. It's thrilling. Most of the women who see my tummy look back up at me with a little glow of their own on their face, as if they're reminiscing on their own days of pregnancy. It's very sweet, if only for a brief second. And again, if I stand next to anyone for any length of time, I will most likely get a kindly, "So when are you due?" - I love that one. I love being able to chat with another lady about my precious baby, about whom I know nothing. We'll talk about him for maybe just 30 seconds at most, I'll see that glow in their face again, and it warms my heart. Pregnancy, especially for any woman who's experienced it, is such a universal, unifying thing. It brings us all together in joy and love, and for the slightest moment, we are dear friends. I'm going to miss these moments. But I'm quite happy to trade them for newer, better ones. Like holding my baby. Like talking with people about him while they stare into his sweet eyes. Those will be good moments, too.

For a few days now I've been having pretty strong pains in my pelvis. It's normal, since my bones and ligaments are shifting and stretching to accommodate Miles' head when he's born, but man. It hurts. Have you ever, I don't know, popped your back or something even though you could tell it really didn't WANT to be popped, but did it anyway? And as soon as you relax and go back to sitting normal again how those bones just ache? That's similar to how this feels, but it's a constant, nagging pain. I actually have to limp around for a few seconds after standing up or getting out of bed. It's kinda pitiful. And if I cross my right leg over my left and lean forward... holy cow. I'd swear my bones were about to break. But other than that, things are going really well. Heck, even with that things are going really well. I'm still having contractions, and a good amount of them, but they always calm down and go away after awhile. I've always been one to handle change poorly (I like the predictable things in life; the constants) and I suppose that applies to the WHOLE me, not just my consciousness, because it seems like my body sure is complaining about the changes going on! ;)

I hope to get some belly pictures soon. I mean, good ones. So far all I've had are the iPhone-and-bathroom mirror shots. Not the best. :) Maybe I can talk Victor into getting some?

Well, I'm off. I've got lots and lots to be making! I'm hoping to get over to Hobby Lobby today and pick up some good ink pens and paper. I'm wanting to try my hand at line drawings.

Oh man, oh man...

2009-09-09T00:51:00.005-05:00

I've started working on a site... for me! Having a blog is nice, and I enjoy getting on Facebook,but I need a space that I can make my very own. And maybe sell some stuff. I'm so excited. I bought the domain today, and have done nothing but work on the site design since I got up. Check it out:

Suh-weet, right?? I can't wait for Victor to get a little free time to help me get this up and running! Poor Vic, he's been so swamped with work. It's after midnight, and he's still out working... for the third night in a row. :( I guess that's the cost of juggling a regular job AND freelance jobs. He's a good sport about it, though!

I suppose I could throw in a little baby update while I'm on, right? We've made it to 28 weeks, and all is well. Still having contractions, but at my last doctor's visit he told me that these kind won't likely lead to labor. If they feel familiar (and they almost always come late at night) to just take it easy and rest. Basically, don't feel like I have to go in every time I have more than four in an hour. Granted, I still keep count and STILL plan on going in if they don't stop, but that was reassuring.

I don't really know how big Miles is this week. Every site I go to seems to have different numbers, but the general consensus is around 15-16". Crazy, huh?? He's getting so big. And so active. His flutters and kicks have turned into rolls and movements that look like he's crawling around in there. They are very distinct. And very cool! Development wise, he's just putting on more fat from here on out, and fine tuning all the things that are in place. My sweet baby boy. I can't wait to meet him!

Two down, one to go

2009-08-30T22:20:00.006-05:00

My third trimester is here, and I can't believe it. When I sit and think about the time, it seems to go so slow. But when I look back over the months that have passed since we first heard about baby Miles, the time has really gone by. I couldn't have imagined myself at this point had I tried; nearly seven months pregnant with a son, a loving, patient, brilliant man who calls me his, and a family whose love I will always cherish. This part of my life is so very sweet, and it almost makes me sad to think of it passing.

But then I think about that sweet baby, about the responsibility we have to "train him up in the way he should go" (Proverbs 22:6) and about him growing up, I really look forward to it. No doubt having my sister's family to watch take off has greatly affected this newfound affection for the future.

Victor just got home today from filming a conference in Vegas. It was only a four day trip, but I was miserably homesick while he was gone. I've always been prone to homesickness, but now that we have so many things changing in our lives, and at an alarmingly fast pace, his absence makes those empty, sinking feelings so much stronger. Everything else can fall around me, but having him to snuggle up to at night is my constant. I almost worry about relying on that constant too much, for fear that that something might happen to him one day - where, then, would I be? What would I do? But it was no fool who said, "Tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all." So I let myself fall asleep at night when he's away with the promise of him coming home and keeping me safe. Now he's back, already asleep in bed, and though the house is a wreck, my hand is bruised from another trip to the ER (this time without him), and I'm still missing our little foster puppy, all is well because he is home. Being married - being loved, needed, loving and needing - has got to be, above all else, the grandest thing we can experience this side of heaven. And in just a few months, we will welcome our son into the world, whose birth and life is the direct result of our marriage. Life is good. God is good.

Concerning that hand of mine that I mentioned... wait. I haven't even blogged about ANY of these ER visits, have I? Well, well. Time really DOES move fast! At 25 weeks, I started having painless but frequent contractions. We're talking 20 or more an hour, lasting about 30 seconds each. Considering all my books and websites tell me to call the doctor if you have more than FOUR an hour, 20 should set the stage for an eventful evening. :) So we called the doctor, went in not knowing at all what was going on - was I in labor? Would we have this baby at just 25 weeks? I never got too worried somehow though. I just felt a peace about it. Turns out I have what they like to call an "irritable uterus". Ha! Tell me what pregnant woman - what woman at all for that matter - DOESN'T! The term was just hilarious to me. Really what it boils down to it this - they don't know what causes it, why some have it, but for some women, their uterus is just sensitive and contracts easily, with or without reason. Looks like mine has no reason. I'm hydrated and infection free, which are about the only two things they know to check for.

The good news about all of this is that I haven't dilated at all, so aside from the contractions, this pregnancy is still 100% normal. But SINCE I'm having them, they have to stop. So the hospital administers a drug via injection called Terbutaline - a tiny little shot with the bite of an angry pitbull. :) It also makes your heart race. So you're lying in bed, wrapped in a pitiful piece of fabric they call a "gown", cold because I guess that's how hospitals jive, trying to rest when, "Uh..." "I....*pant pant*..." "...*pant*..." "MAN! I feel awful!" - you're hit with what I can only describe as a drug-induced panic attack. You feel, rather you ARE, short of breath, lightheaded, shaky and flushed in the face. It's not fun, to put it mildly. But that part only lasts a minute or two before you settle back down to a "resting" pulse of around 110-120. That part lasts half an hour, at which time, if the contractions haven't stopped, they give you another one. Oh, goody. :)

Anyway, the first time we were there I needed three terb. shots before I was able to go home. Two days later we were back, same song second verse, but I only needed two. And again last night, after almost two weeks of normal braxton hicks contractions, they picked up again and I had to go back. The doctor on call wanted to try fluids first, just to make sure I wasn't kidding myself about being hydrated, and to save me from needing those shots. Unfortunately the fluids did little more than fill my bladder and leave me with a sore hand from my first IV. :) As I'm typing all of this, I'm smiling just recalling it all. The nurses have all been GREAT and I'm looking forward to delivering there.

Also this past week Victor and I became place-holder mommy and daddy to a little puppy. Our niece, Taylor, has asked for a puppy for her 16th birthday and was (rightly) told no. Their family is what I would call a "no pet" family. None of the kids are willing to take the responsibility of caring for any pet - believe me, they've had what seems to be dozens of opportunities to prove themselves. From ducks to dogs, gerbils to kittens, they've had 'em. And killed them or lost them or SOMETHING. It's a disappointing situation all around, really. It ruffles my feathers that the kids don't take better care of their things, let alone a LIVING thing, but alas, that is a story for another day. Suffice to say Taylor's mom was none too thrilled when Taylor "finds" a puppy and brings it home, just two weeks after being told no. She was so unhappy, in fact, that Taylor was told the dog wasn't staying there. At all. And the younger two sisters were toting him around in a bag - ugh... when the news got around to me I was worried. Then I find the dog... "Where did he come from?" "I dunno." "When was the last time he ate?" "I dunno." "Has he been to the vet yet?" "I dunno." Oh man, my blood was boiling at this point. The poor little guy was lethargic, had a bloated tummy and just looked pitiful all around. I love dogs. And I love babies. Naturally, my affinity for puppies s is almost beyond words. So we took the dog, told Taylor's mom to tell the kids he was ours until we could find him a home, and got to work on getting him on a fast track to feeling better. I took him to WalMart and set him up with the best IAMS puppy food I could find, some toys, puppy shampoo, a leash and a few training pads for him to pee on if he had to go in the house. Two days later we took him to the vet and found out to our relief that he was a very healthy little guy, but whose tummy was pumped FULL of roundworms. We got him his first round of puppy vaccines, had him dewormed, and 75 dollars later were headed home. It was a crazy few days. But in that time, Victor and I fell in love with "Charlie Puppy". He was an amazing little guy - sweet, snuggly, soft and oh-so kissable, with the even-kill demeanor that every would-be dog owner dreams of finding in a dog. He was a 5 star puppy. :) But we knew we couldn't keep him. It was torture on me, really. Here I am pregnant, smack-dab in the middle of nesting, readying myself for what is sure to be mine and Victor's greatest love, imagining what he will be like and LONGING to hold him and this puppy drops into our lives. I think all of my unclaimed love was thrust upon that sweet little guy, because I loved him SO much. And at the same time I knew he wasn't going to stay. It was awful. My appreciation for foster parents and the hearts of gold they must have grew exponentially while Charlie Puppy was here.

Just before Victor left for Vegas this past Wednesday, we started looking for a home for Charlie. By Friday we'd found him one. Well, to be honest, God dropped a family in our laps. We didn't do too much, but someone saw his pictures on Facebook, contacted a friend, and long story short, Charlie is home. And these people - I couldn't ask for a better family. They are going to be GREAT. So yesterday I took him to Nashville and said my goodbyes. I still miss him, but I'm also relieved to have resumed our "regularly scheduled programming". :) I have several pictures to remember him by, and I'm looking forward to sharing them with Miles when he's a little older, and telling him about the little puppy who lit up our lives.

This has been a long post, huh! Some days I just feel verbose. And others I feel like getting a lot off my mind. And others, still, I have both. Today is one of those "both" days. :)

Baby Miles, mommy and daddy love you.

24 weeks

2009-08-08T15:23:00.009-05:00

1st picture: Miles' profile

2nd picture: He's in the middle of a yawn! It's very cool on the video.

We have made it to the sixth month. It's a very fun place to be. I am quite obviously pregnant, and I'm enjoying having people ask when I'm due. Miles has been a very busy boy these past few weeks, with more and more movement each day. What I thought were kicks are actually punches! So his little arms are now as strong as his legs were a few weeks ago. And his legs? Those are sitting somewhere pretty close to my bladder. I know because every once in awhile I'll feel a kick and simultaneously a panicky feeling of, "Oh no. I'm so about to pee all over myself." Granted, I don't because I don't actually have to, but it sure fools me for a second! :) His little body has finally turned, and his head is up. That made for a very happy ultrasound tech yesterday. Everything went so well, in fact, that I wasn't scheduled for another one. :( I've really enjoyed having them every few weeks! She said he's measuring in the 50th percentile, putting him right at average for his weight. Unfortunately, his momma isn't in the same boat. Since my last visit just four weeks ago, I have managed to pack on TWELVE POUNDS! How the @!%# did that happen?? :) Okay, I suppose to be fair I have to consider a few of these points: one - I work from home. Meaning, I'm home all day. I can eat whenever, and I do. Two - pizza rolls are NOT a pregnant ladie's BFF, no matter what they say when you pull them out of the oven, sizzling. And three - walking up a flight of stairs to go clean up Miles' new room does not count as exercise. Sigh... I was doing SO good, too. Only nine pounds put on in the first half of pregnancy. Then 12 in a matter of four weeks. Guess who came home whining the rest of the day? ME! So here I am now, watching my calorie intake like a mad woman. Did you know that ranch has over 100 calories in just TWO tablespoons? I eat ranch for BREAKFAST for crying out loud! I put it on everything! Bye bye, ranch. And fast food? Holy cow. It's horrendous. Thankfully, however, veggies are a safe ZERO. Nadda. And I love me some veggies. :) So today for lunch, we were on the road and I got a 6" turkey sub on wheat, no cheese, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, lettuce and red wine vinaigrette. It was tasty. But already my mind is fighting me - I feel hungry again just three hours later. I need pizza! Chips! Soda! Burgers loaded with cheese! AGH!!!!

I think these next few weeks are going to be tough. But it is well worth it for me to eat better - for stupidly obvious reasons - and for Miles. I'm no health nazi, though. I still plan on making room for fun every now and then. Well anyway, that's that. I can't show up at the doctor's next month weighing another ten pounds. I will be in serious trouble. :)

Back to Miles. He's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him near a pound and a half. Since he's almost a foot long, he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon. If he were to be born this week, his chance of survival would be in the neighborhood of 60%, with a 75% chance of having serious medical complications. While not great stats, it's reassuring that he would most likely make it. I keep on having this nagging feeling that he's going to be an early baby. I don't mean seriously early, just early. I dream about it. I guess it's just my subconscious screaming, "I can't wait to meet you, baby!!"

About a boy and a girl

2009-07-13T21:33:00.004-05:00

This will just be a quickie, but my friend Alison, also my old roomie from my days back at Austin Peay, who ALSO happens to be - almost to the DAY - as pregnant as I am, just found out she and her husband are having a girl!! I'm really excited for them. Alison wanted a girl, and I just had this feeling she'd get her wish. :) Alison and Don are going to make a fine mommy and daddy, and that little girl is gonna have one crafty momma! I must admit, there is a tiny piece of me that envies the bond I know they'll have. Being the artsy ladies that we are, we look forward to having daughters to share that passion with.

Earlier in the year, when I first made Henry (the elephant in the picture), Alison fell in love with it (the woman is a fan of the pachyderms) and asked me to make her one. Funny, when I made mine, I made it with very boy colors. Not with any purpose in mind, I just liked the colors. Then Alison asks me to make her one. What colors? Brown, green, pink and white. Girl all the way. Who knew just a few short months later we'd BOTH be knocked up, each with a matching elephant-baby combo? :)

Now to get that little elephant all finished up and on its way to the Nation house!

Same song, second verse...

2009-07-11T18:43:00.004-05:00

...a little bit louder and a little bit worse! :P

Come on, you guys remember that song, right? Anyway, today marks the official midway point of this pregnancy. This week Miles measures a healthy 6.5 inches from crown to rump, and 10 inches from crown to heel. From this week on, the official measurements will be from head to toe, which is fun for me because he seems so much bigger now! :) He is also starting to make meconium, that infamous tar that will fill his first diaper once he's here.

I had my 20 week ultrasound yesterday, where they measure all of his major organs and body parts. Everything looked great. Well, numbers wise everything looked great. Miles himself, poor guy, looks about as uncomfortable as can be. His little head is STILL resting on my cervix (he will soon outgrow that space and have to move up), but now that he's getting longer, he isn't able to just stretch straight out anymore. The result? A doubled-over baby whose head is tucked so tight down into his chest, and whose legs flop so far over the top of his body that at a glance he resembles a shrimp more than a baby. ;) Even the u/s tech couldn't believe that after 4 weeks (since my last ultrasound) he was still sitting (err... head-standing) that way! And because he was so tightly tucked down onto his own chest, they weren't able to get a good view of his heart or brain. So I'll be headed back in 4 weeks for yet another ultrasound. Can't say I mind though, because seeing baby Miles up on that screen is the highlight of my days, my weeks, and my months.

This past week Miles became even more active. Rather, this past week he grew and his acrobatics became even more noticeable. Victor got to feel him kick again, and we both got to watch my tummy twitch and jump a couple of times when Miles would get going. At this point, about any time he kicks I can see it from the outside and others can feel it. I'm just hoping little turkey straightens up! ;)

This summer has blown by, and to be honest, I'm really thankful. I know that there are families out there who are biding their time with their children before school starts back up, teachers who are taking a much needed break from the classroom, and people everywhere enjoying the fruits of the summer sun, but man. I am READY to meet this baby, and with each week that passes I get more and more excited. So fall, get here quick! Break out the Thanksgiving turkey! :D

"I like Papayas, I know that Mangos are sweet"

2009-07-04T00:49:00.004-05:00

And what a sweet Mango he is! :)

This past week Miles was a polite little boy and shared his kicks with Daddy and McKenzie. It was very cool to feel him kicking and have other people feel him kicking, too. If others were feeling him at 18 weeks WITH an anterior placenta, I can't imagine how strong his kicks would feel if it were attached to the back like normal! Wow! The most magical thing in my entire life has been feeling him play around in there. It's so SO out of this world. I can't seem to wrap my mind around the fact that there is a baby, a living, peeing, PERSON in my tummy, growing and readying himself for this big world. I'm almost halfway done, and I am SO ready to meet him. I can't wait to smell him, feed him, bathe him and kiss him. Victor said earlier tonight that he's eager to meet him as well. I think feeling Miles kick this week was a big step in the "realization process" for him. And I'm glad he's taken that next step.

This week Miles gets some fuzzies on his head, and if he's like his momma, they'll be there. I was a full blown mohawk child by birth. Some studies also show that he might be able to hear me by this week, which is wild to think about. I haven't talked to him much yet, largely because I feel like I'm talking to myself, but I bet once I know he can hear me that will change. He's also about six inches now from crown to rump. Six inches! I know that with each week I'm amazed at his new size, but six inches seems so big to me now. Just a few weeks ago I was stoked about him being the size of a blueberry, and now look where we are. :)

I've registered at target.com, but have already discovered that I have single-handedly purchased enough sleepers to last him through his first 3, if not 6, months. Oops? As I'm typing, Miles is kicking away! This past week brought several changes in the "how much I feel him" arena. Before last week, I could only feel flops here and there if I laid down. Now sitting, standing or laying I can feel his little reminders. It's just awesome.

Happy 4th, everyone. I am extremely thankful to be an American. There are so many wonderful things about this place that I can't wait to share with Miles.

We're having an avacado!

2009-06-13T18:22:00.005-05:00

And his name is Miles!!!! Here's the story:

Last Thursday, June 11, was my first trip to the doctor. If you know me already, you know why I've had to wait so late - since Victor and I weren't at all planning this pregnancy and I work from home, I had no insurance. As soon as I found out I was pregnant I started the whole 'enjoyable' process of acquiring it. It took awhile. So long, in fact, that I was in my second trimester before I was seen by a doctor. NOT the most comforting thing for an Anderson girl like myself, we tend to worry... but all is well. I did what I knew to do to take care of little one, and now it's all just a bad memory. :)

Back to the story.

My NP got a good listen at the baby's heartbeat and was wondering if there might be two in there. We heard two heartbeats in two different spots, and even in her expertise she was unable to say one way or the other. Oh boy. Or oh boys? I just laughed. Laughing in the face of the unexpected is one of the many bonuses you get when you marry into the Albright family. They have an amazing ability to cope with the unknown. I love them for it. The NP also guessed that I'm in the neighborhood of 15 weeks, so it looks like I'm no farther along than we thought. She told me, though, to have them schedule an ultrasound as soon as they can since we can't proceed with testing, bloodwork or due dates until we know how far along I am. THAT was great to hear! She said on a normal day they would likely be able to see me after my appointment, but one of the ultrasound techs was out. So I have to wait till Monday. Thinking there are two in there AND waiting till Monday to know for sure was going to kill me! But oh well, what can you do?

I called mom to tell her everything went well and that I was to have an ultrasound Monday. Oh no. Not on her life. She told me to call the 3D imaging center and schedule a visit with them that day, her treat. DUDE! That was the coolest thing EVER. Not only did I go to the doctor, I was going to actually SEE my baby, too! I was squealing. Just ask Victor. I guess the rest is self-explanatory; we went in, had the ultrasound, and in the first ten seconds little Miles proudly displayed his boy parts! And he was kicking up a storm. It was the most magical moment ever. I left relieved and excited - not only was there just one in there, it was a boy. Absolutely perfect.

And what's better is I go back on Monday to the doctor for THEIR ultrasound to see how far along he is, and on Wednesday I go back to the imaging center to finish my session! I'll be seeing lots of little Miles in the next few days.

The tech said he looks to be measuring around 5 inches, which is right on track. That was also good to hear. I got to see his heart beating, his legs kicking, his hands waving and his perfect little body moving around. I love him!

We've come so far

2009-05-30T12:57:00.007-05:00

My second trimester is finally here. I can't begin to tell you how I have longed for this milestone! This risk of a miscarriage at this point is so small. What a relief to be here. :) Since the last time I wrote, I have heard the baby's heartbeat (something I do at home frequently these days) and our little one has begun making an appearance in my tummy. Well, at least all the organs that have been pushed up and out as a result of our little one have begun making an appearance. ;) All the same, my jeans won't button, my shirts are getting a good stretch, and my sister grins wide every time she sees me. My energy is returning, along with my appetite (or should I say my appetite and THEN some!) and I feel all around great. We have our stroller picked out and at home - a good blend of teals, browns and creams - colors we love if this baby is a boy or girl.

The baby is now a good 3 1/2 inches, from crown to rump, making it a little larger than a lemon. I can distinctly remember hopping in the car with some friends a few weeks back and happily stating that the baby was the size of a lentil bean, which was SO big. ;) Now look where we are. I love it. In just a few short (okay, unbearably long) weeks, we'll know what this kiddo is. Jut keeping my fingers and toes crossed that our baby is healthy!

9 weeks and counting!

2009-04-25T12:33:00.004-05:00

Today marks the 9th week of my pregnancy. That's right, folks! Krista's got a baby in her belly! I've wanted to get on here sooner and write something about it, but for a few reasons I've not. The last few weeks I've felt pretty miserable, coupled with the anxiety of another miscarriage AND keeping myself otherwise occupied, I've just not been around. But last week I started feeling like myself again, and this week marks a new era. The baby is now an inch long!

So here's the story: In December, Victor and I traveled to Japan for some work. It was an amazing trip. I suppose being halfway around the world can affect the way our bodies work, because Aunt flow was pretty weird. Four days early ON birth control! That never happens. But it did, and when we got home, I was ready for everything to settle back to normal. Ahh... but it wouldn't. Somehow over the course of the trip, my next month of pills got lost... leaving me susceptible to... well... babies. But I was always convinced I'd have a hard time getting pregnant since my mom had endometriosis and I was SO much like her. Not true! By the beginning of January I knew I was pregnant. And so I was. Two weeks went by with light cramping and spotting, and on Saturday Jan. 24, I lost the baby. Talk about weird. I say "weird" rather than awful or other words because at the time, that's all it was - weird. My body hadn't even really started changing yet, but still, I lost a baby. Victor and I spent the weekend at home, in bed, crying and holding each other, and by Monday, we both felt really well. The doctor told me to wait until my next normal period to begin taking birth control again, so we waited. About 4 weeks later, there it was in all it's miserable glory. :) So I went to WalMart, got my Rx filled, and the next day... "Oh, sorry. We don't seem to have a record of you filling it." ??? Seriously? You can't mess around with these things. If you are supposed to be on the pill on Sunday, you don't wait till Tuesday to take it. You take it Sunday. Okay, okay. I can be ONE day behind schedule. "Ma'am, actually you don't have anymore refills. You'll have to schedule an appointment with your doctor." AGH!!! No way. NO way. So I called my doctor, and although you are NOT supposed to get Rx's over the phone, she completely understood my situation and told me she'd call WalMart and have them fill it. Well, either she forgot or they did, but come Monday there was no gift for me at the Pharmacy. Can you believe it? So home I went, empty handed and again, susceptible to babies...

I suppose the rest is history since I'm clearly pregnant, but wow. I'll tell ya. Victor and I have discovered that we are in desperate need of birth control! I am one fertile myrtle! These past few months have been an emotional roller coaster. The week before I found out I was pregnant again, I got very angry for having lost my baby. I mean, livid. I was jealous of everyone else who was getting pregnant, mad that my own baby was gone, and so upset that I'd soon be back on b.c. pills for who knows how long before we decided we were ready. I cried, yelled, and felt overall miserable. Little, SO little, did I know that already a new baby was growing inside me. :) I couldn't have imagined it possible.

So here we are now. Victor has been a pillar of strength for me through all of this, and has repeatedly expressed his joy over this little one. I know I'm not out of the woods yet, but nothing is like it was last time. No cramping, no spotting, and no gloomy feelings. That's something else. With the last pregnancy, even before there was trouble, I would tell Victor that something didn't seem right. I couldn't put a finger on it, but something was off. And every night, starting a few days before I found out I was pregnant, I would dream about the baby. Well, the night before I lost the baby the dreams stopped. I remember waking up that morning and telling Victor, "Huh. That's weird, I didn't dream about the baby last night." It's so sad to recall, but I am so thankful that it happened as early as it did. I am also so thankful to find myself pregnant yet again, and so soon!

About this baby - I have been so amazingly bloated. Already my jeans don't button and I feel like a fat cow! LOL! But I'm okay with that. And my boobs! Yowzas! I never knew they could hurt so bad! :) I'm eager for next week to get here, since that's usually when the uterus pops up high enough to start feeling it. Eee!

Victor and I have decided on Juliet Quinn if it's a girl, and if it's a boy, heaven help us. We have no idea. :) We kind of like Avery right now, but it's certainly not set in stone.

I guess that's all for now. No pictures yet, and I still haven't had my first appointment (which is driving me a little crazy. I'm SO ready!)

More to come soon!

So you think you love your pet, huh?

2009-03-02T22:05:00.003-06:00

In one weekend alone, Victor and I have been around two accidents involving pets. On Sunday, Matt went out and was on a fairly busy road (the kind where parents don't let their kids play in the front yard) when he saw a dog in a driveway, standing there perfectly normal. As he got closer to this driveway, the dog jumped out into the road, I guess to cross it. He jumped right in front of Matt's car, and Matt hit him. He could feel the rumble of the dog under his car, and worse, could hear it. Matt stopped, got out of the car, and was soon met by a neighbor whose daughter had seen the whole thing. "There's nothing you could have done, he just jumped out. These people never keep their dog in the yard - we knew this would happen sooner or later." And again this afternoon, we saw another wreck. For the past few weeks now, this HUGE dog has been coming around. He's the sweetest, dumbest thing I've ever met. :) We really like him. Well, for the most part we really like him. He eats Jack's food, gets into our trash, and puts Ava into a frenzy every time he comes over... but that's all manageable... Well today he was over and Victor and I were in the middle of getting Ava to calm down and just sniff the big guy when he took off in a happy dash towards to road. We live smack in the middle of a big curve. At that same moment a young guy on a 150cc bike was coming down the road - the two met in a horrible crash that sent the kid flying off his bike into the road. The dog, well I don't really know what happened to him. He was hit, but by the time we got our eyes off the kid in the road, he was gone. We still haven't found him. But the fistful of fur in the front tire sure doesn't look good.

Here's what I'm getting at. Both of these dogs were collared and socialized, which tells me they are loved, at least on an emotional level, by someone. And this breaks my heart. Somewhere tonight, some pet owners are missing their sweet dogs. And then my blood boils. It's all their fault. If you love your pets, take care of them. Love is not a selfish thing. Love is not just the warm feeling you get from holding you dog or getting a nice "shake" from them. It's looking out for them, feeding them, protecting them, and teaching them how to love back. When I see dogs running around, I see lazy lovers. Seriously. And it breaks my heart. So love you dogs. We have Ava and Audrey on an invisible fence to prevent this very thing. If you have a pet but aren't doing what you can to protect him, don't tell me you love him. You're a liar. That, and a selfish lover. That's all there is.

Oh, and let's not forget the person laying in the road. Thank the Lord he didn't break his neck. But he wasn't moving. He could talk, but had to be carried off on a stretcher. And my poor brother in law - he literally almost got sick on the side of the road, and will likely feel the burden of this for a long time. And why? Because someone's lazy? That's unacceptable, people. Absolutely unacceptable. So love your dog. Love your neighbor. And save yourself the grief and possible lawsuit.

Blythe Themed Paper Dolls

2009-02-27T22:28:00.005-06:00

Here are a few of the Blythe-themed paper dolls I've been working on:

Handmade: Sushi Socks for Baby

2009-02-27T17:28:00.003-06:00

I have plans for this. :)

Just take six pairs of socks - 3 white, 3 black, roll 'em up, add cut felt pieces for a little extra flair, and you're done! How cute is that??

Handmade: Origami Light Box

2009-02-27T16:41:00.005-06:00

I was reading a neato tutorial here about making your own light box for 40 cents. It looks collapsable so storing it would be a cinch, and it's super cheap. Now we thrifty folks can take pictures on a white background, too. :) I've actually got a light box that I made myself from an old box, but it's big, can't be folded down and stored, and just sits around all ugly... I think this will make a nice replacement.

Handmade: Beaded Flowers

2009-02-27T14:41:00.002-06:00

This article on Oh So Crafty blog was pretty neat. It's an easy-to-do beaded flower that has so many fun uses! ...Maybe even an accessory for a new little Blythe doll...maybe? ;)

Handmade: Blythe Clothing

2009-02-27T14:19:00.004-06:00

Of course, once I find something I'm interested in, I want to know how to make stuff related to it. And guess what: most Blythe owners want to make stuff for their dolls, too. Here are some sites I found - they're pretty neat.

and scads of patterns on Ravelry's site, my go-to site for ALL of my knitting and crochet projects.

This one is about fitting your doll for handmade clothes.

A possible next purchase

2009-02-27T12:50:00.005-06:00

Sometime around Thanksgiving I discovered Blythe dolls. At first I just thought they were cute. Then I developed an affinity for them. Then I started to think about what it would be like to have one. Now I want one. :) But at $135 per doll, they're hardly something you pick up after work. At least in this household. ;) So I'm starting to figure out the logistics of getting one and whatnot... but anyway, I actually think I'm going to get one. Why on earth a married woman wants a doll for herself is beyond me, and I'm quite sure beyond any person reading this. Especially Mom. Mom, if you're reading this, no; this is not a result of a deprived childhood and no; I'm not losing my mind. :) It just sounds like a lot of fun.

Now when it comes to actually choosing a doll... gracious. That's the hard part. There are SO many! But I think I may have found one... we'll see what Victor says about this whole thing. :)

Where have all the good paper dolls gone?

2009-02-27T12:07:00.004-06:00

I've been looking around for some paper dolls to print off and make. I guess my childhood memory has betrayed me, because what I remember of them is so much cooler than the ones I'm finding now. I'm wanting cute ones - fun, girly, bright, little dolls. I don't want plain, gingerbread shaped dolls, but I don't want frilly Victorian era ones, either. I like (au contraire, love) Blythe dolls, and am thinking about making some in Illustrator based on them. But does anyone out there know of any cute, modern, GREAT paper dolls? :)

Handmade: Make your origami a forever origami

2009-02-26T13:20:00.004-06:00

Check this out - there's a product out there called Plasti Dip - I think it's really a hardware store product for making grips on tools and whatnot - but how about using it to dip your fragile origami and make them a little more permanent and user-friendly?

This tutorial gives you all you need to know - and it's easy. I love it!

Handmade: More Paper Fun

2009-02-26T13:05:00.006-06:00

So I got to looking around a little more this afternoon and came across these two sites:

The Disney Experience

and

Paper Inside

Both have free models, and they are amazing mode

ls. These aren't just for kids. :) There are Alice in Wonderland characters, entire BUILDINGS from Haunted Mansion, WWII replicas, and more. So if you're in the mood to make something fun and intricate, check it out. I'm all over the Alice in Wonderland critters... so many good

memories!

A little paper room

2009-02-25T11:40:00.007-06:00

I had too much fun on this one. There was way more cutting than I wanted (turns out this particular room has like 50 posters to cut and hang...) but putting it all together was very neat. Victor seemed to be pretty impressed, as well. I just want to know how people design these things. Every little piece had so much detail and the folds were so cool! Now I just have to figure out what to do with it. I don't exactly have room for another room...

I'm about to look up paper dolls. I loved those so much as a kid - I can't wait to find some good ones!

I almost forgot!

2009-02-24T17:09:00.003-06:00

I was officially dubbed Riley's three-day-a-week nanny this afternoon. I'm almost giddy with excitement. :) Newborns are always so fun. They're tiny and soft and smell so good, and don't mind that they don't understand all you're telling them. But secretly I'm happy for *me* that I'm keeping Riley because now I'll have a little baby to knit for! And a pretty one, at that! Oh my goodness, and I can take baby pictures! Well, I'll have to ask Brooke first. Baby Riley + Miss Krista = fun times ahead!

Scratching that itch

2009-02-24T17:05:00.002-06:00

I've printed off the design for the japanese kiosk - I couldn't pass it up. I'm half tempted to make all the rooms, but I don't have the space. And really, I liked several of the rooms better than this one, but this little kiosk was so fundamentally Japanese that I couldn't pass it up. Right now I've just got a scattered mess on my desk, but by tomorrow I should have something worthy of a picture or two. :)

Folding Trees: One more before bed

2009-02-23T23:34:00.006-06:00

All of my exploring today has yielded some wonderful finds! There's a new site out, Folding Trees, and it's dedicated to the sharing of all things fun and paper. There are like a bajillion crafty ideas on just the first page. It's giving my fingers the craft itch... you know the itch. Something fun is about to be made in the Albright household. :)

A quick post script: Should any of you recognize the papyrus font on the home page, just ignore it. I did.

Lemmings. LEMMINGS!!

2009-02-23T23:25:00.002-06:00

Someone did it! It's done. Recent history's greatest little friends, the lemmings, have been immortalized in yarn! Check it out for yourself! I hope she feels like sharing... I can't imagine the immense joy I'd get from having these guys sitting on my desk. Ah.... teamwork.

Handmade: Paper Dollhouse

2009-02-23T23:09:00.005-06:00

You're not gonna believe this. Okay, maybe you will. Either way, this was way too fun to keep to myself.

You get cardstock. Go to this website. Find a room you like, print it off, fold it up, and... tada! Your very own paper village. I couldn't believe how amazing these looked! I can't wait to have the girls over and get started!

Testing, testing, one...two...three

2009-02-23T19:28:00.000-06:00

...Is this thing on?

For Grandmommy...and I guess Grandpa, too ;)

2009-02-23T10:37:00.007-06:00

It's true, I cut my own hair. Chopped it right off with a pair of kitchen scissors. And I guess you know by now that I had no clue what I was doing, either. Lucky for me and anyone who has to look at me, it turned out just fine. :) Dare I say a little cute, even?

That's one orange sheep!

2009-02-20T11:51:00.004-06:00

Okay. WHAT a blast spinning and dyeing yarn is. I'm totally hooked.

Who are you and what have you done??

2009-02-19T11:14:00.008-06:00

So yesterday I went into town to spend the day with my sister and Rae. It was an amazing day on all accounts. The weather was lovely, the kids were in great moods, I met baby Caleb (amazing), and there was chocolate - in abundance. The brownies were for me. :) Victor didn't have to work, so he had Daniel over and they did, I don't know, whatever guys do when they hang out. Played XBox, I'm sure.

It was a great ladies day. We talked about babies, pregnancy, marriage, life and all the good things that make us women smile with content. All while eating chocolate. Mmm...

Anyway, I stayed till just before dark then headed home. And here's where the day got even better - when I came home Victor told me I had an anonymous gift... "A what? What do you mean 'anonymous gift'?" "I mean someone brought you something, and I don't know who it is! Look on your desk." So I did. What happens next still has me wondering. Who would do this?? Behold:

My dream come true. I have been wanting to spin yarn since the day I heard about it. Just this week I went to Hobby Lobby and bought a small package of roving there - but it was rough and scratchy... even then I had a blast! I still can't believe this.

Who are you?? Why did you do this? And WHY won't you tell me who you are so I can wrap my arms around your neck and squeeze the life out of it?! I was jumping up and down, clapping my hands together and squealing like a child at Christmas. And I almost cried. Oh wait. I take that back. I did cry a little.

To be sure, I put my little head to work and started making lists of people who could and could not be the gift giver. I knew this much: it was a mutual friend or acquaintance of ours and Daniel's. Okay. That really shortens the list. Well, at least on a practical level. I mean, my parents wouldn't have gone to Daniel. He's had it since Christmas, and at that time the only people who knew that I wanted to spin yarn were immediate family and... *click* of course. Blog readers. "Well, great," I thought. That could be anybody. So it was at that point I decided to stop trying to figure out who sent this to me and just get on here and write about it. I figure if this is where it all began, they might get to read about it. After all, it makes for a great read. :)

So, my anonymous giver of roving and dyes and bright smiles, thank you. Thank you for the gift, but more importantly, thank you for letting me see a little more about how selfless love works, and how Jesus wants us to love Him: extravagantly and off the record. I mean, who doesn't just love knowing someone did something for them without telling the whole world about it in order to get a big pat on the back? I do! And I'm pretty sure Jesus does, too. :)

Catching up

2009-01-13T16:16:00.004-06:00

I knew it had been awhile since I'd been on, but a month and a half?? Good grief. Post-holiday life, as best I can tell, is back to normal and resuming it's regular (all be it freelance) schedule. Sitting next to my mouse is my first (and very untrained) watercolor painting, a crochet baby dress upstairs in the works, and an impromptu Filipino (can you believe that's spelled right?) dish in my tummy. (Got the noodles from the local asian market - they're called Pancit Canton noodles.) It was delicious. Needless to say, new things have been happening around here.

But for starters, what about this Japan trip? Oh my goodness, it was absolutely amazing. That sounds too light and empty - it was, where are the words? It was truly a trip to be remembered. Victor and I didn't sleep in the same bed once on the

trip since all the rooms we were in only had two twin beds... it was funny. We felt like Lucy and Ricky for sure. Tourist-wise, the trip kept us on our feet. By the end of the first week, I'm almost certain 30% of our time was spent traveling by train to different cities. Mitaka, Takamatsu and several others - and we only stayed two days at most in any location! I feel like we really got to see a lot. Just like any modern country, in the big cities everyone dressed to perfection each day, had just the right hair and shoes, and always had a shopping bag or two in each hand. And the subways? Don't even try to imagine crowded until you've been in Tokyo's sub system right after work on a Friday. :) Once you travel outside of Tokyo (and this takes a couple hours since it's so vast), the people are waaay more toned-down. More basic clothes, less flashy accessories, etc. Needless to say I felt more comfortable outside of Tokyo, but still had a blast while we were there. I just wanted to SHOP all the tim

e! And Mt. Fuji - it's even more beautiful through train glass than I could have ever imagined.

On a deeper level, I discovered that the divides between Japanese and oh, I don't know, THE REST OF THE WORLD, are innumerable. I mean it. You think because it's a modern country the people are like us - my goodness there's little comparison. Mannerisms, philosophies, world views and even basic thought processes are vastly different. No doubt you've heard about the history of Japan and it's shame-based origins - apparently no amount of money or technical developments will ever remove this. The Japanese struggle very much with outside opinion, to the point that approximately three times a week the train systems are halted by a man or woman jumping in front of them. The Japanese are not quick to trust, but are the most polite people I have ever known. They are ritualistic to a fault, but loyal as anything you could ever imagine. And this: not even ONE percent of them claim to be Christia

n. I had no clue! There is so much going on in Japan, and I want to be a part of it. So does Victor. We have no idea where we'll be in the next few years, but maybe it will be there! The children there are precious, and the churches there are so rich, though they struggle. It has to be the most complex experience of my entire life. I have some of the pictures up on my Myspace and Facebook if you care to look.

Now, about that watercolor...

What do you think? I sketched out the picture before painting it for two reasons. One, I like the look of pencil with watercolor. And two, I have ZERO confidence in my freehand painting skills. Pencil erases, paint doesn't. :) As for materials, a little Crayola watercolor pack from the kids section at WalMart and some cardstock did the trick! I really enjoyed painting again, and the watercolor in particular was fun.

Oh, oh, oh!! I totally forgot! I am IN LOVE with hot and sour soup (you know, that brown funny-looking soup at Chinese buffets) but have not been able to replicate it at home to save my life. And then I found it: the perfect hot and sour soup recipe, and my heart (and tummy!) is so happy. I'm going to write it out anyone else can reading can try it out. It's really easy, and pretty cheap. Here we go:

Chicken broth (two cans will feed 4 easy)

Soy Sauce

Rice Vinegar (the secret lies here - don't use regular white vinegar. You thank yourself later.)

Tofu (I used silken tofu, but it turned out to be borderline too soft. It worked fine, but I think something firmer would be better.)

Pork (the thinnest chops you can fine work best)

Black fungus strips (I haven't used these before since I don't really know where to find them, but I LOVE them in the soups at restaurants. If you really want mushrooms in your soup and can't find these, just use shiitake or any other variety you like.)

Bamboo shoots (don't worry about these little guys, they are virtually flavorless once cooked but add a nice *crunch* to the soup. You can find them canned in the asian foods section of your grocery. The water they soak in smells VERY green - I hate it to be honest - so I rinse them before adding them to the soup.)

Water Chestnuts (my own addition - another flavorless food that adds great crunch. Optional.)

Crushed red pepper (the seeds and flakes, not the powder)

Egg

Corn starch

Spring onions for garnish

Now for the fun part:

Bring your broth to a boil. While it's heating, add soy sauce to taste. "To taste" may sound too vague for more exact cooks, but hey, it's how I roll. :) Just remember that hot and sour soup is full of flavor but not too salty. Somewhere in the neighborhood of a quarter cup sounds about right. Surely not more than that. I would start with less and add more.

While that's heating to a boil, start cutting your pork into tiny little strips. We're talking like 1/4" wide and 1" long. This is where having those thin chops come in handy. The goal here is to allow you to get a little bit of everything in each bite, so smaller pieces are ideal.

Start browning them, cooking them through on medium heat with just a little salt and black pepper.

Once your broth gets boiling, mix up some corn starch and cold water to add to the mix to thicken it up. Some people prefer and thick hot and sour soup, others like it thin. I personally like it right in the middle of the two extremes, and use three or four heaping tablespoons of cornstarch.

Once it has thickened to your liking, turn it down to med lo heat and add your crushed red pepper.

Check on your pork - if it's cooked through, add it to your soup.

Take your bamboo shoots and chestnuts (if you used them) and cut them into small pieces. My best advice for the bamboo is to cut it lengthwise into thirds or even quarters. It takes a little extra effort since you can only cut those little boogers one at a time, but again, it's well worth it. :) Toss 'em in the pot to cook, still on med lo heat.

Cube your tofu, as much as you'd like in your soup, and add to the mix.

Add your mushrooms.

Wisk together two or three eggs (depending on how much you like this part - I love it, so three for me). Slowly guide the egg down the end of a fork or a pair of chopsticks into the soup, working around in a circular motion so that the egg doesn't pile up in one spot. Let it sit for about 30 seconds to firm up and make those lovely pieces we all associate with hot and sour soup, and gently stir.

I've read that you're not supposed to boil the vinegar and that it's best to add it last. So I do. You can either add it to the whole batch to taste, or pour a little in each serving bowl. Add the soup, top with your cut spring onions, and voila! Some might good hot and sour soup that very closely resembles the yummy stuff from buffets. The only difference is YOU made it, you know exactly what's in it, :P and it's fresh. Oh so good.

Where have I been??

2008-12-05T22:06:00.006-06:00

Obviously everywhere but here. Well, not even that many places. Just busy. It's Christmastime after all! :D

I just felt like I should give some sort of update - one, that I have new items up on Etsy and two, Victor and I leave Thursday for Japan. Eee!

Good grief.

2008-11-21T12:08:00.002-06:00

Say it just like Linus from Charlie Brown. "Goooood grief." Where is my time going? I don't even leave home most days and STILL it's slipping through my hands! Agh! The Christmas Season MUST be fast approaching. This is the only explanation. And I still have a trip to Japan to plan and pack for! It is a good thing indeed to have a husband. I just hope that before the year is over I'll have made it to my knitting class!

On a lighter note, I found my little Kodak digital camera hiding in one of my cleaning baskets (??) so now I'll have a handy camera to take with me around Tokyo when that five-pounder camera just won't do. :)

Well, it's time for lunch and back to work! I will say this though, it's lovely having iTunes. I've got my 21.7 hours of Christmas music playing all day in the background. It's awesome.

We will return to our regularly scheduled programming in January. :)

Ugh

2008-11-07T12:06:00.003-06:00

My blog has apparently gone mad. I've lost all my sidebar information! Drats! It's in a transition phase... yah... :) It'll be back to normal soon, I hope.

Eeeee!

2008-11-02T22:28:00.002-06:00

I'm on some sort of natural high right now. I know it. I keep squealing and giggling and clapping my hands... or maybe I'm just a really silly woman. But there's a great reason: I just completed my first two purchases on Etsy! That's right! Less than 24 hours on the market and two have sold! This is too awesome. I opened my mail tonight after Victor and I got home from an (amazing) afternoon at Mom and Dad's to find two emails confirming orders from Etsy. I squealed. THEN I got two more from Paypal saying, essentially, "Congratulations. We've just dumped money into your account." Sure, it's only $22, six of which will go to shipping tomorrow, but it's a start! And an encouraging one at that! Nothing's bringin' me down tonight! I'm all smiles. I want to do something special for my first buyer. I mean, it takes a little bravery to buy from a seller who has 1) no feedback and 2) no selling history. I'm so thankful for her! Maybe an extra set of markers? I don't know. I'll think of it. Right now, though, I've got to come up with a clever way to ship these. After all, it's not every day people get a package in the mail. It should be special.

Well, good night! I've got so much to do!

5 items for sale on Etsy

2008-11-01T16:48:00.002-05:00

Got my first handful of items up on Etsy! Go have a look!

My first stitch markers

2008-10-31T17:35:00.004-05:00

...and they were so fun to make! Here they are:

These will be my first Etsy item. Want to buy them? They're yours for eight dollars! I'm working on a fun way to package them up. I already have five other sets ready to go; I just need to get some pictures of them. I'll have them up soon!

A very selfish post indeed :)

2008-10-28T12:30:00.006-05:00

I'm quite earnestly trying to win this hat from: Shana's music, writing, etc etc etc. A link back to her giveaway post gets me two entries so... here it is, Shana! I've got my fingers crossed. :)

I have an Etsy store!

2008-10-28T00:00:00.006-05:00

...well sorta. :) It's there, set up and ready to go, but nothing's on it yet. But still, it's exciting! Hopefully before the year's out I'll have a few goodies up for you to see (and buy)!

The Green Acorn @ Etsy

Blog Name Change!

2008-10-27T22:36:00.005-05:00

First things first, I'm listening to my first Christmas song of the season! I know, it's not even Halloween. But it IS, however, like 30 degrees outside. So I'm justified.

In other news, I've changed my domain name to The Green Acorn. I figured Memoirs of a Bride doesn't really suite the purpose of this blog since I'm really focusing on my crafts. The Green Acorn is a good representation of my local area, nature, crafts, and will easily transition to an online store, should there be one in the future.

So don't be confused! It's all the same, just a new name. :)

Handmade: Stitch Markers

2008-10-27T19:15:00.010-05:00

Rather than putting each new handmade idea in one enormously long post that gets lost in the archives, I'm just going to start a new post for each idea as I come to it. I'm not sure yet if I can get a categories sidebar or not... either way from here on out all the DIY accessories will start off as "Handmade: 'subject' ".

Today's handmade idea: Stitch markers!

Visit this Etsy store for more handmade markers!

Not-required-but-oh-so-helpful-prior-knowledge-to-have:

A prior dabbling in jewelry making. A little know-how in this area will make this project easier.

A familiarity with polymer clay. Again, it's not necessary, but knowing a little something about it (how it handles, fun ways to mix colors, etc.) will make the process smoother.

Materials:

Polymer clay OR Beads from your local craft store

Tiny glass beads (optional) to finish the look

Drop earring posts (called head pins or eye pins) - these are basically straight pins with the point cut off. You'll use these to secure the marker to the ring.

Split Rings - size to fit your needles.

Needle-nose pliers or a set of jewelry making pliers

To Make:

With your clay, fashion a marker however you'd like. Mind your size, though, you don't want too much added weight on your needles! Ideas? The sky's the limit! You can make anything! Hearts, dogs, circles, flowers, snowflakes, mittens, socks, cats, rabbits, squares, triangles, weird shapes that don't have a name, mushrooms, leaves, faces, candy corn, anything! Just have fun and go nuts. Nuts! You can make those, too.

Carefully push your earring post through the bottom up through the top of your marker, stopping once the end is flush with the bottom of the marker. Now, you have two options here: you can find a way to suspend your markers while they bake so they won't get flat on one side, or you can lay them out on a cookie sheet so they will. My suggestion: lay them out. One flat side can actually be a benefit so that your markers lay flat against your knitting and don't flop around so much.

Bake your markers (with post still in) according to the clay instructions. Take them out and let them cool. If you want, now's the time to add a little bead or two to the top of the marker. It's a pretty little touch.

If your post is particularly long, you may want to snip a little off. Just leave enough length on there for the pliers to bend the tip into a circle.

With your needle-nose pliers, pinch the very end of the post and slowly wrap the post around the tip of the needle. You should have a small circle that's not quite closed all the way. Take your "ring" and slip it through that opening. Almost done! Your marker should now look like a marker! All you need to do now is close that gap in the circle you made so your ring doesn't ever fall out. Simply pinch the ends together with your pliers and you're done!

Now - if you'd rather have pretty beaded markers, throw out all the steps involving the clay, add your beads, and pick back up on the pliers step.

Handmade: Quaker Rib Afghan

2008-10-24T15:30:00.015-05:00

This design can hardly be called my own since Quaker Ribbing has been around for eons. However, I've made it into a blanket whose stripes run opposite of your normal rib pattern. I think it's lovely.

Materials:

Any size yarn (I used Yarn Bee Luscious, a bulky weight - some of the most deliciously soft acrylic your fingers will ever feel!)

Circular Needles to match yarn size (I went with 8mm/US 11 circulars)

A cozy place to sit and enjoy!

Pattern:

Cast on as many stitches as you'd like for the length of your blanket. With my bulky yarn, I cast on between 100-150.

KNIT rows 1, 3, 5 and 6

PURL rows 2 and 4

KNIT rows 7, 9 and 11

PURL rows 8 and 10

KNIT rows 12 and 14

PURL row 13

Esentially,

K P K P K K

K P K P K

K P K

And repeat!

Keep going till you've got yourself a nice sized blanket. And really, I do suggest this yarn. The pattern gets a little lost since the yarn has some flyaways, but it is so so snuggly soft.

Handmade: Creating Knitting Charts in Excel

2008-10-21T00:59:00.004-05:00

Woah! This was a great read I found over at the Create Along blog. Wanting to make your own charts? Here's a fail-safe way to make that happen.

Someone's been a busy blogger today. Now it's time for bed. :)

Handmade: Fun Knitting Accessories to Make at Home

2008-10-20T18:05:00.031-05:00

Most knitters I know have to plead with their dear husbands just to get a few skeins of yarn. But a few skeins of yarn, new needles, a spindle, a couple ounces of roving AND sock blockers? Don't make me laugh.

Not to fear, fellow knitters! Plato wasn't just knockin' around when he said necessity was the mother of invention. Being a newlywed and living off freelance work - it's not hard to imagine we're all but broke most of the time. :) So here we have it then, a fun little list of things to pick up at your local hardware store, guaranteed to provide you with years of delight as you work with your one-of-a-kind creations! Oh, and for pennies on the dollar.

Ahem:

NEEDLES WORTH BRAGGING ABOUT

You will need:

Dowel rod, choice of size (carry a needle gauge with you to find the

right match)

Any brand modeling clay that you bake to harden

Sandpaper

Wax Paper (optional)

Mineral Oil or Wood Oil (optional)

Wood Stain

To make:

Cut the dowel rods to suit your desired length. Using a knife or coarse sandpaper, shape the point of the needles, then follow up with a fine grade sandpaper to smooth out any snags or splinters. If you choose, stain the rods at this point. (If you do stain them, play it safe and let them dry overnight.) Next, rub the rods down with a wood oil and/or wax paper. This will polish it up nice and condition the wood.

Now for the fun part. :) To make the stopper at the other end of your needles, take your clay and fashion an end - any shape or color will do! I've seen acorns, balls, tear drop shapes, bells, the sky's the limit. Just don't make it too big otherwise you're hands will be begging for mercy halfway through your mother-in-law's Christmas scarf. After you have your shape, carefully push it onto the flat end of your needle, far enough down to make a good hole to which you will later glue the rod. (But not too far! You don't want your new needles poking out the end!)

Following the clay baking instructions, put the needles - rod, stopper and all in the oven with the stopper hanging over the edge of a baking sheet so it doesn't flatten out while it's cooking. Once they're done, give them some time to cool off. Remove the stopper from the needle, drop some good glue down in the hole you made (a tacky craft glue will do), reattach, let the glue harden up (overnight would be great) and tada! Needles worth bragging about.

*note: if you want to make dpns, shave off the other end to a point, smooth and oil it down, and you're set.

**Instructions taken from here

YOUR VERY OWN DROP SPINDLE (NOT AS BEAUTIFUL AS THESE FROM KNITTING IN COLOR BUT...)

You will need:

2 CDs

5/16" dowel rod, 12" long

Blind well nut (at Home Depot, the part number is 127253) - the brass threading must be safely cut off.

5/8" rubber grommet (Home Depot part no. 161788)

Eye Hook (can be found in picture hanging supplies)

Needle Nose Plyers (to open the eye hook a little so thread can move in and out easily)

To make: (Assembly instructions taken directly from here)
Press the rubber grommet into the center of the pair of cds and then insert the blind well nut into the grommet. There will be a groove between the blind well nut and the grommet where later, you will be able to attach a starter string.
We applied soft glycerine soap to the shaft of the spindle to facilitate insertion into the blind well nut. Keeping the 'groove above the grommet' on top, the point of the spindle was inserted from the upper side. The disks were pushed 1/4 of the way up the spindle to create a low whorl spindle. (for a high whorl spindle, keep the groove on the bottom and push the disks 3/4 of the way from the bottom of the spindle. The eye hook was inserted into the flat end at the top of the spindle.

P.S. The site where the instructions came from (linked above) also gives some great pointers on getting started with your new spindle. New to spinning? Check it out! As always, YouTube is an invaluable resource for us visual learners.

HOMEMADE WOODEN DROP SPINDLE

If I think to later, I'll actually write out the steps. In the meantime, however, just visit this link. It gives clear and detailed instructions on how to make a really neat drop spindle. I think I'm going to make it my next project.

YOU WILL NEED:

1/4" wood file

2 3/4" wood wheel w/ 3/8" hole

3/8" dowel rod

Wood saw

Ruler

Hammer

Wood Glue

Pencil Sharpener or Knife

Sand paper, coarse to very fine

Fine steel wool

Polyurethane Finish

A Wishlist

2008-10-20T15:58:00.014-05:00

This is the best way I know of to keep track of all the wonderful things I see online that I would like to someday own. Blogger has a wishlist section, but users can only add items that are sold online with a direct link. While that's great, I can't add obscure items like "Heather grey sock yarn" and such. So here I go (in no particular order)! Hope you're reading, Mom! :)

A pair of wooden sock blockers (like these) with my initials burned in by the lovely Miss Sisk. :)
A pair of fun knitting needles. The ones I have now work, but they're not special. :) Hobby Lobby sells some really lovely dark wooden needles, like these which are Surina wooden needles. Any size is fine!
The book "Start Spinning: Everything You Need to Know to Make Great Yarn" (check out Amazon)
Roving! A must for any spinner. I know, I know, I'm not a spinner yet, but that's where you come in. :) Romney, Corriedale, Coopworth and Shetland are all good types of roving for new spinners (Like the Romney roving found on this page). Anything from 1-10 ounces would be great! As for color, a white or cream so I can dye it.
Wilton Cake Icing - for dying my homespun yarns! Any and all colors are welcome. :)
A mannequin head - to model my hats. Oh, and maybe it can be attached to a bust to model scarves and sweaters? Who knows. Maybe a shop somewhere is going out of business. :)
A wooden yarn winder
"The Gentle Art of Domesticity" by Jane Brocket - it's amazing.

Dreams don't die

2008-10-20T13:09:00.002-05:00

I can't remember being this motivated and excited. There's so many thoughts rushing through my mind right now I can hardly keep up with them! Couple that with trying to type them out... well, we'll see what we get.

I love knitting. And crochet, for that matter. These two things have provided me with more fun and learning than anything else in my entire life. Three years into it, and I'm just starting to unwrap the unending gift that is the art of knitting. And that's just what it is: a gift. It is vast, colorful, timeless, beautiful, a treasure, and loads of fun. It is challenging, rewarding, soft, warm, and a companion. I know now I will never leave it. I will undoubtedly spend the rest of my life exploring this craft, learning more and more as the years go on.

This truly is a revelation. I'm a graphic designer by trade. But to be honest, it is not my passion. I told Victor earlier today that for me, graphic design is like playing the flute in middle school. I never had to try very hard, but I was still 1st chair for three of my four years there. I find my work now to be much the same. I feel a sense of duty to give these organizations something genuinely great to promote their efforts, but there is no passion. I just want to do something more girly! What motivates my designs is duty, which is alright, but I have been so starved for passion and girly-ness lately. (Just on the work front, mind you!) ;) As a woman, especially a woman of many emotions (to which my dear husband can readily attest) it is hard to keep designing when you don't "feel it".

And here, for three years now, have been my ever-faithful knitting needles, sitting cozy in a corner, waiting for me to come pick them up and escape with them to the recesses of my dreams and imagination. When I knit, I escape. Ask anyone, when I'm knitting, all is well. I am at peace (don't I sound like such a hippie??) :P But it's true! It is truly a woman's craft. It is my craft. And today, just now, it hit me: I can make a career out of this. But how? Why? Where do you start? How will you pay for it? - there are tons of questions. But I'm ready to take them on. And I'm ready to design things that are outside of the advertising arena. I want to be more of the artist I see when I'm dreaming!

Never before have I loved something I do so much. I've told so many people that graphic design is my passion. I just knew that if I wanted badly enough for it to be true, it would be. The passion isn't growing - the frustration is. I like it, and I like what I produce, but that's all. I just like it. This isn't a marriage or even a relationship. I have no obligations to graphic design, despite the fact I've been telling my self I do, that it's where I am, where I'm going, and what I'll be doing forever. I'm free to leave! I'm free to chase my dreams! Do I spend my spare time researching ways to better my design? New trends? What the big dogs are designing? No. I knit. I read knitting books. I go to the library to learn more about...knitting. I spend countless hours reading about hand-dyed fibers, where they come from, what the people who make them are like, where to go to learn even more - this is where I spend my time. I am finding myself more and more detached from my design work and more and more attached to my knitting. But you know, it could be tied to the fact that I'm not designing things that interest me personally. When I knit, I knit what I want to knit.

This is a dangerous post, I know. No doubt people who employ me will read this, but it's about time I take a big step towards what I want to do. Otherwise, I might end up in my 40's with a family who wonders why I'm so distant and a job I hate - wondering what life would be like had I just pursued my passions while I still had the chance. Dreams don't die. Initiative does. And while I have both, I can't stand here and do nothing.

Victor and I are so poor right now. But we are both chasing after the things that make us feel alive. We have our dreams, we have initiative and we certainly have each other. And through all of this, the good Lord still provides. I think He thinks we're on the right track.

Wow, that's a load off.

Home!

2008-10-13T20:18:00.002-05:00

You know, it didn't even cross my mind to write a brief post before heading out for the week. My family (Victor, mom, dad, Dickie, Donna, Matt, Katie and the boys - plus dogs) all headed down to Gatlinburg for a much-needed family vacation. We went last year and had such a blast that there was little discussion about wether or not we'd come back. We did, and it was just as grand. Vic and I were able to snatch some real winners (pictures, that is) that I hope to post soon. I think one of the best parts was just having our dogs with us. There were actually two beds in our room, so the puppies got their very own. :) I think they really enjoyed sleeping close to each other. Once Audrey is big enough not to fall through the railing in the loft, we'll let her sleep out of her crate with Ava. They really are something. Anyway, long story short, the trip was great. Oh, and I started work on my first glove. I'm frogging it, simply because I learned several things as I went along that I'd like to do over. Pictures of that to come soon, as well. :)

P.S. Grandmommy, the breakfast casserole this morning (was it just this morning that we had breakfast at our cabin in Gatlinburg??) was a hit! It was delicious. :)

Finally... a home for my needles.

2008-10-07T13:08:00.008-05:00

I was about fed up with keeping my needles in ziploc baggies here and there, not knowing which project bag which needles were in, but mostly not having a fun place for them to call home. The other night I was rummaging through Ravelry's patterns (www.ravelry.com - the best online knitting/crochet community the world has seen - it's in Beta phase, so you have to request an invitation, but it's well worth the four day wait) and I came across a crochet clutch that really caught my eye. It was just what my needles needed. Complete with lining instructions! I was able to finish it in just two nights, which was a thrill. I'm an instant gratification kinda girl, so it was nice to finally knit up something that didn't require weeks and weeks of work. :) Grandmama, if you're reading this, note the button: it's from your mom's button bag that came with the White sewing machine!

-Enjoy the pictures, they were fun to take!

Oh, my!

2008-10-06T19:37:00.006-05:00

Just found this website - www.signatureneedlearts.com - whew! How do you like them apples?? These needles are gorgeous! I can imagine having one of their accessory bags filled with all the different pairs... ah... Oh, I'm sorry, did I forget to tell you how much they are? THIRTY-FLIPPIN'-DOLLARS! For a pair! Still... I'd love to know if they knit as amazing as the makers claim they do. They sure are pretty!

In other news, the family vaca' starts Thursday, and we're so pumped. After all, knitting and Gatlinburg are two peas in a pod! I'm so picking up some fun yarn while I'm there.

And guess what else? I just found out that my Aunt and Uncle (and kids, too!) are coming next Spring all the way from Washington to see us! Eeee! I'm so excited. We never get to see them much (naturally) so I'm stoked to get some time with them! Maybe I can teach the girls to knit while they're here... ;)

Teehee...

2008-10-05T01:44:00.001-05:00

I like having a blog...

Fortissima Socka

2008-10-04T15:00:00.001-05:00

I did it! It's done. Well, at least three-quarters done. Marie helped me get through sock one, and I've managed all the steps on sock two! The hardest part has been turning the heels. With that behind me, it's smooth sailing down to the toe! I think they've turned out quite lovely. My goal for pair two is a girlie-er pair, maybe with some lacey work.

It's just been fun knitting something with shape. Oh! And working on two circulars? A breeze. There's less joining, more fun. DPN's are so overrated. :P

Parties and Purls

2008-10-04T13:13:00.000-05:00

Friday was a blast. We had a surprise bash for Katie - several of her gal pals showed up at California Pizza Kitchen for dinner and then all headed over to Homewood Suites for a sleepover! The details and effort involved in planning this were amazing. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the great part: this whole thing was planned by her husband! He got major brownie points. He packed her all up, got all of her makeup, jammies, everything! Down to contact case! We all had so much fun. Once we were all tuckered out and ready for bed, I got to sit and talk to baby Caleb in Rae's belly. It was one of the most memorable things I have ever done. Who can't believe in a Creator?? I got to feel his little head, and even felt (and saw!) his hiccups. I can't wait to be pregnant. I mean, the time will come one day, and I don't want to rush it, but oh I look forward to it so much. I'm so glad God gives us nine full months to stare at our growing bellies in wonder. I can't wait to meet baby Caleb.

And then today, after waking to a marvelous breakfast with the ladies, I headed back to C-town for my knitting class. Maggie has been coming with me, and holy knitting Batman! She's amazing! She learned to purl today, and her little pink scarf is coming along so amazingly well. She's only eight! My niece is now my knitting buddy. How fun!

You cannot defeat me!! (and a poem too)

2008-10-02T23:23:00.002-05:00

I'm happy as a schoolgirl... a couple of hours designing and getting it online, and my background is complete! Muahahaha...

In other news, I found a poem I'd like to share, in honor

of, well, my background and my sister's Queen Anne's Lace Scarf:

Queen Anne, Queen Anne, has washed her lace

(She chose a summer's day)

And hung it in a grassy place

To whiten, if it may.

Queen Anne, Queen Anne, has left it there,

And slept the dewy night;

Then waked, to find the sunshine fair,

And all the meadows white.

Queen Anne, Queen Anne, is dead and gone

(She died a summer's day),

But left her lace to whiten in

Each weed-entangled way!

Mary Leslie Newton

A Brave New World

2008-10-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

There is so much to do! My camera has been out of service since late March (!) because the battery died. It's only about $30 to get a new one, but I'm not one to sit down and actually order the thing. I always tell myself there's so many other, better things to do. Looks like I have to get it now! After all, what's a blog without pictures?

This blog, assuming I pursue it like I hope to, will largely serve to document all the things I make. Let's see how it goes!

Always,

Krista