Family Update for December

I know it's been a while since I have posted an update. I think I have done pretty well with snippets here and there on facebook but I figured it was time to sit down and write in the ole' blog.

As far as baby news, Elijah is doing pretty well. We got a call from our doctor just before Thanksgiving saying that the results of our ultrasound showed him to be very small and they wanted to do a followup ultrasound. Since then we have had two followups and he has gone from being in the 27th percentile to the 31st percentile. His head is still really tiny, like in the 5th percentile, which is dragging down his over-all average. But that is also a bit of genetics since unfortunately both Jeff and I have small heads. I think it is helping that I'm done working now and Elijah doesn't have to compete with work for my energy and nutrients though. We would still very much appreciate your prayers that he would continue to grow healthy and strong. He doesn't have to be big (in fact I would prefer he wasn't since I have to give birth to him) but I do want him to be healthy. And so far he is healthy and seems to be developing just fine. The picture to the side is my most recent belly pic and I'm at 27 weeks.


I shared this story with a lot of people already but I have to put it here as well because this is one of our family highlights for this month. Jeff and I were snuggling on the couch facing each other when Jeff says to me "You must be hungry. I feel your belly rumbling." He then gets a horrified look on his face as he feels Elijah kicking again and realizes what he was feeling. He then backed as far into the couch as possible and begged me to let him up. Apparently he is still a bit freaked out by the thought of another being living inside my belly. 


I think that is about it as far as baby news goes. I'm making a blanket that I may keep for our baby or might just give away. I can't decide how I feel about the color. Some days I love it and other days it just is too intense a green. It's kind of, for lack of a better term, a Grinch green and it is really pretty in certain lights but in other lights or against certain colors it is pretty...intense. I will post a pic once I get it finished.


Since it is the holiday season I would like to share what I have been up to in getting ready for Christmas. First, I finally finished my Advent Calendar and I have it hanging up across our windows. I didn't get the chance to fill it with candy and other little tokens this year so it is really more of a mitten garland than Advent Calendar at this point. But I love how it turned out and I'm so happy with it! The pattern can be found here for free if you want to try making one for yourself. I think I started working on this in the spring and just finished it in time. But it took me longer because I wanted to make each one a little different. Here are some pics of the finished product. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! I particularly like this first picture with Brie sleeping peacefully on the footstool.

That is really most of my Christmas decor that is worth seeing. I did also put up some nutcrackers from Jeff's childhood collection. (He has a lot!) The advent mittens are probably my favorite decoration this year but I'm also really happy with my nativity. I decided to put it on our dining table so that we would be reminded of the real reason we celebrate Christmas every time we sit down to eat. Christmas isn't about the busyness and stress of traveling or presents. It is about remembering that Jesus came to save us and he came in such a way that we would be able to identify with him, as a human baby. Anyway, that is something that I wanted to be as the centerpiece of my Christmas and what better way than displaying the nativity as my table centerpiece!

I have also been baking some cookies to get ready for Christmas. And just as an aside, it is tricky to work with mixing bowls and tricky to get close to the counter/oven when you have a big pregnant belly getting in the way! But I have made thumbprint cookies, sugar cookies, fudge and no bake cookies. I decided that was all we needed since there are so many other goodies around the holidays. Here are some pics of the ones I remembered to take pictures of:

As far as my other knitting projects go... I can share the kindle cover I made for my mom because she is never online. But most others will have to wait until after Christmas. I actually made two covers: one in cream and another in purple. I made a cream one first before I realized that her kindle is charcoal gray and would probably show through the cream one. So I then made another one in a darker color and I really think she is going to like it! The pattern is so easy and it didn't take long to whip up at all. If you want the pattern it is also free and can be found here. Brie decided she wanted my attention right when I was taking this picture and thought it was to cute not to share :)

I think that is all the news I have to share for now. I will share more once the holidays are over.

Cloth Diapering Two-In-One Diapers: The Flip, BumGenius 4.0 and Oh Katy One Size Pocket

The concept of a two-in-one diaper is basically that the diaper has two parts to it. In the case of the Flip or pocket diapers there is the insert (the thing that makes the diaper absorbent) and the cover (the thing that makes the diaper waterproof.

The Filp is one of the diapers I have decided to have in my diaper stash. You can get it in many different colors and it comes with either velcro or snap closures, It is like a hybrid from traditional diaper covers and pocket diapers. A pocket or all-in-one (AIO) are one and done kind of products that require both the insert and cover to be washed every time a mess is made in it. The big perk of the Flip is that the insert can be removed and the cover reused if the cover isn't very soiled. Just wipe the inside with a wet wipe, set aside to dry and use with a fresh insert later. Another reason I really like the Flip is that it is a one size diaper which means it should fit Eli from 7-35 lbs which makes it cost effective. It also has great reviews: aka very few leaks. (I will have to find out for myself if this is true for my baby since all kids come in different shapes). Another perk is that the cover is made of a waterproof material that is also breathable. It doesn't have the super leg gussets that Thirsties covers have but the elastic around the legs does seem to get the job done.

The Flip is like a cover in many ways, however, because the waist is so narrow and trim I don't think it would work very well with a pre-fold diaper unless it were trifolded. This isn't a problem for me since I plan to use the inserts that are specifically made for the Flip but it is something to keep in mind if you are looking to use it as a basic diaper cover.

The Flip insert (pictured here) has 3 layers of microfiber and then a layer of "stay-dry" suede that wicks away moisture from baby's bottom. This differs slightly from microfiber inserts made for pocket diapers. The pocket diaper inserts are fully microfiber which makes them just as absorbent- but you wouldn't want to put it directly against baby's skin since microfiber can be really rough. The liner in a pocket diaper is meant to wick away moisture and protects a baby's bottom from any chafing that would occur from a microfiber insert. I originally planned to just buy BumGenius pocket inserts to use with both my pocket diapers and my Flips because they are a little cheaper. But in my research I found there is a difference between the two and thought you might want to know that as well. One nice thing about the inserts is that it is one-size-fits-all and folds to fit the small, medium and large settings of the cover. Here are two pics; one of what the insert looks like placed in the diaper and the other of the diaper all snapped up.

I'm now going to touch briefly on the pocket diapers I have in my stash. I purchased two different brands of pocket diapers: Bumgenius 4.0 and the Oh Katy one size pocket. These both are one-size diapers which means they should fit from birth to potty-training. The reason I chose these two brands is because they have gotten the best reviews I've seen so far. The Bumgenius seem to fit better once babies are bigger and the Oh Katy have a more versatile snap system for babies that have narrow waists. Here is a pic showing the waist snaps of the Bumbenius 4.0 (yellow) and Oh Katy (red):

Both brands came with a full size insert that can snap down to fit each size option, they also included a very small insert to be used for newborns or to be used as a doubler for nap time/long car trips for bigger babies. Here is a pic of what the Bumgenius 4.0 package included:

The Oh Katy Package looked pretty much the same. Just in case you aren't familiar with pocket daipers the way you use one is by stuffing the pocket section with an insert. It's pretty simple, but I know I will have to explain it to my husband so I thought I would say it here too. Some stuffing tips: If you have a boy place the folded portion of the insert at the front of the diaper where he will need the extra absorbency, if you have a girl place the folded part of the insert at the back. For cleaning convenience try to have the tag at the pocket opening. This way you can just grab the tag when removing the insert which will make it a little less messy for you at wash time.

Now, the Oh Katy inserts don't have tags so this isn't an option for them. But the pocket opening for the insert is at the front of the diaper instead of the back like the Bumgenius's is so, insert removal may not be as messy.

There aren't very many differences in the two types of pocket diaper that I chose aside from what I mentioned. Both received great reviews so I will just have to wait and see what works best. I plan to use the pocket diapers especially for bed and nap time since they are so absorbent and have the ability to be extra stuffed for extra absorbency if needed. I do like that the washing instructions for the Oh Katy allow for machine drying where the Bumgenius require line drying. I also really like how soft the Oh Katy lining is. But i'm a little concerned that the snaps in the Oh Katy will leave marks on Eli's skin but that is something I will just have to wait and see about. One thing to note is that the pocket diapers are more bulky than the Flip is so you may need to size up for clothing to fit over them. I will leave you with a pic of each. (Sorry the Oh Katy is so blurry I had a little trouble with exposure since the fabric is more satiny than the Bumgenius)

Just a few projects

I have been working on making some Christmas Stockings, I will flesh out this post a bit more later but for now here are the pics I have so far:

Cloth Diapering: Everything You Need to Know About PreFolds

So I now have my cloth diapers. I have washed them all and they are ready to go. I will let you all know in a few months how they are working for us. But to begin with I thought I would create a post on each type/brand of diaper I purchased and why. Maybe this will help anyone out there who just doesn't know where to begin. In this post I will talk about prefold diapers. I decided to go with these for the beginning of Eli's life because I have read reviews that they are great at containing breast milk poo. I also chose them because they would be cheaper than buying a whole other set of 2-in-one diapers in a newborn size that he would only be using for the first few weeks of his life.

The options in prefolds are Chinese or Indian Cotton. Here is a breakdown I found on CottonBabies.com That can help you decide which would work better for you:

Wondering if you should go with Indian prefolds or Chinese prefolds?
Indian prefolds benefits:

Softer cotton
These are probably made of gauze cotton
Unbleached diapers wash up quicker (3 washes)
More absorbent

Indian prefolds drawbacks:

May wear out faster than the Chinese prefolds.
Lighter weight thread is used when sewing the ends of the diapers so the thread may wear out faster than the fabric does. 

Chinese prefolds benefits:

Heavier duty stitching
These are probably made of twill
Due to being made of a heavier-weight fabric and stitched with a thicker thread, these prefolds will probably stay nice longer than the Indian prefolds.

Chinese prefolds drawbacks:

May pill up more than the Indian prefolds.
These diapers are still soft but they are definitely rougher than the Indian prefolds (when washed and dried in the same load)
It takes 7-10 hot wash cycles to make an unbleached Chinese prefold usable and absorbent. 

So, I went with Indian Cotton. I wasn't really worried about staying power since I bought them as a cheaper alternative to pockets/two-in-ones for when Eli is newborn size. I will primarially use pockets/two-in-ones once he is big enough to fit them. Once he is big enough for the other diapers we will use these as burp cloths. We got OsoCozy Brand in infant size 4x6x4. There are also 4x8x4 available. But I had no idea what that meant when I got them. So I did a little research and this is what I came up with:
The numbers describe the thickness and absorbency of the diaper. 4x6x4 means there are 4 layers of fabric on the two outer panels of the diaper and there are 6 layers of fabric in the middle. Here is a pic of one of my  unwashed diapers so you can see the panel definition really well:

Had I know that 4x8x4 was more absorbent I would have gone with that. They cost a little more but are not excessive. Well, live and learn. I'm hoping this won't be a problem.

It's also important to know what size you are getting. They range anywhere from preemie to toddler. So if you don't want a ginormous amount of cloth wrapped around your baby buy the right size. I went with infant size which the manufacturer says will fit from 7-15 lbs. Apparently the 15 lbs is only if using them tri-folded so keep that in mind and read reviews before making a final decision. There are many different brands and not all are created equal. My advise from research is to go with something 100% cotton or hemp as these seem to be the most absorbent.

So, once you have the diapers they are not ready to use. They must be pre-washed to make them absorbent and get rid of any chemicals lingering in the cloth. You will need to wash them anywhere from 3-10 times depending on the type of material; hemp, bleached cotton, unbleached cotton, etc. (You only need to use detergent once). Also, as a side note, you can't use just any detergent on these things. Regular detergent will decrease absorbency and cause liquid to repel from the fabric. Even if it says free and clear you shouldn't use it. Make sure you use a detergent that is specially for cloth diapering whether manufactured or home-made.

The type of diaper I chose (100% cotton) will be ready to be used after 3 wash and dry cycles but they will continue to become more absorbent the more they are washed. Be aware that the when your diapers are purchased they are not the right size. They will quilt up and shrink up. Mine started out 16in long and after 3 wash/dry cycles they were 2 inches shorter. So don't freak out when this happens, and make sure you buy the right size to begin with:

Once the diapers are ready you can use them in many different folds. Different folds will work for different babies so do some research then experiment and find out what works for you. Keep in mind that a boy needs extra protection in different areas than a girl does. You can find tutorial videos online which I found very helpful. Some types of folds to look up are: The Newspaper Fold, The Angel Wing Fold, The Bikini Twist, The Jelly Roll Fold, and Tri-fold. Something to keep in mind: the Tri-fold don't work as well on breast fed only babies because they don't catch the mess as well.

I am going to use snappies instead of the traditional safety pins to secure the diapers. They hold a little like ace bandages and I feel more confident using them around a squirmy baby than using a sharp pointy object (especially in the middle of the night when I'm half-asleep). You can find tutorial videos online for these as well. Here is a pic of them:

Once you have the diaper on your child, put a cover on and go! I chose to use Thirsties brand of diaper cover. They are the picture at the beginning of this blog. They are come in 2 sizes: a smaller (6-18 lbs) and larger (18-40 lbs) instead of the one-size fits all. The reason I chose them is they are small enough for most newborns and work well with prefolds. They come in a lot of different colors and prints and you can get velcro or snaps for them. They adjust in size with snaps so that they fit properly. They are made in the USA which is a nice plus. The fabric is waterproof but it is also breathable and pliable which is a must in my book. One thing though that I really like about these as opposed to say a pocket diaper is that the cover is reusable. It doesn't have to be washed every time it is used so long as you don't get a poopy mess all over it. Just wipe the inside with a wipe and set it aside to dry and grab another one. One thing that many moms love about them is that they have these great leg gussets that really ensure against leaks:

You can use the prefolds a couple ways in these diaper covers: as traditional covers, or as inserts that just lay trifolded on the inside of the diaper cover:

I think that pretty much sums up this blog. I do want close by showing the size difference between disposable and cloth diapers. Disposable are much trimmer which is something to keep in mind when you are dressing your baby. It's possible that newborn size clothing may not fit over these diapers very well:

Well, that's about it for now. I will post on my other diapers in another post!

Family Update for October

Well, it has been an eventful month. I dropped my phone one to many times and had to get a new one. Jeff naturally had to get one if I was getting one. So we already have our Christmas presents which happen to be shiny iphones, not the 4s but it they are still pretty nice.

I haven't gotten much knitting done since I have been feeling under the weather most of the month but I did finish up a little Christmas present I was making for Jeff's sister. I absolutely love how it turned out and am excited to see how she likes it. I will post pics after Christmas of the things I'm making as gifts for people. I am also making some things as Christmas decorations that I will be posting once I get them finished.

We have some great news on the baby front. As of yesterday we know we are having a boy! So we will be welcoming Elijah Greyson to our family come March. Jeff had a dream a few weeks ago that we had a boy and he told Jeff his name was Greyson. It made me laugh because it reminded me so much of Fiddler on the Roof when the husband convinces his wife to do what he wants because of a dream. So the baby's name is a compromise. I chose the first name and Jeff chose the middle name. I will be calling him Eli, Jeff will be calling him Grey. You can call him either as well. :) Also, Jeff's parents graciously offered to provide our cloth diapers when we visited them this month! That is such a huge blessing for us. It especially makes Jeff happy because it's one less thing I have been stressing about.

I have started to feel little Eli moving around and he feels like all elbows and feet. I don't mind too much. I'm starting to get used to it but it makes working a little difficult at times when he is squirming uncomfortably when I'm trying to get things done. But I will probably be quitting work after Thanksgiving and even sooner if they can find a replacement for me. Cleaning the school and growing a person is very draining on my body. But I know I will be bored out of my mind with nothing to do at home. Maybe at least I might catch up on my knitting.

Jeff has been doing pretty well. He decided to prestige on Call of Duty again (I know that is big news for him). Also, he has picked up his camera a few times this month which makes me happy. He took some shots along the trail we live beside. It has been so nice to get out and enjoy the trail with the leaves turning colors. I also love looking out our front windows at the thicket of trees. They have been so pretty this whole fall and I can't wait to see them covered in snow! The pic at the top of the page is one Jeff took of the pond along the trail, and here is a view we have of the golf course from just off the trail.

Now that the colder weather has come upon us I have been making more soups. This week has been especially full of soup meals. Today I made one of our new favorite soups. The recipe comes from Taste of Home Magazine and I just have to share it with you all because it is so satisfying and yet so easy!

Here is the Recipe if you are interested. And as a side note, the recipe calls for chickpeas which I don't like. So I have used just a handy can of beans.

Sausage and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

• - 3 med. Yukon gold or red potatoes chopped
• - 2 med. onions chopped
• - 1/2 c. Kale or spinach with stems removed chopped
• - 4 garlic cloves minced
• - 1/4 tsp pepper
• - 1/4 tsp salt
• - 2 bay leaves
• - 1 can (14 oz)diced tomatoes undrained
• - 1 can chickpeas or pinto beans rinsed and drained
• - 1 lb smoked kielbasa or polish sausage cut into 1/4 in slices
• - 4 cups chicken broth

Directions:

1. 1. In a dutch oven over medium-low heat cook potatoes and onions in oil for 5 min, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and garlic; cover and cook 2-3 min or until spinach is wilted.
2. 2. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 9-12 min or until potatoes are tender. Discard bay leaves.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! It is really good with cornbread or just a loaf of French Bread. And it cooks pretty quick and makes 3.5 quarts. 


I think that is about all that is going on with us for now... that I can think of anyway. Until next post I will leave you with a pic we took at work last night. That's right, it was a double rainbow across the sky. What does it mean?!

One of the first major decisions we made about our child

So I came to a realization the other day that Jeff and I are hippies. Looking back I see I should have known this all along. I mean, the signs are everywhere! We love hiking and camping as well as stuff like home grown vegetables and making things with yarn and hemp. But it just began to dawn on me when I realized that I am planning on giving birth naturally in the birthing center at Miami Valley Hospital. Not only do I plan to forgo any drugs while I push a human being out of my body but I plan to at least hang out in the birthing tub and if it ends up being a water birth, well, that's ok with me. Never in my life did I think I would be saying stuff like that.

But the thing that really opened my eyes to how hippie we are is the fact that we are going to cloth diaper our child. I already know there are skeptics out there with a "just wait and see" or "yeah right" or "you are certifiably insane" attitude about this decision but I have actually put a great deal of thought into this. To be honest there is only one true reason we have chosen to cloth diaper, all the rest is just a nice bonus.

The Environment. The most obvious hippie reason for cloth diapering is saving the planet. I honestly don't care so much about this reason- whew, I guess I'm not that big of a hippie after all. I do, however, think it's nice that we won't be adding to landfills. I have read that it can take anywhere between 200-500 years for disposable diapers to decompose, and in the course of 2 years a baby will contribute a ton of waste to the landfills, but in this "Green" aware era there are disposables out there that are biodegradable and all that good stuff. So there are options.

For me though, this wasn't a contributing factor in making our diaper decision. Maybe I'm a terrible person who doesn't care about the earth but decreasing my carbon footprint wasn't on my mind when choosing a diaper for my child.

Health. Another benefit is the health of my child. Disposable diapers are full of chemicals that sit right up against a baby's body and that can't be good right? They have dioxin which is a cancer causing chemical. And, An article found on the Real Diaper Association's website states: "Disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. A similar substance had been used in super-absorbency tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome by increasing absorbency and improving the environment for the growth of toxin-producing bacteria." At first glance I find this is alarming, however, I don't know of any babies personally who have had any health problems arising from what kind of diaper they use. In fact, other than diaper rash, I don't know of any instances where a child has had health issues from their diaper, least of all gotten toxic shock syndrome. Speaking of diaper rash, I have read on many blogs that once parents switch to cloth diapers this ailment all but disappears. But I haven't found any actual study or proof that cloth diapers help in this area. It is possible that a baby's sensitive skin just does better for these parents because cloth diapers must be changed more frequently causing the area to be cleaner/drier or maybe the baby had an issue with the chemicals from the disposables. All I know is most moms all over the internet who cloth diaper swear that it helps prevent diaper rash.

For me, I just don't see any quantifiable proof showing cloth diaper babies being healthier. They are supposedly and it is nice to know I won't be subjecting our child to unnecessary chemicals but this didn't sway me towards cloth diapers because in the end this just doesn't matter that much to me. And that doesn't make me a bad mom.

Earlier Potty Training. I have read everywhere that babies who use cloth diapers potty train earlier than those who use disposables. (this is another one I haven't found absolute proof for but statistically speaking it does seem true). Potty training I think (In my vast parenting experience ;) depends a lot on the child. But it does seem that for many people, using cloth helps a child potty train anywhere between 24-30 months of age as opposed to the average 36-42 months of age (diapernet.org). You hear a lot about the inconvenience of cloth but the way I look at it: A year less of changing diapers is convenient I don't care what you say.

Well, shoot! This didn't make me decide to go cloth but it definitely helped sway Jeff.

Quality. When I first brought up the subject of cloth diapering with my mom she had a lot to say about leaks. She said there were always leaks thats just something that you have to deal with when you use cloth. But as I researched modern cloth diapers I realized a lot has changed since I was a kid. There are so many options out there other than the traditional nappie with safety pin! I will devote a whole post to these some time but for now just know that cloth can be completely pin free and leak free. I also found that many women like that their cloth diapers never have blowouts like the disposables do. Some can be bulky but other styles of cloth diapers are just as trim as disposable and they have way cuter print than disposables have too.

This was an encouraging discovery for me. I can have all the protection I need with cloth diapers. Leak control is more than just a nice factor in our decision-it was a must. But at the end of the day it wasn't our go to reason for using cloth diapers.

Ok, so do you want to know what did convince me to go with cloth? Well the answer lies in the simple fact that I will not be working after our baby is born. We will be living off of Jeff's custodian salary and the help of my parents, and we will be tightening an already cinched belt. It might be six months or it might be six years before I get a job again. So with that in mind, I set out to be as cost contentious as possible. In my research I was blown away at the cost of diapering. It could cost anywhere between $1,200 and $1,600 for two years of diapering. We won't have an extra $50 a month to spend on our child's crap. And even if we did, why would I want to spend so much if I could spend much much less? I will only have to spend $350 for the entirety of my child's diapering years birth to potty training. I can also use the diapers again for any additional children or sell them on e-bay for very close to the cost I paid. (It also helps that our apartment pays our water so extra washing isn't a problem). So, yes you guessed it. Our motivation in making this life decision was based solely on money. (We can't help it, we're American).

Granted I have to admit if money wasn't an issue with us I never would have considered cloth diapers. There are drawbacks-mainly stinky laundry every other day. Another drawback is convenience; We will have to carry soiled diapers in our diaper bag when out and about, but fortunately, there are waterproof little laundry bags we can take with us. I'm also a little concerned about the backlash we are going to get for cloth diapering. For most people it just doesn't make sense and that is a big reason I'm writing this blog. This is a choice we have made fully believing it is the best thing for our family and I appreciate everyone's respect in our decision. But for the most part I'm excited about the whole process, well as excited as you can get over poo. When I actually get into the process I will write more.

Am I anti-disposable diapers? Not at all. I won't mind using them on rare occasion. I just won't pay for them.

If you are interested in where I got my info, most of it came from diapernet.org

August/September Update 2011

So, its been a while since I have blogged. Sorry about that. I guess I have felt I just don't have much to share- but at the same time, if I don't update soon you will all be forced to read an epic super long post so I thought I would go ahead and update you all...

In the last post I let everyone know Jeff and I are expecting a baby. I have now reached my second trimester and things seem to be going really well. The doctor says the baby has a nice strong steady heartbeat and we did get to see an ultrasound at the 6 week point, but the baby was just a little blob then. Jeff keeps calling the baby a "she" so I guess we all know what he expects the gender to be. I keep apologizing to the baby if it is a boy just in case...

My first trimester actually went pretty smoothly, as far as those things go. I never actually threw up, just felt a little queasy. Unfortunately as the pregnancy progresses things seem to be getting worse, not better. This past week was spent throwing up but I also had serious sinus pressure and drainage so it's possible that I was actually ill and the tummy sickness was really due to sickness. Please Lord let that be true. I now have some antibiotics so I guess I will find out pretty soon.

We haven't really been up to much the past month. We decided not to do any traveling during my first trimester after we took a trip to Tennessee to visit my grandparents. The trip was exhausting for me and it took a few weeks to regain my energy. So mostly we have just been hanging out at home with the air conditioning on getting through the hot summer months.

Jeff's parents Bob and Linda brought us a hummingbird feeder and we had hummingbirds at the feeder a few hours after we put it up. There was one day that some bees decided to camp out on the feeder, and that was interesting- I felt bad for the hummingbirds because they would try to get close and would then be scared away by the bees. But the bees only did that for a day or two then moved on thank goodness. Here are some pics.

I will say that I'm definitely feeling more energy for knitting. (except last week when I was sick) I have been working on a sweater that is going slowly but surely. I'm also trying to finish up my advent mitten garland by Christmas. There is a baby blanket I want to get done by the end of October for a friend. But my problem right now is there are so many projects I want to do. I have all my Christmas presents knitted but I want to make some stockings. And I am going to start some fingerless gloves with a friend for a knitting group we are part of. I'm really looking forward to doing this project with Amber.

Other than that, we have had some seriously cute cat antics going on. Since I have had some raging hormones I had a very small ball of yarn  that I decided to throw instead of smashing all of my breakables. It seemed like a more healthy outlet for my desire to break things. But after I threw it one time Brie decided the yarn ball was hers. We woke up the next morning to find a web of yarn all over the floor and wrapped around furniture legs. After that we have put up the yarn ball at night just so she doesn't get herself tangled but we let her play with it while we are around and she is super cute with it.

She has been such a blessing to me when I'm not feeling well. She will come and lay beside me and just keep me company. Sometimes when I moan and groan about not feeling well she will come straight up to me as if to say "what's wrong? Here pet me or play with me that is sure to make you feel better" Seriously I think that is how she would talk if she could. Well, that's about all for now. There is a lot more going on but my brain is checking out so I guess you will just have to wait till next time. Until then I will leave you with this cute pic of Brie. She just decided to jump into the takeout bag while we were eating dinner. She is a whole lot of cute and even more of silly.

Project Proposal Fall

The new term of my Hogwarts knitting club is about to begin and I am going to attempt another OWL. (This is a project that should take 2-3 months to complete). Not all the information is in on the options for the fall but if they are close to the same as the last term my proposal will look something like this.

Name: Christinahwest
House: Gryffindor
Year: Third
OWL and Option: Muggle Studies Option 1 Knit an adult sweater to use as a disguise when dealing with muggles. (this may change and could need to be edited depending on weather the options change for fall)
Sequence and Challenge: I propose to make The Larch Cardigan (an adult sized cardigan). The challenge for me lies in that I have never made an object of clothing like this before (first ever sweater). I will be learning seaming and will be challenged in my pattern reading abilities. I have never worked with a pattern so involved before. And have never made a project of this magnitude (this is a lot more yarn than I have ever used on a single project before).
Halfway Point: The pattern states that I should be at my halfway point once I have used 3.5 balls of yarn (625 yds) I may end up having to estimate when I reach the halfway point of the 4th ball of yarn.
Supplies and swatch:
The gauge is 23 sts x 29 rows= 4” in Stockinette st this is my first ever swatch (in future I think I will make a garter boarder so I don't have to deal with the natural curling stockinette st produces. But despite this after blocking my swatch did turn out as a 4" square Sorry the pic isn't great:

Here is a pic of the Pattern:

The pattern calls for 1250 yards of yarn. I have 1424 in my stash right now:

July Update

Well, this month has been very eventful and what I would consider classic summertime fun.

We had a fantastic 4th of July beginning the weekend with Jeff's parents. We got to cook out (I love cheeseburgers, perhaps not nearly so much as my father-in-law, but still). We also played in their pool and got just a touch of sunburn. Sigh. Good times. Then we went that Sunday night to have steak, another favorite, with my family. We set off our annual fireworks in the back yard. There were some really magnificent fireworks they set off this year. I think the boys really out did themselves.

Thus began our week long stay-cation in which Jeff and spent the majority of the time playing video games and just relaxing. I read a lot of books which was a nice change. We did get the chance to hike at Cox Arboretum and then we had our first experience with Indian food- pretty good but I had some stuff that was really hot.

We then ended our vacation by going to the water park with Jen and Trist (Jeff's Sister and our brother-in-law). We had so much fun! I forgot how much I love waterslides. I also have to say I really enjoy the lazy river and wave pool. Good times. However, Jeff and I were burned to a crisp by the end of the day. It was totally worth it though. :)

Oh, and I also got glasses! They help me see when I'm driving. I have to say its a really novel experience seeing everything so crisp and in focus. The best way I can describe it is things look more 3-D.

Now for the most interesting news. I also found out this month that I will be having a baby. I went to the woman's clinic today with Jeff to take a clinic test and get an ultrasound. (I went to the clinic because my first apt with my OB isn't until September 1st.) The test was positive, no surprise there, and thus far I am at 6 weeks. I have to say it was pretty exciting to see our little baby and hear it's heart beating. I will post some pics of the ultrasound once we get them digital. We will be expecting the baby to be here towards the end of March next year. I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little scared. We don't exactly have the resources to take care of a Baby. Please pray that God will provide Jeff with a better job so that we don't have to move back in with my parents.

Other than that things have been pretty calm... ha ha. I have just started feeling sick and I'm tired all the time. I can't wait to go back down to working 20 hrs a week so I can get a nap in every day. Even with feeling gross and tired I was able to get a panel knitted in a blanket I'm making for a friend who will be having a baby. It will probably take a while to get it done at this rate but I have a few months still. Here is what I have so far. I will make a few strips and then sew them together to get a wavy pattern.

Well, I guess that's all for now.

June Update

I know this is a little late in coming sorry for that....
Things have slowed down in some ways for us now that summer has started. Jeff is off school for the summer and he is now finished completely with his science. All he has left for his degree is art classes and one computer class. That's pretty exciting for us. Jeff isn't looking forward to the art history but at least its in his field of study. We are both working full time on the summer crew for Dayton Christian, I'm on the paint crew and Jeff is heading up one of the floor crews. The way the schedule works out is in a way that Jeff is at one campus when I'm at the other so we haven't been able to eat lunch together or ride in to work together. We are going to be working 10 hr days so that we only have to go in 4 days a week. I should say try though, I'm not sure I will have the energy or motivation for such a long work day. We shall see.

I have been working on some projects. And I made something for my sister-in-law for Christmas... But it didn't turn out perfect (I twisted the stitches on a whole row) so I will either be making another or something else for her. I don't mind because I really love it and as I was making it I debated on making myself one anyway. I will have to post pics after Christmas I don't want to risk her seeing her present early :)

I did get the chance to do a little baking this month. I tried out a recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip bread which Jeff can't get enough of. I have also been making good use of the bread machine that my in-laws gave me (it had just been taking up counter space in their kitchen) Jeff and I can't eat a whole loaf in one sitting so I just make the dough in the machine and then divide it into three mini pans, cover for 30 min and bake them for about another 30 min. After that I wrap the 2 loafs we aren't going to eat right away in foil and put them in the freezer till we need them. It is so nice to be able to pull out a loaf and just pop it, foil and all, into the oven for 45 min while I'm making the rest of dinner. And the mini loaf size is perfect for the two of us.

I also made a huge batch of sugar cookies for Father's day. My brothers took my dad to a Red's game for father's day so I went with a baseball theme and gave my dad cookies decorated as baseballs and hats. I now know why people don't use blue food coloring very often: it turns your mouth blue! They they tasted pretty good but boy, I don't think I will be making sugar cookies again till Christmas, they are just so much work!

Speaking of Christmas, I have reached my halfway point for the Advent mittens garland I'm making. I will actually be making one for each day of December instead of just 24 for the days leading up to Christmas. I'm making this project for my OWL in the Hogwarts knitting group I'm in and they said that just 24 mittens wouldn't be a very big challenge so I add a few more mittens to the list. I will probably use the extra mittens for ornaments or maybe as gift garnish. I will be posting a blog totally devoted to this garland once it is finished but here is most of what I have so far:

As a side note, I woke up one morning a week or so ago to find the mitten I was knitting the night before on the floor with the ball of attached yarn strewn across the floor. Apparently the coffee table isn't the safest place to keep projects from furry creatures who love to play with yarn. Brie didn't do anything to the mitten but she did unwind a good amount of yarn from the ball. She is so funny.

I saved talking about our cat for the end of the post since I figure some people don't care much about pet antics so if you don't care you could have stopped reading about a paragraph ago :) But Brie is totally adjusted to our place now. I took her to the vet and she is perfectly healthy which is good. We have found she is super playful and she is also very vocal as well... She likes to play with string which is really cute especially when she thinks the string I am knitting with is a toy for her. She also loves sitting on the couch and looking out the window at the bird feeder.  In fact, the other day there were some guys doing landscaping in front of the apartment and had to move the feeder for a bit and they say she hissed at them when they took it down. She was pretty pissed at them. But the feeder is back and all is well in Brie's life. Here are some of the promised pics of Brie:

Here she is looking out the window (one of her favorite spots)

Her food and water dish are in the family room since she seems to like  company when she eats.