Okay so the baby doesn’t knit, but I am knitting for the baby. And have just a few frustrations. I got one of those worked out last night (not being able to find the right yarn), and finished this:
It’s a little papoose. That is 48 inches of stockinette people – mo-not-on-ous! But easy, and now done. (ravelry link). My mom talked me into a zipper so it would be easier to check if baby was wet or dry. Sewing a zipper in a hand knit, sure. Oh wait, hard. But figured it out due to some great online tutorials. I also finally got to use the pom-pom maker that my step mom got me for Christmas:
Cute! Right now I am glad to be done with a few cotton projects, as cotton gets a little old knitting with, and Socks That Rocks is so much nicer (a super soft, superwash wool):
Making up this sweater:
(Ravlery Link) I changed the stripping. So I’m making this in a six month size. From what I hear the baby will be pretty much nursing all the time at the beginning so unless I get some mad multi-tasking skills I figure I should have enough hand-knits stocked for the first six months. I think like five sweaters in each of three sizes (newborn, 3 months, 6 months), should last me. Plus I know knitters…. here’s hoping they get that hint ๐ I also want to do up at least 5 hats, 7 pairs of pants/soakers, a bunch of baby socks, a blanket (almost done), and at least one more sleep sack. Am I missing anything else vital there? Moms? I did already do this in newborn size right at the beginning:
Really easy wrap sweater (Ravelry Link). Also this just needs edging:
A little jacket from one of my vintage pattern books (Ravelry Link). Oh my goodness am I glad to have my energy back (for the most part). It’s nice to be able to work on projects!!!
The nicer grandparent
On Wednesday my mom and I spent a lovely day together heading up to Portland and visiting with my grandma. She never called me fat, and she made me lunch, what more can you want? I keep meaning to bring my camera up there to take pictures of her cute little place, but I always forget. This time was no different, but luckily my mom had hers:
I love asking my grandma where she got something. The answer is always either, "so and so got that for me" or "oh I’ve had that forever." Which just can not be true. Her place is always so spic and span I wonder where she hides all her treasures. 
Her back yard. Well a sort of side yard really. She just re-did the pond and everything herself. Almost all the plants are dug up treasures or gifts from people. She is growing lots of veggies and fruits too. The salad she made us was all from her garden.
A green house she built out of windows the neighbor’s were getting rid of. Quite clever. So if you ever wonder where I get all my mad skills:
These two lovely ladies. And I should add my great grandma, who had the knitting bug way before me. I hope to be at least half as active as her when I’m registering for AARP ๐ Thanks for a great day grandma!
TypePad on my iPhone
I love my iPhone!
This is BJ and I have the day off. ๐
Grumpy Old Man, Grumpier than ever!
You know what, I’m going to say it, not all old people are nice and sweet. In fact some are the opposite, like this guy:
Ya, ya, he looks all cute and harmless, and like he’s taken a few falls this week (he has, two in fact). But man can this guy get on my nerves. Yesterday I wanted to go over there and check on him because the day before he had fallen. And I hate to say it, but really it was his own fault. We have been trying to get him to pull his service cord when he needs help, but the guy refuses. So when he spilled a whole container of Boost (he got boosted he said) he went about cleaning it up himself. From there he ended up face planted to the floor, and struggled for a half hour to get to cord to get help up. I do feel bad about that. I would hate to be so weak, and not be able to do anything myself. But I think there has to be a point where you ask people for help. Instead he falls or hurts himself and we have to go over there double time, and I’m getting a bit bitter about because of what he said to me yesterday.
I told Bj we should head over there to check on him, hang out a bit, Bj suggested bringing him a milkshake, so we did and went over after lunch. The night before I had talked grandpa into taking a pain pill and he had actually slept through the night, which I was happy about. But his mood was still sour. I was sitting next to his bed and Bj was sitting on his walker talking to him when grandpa said to him,
"And you, you better watch her, she’s gaining weight."
Bj: "Grandpa, she’s pregnant!"
Grandpa: "Well I know, but I’m serious you don’t want her to gain to much."
Me: "Grandpa you shouldn’t say mean things to people."
Grandpa: "So you’re fat, that’s not mean, you are fat."
Me: "Saying mean things is your favorite pastime."
Grandpa: "I don’t say mean things (turns and looks at Bj with a smile), not to their faces."
Ok yes, it was funny for a few seconds, and Bj was cracking up. But the more I thought about it the more upset I got. We were in his room, but he has no problem saying things like this to me in public, which I hate. I actually did say I would kick him while he was down yesterday. So there, you can’t all think I’m a saint now for taking care of him. Argh! We went on to have this conversation. It started out because Bj was wearing flip flops and grandpa just now noticed how large his feet are:
Grandpa: "God you have big feet. I don’t trust em. Damn your big toe is almost longer than my foot."
He started to ask Bj if he swam, he doesn’t. And I couldn’t help but interject that I could beat him in a race. Bj said, "ya, Amber was a lifeguard and everything."
Grandpa: "You were a certified life guard? Was that for a kiddy pool?"
No I told him it wasn’t. That I went through he regular training. That I had to be paired up with the biggest guy in my class since I was the smallest. To which grandpa said, "And you’re not near as big as you are now." AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
We changed the subject and Bj started pulling out clothes for his doctor’s appointment. He grabbed the shorts from last year (it’s hot here):
And grandpa said, "No I’m not wearing those, I don’t want them to see my shape. I’d have girls lined up."
He pulled out a pair of pants, "how about these?"
Grandpa, "Sure that’s fine, as long as I’m not hanging out everywhere."
That guy, he thinks he’s like gods gift to women. Still at 88. You have got to be kidding me. The guy drives me mad. And don’t tell me he doesn’t know what he saying. He totally does. He doesn’t have any mental or memory problems. I think that’s an excuse people use. I feel like he should have to take responsibility for his words, but I just can’t seem to convey this to him. And it’s like he knows he can just keep doing it. What am I going to do, not take him to the doctor? I have to. I just am about at my wits end with this guy. A baby is going to seem so easy to take care of after this. I’ve logged thousands of hours watching infants, and like zero (before grandpa) watching old people. And you know what, a year an half later, I still don’t get this guy!
p.s. when he was complaining about his back I told him to look up karma in the dictionary. Was that mean?
Old School
Am I the only one who still uses this stuff instead of deodorant? I can’t find it anywhere and this little travel size that I thought was going to last forever is getting suspiciously light. I did find it online, but it’s so cheap I thought I’d ask if anyone has noticed it in any shop (any flavor is fine)? Turns out one of the worst thing about pregnancy is sweating and smelling. And I am not a fan of either.
Weekend/First Trimester Update
Oh my goodness you guys, thanks for all the baby love! I’m glad you think my bump is cute. I ask Bj pretty much every day, "do I look fat or do I look pregnant?" It’s one of those stupid girly questions that really only has one answer. But I do really feel that it is a defined bump now, and not the "gut spillage" I experienced for a while. Ah, ya, I guess I never really thought, "hey where does everything go that was down there?" before. Answer? It goes anywhere it wants. Or as a nurse told me, "You should see C-sections intestines, even stomachs sometimes spill out the sides." Oh good lord. What happened to those pictures from the World Book Encyclopedia with the baby just sort of sitting on top of everything? Those guys were big fat liars. Anyway.
Who wants me to recap the first trimester? No one? Too bad. It was yucky. I was so so so excited to be a mama, I mean it was pretty much my life goal. I have not qualms about saying that. I would totally be lying if I said that anything else has ever been as important to me. It’s all I’ve ever wanted and we have beta-max tape to prove it. And at the very very beginning I was like, "this is cake!" And I quickly knit up the first little sweater. Then I started feeling crampy. Then I started feeling really cramping. Wake me up in the middle of the night menstrual type cramps. Which of course I couldn’t take anything for. Then my boobs started killing me (and growing like, whoa). Then I got sick. But I didn’t throw up because I don’t like to throw up (I admit now it might have helped the situation). Then I got so tired. I sat and watched TV and couldn’t even knit. And I didn’t blog because what was the point. I wasn’t doing anything. Doesn’t that all sound so terrible and over dramatic? It does to me now as I feel just fine most of the time. I still miss my diet coke of course (Diet Coke I looooooooove you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). And I’ve just realized that I can’t sit with my knees up to my chest anymore. But other than that it’s all good. I’ve bought only a tiny little minimal amount of baby stuff as we won’t have a baby room until after the baby comes. And we’re not finding out the sex and most things are sickeningly boy or girl only ("you’re a boy you will love baseball, you’re a girl, you will like pink!"). So I’ve been good. I do have a big wish list though (going to sidebar that one when I have time), including a ridiculously expensive English pram. Doesn’t every baby need an English pram?!?!
Now this weekend. I went to visit my other favorite baby. Who is not really a baby any as she can fully speak and pose and run around and do all types of fabulous things. We also asked V to pose:
And she did this and it was so funny. And I can’t believe she is old enough to do things like this, it is so funny. She has also gotten ridiculously tall. Like 3T tall, but still 2T skinny (hence the belt). And next week she’ll be two!! So my baby will be 2.5 years younger. More than I thought, but hey, I think they’ll still be buddies. 
Awe. The little munchkin. I love her.
So Bj and I had a low key Independence day there (BBQ care of Brett, yum). Then we came back for fireworks at my dad’s. Where I found out my brother had already told pretty much the world about the baby. So I guess I lost that bet (Oh he won’t tell anyone!). Our mother’s did a much better job (and this is why they got told first!). I didn’t really think anything was going to happen. I think it was more like this special thing between Bj and I for just a while. It was a nice little secret that led to cute whispered messages on my phone that said, "I love you, and the baby too!" (and I rebooted my phone and it deleted it and I almost cried because it was so cute). Bj is so funny about the whole thing, by the way. The first test I took I made him read and he said, "sorry it was negative." And when I went to check it I said, "you dork, this is positive." He claimed it was too light, and I think only really believed it when my boobs popped out of my bra a few weeks later. Now he gets this adorable, idiotic, so happy look when we hear the heartbeat. It’s so cute. Oh and when I had all that cramping I had to have an early ultrasound. We walked out of there and Bj gave me a high five, "there’s only one, yesssss!" Now if only I could get him so excited about organic lawn care….
Coming up this week: grandpa updates, knitting updates, ribbon updates, and? Just know I’ll be more active on here now that the secret is out. I was worried I’d lost readers forever. ๐
You had to see this coming
Little baby is my best excuse ever for going off a diet. We are so over the moon happy to be welcoming our first little darling right around the new year. 2008, 2009?!?! Wait and see!
Party like it’s 1958!
Saturday was my mom’s big 50th bash. My step-dad Bill and I spent the whole day working on it. Earlier this month when we got together to plan everything and I rattled off lists of things we were going to get, make, do, etc. he asked if he needed to do anything. I get a little over-zealous with party planning, in case you’ve never noticed. But he did have to help on Saturday, shopping, chopping, and cooking to put together this:
Brent the bar tender. Check the homemade (and slightly supplemented with Newman’s Own -shh) strawberry lemonade, yum!
Party was at my mom’s. Ah I love her backyard, so party friendly!
From the left: my mom’s friend from I think middle school, Kim. She gave her this framed picture of my mom on cheer squad when they were really young, so cute, long pigtails! Then Bill’s mom, Bill (my partner in crime), and Kim’s husband. I didn’t get pictures of all the food we spend forever working on but I did a french type potato salad, a yummy fresh fruit salad, and BBQ burritos (pastrami, peppers, onions, pepperjack cheese, tomatoes in a flour tortilla then grilled in foil). We also had chips and dips along with the bar my brother set up: lemon drops, pops, beers, wine, water and the lemonade. Full disclosure: my mom did end up helping chop veggies a bit. She’s so fast at that kind of thing!
It has been hotter than hot around here so I spent the next day at this pool doing nothing. Oh I did a little knitting I guess, but still day of perfection. And it got to be over a hundred here and I still managed to keep the max temperature at the house below 85. Sounds, hot but that was only for a little bit. With no air conditioning I think that’s pretty good. Hope you’re staying cool and your weekends were as rockin!
And totally random: But do you ever watch NBC nightly news on the weekend? Lester Holt always looks like he’s about the crack up on every story, even terrible ones like war stuff and house fires. Am I alone on this? It sort of cracks me up, I can not take him seriously.
Plants and Berries
Yesterday I finally made it to Portland again, it had been months I think since I’d driven up. Trying to save gas and all (though Bj doesn’t believe me). I met Tex at the cool nursery she works at. I realized I didn’t get very good overview shots of the nursery, I was too focused on all the pretty plants (oh my poor neglected yard). But here is the one shot I got:
You can see how it’s right in the city, so neat, like a little oasis. We had lunch and then I wondered around snapping pictures of plants I want.
Who knew I liked succulents? Not me, but I do love these.
I love this apple tree. It’s six varieties grafted together. Then it was trained to grow short and wide. I’m thinking this could be very nice growing propped on my fence. After hanging out for a while and checking up on Tex’s wedding plans (and her dress, oh my goodness it’s awesome) we headed to Canby to pick strawberries. Sciarrino and I had walked downtown to the farmer’s market Wednesday and taste tested six different farms. We liked this one (South Barlow Berries) best. And I did take my camera to that market, but did not take pictures, bad Amber. But in my defense I was busy eating a big cup of fresh cut fruit and the best burrito ever!
U-Pick berries on the cutest little farm. They don’t spray nasty stuff here which is nice. It’s a lot of work but the reward?
My bounty:
That bowl might look deceiving but it’s one of those huge mixing bowls (garage sale find). I picked ten pounds. My grand total: $8.50 so cheap! 
Happy pickers!
One more picture because they are just so pretty! This farm also does marionberries, raspberries, boysenberries, and more. So we’ll be back!
Playing with the camera
Just a little bit. At dinner on Monday Bj contemplates what to eat:
and pretending he’s on wine library TV:
Hehehe. I love that guy. I figured out that my main problem with the camera (or me using it), is that I have a trouble with light metering. I’m thinking about renting a separate one to see if my suspicions are correct. 
My favorite thing about myself? The color of my lips. I figure if I can get that correct in one of my shots I’ll know I’ve got all my settings right. Almost there…
Oh my favorite yesterday? I loved them all, but Dianne’s really cracked me up: "wubba wubba wubba." LOL So you’re up for picking the next word Dianne!