Holiday Hustle n Bustle

The turkey's done.  Leftover pie scraped into the trash.  (sniff sniff)  Our house is slowly being transformed into its Christmasy stages.  The Hustledown is officially on! 

I totally feel behind the eight-ball, and I'm not sure why.  I feel like I have to rushrushrush everything, from getting the tree up to the Christmas cards made out to shopping for gifts and everything in between.  It must be the pregnancy....the holidays don't usually have this much of an affect on me.  But it's driving me crazy, like everything has to be done NOW!!!  How do I tell my preggo brain to come off overdrive and enjoy some of this?  Because really, soon after Christmas, we'll be forever changed to a family of four.  Send me some patience, please!  :)

"Liberry"

I've had some library books kicking around my car for at least a week now...and I only remember that they needed to go back when I climbed into the passenger seat last night and stepped all over them.   Plus I have the next two Sookie Stackhouse novels on hold.  I LOVE how you can go onto the library's website, request a bunch of books, choose a Central MA library location and then get an email when your books have arrived there so that you can pick them up.  I've read 63 books on my Goodreads list this year mainly because of that feature and I haven't bought very many books.  At the beginning of the year I swore that I would get books either through the library or through Bookmooch.  It's saved me a ton of money, since I'm a total bibliophile!  I can't even tell you how much I love to read, I always have. 

Will loves reading books with us, which is something that I'm proud to have passed on to him.  However, I buy him a lot of books.  So, for an educational experience, I brought Will with me to the library this afternoon to go through the stacks of books.  He originally wanted a "book about elephants and race cars" but we didn't find any of those.  He also grabbed a bunch of books written in Polish, and was disappointment that Mama can't read Polish.  :)   He had a tough time grasping that we "borrow" books instead of buying them, but was thrilled that he was going home with two Curious George books, two Christmas books and a "Clifford the Big Red Dog" DVD.  I explained that we borrow books, and then bring them back in order to get more.  I hope that he doesn't throw a fit when I try to return them!

Black Friday

Thanksgiving is over so quickly.  I mean, you sit down ot a Thanksgiving feast, eat to your heart's content and then come back later to eat some more.  You bring oodles of leftovers home, (Thanks, Mom!) and then BOOM!  The Christmas season has begun.  Today is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and the stores opened at midnight to crowds of people pushing their way in to get their Christmas shopping deals.

Not us!!  We woke up leisurely to Will jumping in bed with us at 8am (that never happens) and Joey the dog joining us too.  Now Will's eating toast and raisins and we're drinking coffee (Brian's having pie for breakfast) and perusing what to do.  So much more relaxing than throwing elbows at Walmart or camping out in front of Toys R Us. 

Hmmm....so what to do, what to do?  Well, we're going to paint Will's room today!  After the room is painted, we can order his big boy bed!  It's coming together, folks!  With 59 days to spare.  :)  Maybe we'll start cleaning up to decorate the house for Christmas.  And tonight, we'll get together with some friends for pizza.  All of that sounds much better than shopping today. 

What Matters after a Long Day

Yesterday was a truly long day at work.  Auditors, deadlines, conference calls, general doom and gloom...and then topping it off I ended up staying late to run around town to get paperwork signed in order to make the ominous deadline.  I hate scrambling around, looking for alternative child care because I can't pick up Will and cancelling appointments, etc. 

I got home at 6pm, with a black cloud over my head.  Grumbling, I opened the front door and was greeted by a crossing guard.  Crossing Guard, you say?  Will, upon hearing me come up the stairs, came flying into the living room wearing a jacket, Phillies baseball helmet and carrying a Stop/Go sign taped to a drumstick.  "STOP, MOMMY!  I am a crossing guard!"  Black cloud instantly dissipated, and I stopped in my tracks to obey the crossing guard.  When he said it was ok to go, I laughed and gave him a kiss.  How do kids know how to do that???  Apparently, when Brian picked him up tonight, he said that he wanted to be a crossing guard.  He picked out the jacket and helmet, and asked Brian to make him a stop sign "with octogons" of course!  Know what else helped?  A big pot of spaghetti boiling on the stove...since I had forgotten to eat a snack like I'm supposed to late afternoon. 

So this is the way that  I am going to ease into a Thanksgiving post.  No matter what happens during the day,  I come home to the best husband and son a girl could ask for.   (And the dog is pretty fabulous too)  I'm thankful for a kid who dresses like a crossing guard, loses his Brown Doggie on a nightly basis and makes us scourage for him, and tells me that he wants turkey for dessert.    I'm thankful for my husband, who puts up with preggo hormones and has dinner waiting at the end of a long day.   He is truly my rock, my light at the end of the tunnel. 

Here are some other things that I'm thankful for:
-My family:  parents, brother and sister-in-law
-Employment.  It drives me crazy some days but I still love my job and there are still lots of people out there that aren't working. 
-Baby shimmies and kicks.  This little one in my tummy is really active! 
-A yarn stash and plenty of needles.  I'm glad that I found a hobby that keeps my mind and hands busy.
-The Public Library.  In the last year, many libraries in MA have slashed their hours due to budgeting, or closed altogether.  I'm thankful that I can get my fill of books for free still. 
-Blogging!  Sometimes I'm surprised at how happy I am to do that.

What are you thankful for?  What matters most to you at the end of the long day?

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Rainy Friday

I woke up to the darkest, rainiest day I've seen in a long time.  Even Joey didn't want to go outside, instead preferring to give me dirty looks from the other side of the slider.  If I wasn't hoarding vacation and sick time for maternity leave, Will and I would pile up in my bed and watch silly movies.  All day long!  All snuggled, warm and safe from the crappy day outside.  We'd play with Play-Doh and fingerpaint, and I'd make quesadillas for lunch.  And when he napped, I'd knit and catch up on Desperate Housewives.  All of this is wishful thinking on my part.  Instead, I'm tearing myself away from the computer to get ready for work, dropping him off at the daycare and spending a day doing annual apartment inspections.  Blech.

At least Thanksgiving break is coming up, and it's Friday!  I've got to appreciate the small things.

Getting Ahead (for my own good)

Guess what?  68 days til my due date!  That little widget on my blog page sure is handy.  :)

I may be having trouble with getting the third bedroom ready for Will so we can turn the nursery over to the new baby.....but I'm sure ahead of the game concerning Christmas!  (it's the little things that I need to appreciate.)  The next step is clearing out the furniture and buying paint.  Oh, and taking the time to paint it.  I'd really like to do this in the next two weekends because uh-oh, Thanksgiving is next week!  We can't bring any baby stuff upstairs before the room is finished, so we're starting a time crunch here. 

I got a chance for some "alone" time Christmas Shopping last Sunday.  I started super-early not because I want to, but because I have a tough time getting around the stores due to the sciatica.  Since I've been told it's going to get worse, I might as well get it done now.  I've got to say, there are advantages of shopping by yourself while visibly pregnant, people have the tendency to be super-nice to you!  I scored an extra 40% off at Joann Fabrics buying my sister-in-law's Christmas gift.  Then I went over to Christmas Tree Shops (and yes, you have to be slightly tapped in the head to venture in there on a weekend!) and while I was waiting for my turn in line, I felt a tap on my shoulder.  I turned around and an elderly woman asked me if I wanted a "Friends and Family" 20%-off-your-entire-order" coupon.  Why yes, I would!  :)

Home Helper

Yesterday we were working as a family to have a productive Sunday.  Laundry......countless loads of dishes....toy clean-up.....and Brian had planned on trying to fix my shower.  It's been acting weird, whenever you turn the diverter to go from tub to shower, water SHOOTS out of the faucet and across the tub enclosure. 

Having a three year-old's intuition, Will wanted to know what was going on when Daddy turned on the shower.  He begged and begged to "help" Daddy.  Judging from the picture below, I'd say he makes an excellent supervisor.  He also kept Daddy entertained by naming all of Handy Manny's tools.  Daddy then treated him to a boys-only trip to Home Depot for a $2.00 fix!

"Daddy, do bathtubs live in the family room?"

 

Inspecting the bathroom window for deficiencies.

 

"Handy Manny's flashlight's name is Flicker!!"

Knitting Showcase

It's time to show off some of the things that I've been working on!

I had already posted something about this blanket, but realized that I never posted any pictures.  This is called a "Cascading Colors Baby Blankie" from Lionbrand Yarn.  I knit it in July, and I chose the colors because I didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl yet and thought that they were good colors for both!  The crochet border was not part of the original pattern, but when I was finished I felt that it needed "something."  I'll admit that I had help.....one of my residents at work did the crochet border.  I am planning on learning though, in fact I've put "Stitch n Bitch Crochet:  The Happy Hooker" on my Christmas wish list!

I finished this on Friday night, it took me about three weeks of off-and-on working on it.  It's called a Car Seat Blankie, and I found the pattern on Ravelry.    This is also something special for our new baby!  Have you ever tried to keep a blanket on a sleeping baby in a carseat?  It's next to impossible.  I thought that this pattern was ingenious, with a hole in the middle to slip the seatbelt through.  Problem solved!  I can't wait to see it in action.  I made it out of variegated blue acrylic from Red Heart Yarns, which I wasn't crazy about at first.  But the longer I worked on this, the more I liked the yarn.  This knitted up so quickly, I might make another one in a different yarn weight and color.  We'll see what kind of time I have.

I wanted to branch away from items with straight lines for a little bit, so I made this little baby hat.  Not my first time stitching something together, but this was a little bit more challenging than a coin purse that I did previously.  It's for our our new baby as well.  When I finished it, I lamented that it seemed too small for a newborn baby.  My husband said that I've forgotten just "how small" Will was in the beginning and that it will fit just fine.

I also have a couple of other projects on needles right now.  I have a hat mostly finished for Will in navy blue and red yarns, to match his winter coat.  He has also asked me for a scarf, so I will make him a little scarf to go with it from the yarn that's leftover from the hat.

I also recently discovered that area hospitals (though none in my city) accept handmade knitted items for their newborns and preemies. I have a LOT of yarn in my stash...including half-used balls of cotton from the Cascading Colors Blankie, and have come up with a service project for myself.  I have a nice big plastic bag from my trip to Web's last week.  Over the next year, I am going to knit baby items (mostly hats, though it depends on how much yarn I have for each project) and fill the bag.  Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2010, I will donate them to an organization that accepts these items for people who need them.  This serves two purposes:  1.  I get to practice my skills and learn new ones (baby booties!) and use up my stash, and 2.  people who wouldn't normally have these kinds of items will benefit from my knitting addiction! 

What to do, what to do......

Thursday night conversation between Brian and I:

Brian:  "What are we doing this weekend?"

Ginny:  "looong list of obligations, cleaning, errands and running around, Sunday night insomnia and Monday morning regret that we didn't get some things done."

Brian:  "Oh."

When asked this week....I suddenly realized that we have a weekend without plans.  A FREE WEEKEND!!  Not from obligations of daily living of course, but nowhere to go!  Yippeeee!!!!!   Whatever will we do with ourselves??

What Drives Edward...

Saw this over the weekend...I suppose it was only a matter of time for this tie-in...just in time for the release of New Moon!

I heart Northampton

  Yesterday marked my fabulous field trip to Web's.  I went with fifteen other fiber-minded women, armed with a list of specific projects to shop for.  And I came home with enough for that stuff, as well as some as a Christmas gift for somebody special and some more that I could not pass up.  I didn't spend too much, unlike one person in the group who spent the equivalent of half my monthly mortgage payment on angora yarn. (Augh!  Crazy??)  I LOVE Web's!  I could spend a week there.  Or longer.  There's a reason why I only make a pilgrimmage once a year. 

The town that Web's is nestled in, Northampton, MA, is lovely.  It's a college town, but with a big downtown center with lots to see and do.  We had lunch at a place called Fitzwilly's that was pretty decent, and hit a local candy store.  I wasn't going to go in because of the unnecessary temptation, but when I heard they had sugar-free chocolates I had to try it.  I brought home some chocolates for myself, some coconut candies for hubby and gummy-letters for Will.  The sugar-free stuff is pretty excellent.  Don't get me wrong....it's not as good as regular chocolates but if it's what you can have then it's a pretty decent substitute.  It was kind of late on Saturday when we were able to walk around and see the sights, so a lot of stuff was closing.  Sometime I'd like to make a trip out there again with my family, on a sunny summer weekend. 

All in all, the trip was a great success.  And I have a whole bag of pretty new yarns that I can't wait to break out!

On the Mend

Looks like our family is recovering from all of our ailments over the past couple of weeks.  Though I've been to CVS five times in fewer days and they're starting to know me by sight!  Want to know how to kill an FSA account?  Develop gestational diabetes.  I've been thankful for it the last couple of days though, my prescriptions were over $100 yesterday and I only owed a balance of 31 cents.  :)

Joey is doing much better.  He's still on antibiotics and pain killers, but he's looking pretty chipper and loves to bark at the dogs going down the street with their owners in the AM.  And he is certainly enjoying the spoiling that he's getting, like canned dogfood followed with hamburger and rice at night.  That's going to be tough to wean him from having!

My next thing to look forward to is a field trip on Saturday to Web's!  Web's is a GIGANTIC yarn store out in the western part of the state.  Fifteen ladies from my knitting group are traveling together to make a pilgrimmage to the yarn mecca.  :)  I've only been once, and it's really a sight to see, the place is bigger than a Walmart.  Last year I was relatively new at knitting and I just got totally overwhelmed by all of the stuff that they had.  This time I'm going prepared...I've printed out a couple of patterns and made notes on some projects so I know what I'm going after.  We'll be kids in a candy store! 

Wordless Wednesday: The Knight

Poor Puppy

 See that sweet face?  That's our dog Joey.  He's such a love.  And a ham.  And a pain sometimes, and we love him dearly!  Such a good disposition, so patient when Will wants to "chase and scare" him.  Lots of energy, this pup can jump our picket fence in the backyard with those springy legs and can run like nobody's business.

We switched vets this year, and the new vet recommended having Joey be put under anesthesia to have his teeth cleaned.  The quote that they gave us included two extractions if necessary.  We decided to hold off, because it was pretty costly.  Then Joey, who's always had yucky breath, developed halitosis so bad that I nicknamed it "Death Breath."  I figured he had some decay, so we opted to have the surgery. 

We dropped him off yesterday morning, and they promised to call my cellphone when they were done.  They called after lunch, and I almost fell out of my desk chair when they told me that it was worse than they thought, that poor Joe-Joe had to have EIGHT teeth removed!!  My poor, sweet Sato baby!  I feel so guilty.  I asked what could've caused this, and the doctor said that some dogs get more tartar than others, and that it would've helped a lot if we had brushed his teeth daily.  (Bad mom, bad mom, is what I heard in my guilt-ridden little head).)  She said that he would be feeling a lot better very soon.  I had no idea he was feeling poorly!  He didn't act like a dog that didn't feel well. 

So, antibiotics, soft food and painkillers for the next 7-10 days.  And lots of petting and spoiling from his Mom and Dad.  He'll be back to himself in a short period of time.  And when he is, I have a brand new doggie toothbrush and toothpaste set ready. 

Change.

This week has brought some news to our house: I have developed gestational diabetes.


It's not a huge shock, I had it when I was pregnant with Will too. So I know it's only for the next 84 days (yes I've counted) and I know the outcome, that it will disappear by giving birth. But it still sucks.

Counting carbs is no fun. I will likely be prescribed insulin shots next week, also no fun. NO FUN, I TELL YOU! Especially with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all coming up before the baby's due. But obviously this is something I can't ignore or wish away, so I choose to remain positive and embrace what's been given me.  I feel lucky, believe it or not, because last time I also had preeclampsia and had to be induced two weeks early because of sky-high blood pressure.  My blood pressure has been beautiful so far, so if I "had" to develop a complication then this is the lesser of the two evils.

So, I do feel a little blue, but I know that the first peek of this beautiful boy after he is born will be worth what little "suffering"  I have temporarily.  However, when my husband or my dad offers to get me a treat after labor this time.....Hhhmmmmmm I'm going to have to think of something absolutely sinful!  :)

Halloween Wrap-Up

Hope your Halloween was as good as ours!   We did get a trick this year.  It's been a warm, windy day.  Imagine my surprise when I went to let our dog out into the backyard this evening and one of the neighbors trees had blown down into our backyard!  

Will thought that trick or treating this year was Awesome!  We visited more houses with Nana this year and he really turned on the charm.  People gave him two or three pieces of candy per house, and sometimes more.   Lots of times people would ask him his name and shake his hand.  If they wanted to talk to him any more than that, he'd politely say, "I gotta go to Halloween!"   One guy said that Will's "Thank you" was the only one he heard all night.  What's up with that??

Arrr!!!!!  I'm Pirate Will!

Trick-or-treating with Nana

"Posing" with our neighbor's grandson, Joshua

We headed home when it started to rain, to hand out candy with Daddy.   Later on at bedtime, Will told me that he wanted to go to do more trick or treating and to still be a pirate.  I'll bet he wants to put his costume on tomorrow, too.

Happy Halloween, Everyone!  :)