Three Months with Molly

Dear Molly,

We've graduated from the fourth trimester! You are getting so big and active. You've discovered your hands and find it delightful to pass the time looking at yourself in the mirror. Your "words" have really expanded and it almost feels like you are having a conversation with us. Pop Pop and I spent hours just playing with you.

 

This month, I feel that we have conquered your hatred of tummy time but that might be due to your new skill of rolling. You don't do it a lot and you can only go from your tummy to your back but you ROLL! You also love to "stand up" and I bought you a Bumbo chair, just so you can sit. You could spend hours sitting in that chair. You don't because I worry that it would be bad for you to sit in the chair for that long. I worry about a lot of things but not nearly as many as I thought I would before I became your Mother. Your chill attitude has helped me stay laid back and calm (ish).

We attended a baby story time session at the local library and you had so much fun. We'll be going back as much as possible. There was song singing, hand clapping and of course book reading. The half hour passed very quickly and you were ready for more. You were quite fascinated with the other babies.

You are an amazing sleeper (I may be struck for saying that but you really are). You tend to sleep from 11 p.m. to about 6 a.m. most nights. I've noticed that you only wake up in the middle of the night during a growth spurt when you need more milks to grow big and strong. You don't nap very long during the day but you do take consistent naps. I'm just happy that you like to sleep because sleep is so very important.

You and I are building a routine which is good for both of us. Twice a week, we have Grandma over after her outpatient rehab sessions. The two of you usually nap but it is nice to have her over. Grandpa loves picking her up because it means that he gets to spend time holding you. That man LOVES you so much and loves holding you.

Pop Pop and I are settling into this parenthood gig. We still can't believe that we are somebody's parents but we are so happy to be your parents. We can't wait to see what this next month brings. You are growing up so fast and we are trying so hard to enjoy as many moments as we can before they slip past us. We love you so very much.

Love,
Momma

Damn Green Socks

It's an amazing day! The damn green socks which took me over three and a half years to knit are finally finished. OK Let's be honest, the first sock took me a few weeks to knit but the second sock took me three and a half years to complete.



Even Molly thinks three and a half years is much to long to have knit on a sock but she's fascinated by the bright green color.



As soon as the socks are dry, I plan to wear them until they have holes in the heels. Then they can go to my darning basket where socks go to retire as I never do get around to darning their heels.

February Update for the Doubleknit 2012 Finish, Frog, & Slog-along

February has arrived and I'm still working on those darn green socks. I'm completely sick of the lace pattern so it's hard to make myself work on them in my limited knitting time. I did turn the heel so I have only the leg portion of the sock to complete which is I believe 5 repeats of the lace pattern.



Along with finally finishing the darn green socks this month, I will be working on my Shedir. It's been a challenging pattern for me and I've been working on this hat for a very long time. I feel almost as it if it is my knitting Mt. Everest.



And because I need mindless, easy to finish pieces, I made myself a Marian Cowl out of Rowan Polar which I call my Molly Marian Cowl since I knit most of it while holding Molly.



Last month I made no progress on my Mitered Square Blanket but I'm fine with that. Heck, I may not finish the blanket this year but I hope to finish all my other projects! I currently have 8 WIPs and since I WILL BE FINISHING the darn green socks this month, I'll be down to 7. Easy Peasy! Now the hard part will be stopping myself from starting new projects with all my pretty, pretty yarn.

Mongrammed

I finished my first project in the FFS2012 project last week. It's a great sweater with a bit of room to grow for Molly. 
I loosely based this sweater on the Bodacious Bunny Baby Set and tried a bit of double knitting on the pocket. I decided against making the bunny toy for the pocket because Molly is too young to care at 2 months. 











Stats:
Ravelry
Pattern Inspiration

Two Months with Molly Pop

Dear Molly,


Happy two months! I can't believe that 62 days ago, I was dreaming about meeting you and enjoying one of my favorite Mexican meals at Oaxca de la Carta. Now I dream about sleep and eating out but those are little things when you smile at me. You've really started interacting so much with your Papa and I. I tell you about all the mundane things I'm doing and your giggles make it so much more interesting.





This month, you've started holding your head up with very little bobble head-ness and you love to play stand up when we stand you on our laps. You also experienced your first Seattle snowstorm. We so rarely get them that the entire city shuts down. And this one was such a dozy, Governor Gregoire declared a Winter Storm State of Emergency. Here in Ballard, we had at least 6 inches of snow with a nice layer of ice on top and in the middle.





The other exciting news this month is that your Grandma B got to go home from the Rehab Center. Now when you visit her, it will be in the comfort of her own home. I had fun showing you the home I grew up in this past weekend. 





Dad and I have so many nicknames for you but our favorite is Molly Pop. We also call you Squirt-ial, Squirt, Fussbot, Squirtalbot and Mol. I'm sure we'll have many more that we come up with over the years. We're nickname people and you'll just have to accept it.





In the last week, we've also started a proper bedtime with you. It mean seem earlier but it has made all of our lives easier. The 8 p.m. fussies have pretty much disappeared. I think you were getting too tired and needed a routine to help you wind down. Our routine is bath (or wash cloth wipe down because you do not get a bath every night), massage (I write I LUV U on your belly a few times and tingle your arms and legs), PJs, read 2-3 books, lights dimmed, lullaby (same one as your mobile), breast or bottle, back rubs and then blissful sleep. You are a pretty great sleeper but you do like to throw a wrench into the routine once in awhile. I think it is just your way of helping me appreciate what a great sleeper you are. You already "sleep through the night" which means you usually have a 4-5 hour stretch of sleep followed by a brief wakeful session for eats and then another 3 hour stretch of sleep. Bliss!


We love you Molly Pop! We're having so much fun with you and can't wait to see what the next month brings.

Doubleknit 2012 Finish, Frog, & Slog-along

After listening to my friend's Erin and Jessica's Doubleknit podcast challenge for 2012, I decided to join in on the 2012 Finish, Frog & Slog-along. I have a few too many projects lingering on the needles.

The first thing I did was gather all my WIPs and place them in one spot. We have two ottomans in the den (aka Grand Central Station) and so I put my projects in one of those. That way I can reach in and grab the next WIP without having to find them in my craft room. It will make it harder for me to avoid them.



I've also decided that each month, I will work on two projects with the hopes of finishing two projects a month. This month, I'm finishing Molly's Monogrammed Sweater and my Year of the S(ox) #7 socks which I started in 2009 with some beautiful green yarn from North Loop Yarn.



I'm also going to work on at least two mitered squares from my Miter Square Blanket which I started the same month I met Scott in 2007. This might be my longest lingering WIP. I have about 18 squares to finish and I want to finish this blanket!



Ready, Set, Go!

Baby Boot Camp (and a letter to Molly)

 This week, I feel like Molly and I have graduated from Newborn Boot Camp. We've made it through the trenches and survived! Scott and I are starting to figure out Molly's moods and she keeps throwing in new ones to keep us on our toes. She began smiling at us this week and really began recognizing Scott and I as her parents (or at least the two people who are around her the most).

She's been awake more and napping less. This week, Scott went back to work after a two week vacation which means that it is just Molly and me during the day. We're doing pretty good. We went to the breast feeding support group, had lunch with Meg and Ruby and even made a trip to UVillage.

 Molly still hates tummy time but I'm making her do it twice a day. I figure making your child do some things that they dislike is one of the things you have to do as a parent. It's all part of tiger parenting.
Molly, 


 We've made it through the first six weeks and are settling into a nice routine. I love snuggling with you in bed every morning. I swore that I would never co-sleep and on night one, you proved me wrong. While I've been working hard to get you to sleep in your co-sleeper at night and some nights, you do, there are still many more nights where you sleep in my arms. Dad has been gracious in sharing the bed and has not once complained about his shrinking bed space. We are both just so in love with you. In fact, Dad had told me that sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night to check that you are breathing and to watch you. I find that to be very sweet. 


 You are a champion at breast feeding. I am however not a champion at making milk due to my breast reduction 10+ years ago. (I, however, do not regret having the reduction. It opened up a whole wide world to me and has made the person I am today.) I am happy that you get more than half of your nutrition from me. I didn't know how important it would be to me that we'd be able to breast feed so I'm happy that we can. Dad also enjoys that he gets to give you some bottles and it is nice for me to have a break once in awhile. 


This week, you started smiling at us and our hearts melted again. You already have us twisted around your little fingers. We've been lucky too. You are a pretty chill little lady. You really only complain when we take too long responding to your few desires. During the day, you love being carried around in the Beco Gemini and I often use it to lull you to sleep. I've also started it using for outings and it is so much easier than carrying you in your car seat. 


 Good work, Molly! Now we can continue getting to know each other and enjoying all these new moments together. I love you so very much, more than you'll ever understand (well maybe one day you'll have a daughter of your own and you'll have a glimmer of how much I love you but it will be just a glimmer).

2011: A Year in Review

2011 can best be described as a Dickens novel - It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Scott and I started off the year with a few home improvement projects and lots of work. In February, I was laid off from my job in marketing but quickly found work at a non-profit as a Communications Manager. I had a brief break between jobs and was able to visit a friend in Newport, Oregon where she was working on a temp assignment. It was a fun weekend!

Shortly after that in March, Scott and I found out we were going to be parents. We were quite excited and I became obsessed with learning all there is to know about pregnancy and babies. I was also nervous as I had just started a new job. That situation worked out when I was laid off again! The company didn't have the funding for my position and so I spent the summer as a lady of leisure. I swam daily, planned for the baby and enjoyed my free time.

In June, Scott and I took a trip to Maui. It was a delightful vacation and Scott was able to really relax. In August, my parents came over and helped Scott paint the baby's room and part of our kitchen. I spent the few weeks after that getting the room finished up. I really enjoyed decorating the baby's room. I also learned in late August that I had gestational diabetes which meant a huge diet change for me, a good diet change. 

In September, my Mother suffered a heart attack. There were moments when we weren't sure how well she was going to recover and those days were long and scary. Happily I can say that she is doing so much better. She continues to amaze us daily with her strength and determination. My Dad has been along her side, every step of the way. The love they have for each other inspires Scott and I.

In November, Scott and I were finally able to meet our daughter, Molly Ann. She is named after Scott's Great Grandmother, Molly. She came on Thanksgiving Day after a long induction and labor. Scott was an amazing support throughout the delivery and in fact through my entire pregnancy. The last few weeks have been a blur of sleeplessness, dirty diapers and more fun than we could have imagined. We are so in love with our daughter.

Without Molly, this year would have been crap but she has brought a wonderful glow to an otherwise trying year. Thank golly for Miss Molly! 

*All photos in this post taken by my lovely friends, Margaret and Danny.

On Meeting The Love of My Life

On Tuesday evening, Scott and I headed to the hospital as I was being induced due to my gestational diabetes. We were admitted and shown to our room. I had a Cook's Catheter placed for induction and we were sent home to sleep for the night.  After a far too short night of sleep, we returned to the hospital. I then had Misoprostal placed and we began waiting. I also had a central line placed. It took six painful pokes for them to get it placed and I was ready to leave at that point. Later that day, they started a Pitocin drip which got the contractions rolling. They weren't painful at that point and I was cocky. I may have said things like, "These aren't so bad!" and "I can totally do this without pain medication!" It was interesting feeling the contractions. Part of my stomach would be HARD while the rest would be squishy. I made Scott feel the difference and he was intrigued. I experienced contractions through the night (which meant little to no sleep) and in the morning around 5:30 a.m., my water broke and that is when it got real.



I started to experience back labor and asked for a heating pad along with some Tylenol. I didn't know that I was having back labor. I just thought my back hurt. And boy did it HURT! At one point during the day, I hid in the bathroom and told my nurse that she could take my vitals in there as I was not coming out. I couldn't move around too much as I was hooked up to 4 IV bags which required a HUGE pole and had two internal monitors for contractions and the baby's heart beat. That made it quite difficult for me to move about. Scott though did everything in his power to make it all easier for me. He rubbed my back, he stroked my hair, he gave me things to think about. And all of these things helped until the pain got to be too much and I asked for an epidural. Scott was fantastic and told the nurse that I wanted pain medication STAT. The anesthesiologist came in and said that I could not wiggle or move during my contractions as she placed the epidural. That was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I'm surprised that Scott's arms are not black and blue from my grip during the placement.  





The epidural provided blessed relief and I was able to sleep for a few hours before I was told that I was at 10 cm (or as our nurse joked with us, you made it to 11! We had been joking that we were like Spinal Tap and were going to go past 10 to 11!) She had me labor down for an hour before starting to push. That is when Scott's support really come into play. The doctor on call came in and the nurse brought in another nurse who was training to be a midwife. They both helped me push and gave me some instructions on how to best do it. Since I was being monitored, Scott was able to tell when my contractions were starting and could tell me when to start pushing and when to stop. He counted, he chanted, he supported me through 3 and a half hours of pushing. After pushing for so long, the baby was only about half way down and now where near coming out. My hips were aching and I decided that I wanted a C-Section. I knew I couldn't push any longer. The doctor also said that baby wasn't far enough down for a vacuum extraction.  Within minutes of my announcement, I was being whisked to the OR. I was introduced to the OB surgeon (my doctor is a family doctor which meant the doctor on call was also a family doctor and unable to do c-sections on their own). Scott had to wait in the hallway while they prepped me for surgery. He said that he freaked out in the hallway and that it was incredibly scary. I was never scared but I think I was so focused on meeting my daughter that fear was not allowed to enter. I also knew that the faster the surgery was over, the better. 





The surgery was quick! On Thanksgiving Day at 6:27 p.m., Molly was delivered within minutes of Scott being allowed in the OR. I felt all the tugging and pressure but no pain. It was the strangest feeling. The cord was around Molly's neck and we think was the reason she wasn't progressing down the birth canal. Everyone said right away how beautiful our daughter was but I didn't believe them. I mean who is going to say that someone's newborn is ugly? So I asked Scott, Is she cute? He laughed and said, they said she is beautiful and she is! I then started to get the chills, which is very common and had the anesthesiologist talk me through it. She was wonderful. She told me just enough the surgery but did not give me all the details. They quickly cleaned Molly up and gave her to Scott who brought my daughter over for a proper introduction. I fell in love right away. Well to be honest, I've been in love with her since I saw her on the ultrasound at 9 weeks but it was more real on the outside.



They gave Molly to me to hold as we were wheeled back up to our hospital room. Once there, we were surrounded by a swarm of nurses and doctors. After awhile, things settled down and Scott and I were left with our daughter. That is when we began to cry over the wonderfulness of our daughter. We made a human bean! A beautiful one! We had a long first night as we couldn't sleep. We just wanted to gaze at our daughter. Also we discovered that our daughter does not like to sleep outside of our arms AT ALL. Sleeping in a crib or a bassinet is not allowed by her. The only place we can get her to sleep outside our arms is inside her boppy which is not really to be used for sleeping. We let her nap in it when we are awake but when we sleep, she sleeps in my arms. Our first week as a family has been amazing. Everyday, I say to Scott, "WE MADE A HUMAN!" She's been teaching us new things everyday and we look forward to a lifetime of love with her.

The Weeks Rush By

It's been months since my Mother's heart attack and she's making slow but grand progress toward recovery. She's talking (alot), being very bossy and working hard at rehab. I still visit her every day even though Tuesday will be my last daily visit for a long time.



Tuesday night I'm being induced (or so the plan is right now). Scott and I are getting very excited to meet our daughter. I can't wait to introduce her to her grandmother, something I wasn't entirely sure was going happen after my Mother's heart attack.

My Mom still has her sense of humor, her worries and her quirks. She told me that she's worried that she's not going to be a good grandmother since she is "disabled". I told her that Platy won't know any different and will think she's the best grandmother around.



So just a few short days until our lives change forever. It's a bit strange knowing when your life will change as usually these kind of changes spring out of nowhere and smack you upside the head. I'm grateful right now though that we have had the heads up (all 10 months of preparation).

36 Week Ultrasound

Scott and I got a sneak peek at Platy's face today at my 36 week ultrasound. She's weighing in at 8 lbs 1 oz +/- a lb. We're getting super excited about meeting her! It's looking like we'll get to meet her in either a week and a half or three weeks. 


My Mom is awake now and talking up a storm. While I only understand about 30% of what she says, I do know that she is really upset that she won't get to come to the hospital to meet Platy. I have however promised that I will bring the baby to her. My Dad and I have worked out a plan where they can get Mom in a wheelchair and take her to the lobby. Then I can bring Platy in to meet her. I'm a bit hesitant to bring the baby up to her room because well it is a hospital and people are sick with diseases! 


Mom was however very excited to see the ultrasound photos today. She can't wait to meet her granddaughter and I can't wait to meet my daughter. I can't stop staring at the ultrasound photos and telling her how frickin' adorable she is! I also can't believe how soon I'll get to meet her. I feel like I just found out I was pregnant after peeing on a stick at 5 a.m. because I couldn't sleep and wanted to know if I was pregnant. That was a wonderful morning and now just like that, I'm going to meet my daughter in less than a month. How crazy is that? 

Three and a half weeks

My Mom and me in happier times

Three and a half weeks ago, I received a phone call from my Dad in the middle of the night. My Mom had gone into cardiac arrest and was being transported to the hospital. In a daze, I dressed myself as Scott got my purse and directions together. We drove to the hospital where I greeted my Dad. The medics had already rushed my Mom into the emergency room where she was having emergency surgery to repair her heart. My brother and sister-in-law arrived shortly after and we all huddled in a small room waiting to hear from the doctor. The doctor successfully repaired her heart but the long road to recovery was anything but over.

It's been a very long three and a half weeks since that long night. Scott and I eventually returned home at 5:30 a.m. to sleep. Mom was in the ICU, hooked up to all sorts of machines and we were very scared.

My Mom is the cornerstone of our family. She's in charge of all worries, all family matters and all of us. In fact, I still taunt my brother with threats of telling our Mom about something he's doing that she won't approve of. And at 36 years old, my Mom still likes to direct me around. We tell her that it annoys us but in reality, we kinda like knowing that someone cares so much for us that they want to take care of everything for us.

Now though, she is unable to take care of us and we have to take care of her. My Dad is lost without his lifelong companion. My parents are true soul mates who do everything together. In fact, I often think it took me so long to find Scott because I wasn't ready to settle for anything less than the great relationship my parents share. I'm blessed that I didn't settle.

Since that night, three and a half weeks ago, we've watched my Mother as she goes through the very slow process of recovery. She's moved from having a million tubes down her throat and nose to having a tracheal tube in her throat and a feeding tube in her stomach. She's had a million x-rays, EEG's, EKG's and various other tests. Her medication list is extensive and I often get them all mixed up. She's been sedated to keep her from being anxious but her new facility is working to wean her off the ventilator and sedation medication. A majority of the time, her eyes are closed and she looks like she's sleeping. Lately though she's been opening her eyes and trying to look around.

Last night, as I was preparing to leave, my Dad was teasing me about Platy. He told my Mom that I was having a Mini-Me and she smiled. She looked so amused by that comment. I then told her that the baby was currently HUGE (6 lbs 1 oz at 33 weeks) which made her smile linger. She turned her head toward me to listen a bit more but I had trouble talking through the tears.

I miss the Mom I had at this time in my pregnancy. The Mom who was so worried about my gestational diabetes that she called every day to hear my blood sugar numbers. The Mom who wanted me to have a natural labor and delivery that she pestered me with questions and books. The Mom who cared so much and listened to my complaints while laughing at them. I pray and hope everyday that I'm given some of that Mom back because as I start progressing toward being a Mom myself, I'm really going to need that Mom's guidance and direction.

Everyday she seems to make a small baby step toward improvement and since no one knows how long her recovery will take, we cheer each step. It's a long road.

Since heart attack symptoms are hard to recognize in women, it is so important that everyone read this link - http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/her-guide-to-a-heart-attack because you see, my Mom told me that she had suffered a panic attack at the gym earlier the evening of her heart attack and had gotten sick. Turns out it wasn't a panic attack but the start of cardiac arrest. I wish we had gotten her to the hospital sooner but hindsight is 20/20 and all we can do now is be there for her and celebrate all her successes, no matter how small they might be.

A Nursery for Platy

If there is one thing I love doing, it is decorating. And having a baby means that I got to decorate a nursery! I've been thinking about Platy's nursery pretty much since the day I found out I was pregnant but the true decorating didn't begin until we found out that we were having a girl. I had a whole boy theme in my head, it was going to be robots, which I could have done for a girl but instead, I love the direction the nursery went in.

I talked about my inspiration back in July with this post. Now that the room is 95% complete, I'm ready to show it off! I'm still missing a basket for the bookcase and I need to make a decision on a photo mural wall but I just can't seem to decide. I'm wishy-washy lately.



This is the view as you enter the room. I have two quilts on the crib right now. The top one was made by my friend Amanda and is the most gorgeous thing ever! The pink one underneath was a quilt owned by my Grandmother but crafted by the Amish. It's simply divine.



This is the view from the crib or what Platy can use as an aiming device with her future toys. I placed the changing table on top of the dresser but I suspect a lot of changes will happen on the floor, on the couch or on our bed.



This is the view toward the window. You can see where the missing basket goes. It should arrive tomorrow or so they say. My Mom saved all my books from childhood so Platy's bookcase is FULL! Of course when she learns how to pull them out and rip at the pages, many of these books will be placed on a much higher service. I hope the baskets can house her toys. I pretend that we will limit the number of toys because I'm a silly person that way.



I decided to go the inexpensive route for window coverings and bought a vinyl roller blind from Home Depot and prettied it up with a frilly tulle valence which coincidently matches the crib skirt. I can't help it if I'm girly!



This was my rocking chair as a little girl and now I'm passing it along to Platy. The Raggedy Ann doll was also mine and my Mother bemoans the loss of Raggedy Andy. Supposedly something bad happened there. The blanket on the back of the chair was made by my Grandmother. I found it in her things after she passed and took it. I have a feeling she made it for a future great grand child. And even if she didn't, I'm pretending she did.



I found this great laundry basket/ trash can thing at Ikea and made a simple laundry bag for it. I like that it has a lid which I hope will keep a child from rummaging around inside it. The diaper pail (which I still need to get) will have a true lock on it because I can only imagine what could happen there.



I did take my crazy obsessive organization skills to the next level and labeled the dresser drawers. I figure then if I'm not putting things away, the person who is can figure out where things go. I have a feeling other people will attempt to be helpful and will want to put things away. I'm working on allowing that to happen. I'm a bit controlling when it comes to stuff.



The last thing I did in Platy's nursery was lay out her  "Going Home" outfit. Scott bought this onesie shortly after we decided to name her Platy when she looked more like a Platypus than a baby. I love it! I hope she isn't too big for it when she is born.

I hope Platy enjoys this room as much as I have enjoyed putting it together for her. Just 11 more weeks (give or take) until we get to meet our daughter. I'm so, so, so excited!

Babymoon

Way back in June, Scott and I headed to Hawaii. Everyone kept saying it was our babymoon but little did they know we had the trip planned before we found out about said baby. It was a delightful escape from everyday life. We headed to our favorite island, Maui where we are lucky enough to have the use of my parent's timeshare.
 

The only failure we had in planning this trip was the timing. We went in late June, along with every child and parent in America. The resort was shrill with the sounds of parents and children. I told Scott that this was a glimpse into our future. He shuddered a lot. I shuddered in return. Next time we plan to head to Maui anytime but in the Summer. I mean our kid won't be in school for a very long time so we'll have the luxury of traveling when we feel is best, right?
 

We visited the beautiful Iao Valley this time and hiked a bit into the greenery. I was a bit concerned about the hike since I was plagued by nausea but then I saw a 70 year old woman head up the path and knew I could totally keep up. The view from the top was gorgeous and well worth the tiny hike. Seriously, it was the tiniest of hikes. I'm not sure why I worried.

 We also visited some favorite sites and ate at some delicious restaurants. Mostly we rested though and swam in the ocean/pool. I love the water and it felt so good to swim. We even went snorkeling which went OK for me. As I mentioned before, I felt barfy and well snorkeling makes me barfy on a good day. Let's just say I fed the fish a lot while yelling at Scott to stay away from me in the water. I'm a joy to snorkel with, a pure joy. Still we were able to laugh about it, so that was good.

All in all, it was a wonderful trip, the last trip with just the two of us. The next time we travel, there will be 3 and at least one of the three will be whiny. I'll do my best to keep my whine down but I make no promises.