August continues to meet growth and development milestones at an amazing pace. At least, it's amazing to me. I consciously avoid any websites and books that tell me when and how my baby should develop. I think that most of that will happen naturally, and if we're missing any big pieces, we'll find out at his medical checkups. I also plan to ignore all talk of percentiles, just for sanity's sake.
Most of my knowledge, therefore, comes from growing up helping my mom in her daycare (although I admit we read The Baby Book by Dr. Sears before the babe was born). Things like when he should roll over, when he should crawl, when he should teethe - those are just loose estimates in my head. He surprised me by rolling over almost a month ago - from back to belly, and he surprised me again this morning when he finally made that next leap - front to back. He was laying on a blanket in the kitchen while Dave and I were reading the paper, getting ready for the day. I peripherally knew he was on his belly (as per usual these days) and I heard a bump. I glanced down, and he was back on his back, looking confused as all get out. After a little fussing - he may have bumped his head a bit - he was pleased to roll back to his belly and chew on the blanket, content as he is on most mornings.
He gets his knees up under him, and he can scoot just a little forward. He can't coordinate knees and arms yet, so he scoots with his head against the ground. That seems like pre-crawling to me, and I'm excited that he's doing it already.
He drools more than the dog, often soaking the front of his romper. Gail, my lovely midwife, told me yesterday that he could easily be teething, and that he just won't cut that first one for awhile. Some babies are apparently born with teeth, so that thing about babies not getting them until 6 months, well that's just not always true. Her firstborn cut his first tooth in his 4th month, and she guesses that August may do the same.
And oh - my favorite milestone. He sleeps. He sleeps so well. It's been a full week now, and he has consistently gone to bed at the same time, and stayed there through the night. If he wakes up, he doesn't fuss or cry, and doesn't need to be fed. He sucks his fingers and goes back to sleep, with no help from Mom and Pop. He stays put in the morning, content to watch the shadows on the wall and the sheep mobile above him. I'm trying to keep to a 7am wake up, giving myself enough time to shower, get dressed, pump if I'm going to work, and have a little time with Dave before we get the little guy. Frequently he's up when we go to him, but he's not upset at all, just delighted to see us again.
I think that's the most surprising thing, how peaceful he is in the morning. I don't think most 3 month olds are happy to go 12 hours between meals, sleeping or waking, but happy just to be. My mother in law used to tell me that when Dave was a baby, he wouldn't cry in the crib -he just waited happily until someone came get him. She found it eerie, worrying that something was wrong with the baby who didn't cry. But there wasn't, he was just happy to entertain himself, the same then as he is now. I feel like that August is much like Dave in so many ways, and I hope this one carries him through life as it has his poppa.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
the ivy
Much of the household has suffered since Dave has been sick. He takes care of so many things - the pets, the cleaning, the garden. I'm mostly useless when I get home from work, but I have kept all 3 pets alive and done a decent job in the garden (I hope). The cleaning has gone out the window, even though I have managed to vacuum a few times. I forgot to sweep the kitchen floor, and this morning saw some ants marching in. Note to self - Dave also sweeps the kitchen daily!
Anyway, last night when I was watering things, I made sure to pay special attention to the Boston Ivy. This plant was our star purchase at the Friend's School Plant Sale, and it has already had a rough year. Due to many unavoidable obligations, it had to stay in its little plastic pot much longer than the rest of the plants from the sale. It was the last thing in the ground, and I think it was at least 2 weeks after we purchased it that Dave was finally able to take the time to make a nice space for it.
With his being sick, I was worried that this prized little plant would wither and die, so I've been careful to water it and check on it daily. Last night, I saw something cool.
It has begun to climb the siding. Tenuous, yes, but it gives me hope just the same.
Anyway, last night when I was watering things, I made sure to pay special attention to the Boston Ivy. This plant was our star purchase at the Friend's School Plant Sale, and it has already had a rough year. Due to many unavoidable obligations, it had to stay in its little plastic pot much longer than the rest of the plants from the sale. It was the last thing in the ground, and I think it was at least 2 weeks after we purchased it that Dave was finally able to take the time to make a nice space for it.
With his being sick, I was worried that this prized little plant would wither and die, so I've been careful to water it and check on it daily. Last night, I saw something cool.
It has begun to climb the siding. Tenuous, yes, but it gives me hope just the same.midwife gift 3 - pi shawl
Oh pie shawl, how I adore thee.
I am not ashamed to say that this was the most difficult thing I have ever knit. It absolutely kicked my ass. It tested my patience, it tested my skill, and it nearly brought me to tears more than once. I cannot believe I finished this in one month. I devoted nearly every evening and every spare second to it (and though I don't have a lot of those) there was one evening where Dave mentioned that he had joined a support group for men whose wives are knitting the "big blue thing."
Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmerman's pi shawl from Knitter's Almanac
Yarn: Misti Alpaca
Needles: US 7, most of it on a 32" circular
Gauge: 4-5 sts per in, after blocking
The night before I met Gail for the first time, I sat down at the kitchen table and cried. I believe I was 17 weeks pregnant, and yes - there was a lot of crying in those first months - but I remember feeling terrified. I had a list of questions to ask these potential midwives, and I was a little overwhelmed by the prospect of giving birth in general, let alone giving birth at home. We met with Gail and Clare, and they answered all of our questions patiently. We talked about many things, including pregnancy and birth, but also life and family, hopes and values. As we were getting up to leave, I really wasn't sold. I wasn't sure this was the right thing for us, just not the right fit. Before I saw it coming, Gail caught me in a huge bear hug. It surprised me, since I'm generally not a hugger (especially with strangers). Calm washed over me, and I knew in that moment that everything was going to be okay. Just then, I felt that I trusted Gail completely.
That trust never wavered, and it was her that I relied on most heavily during my labor. She was the one I called when I felt my first contractions, she was the one I leaned on against on the wall when we were trying to change the baby's position, and she was the one who got me through that most awful night - Monday - when I was so sure that I wanted to give up. When we asked Clare and Emme to leave after 2 days of labor, it was Gail that we asked to stay. She didn't leave our house for nearly 3 days, and so far as I knew - she was happy to do it.
Dave and I joke that Gail is a modern day witch - that she knows things about the natural world that most folks would miss. Her knowledge of homeopathy was able to slow my labor that second night so I could get some rest. Even now, with Dave so sick - we asked the nurses at the clinic if the baby was at risk, and when they weren't sure, the first person I thought of to ask was Gail. She just knows things, somehow, and that makes me feel lucky to have known her.
And so, for Gail, a shawl. A shawl that was sooooo freaking complicated that I couldn't find the big, glaring mistake in the lace pattern. It grimaces out at me from these photos, and I only hope she won't notice. This was my first attempt at knitting lace, and I realize only now what an undertaking it was.
I don't think that Gail is a lacy-shawl wearing type of lady. In fact, she might be the exact opposite of a lacy-shawl wearing lady, but I don't care. I wanted something she could wrap around herself, something that would be soft, and would make her feel calm. That first hug was just the beginning, and over the months of my pregnancy and after, there were many hugs exchanged.
I think it is suitable that this shawl took my knitting to a higher level, and it taught me something about patience, about being too big for my britches, about biting off more than I can chew. I learned something very similar from Gail, and when I look back at that scared pregnant lady, crying at her kitchen table, I feel like there are decades between who I was then and who I am now. It was Gail who guided me across that bridge, from woman to mother, and for that - for all that she taught me - I am terribly, terrible grateful.
I am not ashamed to say that this was the most difficult thing I have ever knit. It absolutely kicked my ass. It tested my patience, it tested my skill, and it nearly brought me to tears more than once. I cannot believe I finished this in one month. I devoted nearly every evening and every spare second to it (and though I don't have a lot of those) there was one evening where Dave mentioned that he had joined a support group for men whose wives are knitting the "big blue thing."Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmerman's pi shawl from Knitter's Almanac
Yarn: Misti Alpaca
Needles: US 7, most of it on a 32" circular
Gauge: 4-5 sts per in, after blocking
The night before I met Gail for the first time, I sat down at the kitchen table and cried. I believe I was 17 weeks pregnant, and yes - there was a lot of crying in those first months - but I remember feeling terrified. I had a list of questions to ask these potential midwives, and I was a little overwhelmed by the prospect of giving birth in general, let alone giving birth at home. We met with Gail and Clare, and they answered all of our questions patiently. We talked about many things, including pregnancy and birth, but also life and family, hopes and values. As we were getting up to leave, I really wasn't sold. I wasn't sure this was the right thing for us, just not the right fit. Before I saw it coming, Gail caught me in a huge bear hug. It surprised me, since I'm generally not a hugger (especially with strangers). Calm washed over me, and I knew in that moment that everything was going to be okay. Just then, I felt that I trusted Gail completely.
That trust never wavered, and it was her that I relied on most heavily during my labor. She was the one I called when I felt my first contractions, she was the one I leaned on against on the wall when we were trying to change the baby's position, and she was the one who got me through that most awful night - Monday - when I was so sure that I wanted to give up. When we asked Clare and Emme to leave after 2 days of labor, it was Gail that we asked to stay. She didn't leave our house for nearly 3 days, and so far as I knew - she was happy to do it.Dave and I joke that Gail is a modern day witch - that she knows things about the natural world that most folks would miss. Her knowledge of homeopathy was able to slow my labor that second night so I could get some rest. Even now, with Dave so sick - we asked the nurses at the clinic if the baby was at risk, and when they weren't sure, the first person I thought of to ask was Gail. She just knows things, somehow, and that makes me feel lucky to have known her.
And so, for Gail, a shawl. A shawl that was sooooo freaking complicated that I couldn't find the big, glaring mistake in the lace pattern. It grimaces out at me from these photos, and I only hope she won't notice. This was my first attempt at knitting lace, and I realize only now what an undertaking it was.
I don't think that Gail is a lacy-shawl wearing type of lady. In fact, she might be the exact opposite of a lacy-shawl wearing lady, but I don't care. I wanted something she could wrap around herself, something that would be soft, and would make her feel calm. That first hug was just the beginning, and over the months of my pregnancy and after, there were many hugs exchanged.I think it is suitable that this shawl took my knitting to a higher level, and it taught me something about patience, about being too big for my britches, about biting off more than I can chew. I learned something very similar from Gail, and when I look back at that scared pregnant lady, crying at her kitchen table, I feel like there are decades between who I was then and who I am now. It was Gail who guided me across that bridge, from woman to mother, and for that - for all that she taught me - I am terribly, terrible grateful.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
midwife gift 2 - felted bag
Personally, I have never been a fan of felted items, but I thought a big, floppy, felted bag would suit Clare. I could never quite put my finger on her - she swung between totally professional and totally wacky. I remember last winter, after she saw Dave and I all suited up in our many knitted winter items, she took up her knitting needles and produced a number of fun, stripey scarves. I think this bag will complement them nicely.
Pattern: None, I just knit a big circle and ended with a 3 needle bind off, then attached handles.Yarn: Plymouth Boku in two different colorways
Needles: My trusty old US 10 circulars
Gauge: I didn't measure before I felted, and I can't measure now.
Clare was amazing during the birth. There were times when Dave and I were in our bedroom, working through the contractions. Clare would come in, and sit with her back against the wall and eyes closed. I could hear her breathing, and just her calm presence made me slow down, follow her breath, and relax a little bit. I remember that she made me the most delicious bowl of oatmeal I have ever eaten. I'm hungry just thinking about it.
Clare was the midwife I saw most while I was pregnant. There were times when my checkups were just with her, and she was also my yoga teacher so I saw her on a near weekly basis. I came to absolutely adore her, and I miss her fun smile and her goofy attitude. She made me laugh so many times when I thought I was beyond laughter, and I'm grateful to her for it. 
I don't know for sure that she'll like this bag, but it turned out just the way I expected it to. It's sturdy and useful, and also fun. I wasn't sure I was going to line it with fabric, but when I started my new job and found out that Crafty Planet is just across the street, I couldn't help but pop in for 1/2 yard to finish this off. I like the contrast of the plain floral pattern inside, and I think it gives the finished bag a nice touch.
midwife gift 1 - socks
3 midwives attended August's birth - well, technically 2 midwives and 1 a doula. In the weeks immediately afterward, I decided to knit them all gifts as a thank you for the spectacular job they did, both before, during, and after our little guy came into the world. Honestly, I owe these women so much that simple knitted gifts don't seem like they quite cut it.
I cannot believe it took me 3 full months to complete these 3 projects, but I had a lot less knitting time than I had anticipated. Who new a newborn would almost always require two hands?
Midwife gift 1 - socks!
During one of the postpartum visits, our doula Emme mentioned how much she liked August's socks. He was wearing these ones, so I thought what better than to make her a pair for herself?
Pattern: I followed the basic sock recipe in Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Knitting Rules!
Yarn: Lanett Superwash
Needles: US 2
Gauge: 8.5 sts to the in
Mods: Hm... I finished these in the middle of April and I do not honestly remember.
I think they're a pretty good replica of the original, and I hope she likes them. I no longer give socks to non-knitting friends, and Emme is a knitter herself. I don't think non-knitters realize how much work goes into a pair of hand knit socks, so there you have it.
I was kicking myself over how long this pair took me to knit, but that was long before I got to gift 2 and 3, and I realize now that a month for a pair of socks is nothing considering I was caring for our newborn at the same time.
During my long labor, Emme was patient and present. Though I know I snapped at her a few times, she was never anything other than wonderful toward me, and I'm grateful for the help she provided during the labor. She was extremely helpful in the first week of Gus's life as well, making a few special trips to my house to help me get started nursing. She was lovely and patient, and I'm so thankful for all she did to help our little family.
I cannot believe it took me 3 full months to complete these 3 projects, but I had a lot less knitting time than I had anticipated. Who new a newborn would almost always require two hands?
Midwife gift 1 - socks!
During one of the postpartum visits, our doula Emme mentioned how much she liked August's socks. He was wearing these ones, so I thought what better than to make her a pair for herself?
Pattern: I followed the basic sock recipe in Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Knitting Rules!Yarn: Lanett Superwash
Needles: US 2
Gauge: 8.5 sts to the in
Mods: Hm... I finished these in the middle of April and I do not honestly remember.
I think they're a pretty good replica of the original, and I hope she likes them. I no longer give socks to non-knitting friends, and Emme is a knitter herself. I don't think non-knitters realize how much work goes into a pair of hand knit socks, so there you have it.
I was kicking myself over how long this pair took me to knit, but that was long before I got to gift 2 and 3, and I realize now that a month for a pair of socks is nothing considering I was caring for our newborn at the same time.
During my long labor, Emme was patient and present. Though I know I snapped at her a few times, she was never anything other than wonderful toward me, and I'm grateful for the help she provided during the labor. She was extremely helpful in the first week of Gus's life as well, making a few special trips to my house to help me get started nursing. She was lovely and patient, and I'm so thankful for all she did to help our little family.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)