Pumpkins for my Punkin'!
Halloween
My little opera baby
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Mittens!
Pattern: Lola Flip Top Mitten from 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders
Needles: Size 1 48" circular
Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks 55612 Summer Moss Jaquard
Method: Magic loop, both knit at the same time
These actually turned out pretty good for my first attempt at making mittens with thumbs, and a flap. My gauge was off as usual and they ended up a little smaller than I wanted. They fit but not much room. I'm not sure about the flaps for a 2 year old yet. I haven't put the buttons to hold them up on yet, maybe it will be better then. Now I just have to have time to make myself a pair! I love how this yarn turns out though! This was my first time working with this tiny yarn and my hands kind of cramped up after awhile but I worked on them for 3 days straight.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
August '09
OK, I'm way behind but it was summer and nice and I was busy. Also, our modem broke and then our internet went out a few days after we got our new one! Anyway, here is August in pictures.
At the Cabin
First time fishing!
She won the raffle at the fishing contest!
At Home
Happy birthday punkin'! We bought her this table and a bunch of stuff for her kitchen from Ikea.
"mmm n mmm" cake
I made her shirt with Amy Butler fabric. Maybe someday I will post a tutorial, it's very easy.
One day when she first started not napping anymore I was tired so I closed the bedroom door and got into bed. She wanted to play and when i woke up I found this. All of the pillows were on that couch. She took everything down and arranged it and even found blankets and a few clothing items. She has slept on the floor a few times...even one night all night!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Holy Zucchini!!!
Sorry, I couldn't decide on a picture so I put them all on! How's that for giant zucchini? I tried to weigh the big one on my scale but it only goes up to 5lbs 4oz...I honestly did not know how much zucchini you could get from only 4 plants. Amazing! So, Dan was asking for bread of course (heaven forbid you just eat it the plain healthy way!) so I started hunting for a whole wheat healthier version and I found a great one that I modified. It's below, with pics! Anyway, if you have zucchini coming out of your ears like I do, or really like zucchini bread and want some all year, you can shred and freeze it. I slice it lengthwise so it will fit in my food processor and shred it that way. Then put it all in a strainer over a bowl and let it drain, pushing down occasionally, until it stops dripping. Use the liquid on your plants, I did and it seems to have worked wonders. Then put the amount your recipe calls for into a freezer bag, squeeze out all of the air, and freeze (don't forget to buy quality freezer bags so you can wash and reuse them!) Everything I found online about freezing this way said to use the liquid that is left in the bag but I didn't. I put the shreds in first and my batter looked really great and did not need the extra liquid. If you use a different recipe see what works for you. By the way, those two giant zucchini yielded 17 1/2 cups shredded!
Here's my zucchini bread recipe. I was inspired by this recipe and of course I had to make changes...I can't leave anything alone!
Mix 3 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 1/4cup + 2 Tablespoons oil (I used smart balance), 3/4 cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup!), 1/4 cup honey, & 2 Tablespoons lemon juice.
In a separate bowl mix 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon baking soda, & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Gently combine with wet ingredients.
Fold in 3 cups packed, shredded zucchini.
Pour into two greased bread pans. I like the smaller glass ones. I think they are 4? by 8? something. 325 for about 50 minutes. YUM!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Skirtie!
I finished this soaker awhile ago but am finally getting it posted. I think it turned out really cute and would be even cuter if it wasn't huge! I shrunk it a little but it's still too big and next summer she won't need it so I will have to pass it on. It turned out huge because I didn't check my gauge good enough I guess. The ruffle is actually a technique that can be applied to any pattern, but there is also a good pattern with it. You can find it at http://badumbums.com/?tag=soaker . I did a different waistband, kind of like the curly purly but not. I also am not a fan of drawstrings for her because she unties them so I threaded 4 rows of 1/8" elastic through the ribbing. You can see the technique here only this was different elastic and because it was wider had to be sewn together at the ends instead of tied.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Sleeping through the night
I apologize in advance for the amount of exclamation!
It finally happened! I slept through the night! For probably the first time in over 2 years I slept continuously from 1am to 7:30! There's been a lot of talk about sleep around here. Not just in our house but also in our neighborhood. A neighbor and her husband separately on the same day were both telling me about the "problems" they've been having with their not quite 1 year old sleeping through the night. Dan has also been a little upset when he comes home in the middle of the night from work and there's no room in the bed. And a friend was telling me about people bothering her about where her beautiful daughter is sleeping.
It always upsets me and gets me going when people ask the age old question, "Is she sleeping through the night yet?" I always just say "Nope," trying not to get to excited about it. It is usually followed by, "why do you think she still wakes up?" Deep breath, stay calm... "I don't know." And that is usually the end of it. I really try not to get into it with people, especially people who don't have kids so it doesn't really matter. But seriously, who as a mother, or even a father, with a baby is not asked this at every family event at least by one person? I think it is so crazy that people are so worried about where, when, and how much your child is sleeping but don't worry about what they are eating (well, unless you count the people that ask you if you are still breastfeeding...way to go if your are BTW!), learning, or anything else that's really important.
Your child not sleeping through the night is a problem when you decide to make it a problem. Like most things, it's not a problem if it doesn't bother you. In the case of the neighbors, they both work outside the home. To me they both said the almost exact same thing, "We are tired and at our wits end!" When I talked to mom she was on her way to find a video monitor so she could watch and see if she really needed to go in there, and I saw dad at the grocery store saying he was so tired he couldn't even function. They're trying to get her to sleep in her bed but even before they go to bed she wakes up and is up again shortly after they put her back. Now this time, still trying not to get too opinionated and worked up, actually asked dad, "Where does she sleep, with you?" "No, I have been so against that, but I'm tempted" Seriously trying to hold it back here... Of course it is disruptive and of course you are tired! You are completely waking up every time she gets up, walking down the hallway, rocking her back to sleep for 15 minutes, walking back down the hallway, and then trying to get back to sleep! And it is taking longer for her to get back to sleep because had to completely wake up to get you in there! And because she is waking up so completely her little body is probably getting used to getting up at certain times. Mackenzie and I always wake up around 3 or 3:30. I believe it's because Dan was on that shift for so long and he always came home and woke us up. Instead of telling him that I just told him about attaching our crib to our bed. Wuss!
Anyway, blah blah blah! The point is, people make their own problems. Mackenzie not sleeping through the night wasn't a super huge deal because she was in bed with us. If she woke up I nursed her back to sleep, and now that she has weaned if she wakes up she just wants to snuggle. We have also pretty much fixed the space problem because I attached her crib to our bed with the side off so she is still in our bed but has her own space. She's finally using that crib! Dan is the one who keeps me awake now with his snorting and wiggling and coming home who knows when. I have slept on the couch the last two nights because of him! Plus he likes it when I'm not there because then she snuggles with him instead of me.
Why do babies wake up so much at night? Because they have needs! They are hungry, scared, cold, hot, uncomfortable, lonely, in pain from teething, etc! Your baby needs you! Do you sleep through the night? I didn't even before I had her. I always wake up for stuff like I have to use the toilet, I'm thirsty, I'm hungry, or I just can't get an idea out of my head. They are tiny and helpless and even Mackenzie who is almost 2 and a big girl to us is still completely helpless. They can't survive without you. If people get me really worked up about co sleeping and other bedtime things I tell them, "When I decided to be a parent I didn't do it under the pretense that it would be a 12 hour a day job. A parent needs to parent 24 hours a day." Babies are not hobbies or toys that we can play with when we want or when it's convenient.
A friend of mine always has great quotes and things on her blog. One was "Stand up for your baby's rights, he is depending on you to look out for him." Whatever you do, do whatever is best for you and your child and don't worry about what other people say. Use common sense and intuition and back it up with a little Dr. Sears if you have to. And when people ask you why your baby isn't sleeping through the night answer them with "I'm sure they will when they outgrow the need to wake up," or "When she's ready she will."
It finally happened! I slept through the night! For probably the first time in over 2 years I slept continuously from 1am to 7:30! There's been a lot of talk about sleep around here. Not just in our house but also in our neighborhood. A neighbor and her husband separately on the same day were both telling me about the "problems" they've been having with their not quite 1 year old sleeping through the night. Dan has also been a little upset when he comes home in the middle of the night from work and there's no room in the bed. And a friend was telling me about people bothering her about where her beautiful daughter is sleeping.
It always upsets me and gets me going when people ask the age old question, "Is she sleeping through the night yet?" I always just say "Nope," trying not to get to excited about it. It is usually followed by, "why do you think she still wakes up?" Deep breath, stay calm... "I don't know." And that is usually the end of it. I really try not to get into it with people, especially people who don't have kids so it doesn't really matter. But seriously, who as a mother, or even a father, with a baby is not asked this at every family event at least by one person? I think it is so crazy that people are so worried about where, when, and how much your child is sleeping but don't worry about what they are eating (well, unless you count the people that ask you if you are still breastfeeding...way to go if your are BTW!), learning, or anything else that's really important.
Your child not sleeping through the night is a problem when you decide to make it a problem. Like most things, it's not a problem if it doesn't bother you. In the case of the neighbors, they both work outside the home. To me they both said the almost exact same thing, "We are tired and at our wits end!" When I talked to mom she was on her way to find a video monitor so she could watch and see if she really needed to go in there, and I saw dad at the grocery store saying he was so tired he couldn't even function. They're trying to get her to sleep in her bed but even before they go to bed she wakes up and is up again shortly after they put her back. Now this time, still trying not to get too opinionated and worked up, actually asked dad, "Where does she sleep, with you?" "No, I have been so against that, but I'm tempted" Seriously trying to hold it back here... Of course it is disruptive and of course you are tired! You are completely waking up every time she gets up, walking down the hallway, rocking her back to sleep for 15 minutes, walking back down the hallway, and then trying to get back to sleep! And it is taking longer for her to get back to sleep because had to completely wake up to get you in there! And because she is waking up so completely her little body is probably getting used to getting up at certain times. Mackenzie and I always wake up around 3 or 3:30. I believe it's because Dan was on that shift for so long and he always came home and woke us up. Instead of telling him that I just told him about attaching our crib to our bed. Wuss!
Anyway, blah blah blah! The point is, people make their own problems. Mackenzie not sleeping through the night wasn't a super huge deal because she was in bed with us. If she woke up I nursed her back to sleep, and now that she has weaned if she wakes up she just wants to snuggle. We have also pretty much fixed the space problem because I attached her crib to our bed with the side off so she is still in our bed but has her own space. She's finally using that crib! Dan is the one who keeps me awake now with his snorting and wiggling and coming home who knows when. I have slept on the couch the last two nights because of him! Plus he likes it when I'm not there because then she snuggles with him instead of me.
Why do babies wake up so much at night? Because they have needs! They are hungry, scared, cold, hot, uncomfortable, lonely, in pain from teething, etc! Your baby needs you! Do you sleep through the night? I didn't even before I had her. I always wake up for stuff like I have to use the toilet, I'm thirsty, I'm hungry, or I just can't get an idea out of my head. They are tiny and helpless and even Mackenzie who is almost 2 and a big girl to us is still completely helpless. They can't survive without you. If people get me really worked up about co sleeping and other bedtime things I tell them, "When I decided to be a parent I didn't do it under the pretense that it would be a 12 hour a day job. A parent needs to parent 24 hours a day." Babies are not hobbies or toys that we can play with when we want or when it's convenient.
A friend of mine always has great quotes and things on her blog. One was "Stand up for your baby's rights, he is depending on you to look out for him." Whatever you do, do whatever is best for you and your child and don't worry about what other people say. Use common sense and intuition and back it up with a little Dr. Sears if you have to. And when people ask you why your baby isn't sleeping through the night answer them with "I'm sure they will when they outgrow the need to wake up," or "When she's ready she will."
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