KDY's World

I've moved!!

2006-08-26T09:19:00.000-04:00

I moved my blog to wordpress and am I glad I did!! It's so much easier to use and configure. You should give it a try. My new blog is up at www.kdysworld.wordpress.com Bye bye!

And we have a winner!

2006-08-10T06:02:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to the winners of my first contest. Please check back to see if I come up with any other contests for free knitting stuff.

Another contest to win a free hotsling

2006-07-28T21:37:00.000-04:00

http://holdmenear.com/store/index.php?main_page=index

Anyone else need a vacation from their vacation?

2006-07-26T22:02:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been 3 days since I returned home from our 9 day family cruise. There were 14 of us and it was hectic!! I can't see over the pile of laundry that needs to be put away--at least almost everything is cleaned (still need to make a run to the dry cleaners). Cruising with a toddler is..... different, to say the least. It certainly is not as relaxing as our cruises past, but it was fun to see things through her eyes. Since DD had just learned to walk 3 weeks before we left, she was still a bit of a novice, and that made me on edge the whole time. She took 3 major spills, the first one before we even left port! But she recovered just fine and it has not deterred her one bit! I managed to read one book while we were away (The Nanny Diaries--beware, I did not think it was nearly as funny as I have heard. In fact, I found it disturbing and sad), but I barely knit. I don't know why I didn't get to do any knitting. It just didn't happen. I did get to be a bit creative, though. They held scrapbooking classes, which I attended as much as possible, and arts and crafts classes. The one class I really enjoyed was making a beaded bookmark. Let's just hope for all our sake I don't get addicted to that, too. Although I am taking my nieces to the local bead store tomorrow to make some jewelry http://www.redbankbeadcompany.com/

Anyway, we woke up every morning and all DD would say was "Water, water, water" and she would pop herself up on the ledge by the porthole and sit herself down and watch the waves. She had a difficult time sitting still during dinner (who am I kidding, I found it hard to sit still for 2 hours, too!) and we would all take turns bringing her outside the restaurant to walk back and forth and back and forth. I guess that was a major advantage to having a large group with us--many entertainers!

So it is a few days until I close the contest for the sock yarn. I definitely have not made up my mind who the winners are, so there's still time to join in the contest. I hope everyone will be pleased with their yarn and happy knitting!

Check out this link to win a free hotsling!

2006-07-24T06:39:00.000-04:00

http://www.alongfortheride.biz/pages/PlayGamesWinPrizes.php

Shopaholic!!

2006-07-09T23:04:00.000-04:00

Well, it's a few days before our cruise, and I find myself shopping like crazy!! I don't know what's gotten into me, but everything I buy seems to be something we need terribly (OK, except for the few toys I bought for DD, but they were all on sale--how could I resist?). It must be the stress of getting ready and not knowing how the vacation will go. I even went back on my word and started another project off my USO list. I'm ashamed, really. I have justified it with the fact that I want/need to bring only small projects on the cruise and everything seems to have a lot of yarn to go with it. I am bringing along the beaded scarf kit, which can be seen here: http://www.swallowhillcreations.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=70 . I chose a lovely shade of pink rayon and clear crystals, which sparkle like diamonds on it. I only have a few rows done, but I am already liking how it will turn out. It is tedious, though, so I hope I won't get frustrated by it while I am away with nothing else to knit--maybe I should pack a back up....

I am so happy that my SNB group is going to have a nighttime get-together that is close enough to me. I hope to make this a regular occasion and actually get a significant amount of knitting done. It will also be good to just get away for a night--I need that now and then. It never ceases to amaze me how much more refreshed I am when I come back from being away from everyone for a little bit. I think it makes me a better mom, and a better wife, when I get some alone time. I know everyone tells you that you should be selfish and have a time set aside for yourself, but it's hard to do. You get caught up with cleaning, taking care of the baby, washing clothes, cooking and a million other mundane errands and chores. It's hard to get away, but then when I do...watch out! I am going like a mile a minute--shopping, knitting, whatever it may be. So that is my piece of advice for tonight--take time out for yourself--you do have the right to be selfish. In fact, I made a pact with myself after my DD was born, that they only people I will knit for is myself and my daughter. Up until now, I have mostly given everything away that I knit. I have nothing to show for all my hard work, etc, and I don't think anyone has even bothered to send me a picture of them wearing/using the knitted gifts I have given them anyway. So, for all of you that want permission to do it, I say "Be selfish" 'cuz noone is going to do it for you!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

2006-07-04T23:15:00.000-04:00

Hi all!

Wow!! It seems as if my contest has worked--I have visitors now :-) Come on in and make yourself comfy!! I'm so glad you all stopped by. I will be leaving the contest open until the end of July--good luck and pass the word! I am so honored that everyone has come forward with all their UFO's, WIP's, USO's and TOADS--for some people this is the first time they are putting that out in the open, and I, for one, am proud of you!

On our trip Sunday out to Wyomissing PA (what a lovely town, BTW) for a baby shower, I brought along my triangular shawl made from the Trendsetter yarns. I pulled it out after I sung DD to sleep in the backseat, and started to get busy. I figured in the 2 hour ride (which was longer than that thanks to NJ Turnpike traffic!) I could make some serious progress, even close to finish it. However, the yarn gods were not with me on that trip. About 1 1/2 rows in, one of the yarns came to a grinding halt and I pulled it from my bag--it is horribly tangled on itself within a yarn bra and I could not do anything with it while we were driving. I hope I am able to salvage it, the yarn was quite expensive and I doubt the same dye lot will be there when I go back--I can't even remember when I bought this project! Oh ladies of the yarn--please think of me as I detangle this yarn tonight--chant helpful and nice things for me, that the yarn and I will make it out alive and friends.

It was a busy day today--my parents came over and we all went to my SIL's house for a party--an all day party! It was a gathering of all the people going on our upcoming cruise in 10 days. We are going in celebration of my nieces 16th birthday, and it is going to be a wild time, I can tell! DH and I finally decided on one excursion--the America's cup race in St. Maarten. For DH, it will be a fun time, for me it will be in honor of my uncle--who would have been proud (and jealous) of me sailing on an America's cup boat. I hope I get to do something cool on there, like raise a sail or something equally important. Even more exciting is the prospect that it is a race and we will be competing against another boat--that brings out my competitive side. Ahh, now I just need to pack....................

A busy day....a hectic week

2006-07-01T23:27:00.000-04:00

Hi all. It's been a week (or two) of ups and downs, mostly down.

It's July 4th weekend and we spent the day cleaning up around the house. For some inane reason I decided to clean out my husband's side of the closet. I just couldn't take the disorganization any more!! LOL I still have to do my side of the closet yet, but I somehow feel better knowing his side is cleaner...I have a nice big bag of clothes to donate and that's just from DH. I've already taken a few bags from my clothes and DD's closet--of course she is constantly growing out of things, I just make monthly donations there. I do give a lot of her clothes to a friend who recently had a baby girl, but there are still clothes left to donate.

I've also been playing around with the new family tree software that I got on Thursday (Family Tree Maker 2006 Deluxe). It's crazy how caught up in it you can get and lose hours of time searching on the internet. I am just trying to take what my uncle had done a little further and add my dad's side of the family and DH's side of the family on to it, so that DD will have a complete history when she grows up.

I am especially sensitive to maintaining family connections and keeping all our family history documented as we lost another family member last week. My uncle finally lost his battle with lung cancer. The fact the he is gone is still amazing to me and hard to believe. As a child, my uncle was always a "larger than life" figure, with a deep voice, sarcastic wit, a great storytelling ability and such an easygoing personality. As an adult I can appreciate that he worked hard and played hard, climbing to the top of his industry working for Siemens on only a high school degree, a kid at heart when he was on his boat being the captain and made such a great whiskey sour (still one of my most favorite drinks). He was also a volunteer in the same first aid squad that I volunteered for and I was so proud to have him as my uncle. So it is in his name that I continue on the search for our family tree and every time I have a whiskey sour, I will hoist the glass in the air and think of him.

A CONTEST

2006-06-20T22:26:00.000-04:00

I have seen this done on other blogs, so I figured it's a good way to get rid of some of my unused sock yarn and to get more hits on my blog (ahh, the plot thickens...) Anyway, I am willing to give away some of my sock yarns to people who leave a comment on this post as to their list of UFO's and USO's and TOADS (I posted on that yesterday--see "I am a little bit embarrassed..."). I am looking for the most ingenuous way of either describing them or displaying them--humor and cleverness count here. Be creative!! You can have your buddies vote for you and I will take the votes into consideration when I present the awards. Have fun with this--I know I hope to.....

Ooo Ooo Ooo

2006-06-20T22:09:00.000-04:00

Someone read my blog, someone read my blog!! This is so exciting!! All this time, noone has read it, I was starting to think noone loved me. But then I decided to add the link to my signature on my emails--brilliant idea--now I have at least one person I know of who has read my blog. I guess one would question why I have continued to write in it, if noone has read it. I think it's because now that I am not working and have very little time to knit and NO time to scrapbook, I need a quick and easy creative outlet. Now anyone who knew me in school would find that funny since I would just about do anything to get out of writing an essay or paper. Heck, I even studied nursing and maybe the fact that they only have multiple choice questions could have something to do with it (not really people, come on!! You CANNOT be a nurse or withstand nursing school if you didn't have a passion for it). Maybe it's because I can write whatever I want, when I want, how I want and I have complete control over it--damnit! Oooo, I said a swear word--now you would NOT have gotten away with that in English class!

Our day was relatively uneventful. After lunch, DD and I headed out to Jackson outlets for another bathing suit and sandals, both for her. I never get time to look for me. I think DH had better watch her so I can get some of my own shopping done, too. We were able to find both and headed out of there before it rained. AFter dinner, DH and I took DD for a ride in her wagon around the development and for a quick swing in the park. She babbled and danced and tried to sing the whole time--boy she's a chatterbox! My mother enjoys telling me that I was the same way as a toddler. I'm getting excited about the posibility of meeting with my old Knitting Knerds(c), my mom has agreed to watch her once a week so I can meet up with them. We always had such a fun time and actually got some knitting done in the process. Maybe we could even work something out for going to Stitches East this year. I know I said I shouldn't go any more because I accumulate projects that I never get around to doing, but I don't care--nyah, nyah, nyah ;-P It's so much fun and is like a big girls weekend out. I do hope I can swing it, the only year I missed it since I started going in 1999 was the year I got married--it conflicted with our honeymoon. I even went last year with DD, that was stressful, but I still managed to leave there with yarn, lol. Anyway, I just came up with an idea for holding a contest on my blog and I want to post it separately, so toodles for now....

I'm a little bit embarassed...

2006-06-19T23:57:00.000-04:00

At how many knitting projects I have started and not finished. I am hoping that by listing them here and vowing to complete them before starting anything new, that I will actually stay on task. Please don't judge, just support me in my goal!
UFO's (unfinished objects)

Emily's baby sweater (all it needs is two seams and a button, hardly an UFO, but it will make me feel better to get to cross it off my list when I finish it)
Triangular shawl--this I have a deadline for--I want to bring it to wear on my cruise, which I leave for on July 14th. It's made with two Trendsetter yarns, Viola and something else. I think I might need more of the something else--hope the lys still has it...
Sinsation scarf and hat--I actually need to purchase one more skein in order to finish these off to my satisfaction, none of my lys have had the yarn in stock, so I have to place an online order--which would mean I would accumulate more yarn--NO!!!!! LOL
Opal tiger socks--ok, I have to confess, I was intrigued with the idea of knitting socks, but now that I know how to do them, they have lost their interest. I do hope to finish them someday, though, they really are turning out cute!
A bulky yarn bias scarf--I don't know why I had to start this a few weeks ago, as if I wasn't already in over my head. It should finish quickly, if DD will just allow me time to knit...
Blue shawl--this is made out of 4 different yarns in the blue family, pattern a la Sally Melville. I cast on a bunch of stitches and am knitting it lengthwise
Aran sweater with Debbie Bliss merino aran, the pattern is Cynthia Helene Lattice, very pretty, can't wait to really rip back into it
Basketweave scarf--this is knit with Lion Brand's woolease in a variegated yarn, the pattern was adapted from a shawl pattern in Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle. This was the first project I started after relearning to knit at a Michael's class--it has sentimental value, but is very tedious to knit as I haven't memorized the 12(?) row repeat for the pattern and I have to keep looking at the chart as I go
Stitch Sampler scarf in Jo Sharp silkroad in a wheat color, this is just about half done, but as usual, once I have mastered the patterns or learn all there is to learn about the project, I get bored and need to move on....I really do need to finish it, though, it's really pretty and soft and warm
Blue cardigan--from Knitter's magazine, Cardigan with a Twist knit in Debbie Bliss cotton cashmere in a cornflower blue color
Patchwork pillow--http://www.barbarakerrknits.com/workshops.html# took a class from Barbara Kerr http://www.barbarakerrknits.com/ and never finished it, again, learned what I wanted to then abandoned, it's in blues and browns with flashes of orange in it (I know that sounds weird, but it's very pretty and follows the color wheel theory of opposites)
Child's patchwork cardigan--also a la Barbara Kerr http://www.barbarakerrknits.com/workshops.html#. I started this for my niece before I realized that it takes a while to finish this type of garment and she outgrew it. I hear that happens to a lot of people--that fact is still not making me feel any better....

Ahhh, I feel a little better now, airing out my dirty little secret, but there's more. I know, most people don't talk about them, but not only are there UFO's, but USO's (unstarted objects), too. Just to be thorough and to give me something to look forward to once these projects are all complete, I will list those as well. That way, if anyone sees me knitting anything off this list should question me as to whether my UFO's are complete--come on, I need your help!

Beaded scarf--ok, so if any of you attend Stitches East you have probably seen them, they sell these kits for these gorgeous beaded knitted scarves and it's only one cone of thread and a small bag of beads--how much trouble could they be, really? Yeah, I got suckered into them, too....and there they have sat, for over a year, but I will finish it!
Baby blanket for DD--I know she's already a year old, see story about this below--remember, no judging!!
mosaic shawl--also acquired from Stitches East. Man! I need to stop going there--it gets me in so much trouble. But it's so much fun......ok, I'll go again this year--you talked me into it, lol
Pumpkin hat, Ann Norling pattern, I have the Plymouth Encore ready and waiting, I would have made this for DD last year for Halloween, but the pattern was too big for her and I was in no shape with a 5 month old to refigure numbers
Christmas hat--this is a kit from Debby Ware, can't wait to make it this year (I hope!), again I ran into same problem with sizing as pumpkin hat
Hershey's kiss hat--another kit from Stitches East! Same size issues as before..
Wool in the Woods sweater--ok this one is really sad, purchased the first time I went to Stitches, but never started. I can't begin to tell you why
Cowl scarf--this looked like a really pretty smoke ring, also acquired at Stitches East
Opal mittens--this is a kit made by The Wool Connection in Connecticut http://www.woolconnection.com/ .
Three felted Christmas stockings for us.

And in the interest of complete disclosure, what list would be complete without the TOADS (something like totally abandoned in disgust)

Crocheted baby blanket--ok, this is the story I was referring to under the USO's. I started a crocheted shell baby blanket out of wool-ease by Lion Brand but I just felt the yarn to be too scratchy and was afraid it would never soften up despite washing--a fellow knitter confirmed that information for me today and I have decided to nix it. Thus, my 13 1/2 month old DD does not have a handmade blanket--I know, I know, I should be tarred and feathered, but I'm allergic, so could ya just let it slide this once?
Aran dress I was designing for DD--I just didn't like it, the way it hung, etc. I am thinking of doubling the yarn to make a cute poncho for DD for the fall

OK, all this self-revelation is making me tired and my DH and DD are both snoring away, so I had better get some sleep, too. Have to go find sandals to fit DD for our cruise. I didn't actually wait too long to get the sandals, it's just she never grew into the ones we thought would fit her by now....Wish me luck on getting pretty little sandals at this time of year!!

It's a sick day

2006-05-22T07:57:00.000-04:00

But not for me. DD is all stuffed up with congestion and a nasty cough. I will be home for the next few days tending to her illness. Hopefully, DH and I will stay clear of the bug, but it's kind of impossible to do when she wants to be cuddled and comforted all the time.

Co-taught a fixing mistakes class yesterday at the Wooly Monmouth ( www.woolymonmouth.com ). It went better than I expected. It's times like this I realize, I really have learned so much these past few years--my grandmother would have been so proud!

Last week I taught 5 moms from my MOMS club how to knit--now that was a challenge! There were no babysitters and everyone had their kids along--what a zoo! They each had to make a 12X12" square that will be joined into a blanket for one of the moms who is moving away. Most of the squares were ok, but I had to rip one out to about 2 " and reknit it--it started to look like a trapezoid! Also, OTN is the baby cardigan for a dear friend who just had her baby girl. I want to finish that up before I go to visit in the next week or two.

DD's birthday party was a success--everyone seemed to have a great time. DD behaved so well (on barely a nap) and seemed to know that everyone was there for her, lol. She looked absolutely adorable in her party dress, just like a princess, and she didn't take her hair bow out at all! It totally boggles my mind that last year at this time, she was not even 6 pounds and so tiny and helpless, and now, she's growing up so fast and on the verge of walking. She says so many words now, too.

I just entered a contest at http://www.alongfortheride.biz/pages/PlayGamesWinPrizes.php . You should enter, too, and could win a free hotsling or moby wrap. I love wearing DD, especially for long walks, you should try it, too!

A guilty post

2006-04-14T22:38:00.000-04:00

Hi, umm, sorry. I feel bad, really I do. But I did post a long time ago, and the computer lost the post (it was a long one, too!) and then I was a little mad. I didn't feel like posting again. But I'm back now, and I'll try to catch you up from the last month. I'm also a little dissapointed I don't know how to get my blog out there for other people to read, but I am working on it. I've just been a little busy this past month.

Our St Patrick's day party was such a success and everyone loved the corned beef so much, that we did it all over again the next day! I am totally corned beefed out now, and good till next year :-)

I worked very hard on DD's felted Easter basket (a kit from The Wool Connection that a friend of mine gave me for my baby shower last year). I didn't have time to take a pre-felt picture because I was in a hurry to get it felted and dried for DD's Easter pictures today. I did manage to take it to my local knitting guild on Thursday and show it off while it was drying. I also toted DD along wearing one of her sweaters and brought her other sweater along, too. I never remember to bring anything for show and tell, so this time I brought a bunch. I will now be returning to her aran dress that I designed and hope that someday she will be able to wear it.....

DD has been getting so big. She crawls like a champ and goes up the stairs so quickly. She's cruising around, but still prefers to crawl since she knows she can get to more areas that way. DH has given her a deadline of mid-July when we go on our cruise to learn to walk. There won't be many places she can crawl and she's going to get pretty ansy with us holding her all the time. I'm sure she will be up for the challenge :-) I still am in shock that she will be turning one in a matter of days. Her party is fast approaching and I need to get my butt in gear to get everything ready. It should be fun!

This Sunday my DM will be having Easter dinner at her house. My uncle (DM's younger brother, diagnosed with lung cancer in July 2004, a few months after he retired) feels up to going out and having Easter with us. It will be a very special Easter having us all together.

I'm trying to rattle my brain to remember what else has happened in the past month. Oh yes, we had a trip to Great Adventure on opening weekend. DD had a blast riding on the rides, she;s not afraid of anything! I went to two baby showers for babies due in May(I'm making one of them a little sweater for when the baby arrives). My SIL had an Easter egg party last weekend. DD went with DH b/c I was at one of the baby showers. She had fun decorating an egg and finding little eggs. She has such a blast with her cousins--she totally looks up to them like they are such idols. It's very cute.

Well, that's a real Reader's Digest form of life the past month, minus the book babies, playdates, walks in the park, swinging on swings. I promise to keep up better. I'll write again on Sunday night. Toodles!

Gettin' ready for the St Patty's Day Feast

2006-03-16T13:30:00.000-05:00

Today we ran some errands. DD had her book babies session this morning. Her friend from playgroup was there and they recognized each other. They were most cute playing with the toys and listening to the books. DD was a little quiet as usual, I had to wake her up--she fell asleep in the 5 minutes it took to drive her to the library. The time for book babies falls right in the middle of her nap, but I think she can handle it for a few weeks. She's currently passed out and we'll see how long this nap is....She's sleeping right through lunch. After she gets up and eats, we have to take a quick drive up north to a yarn store. I am going to run a little short on the pink yarn I am using for her felted Easter basket. This is the only store I found that is carrying it--A Yarn for All Seasons in Martinsville.

Tomorrow I will be cooking corned beef all.... day.... long.... I have invited one of the other moms (and her daughter) from playgroup to hang out here since I will be captive to the beef. We will be having DH's brother's and sister's families here for dinner. I even have a recipe for soda bread. Not sure if I will have time to bake it, but I will try.

Caught up with some friends this past Tuesday--had dinner in Red Bank at Bueno Sera--so good, but the portions were crazy huge! DH and I both had it for dinner again last night and we STILL have leftovers. I guess that justifies the ridiculous price.....DD got cranky towards the end and I had to take her home a little early, but it was still nice to see our friends that moved to Florida last year.

Yesterday one of the members of our playgroup came over for lunch and adult conversation, lol. We had some pizza, the babies watched some Baby Einstein and we got to knit a little bit.

Oops, gotta go, DD is waking up--that was a short one.....

Back again

2006-03-14T09:35:00.000-05:00

I have been a little busy lately and haven't had time to post, so here's another catch up session..

Friday: DD and I went to our usual knitting mtg at the B&N. There was a brand new knitter there. DD was pretty content to eat her lunch while I talked and tried to knit (in between feeding DD). I paused for a few minutes to help the newbie knitter, DD decided to take her sippy cup and drink large gulps of water and let it drool out of her mouth. She did that for the entire contents of the cup--she was soaked in a matter of minutes. Good thing I still had a spare set of PJ's in her diaper bag and I had to change her there and head back home. So much for trying to get her birthday invitations.
That night we headed to my SIL's house for dinner and playing mah jongg with our nieces. It was almost a complete shutout for my husband, the girls and I won most of the games. I think it's fair to say we are all addicted to this game now--good thing we aren't betting for real money...

Saturday: My parents and sister and her boyfriend came down for a visit. I cooked everyone a big breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, taylor ham, and french toast. We were all stuffed after that, and DD decided to take a nice long 1 1/2 hour nap. It was nice to get caught up. DD showed off all her new tricks for everyone. My mom brought her new clothes, as usual, lol. After they went home we took DD to the park in our development and she went on the baby swing. Boy did she like that this time--big grins, shrieking with laughter and kicking her feet the whole time. After that, we had a nice family nap. It was a nice quiet evening of dinner and playtime and bed for us all.

Sunday: I taught a beginners knitting class at my lys. Had three students, a mom, daughter and father. It went pleasant enough. On the way home I returned a huge bag of jarred baby food that DD now refuses to eat. I tried to find a few more things she could try. I also stopped by the chinese grocery store to buy some tofu and some noodles (DD's new favorite finger food). DH cooked dinner (hooray!) and I made some homemade food for DD and she ate it--tofu, noodles, brocoli, chicken and chicken broth. I personally would not have eaten it, but she seemed to like it.

Monday: Went out to lunch with an old friend from work (the NICU I used to work in several years ago). We had a good time, but had to cut it short because she had some back pain (leftover from shovelling snow--another reason to move to someplace warm). DD passed out in the car on the way home (even after a 2 1/2 hour morning nap!), so I took advantage of that and decided to keep on driving to the strip mall that has several stores I needed to go to. DD got a nice second nap in and was in a good mood for me to check out the invitations at the Hallmark store. I didn't like any of those, so went to Michael's to buy more of the invitations to print out at home. We also picked up a matt to put in the bottom of the bathtub for DD, now that she doesn't fit in her baby bathtub any more, she loves to take her baths in the big bathtub with all her toys. Also got a few things for her Easter basket.
My friend that had her baby two weeks ago called last night in a panic. Her baby spit up three times and it totally shook her. She's having such a hard time with breastfeeding and the baby just won't latch on at all. She's having to do the same thing I went through with DD which is the ridiculous pumping schedule, take herbs to boost supply, etc, etc. She's completely overwhelmed and I totally understand. I hope it works out for her, but I have my doubts that it will. It's too similar to our situation. I calmed her down and got her to agree to call her OB about the lactation consultants advice on taking the herbs, and to call her pediatrician to let him know about the baby spitting up. Hopefully it was just something she ate that upset the baby's tummy and all will go back to normal today. I totally feel her pain, though, and wanted to cry right along with her last night. Those first few months are so hard, I don't think anyone can really prepare you for how difficult it is. I had her promise me she would call with an update today--want to make sure she isn't developing PPD.
After that 2 hour long conversation )long distance from Florida no less!), I was a little wound up. I decided with only a few weeks until Easter, I had better get started on making the felted Easter basket kit Terri gave me for my baby shower last year. It's going quickly, as I knew it would. It should look really cute when it's done. I will try to take pictures and get it up on here later. Well, DD is in for a long nap it seems, I'm going to run and take a shower and get a few things done. So long for now!

Catchin' Up

2006-03-10T11:57:00.000-05:00

Whew, it's been a busy two days, let me catch you up.

On Wednesday I met my playgroup in the park for a nice stroll. The weather was great! It was so unbelievably refreshing and wonderful to be back outside again! I miss it so much, and I think DD does, too. Every morning when we wake up and I open the shades in her room, she just stares outside, probably wondering why we don't get to go out any more. I cannot wait until it is warm enough on a consistent basis to take her out every day again. After our walk, we took the babies to McDonald's so that we could eat lunch and the babies ate their lunch and we had a good time. I can even start to see my mood lifting as the thermometer creeps up and up...

Yesterday I took DD with me to a knitter's meeting. She was sooo good! Even though she is cutting her fourth bottom tooth, she was in a great mood, smiled and laughed and entertained everyone at our table. I even got to KNIT! It is a very exciting moment for me. DD sat in her stroller and ate her lunch, while I knit--I just can't stop saying it. I feel like it has been forever since I have been able to knit that much. Everyone had comments to make about the fact that I am knitting DD's dress out of Debbie Bliss's cotton/angora--"she'll spit up on it, you won't be able to wash it", what do they think she's an animal or something. OK, I'm not going to give her foods I KNOW she's messy with while she is wearing it (like her new favorite blueberries), but if she does get it a little dirty, I am able to clean clothes--all by myself. I hand wash everything I knit for her whether it can go in the laundry or not, anyway. And she will be wearing a bib... Someone even snickered "first time mom"--UUGGHHH! Hello, I have worked in pediatrics for a very many years, I know what I am dealing with here. Besides, I am knitting her something for her to wear and enjoy, not to just sit on a hangar in her closet. I don't care what they say anyway--hhmmpphhh. (insert pout here) Did I mention it's white? He he

After we got home from the mtg (which was enjoyable despite the nay-sayers, I'm being overly dramatic here, lol), I tried to get DD down for a nap--no way, not happening, and she barely napped in the morning. Then my DH came home early from his dentits appt, then my mom and SIL called. Well, that pretty much clinched it--she was not getting an afternoon nap. My SIL called to say my MIL was over (she lives in Queens and rarely gets to come out this way) and I packed up DD again so she could go bond with her Grandma. We stayed for dinner and DD ate like a pig, lol. I don't think I have ever seen her eat that much before in my life! But she had a good time and that's all that counts and she passed out on the two minute car ride back to our house.

Today we will be heading over to another knitting meeting at the local Barnes and Noble and then I need to look into some invitations for DD's first birthday party. Wow, I cannot believe how fast this year went. I am starting to miss when DD was so small and loved to be cuddled on my chest to sleep. DD is too wild and wooly now for any of that, she wants to be down, on the floor, crawling around and exploring every minute until she passes out from sheer exhaustion!

After we get home from that, I need to hunker down and clean up the place. My parents, sister and her boyfriend will be coming tomorrow for brunch and to visit and see DD. I have some serious cleaning to do. See ya!

I knew this was going to happen!

2006-03-08T11:13:00.000-05:00

Somehow I knew this was going to happen. I put my daughter to bed last night, and never got back to my computer to post anything. Oh, please forgive me, my poor blog.

Yesterday was a day of errands. Signed DD up for "Book Babies" at our local library. It's a 20 minute session of reading and songs and rhymes for babies under 2 years old. It's a little chaotic, but very cute, and DD just sits there taking it all in while sitting on my lap. Now that she can crawl, we'll see how content she is to stay put this time...Our friend from playgroup will be joining us this session, which will be nice.

After that, we went food shopping, which is always a challenge with DD along. I had to seek out new and exciting foods for her, since she has declared war on her jars of baby food and refuses to eat anything that she cannot pick up with her own fingers (except yogurt and pudding, for some reason, those are OK). I got some different kinds of beans, frozen peas, some fruit and veggies, some more yogurt, but basically I am at a loss--she's turned into a very picky eater. I dread mealtime, she wails and refuses to eat things I give her, I get frustrated and give in and give her cheese (her most very favorite food of all!). She cannot live on cheese, blueberries and mashed potatoes alone--these are the things she never turns down. Oh well, we'll keep on trying. Meanwhile, everyone keeps telling me how she's losing weight (which she isn't, she's just getting taller) and they all want to try to fatten her up. Good luck, I say, have at it! I really want her to be over 20 pounds when she turns a year so I can turn her carseat around--I know, selfish reasons, lol. Anyway, DD seemed to enjoy her trip to the grocery store and waved goodbye to each and every cashier and person in line that we passed. What a ham!

We also dropped off a package at the UPS store, but that was completely uneventful to even discuss. Today we are meeting our playgroup at a park for a walk--hooray! I so miss going outside for our walks, I cannot wait until it is warm enough to go out every day. I just realized that we are supposed to meet in an hour and I don't have her diaper bag packed and I need to dry my hair. So long for now!

A little confused..

2006-03-06T21:23:00.000-05:00

OK, on many other blogs I have seen the amber alert ticker and I want to include one on my blog. I don't know how to get it on here, any advice? Anyone?

New to this.....

2006-03-06T16:26:00.000-05:00

Hi, I'm new at this. Just wanted to join in the craze! I'm not sure how dedicated I can be at posting every day, but I will do my best. So here goes....

As you read in my profile, I have one daughter, who is now 10 months old. My goodness how it goes way too fast! We went to the post office today to mail off a new baby gift to friends of ours in Florida. I spoke with the new mommy today and she was just gushing with new mom pride. I can totally understand that! I am amazed at my little girl every day.

After our trip to the post office, we headed out to the mall to pick up our portraits we took two weeks ago. They came out better than I thought they would. If I can figure out how to post pictures, I will try to get one on here. I am specially proud of one of the pictures because DD is wearing a sweater I knit for her while I was on bedrest waiting for her to be born. Since she fell asleep on the way home, I decided to wait on food shopping for the day and took her right home. She's sleeping as we speak, and that's the reason I can finally post here, lol.

DD has been napping so much better lately--it used to be that she wouldn't nap at all, but that's a story for another time. She slept right through my knitting meeting today :-( Oh well, at least I got some stuff done around the house. She napped through the one this past Friday as well. It might be that she is transitioning to one big nap a day--right in the middle of the day, but that's a welcome change for me! It just means that I won't be able to attend many meetings any more.

Well, I think that's enough for my first post. I have to see how to rearrange this a little bit so it is more to my liking. Till next time--so long!