Foot Love

got the idea from here

52 Finishes: Week 33- Chevron Baby Blanket

I started on this blanket the second week of October.  I was working on it like mad, and was totally in a groove.  Then November hit.  I got super busy with other projects, and just didn't have a ton of time to knit.  I wanted to get the blanket done before Charlie arrived, which is why I started on it in October.  Well, December arrived and the blanket still wasn't done!  I started working on it more, determined to finish it.  I still had a load of other things I was doing.  December is sort of a blurry.  It was just a crazy busy month!  On Christmas Eve, I had about 10 more rows to do before I finished, so I made myself sit and knit til it was DONE.  I'm glad I did because I love that it is finished and Charlie sleeps with it every night (cause I wrap him up in it- maybe someday he'll choose to sleep with it?!)  This is my first BIG knitting project, and also the biggest thing I've  made out of yarn.  It's cool to think that I fabricated this blanket one stitch at a time! (It makes me feel like a super hero or something :)  Someday I'll knit really fast like my sister, I don't know how she does it!

 The pattern is free, and found HERE

 The yarn is a wool/poly blend.  It's yarn made to be made into blakets.  I love it, so soft, lofty and cushy!

 Charlie likes it too.... I think- he didn't exactly tell me :)

See my other finishes HERE

2 weeks old

Charlie is 2 weeks old!

 The other night I picked him up, and realized he was heavier than I remembered. 

 He loves to be held and snuggled.

 He will sit and stare at you

 He talks in his sleep.

 He's outgrowing his newborn size clothes

He hates dirty diapers

One week old

Charlie is one week old!

*He LOVES snuggles

*He's starting to even out in his eating

*He smiles in his sleep

*He will sit and look at you

*His cord fell off today

*He sighs alot

*He has 3 dimples

Charlie's Birth Story

This pregnancy was a little different.  When I was pregnant with Jayne I took a pregnancy and labor class the college offered.  I learned all about how a baby develops and grows.  I learned all about labor and the different stages and what words like "effaced" and "transition" meant.  I didn't really have a plan for pain management, it was just gonna be a wait and see what I could handle kind of deal.  To read Jayne's birth story click HERE.  During Max's pregnancy, I did a bunch of research on natural childbirth and how beneficial it is for mom and baby.  I made my mind up to "go all natural" just like I did with Jayne.  After all, if I did it once I could certainly do it again.  To read about Max's birth, click HERE.  With Charlie I knew I wanted to go natural again, but I needed to work on a few things. I love the way I can get up and take care of my baby and myself after a natural birth.  I don't love about an hour before the baby is born when my contractions are so strong I can't breath.  I don't like going numb in my face, hands and feet. And I don't like feeling like I don't have control. So this time I decided to try Hypnobabies.  To me Hypnobabies is all about learning to relax, breath and let birth happen.  So I found a class offered and joined it. 

Change of terms:

Labor- Birth Time

Delivered- Birthed

Contraction- Pressure Wave

Transition-Transformation

In the class they go through your pregnancy and you learn different techniques to put yourself instantly into a deep state of relaxation/hypnosis.  I started practicing hypnobabies around 30 weeks, so I used it for a while.  I would practice for about 30-60 minutes a day.  Normally right before I took a nap or went to bed at night.  Darick did it with me a couple times a week so when I was in birth time, he could help me stay focused and relaxed.  Most of my birth time, I looked like I was sleeping, but really I was just staying relaxed.  You start using hypnobabies the moment to start feeling regular pressure waves, when they are short, spaced well apart, and not as strong.  That way when they get stronger you don't have to all the sudden relax and try to not think about them. 

For those that were there with me, it was a seriously boring day.  I needed it to be quiet in the room so I could stay focused.  I went into the hospital at 6am because I have a fear of not making it to the hospital in time.  I knew I had a while to go, but I wanted to be at the hospital.  So my midwife Karen came in and checked on me pretty often, she wanted to break my water, and get things moving, but part of using hypnobabies is to let things progress naturally.  Charlie's head was really low, I kept getting comments that he was just gonna fall out.  If I had let my midwife break my water, I bet I would have had him way sooner.  There is no benefit to breaking the water, except to "get things going."  There are a bunch of risks though, and I wasn't willing to do it.  There were some people annoyed by my decision, but it was my labor, and I wanted things as natural as I could make them. I was monitored about every 30 minutes, my nurse Jessica would come in and listen to the baby and check on me. I drank a ton of water (so I didn't need an IV), peed a ton, and moved from the bed to a birthing ball, to the rocking chair and finally the Jacuzzi.  Hypnobabies encourages changing positions about every 30 minutes.  But I liked laying down the best, it was easiest to stay in hypnosis then. 

Around 5pm my pressure waves were stronger but I was comfortable and relaxed.  I think this is about the time I went into transformation.  I could feel the baby pretty low and I didn't feel like I had to push or anything, but I knew that I could have pushed.  I asked my midwife Karen to check me about 5:20pm.  She did and said I was only at an 8 and to hold off for a little bit.  The urge to do something was becoming stronger but I tried to just stay relaxed and keep breathing and focusing.  Karen checked me again about 5:50pm and I had a bulging bag of water, which is the reason I wanted to push.  Karen had to attend an emergency c-section and wanted me to hold off til after that.  I basically said no, but she had to go.  So my nurse Jessica came in.  I told Jessica that I needed to push and I couldn't stop it.  The next pressure wave I had some uncontrolled tightening type pushes and I said  "oh"..."oh." Then Darick told them I was gonna push.  I think that there was about a 3 minute break between the pressure waves.  I told Jessica that on the next one I was gonna have to push because I couldn't stop it, and that she needed to be ready.  When the pressure wave was about to start I said "OK" and basically my body took over, during the pressure wave I pushed 3 times.  The first push my bag of water came out.  I told them something came out.  They lifted the blanket and got to work.  The next push was his head, and finally Charlie's body.  He was born at 6:13pm with the bag of water intact.  We chose a midwife this time because they stay with you the whole time.  With Jayne and Max the doctors came in and caught the baby.  So it's funny that Karen missed the baby, and my nurse delivered him.  It's OK though, I really liked my nurse.  She was so supportive of our desire for a natural child birth, and she was respectful of me and my needs. 

Karen came back about 6:20 and delivered the placenta and helped to clean me up.  She waited at the hospital all day... oh well, there were a couple other ladies having babies too.

He sure is a chubby little thing!

Darick was really great, he helped my stay focused and relaxed, especially at the very end when things get a little more intense.  I would definitely use hypnobabies again and recommend it.  I was able to keep breathing, and not feel light headed or numb.  I also felt like I was really in control of my birth.

Afterwards I had a chocolate milk shake, fruit and a club sandwich.  The last time I had eaten was at 4am before leaving my house.  It was a banana :)  so I was pretty hungry!

We stayed for 24 hours and then came home

He has a perfect head

Chubby cheeks

Thunder thighs

Perfect little feet

And is super kissable

Here he is, ready to go home.  This is the same outfit Max came home in.

I was ready to go home too.

We all were

Charlie James Carpenter

12.30.2011
6:13pm
9lbs
20 inches long
Short and Chubby- Perfect in every way!

34 Weeks 3 Days

I go through about 3 bags of pebbled ice a week, sometimes more...

I take a bath almost every night between 11pm-1am cause I get the Jimmy Legs

My shirts keep getting shorter

I like to sit on the floor

My toes need to be painted...

December hasn't even started and I feel like the month is almost over, time is flying by

I'm excited for this baby, I wonder what he looks like...

My belly button is popping out

52 Finishes: Week 29 Baby Wood's Blessing

A couple weeks ago my sister Shavonne's baby was blessed.  I made his little outfit back in July, but wanted a picture of him in it before I posted it as a finish. 

I love this suit pattern, these little blessing outfits are probably one of my most favorite thing I make. 

 The embellishments include sheer ribbon, and pockets.  So simple, but they make a huge impact on dressing up a pair of pants

 Isn't he just perfect!? Serious, I loved seeing him on his special day

To see my other finishes, click HERE

26 weeks

*The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. 

*He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. 

*And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches from head to heel.

all info from baby center

Did you all forget I was pregnant?  I didn't :)  That may be cause I've got this belly and baby moving all the time.  He's pretty active.  He moves all the time, there's really not a time of day where he's the most active, it is literally all the time.   I had a doctor's appointment today and they did an ultrasound just to take a peek at the baby, cause we were in the room anyway.  As soon as she put the wand on my tummy, the midwife was like "oh there's a penis" (haha, can I say that on my blog?!)  So we are for sure having a boy.  I like that we know, I don't do well with surprises, they drive me crazy!  Some things I really like right now are apples and peanut butter, pebbled ice, naps and candy.  Although I love candy anyway so I don't know if that's a pregnancy thing??  If this baby is at all like Jayne or Max then I have roughly 12 weeks left.  They were both born at 38 weeks.... I guess only time will tell!. I'm also going to try out hypnobithing this time, basically its all about breathing and relaxing.  I feel good about it.   Classes start in a couple weeks, so that's something to look forward to.  Time just seems to be flying by!

52 Finishes: Week 23- Baby Benson's Blessing Clothes

I've made several boys suits over the past year, and I think I have perfected the size and pattern.    I really love these little 3 peice suits, I think they compliment a cute baby perfectly.  They really are one of my favorite things to sew.  I'm dreaming up the details I want to put into our new baby's suit, so in the meantime I have some good firends who let me practice on them.  (It's such a hardship on them, right?)  If you want me to practice on you too, buy a suit HERE.

 Some of the special things about this suit include, satin ribbon.  It's the perfect way to dress it up a little bit

 Buttons are always a hard choice, I love bottons and it takes me a while to choose the perfects ones.  I want them to look great, but not be too flashy

Welt pockets on the vest and pants are probably my favorite detail of all.  Seriously, who doesn't love a pocket?! (Find an awesome tutorial on Welt pockets HERE)

Then of coarse the satin ribbon down the side of the pants, turning them into Fancy Pants.

For my other finishes, click HERE

Car Roll and City Mat Tutorial!

Well, I finally finished the tutorial, there are probably some typos because I was working on it at night. Plus I have pregnancy brain right now, but I think you can get the jist of it. Thanks for all the nice comments, and for those of you that entered the giveaway.  This is one project that turned out better than I had invisioned :)

To download the full tutorial click

PS- The winner of the Car roll and City Mat giveaway is...Ali! :)

A round up: Toys for Boys

Christmas is just around the corner, and I've been gathering ideas of some things I can make for the Mister.  He might be a little young for some of these, but the great thing is, he's not getting any younger haha.  So if I miss my chance to make them this year, there's always time next year, right?  Here are just a few of my favorite patterns/ tutorials

Monster Pillow: By Ruffles and Stuff

Scottie Dog Pillow: By DCQuilts

 Old McDonald Finger Puppets: By Just another Day in Paradise

 Sock Skeleton: By Martha Stuart

Star Wars finger puppets (for $3.00): By The Idea Room