Just the Two of Us

As many of you reading this have already experienced yourselves, or have observed others experiencing, pregnancy can often be a series of ups and downs. Yesterday was definitely a "down" day for me. I was feeling absolutely huge, my back was in constant pain, I was tired from having a toddler in my bed the night before, my dogs wouldn't stop barking then tracked mud through the house when I let them in, and I was cursing our two-level house every time I had to use the bathroom or take Matthew to the potty (we have one bathroom, and it's upstairs).

I was trying to rest when the dogs prematurely woke Matthew up from his nap. I brought him into our room and was lying down with him when my husband called. My patient husband heard an ear-full about my day, and while talking with him I was just about near tears. That's when Matthew sat up, leaned over, and gave me a great big kiss and hug. After I hung up with Pat, Matthew continued to shower me with hugs and kisses. Those five minutes abolished all of the negative emotions I had been feeling that day. My back still hurts as I am typing this, I still feel huge and tired, and I wish we had a downstairs bathroom, but I will always cherish this time with my son. I know that with two it will be double the work, but I'm already looking forward to double the love.

I am actively trying to slow down my days, as I know that Matthew and I will never have this "just the two of us" time together. This morning, while running errands, he and I treated ourselves to a decaf hazelnut latte and applejuice (I'll let you guess who got what), and shared a slice of blueberry coffeecake. Earlier in the morning we sat in our pajamas cutting and pasting pictures onto cardstock (more about this later). This afternoon he "helped" my wash the dishes and organize his room. I am finding that even though I can accomplish chores at a much faster pace by myself, it is more pleasant and meaningful to have Matthew by my side. He is becoming such a big boy! I really believe that him feeling "helpful" will help with the transition when his brother arrives.

These days are so special. I am trying my best not to just anticipate the BIG day coming this spring, but to appreciate and treasure all of the little moments right now.

A Little Different

After all of my pre-Christmas knitting, I decided that I needed a little break. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right? :) I hadn't crocheted in a while, and my brother had given me some yarn for Christmas (pretty good for a college student to think about his sister's domestic pursuits!), so I decided to make a baby blanket for our new little one. I think that it's important that he has some items that are his and not just hand-me-downs from his big brother (although there'll be plenty of those, too!). I also now have the hindsight of knowing how busy my life will be in the weeks and months following a birth, so I'm trying to plan ahead, at least a little. The pattern I used is Tiramisu, a free pattern, by Alicia Paulson. The body was a very simple single-crochet pattern, but the edging gives it that little something extra. I'm very happy with how it turned out!

I also made the fanciest and least-practical potholder ever. But it sure is cute! This pattern comes from the Japanese-translated crochet book, Kyuuto! Lacy Crochet. The patterns are mainly schematics with some written instruction. Crocheting this potholder has helped me branch out and learn how to follow a schematic better. I also had never completed a project using lace thread before. It took some getting used to, but I'll definitely do it again. This potholder is now being used for decoration-purposes only in the kitchen. I wouldn't dare try to take anything hot out of the oven with it!

Some Eye Candy

On December 26, I ended up spending a good chunk of my Christmas money at the Etsy store, a little goodness. This adorable fabric was all shipped from Japan, and the customer service was great. Leslie even threw in an extra fat quarter (the striped fabric in the first pic), some paper Japanese Christmas bags, and a couple of lollipops. I can't wait to get started on a project for each fabric, but it has to be "perfect." I don't want to waste one bit of it!