Happy birthday to me

I turned 38 today.... Matt's in the bedroom setting up my birthday present, a new flatscreen TV. I can finally retire the TV my dad gave me when I was a teenager. I remember he bought it at Sams on a whim, and he was so proud of it. I definitely got our money's worth out of it!

Yearly goals

It's that time of year again. Here's how I did, stitching-wise, in 2007 and what I hope to accomplish in 2008.

Pieces I finished in 2007:
Castle Sampler
Angel Procession
The Awakening
HAED round robin
Barnabee's Quest
Just Nan round robin (12 Days of Christmas Whimzi)
Daffodil Run
Porcelain Nosegay
Poor Jack
Horrified
My Stitching Treasures
Winter Stitches
Military Hummer
Princess and the Pea
Spring in the Garden
Thoughts of Mom
Baby's Birth Sampler
Boo Pumpkin
Spooky Time
Spooky Time!
Autumn Blessings
Celtic Knotwork Heart
The Earth (fob)

Stitching goals for 2007:
The Awakening--I did finish this piece.
Maggie the Messmaker--I didn't finish this piece, but I finished another UFO, so I consider this goal done.
Frame pieces--I only got a few pieces framed. It's too expensive to do them all.

Stitching goals for 2008:
Chatelaine's Rose and Butterfly Quilt
Maggie the Messmaker (one of two UFOs)
TrickORTreat (finishing)
MIL's piece (she almost finished it before she passed away)
At least 10 pages of any HAED


Here are my life goals, which are always more difficult to achieve.

Life goals for 2007:
Lose weight--Nope, but at least I didn't gain from my pregnancy.
Get pregnant--Yep! I have a beautiful boy to show for it, though the whole process was very long and painful. We're considering doing it again, but I would definitely need to lose weight. It was very rough on my body.
Move into a new house--No, because I got pregnant. This has been put on hold indefinitely
Work--Not resolved to my satisfaction. I need to do better at my job.

Life goals for 2008:
Lose weight--I'd like to lose at least 50 pounds. I need to lose more than that, but I'd be satisfied for now to lose 50 and keep it off. I've been trying to do this my entire life it seems.
Work--Try to do a better job and be happier with it. Working at home is great for being near Logan.

Block 4 HD, Rose Quilt

I finished block 4 of the Chatelaine Rose and Butterfly Quilt. I had a lot of frogging on this one, strangely. The series has ended, so now I need to catch up. There are 12 more blocks to go. This piece is going to be huge when I'm done. I'll probably need to turn it into a wall hanging, rather than frame it. As much as this kit cost, I'd like something "safer." Hmm.

I got the sad news that the Stitching Bloggers Exchange Board (SBEBB) is shutting down. We'll finish up the Valentine exchange I signed up for and that's it. Oh well, I can understand how Becky has real-life issues to deal with. It's probably best for me not to do exchanges right now anyway, but I have such trouble turning them down.

Baby: Logan did catch my cold or whatever it is. We took him to the doctor today (much crying), and he will be getting his first antibiotics for a red ear. Yet again, Matt has two of us to take care of, and during his Christmas vacation too. Have I mentioned I have the best husband ever?

Wii: Matt and I have been playing with the Wii. It's a lot of fun (even when I'm sick). Tennis and bowling are our favorites.

Merry Christmas!

Logan gave us his first laugh today, so we had a very good Christmas at home. He also rolled over onto his face, which he didn't care for very much, but it's progress. We're all doing well, other than me with a cold, but Logan hasn't caught it yet, thank goodness.

For Christmas, among other things, I got a V press in order to make my own frames. We always had trouble getting the corners just right, so this should help a lot. Matt makes the wooden frames with all his fancy power tools, and now I can put them together and lacquer them.

I'm still stitching on the next block of Chatelaine's Rose and Butterfly Quilt. I'll post a pic when I get done with it.

Castle Sampler HD

I'm done!!! Wow, I finished this one faster than I thought I would. I had to change the date from 2008 to 2007.

I stitched the kit and ran out of 11 colors, out of a total 57 colors (not much for a Teresa Wentzler). I had lots extra of two of the main colors. Whoever figured this kit out did a lousy job.

So now I guess I'll work on Chatelaine's Rose and Butterfly Quilt since I'm way behind. I'm also getting my materials together for the Valentine exchange on the SBEBB. I think I know what I want to stitch.

I go back to work tomorrow--a day and a half and then the Christmas break until January 2. Woohoo! That means I don't have to take care of Logan alone. He's a sweet baby, but the screaming really gets to me.

Birthday club exchange received

Sherry let me know that she received the items I sent her as part of the birthday club exchange (we did Christmas presents this year).

I stitched a Celtic Heart and a turtle scissor fob. I discovered how difficult it is to make a pillow ornament in an odd shape. I don't think I'll be doing that again. Sherry likes sea turtles, thus the little turtle on the fob.

I also included a Christmas chart, a bunch of the fibers it uses, and the charms and beads called for. Also, a candle, Christmas tree pin, and some Gingher scissors.

My birthday is December 31, so I haven't gotten my stuff yet. Can't wait!

This exchange has been fun, but I've bowed out for next year. I just don't think I'll have the time, and I hate the idea that I would forget someone's birthday (I'm really bad about dates).

SF and fantasy: We rented two discs of the TV series Firefly and really like it. I ordered it on DVD, along with the movie. I've also been reading Mercedes Lackey's Aerie, the fourth and last book in her Jousters series. (She is my favorite author.) I also discovered Carol Berg, so I'm having fun reading her books.

Castle Sampler update

I finished half the castle--the easier half. The center image is spread over four pages, so I still have two pages to go. Hopefully by the time you see another picture, it will be done! I may have to change the date from 2008 to 2007 on the piece, but that should be easy.

I'm trying to figure out what piece to do for the SBEBB Valentine exchange. I'm looking for just the right one.

One of those days

Ever have one of those days where everything goes wrong? First it's a bad day for Logan. He refuses to sleep and screams nonstop. That's enough to drive me up the wall, and right now we've averaging a bad day every other day.

I discovered that one of Matt's DVDs for Christmas might be scratched.

Anubis decides to puke, and where does he do it? On the felt tree skirt that can't be washed. Not to mention he's been playing with the balls on the Christmas tree all day.

Then we order pizza and they forget the sauce. Half an hour later the Pizzone is cold and no sauce. Finally at 7:30 p.m. we have new pizzas and sauce.

Before bed, I go into City of Heroes (a computer game) and somehow it sells a recipe I paid a million in game money for. That just does it! I think I'm going to bed before something else goes wrong.

Castle Sampler update

And again... I finished the inner border and started working on the sky of the castle scene.

I really should have decorated the Christmas tree today instead. Maybe tomorrow.

We survived the shots

Logan screamed his head off when he got his two-month shots and whined a little afterward, but he was OK otherwise. He was fussy that day, so I gave him some Baby Tylenol, which helped. I think I was more traumatized than he was.

We have an au pere coming in during the day while I work at home. That will start January 2. I'll go back to work two days before Christmas while Matt's home so I can start ramping up again. It will have been four and a half months off for me--before labor I was in constant pain, and after labor the kid had (has) me running around, so it's been no vacation.

Stats: 12 pounds 15 ounces, 75th percentile; 24.5 inches, 95th percentile; head size 90th percentile. He's a tall boy!

Castle Sampler update

I finished the final figure at the bottom, so that's a second border done. I'll work on the innermost border next. It looks pretty straight-forward, so it shouldn't take too long. The castle will, I'm sure.

I've uploaded a pic of Angel of Summer, which is a gift for my mom. She can choose whether she wants to see it now or not.

I bought some clay cat ornaments from Lori (see pics below). They are: Anubis, Hathor, Horus (our kitty who died last year), Fancy (my mom's), and a calico for my boss. Let me know if you need Lori's contact information. She's selling them on the Wagon BB. See a bigger pic.

Baby: Logan gets his two months' shots tomorrow. I'm so not looking forward to that. I hope they don't make him feel too bad afterwards.

Castle Sampler update and framed pics

Here's the latest on Castle Sampler. I finished up the trio of musicians in the middle. Now onto the lady. I think I've enjoyed the border on this piece the most. I can take it anywhere since it's on my small Qsnaps and work on it whenever I get a minute. I'm looking forward to working on the inner border. Not so much the castle because I know that will be mostly grays.

Also, they seriously underestimated the floss needed for this kit. I've run out of several colors. While I don't scrimp with floss, I'm also not wasteful with it either.

Matt picked up some framed pieces from the sort-of-LNS yesterday. Below are pictures of three petit point cats I stitched last year (40 count). I haven't figured out where to put them yet. Since Blogger's acting up again, here's a link to the big pic.

I also got the L&L Angel of Summer I finished last year framed for my mom for Christmas. I won't see her until January, so she'll get it then.

Remember that the Chatelaine Advent Calendar has begun! Go to the Support Group and join to get free patterns or other goodies Martina posts.

Christmas: I've gotten most of my Christmas shopping done online. There are just a few things I still need, so I'm venturing out this morning while Matt watches Logan.

Baby: We met the prospective au pere Wednesday. I'm still waiting on references from her before we offer her the job. She told me some things about one of the daycare places she worked for in town. The babies spend most of their time in bouncers and have one person for four children. Logan would be so unhappy and scream all day. I really hope I can avoid that.

Neopets: It's the Month of Celebrating, so that means the advent calendar is open.

Birthday club exchange finished

Yesterday I managed to finish off an item for the birthday club exchange. We're sending Christmas presents too this year, in addition to the birthday presents. I can't show pics yet, but I'm very happy to have it all done. I'll try to mail the package this week so it gets to Canada on time.

Logan: We're having more screaming fits (his, that is). I get such anxiety when he screams so much. Not only does it get me frustrated and angry at the time, later I feel so bad that he's unhappy. He's not a bright, cheery baby most of the time. We did interview someone to come to the house and watch Logan when I go back to work in January (I work at home as a techincal editor). She seems nice, and we'll probably offer her the job. She's all of 19 and has two kids of her own--so she has more experience than I do.

Diet: I've pretty much stuck to my diet, though I had a little extra for Thanksgiving. So far I've only lost like half a pound. I had lost two pounds, then gained four, then lost three and a half. Argh. I do need to start exercising, but I have to do that when Matt's home to watch Logan, and when Matt gets home, it's a scramble to get supper done. I guess I just need to make time. I'll walk the treadmill since it's a bit cold right now. Oh, did I mention I'm bitter that I won't be able to take advantage of the weight loss everyone said I'd have when breastfeeding?

Castle Sampler update

I finished two more of the figures. Matt being home all this past week really helped.

I worked on my website a little. I took the thumbnails off the main page and made sub-indices by designer. I'm sure it was getting hard to load for people on dial-up.

Castle Sampler update

Yes, another update. I finished the first figure at the bottom. Finally, some content to stitch! The chart wasn't too hard to follow. Now for the three figures in the middle. That should be interesting.

I also finished off a small piece for the birthday club exchange. I still need to do the finishing of the larger piece, which I'd like to get done this week.

Baby: Matt's off this week, and it's so nice to have some help with Logan. Matt pinched a nerve in his shoulder, probably from all the lifting of the baby, so he can't do much of the feeding. Still, amusing the boy is sometimes the hardest part. I did get my first honest-to-goodness smile from Logan yesterday. He was on his play mat and looked at me. Awwww!

TV shows: We've been watching Stargate Atlantis. I didn't get into this as much when it aired because I preferred SG-1, but I'm really enjoying watching it again.

Castle Sampler update

I finished the inner vine border. I'll move on to the people at the bottom next.

My HAED round robin also came home to me. I still have one of the angels to stitch. I don't know eactly what I'll make of this yet. Big pic.

Baby: I was despairing of Logan smiling, but he finally did, for Matt of course. I got his first tear as he impatiently awaited his meal. Also, he's losing the baby hair on the sides of his head. This is supposed to be normal, but it looks rather odd. It looks like he's enlisted!

I bruise: I can still see the shadow of the bruise from the bad IV stick. Someday it will go away. I had one bruise for over a year when I hit my shin with the corner of the truck door.

New mattress: We bought a new mattress since Matt's back has been hurting. I thought we'd bought a good mattress four years ago, but apparently we didn't as evidenced by the big ruts our bodies left in it. This time we bought a Tempurpedic--big bucks. But Matt's back is getting better. I don't toss and turn like I used to--Anubis actually sleeps up against me now. We'll see if it helps my back and hips.

Castle Sampler update

I finished the outer border of Castle Sampler. I took a larger picture so you could see some of the detail. There is some over-one. Be sure to click on the pic.

I'm not sure where I'll go next. The chart is hand drawn and hard to read, so the people at the bottom of the piece will be tough (like Angel Procession--ugh!).

Oh, and I ran out of 316. Apparently they didn't figure in all the many stops and starts in a TW piece.

I was working on some obligation stitching, but I ran out of silk. I needed only one length to finish, so I had to order some more. So the stitching on the first piece should be a quick finish. I then need to do the finishing and stitch a smaller piece. I'd like to get the package in the mail December 1. I'd better get to it! That's pretty close, can you believe it?

Baby: Logan will be six weeks Tuesday. He still hasn't given me a smile yet, darn it. Matt's relatives came over Sunday to see Logan, and he got passed around. Fortunately he was being an angel. I also need to find a nanny for when I go back to work. I work at home, so she can come here and take care of Logan and do a little housework. It'll be expensive, but at least he'll be close. I just hope I can find someone! I put an ad on Craig's List.

Harvest exchange received from Carol

Look at lucky me! I received this Harvest Exchange from Carol. Remember, I had her name for the Halloween Exchange. She stitched Wee Autumn by Heart in Hand and made it into a box--her first. And it's very well done. I had to really search to find the seam in the trim. ;) Her husband Mike did the staining on the box and donated the Gingher scissors. What a nice guy!

I'm so excited to get the Sleepy Hollow chart. It's such a neat piece. I'm also glad to get the Halloween Fob chart. It looks like a good quick one I can do when I need a break from larger pieces. She sent some nice fabric--I'm starting a small stash--and a yummy candle, lotion, and Altoids. Mmm, chocolate!

Baby: I promised a pic of Logan with the Halloween socks Carol sent. See below. His outfit is only slightly stained. Can you believe he has already outgrown the Gerber onesies at one month old? He's not a huge baby, so they must run small. He didn't even get to wear them all!

Halloween: We handed out candy last night and got a good crowd--we even ran out of candy and had to turn the light off. We saw so many cute little kiddos. One tiny boy tried to come into our house--twice! lol. I kept thinking of what it will be like when my little boy goes trick-or-treating. I can't wait!

Harvest exchange

Jeanne sent me a lovely email to let me know she received my package for the SBEBB Harvest Exchange.

I stitched Autumn Blessings by Imaginating Inc. This was a large piece, but I really wanted to stitch it. My mom sewed it into a bellpull (naturally), and it's her best one yet. It lies really flat. She wanted me to keep it, and it was very tempting! ;) I found out recently that there are others in the seasonal blessings series, and I may eventually stitch them. They're very cute.

On my website you can see more and better pics of Autumn Blessings.

I also received my Autumn Exchange package from Carol. Lucky me! I'll post some pics of that soon.

Castle Sampler update

I finished the letters, even after having to rip out the ones on the right. What a pain! I also filled in my initials and the date so I could get rid of a page of my working copy. I guess I have to finish it next year now! ;)

That does it for me for Teresa Wentzler October on the Wagon BB. I need to work on my Christmas piece for the birthday club exchange next.

I'm sad to leave Castle Sampler. Working on something fairly easy (big blocks of color) has been great to pick up here and there. I only goofed on the letters because I was trying to watch a movie and the baby with DH all at the same time.

Baby: We figured out Logan's problem during feeding was indeed gas. He's eating so fast and so much that our old 3-4 burps per feeding just weren't cutting it. We have to burp a lot more often, even though he gets mad at the pauses because he's so hungry.

Diet: I want to get started on losing weight, even though I won't be cleared for exercise for another two weeks. I have a lot, lot of weight to lose, but I'm going to start small. My goal is to lose 15 pounds. There's an expensive bellpull I want, so that will be my reward when I reach this goal. I'll set other rewards later.

Argh!

I was stitching the alphabet on Castle Sampler last night. I was almost done when I realized I had stitched the letters on the right straight up, not at 90 degress like they were supposed to be! Ripping out over-one is such a pain. I am very annoyed.

I won't bother contacting Leasure Arts about missing the 610 from my kit. It's an old OOP kit and not worth the effort.

I'm mailing out my Harvest Exchange piece for the SBEBB today. I'm glad I got that stitched way ahead of time. I need to work on my Christmas present stitching for the birthday exchange next. I'll probably start that first thing in November.

Baby: Logan's started a new thing of crying and screaming when he's taking his bottle. No idea why. He's been burped with no problem, though he does spew every now and then. Sigh. Guess it's a call to the doctor.

Birth sampler framed

Matt picked this up from the framer's for me yesterday. His friend went with him and was surprised and dismayed that the LNS workers knew him on sight. lol.

I also finished the backstitching and vines in the outer border of Castle Sampler. I still can't sit for very long at a time, so I get in a few stitches here and there (I'm off work till January with the baby). I've run out of 610 from the kit and had to supplement from my stash. They really underestimated on this one. It didn't even finish the backstitching in the border, and I still have the letters and BS on the inner border to do in 610.

Baby stuff: Thanks for the kind words and support about quitting breastfeeding. I don't cry much now, so that's an improvement!

My baby's three weeks old!

Matt went back to work today, and of course Logan was fussy all morning. I also decided to quit breastfeeding altogether, and I've been dripping all day. When I only produce 10 cc a feeding, and he takes an average of 130 cc...what's the point. I am very disappointed. I don't like my body all that well as it is, and now I feel betrayed that I can't even feed my own baby. Before I had this problem, I wondered why someone would feel bad about something they had no control over...now I know. It's such a letdown, and I feel like I failed Logan. Not logical, but there you go. I'm sure I'll get over the feeling, and quitting will probably help me move on.

I do feel pretty good about the fact that I'm only 5 pounds over the weight I was when I found out I was pregnant. I have finally lost the excess water, and my feet are back to their normal size. Yay, it doesn't hurt to walk anymore (well, except for my back). I guess I can tell the doctor I told you so--that extra weight was water after all, not fat.

I just felt like have a little whine today. This is harder than I thought it would be. I guess Matt had it right after all!

Castle Sampler update

Here's where I am with Teresa Wentzler's Castle Sampler. A good portion of this was done while I was lying in bed on my side recovering. That is not an easy position to stitch in!

I am still recovering. Sitting for very long is painful, so I'm still lying down a good bit. My stitching work has slowed to a crawl, but I'm enjoying it.

Baby: Wednesday we can start feeding on demand rather than every three hours. Yay! I just hope the little guy doesn't demand too much. Today he was a terror all morning, not settling down to sleep much at all. Wednesday is also the day Matt goes back to work. I'm not looking forward to that. Matt does so much, and it's scary to be on my own. My breastfeeding continues to dwindle--sad but nothing I can reasonably do about it.

SBEBB Halloween exchange received

I received a HUGE Halloween exchange from Marie yesterday. I was amazed at all the neat stuff! Her stitched piece from Trail Creek Farm is so cute. The hanger is great, and her finishing is immaculate. She did such a nice job on it.

She also sent a multitude of goodies. I love it all, but especially the Dracula bag and the needle magnet. I use my current needle magnet, but I've looked for more attractive ones. Marie found one! If I had seen this one, I would have bought it myself! It's a little ghost and pumpkins--so cute!


Marie even stitched up something for Logan--a whole bunch of bibs. She is truly generous. Thanks, Marie, I love it all!

Baby update: We're doing the breastfeeding, pumping, and supplementing with formula. I think I'm actually producing less milk now. I'm getting very discouraged about the whole thing and am about to say forget it. Here's a new pic of the boy--think he'll be a model someday?

Logan's hospital stay

Monday we went to our family doctor, and she was concerned about Logan's yellow color. We had some tests done, and the doctor wanted us to bring Logan back to the hospital because his bilirubin levels were high (he had jaundice). As you can imagine, I fell apart. It was so sad, but after a few days, he's home and much better. I wasn't producing enough milk, he wasn't having enough BMs, and he wasn't getting rid of the bilirubin. So they bottle fed him, rehydrated him, and put him under some lamps. I had to stay in the hospital alone last night feeding him and such.

So now he's pink, a lot less fussy, and a lot less sleepy. I'm breastfeeding him, supplementing with formula, and pumping so I can get my milk supply up. I was so scared for my baby, even though I was assured it was pretty common for babies to get jaundice. It's amazing how quickly my whole life has become about him. You hear about it but don't really believe it til it happens to you. Matt's just as devoted, and it warms my heart. I'm just glad he doesn't have the meltdowns that I do.

Carol sent me the cutest Halloween baby socks for Logan today. I'll have to post a pic when he models them. Thanks, Carol!

Managing

Logan is being very fussy, so a good part of his day is spent screaming his head off. The Mylicon drops are helping, and I'm going to try adjusting my diet. We're getting the hang of this thing, but sometimes it's just so disheartening. Driving Logan around in the truck or taking him for a walk in the stroller causes him to pass out, but when he gets home, he's just as upset. He's also a little yellow, but the walks will help that.

Here's a funny. Logan is very strong. He really hates for his hands to be constrained, so we have trouble swaddling him. Matt swaddled him, left for a minute, and when he got back, Logan had one hand out of the swaddling and was giving him the middle finger. Unfortunately we weren't quick enough to snap a photo.

No stitching yet. I think I'm going into withdrawal.

Baby pics

Here are a few baby pics of Logan Joseph. They were taken at the hospital, as evidenced by the gown and my rat's-nest hair. (I still haven't faced taking a brush to it.) He's a real cutie, if I do say so myself.

I'll chronicle the whole saga when I get a chance, but here's a rundown. Logan was born late Tuesday night. He weighed 8 pounds 4 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long. I am very proud that I kept his weight down by following my diet. He had no complications due to the diabetes.

TMI warning, read at your own risk.

We went in at 5 p.m. Monday for cervadel, which is a gel that thins the cervix. I spent an uncomfortable night on a hard mattress, and they induced labor (again) Tuesday morning. I had contractions, but they were mild. My doctor broke my water, and that was excruciating and unexpected (sneaky devil). Once the contractions got a little painful, I got my epidural. Apparently if you're fat, the doctor can't find your vertebrae and can't tell where to put the needle. After three holes, she got it. She gave me a local, but getting the epidural was uncomfortable and painful in a strange way. It's very weird to feel things rooting around in your spine.

I made slow progress with dilation, but I slept through most of the contractions after the epidural. The doctor made the comment that if I didn't make progress each hour, I'd need a c-section. Apparently my body got the message, and I started progressing faster after I hit the 4 centimeter mark. It was time to push, and I did, though with the epidural it's hard to tell if you're really doing anything.

I started to tear, and the doctor said I'd need an episiotomy and they'd have to use a vacuum to get the baby out. I wasn't happy about that, but the alternative was a c-section. So they brought the whole crew in, and it was time to get the baby out. I pushed while they did whatever they had to do. It hurt (screaming!) even with the local and extra epidural medicine, but fortunately it didn't take many pushes before he was out. I had a nurse update me, which helped...head, shoulders, one more push. They gave me the baby, and that blessedly distracted me from the sewing up they were doing.

Logan is the cutest baby. He has a slight conehead and a few marks from the monitor, but his little face is so sweet. He's got Matt's and my apple cheeks. He has at least one dimple, from Matt. His hair is dark like mine, and he's got these pouty lips, no telling who from. Oh, and monkey toes. He isn't scrawny like some babies, or pudgy. He's very strong and can already hold his head up a little. He wasn't fussy at all, just made little whimpers. I'm absolutely in love. Matt and I are fascinated by him.

My back was killing me but is getting much better. They didn't have a postpartum room available, so I had to spend another night on the board bed, which was agony even with medication. My incision hurts, though less than a c-section would. I passed huge blood clots and got lightheaded a few times. I've been very pale for a while, and Matt said I had large yellow circles around my eyes, which are getting better. My body is starting to get back in shape. My back doesn't hurt as much, my feet aren't as swollen, and I can eat like a normal person again (no diabetes!). I have this jelly belly, but it's getting better.

The bad news is that Logan is having gas pains and was up screaming all night last night, our first night at home, of course. I was so exhausted and in pain that Matt had to take care of him most of the time. We let my mom sleep so she could have day duty. He wouldn't feed last night, so now he's ravenous but fussy, even though he still has some gas pains. Our doctor said we could give him Mylicon drops, which we're trying. I feel bad for him, but I'm so exhausted that I'm also frustrated. I am not looking forward to Sunday when my mom has to leave for home. Matt and my mom have been so good to me. It was a good team effort.

So we're managing. I'm loopy at the moment from the pain medicine and everything else. But we're so happy we got our little man home and he's safe, if not completely happy. He's a joy when he's not in pain, and we're hoping this doesn't last too long. Poor baby comes from a long line of gassy people! :-)

Thank you for all the well wishes. It means a lot to me. Big hugs!

We're home

Baby Logan, Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma are all safely home now. It was rough and long, but it's done! Details and pics when I can bear sitting for more than 2 minutes. No c-section!

Baby quilt!

Judith sent me this lovely baby quilt! What a delightful surprise! I just love the colors and the little bunnies and sheep. I was so touched by this generous gift. I can't sew worth a darn, so I really appreciate those who can. I put this up on the wall of the baby's room because it's so pretty and I really need some wall decorations. It goes just perfectly! Thank you, Judith!!!

I worked on TW's Castle Sampler here and there (see below). I filled in some of the blends in the border, nothing too exciting. I'll take it to the hospital with me, and if I feel like it, I can stitch some easy, non-blend border. Optimistic, I know.

I'm going to stop by the LNS on the way to the hospital tonight and bring some things to get framed. I have an L&L angel for my mom, the birth sampler for the friend, and three petit point cats for myself that I want to get framed. They're having a sale on framing tomorrow, but I should be able to sneak in today.

Baby update: The doctor checked me this morning, and there's been no change. I go in to the hospital this evening, and they'll apply a gel to my cervix to thin it. Then tomorrow we try induced labor yet again. I don't know how my poor arm will take the IV again, not to mention no food for a long time while they give me glucose or insulin intraveneously. Bleh. I think giving birth normally is bad enough. I can't even have water!

Maggie the Messmaker update

I've been working on this for the last few days. This was a UFO for a long time, but it's my next targeted WIP for finishing (though I'll work on other pieces here and there).

Here's my last pic and how it will eventually look.

I've decided to start Teresa Wentzler's Castle Sampler. The Wagon is having a stitch-along, and since I finished my last TW, I need a new one! I've had the kit for this for a long time, so I think it's due for a start. I'm looking at some hospital time, so the border would be perfect for some easy stitching without having to continuously look at the chart.

Halloween exchange revealed

Back to it then! Monday Carol emailed me that she had received her Halloween exchange pieces for the SBEBB. Apparently she really liked them! I had so much fun doing this. I could have gone even more nuts, but I don't want these people to think I'm crazy. ;-)

I stitched Spooky Time! pinkeep, Spooky Time wallhanging, and Boo Pumpkin ornament. You can check the links for the specs. I also sent her a bunch of Halloween stuff (and also Jeannette Douglas' Acorn Stitches, very drool worthy). I love the little witch's hat trinket box I found on eBay. I considered getting one for myself. ;-)

The pinkeep was my first, and it took me a while to figure out how to get it that thick. I glued several layers of batting together to get it thick enough that the ribbon would fit. I usually prefer to stitch pieces if I can, but I wound up having to glue the ribbon on. I carefully placed glue on the edge of the piece and put the ribbon on. I didn't want the glue to soak through the ribbon and get it all stiff, so I had to be careful not to use too much Aleene's.

I was very pleased at how everything turned out. I even sewed the wallhanging myself, rather than get my mom to do it (lol). It was a small one, so it was a good one for me to do.

On the way back from the hospital yesterday, we stopped by the LNS, and I picked up the Just Cross Stitch ornament issue. Yes, I was staggering and had hospital bracelets and bandages on, and I still went in! They were out of the preview issue, but the owner is going to get more in and send me a copy as a baby present. How sweet! I love looking through the magazine, but honestly I don't think there are any I'm going to stitch. I have a bunch of finished ornaments, and it's always difficult to display them for Christmas. I have glass ornaments for the tree.

I'm feeling OK: I actually slept most of the night. I thought for sure I'd hear the baby's heartbeat in my sleep after 11 hours of the fetal monitor yesterday. My back isn't hurting as badly, though I'm sure it will get worse during the day. Even though we got no baby yesterday, I was so happy to get home and have some supper. You could hear my stomach growling on the fetal monitor. I had two of Matt's wonderful grilled burgers, and he even let me have some M&Ms. (He brought a pound bag to the hospital, which I had requested as my reward for giving birth. I figured I deserved a little chocolate for the good effort.) So now Matt has to go back to work. My mom's here for two weeks, baby or no. It just means she'll have less time with her grandson, which is a bummer. At least she can help me get through this week, which will probably be kind of rough on my body. It was so good having both Matt and my mom there to help me through yesterday. I'm so lucky. I'd go on, but then I'd have to start crying.

Sci-fi: We've been watching Torchwood, a spin-off of Doctor Who. I must say, the last episode was rather adult. You'd never see that kind of thing on Doctor Who. I had to remind myself that I wasn't actually watching Doctor Who. All in all, I think I like the original much better, but I'll keep watching.

No luck

The doctor induced labor, but we had no luck. I was there from 6 a.m. to about 5 p.m. They gave me pitocin, and I went through mild contractions, but my cervix never changed. My back was the worst part. It hurt like hell no matter how I lay. Even the nurse checking my cervix twice and the IV (and one failed try) didn't bother me as much. The doctor gave me a prescription for meds for the back pain (apparently it's only for a few days so should be safe), and I'm going to see about a chiropractor tomorrow.

We're going to try again next Tuesday. Ugh. I'm exhausted!

Off to the hospital tomorrow

This is my last post before we go off to the hospital tomorrow to have the baby. I'm scared, but I'm so ready to have this baby. I can barely move because my back hurts so bad. When next I post, we should have a little boy safely at home. :-D

Birth sampler HD

This one's not for me...it's for a friend that just had a baby. I hope she likes it. I need to bring it in to be framed...not sure when, though. The chart is called Baby's Keepsake Treasures and Birth Sampler by Patricia Ann Designs. Click the pic; Blogger doesn't like my scanner pics. All of those white stitches are smyrna crosses or rhodes stitches.

I didn't plan to finish this one this soon, but I'm getting bored. My sciatica is flaring up, and there's so little I can do at this point.

Baby update: Mom arrived yesterday. We're still scheduled for the induced labor Tuesday. I went in to the doctor Friday. He did a stress test again, and the baby was sound asleep (they want to check his heartbeat when he moves). After half an hour flat on my back, I told them I'd had enough. My back was killing me. Then the doctor had to check my cervix, which entailed him feeling inside and pushing down on my belly. I couldn't help but cry out because it was pure agony. I'm especially sensitive in that area. He couldn't tell how my cervix was doing, but we're still going to try induction. It may or may not work. Great. He then did an ultrasound to see how big the baby is, and he said 7 pounds, but the estimate is very rough. Fortunately Matt had come with me to the appointment and helped calm me down and get me back into the truck. I'm trying not to think about labor and get myself all worked up again. Every time the doctor hurts me, he asks if I'm getting an epidural. Duh!

Horrified HD

I was going to save this one for later, but I just couldn't resist. It's been sitting on my desk, and I've been looking at it....

I'm also working on a baby announcement for the friend that just had a baby. It uses mostly perle cotton to make smyrna crosses, so it's taking a while. It's not nearly as simple as I thought when I saw the pattern online. Still, it will be very pretty when done.

I haven't stitched a baby announcement for myself. Not sure why.

Becky asked if I could have stitched the cording on Porcelain Nosegay. The cording has to be attached to both the piece and the frame to hold it firmly in place. Double-stick tape holds the piece in the frame, but the edges flop a little. And to stitch the cording to the frame would probably cause the satin to run. Good thought, though, Becky! :-)

Porcelain Nosegay framed

I framed this piece today. I had bought one of the Just Nan Easy Easel kits and wanted to try it out. If I had known that I'd have to glue the cording to the piece, I probably wouldn't have bothered. At least this was a small piece that would be easy to restitch if I had to, and I don't have to spend a ton getting it framed.

Baby stuff: Matt's family gave us a nice baby shower last night. It was good seeing them again. The baby kicked a lot and very violently while we were there. I guess he's not used to hearing that many voices!

Angel Procession HD

The beading didn't take as long as I had feared. I had exactly the right number of beads. I had to actually search the floor for the last one because I inevitably spill beads. Be sure to click on the pic--the real pic is large but gives more detail.

Matt pointed out that I started this one the month we met, five years ago. Wow! I guess he distracted me. ;-)

Time to take inventory:

WIPs:
HAED Eternal Promise

Magnificent Wizard

Maggie the Messmaker

Rose and Butterfly Quilt

A Fish Tale

Finishing:

TrickORTreat

Angel of Summer (for mom)

Kitted:

TW Castle Sampler

Chatelaine Convent's Herbal Garden

TW Futurecast

Horrified

Lady Scarlet box

Things I finished since my last look (August 1):

The Awakening

Angel Procession

Winter Stitches

Halloween exchange

Harvest exchange

Porcelain Nosegay

Thoughts of Mom

HAED RR

Holly Band ornament

Poor Jack

12 Days of Christmas (bellpull finishing)

Poor Jack HD

Here's a little Just Nan Whimzi I stitched last night while we watched Doctor Who and Thin Blue Line (British comedy). This was a freebie I found online somewhere. I think I managed to align this one better than others. Rather than moving the iron over the interfacing, I just sort of stamped it down. Like the instructions say, duh.

I also have Horrified to stitch at some point. I'll keep that one to mix in with larger projects. These small projects are nice little rewards.

I started working on the beading of Angel Procession, and it's going pretty quickly. I might even finish today.

Angel Procession HD except for beads

Hurray, I finally finished this monster! I began it in 2002, and it was a UFO for a long time. I hated the lazy daisy stitches, and DH got to hear me complain about them while I finished the border. Also, I did this one on 32-count Graziano Very Vintage from Color Blooms. I think this was too small a count for the way I generally do my quarter stitches--one is a 1/4 stitch, and the one next to it is a 3/4 stitch. I probably should have made them both 1/4 stitches for this count. This piece, more than most Teresa Wentzlers, has tons of quarter stitches. The chart is also hand drawn (at least the original one was), which made it very hard to follow. Plus I fell out of love with the design. I'm not much for angels. And these...did they get dressed in the dark?

So is that enough reason for this to be a UFO? ;-) I am very glad it's done, and I think it looks pretty good. I'll work on a small Just Nan before I move on to beading. I'm not a big fan of beading, and the border is full of it.

That's one of my three UFOs done this year! I suspect that's the only one that will get done. The other two UFOs are Dimensions pieces, which is a whole other rant.

My poor husband: Matt got a really bad sunburn on his face last Friday. His forehead peeled, and his face got really swollen, especially around his eyes. The doctor gave him some goop to apply topically and some steroids for the swelling. He missed a few days of work because he was having trouble seeing with all the swelling around his eyes. I wish we had thought to have him bring a hat. He did use some SPF 40 sunscreen, but I suspect he sweated it all off.

Holly Band HD and bellpull finish

Two things to show off today... The first is the ornament I have been working on here and there. It's Holly Band ornament, a freebie from Jean Farish's website. It has three panels stitched together, and I did it on a white opalescent fabric I had leftover. I had seen a pic on someone's blog somewhere...and I thought it was the most beautiful ornament. I wish I'd had some better ribbon, but I wasn't up to waiting. Thus my quest for more ribbon and cording stash!

I also finished off the bellpull of my Just Nan round robin piece. My mom stitched the bellpull during one of her previous trips, and I needed Matt to work on the homemade bellpull hardware for me. My mom found the fabric in just the right color. It has wisemen on it, but the pattern isn't overwhelming. I may wind up hand quilting around the opening so it sits a little better.

And now onto TW's Angel Procession. I'm not keen to work on it right now, but I am keen to finish it!

Friend stuff: My best friend from high school called me last night, and I was thrilled! I had lost contact with her a few years ago. She went to our class reunion a week ago, so she had to update me. I couldn't go, of course, because I'm pregnant. I never really got along with my classmates (much angst during my teenage years), but it would have been nice to have seen how people turned out.

Terri's HAED RR

I received Terri's round robin piece early and got it done just in time. This is the dragon from Reone Silver Dragon by Linda Tso. Again, click on the pic for a better image. And this completes the HAED RRs I'm stitching on!

I had worried that the dragon wouldn't show up at all, but I'm satisfied with it. I would have liked a little more definition, but the original artwork is like this too. This is one of my favorite dragons.

I woke at 3 a.m., and after dreaming about stitching on the piece, I gave up and did just that. Not only am I sleeping at all odd hours of the day, the cat decides to howl at about 4 a.m. every morning. I don't know what his deal is. He gets his food from the dispenser, so he's not howling for food. Attention maybe? Whatever it is, he's driving us up the wall.

Good news about the black spots

I think the black spots all came out of The Awakening. I haven't found any so far, and the ones on the unstitched fabric are mostly out, except for a very few faint spots. I'll probably take a magnifier to it so that I don't find spots after I have it framed. I have been almost afraid to look at the piece but finally did this morning. I am so relieved, I can't tell you.

The bad news is that my current magnifier is starting to shed black dust as well. I know I move my gooseneck magnifier a lot, especially during confetti, but surely I'm not the only one! The Daylight company said they had never gotten a complaint, and then I never heard anything else. I'm going to have to take a photo and send it to them. I also never heard back from the Gripit people (the screw hole was definitely corroded on my clamp) or received my order for the new clamp. Sigh. The new magnifier has already fallen off my cheap backup stand and chipped in three little places.

Anyway...I have to say thank you to all the people who have commented on my finish! I am very excited about it, and I'm glad I can share that with you guys. The support I receive online keeps me stitching (not to mention Matt's support--I'm so lucky).

I'm about halfway through my HAED RR stitching, and I hope to finish it this weekend. I'm also almost done with a little ornament, which I've decided to keep. Pics soon!

I recently bought a pair of Gingher Julia shears, which I just love. It was one of those items I had asked my LNS to order and never got. When I read about Mike and Carol's eBay store and I saw the shears, I had to have them! A reasonable price and fast shipping--what's not to love? The shears match my smaller scissors I use for my stitching. I gave my mom my pair of Sophia shears. Since she's a quilter, I know she'll get some use out of them (and all I used them for was to cut my cross stitch fabric, so they're in good shape).

Baby stuff: The doctor's appointment went fine yesterday. He wants to start seeing me twice a week now and do a stress test each time. It's so painful lying on my back for 15+ minutes, and the baby kicks like crazy during it. He even kicked the nurse when she was putting the monitor on my belly. But at least he's doing well!

The Awakening HD

Here's my biggest happy dance ever! I put in the last stitch a minute ago. It took me a year and a half and 196,350 stitches.

Asa is the one who first posted about this pattern on a bulletin board and got me hooked on HAEDs. I owe her!

So now my girl is due for a long bath in Orvus. I'm hoping the black marks will come out. If not, I will have to rip out those stitches, one by one, figure out the color, and restitch. I'm really hoping that won't be necessary. Then I want to get her professionally framed, though I haven't figured out mats or anything, and I'll be a little nervous about parting with her.

I have Eternal Promise as a WIP, and I may start Pearl Princess. For the near future, however, I'm going to work on the HAED RR and Teresa Wentzler's Angel Procession.

Woohoo!

The Awakening Page 42

Another page done. I just have a very small page left to do, which I think I can finish today. But first, a nap!

The Awakening Page 47

Another page down. I finished this page last night while we watched Night at the Museum (a sweet, fun movie).

Mom left for home this morning. We had a nice visit, and I miss her already of course. Three more weeks and I'll see her when the baby is delivered!

The Awakening Page 41

Here is the last full page! I just have three partial pages left.

I received the last installment of the HAED round robins the other day. So now I'm torn--finish The Awakening or get the RR done. I'm going to try to do both before the baby arrives.