Valentine exchange received

Look what I got from Outi! She designed it herself. I never connected her to Periphaeria Designs, but that's her! Her stitches are so nicely railroaded, and the biscornu is stuffed so firmly. Excellent work on her part.

I love the reds of the floss and ribbon. I need to figure out what to stitch with them. She also sent two terra cotta hearts, but the post office crushed them to shards. Typical.

I finished my Bountiful Acorns needleroll, and I'll post pics as soon as I get the ribbon my mom is sending me. I wound up ordering the other Sweetheart Tree needlerolls I could find. I'm addicted to needlerolls at the moment. I also took out HAED's Eternal Promise and put a few stitched into it.

The crud: I've come down with a sinus infection, so I'm in bed for the most part. At least I had Robin Hobb's book Forest Mage to read. I have a few other books to read, fortunately. Poor Matt. I of course got sick on double-xp weekend on City of Heroes (a computer game we play). I know he really wanted to play this weekend, but he didn't complain when he had to take care of both me and the boy. At least I found out it isn't strepp. So far Logan doesn't have it. I'm thinking I caught it at the doctor's office when I brought him for shots last week. Argh. I haven't really gone anywhere else. Just when I was trying to build up some sick leave...

Package from Becky

As you may remember, my partner for the birthday club exchange flaked out on me. Becky was so nice as to send me a package to make up for it. She absolutely did not have to do that. It's not her job to cover all those people who reneg on their promise.

That said, I was so happy to receive the package. I had tons of goodies. She sent me the most beautiful box with a stitched top and fabric inside (with some handmade pins included). She had asked me what I wanted, so I mentioned I can always use trim (it's hard for me to find any around here). She sent me tons of ribbon and cording. I love it! I'm going to get some more ribbon holders so I can organize my growing stash.

You can see the other generous items she sent. I love the kit for the pocket she sent. That will be a fun challenge to put together. I can't imagine a better exchange package to receive, so she more than made up for what I missed out on. Thanks, Becky!

Amigurumi

Monique discussed amigurumi in her blog, coincidental to my posting my two little Cthulhus. (Amigurami is the art of crocheting or knitting cute creatures or anthropomorphic items.) So that had me thinking back. I used to crochet a lot when I was a kid. I taught myself and was an expert at it. Really. I could crochet an afghan without looking at it. I could follow any pattern and do any stitch without looking at a chart. I could even create my own pieces. I still have two of them. Since I was also a fantasy nut, I created a hippocampus and a dragon. The dragon uses pipe cleaners in his neck.

I also remember crocheting Doctor Who dolls (Tom Baker, Romana, and Adric), but I didn't keep those. I crocheted tons of baby mobiles (little clowns) that I sold to my mom's coworkers. I guess even then I was nuts about my crafts. My mom had a subscription to Annie's Attic magazine; now I'm sorry I threw them all away a few years ago.

I think I got out of crochet when it wasn't in style anymore. Too many old ladies crocheting toilet paper covers, I guess. But now it's back in style! Imagine that. I may need to get crocheting again.

But back to cross stitching...I've been working on Bountiful Acorns needleroll. I got to use the replacement threads for Needle Necessities, who went out of business. The new company is called ThreadWorx. I think I like it better. The floss is not as matte as NN and has a better feel.

Blogs: Laura commented that I'm the "cross stitching equivalent of a fearless knitter." I'm so flattered. I think the reason some people can't do complicated projects is they don't believe they can. It's all just X's! Also, Kim commented on my speedy stitching, especially with a baby in the house. Matt has to take some credit for that. He's always there to do his fair share (and sometimes more). We get the baby to bed and supper finished by 7. Then I can stitch! Oh yes, and I'm very compulsive about my stitching. That helps too.

Stargate: Argh! I found out that Woolsey is going to be taking Sam Carter's place next season as the leader of Atlantis. No, no, no! I do not want to battle politics in my escapism. We have too much of that annoying, boring stuff in real life.

They're not dolls...

Matt informs me that men don't have dolls. They have figures. So, I finished Matt's Cthulhu figures. He'll take one to work and put one on his desk at home.

Baby: Logan goes for his four-month doctor's visit today and gets more shots. Eep. The good news is that he's had five nights of sleeping all the way through. We're hoping this is a permanent thing. He's always been good about sleeping at night, but now we get an uninterrupted night of sleep, at least til 6:00.

Valentine's exchange revealed!

Cindy received my Valentine exchange, so now I can show some pics! This is Love Blooms by the Victoria Sampler. (More pics on my website.) It's a freebie from their website. This was my first needleroll, and I found that taking a piece of batting and rolling it up worked best for the stuffing. That way it wasn't lumpy with fiberfill. It also entailed hardanger, which I'm not fond of doing. But it came out so well. I really had a hard time parting with this one.

I also did a fob out of a Damier heart. I always have so much fun with exchanges. I've signed up for the Feathered Friends exchange too.

Birthday: Matt's birthday was Sunday, and I asked the grocery store to make a cake to resemble a companion cube, which is a character out of a video game. Eh...they didn't do so well. So at some point I need to try making one myself. The cake was delicious and moist, but it turned our lips grey!

Exotic Butterflies HD

My mother-in-law started this in 2002. I received her crafting stuff after her death, and this was the only piece she had done any significant stitching on. She had finished all the cross stitching, and I did the backstitching on it. It took longer than I thought, and those bullion stitches for the butterflies' bodies were a pain! But I'm glad I could finish something of hers. I felt I owed it to her as a stitcher. I'll get this framed for Matt since it's only the second piece of hers he has (the first also being unframed at this point). I'm thinking of sending them to Jill Rensel since the first one (Precious Moments) has some staining from acid paper and will need some creativity.

The piece is Exotic Butterflies and is a Dimensions Gold Collection Petites kit. It's done on navy aida (argh!). This was one of my yearly goals, too.

Next will be putting the wings on Matt's Chthulhu dolls, I think.

HAED RR piece finished

I finally filled in the last square of my HAED RR. These are Selina Fenech's angels and mermaids. I think the piece came out very nice, and I'm so grateful to my round robin partners. I won't be participating in this year's RR because my stitching time is so unpredictable right now.

Next I'll be trying to finish up a piece my mother-in-law almost finished before she passed away. I just need to backstitch some butterflies. I might even manage to finish it this weekend.

I received my mini stash haul (for my needlerolls) in the mail today. I got speedy service from Threadneedle Street and 1-2-3 Stitch!, and they charged me very close to actual postage. Love it!

I've had some people say some very nice things about my blog in their own blogs, and I'll get to that very soon. I'm behind right now, on everything, it feels like. Work has me running around like crazy.

Sunday is Matt's birthday. I'm getting a special cake made for him. Pics to come if it turns out well.

To brighten your day, here's a photo of my darling boy. He is quite the morning person. He's four months old already.

Damier Part 2

Here's part 2! You can find details on this freebie on Maryse's blog. I really enjoy stitching this piece. It's so worry free! Well, there was the time I stitched the B instead of the D, but that was easily remedied.

I'm still working on my HAED RR piece. I only have a couple of rows left to stitch.

I got the urge to buy again, so I bought the charms, fabric, and threads for two Sweetheart Tree needlerolls, Olde English Needle Roll and Bountiful Acorns Needle Roll. They should come in soon. I may have to get the rest of the needlerolls because they're so pretty!

Not too bad, just a small purchase. I realized I hadn't bought anything stitching related since November 20. That's two months! I guess the big Christmas expenses shocked me out of my stash buying. I try to keep the buying down, but it's so hard, as you all know. I try to think of the things I already have going and the things I could stitch from my stash. I probably have a small stash compared to some people, but I like it that way.

Rose Quilt, square 5 HD

I finally finished the next square. Last week I got a stomach bug and didn't feel like stitching for a few days (hard to believe, I know!). The thing I don't like about this piece is that it's so huge. It's very unwieldy to work on using Qsnaps, but it won't fit on my scroll frame. I have to pin up the excess fabric, and I always hate poking holes in the fabric. Hair clips won't work at all because it's so heavy.

I'll move onto something else for a bit. I need to finish up the last square of my HAED RR piece.

I talked to Becky, and the person who was supposed to send me gifts for the birthday club exchange isn't answering her emails. I just can't believe a stitcher would be so callous as to accept gifts and then not fulfill her commitment to send something herself. If she'd had a problem, she should have let Becky know. I'm disappointed and angry but strangely not surprised. Since my birthday is so late in the year, I had worried that the person would forget me. Seems I was right.

I'm going to mail my Valentine exchange today. I was really pleased with the way the piece turned out, hardanger and all. I may need to restitch it for myself. Pics to come!

By the way, the SBEBB is not closing after all. Becky changed her mind.

Baby: Logan is managing to hold his head up when he's on his belly, though he really hates belly time. He's smiling quite a lot now and laughing for Matt and the babysitter (not so much for me). Apparently funny noises make him laugh. He's still cranky a lot. Most of the time it's because he's sleepy and just refuses to sleep. The babysitter has better luck with him than Matt and I do. It just gets depressing sometimes. I want my baby to be happy, but it seems he spends so much time unhappy. I keep thinking that if I could do just the right thing, he wouldn't scream.

Another example of my mom's work

I finally got around to hanging this large wall decoration my mom made for me many years ago. I'm still waiting for the other three seasons...and waiting... They would look so good in my bedroom.

I also finished two Cthulhu dolls for my husband. At least I thought I did, till I noticed the wings are missing. I'll have to do those soon so I can get this project out of the way. I gave some to his friends Christmas before last, and he's still waiting for his.

I've been working on Rose Quilt a bit. I'll post a pic when I finish the current square. I'm still working on the border right now. I had done some on the last square of my HAED RR, but I have to frog what I did.

Mom goes home tomorrow. It's been so nice having someone care for the baby all week--and getting several nights' sleep. Too bad my body doesn't know how to sleep the whole night through anymore.

Logan's wall decorations

My mom made this wall hanging for Logan. Isn't it cute? The animals were supposed to make a vertical stack, but I had more room horizontally. I had the idea to make blocks with the letters of his name, and Mom did a wonderful job. (I used mounting tape--I know it's going to be such a pain to get it off someday.)

Maggie the Messmaker update

I did a little bit on this piece. It's one of my two UFOs, and I'd like to get it done this year. I'll rotate it around, basically stitch on it until I feel like moving on (my screaming rotation). Matt reminded me about his Magnificent Wizard, which is the other UFO. If I can keep the number of new starts down this year, I may even be able to work on that one.

Next, I think, will be Rose and Butterfly Quilt again. After looking at my last pic, I realized I had forgotten to stitch part of the border on the last block. Oops!

Gaming: I am so excited about the new Stargate MMO, Stargate Worlds. I cannot wait to play this game. It's supposed to come out in the fall of this year. My stitching may take a beating. The last time I got obsessed with a game (2005), I didn't stitch for almost the entire year. What a tragedy!

Damier (Checkerboard) update

I decided to restart the piece on cream 32-count linen. I'll use the heart I already stitched to make a fob. Thanks, Cindy, for the reinforcement!

This is the first installment of the piece. There will be a new one each month for nine months. I really like it. Thanks, Nicki, for inspiring me to a new start (grumble). :-)

I replaced the ecru with white, and I'm using bright white instead of the regular one. I also outlined the snowman in light grey to make him stand out a little more.

I've also been stitching on Maggie the Messmaker and will take a pic when I'm ready to move onto something different.

Baby: The babysitter started Wednesday, and she's working out great. Logan hasn't had any extended screaming fits. Matt said to take notes as to what she's doing, but I also have to work. I think she has more patience than we do, for one thing. Mom's here for the week, and of course she loves playing with Logan. Matt and I are free for the week. Woohoo!

I need your opinion

I made the mistake of reading Nicki's blog and got tempted to start a sampler by Maryse. I started it on 28-count antique white Jobelan because that's what I had on hand. Now I'm thinking that's pretty boring fabric for it. I'd also like to go a smaller count, probably 32. Anyone have any suggestions? I haven't decided for sure I want to trash what I've done...just not sure at all.

Valentine exchange piece finished

I finished my piece for the Valentine exchange on the SBEBB, the last one. This time I did some hardanger, which is very nerve wracking for me when I start cutting threads. I think I was one thread off in a few spots, but I fudged it to where you can't tell at all. I also tried a finishing technique I had never done before, and I'm very satisfied with it. You'll see pics in another month or so. :-)

I still haven't received anything from the Birthday Club. Hm...

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!