I found this flyer hanging on my front door this morning, and there were a few things about it that struck me.
Notice how it says, "Be Hot"? Don't get me wrong, I know exactly what use of "hot" they're using, but still...
...does this girl look hot to you?
I'm not exactly old, I'm only going to be 30 in 2 weeks, but even I want to tell her to stop pulling her shirt down, stand up straight, and for crying out loud go put on a sweater if it is that cold in there!
I keep having so many design ideas but have no time to do anything about them! I keep filling pages in my notebook with knitting plans...and ask me if I've ever knit anything of my own design. Well, ok, I have knit a few things, but I haven't really pushed to publish anything. I think that will be my goal for the new year (and by new year, I'm saying "starting in September, at Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year")-to try and make something from my knitting, if not money then at least recognition.
I don't think I would charge for my camera case design, I think I'd rather offer it for free. So far I have 2 free patterns available in my sidebar, the Knitting Game and the Bowling Socks, only one of those (the Game) that was of my design. The Knitting Game was in the 2006 Pattern-a-Day calendar and I have a new (never before seen, even on this blog) pattern being published in Stitch 'n Bitch's 2008 Pattern-a-Day calendar.
I think I'm going to try to expand and see what happens. I'll try to offer up a few more free patterns, like the Sweetheart Mittens I designed a few years ago. I'm also thinking of submitting a few things to Knitty.
The only real thing holding me back, and I think I've mentioned this before, is the sizing issue. I feel confident to say that I can design anything and make it fit me. Where I have a problem is making sure it will fit you. I know that it is not a simple case of applying the same changes to all measurements (like adding 20 or whatever). I will have to take into account stuff like the fact that arm lengths won't change that much, but shoulder-to-hip lengths might change more when going up in sizes. Or whatever. I'm scared to try and work out the math without actually knitting a sample in every size and having someone of each size try it on. I know that real designers don't do it that way. I just need to learn how they DO do it. Is it all just using software, then designing in the details? I know there is design software out there...and that there are just as many flaky ones as there are good ones (or maybe more sucky ones).
I don't know. I have to work on this. I think I'll start by making up a few designs for me...I can always offer the patterns in my size only. :)
This morning I took Jakob for a walk in his stroller. It was really hot out and the sun was very strong, so I got to play the "I Get to Embarass You While You're Young" mommy card and have Jakob in his safari hat and sunglasses. I was going to walk him over to a nearby government building to sign him up for a Social Insurance Number card, but we stopped at Maaike's house first to pick up the sock needle holders that she'd received for us (we'd placed a joint order) and to borrow her Heart to Heart sling. I have a Snugli for Jakob but want to see if he might prefer the sling instead. It was so hot out that I gave up on the rest of our walk and came home to relish in our air conditioning. I am SO not a summer person! Give me a cool, breezy, rainy Fall any day!
After Jakob's first afternoon nap he woke up in such a good mood I decided to try working on his sitting. He's not tall enough to see over the bars but he was able to lean quite well without slumping over. He is really good at leaning backwards to sit against something so I thought I'd give this a try. It's probably not a skill he needs but I thought it would make a cute photo. I love the little feet sticking through the bars!
Finally I brought Jakob to my parents' house so they could babysit while Yannick and I went to see Stardust, for real this time (unlike Friday's cancelled date). Jakob was so tired by the time we got there that I was able to swaddle him and put him on his Elmo sofa/bed. This thing is so cute, it folds up into a couch and folds down like this for the bed.
Yannick enjoyed the movie, it is very much like The Princess Bride in spirit but with better special effects. I didn't get any knitting done but I did finish typing up my camera case pattern! I'm really happy with how it came out and I am just working through it once myself before having it test knit. I'm glad I decided to work it myself first because there are some things that worked in my head that didn't translate too well onto paper. By following the pattern step by step I can find things I forgot to elaborate on because I'd assumed it would be done, and make any changes I need. Then I'll edit the pattern and sent it out, and if it works well I'll offer it up here.
It should be cool...it's a camera case pattern worksheet, which means you can use any yarn and any size needles you want. You can use it for any size flat camera and it even has built-in double layer protection around the exposed screen area. Plus a cover that stays on and CAN'T come off, all without any snaps, ties or velcro. Oh, and did I mention that it's seamless?
Yesterday we had our cousin Oliver's first birthday party. For proof that taking photos of your baby in funny hats runs in the family, check here for Robyn's photo of Sean in the same party hat. I think this is the same photo Robyn posted. All three of us cousins (technically Lisa is married to our cousin Phil) and our boys. Lisa is cracking up because Oliver (the birthday boy) had just stuck his finger up his nose.
Note to self: don't put Jakob in horizontal stripes! Look how chubby he looks!
I had fun playing around with my camera. It has the setting where you can isolate a color and the rest of the photo comes out in black and white. You can't really tell here but the green stripes on Jakob's shirt are still green. This isn't the best example of the color play, but I liked the photo. :)
You ever have one of those days where you don't quite get anything done that you'd meant to, even though you're busy all day?
When I woke up this morning, my only plan was to type up my camera case worksheet so I could give it another go before I send it out for test knitting. Well, I only fell asleep last night at 1:30am (we realized that if we read another chapter of Harry Potter we'd be exactly 1/3 of the way through the book, so even though it was late we just HAD to read!) and Jakob woke up to eat at 6:30, so I was exhausted and slept through to the next feed at 9:30, then tried to doze off with him until the next feed but he woke up at 10:30 and wanted to play.
Once we finished playing I fed him and put him down for a nap, and thought NOW I'll sit at the computer and type up my pattern. Then I decided I'd better eat some breakfast while I had a chance. After breakfast he was fussing, and once I got him sleeping again I made a pot of coffee, prepared a cup, and came up to the office to type. As you can tell by the timing of my last post, I didn't exactly get much pattern writing done. Instead I blogged a bit, then went through my photos from the weekend to see what I wanted to keep. I was about to blog here but wanted to wait for my cousin's photos to see if I wanted any, so while those loaded into our shared file I went through some of my mom's photos.
Before lunch time my friend Debbie called to see if we could get together tonight, and I thought "sure, I'll have had plenty of time to type up the pattern by then!". We made plans for 6:00/6:30. I opened a Word document and began typing up the pattern. Then Jakob started to cry again. Before I could get to him, my friend Maaike called to see if we would be free to go to the park later. Again I thought "sure, I'll be done typing by then, and I can bring it with me for park knitting!". Right.
I kept going through my mom's photos, checking every so often to see if Robyn's were done uploading. By the time they were ready, Jakob was up for real and was hungry. I went to go feed him, then Maaike called to say that they (her daughter and her friend Julie and Julie's kids) we ready to meet at the park. Needless to say I hadn't done more than type up the pattern materials (yarn and needles LOL) so I wasn't able to bring that knitting with me.
Jakob had a great time at the park. He went in a swing for the first time, and loved it! He can't sit up on his own, but it was angled perfectly to hold him up, and he stayed in for about a half hour without fussing once. I was even able to push it and let him swing. I had a great time too, Maaike's friend Julie is really nice and one of her children is close to Jakob's age so I was able to get some advice. Right as I was about to pull out my knitting, Maaike mentioned the time and I realized that I'd better get home before Debbie got here!
Yannick picked up supper, and the four of us had a nice dinner (Yannick, me, Debbie and Yannick's friend Kevin) while Jakob slept. It was nice hanging out like that, I don't see Debbie very often, and while I see Kevin a lot, we don't always "hang out". Later on Yannick's friend Paul came over to help the other two change our garage door opener (the new one sucks and we're going to return it) and Debbie and I came upstairs to play on the computer and with Jakob.
After Debbie left and Jakob was in bed, asleep for the night, I thought to myself "ok, NOW I'll go and type up my pattern, and get some knitting done before bed". Ha!
It's 11:51, I've been at the computer since 10:15-ish, and I have no pattern to show for it. My photos are organized, and this post is done, but pattern? What pattern?
Maybe tomorrow?
I leave you now with this short video of Jakob's first swing ride. If you have speakers on and listen closely, you can hear him "talking" a few times. Enjoy!
They tell you that when you get pregnant you get stupid. It is SO true. I had never been more dumb in my life than when I was pregnant...and the smarts- they don't come back once you deliver.
Most of the time it still takes me 3 tries to get out a complicated thought and the simplest little things become great big concepts. I don't think the light of day has shone on my brain in a while.
Case in point:
My temporary office in our new house is a big (12"x15") room. It is actually the spare bedroom, but I felt it was a waste to have this whole big room with just a bed and dresser, and only used the odd time someone sleeps over, so at the back of the room is my filing cabinet, computer desk, and bookshelf. Ah...I'll go take a photo. Hold on.
So here is the view when you open the door and walk in...
...and there's my desk at the back. It's not a HUGE room, but it is big enough that when I'd have garbage at my desk it was too much of a pain to keep getting up and throwing it out in the garbage can which was aaallll the way over on the other side of the room, between the dresser and rocking chair.
I swear, for the last 3 weeks I have been getting a grocery bag from the kitchen to keep ON my desk for used Kleenex, papers, whatever garbage I have. Then when we collect for garbage day, the garbage can is empty but we'll grab my little garbage bag.
You want to know what never occurred to me until this very morning? To move the freaking garbage can to under my desk.
I'm going to go sit down for a while. All this thinking hurt my brain.
Before I go, here's a FO to report. I designed and knit a case for my new camera. I know this isn't the best photo, but it is deliberate. I'm working on converting the pattern to be a pattern generator so anyone can use it for any size camera, with any gauge. Once I write it out I will have it test-knit, then probably offer it with my free patterns in the sidebar.
catching up wed, thurs, fri and today (sat) and YES i talk about knitting
I don't know where the time goes. I blink and it is a few days after I said I would post. Sorry, loyal reader(s)! :) On Wednesday my mom, her friend Esther and I took Jakob to go see the movie Stardust. I loved it! They took a while to get the story, but I caught on right away and thought it was amazing. If you like The Princess Bride, you'll like Stardust!
That afternoon we were supposed to have a playdate with Maaike and her daughter, and Robyn and her son, but they both cancelled on me so Jakob and I spent the afternoon making beef jerky for Yannick with our food dehydrator. I like beef jerky too but this time I used the "hot and spicy" spice mix, and it is WAY too hot for me.
On Thursday we spent the morning play around in bed.
We worked on some tummy time, which he is getting much better at. He's always been good at holding his head up, but usually starts to fuss after a few minutes. He is now able to go much longer before getting frustrated or sore (holding up his head).
Thursday afternoon we were invited to join a friend's playgroup. It was so much fun! Her daughter is only 1 day older than Jakob, and they were the two oldest kids there. There were 11 moms and kids total, and the youngest baby is two-and-a-half weeks old. I gave that mom great "props"- I certainly didn't have the energy to go out that early! It was a riot watching all of these babies- just imagine all 11 together once they start to crawl! Right now they're not doing much, but it is more for the mommies to get a chance to socialize. After the playgroup a few of us took our kids out with their strollers for a walk, then I went to the pharmacy then to my parents' house. I had invited myself, Jakob and Yannick over for supper because I was going to go to my friend Jackie's to watch Big Brother at 8:00pm, but Jackie had to cancel so I made sure I was home in time. I fed Jakob and spent the night working on the JCA project some more.
Friday we played around some more then went and did a few errands. I wanted to exchange one of the breastfeeding tops I'd bought at Thyme for a different one that was more flattering, and also wanted to return a toy I'd bought for Jakob since I wasn't happy with it. Luckily both stores were in the same mall so I didn't have to run around too much. Friday night we brought Jakob to my parents' house to babysit and Yannick and I were going to see Stardust (I knew Yannick would love it) but last minute something came up so I came home alone to get a good chunk of knitting done, and Yannick went to help my parents clear out their backyard for a pool they are going to put in. (Yay!) The other good news is: I finished the JCA project! I just have a few ends to weave in, but those suckers are done! I'm very excited because I want to start new things already!
Today we went to Robyn's dad's store and I got my new digital camera. It is the Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital Elph and I am so excited to finally have a camera small enough to throw into my purse or diaper bag. Our current Canon (PowerShot S2 lS) is wonderful but SO bulky! Robyn's sister, my (wonderful, amazing, awesome, great) cousin Amy was working that day and not only gave us great service but made Jakob laugh and smile. After the store we had a playdate walk in the park with my grad date of all people! He had married his high school sweetheart (we had gone to grad as friends, with her permission) and they'd moved to the West Island and had a daughter just 2 months before Jakob was born. We went to Centennial Park and hung out at the dog park for a bit before going to sit by the lake and catch up. I can't believe it- I haven't seen him in 13 years! We found each other on Facebook of all places.
From there we went to my parents' house for a short visit, then came home. We just finished supper and Jakob is napping so I'm going to weave in those ends so I can start working on my next project:
That's the Montego Bay Scarf from this summer's Interweave Knits. It is scarf 1 of my (hopefully) 3 items that I will be donating for my friend's fundraiser auction.
This photo sucks but shows the color of the yarn a bit more true to life. Each strand of color is plied with black. I can't wait to see how it turns out.
I skipped posting yesterday because I didn't have any photos to include with the post...then realized I'd done the same thing today. Sorry- no photos, but at least there's a post.
I've been trying to find every spare moment to knit since I have a deadline on these socks plus a self-imposed deadline afterwards for a cancer fundraiser in November. A friend of the family has taken it upon herself to throw this event. This is the same friend I knit the "Comfort" Clapotis for. I volunteered to knit a few items as either auction items or raffle prizes, and will be taking that on right after I finish the socks. If you're a retailer in Montreal or know of one who would like to contribute a raffle prize, please email me and I'll send you an info package. Here's the basic info:
I would like to take this opportunity to share my miracle story with you. Last March, I was diagnosed with A.L.L, also known as Acute Lymphoblastic (Lymphocytic) Leukemia. This is a blood cancer found most often in young children and can also affect adults, like myself. While going through this experience, which has forever changed my life in a positive way, I have come to realize that there is still so much needed research to be done in order to help others battling leukemia. I proudly present A Cabaret for the Cure, the first annual fundraising gala at Le Living Room. This event will take place Tuesday, November 27th, 2007 at 6:30pm. Proceeds from this event will support leukemia research at the Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH). Presently, our generous sponsors include: Le Living Room, Q92, Inglot, and Sheldon Kagan International.
After undergoing vigorous treatment this past year, I am now able to reflect on this experience. I have learned three great lessons at the age of just 23 years old. The first is that sometimes in life, we have to pay our dues early. The second lesson is that everything truly does happen for a reason. The third and most important lesson of all is to never stop fighting. I thought my fight would be over once I was in remission but I was wrong. I now understand that my true reason for surviving is to help eradicate leukemia, and to help those who are fighting this disease. I intend to do so with your help!
With many show-stopping performances by unique artists, a live auction, raffle, and a charismatic emcee for the evening, A Cabaret for the Cure will be the gala event of the year! Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails will be served followed by a buffet style dinner. Dessert and coffee will be served as well.
Please remember, the story you read today is just one of many. With your generous support, we can help find a cure together and make many more miracles come true! I encourage you to become a sponsor, purchase an advertisement in our Playbill, and/or buy tickets in support of this worthwhile cause. The price per ticket is $72, which includes a partial tax receipt. Please note that donations can be made to A Cabaret for the Cure fund at the JGH Foundation, whereby a full tax receipt will be issued.
The event is partially geared towards young adults, and I will be knitting at least two scarves with them in mind...the lacy one from this summer's Interweave Knits, and a super-soft, chunky rib just right for winter. Finally I will be working on a delicate lace shawl that I hope will be good enough for the auction, but if not then at least for a raffle prize.
Yesterday we went out for a bit with Maaike and visited the Wool Shop. I bought some yarn for the above-mentioned lace scarf. I'm amazed that that's all I bought! Jakob and I vegged and played for the rest of the afternoon, then went out for supper with Yannick before going to my parents' house for a short visit.
Today I took him to Thyme Maternity to buy a few breast feeding shirts for those times when I know we're going somewhere a bit fancier where I don't feel like pulling up (or down) my whole shirt. We met up with my mom and her friend so they could see Jakob (and bring me diapers since I'd forgotten to restock the diaper bag) then I took him to the CLSC to be weighed and to hang out for a bit. I don't know if I remembered to mention but as of last Thurs he was 12lbs 12 oz and 24" long. Today he was only 12lbs 12.5oz, but it was a different scale, so...
In the afternoon Maaike came over with her daughter then I made some supper and knit around Jakob's outbursts. He has been really fussy today...I think it's a growth spurt. He still has his happy times, but has mostly cried and wanted to be held and/or to nurse. He'll be 14 weeks this week so I think it's probably just the 3 month growth spurt. (And if it wasn't too early I'd also swear he's teething). I don't mind the extra moments of cuddling, especially since he needs it for comfort...I just wish I didn't have a deadline so I wouldn't feel bad about putting him down. Luckily this kind of day is the rarity, and usually I can even put him in his play pen with some toys and he will amuse himself grabbing on and babbling to them.
I'm going to go pop my ipod into the speakers and catch up on my podcasts while stealing a few more minutes to knit before falling asleep. 'Night!
Yannick and I spent a good part of the morning cleaning the house, then we went to do a few errands. I wanted to get Jakob some links (plastic toy chains) so we can work on his "grabbing", so we stopped at Babies R Us. We then went over to Fairview but they didn't have the household items we were looking for. They did have the same yummy ice cream I had yesterday though! (Bad diet move Jennifer!)
After Fairview we went to see Yannick's cousins and their daughter, then stopped to pick up some photos and groceries at Loblaws. Jakob was so exhausted by that point- he'd hardly slept more than an hour all combined throughout the day. We finally got home around 5:15 and my brother Mike came by to help Yannick move some furniture. Don't think we were able to settle in and rest though- no sooner had we finished eating supper then I had to feed Jakob and we had to leave for cake and coffee at a family member's house for my great-aunt's 75th birthday party.
And that's where the sweater comes in. :)
It has been a bit cool at night lately so I decided to put Jakob in the sweater before he grew too big to wear it. I love it on him! He has no neck in it, but I don't care. I think he looks adorable. The sweater was so easy and fast to make...I can't wait to make a whole bunch more in other colors. The only thing I would change would be to add an extra 2 inches (or more) to the length. I had to keep pulling it down so he wouldn't have his belly button exposed. Other wise it was a hit and I love it!
It was fun getting to see my dad's side of the family tonight. I'm glad we were able to go...we were invited last minute (the adults were all invited but the "kids" were added later...Yannick and I being "kids" in this case) and it was really nice to see everyone. Robyn was there with Sean and I can't believe how much he's growing and developing! He was crawling! I swear this kid couldn't crawl the last time I saw him, and that was only about two weeks ago at Hairspray! I hadn't seen Robyn since then either so I was able to give her the $ for her sock club that I joined. Oh- I forgot to make a link for this earlier...Robyn opened up an online knitting store called Robyn's Nest! Go check her out and shop 'til you drop! I love the mini sock blocker kits, and I can't wait to see September's yarn for the sock yarn club.
(To be fair, I also just realized that I never put a link for Ariadne Knits, the online knitting store run by two of our Montreal Knits members, Molly Ann and Mary. If you shop there please check out Jennie's knitted toy patterns, they are just too cute and I'm so proud of her! When she makes it big as a toy designer, I can say "I knew her when...". (Can I also brag and say that I know Veronik Avery, Mona Schmidt and Kate Gilbert?) I'll shut up now. :)
One last photo of our big boy for the night. *sigh* What a cutie. I know, I'm biased, but I'm so terribly in love with this child.
Ok, enough gushing. I need sleep. I also need to knit. I think if I do one tonight I'll get the other one done tomorrow.
By three months, your baby ...should be able to: -on stomach, lift head up to 45 degrees CHECK
...will probably be able to: -laugh out loud CHECK -on stomach, lift head up 90 degrees CHECK -squeal in delight CHECK -bring both hands together CHECK -smile spontaneously CHECK -follow an object held about 6 inches above baby's face and moved 180 degrees-from one side to the other, with baby watching all the way CHECK
...may possibly be able to: -hold head steady when upright CHECK -on stomach, raise chest, supported by arms CHECK -roll over (one way) CHECK -grasp a rattle held to backs or tips of fingers Kinda. He'll hold it if you put it in his hand but won't try to grab it. -pay attention to an object as small as a raisin CHECK
...may even be able to: -bear some weight on legs when held upright CHECK -reach for an object He's starting to... -keep head level with body when pulled to sitting Sometimes... -turn in the direction of a voice, particularily mommy's Sometimes... -say "ah-goo" or similar vowel-consonant combination ALL THE TIME -razz (make a wet razzing sound) Once...
Wow, what a list of accomplishments! I can't believe he can do so much at so young...and that it was only 3 months ago that he was a little squishy baby. Now he seems so...solid...so much like a really little BOY.
To mark his 3 months, I took him to Sears yesterday for portraits. They came out really cute but won't be ready until Sept 6th. To help Yannick feel included since he had to work, he helped me pick out Jakob's outfits, and he will come back to the mall with me tomorrow to go over the photos and see if he wants to make any changes to the ones I've chosen. With the package I got, we will receive a free 10x13 portrait and I can't wait to hang it up on our wall!
Afterwards I met up with my friend Maaike and her daughter Erika and we went over to Ares. If you like kitchen supplies and equipment I'm warning you now- this place is EVIL. I am amazed that I left without buying anything, it's almost as tempting in there as it is in a knitting store! From there we brought our kids to the park. Maaike had brought her camera and took some really cute photos of Jakob and Erika. This is one of her photos- Jakob is cuddling with Erika's bear Cauliflower.
Julie and Rich came over for dinner later on and we had a bit of a rough time with Jakob as he first refused to fall asleep, then slept for so long he would have missed more than one feeding. I wound up waking him when it had been almost 5 hours since his last feed (and 1.5 hours asleep). He fed well then went to bed around 11:30pm. He woke up next at 7:30 this morning!
Man that sleep felt good! :)
Now we've just gotten home from a little carriage ride over to Maaike's house.
My mom's friend Carol lent us this gorgeous pram. They don't make them any more (for obvious safety reasons I'm sure) and the ones that remain are collector's items. This one has been handed down and lent from friend to friend. I had to promise to guard it with my life!
I was going to go to the dep to buy a newspaper but the carriage is really hard to steer (it only drives straight so turning is a b*tch) and I had a thermos of coffee in one hand. Yannick called and volunteered to pick me up a paper later so I brought Jakob home.
(You can't really tell but I redid my highlights and cut my hair in some long, shaggy layers).
When Yannick got back from his errands we went over to Sears so he could look at yesterday's portraits. He didn't want to change anything, so with the few minutes we had left before Fairview closed we went down to Laura Secord and got ice cream cones. I had the first two-scoop cone of my life- Rolo and Peanut Butter Swirl. YUM!!!
After a late supper tonight we decided to take Jakob for another walk. We tried the pram again, and this time I let Yannick steer. He didn't have much better luck than I did. It has a tendancy to veer to the right, and since the wheels only go straight even he found turning difficult. You have to lift and drop the carriage as if you were going up onto a curb and each time we had to turn Jakob would slide all over the place. Also, the wheels are the exact right size to drop perfectly into the grates in a manhole cover. Not good. When we got home I asked my dad to come by tomorrow with his van and pick it up. I can't work it myself and if even Yannick has a hard time...I don't want to store it in my garage and be responsible for its safety and cleanliness. I'd rather return it and let someone else borrow it, if they want. It's a shame because it's so beautiful and I love walking down the street with it. It's too bad I can't steer it well.
Did I mention I have yet to knit a stitch? I know I will get my work done by the deadline, but man it is hard to find time this week. I get two minutes free...I eat something. I get two more minutes...I shower. A few more...I need a drink...but the pitcher is empty. I make more iced tea...I have to go pick him up again. Tomorrow Yannick is home and I think I'm going to take advantage of that and let him occupy Jakob when its not feeding time...
Today was a lazy, rainy day. We would have stayed in all day but I decided to bring Jakob to the doctor. I wanted to change his dose of acid-reflux medicine but preferred to have him properly weighed so he would be getting the correct dosage...instead of guessing. He's been waking up throughout the night and his naps folded over in pain, so I really wanted to get this done. I could have had the doctor tell me over the phone but preferred to weigh him and do it right. My mom came with us and Jakob was really well behaved.
Tonight he was fussy but it takes time for the higher dosage to kick in, so we're being patient about it. He was SO overtired but refused to let himself sleep so finally we gave him a bath with some Johnson's Bedtime Bath, fed him a bit earlier than usual, and he conked right out.
Now "Daddy" and I are going to relax with the next few chapters of Harry Potter #7, my knitting, and some chocolates. Goodnight! :)
I can't believe it. Today my baby sister, the youngest of us 4 kids, is 20 years old. We are 10 years apart...which means I'm going to be...30 next month. Man.
When did she get to grow up? Why isn't she still playing with dolls and letting me stick colored dot stickers all over our faces and letting me put garish makeup on her and dress her up?
Happy Birthday Laura!
Jakob had a rough night last night. He went from 9:30pm to 8:00am without eating, but he woke up at least 5 times through the night. Each time he'd be folded in half almost flipping onto his stomach again. I'm guessing that he is getting bigger and the dose of Zantac we give him for acid-reflux isn't strong enough for his current weight. I left a message for his doctor to find out if we can raise the dosage. I'm pretty sure that it's his poor tummy hurting that keeps waking him up.
I took him to the movies again today, we went just the two of us and saw The Simpsons. It was a great movie! I like the cartoon, so I really enjoyed the movie. Lots of inside jokes and bits of sly humor (although the one part I can't stop repeating was shown in the commercials..."Spider-pig... Spider-pig... does whatever a Spider-pig does..." He slept through the beginning of the movie and I had a chance to knit up a swatch I needed to have done. My LYS was clearing out some yarns and had a heavy cotton/acrylic blend on sale for about $2 CAD/ball so I bought them to make a sweater. The LYS owner told me she'd use her computer program to design me a pattern and I needed to have the swatch done for that.
After the movie I brought Jakob to the LYS and had the pattern made. There wasn't enough white for a whole sweater so I bought some navy too and will have to get creative with the color.
Later I brought Jakob home and fed him, then changed him to bring over to my parents' house for my sister's non-surprise surprise party (her friend leaked the news but Laura pretended not to know, and didn't know that we knew she knew).
Like his tank? Can you read it? It says "Dad thinks he's in charge". :)
We had a great barbeque over at my parents' house and Laura had a blast showing Jakob off to her friends. It was weird seeing my sister and her friends hanging out, surrounded by cigarettes (not hers) and beers (also not hers). My mom had provided wine coolers and sangria, and they thought it was quaint. Instead they drank down their beers. I watched them all horse around and can't help but remember hanging out with my friends at that age. You feel like you have no cares and your whole life ahead of you...and now I'm almost years older and feel like I have a lifetime behind me.
Ok, enough melodrama. I just put Jakob to bed and will go knit while Yannick reads the next chapter of Harry Potter #7 to me. (Yes, we read out loud to each other when we want to share the same book, we've been doing it since we started dating, although I usually end up reading since Yannick's reading out loud isn't the best. No, I haven't read any spoilers online so if you know who dies or anything DON'T tell me!)
p.s. Today is also my brother-in-law's birthday, so Happy Birthday Mathieu!
This post was originally just titled "over the weekend" but I got delayed in posting and now have an extra two days to catch up. I don't know where the time goes but I can't seem to get anything done!
On Saturday morning I awoke to hear Jakob crying in his sleep...sort of "fussing". I know that sometimes he rolls around and winds up with his arm or legs hanging through the bars of his crib (I almost typed "cage" LOL), so I thought maybe he'd rolled around and gotten stuck. I went in to take a peek...
...he'd rolled onto his stomach! In his sleep he'd managed to roll onto his stomach then realized he didn't know what to do once he got there, so he started to cry. I immediately rolled him back onto his back. He was still crying and I knew if I took him out of bed he'd want to be fed, so I went to the washroom first to wash my hands. I heard him fussing again and when I came back he'd rolled back onto his stomach! I called for Yannick to come, and to bring the video camera. Thank gd he didn't question why- it was around 5:00am! I rolled Jakob back over and as we watched he promptly rolled right back onto his stomach. We managed to catch it on video. Unfortunately Jakob still didn't know what to do on his stomach and began to cry in earnest so I took him out to feed him.
I spent the morning with him at a brunch and old friend threw as a sort of "reunion" for lost friends. Over the years we've all drifted apart so she set up a little group on Facebook and invited everyone from her friends list who lived in Montreal. I didn't know most of the people but I hadn't seen that friend in a long time so I went. Jakob was such an angel- he slept the entire time! He was so good that I was able to take him to the knit-out in the park that was also scheduled for the same day. It was a bit disappointing because only 3 other people were there. I'd gone at the very end, just for a half hour, but they were the only ones who had shown up all day. Then Jakob and I went to FutureShop to pick up my repaired Palm. I was very bitter because Palms aren't supposed to be repaired, they get replaced and I'd received MY original unit back (I'd marked it).
Finally Jakob and I wound up at my parents' house where Yannick was doing some brick work for them. Julie came over to see us then my parents took us to Jade Palace for some Chinese buffet for supper. Yum! Once again Jakob was behaving himself like a perfect little guy and slept the entire time.
When we got home I was worried about how to put him down to sleep. We had been swaddling him but I was afraid that if he rolled onto his stomach he might find a way to get the loose fabric into his mouth. I remembered that I'd bought a sleeping blanket that time we were at Fairview, so I took it out to try it.
It's like a soft flannel sleeping back with shoulder straps. I knew Jakob would be a bit fussy because he liked to rub the blanket against his cheek, but safety is the priority so we're trying out the sleeping blanket now. I will still swaddle him during the day when I'm able to check on him, but not for over night.
Sunday was spent running around doing errands. First we went to Walmart for a few things and to have lunch at McDonald's. Then we went to a really cool gift store in Pointe-Claire. Yannick had bought me a charm for my bracelet to commemorate our son's birth, but I was afraid the little emerald birthstone might fall out, so I wanted to find out about their warranty. When we left there we went right back to FutureShop since my Palm had died again over night. I complained and said it wasn't easy for me to run around with a newborn, and they were really nice and exchanged it for me right away. My Tungsten T5 wasn't available any longer so they switched it for a Palm TX which came with a cool wireless keyboard and built-in wifi. Finally we went to Fairview because Yannick needed some socks and running shoes, so we went to see my brother Mike at Sports Experts.
Sunday night we went to Yannick's sister's house for cake and coffee for William's birthday (last week) and Alex's birthday (at the end of the month).
We dressed Jakob in this cute little outfit. It had a special meaning- it was part of Brigitte's gift to us at my baby shower. That night I heard Jakob fussing again and finally went in around 6:00am Monday morning. The little stinker was folding himself in half again but was too tired to roll all the way onto his stomach so he'd make it to his side then pass out. The little cutie. :)
Yannick's parents had to move his grandmother into a new residence and in the process were helping her empty her old place. They came across this framed cross stitch:
This was my first ever attempt at cross stitch. Back in 2003 I was trying to find a gift idea for Yannick's grandmother for Easter since all the cousins brought her gifts but everyone usually brought alcohol. I wanted to be different and found this in a magazine. I loved the image and had Yannick's mom help me change the quote into something in French. I bought all the supplies, did the stitching and beading and had it framed for her just in time for Easter. Now that she's not as well they gave it back to me so we could keep it.
Later on Monday Yannick and I took Jakob back to the Shriner's Hospital. Good news- there is nothing wrong with his hip (last time it looked under developed) and he's just fine. Yay!
Today my mom and I both went to have our hair done so one could watch Jakob while the other was occupied. He was such a little cutie and flirted with all the girls there. We brought him to surprise my dad at work too, then went to Loblaws for some dinner groceries. The little guy woke up when we got there and didn't stop talking out loud the entire time. After dinner with my mom and Yannick, we came home and I had just enough time to feed him before he passed out. I'm going to follow his example now, since we have another busy day tomorrow.
This morning was so nice! Jakob slept for 8 and a half hours, and woke up in such a good, giggly mood! I got him dressed up in a cute pair of overalls from his cousin Robyn but they are still too big on him so I changed him into a cute onesie (it says "I pulled an all-nighter") and a pair of shorts.
At lunchtime we went on a playdate with my friend Jessica who is in from Toronto with her daughter. I can't believe her daughter will be 1 year old next month. It was surreal to walk along the streets, pushing our kids in strollers. It feels like yesterday that we were in grade 6 and pretending to be superstars.
Later in the afternoon I brought Jakob over to my aunt Fran's house for a birthday party for my aunt Mimi's foster child. Yannick came over after work and was able to spend some bonding time with Jakob. He even got to take him swimming for a little while.
I don't know if there was something in the water, but when we brought Jakob in and tried putting him in his car seat for a nap, he got into SUCH a good mood! He was laughing and giggly and amusing himself completely by kicking around and squirming in his seat until he'd slide to the bottom. He wasn't strapped in because I wanted him to nap and he was right at my feet...don't write me emails tell me I'm being reckless with him. He was being so silly and kept making the cutest faces...here it looks like he's trying to get away from me! Here are Jakob and Mommy at 12 weeks (and 1 day) old. I wouldn't have believed it, but he's grown up so much, even since the last few days! All of a sudden he seems much more solid, and playful...with a real spirit. I can begin to see the little boy he will grow up into. When we got home I fed him and Yannick got to give him a bath. They both had a good time splashing in the water, then I put Jakob into bed and left Yannick with the monitor so I could go take a shower. I just came out...and Yannick is asleep on the couch with the monitor! Great babysitter! I'm going to follow his example and get into bed too...
Today was a lazy day. We stayed indoors most of the day, only venturing out to check the mailbox. Jakob slept a wonderful 8 hours last night from his 9:00 feed/bedtime, then another 4 hours after that. I managed to get a few photos of Jakob playing on the entrelac blankie I knit for him. I didn't remember to take our weekly photo, since today is 12 weeks, but I'll take one tomorrow.
I kept meaning to knit all day, but somehow, as seems to be the routine with a baby, stuff always happened. The few times he'd go down for a nap I ended up eating a meal, tidying up, soothing him from crying...I finally managed to knit at around 3:30 in the afternoon. I had a minor success as I finished the first sock of the pair. I just need to graft the toes shut and then I can start on the second sock.
We went out for a bit tonight with Yannick and my mom. We are finally taking care of having our wedding album made (it's going to be a years since our wedding on Sept 3rd) so we went to meet with the photographer and get a refresher on how many photos to choose, which album style, etc...
Now I've just given Jakob a bath and put him into bed. He's protesting loudly from the other room, so I'm going to see to him then try and get the cuff done from the next sock. Goodnight!
Fun times at the movies today. My mom and I got there early, around 12:30 for a movie that started at 1:00pm. When we got into the actual theater we were the only ones there...and the movie was already on and about halfway through! We called in an attendant and asked them to stop the movie, which they did. A few minutes later they started airing the pre-preview footage (trivia, commercials, etc) like normal. The theater started filling up with people. And filling up. At 1:10 there were still more people showing up, and the previews hadn't even started yet.
Just as we started to complain about delaying a movie filled with babies on schedules, the previews started. Without sound. Oh, and did I mention they were backwards? All the text was flipped the wrong way around. The proper people were notified, and they fixed the film. It took them another 5 minutes to add sound, then I got up and asked them to make it louder, since we could barely hear anything. Finally we saw the "feature presentation" stuff on the screen, meaning the movie was about to start.
Then the screen went black. For another 5 minutes or so there was nothing. People started to leave. Another attendant told us that she had no idea how long it would be. Finally she came back and said it would be 5 more minutes. The movie DID start...then went black again after about 20 minutes. I don't know if the guy didn't rewind the movie properly after we made him stop it earlier, or what, but it was getting rediculous. At one point a manager came in and told us to stay after the movie and that they would give us free passes.
In the end we managed to watch the movie straight through. It was very cute, but I think I might prefer the original 1988 movie. Jakob slept the entire time- go figure the one time I shlepped the breast-feeding pillow AND a bottle of breast milk, I didn't need anything.
When I got home I had a late lunch then spent the evening trying to get Jakob down for another nap. He got very fussy but in the end he slept a little and after supper I managed to work on my JCA project for a bit. I don't think I'm giving too much away if I say that it is socks, and I am 3/4 of the way finished the first one.
Now I'm going to rest for a bit because I think Jakob will be waking up soon to eat. I usually put him down between 10:00 and 11:00 for the night, but tonight he last ate at 9:00 but didn't fall asleep until almost 10:00. I don't think he'll sleep straight through the night after eating only at 9:00 so I'm probably in for another feed before I can get to sleep. I think I'll catch up on my "What To Expect...The First Year" book. Or maybe the last Harry Potter.
I can't believe I'm a week behind on posts again. Let's see if I can sum up (it's going to be a long post so I'll try not to be too wordy):
Last Wed (Aug 1st) my mom came over and we took Jakob over to my aunt's pool for his first swimming lesson. He was mostly asleep when I brought him into the water, and since the pool is heated there wasn't much of a difference between the temperature of the water and of the air, so I'm not quite sure at what point he realized something was different.
You're not allowed to put sunscreen on babies under 6 months old, so to protect him from the sun I had him in a tshirt and hat, plus I brought him in after the sun had started to go down.
Right before we got out of the pool I decided to dunk him. I'm so proud- he cried for a split second when I tilted him forwards to put his face in the water but not at all when I dunked him completely under. I think he was in too much shock. :) My mom captured the whole day on video so Yannick was able to watch it later and see what he missed. He clearly wasn't traumatized, as the moment he was bundled and warm he began "talking" and smiling at my aunt and cousins.
Thurs (Aug 2) I brought Jakob to the CLSC to be weighed. My big boy now weighs 12 lbs, 3.5 oz. We didn't stay to hang out this time, instead I brought him to my mom's so she could watch him while I went to Spa Lyne Giroux to have a polish change done on my finger and toe nails. I have to say I wasn't too happy with the job that was done. I had my eyebrows waxed too while I was there. I have fair eyebrows and I only need to get them done about twice a year, but I always wonder why I don't go more often. I find that a nice shaped eyebrow really brightens up my face and almost makes me look like I have makeup on. It's a wierd thing to say, I know, but it makes me feel more "done" somehow. I did all the pampering because we had a wedding on Saturday and my polish was all chipped. I figured it would be cheaper to have a polish change done than a full manicure but it was expensive there. I wouldn't go back there for that, I heard there's a better place on Pierrefonds blvd so I'll try them next time.
Thursday night we had supper at my mom's then came home to work on unpacking some of my clothes while Yannick went to bring a cot to my grandmother's so my aunt (coming in from TO) would have somewhere to sleep, since we took their old bedroom set for our new house.
Fri (Aug 3) I...shoot, I can't remember what I did during the day, so I'm going to guess that Jakob and I slept in until noon then hung out until supper time, when Julie and Rich came over for supper. Yannick and Rich went to pick up some food from New Kam Shing and it was so good! Cashew chicken, crispy noodles, General Tao chicken and some tempura veggies...yum!
Sat (Aug 4) We left in the morning and drove up north to Yannick's parents' house. It was crazy- we had assumed that since NASCAR was in town there would be no one driving OUT of town but the traffic was terrible! Plus there was construction so for the first time ever it took over 2 hours for us to get there. It's too bad we had the wedding that day because we were offered NASCAR tickets. That would have been fun- Jakob's first racing event! We got to his parents' house with just enough time to feed Jakob, change and leave for the wedding, which was taking place up at Mont Tremblant. The wedding was at a little chapel at the base of the hill, right in the resort, and the reception was at a nearby lodge. I videotaped the whole wedding as a favor for the bride and groom, then we left to go back to Yannick's parents' so I could feed Jakob. He was sleeping but I couldn't go all night the way I was so I pumped and then we left for the reception. We had a really good time but left by around 11:00- I was full and sore and Yannick was tired, plus we had to be up early with Jakob. I pumped again when we got home and Jakob didn't wake to feed until 5am which was nice.
Sun (Aug 5) We had a lazy day. Jakob took long naps in his car seat outside (gotta love northern fresh air!) so I relaxed in a chair near him and worked on the knitting for JCA. I was zooming along but hit a snag in the pattern so I had to wait until I got back to send an email and get some help. That night Yannick's sister came up with her hubby and kids and we had a birthday supper for them (Brigitte's bday was earlier in the week and Matthieu's is next week, the same day as my sister Laura). After supper we took off and came home.
Mon (Aug 6) I called my doctor first thing in the morning to get an appointment. Last week Yannick had been a bit sick and he gave it to me, and I'd spent over 6 days with a very sore through and very dry, hacking cough. The nights were the worst, my coughing would even wake Jakob up. I knew it was just a virus but the pharmacist said there was nothing I could take and I wanted to see what my doctor said. I had to bring Jakob with me 'cus my mom was busy but we went to her house after and visited for a bit. Later I went to the park with my friend Maaike and her daughter. Didn't get any knitting done, but it was great to get out and talk to an adult! Plus her daughter is adorable! That night I had a late dinner with Yannick and watched the finale (part 1) of Hell's Kitchen.
Yesterday- I couldn't believe it- Jakob slept for 8hrs 15 minutes Monday night! The longest ever! I took him to my uncle's store to get some computer stuff, then we went to my LYS and to the post office. I finally finished every thank-you card that was outstanding...from my wedding to the bris to gifts people come by and drop off, everything is done and sent! What a load off my mind! When we got home my aunt Mimi (from TO) came over with a girl she is fostering (sp?) and then they brought Jakob and I over to my mom's so she could watch Jakob for the night. Yannick picked me up from there and we went to see Harry Potter #5 together. It was a great movie, and nice to get out, but I really miss Jakob every minute we're apart. I couldn't wait to get back and pick him up. When we got home I fed him, put him to bed, then worked on unpacking more clothes. It is taking me a long time because I'm going through everything and giving away a lot of stuff. Moving is fun- it's giving me a chance to purge.
Today- I can't believe it...Jakob slept for 8 hrs 30 min last night! Then after feeding he took a 2 hr nap, then stayed in his crib, awake and playing for almost an hour. I feel so rested! I'm hoping he stays good today...my mom and I are taking him to go see Hairspray with my cousin Robyn, Amy and my aunt.
Later I'm hoping to unpack more and get some knitting done too since I have a deadline!
This morning I took Jakob for a walk in his stroller. It was really hot out and the sun was very strong, so I got to play the "I Get to Embarass You While You're Young" mommy card and have Jakob in his safari hat and sunglasses. I was going to walk him over to a nearby government building to sign him up for a Social Insurance Number card, but we stopped at 
for Jakob but want to see if he might prefer the sling instead. It was so hot out that I gave up on the rest of our walk and came home to relish in our air conditioning. I am SO not a summer person! Give me a cool, breezy, rainy Fall any day! 
After Jakob's first afternoon nap he woke up in such a good mood I decided to try working on his sitting. He's not tall enough to see over the bars but he was able to lean quite well without slumping over. He is really good at leaning backwards to sit against something so I thought I'd give this a try. It's probably not a skill he needs but I thought it would make a cute photo. I love the little feet sticking through the bars! 
I had a great time too, Maaike's friend Julie is really nice and one of her children is close to Jakob's age so I was able to get some advice. Right as I was about to pull out my knitting, Maaike mentioned the time and I realized that I'd better get home before Debbie got here!
Fri (Aug 3) I...shoot, I can't remember what I did during the day, so I'm going to guess that Jakob and I slept in until noon then hung out until supper time, when Julie and Rich came over for supper. Yannick and Rich went to pick up some food from New Kam Shing and it was so good! Cashew chicken, crispy noodles, General Tao chicken and some tempura veggies...yum!
