Happy Holidays!

Our first holiday with our little pumpkin. Such a fun time . . .and busy time. This Christmas is definitely going to be a blast . . .and a challenge at the same time . . . how do I get all those gifts done with some one tugging at my ankles?




Working on a lot of sewn Christmas gifts this year. . .I learned to put in a zipper a few weeks ago and now I am on a sewing bag fetish. Especially since it uses up a lot of my scraps from Brooke's crib bedding.

Sorry for the bad iPhone photo. A quick little change purse that I whipped up. . .takes just an hour. Great since my daughter is not a napper. . .you get a hour once a day if you are lucky. . .but hey. .at least she sleeps through the night!

This weekend we get the tree and I am not quite sure how this is going to go with a little carpet creeper around. .especially after I wrapped lights around her for a Christmas photo. . .I could regret that move . . .even if it is too cute for words.

Look what I found in the pumpkin patch

. .Only the sweetest little pumpkin ever! What a beautiful fall day! I just love this time of year in Vermont. Our little pumpkin is getting big. . which means for now I am getting a little more free time to myself than I have in months. We now multi-task together. . I unload the dishwasher and she holds her bottle! Hooray!

Of course we had to squeeze time in to make her a pumpkin hat. . .every baby has to have a pumpkin hat. Made with orange Sublime merino dk and a little Dream in Colors classy for the stem which I had left over from another project.

Can't say that motherhood is easy but I can say that it definitely has its perks . . and today was one of those days!

Monday morning smile :)

So little time. . .so little

Back to work at the office on July 1st. . .which is like heaven!!! I really do love my daughter but I can't spend all day with her . . .every day. . I need adult conversation. . .project accomplishment (sorry changing a diaper just don't cut it for me). I am a much better part-time mom than a full-time one (not afraid to admit that). Hats off to those who do it full-time. . that's amazing but no way possible for me. She's in a great daycare (a good friend of mine) and its perfect for her and me so everyone is happy. . .well except for this past week. . it was hot and no one was happy. . this little girl takes after mommy and does not like the heat at all! Cranky butt!

So its back to work, back to studying (CPA exam), going to the gym, and on top of that . . bookkeeping for the yarn shop, taking care of Brooke, the house. . .oh and way down a the very bottom of that list is fun time . . .most of the time I don't even make it there. . but I keep telling myself I will get there. Just thankful that I have a husband that helps or I would never get there. . .I wouldn't get half way through that list!

Well I did finish another project I started prior to her arrival a few weeks ago. . this little ballerina number is from a sublime book and out of their baby cashmerino. . . very cute. . and yes I should have ironed it again before I took this photo but hey. . I have like minutes sometimes before she screams for me to be at her beckon call. . .ya that is right. . that is what she thinks sometimes and occasionally the two of us go head to head.. .you see I am very stubborn too!

Started this project the night before I went to the hospital to have my blood pressure checked and they wouldn't let me go home without a baby in hand. Spent the night and most of the day the next morning before the induced me working on it. . .all the nurses and doctors were loving it. . and some of them were even knitters!. . .it was good to know I had some knitters on my medical team. I finished it a few weeks after she was born but haven't had time to take photos or post it. Sheep - from the Never Not Knitting blog. Great pattern! When she is a little older I want to make her the stripes cardigan out of Debbie bliss from the same site.

Now all I need is to order the sheep buttons and take some photos this fall. . .I am thinking this will be her apple picking sweater.

And now that she is getting older she is a little more cooperating. Brookie helping mommy on the 4th of July with her yarn while we wait for the fireworks to start. She's a pretty good helper but hasn't graduated to having needles just yet. She does like to watch the needles move and hold the yarn. . .a future knitter for sure :)

And finally a finished project this month! Although not for me or Brooke it is nice to finally finish something. Sam from the Wee Knits 2 Mission Falls book - a gift for my friend Jess who is having her second baby next month.

Happy Anniversary!

Happy 7th Anniversary. . .wow has time gone by fast. . a new puppy, a house, and now a baby. . .it just keeps getting better :) Thanks for 7 great years and many more to come.

Mommy finished my quilt & I had visitors!

Rita and Cadence came to visit yesterday . . .Cadence got to feed Brooke and hold her. . .Rita had to beg Cadence to share her. . .she just loved her to pieces!

Shoes from Great Grandma Teddy. Aren't they cute!

Finally finished Brooke's quilt. . .just had the binding to finish . . .came out ok for a first quilt. . .but there are some bumps in the sewing and its far from perfect that is for sure. But its a learning process. . .she loves it though . . .so that is all that matters. So glad I went with the minkie!

Back to Work

Brooke's Monkey Face :)

Well it was back to work this week. . .well half the week and I am working from home until July 1st and then its back to the office and Brooke to Trena's during the day.




Can't say I don't miss work. . .because its who I am but I will miss her too. Its a very struggling feeling. ..work has always been my first baby and now I have a second baby. . . crazy it is.
Brooke at six weeks in the outfit that daddy picked out just for her right before she was born. A little big but it won't be long before it doesn't fit anymore. . . .we are already out of a number of outfits and into some 3 to 6 months but it depends on brand. ..just like adult clothing. .one store you wear one size and another a different size. . .thats why I love the Banana Republic and not Old Navy. . . .wear 6 vs a 10 . . .hmmmmm big difference!

First Photo shoot

Trena came over yesterday and a took our first "professional" photo shoot. Its nice to have someone with talent and a great camera as a friend to take photos of you so you can actually be in the photos. Plus I am still learning how to work all the bells and whistles of my camera and its great to have someone show you that knows what they are doing.

Thanks Trena! Can't wait to see the others.

Brooke's Arrival . . .8 lbs 3 oz . . 20 1/2 inches of pure sweetness

ya be back later . . . can't resist snuggling with a face like that! Could you?

6 more weeks!

Only 6 more weeks. . .more or less. . never can tell. Tell that to my swollen feet! Love this dress its so cute! Made from Rowan 4ply soft (3.5 skeins). Changed from a ribbon tie to a button tie and just crocheted a loop in the back for a closure. I just couldn't find ribbon to match and I don't have time for shopping outside of Rutland right now. . .Rutland just have horrible shopping for the most part. We have a fabulous yarn shop but that is it!

I have a pink simple debbie bliss sweater almost finished and a sublime sweater I just started. Oh ya and I still have the quilt to finish and bibs and toys . . .good thing tax season is almost over. . .getting down to the wire!

Step 2 & 3

Steps 2 & 3 now complete. . .hooray! Big stress off my plate. But I had to call in for reinforcements. . .I was in waaaaaay over my head. Thankfully Julie was there to save the day and put most of this together for me. Directions are written assuming you know a lot of sewing knowledge and cutting the large pieces . . .that would have put me right over the edge. . especially with my back bothering me. Its extremely frustrating to try to cut fabric when your back hurts and you move the fabric with your belly every time you lean over the table! So annoying!

Thankfully I waved my little white flag and Julie stepped up to the plate. There is no way I would have got all this done by myself in the middle of tax season. . .just no way! I sent her home with the crib skirt and I am working on the quilt. And I can finish my bibs! Just like me. . .buy 40 projects in advance! Could be worse habits though!

Step 1 . . .Complete!

The pillow - Amy Butler fabric and Amy Butler pattern.

Took me just a few hours. . .I am a slow at this still but at least taking my time pays off. Step 2 is the fitted sheet. Julie will be here next weekend to hold my hand through that one. I am going to try and get the pieces all cut out and pinned by Saturday.

I am very happy with the fabric and the colors. . .everything is finally starting to come together! Hooray!

Making progress. . .

Brooke's room started out slow but it is coming along and looks so happy and bright!

from a flowered Grandma print to . . . .

happy green! This color matches perfectly with the Amy Butler fabric I picked out for her bedding.

All of the furniture is in. . .just need to make the bedding, finish decorating and we are good to go. . .I have about 9 weeks give or take a few. . .but only 4 weeks left of tax season and then I can really get things done!

little baby . . .BIG LOVE!

I wish I could say this photo idea was my own but I took it off from the sixoneseven website. I just loved the idea and I wanted to use this photo in my shower invites.

Yes I am extremely involved in the planning of my own baby shower. . .hey. . you can't let a stamper not design their own invites. . .and its tax season. . good luck trying to get me to some place without telling me. Plus I really wanted a Jack and Jill shower so that Joel was involved. Its about us and not just me.

See what can happen kids when you swallow those watermelon seeds! Just kidding baby Brooke is growing along nicely. . .moving a lot! But I have found that baby Mozart calms her and puts her to sleep. . .keeping notes for later:)

And of course Barley can't wait to meet her new play buddy. I think she knows!

Time for the girl stuff!

Now that we found out we are having a girl. . .its time to break out those girl projects - woohoo!

I love girl stuff. . its so much better than boy stuff. This is the tulip sweater purchased as a kit from Green Mountain Fibers. I changed the tie edging for the front to one with buttons and then added these danforth pewter buttons. . .love them!

I only have one day off a week now until April 15th . . so off to start a new project. ttfn

Progress!

Progress is coming . . .slowly but its coming! I finally got the top to my first baby quilt done yesterday. No pattern . . just made it up. Now I am patiently waiting for my walking foot attachment to arrive so I can quilt this with some lilac minkie.

My pregnancy in also moving along smoothly. . .no problems (besides the normal aches and pains and some sleepless nights). . .just the depressing loss of my belly button which is almost nonexistent at this point. I don't know why this disturbs me so much. . it comes back. I can't help it . . I feel like a thanksgiving turkey. Luckily I am maintaining the ideal weight so far. . .I watch it pretty closely. Lots of fruit and veggies. ..this kid can't get enough fruit! I had an Odwalla juice yesterday and I think I could have licked the bottle! Some more of those will be on my shopping list this afternoon.

Nursery demolition has begun. . .all the wallpaper is down and now Joel is repairing some walls (pleasure of an old house). . .three layers of wallpaper and some patch jobs that can haunt you it you are painting rather than wallpapering.

I am going with an Amy Bulter theme making all of her bedding (huge project) which I can hopefully start this weekend. I always bite off more than I can chew. . go and go big. It wouldn't be me if I didn't push my limits. The room will be a green to match the fabric with pink and chocolate brown. I am also putting up a stampin' up wall deco tree behind her crib with some words of wisdom . . .not sure what those words are just yet. . .but they will come to me.