The post where I declare what a naughty mom I will be

In this post I admit my short comings as motherhood approaches.

• My house will not be as clean as I like, not even close to how clean the house I grew up in was.
• Meals will be pre-fab more often then they should be.
• I won't be as active with my kids as I should be, i.e. 30 minutes a day (I don't have that kind of energy without kids, don't think that's going to improve).
• I likely won't breast feed for very long, if at all, which is why I'm not putting any of the related baby shower items on my list.
• My kid will likely be spoiled rotten with things, maybe we'll stop that by the time the child is old enough to understand they can't have everything they want (Drake isn't as spoiled as he used to be).

Things I will be doing

• Reading regularly with baby/child
• Hugging a lot and telling them I love them all the time
• Spending time with my child at home doing crafts or playing board games
• Helping with homework

More Kicking

This morning I woke up at 5am and couldn't get back to sleep. The baby was moving a lot so I thought I'd see if I could feel it from the outside, and I could. I tried to wake up hubs, but he was too tired and I didn't want to wake him up too early just in case the baby stopped moving or it wasn't as obvious to him. By 6am when he woke up the baby wasn't moving as much, so he didn't get to feel it. I'm hoping this weekend though he'll get an opportunity to feel the baby move for the first time.

Belly Rubs

Today I had my first belly rub request, which I granted since I know the person and my belly button hasn't gotten sore yet, and still exists, but is getting smaller, in fact the scar from the peircing and the gall bladder removal is no longer inside my belly button. Makes me think this is what my tummy must have looked like when I had the gall bladder surgery since they fill your stomach up with gas in order to do it.

Mostly this pregnancy has been really easy, although there are a few things to get used to. For example, half my favourite sleeping positions are no longer an option some nights. Having to go to the ladies room more often and before I sneeze. Climbing stairs makes me winded and tired and want to cry at the thought of having forgotten something up there that I need before I head out the door. Bending over to put my feet through the legs of clothing is becoming difficult and will get more diffcult. I threatened hubby that he might have to start dressing me for bed at night by the end of the pregnancy (seems easier to do in the morning). Going to bed early because I'm so tired sometimes means not being able to get back to sleep after a potty break. All of these things though are just minor inconveniences though, so I have no complaints when people ask me if the pregnancy is going well, just hubby sees me struggling at times by the end of the work day to keep going for a couple more hours so I'm not falling into bed at 5pm before even eating dinner.

Writing of dinner, I'm thinking to adjust my diet, which is pretty much what it was prior to pregnancy so that I'm eating more fruits and vegetables, and fewer simple carbs. I'm hoping it will give me more energy as I know I tire easily on a high carb diet. I'm also hoping it will keep my weight gain slow and steady for the remainder of the pregnancy (so far so good). I'm craving more fruits anyway, so it shouldn't be too hard to do.

10 selfish things I'd do if I won 50 million

In response to Julie's post last week, I'll post this week about what I would do if I won 50 million.

1. I would travel looking for a city where I might like to spend most of my time (home base).
2. I would build an ecologically friendly home - or at least one that is "off the grid".
3. An infinity pool and a hot tub
4. Get a maid
5. Regular esthetician appointments in home
6. Remove all the birthmarks/moles on my body
7. Laser hair removal
8. Dye my hair blonde
9. Hair weave when I decide on a preferred colour

Other not so selfish things I would do:

1. I would give my brother and hubby's sister enough money to pay their mortgages and then retire so that they could at least live the same standard of living that they would should they have to work for the next 25 years.
2. I might open a sustainability related business, lately I've been thinking about home furnishings in recycled or sustainable matrials.
3. Alternately I would consider donating funds to something that is close to resolving some issue of humanity.

22 weeks

Well baby is kicking a lot now, I was concerned when I hadn't felt anything for 3 weeks. It still only feels like butterflies or air bubbles. It's all the time too, not just certain times of the day. Well only 15 weeks and 1 day left until my vacation then maternity leave!

On the knitting side I messed up on the blanket and have to start over. I need to learn how to rip out stitches and pick them back up on the needle as well as how to pick up dropped stitches. The bootie on the other hand is slowly progressing.

Lastly I have to figure out how I'm going to invest some inheritance money, so I suppose I should start doing some research.

Day 2 and 3 on the project endeavour

Well, I tried 4 or 5 more times on Sunday to knit 6 rows, and still ended up with 0. It doesn't [ay to knit when tired, frustrated and pregnant.

Monday went better, I ended up with 8 rows completed (although I probably knit close to 20 and had to keep pulling them out because I kept adding a stitch).

Today I completed the 4 rows to make 12 on the first half of the bootie cuff, and then did another 4 on the other half of the cuff (although this one took me three tries to get to 4 rows, pulled out 2 rows twice due to extra or dropped stitches).

Tomorrow I endeavour to complete the last 8 rows on this second half of the cuff. I find knitting two rows at a time and then taking a break for an hour means fewer mistakes.

Knitting Day 1

So I'm making a pair of booties for the baby (actually it might be 3 booties, since the first bootie is likely to be practice.

This morning I cast on the 18 stitches and knit 2 rows, at which point I counted and realized I had dropped a stitch, so I pulled it out.

Then I cast 18 new stitches, knit four rows, all good. So I went to unpack some boxes (my hands get a little tired and I don't want to get tired and make a mistake.

Outside later this afternoon I knit 2 more rows, counted my stitches and had 1 extra stitch, so I pulled it all out again. I came back inside, cast 18 more stitches, knit 2 rows all good, so I took a little break. I took the empty boxes from unpacking my books to the garage and the recycling, bicycle pump and a couple of wire shelves. When I came back inside Drake (the dog) had stolen the ball of yarn (to which my 2 rows was attached) and dragged it and the needle up to the master bedroom from the living room. He was told he was very naughty and had to have a timeout in the corner for a while (about 5 to 10 minutes). I then pulled out the stitches again. At this point I calculated how many rows I have to stitch per day to reach the point I want to reach for my class on Thursday night. The instructions for the booties contain 2 items for which I cannot visualize and there are no instructions in the book. I need to do 6 rows a day (including today).

Grand count thus far...... zero.

I did get a nice little sunburn around my neck yesterday at the beach though.

A new craft

So I've decided I'm going to try my hand at a new craft. It's one I've tried before but become bored with doing learners crafts. I've decided to try to knit a pair of baby booties. I know, not exactly a learners first attempt.

The way I figure it, it's small, so there's not a lot of outlay for wool. There's enough difference in what you're doing than just knitting row after row of one colour for a scarf (the projects I've previously tried). I have 4 months before the baby is born and the bootie size is 3 to 6 months, so I have until next spring to make them. I'm also going to take a beginners class where you bring your own project and materials and they help you out with it.

Today I plan to go buy the wool and needles.