While there are tons of pregnancy / post partum guides out there, I’m not ashamed to add one more. These are thoughts and things that were useful to me and maybe they’ll be so for you or someone you know.

Books I recommend:

I read a little bit from a bunch of baby books but these are the ones that stick out to me the most.

Nursing Mother’s Companion. Great reference book if you’re planning on breast feeding. I’d like to also add that seeing a lactation consultant as soon as possible after birth will really help you. Make it your top priority. Breast feeding is natural but it’s rarely easy.

Brain Rules for Baby. Fun book on baby development. It’s approachable and easy to read. I enjoyed learning about the different ways babies grow and my part in Wyeth’s development.

Dr Sears Baby Book. Good reference for handling the baby. He is a proponent of Attachment Parenting, but even if that’s not your thing, I still suggest looking through it.

Happiest Baby on the Block. Swaddle that baby and you’ll have the happiest baby around. For reals.

Things I really do use for me:

Majamas organic cotton nursing bra. Great coverage and very comfortable. I tried one of the Lamaze sleep bras but it didn’t have as good a coverage. Granted I did go up a few cup sizes.

Reusable cotton pads. These shrunk a good bit. It doesn’t really matter what brand you get, you’re just gonna need a bunch of these.

Wool pads. Spendy so I only got one pair. The other thing about these pads is that you have to use lanolin soap and let them air dry. But I love them. They’re like cozy boob blankets.

Lanolin for the nips. You might need something to soothe yourself and this stuff is great. As are gel pads. Both are awesome but use them separately.

Panties. You’ll need something to hold back the swaying emptiness threatening to leave your body to become its own country. You could shell out the money for a bellyband or you could just buy high waisted granny panties. It’s also a good idea to have high waisted undies in case you end up with a C-section. Those cute boyshorts aren’t gonna work with that incision.

Nursing bras with support. I waited a few weeks until I felt like my body had kind of plateaued and was fitted at a specialty shop. There’s no flippin’ way I would’ve even tried the size they gave me (really, that far down the alphabet?). I tried a nursing bra from Target and pretty much wanted to burn it. Getting fitted was the best thing I’ve done for myself so far. No more walking around like Ma from The Egg and I.

Things I really do use for the baby:

Cotton diapers as all purpose cloths. Absorbent, soft, awesome. I use them for so many things and I like them much more than the flannel bib cloths I made.

Wipes warmer. Whatever brand. This may seem frivolous and it kind of is but seriously, imagine someone was wiping your butt. Would you rather have a cold towelette or a warm cloth touching your privates?

Swaddle blankets. I have a few of these soft gauze ones and the baby loves them (you can find four packs at Target for cheaper than these). Sometimes I’ll layer them for extra warmth if I think he needs it. Just make sure the blankets are about a yard square otherwise you’ll only be able to swaddle a cucumber. If your baby is a cucumber then go for the small ones. And maybe think about how you ended up with a cucumber instead of a baby.

Diaper rash cream. This one is great for rashes caused by too much moisture.

Lambskin. Ok again not essential but something I like. I use this for tummy time so he can grab the fibers and has softness around his face. It also looks great draped across a chair so you could easily justify this purchase as “for the baby” even if it’s not.

Nursing chair. Choose something really comfortable. You don’t have to buy a rocker/glider. The most important thing is comfort. You’ll be spending HOURS and HOURS in that spot. Make it yours. I ended up in spasms using my old rocker and switched it out with a club chair I had in another room. It made a huge difference.

As for bottles, there’s no regulation on slow flow nipples, so I ended up trying a few to find the one that works the best for Wyeth. Every baby is different. He didn’t like the cool Yoomi bottle or the fancy Medela suction bottle. Instead he ended up with the simple Medela slow flow bottle. You just never know until you try.

Like I said before, these are things that have worked for me. They might not be up your alley at all, but that’s cool. There are about a hundred million ways to take care of yourself and your baby! I found filtering through all the baby books that picking and choosing ideas worked best for me, rather than subscribing wholly to one philosophy. A friend said to remember that “you’re the best mom for your baby.” Nobody else is.

Wyeth and I are starting to venture out into the world. This week we made it out to the Laurelhurst Park with my friend Charlotte for a picnic in the moving shade. I brought along one of the little quilts I made for Wyeth. It’s the best size for a baby picnic blanket. He and I have run a couple of errands together and been out to lunch twice. Learning how to go out with a baby has been slow due to my healing body (I had a Caesarian) and breastfeeding logistics. I figured the best way is to just have a bottle in the diaper bag until I get breastfeeding sorted out. It may be natural but it’s not always easy! I could write a really long post on why it’s been so hard for me but I’m not because who needs to read another dramatic breastfeeding story on the internet?

In other news, the weather has been really lovely and it’s berry picking time on Sauvie Island. I haven’t made it out there yet but I can’t wait to do so. Sauvie Island Farms has the best flower garden in the summer. You can bring a bucket and fill it with as many flowers as you can pick for less than twenty dollars! You know I did that a couple of times last year. This year I’ll be toting that baby and teaching him the ways of berry picking and flower cutting. He’s pretty smart; I think he’ll have it down by next summer.

Wyeth turned a month last week. It’s surprising how fast time goes by when you’re awake for most of the hours in a day. This little guy is growing so fast, his changes are visible to me every day. He’s getting chunkier and rolypoly squishable. His hair is growing in a lighter color than the dark brown he was born with. He’s been a laid back baby who loves to snuggle and stare with his intense blue eyes. I think he can see, or at least focus, more than he could last week. We make faces at each other. And I bet he’s wondering, what is this place? Why are there so many flowers?

Wyeth Auden Clark was born two weeks ago. He was born a chunky fellow with a long body and head covered in dark brown hair. He quickly won over our hearts with his easy going manner and absolute cuteness. He has a sweet temperament and so many different faces to express his feelings.

We’re so happy you’re here on the outside, little baby!

I’d like to thank you all for your sweet comments over the past few months about the nursery, pregnancy, the crafts I’ve made, for just taking a minute to say hi. I never know if people come back to see if I respond to comments, and I haven’t been responding lately despite thinking about it. Unsurprisingly, thinking is not the same as doing. Know that I read your comments and really appreciate them :)

My energy has plummeted in the past couple of weeks both physically and mentally. Thankfully I’m able to stay home and be a vegetable. And truly one of those vegetables that just sits there looking like a boring vegetable. So maybe a sweet potato because they’re bigger in the middle. As several people keep reminding me, the baby could come at any time. I am acutely aware of this! So with my little bits of energy I’ve been freezing some meals and making simple Montessori-inspired mobiles and rewatching Pushing Daisies. Crazy wild times!

This is my last post before the baby comes. I’ll still be posting photos to Instagram pretty regularly. I like the instant gratification of Instagram and it’s really easy to take pictures lying down.

Soon I hope to share the news of the baby’s arrival and his name, which has been a great mystery to the family (we haven’t told anyone).

All for now, friends.

Here are a couple of before shots of the nursery. I painted this room bright robin’s egg blue when I moved in because I was starved for color on the walls after living in a white wall apartment for four years. White walls just aren’t my thing, even though I think they are really lovely in other people’s homes. I loved the color at first but it was just so dang bright. For awhile this room served as a home office, then as a closet which was pretty brilliant. Then came baby and its true purpose became apparent. And that color had to go. Chris and I ended up painting the walls a really warm and light grey (Owl Grey by Benjamin Moore). I took these pictures after I decided to use that kilim rug (stolen from another room).

I originally started with the idea of building around the theme “18th century naturalist explorer.” You can kind of see how this is translated with the kilim rug, batik map on the wall, vintage touches here and there. Now that the room is about as ready as it can be, that baby can come on and move in! Just a couple more weeks left.

I made both the curtains and the crib bumper. Other than those two, red wasn’t intentionally added to the room but it really kept popping up. I’ve played around with toy placement and trying to find a place for everything. While the baby was given some great toys, I have them in baskets to keep the room from feeling too cluttered.

It might be hard to get a sense of the size of the room from these photos. It’s small, about 7×9, the size of a large rug! I tried to find ways to add storage and provide a space for everything. The dresser was the only piece of furniture I purchased new (Ikea) because I spent at least 6 months looking for the perfect antique dresser and finally gave up. I’m so glad I went with this one because it’s very sturdy, the ideal height for a changing table, plus the drawers glide easily and quietly.

If you want to know any specifics, I’ll gladly answer them in the comments!

My 80+ year old home has a good bit of character. Some of this is evidenced in the cute built-ins or the narrow, winding, death-defying staircase to the second floor. Another is the very small room we call a nursery. It’s pretty much perfect for a baby or small child because an adult would go nuts in such a small space. I’ll soon do a post on my before & after of the room (which is so finished!). Because the nursery is so small I can’t fit a rocker in it, and instead have the rocker set up on the landing outside my room and the nursery.

After a long and unfruitful search for an antique dresser for the nursery and a side table for the rocker, I ended up using this rinkydink bookcase that was hiding in shame in the attic. While it’s pretty much falling apart (the back broke off, the nubs for holding the 2nd shelf disappeared) it doesn’t have any major chunks missing and it stands upright which is as basic as it gets. And it’s only about 85% hideous. I’m making do.

My goal was to make the nursing area as comfortable as I could. I’d totally love to have a wonderfully squishy glider which seems like the epitome of nursing comfort, but this rocker with a few pillows and blankets will do (and if it doesn’t, there are plenty of hideous, comfortable and used gliders on Craigslist for cheap). When my mom visited we went antiquing and found an awesome leather pouf in a dreamy warm color. I filled it with fabric scraps so it’s very heavy and not going anywhere fast. I just need to remember that’s also where I stored my leftover batting.

I ended up rearranging my pictures on the wall to accomodate for the uglier than hell bookcase. Oh man, I have so many pretty pictures I’d love to hang but they’re irregular size, need mats and frames and that just hasn’t happened yet.

So to what I think is the best part of my nursing station: the nursing basket. Post-baby is a huge transition for for everyone, especially the mama (ME!). I put together some things I might need to reach for while nursing: unscented chapstick, unscented lotion, homemade nipple cream (equal parts shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil), washcloth, hairbands/hairpins, and a small chocolate bar (and I’ll have healthy snacks too but I’ll have them out when the time comes). I wanted to make it a special little basket for ME stuff. I’ll also have my mini ipad and phone, etc., nearby but as far as healing goes, these few things seemed like a good idea.

For the majority of my pregnancy I’ve been focused on The Baby, The Nursery, The BIRTHING. It wasn’t until after reading this helpful blog post and the accompanying terrifying comments that I started thinking more about what was going to happen to my precious body after the baby arrived.

This is a nice little article talking about the care other cultures give to women after they give birth. What is wrong with us, America? Daily massages, somebody to do the laundry and dishes, geez Louise! Heaven. This lead to me researching some things I could do to take care of myself, to make my own care package post-birth. Chris and I live far away from family and have chosen to spend the first few weeks without family visiting. He is a natural helper and I know that he’s going to be so good to have around (thank you, paternity leave!).

These are the things that I either made or purchased for post-baby care. I purchased the herbs locally at Stone Cottage. Mother’s Milk Tea to increase milk flow, Herbal Bath/Rinse, Nipple Cream, Padscicles (large maxi pads sprayed with witch hazel and frozen), Witch Hazel Perineum Spray.

Many of the things I included are for that particular part of anatomy which will forever be changed. I like saying “when the baby arrives” like he is just going to show up on the doorstep with a little suitcase. If only. I know, I know, labor can be beautiful, blah blah blah BUT IT IS PAINFUL and there can be TEARING and STITCHES in the delicates all because a PERSON is coming OUT of a small space never before used as a baby chute.

Cue freakout yelp!

It’s okay. I’m actually a lot calmer about this in person…

I didn’t do as much sewing because sewing tiny clothes didn’t feel as rewarding to me. I really enjoyed making the toys the best. There’s something wonderful about working with wool felt. I could, and have, crafted with it for hours on end.

Not pictured sewing projects include the crib bumper and nursery curtains. You’ll see those when I give you a nursery tour!

Clothes

Striped harem pants: I traced a pair of leggings and adjusted the pattern to gather at the waist as well as have a dropped crotch. That sounds wrong. Anyway it was pretty fast to make and if they fit the baby I will make some more with my leftover knit fabrics.

Tiny Hats: I serged up these little newborn hats with fabric from old t-shirts and remnants. They took about 10 minutes each, which made for a fun and fast project. I used this easy pattern.

Shoes

Colorful kicks: Two pairs of sweet baby shoes with wool felt, covered buttons and leather loops. I have doubts about their usefulness but they sure are cute.

Quilts & Blankets:

Quilts: These two quilts were pretty quick to make. I say that because I already had a half-finished twin quilt top. I simply cut it in half and then made two quilts out of it by adding the extra fabric on the sides. These are about 45″ square and finished with red & white twine knots instead of being quilted.

Wool Blanket: Don’t hate me but this Pendelton blanket only cost me $11. I found this amazingly thick blanketing fabric in the remnant bin at Pendelton, the perfect size for a baby blanket. The binding is also from Pendleton. All I did was sew the binding (while cursing loudly about how much I hate hate hate sewing bias binding. I also cursed quite a bit while sewing the binding to the quilts).

Baby Bibs:

Kerchief Bibs: I made these out of cotton shirting and flannel fabrics with vintage snaps.

Vintage Style Bibs: I used the pretty embroidered ends I’d saved from vintage pillowcases and added them to these flannel bibs. The embroidered cat bib I made myself, complete with slightly creepy button eyes.

Shirting Bibs: These bibs were made with leftover shirting from shirts I made for Chris and backed with either cotton flannel or terry cloth.

Burp Cloths:

Large burp cloths: These were a cinch to make and I used all scrap fabric I had and backed each with 100% cotton flannel.

Toys

Liberty Grasping Ball: I used this tutorial and scraps of leftover Liberty of London fabric to make this pretty ball. I wasn’t sure at first about the fabric combination because I’d wanted to do two solids but nothing in my stash called out to me. I’d like to make another one with solids but we’ll see when that happens!

Mikkel J. Fox: Foxiest fox around. I created the patterns for the fox & hedgehog but this one is my favorite because it could easily be altered to be a bear or bunny or cat, etc.

Hefe the Hedgehog: He came out a little different than I’d hoped, especially since I forgot the ears! But he’s still pretty cute.

I’ve been keeping track of my knitting projects on ravelry, and maybe not as much here. So I thought I’d share with you all the things I’ve knit for the baby. After I finished my last knitting project in January, I thought I really needed to make a blanket but I’m really glad I didn’t. I just lost steam and this last trimester has really zapped both my energy and ability to focus. And you know, I really think I’ve knit enough for the time being as evidenced by all these (mini! baby! sweet!) projects:

Sweaters

Red and Beige Owl Sweaters: Granted, I knit both of these before I was pregnant but hey, it was just a few months before so it still counts.

Blue & Grey Striped Sweater: My favorite little sweater! It has those cute pockets and the yarn (Cascade 220 superwash sport) is so so soft.

Grey Garter Rib Sweater: Arch-nemesis of sweaters! It took me a long time to finish this due to my hand hurting. The yarn was thin and when I work with thinner yarn/needles these days it takes me a lot longer.

Hooded Green Sweater Coat: Double breasted with a hood? Awesome. Knit with bulky yarn and big needles? Super awesome.

Navy Pullover: I added leather patches to the sleeves. This sweater is pretty small and might only be worn once if only so I can get a picture of a tiny baby wearing an elbow patch sweater!

Pants

Tiny Green Pants: AHHHHHdorable!

Grey/Brown Pants with Pocket: Cute and edged with leftover yarn.

Hats

Chocolate Newborn Cap: This is so tiny, it seems impossible it will fit on a person’s head. Or that this particular person will come out of me, in which case the hat is humongous.

Pixie Cap: I love this vintage cap, it’s so cute!

Striped Earflap Cap and Orange Earflap Cap: I made these caps in two different sizes with thick yak wool. I love the little earflaps!

Rolled Edge Cap: About a year old size in super soft washable wool.

Coming Home Set: I made up the pattern for these tiny things. I wanted to make something for the baby to wear in his first few days and coming home from the hospital. This super soft alpaca blend was just right.

Booties & Mittens

Little Moccasins: TINIEST THINGS IN THE WORLD! Squealing always commences when I bring out these bad boys.

Color dipped mittens: I made up a pattern for these sweet little mittens that will surely come flying off.

Stuffed Animals

Penny the Rabbit: She’s a sweet bunny with a little kerchief in her heart shaped pocket.

Rupert the Rabbit: He’s a dapper fellow with a vest and coat, as well as some lopsided ears.

I recently came across this recipe for oat bars and promptly made a bunch of adjustments. I was looking for a healthy(ish) and energizing snack to have on hand since I have been snacking a little too much from the chocolate chip bag. I also made this allergy free for my sister who can’t eat eggs, gluten or peanut butter, poor baby.

I added all the optional items and having a little bit of chocolate made these extra yummy. It’s pretty easy to change this to fit your own taste. Let me know if you make it!

Yummy Bars

3 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup almond butter (preferably raw, freshly ground without salt)
1 cup mix of dried fruit (if large fruits, chop into small pieces)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 banana, mashed
3/4 cup total of nuts [crushed almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc]

Optional:

• 2 tablespoons finely ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal
• 1 tbs chia seeds or hemp seeds
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together all ingredients until well blended. Press firmly into 9×9 pan for thick bars, for thinner bars use 9×13. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely, cut into bars and enjoy!

Potted flowers, cats on the couch, grey days with projects, baking treats for Chris, snacking on chocolate chips; these weeks are passing quickly even though they are full of slow days. I’m working on finishing small projects like hemming curtains, organizing cleaning products, cleaning out my craft bins to find unfinished quilts. It feels good to work on existing projects and to just finish them, finally. Small projects help the waiting go by, as do afternoon naps which are more frequent than ever. February is already half-over and April is getting closer by leaps and bounds. Hey baby, you’re almost here.

After my jeans decided not to button at the top, I bought some regular leggings and knit dresses from H&M that would stretch with me. I’m anti leggings-as-pants but duuude, I’m dropping this rule with my tunic because it does at least cover my butt. And I’m pregnant, so whatever. The only maternity items I’ve purchased are a pair of red jeans (ASOS), black cover the tummy leggings (H&M) and a chambray tunic (Target). I’ve got 2 months left of outfit recycling, I think I can make it! After the baby arrives, I’m pretty much going to wear my semi-cute H&M sweatpants and t-shirts and not leave the house so it doesn’t matter what I look like because I’ll have that sweet baby to distract everyone from my disheveled person.

Until then I’m trying to feel cute with what I’ve got. So here are a few outfits that are a part of my rotation (usually worn with boots):

Chris and I finally made it to the pFriem brewery in Hood River. They serve a number of Belgian style beers, several of which Chris had the pleasure of tasting. I enjoyed my salmon cakes and fries. Only a few more months before I can once again partake of alcohol!

I’ve become too big and uncomfortable to take hikes or long walks. In fact, just walking up and down the stairs is a good amount of exercise these days. So it was nice to take the drive along the Columbia to Hood River for a change of scenery, even if it was just for lunch.

p.s. I got bangs last month… still getting used to it!

I thought you might enjoy this sewing related poem. It comes from Worth by Robyn Schiff. Many of the poems in this collection are inspired by the great couture houses (such as House of Worth as noted in the book’s title) and her language is a luscious and exquisite as the garments she draws inspiration from.

House of Dior
Robyn Schiff

Now we are on the chapter of pleats.
The impatience to fold, the joys of having folded,
the pleasures of folding them again.
Fabric enough in the sleeve to drape the dress,
in the skirt to drape a chest of drawers,
in the dress to drape the view of trees blacked-out
along the walk from here to the next
house. Walking in the dark inside the house
this is the black we black the windows with.
I have hung the last square of cloth.
Good-bye porch. Good-bye midnight postman
with your sack of envelopes. My love sings
to himself. Each pleat steps into the seam
with a pin in its mouth. Crease upon crease,
a fan on which an embroidered rowboat sits
at the far edge of a lake. The lake is deep enough.

I heard that today is pie appreciation day, so of course I made a chocolate pie to celebrate! I’m a pretty picky pie crust person, most crusts are just nasty. I thought I didn’t like pie crust until I found this recipe from Tartine and I use it every time for a flaky wonderful crust. The key is for everything to be as cold as possible for as long as possible. The resting period between making the dough and using it is absolutely essential.

As far as the filling goes, it is just plain easy and delicious. My aunt has made it for years and it’s one of my favorites. For this version I just topped it with loads of whipped cream and sprinkled with cocoa. You really need whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to cut the richness of the chocolate.

If you make this, let me know! Or if you know of another good chocolate pie recipe, I’m all ears. I love chocolate.

(I had more photos on my camera but I’m having problems with my card reader and it deleted them… not the first time! Arg.)

Fudge Pie

3/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1/3 cup flour
pinch salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix melted butter with cocoa. Add in the sugar until well mixed, then add the vanilla and eggs. Stir in the flour and salt. Finally, add the chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into a prebaked pie shell.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Flaky Pie Crust
adapted from Tartine
I cut the recipe in half to make enough for one pie crust with a little extra

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup ice water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 tbs very cold butter

Put your measuring cups and mixing bowl in the freezer for a few minutes while you pull out your ingredients.

Let salt dissolve in the ice water.

Pour flour into the bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and mix with your hands or use a dough/pastry blender until the butter looks like little peas. Slowly add in the ice cold water, continue to mix until the dough isn’t too sticky but will stay in a ball shape. You may need more water. Don’t worry if it gets too wet, you can add some more flour to counteract the stickiness.

Flatten the dough and wrap in plastic wrap (or place in tupperware). Let it rest for at least an hour in the fridge.

For a prebaked crust, set your oven to 375. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until thin. Place in your pan and poke holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork. Cut parchment in a circle shape and place on top of the dough, weigh it down with pie weights or beans. Bake for around 20 minutes, remove the parchment and place back in the oven. Bake until the shell is a nice light brown.

Here’s some simple sewing I’ve been up to. My mother in law made some cute bibs for me and I traced one to make a pattern for myself. I then proceeded to sew a bunch of bibs with leftover fabrics, cotton flannel and cotton terry cloth. These are just a few of the ones I’ve made. I think I might have enough bibs now!

I saw some really cute kerchief bibs on Pinterest and I copied the idea (which I would never try to sell, these are for personal use only) and made several with homespun cottons and some cotton flannel. I feel a little funny sharing a project that I blatantly copied from an Etsy seller. I’m not sure what the ethics of this are. I won’t be doing a tutorial or selling the items so I think it’s okay to talk about it here. Anyway I used some fun vintage snaps and topstitching thread. Whoa buddy it is so annoying to fiddle with thread tension for topstitching, and then when I finally got it, there was half a spool of thread left (not much when it’s topstitching thread). I sewed these factory style, all lined up and ready to go – which you can learn about from Jen’s chaining tutorial.

One thing that has come up a lot with regards to sewing and preparing for the baby is my extreme fabric bias (no pun intended). I much prefer natural fibers to manmade. As I build a wardrobe, cuddly collection of blankets and other textiles for the baby, I stick to natural fibers as much as possible. I guess this makes me a bit of a fiber snob. That’s okay, I’ll accept this about myself. Up to this point I never thought about it too much but since I began sewing and learning about fabrics, I inspect clothing tags for fibers and I shop for breathable natural fabrics to sew with for myself. Now I’m creating for another person, a tiny bitty baby person, I think even more about my fabric choices. And I get to choose for him. Just another of the many things I’m learning about myself and about the way I want to care for this extremely wiggly person.

Back to the bibs, I still have some flannel and leftover shirting so I could make some more but Chris says we have enough bibs. He’s probably right. Maybe I’ll make a few more burp cloths. I love using up scraps! If I still have some of the homespun fabric leftover, I’ll make some napkins with them. Scraps… good to the last thread. (Can I trademark that?)

I haven’t been posting very frequently because my creative life has been full of baby knits, which take time to make and I also didn’t want my blog to become overridden with baby-ness. But I think it’s probably too late for that!

I’ve got less than 11 weeks left until the baby boy arrives and have started to feel like I need to take stock of what things I really want to make before he comes. I like how that sounds as though he’s going to ride up in a car instead of whatever intensely weird labor experience will occur.

As far as sewing’s going, I haven’t spent much time in my studio of late. I’ve made a plethora of bibs and still a few left to finish. I did make an awesome tote which I’ll share with you soon. Awhile ago I mentioned making the Anise jacket, and I even wrote up a whole post for it but I never got a decent photo wearing it before I got too big and now it just looks comical! Might save that one for later or just do some dress form shots. There’s not really any clothing sewing as I’m growing at an ever increasing speed – this baby is gonna be huge!

All this is to say that I’m taking stock of what I’ve created. I’m a natural nester and being pregnant amplified my instinct to create comfort. But I think it’s time to slow down a little, at least with knitting, give my hands a break from holding needles and do other types of nesting such as sewing, organizing with style and panache, finishing the nursery (which is turning out freakin’ awesome!), and taking more naps.

As always, you can read more about my knitting projects on my ravelry projects page.

Tune
Kay Ryan

Imagine a sea
of ultramarine
suspending a
million jellyfish
as soft as moons.
Imagine the
interlocking uninsistent
tunes of drifting things.
This is the deep machine
that powers the lamps
of dreams and accounts
for their bluish tint.
How can something
so grand and serene
vanish again and again
without a hint?

Books

• The Kingkiller Chronicles were really good and a better read than Game of Thrones which I totally gave up on in book 3 because I just did not care about the 20+ characters and who the heck was this chapter about again? So best fantasy novels I read this year go to the two of three (3rd unpublished) Kingkiller Chronicles.
• Biggest letdown: Kate Morton’s The Secret Keeper. What happened, Kate? All your other books ROCK but this one… no.
• Labor stories that scarred me for life: Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth.
• The MOST AWESOME cake book I have ever read and had success with (oh man, chocolate macaroon cake, need I say more?): Vintage Cakes

Music

• Best concert I attended this year (and also the only one): Zoe Keating

Drinks

• Drink I have drunk the most because it is delicious: hot chocolate with homemade whipped cream (sometimes with peppermint extract added)
• Drink I miss the most while being pregnant: Pinot Noir

Movies & TV

• Most enjoyable movie of the year, especially since I love old movies: The Artist
• Big ole tear jerker: Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Why did they cancel this show (despite the fact that torrential rain does not exist in Seattle, let alone soak people in one scene and then they are mysteriously dry after they hop in the car)?? The Killing.
• The funniest show I’ve enjoyed since Arrested Development and has lead to Rob Lowe’s voice saying literally whenever I say it: Parks and Recreation.

Things I Did

• I got pregnant.

More Things I Did

• Rocked the knitting needles more than ever, making lots of cute things for my baby boy and maybe a few other things as well.
• Dreamt of a real vacation.
• Picked a ton of berries but not enough since I kept making smoothies with them.
• Turned 30.
• Bought hiking boots and started hiking! In nature! Which means I actually left the house.
• Started shooting photos in manual… 10 months after taking a photography class that explained how to do it.
• Got bangs for the very first time! Bangarang.

That’s all for my silly year-end wrap up. Thank you for reading my little random blog where I write stuff like this after posting a really beautiful poem. Have a wonderful holiday and I’ll be back here next year (week!).

-Caitlin