Keeping Warm

It seems like my knitting time is now all about necessities. After Siggi could not keep a pair of socks on (except the ones that left ugly red welts on his leg), I decided to knit a pair that were called “Stay On Baby Booties” from Knitting for Baby: 30 Heirloom Projects with Complete How-to-Knit Instructions, a book I found at a discount book shop near me.

Sure enough, they work. I knit them in Koigu, but I don’t like this yarn. They looked worn after he wore them for one day! I knit them in the 0-3 months size from the book, but his feet are so big that they are too small, really, so I’ve started a new pair with different yarn and more stitches.

I also wanted to make him some “longies”, wool tights he can wear over a cloth diaper. These are by Elizabeth Zimmerman, from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac.

I think the legs are a bit big for the waist; if I make a bigger pair, I’ll make the top part bigger and leave the legs the same. The yarn is some Shetland yarn that has been in my yarn stash for ages. They are really handy for chilly mornings, I’d like to have another pair and make several for autumn.

The elf doll in the picture is something my mom made for him. He really likes it; he smiles at the face. He also is starting to hold the frog rattle in the picture.

Ungbarnatreyja

This has been sitting in my knitting bag waiting for buttons and crocheted button loops since Siggi was born. Úps. I figured with all that work, I should finish it up. It’s hard to get hand sewing time, but we took a ride in the car so I was able to get it done.

It fits him perfectly now. He just had his 2 month checkup and is 11 lbs. 7 oz (5.2 kg.) and 23.5 inches long (58.75 cm). It would have been fine on him as a newborn too; we could have just rolled up the sleeves. It’s perfect for the weather we’ve been having to wear outside when it’s kind of warm.

The colour is more of a dark blue-green but the flash photo doesn’t do it justice. The bottom photo is a little closer. I am really pleased with how it came out; it makes me want to make another. Maybe for the next baby gift I have to give.

One issue: in a moment of pregnancy fogginess, I convinced myself that there was an error in the pattern and I should knit the chart the opposite way. It made total sense to me at the time. Then when I finished the front I realised it was just me and the big rose was suppposed to be in the centre, not the way I have it. Oh well, I still like it.

Back To Work

Well, due to the American lack of a decent family leave policy, I start back at work tomorow, but at least I can work from home all week. It’s kind of overwhelming. Siggi has just gotten to the point where he doesn’t nurse constantly, I actually get some time to take a shower or maybe even cook food. Ingi will be working all week too so it will be the first week where I am on my own all day and then I have to work on top of it. At least we don’t have to worry about trying him on bottles yet.

It’s funny that the latest knitting project that I started is getting the most use. Siggi has been wearing this hat almost every day. The other hat that I knit I didn’t secure the ties very well and now I have to figure out how to sew the one that broke back on.

The pattern is Baby Domino Bonnet by Lucy Neatby. It was a really fun knit and you can buy the electronic pattern online. I used this and that leftover sock yarn. I went with gender neutrals, but I had a lot of blues, which I guess came in handy since I have the boy. (I figured blues were safe for a girl but pinks were not really safe for a boy, so I didn’t use the pinks). I didn’t think to knit in the ends as Vivian Hoxbro teaches in Domino Knitting until partway through, or I could have made the whole thing without weaving almost any ends in. I still didn’t have so many to weave in.

My mother bought me a Maya Wrap sling for my birthday, which has been a lifesaver. I am actually able to get things done while holding Siggi now. Plus, it is good for when he is crabby and tired but can’t fall asleep, I walked around with him in the sling tonight and he fell asleep.

Velkominn Sigurður Húbert!

Sigurður Húbert was born today at 15:29, he is 21 inches (54 cm) long and 7 lbs. 12 oz. (or 3,5 kg. or 14 merkur).

Pictures and details to come after we are more rested.

Stalled

Tuesday night I woke up with pretty regular contractions, 5 minutes apart, but not all that strong. They kept going, and kept going, and kept going, and we got up and cleaned the house and I made yogurt (because I thought it might be nice to have for the labour)… the contractions were still going steady. They kept going at that pace for the rest of Wednesday but not getting any closer together or any stronger… so we went to bed early and when I got up Thursday morning, the contractions had gone away for a while, and then came back sporadically. So we took things fairly easy, went to the mall for a while (to get some walking in, to try to get things going)… stayed until I was pretty tired, came home and had supper and watched a documentary while I worked on finishing up a few things (one the knitting is done and the ends are not weaved, the other is below), and then went to bed.

Today the contractions are stronger, they were really erratic before, I am not sure how they are doing now, but this has been a long prodromal labour and so I don’t want to get any hopes up. So anyone reading this will have to sit on the edge of their seat, same as we are doing here.

I made kjötsúpa for supper and did some work to take my mind off things.

These mittens were sitting in my bag for months waiting for strings, so I finished the strings last night. The pattern is from some 1960’s knitting book that I found at a church sale, and the yarn is the same yarn from the hat I posted the other day.

Maybe the baby was just afraid of having cold hands and waiting for me to finish them. I can always hope, right?

Finishing

On the way to the midwife’s yesterday I decided to finish some things that needed sewing/weaving ends in. Both are from free patterns.

Pattern is The Curly Purly Soaker

Pattern is Djevellue/Sweet Baby Cap. Yarn is from Farmhouse Yarns (we bought it on our drive on Ingi’s birthday last year).

And the best news of all? The baby has indeed turned to the proper head-down position. What a relief! The midwife was pretty positive from feeling it, and we had a sonogram tonight to confirm (and got to see the baby sucking its thumb).

Small update

I have gone to the chiropractor for the last 4 days, she has been doing a special technique called the Webster technique to help the baby turn. She said I was really out of alignment, and have been getting a lot better. I also went to an acupuncturist who did moxibustion which is supposed to help the baby to turn. The baby moved around a LOT after the first day.

On my last midwife visit, it seemed pretty definite that the baby was back in the proper position, so we’ll check again next week and try another sonogram to be sure. But things are looking good (fingers crossed).

I am still working on my baby bunting and I have a few already knitted things that need some finishing work. I started a baby hat on the bus (because the bunting doesn’t fit in my laptop bag), and I hope I can get these things all done so I can start a knit-along with my knitting list to make the Danish crown prince blanket (I don’t really want to start it until I get these things finished, but I can’t wait to make it).

Oh, and we have all of our supplies, and the crib is put together (other than no sheets so the cat doesn’t sleep in it), and we have a car seat… so we are ready whenever this baby comes.

Upside-down Baby

I went for a sonogram today and got confirmation that this baby is indeed hanging out the wrong way around (at least today). There are many things we can try doing to get the baby to turn from breech position to the “right” position, and we are going to try them, but this scares the heck out of me. I don’t want to have surgery for my baby to be born just because everyone is too afraid of being sued.

At least the baby appears from the ultrasound to be a nice size… it’s on the small side, but still an acceptable size, and it still has another 3 weeks to grow (based on when it’s due).