Peaceful Fridays

So I made it through a week of professional development, followed by a week of school, with absolutely no major signs of baby. Over this time, I have felt ridiculously loved by all of my colleagues, who were always checking on me, showering me with love and humor and advice. 

The four day weekend is a needed break, for me as well as E, as his work schedule has fallen in such a way that he's home with me all weekend. I'm almost looking forward to lesson planning, just as an intellectual stretching exercise, though I'm sure I won't get as much done as I hope for. This weekend marks the start of my maternity leave from school, so even if I don't do any 'stretching' this weekend, there will be more to come. 

Hopefully my crafting will benefit from this weekend as well. Last weekend, my mom and sister helped me prep for next weekend's craft show, which they will be working instead of me, and that was a huge blessing. I still cannot believe that my aunt puts up with me-- though I think she enjoys the company. As long as I am not put on total rest post baby, I will be visiting the craft show even though I can't be there working the whole weekend. (Luckily this is our only 2-day show, so the others won't be a problem.)

I'm already restocking for the October show, making sure I have a similar variety of items, etc. Being able to create and not having to worry about the intended recipient is very freeing. I don't want to seem ignorant of my customers- I do consider those people who buy things from me, but when I'm creating for someone specific, there is some need to please. When I'm creating for a general public, so to speak, I can get have a bit more fun, guessing what might appeal to people. Right now, I am working on a variety of striped projects, and am dreaming of embellishments. 

My nesting tendency is also in play a little bit this weekend. E and I are both making attempts to tidy things up and prepare. Though we know we can't really be prepared, it is nice to clean things up in a very thorough manner. 

I'd appreciate continued prayers, and have felt loved by everyone who's commented saying that they are thinking of us. We are starting such an exciting new journey, and really don't know what to make of it. Thanks for the love and support! Hopefully there will be a new little face and model for my hats soon!

Post script-- I wrote this Thursday evening... Friday morning I woke with contractions. Our baby was born Friday evening!!! 

Professional Development

The week before school is full of fun stuff. Being 39 weeks pregnant makes it more fun. Sitting during meetings has already gotten old. 

But baby's not moving, so I'm still working! I have two more days of meetings, plus I'd like to get in the first day of school... Maybe I'm crazy, but I love teaching and my job. So I'd super appreciate prayers for my energy and stamina as I go through the next seven days. 

I know babies are unpredictable, and God often has a different plan from us, but I'm still praying it'll all work out. 

If I suddenly disappear, you'll know why. 

Thanks for the flow of love and prayers and support, I really appreciate it!!

How Long Does it Take?

Apparently, it takes 16 months to make an adult sized afghan and only nine months to make a baby blanket. Go figure.

Blurry phone pic!

I think the pressure is different for a baby blanket, though I felt no obligation to finish a blanket for my little one, as I knew that both grandmothers wanted to make something special for him. But in my nesting/avoidance of schoolwork frenzy, I've been finishing more projects than expected. Once we found out we were having a boy, I stopped adding in squares that seemed overly girly, so this blanket is leaning blues & greens. 

"Pattern" info-- 3 round grannies, joined in a 6x4 using the granny-style JAYG method. 2 additional rounds of granny on the border, plus a final 2 rounds of green- one being dc, ch1 and the second being hdc. 

If I were going to make another one, I would make 6x5 my goal, as that would produce a more square blanket. I may have the opportunity, as we just found out that E's brother & wife are expecting #2-- the debate is whether or not I try to compete with Busia (E's mom). There are many other baby patterns I could try for them, but I have a bit of time to think about it. 

Anyway, the baby "time crunch" seems to be the best time of time constraint to work under. It means I actually finish something! 

Getting Back in the Groove

It is taking me longer than expected to get back into a regular routine. This past week has been full of ups and downs, with my downs being particularly low. Part of it may be the sinus infection that E and I think we both have, which is leaving me more fatigued than just pregnancy fatigue. But we're coming closer on the end. That is my main encouragement. My only 'worry' is that once I find my new groove, the baby will come along and give me something new to adjust to. I just keep coming back to changes, and adjusting to those changes.

A finally finished blanket in use

There have been a few good days, even when E was working. I've been making precise plans, and  actually got done what was needed. My extra time then became dedicated to finishing my biggest WIP, the 'wedding' ripple. In my typical fashion, I simply crocheted until I was sick of it, then called it done. It's not quite as big as I originally wanted, but it is finished. There are a few ends to weave, but I'm calling it.

Baby Owl

Riding on the coat-tails of that finish, I was motivated enough to finish one of my baby hats. There are several in progress, but I told myself I would get at least one done before Baby is born. Now I'm hoping to have two or three. Only two of them are actually for him, but getting extras done can always be a plus. My craft show stock on hats is low this year, so I've been hoping to get it up in these last few weeks.

This green-- one of Vanna's Choice Baby-- was initially difficult to match, but after thinking it over and halting multiple times, I just decided to stick with another shade of green. Not living with my artistic sister can be such a drag sometimes, because she has always been my main color-matcher. I'm a lot less adventurous with my color choices, and mainly just stick to colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. My sister tells me that her method is exactly the same as mine, but I don't really buy it. She has some magical sense that just allows her to coordinate colors better than most people.

Getting one hat done means I'm just a bit closer to getting more done, which is extremely motivating. Which brings me to more projects that need to get done.

Half-finished Granny Squares

I've come back to my baby granny blanket, and added to that as well. It was started at Christmas time, when I brought a bag of Vanna scraps with me to my in-laws, because my oldest niece wanted some crocheting tutoring. My brother-in-law was extremely frustrated that I was working on something that really had no coordination or purpose-- randomly colored granny squares can do that to even the most relaxed person-- so it was more an effort to tease him than anything else. But it turned into a baby blanket, now intended for our new little one.

 In an attempt to not overwhelm myself, I keep switching between projects. By finishing small things, the big picture looks tidier in my head. My sinus headache is still awful, but the edges around my crafting mess are starting to get smoother. 

Depression is an odd thing. I don't know even if these blues I've had for most of my pregnancy qualify as depression. But it's been a struggle. These moments of accomplishment, though sometimes small, are sometimes all I have to cling to in dark times. E has been amazing through all of this, praying with me and for me and taking on more than his share of the burden. Without his constant reminders, I think I would lose sight of who's really in control. 

These little accomplishments help me get back on track, with everything. Being grateful for the small things helps so much. And these small things get added to the list. I am grateful that I finally finished a baby project. I am grateful that even though he feels as sick as I do, my husband still helped with the dishes. I am grateful that our family has been blessed with life. I am grateful for changes that stretch me, and for normal things that give me comfort.

Linking with Tami & Ginny & KCCO

After Vacation

We spent two weeks out of town, one with E's family on vacation and the second working at a Christian summer camp. I truly felt blessed by the time away from home. Granted, there's a stack of paperwork to catch up on, but being out of the world for a while definitely helped me to come back to a place of peace.

Since coming back, things have been really busy and not necessarily peaceful. But I think I'm becoming more accepting of the rush, and by taking time to find the blessings and peace in the chaos, I'm doing better. 

Sunset on Lake Michigan

E and I are getting closer to being ready to welcome our little one. The only things not ready are my baby 'knits', but they are nearly there. Hopefully I'll be settled back into the normal routine soon enough to pick up my hooks.  

That's the only 'bad' thing I see about vacations and going away- settling back in. The normal routine became something else while being away, and now readjustment is necessary. But changing things up every once in a while can be good. We just have to handle it properly. Take things one at a time, and always seek out the blessings amidst the chaos.