Stay tuned

Sorry for the absences. I really have been trying to take it easy lately. Having a baby at 37 is far different from having one at 32. I imagine I would have had more energy in my twenties, but I know I wasn't ready for a child then. So here I am, easily tired, definitely tired of being told how big this kid is going to be (by everyone but my doctor), and suddenly realizing that we need to get a few more things done before the baby is born.

However, I may be announcing a name soon. We've found a couple names that seem to be sticking. At the very least, neither name has been rejected within a few days. It's difficult because we had the perfect names for Angie almost immediately. We haven't had an "AHA! That's it!" moment this time around. We were discussing it this evening and the reality is that this is probably our last child, and we want the name to be just right. Still, I think we've found some names with which we can be happy. Stay tuned.

With the realization that the baby will be here soon, we've started diligently looking for some necessities: car seat, co-sleeper, breast pump. This weekend we went shopping for the car seat and I finally purchased the seat, spare base and stroller on line. I think we are more savvy shoppers with this pregnancy than we were for Angie. The car seat came yesterday and the stroller arrived today. We agree that this set is far cooler than the one we purchased for Angie.

Next will be the co-sleeper. Since we moved our room to the front of the house, we don't have much space for a regular bassinet. Additionally, just in case I have to have a c-section again, using a co-sleeper will be easier for me move the baby for nighttime feedings.

I've been making lots of silly mistakes lately. Goofy stuff like putting cases at the wrong times in the written calendar, writing the next court date as the current court date in my orders, and forgetting to do things two seconds after the coordinator asked me about them. She turned to me and said, "This has been one heck of a ride lately!" then giggled. Lucky for me she has a sense of humor. We were talking last week and determined that in the 30 years she's been at the Court, I'm the first jurist to whom she has been assigned who was pregnant. She says my ditziness is rubbing off on her too. Next week is my rotation at the Detention Center, so maybe she'll have a little recovery time and normalcy without me.

Not much has been happening otherwise, some Angie things, which will go on her blog, and some stitchery, which will be posted here soon. This weekend is the Ornament SAL and I'm really looking forward to it. I can pick up the two ornaments I started at the end of the last SAL and maybe even squeeze in another ornament too! I'll go pull the projects to take to work as soon as I'm done posting. I've also started a new project to keep my Serial Starter status going strong. It's one of the Brittercup designs. I saw it and thought it would be perfect for a friend. After only three nights, it's looking good. I'll do a stitchy post tomorrow with more details and some pictures.

Blogger is also telling me that I will be required to switch to new blogger the next time I log in. It may take me a while to sort out this new system so bear with me. Just wondering, is anyone else amused by the fact that the word "blog" is not in Blogger's spell checker?

Doctor's Report

I saw the doctor today. Baby is fine. The nurse had some trouble with finding the baby's heartbeat (the baby was moving around quite a bit apparently), but the Doctor found it. I also heard the difference between the blood going through the umbilical cord (muffled beating sound) and the actual heartbeat--a distinct clickety-clack sound). I'm fine. We discussed possible causes of the problems over the weekend and some modifications Chas and I need to make until the baby is born. Everything looks good though.

The baby wasn't noticeably active for about a week, then Tuesday night/Wednesday morning it was like a wild, extended drum solo in my abdomen. The baby must have been excited about the snow day on Valentine's Day too.

Thanks for the advice this weekend. I took it very easy during the last several days and it seems to have helped.

Happy Valentine's Day

Your Candy Heart Says "Hug Me"

A total sweetheart, you always have a lot of love to give out. Your heart is open to where ever love takes you! Your ideal Valentine's Day date: a surprise romantic evening that you've planned out Your flirting style: lots of listening and talking What turns you off: fighting and conflict Why you're hot: you're fearless about falling in love

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Hugs are good.

Some Stitching and Some Worries

In stitching news, I've almost completed all the cross stitching on Midi. Next week I hope to finish it so that I can switch to MX and Snow Crystal. I still think I'm on target to finish Midi before April.

I received some supplies to finish GTK and JG so hopefully they will be done by the end of the year. I missed getting the finishing kit for GTK so I will be assembling my own. I still need to get the silk dupioni, but I received some lovely mother of pearl thread rings which will look beautiful in the book. I've also received the chart for three dimensional beading, which I intend to use to create my own grapes rather than using a piece of jewelry. For JG, I received 12 yards of Gloriana silk in India Ink. It seems to be the right shade of black for the crane medallions. I've tested it and love how it looks.

This weekend is the HAED SAL, so I am working on my mystery project. I finished a few more 10 by 10 squares today (absolutely no stitching yesterday). However, there is no possible way for me to finish the first page of the chart this month. Sigh.

In the worry news, I have been feeling lightheaded lately, to the point where I must lay down in the evenings. And today I had some very light bleeding. Not great, but I did speak directly with my Doctor today. He doesn't think there is anything to worry about yet, and he believes that it is okay to wait until my appointment on Thursday. It's stopped for now, but if it happens again, he wants me to call him immediately of course.

I can't help but worry. The baby seems to be moving less frequently, but maybe that is just my imagination. It may be a very lonnnnnng week for me.

Wow! That is COLD!

We are in the below zero range (Fahrenheit--I don't know what that is in Celsius) and have been for several days. I haven't left the house since Friday night. I called off work today because cold weather is hard on my asthma, sub-zero temperatures are brutal. There were over 600 schools closed in Northeastern Ohio today. I'm not sure what the count is for tomorrow. My intention is to go into work anyway.

And since I keep forgetting to respond to Nicki's question about my inhaler: they have come up with one that does not use CFC's, but it is a matter of what my insurance company will cover right now. I suppose they won't have a choice soon.

Angie has been sick since Friday night. She still sounds terrible, but her mood is better. She is a little pale and her eyes are red rimmed, but I think she is on the mend. We had a nice day together, cuddling on the couch and assembling puzzles. She was missing her Dad by bathtime so he had to "rescue" her from the tub.

I received some stitching supplies in the mail today: The ECC Bead Collectors Club February shipment, some backordered things from Stitching Bits and Bobs and an order from ABC Stitchery. Some things are still en route, but it was great to get three packages in one day. When not playing with Angie, I ogled my new ornament charts (and the TW Best of Christmas Book), some small cuts of fabric, the beads, and some deeply discounted Stranded by the Sea (which I love and wish I had more of them) and some also deeply discounted Six Strand Sweets (which are nice although I don't go for a lot of pastels). It was quite fun to play with the beads.

I stitched very little this weekend since Angie needed lots of cuddle time. I did manage to finish the dress on Midi and the lady's skin. The dress is gorgeous even if I do say so myself. I am well on track to finishing all the cross stitching on Midi soon. I'm itching to get to the beads and special stitches.

February Goals.

I just checked and it appears that I did not post goals for last month. I must have been so happy to have 2006 end that I clean forgot. I posted a few on the Chatelaine BB though:

1. Finish at least one more bridge and Crane section on JG. Start another one. Nope
2. Finish the first over one crane (without the black background until I find my favorite black). Nope
3. Finish Snow Crystal. Nope
4. Finish another side of grey columns in WG. Nope

For February, I'm hoping to do the following:

1. Finish all Cross stitching on Midi 1 and start the special stitches.
2. Finish Snow Crystal
3. Finish the cross stitching in Part 2 of MX
4. Finish another set of bridges in JG
5. Finish another set of grey columns on WG.
6. Stitch two ornaments for the Christmas Ornament SAL
7. Finish the page of my HAED SAL design.

I'd also like to pick the fibers and the fabric for my friend's sampler, but I do need to check out her house first to compare colors.

When I was going over my various WIPS last month, I realized that I am closer to finishing Midi 1 than any other Chatelaine. Well, technically, the Amethyst Mystery is the closest to being finished since it only lacks beads and new crystals, but since I haven't obtained the perfect ones yet, Midi 1 is closest. There is really no excuse not to finish Snow Crystal this month. I have a tiny bit of cross stitching left, half the metallics then the fun special stitches and beading.

Of the two Mandalas, WG is probably closer to being done than JG so I should be good and concentrate on that. I've found that while I loved stitching the blue pool in WG, the grey pillars are dull, dull, dull. It's hard to stay motivated. The HAED goal is a push because I don't think I finished even half a page during the last SAL, but I want to try. The Ornaments should be easy since I have two started already.

I am so tempted to start the Leporello or the Octagon Box, but I am holding back until I actually complete something sizeable. I love my WIPS,and I'll be sorry to finish each project, but there are many more I want to add to my WIPS list.

By golly, I am going to finish some things this year.

Yay!

It takes so little to please me some days. Of course little things have annoyed me immensely lately so I guess there is some sort of balance working in my life.

We just returned from the Doctor's office a short while ago. I do not have gestational diabetes so bring on the cake! I am borderline anemic so he is asking me to eat more dark leafy greens and red meat (the meat part pleased Hubby). I guess I'll be getting some beef jerky for midday snacks when we go to the grocery store. Everything looks good right now and I go back in two weeks.

Since it is the first day of the month, Martina released the chart parts for her on-line classes. The second part of MX is gorgeous. I had hoped to stitch on it during lunch, but ended up working through lunch instead. Maybe I can put a few stitches in it tonight. This now gives rise to a small stitching quandary: I planned to work on Midi 1 as part of my Figures Friday plan. I am so close to actually finishing the cross-stitching on Midi that I can feel it. I could work on the special stitches for the rest of this month and in March and actually have my first Chatelaine finish before April. But I desperately want to make some progress on part two of MX this weekend because I am trying to keep up with the class. Perhaps what I will do is stitch MX tonight, stitch on both MX and Midi tomorrow and then focus on MX for the rest of the weekend. It is going to be very cold here this weekend so my plan is to step out for groceries, but mostly just hunker down and stay warm.

My other dilemma is who to root for in the SuperBowl on Sunday. For once the teams I hate are not in the game (Ravens, Broncos and Patriots-sorry Angi [it's all Browns related]) and I actually like both teams playing. I like the Bears, but I'll probably cheer for the Colts since they are in the AFC. At least I will feel good no matter who wins.

Dear Hubby just informed me that the last Harry Potter book is being released in July, so that is another thing to anticipate eagerly. I'm a little afraid to read it though. I'm concerned that some of my favorite characters will die. Of course, I'm completely behind in the Series of Unfortunate Events. I seem to be reading tragic books (I'll post a review of "A Thread of Grace" soon) lately so I should just pick up the last three from the Series and see how the whole "miserable" story ends.

In other good news, we will maybe get to see Cathy and her family soon. It would be good to socialize with people in person, rather than just on the internet. I'm excited to see the new second floor of their home.

In the Bad News/Good News category, my Brother's girlfriend (wife in all but the legal sense) started Chemotherapy today. She has cancer of the lymph nodes and looked very weak at Christmas time. But I think we are all glad they are finally treating it and have abandoned the wait and see approach. I feel for her because we watched one of my Grandfathers die slowly from lung cancer in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Chemo is really tough on the body. In some ways I wish they were bringing her up here for treatment. I'm probably biased but Cleveland really does have one of the best medical centers (maybe two of the best) in the Country. Any good thoughts or prayers for Tina would be much appreciated.

Such is life today. I'm in better spirits than yesterday. We didn't make a lot of progress on our family goals for this year, so hopefully we can make some progress on them this month.