Weekending

watching the fountain with daddy

sunshine thru the tall grass

down the shady path

art in the garden

birthday balloons

more birthday balloons

her very own "Ironman"

my three year old baby girl

We had a lovely weekend. Went for a walk at the Desert Botanical Gardens on Saturday afternoon for a few hours, got frozen yogurt on Mill Avenue afterwards, and grilled burgers and corn for dinner. Sunday was spent celebrating Fiona Rosy who turned 3!!! I can hardly believe she is three years old now, it seems like she was just born. But isn't that always the way? The days can drag on forever sometimes but the years just fly by. All she wanted for her birthday was balloons and a chocolate cake with LOTS of sprinkles. So we made those simple wishes come true. She had fun making the cake and adding the HANDFULS of sprinkles all over the top. Then we hopped over to the dollar store to pick up some balloons... three lovely red hearts and one that said happy birthday and was covered in cupcakes. She was a totally happy little girl. Family came over for a bit to eat cake and hang out. It was a nice couple hours.
We ended Sunday evening with stories in bed and a lovely bunch of cuddling. My sweet baby girl. Happy Birthday!

{ This Moment }

Joining Amanda from Soulemama for This Moment. A single photograph from the week, a moment I wish to pause, savor, and remember. 

40 week 4 days

{ This Moment }

Joining Amanda from Soulemama for This Moment. A single photograph from the week, a moment I wish to pause, savor, and remember.

Socks and things

fiona's new socks

baby's new socks

all the baby's socks

honey cowl

Last week someone had asked which sock pattern I thought made the best baby socks. To be honest I use only one pattern for all the socks I have ever knit. It is the Lumberjack sock pattern and is seriously the best $4.00 on a pattern I have ever spent. I have made 6 pairs of newborn/baby socks, 6 pairs of toddler socks, 2 pairs of kid/child socks, and two pairs of women's sized socks from this pattern. It is so basic and easy to change up. She calls for DK weight but I have used sock yarn and worsted weight and some fingering weight as well. I have followed the pattern completely and changed stuff to suit me (like not doing the 2X2 ribbing all down the foot, or not making the leg of the sock so long... doing ankle socks instead). They have fit the wearers perfectly. I have yet to actually have a baby wear the socks yet as our wee babe is not born yet, so I can't say for sure if it is a great baby sock pattern, but they do stay on my very active toddler. And my socks are the only ones she has in her drawers. I was so afraid of sock knitting, all those needles and the heel turn and gusset! My gosh it was terrifying, but now they are one of my favorite things to knit. I think every other thing I knit is a pair of socks.
After knitting another pair of baby socks and then a pair of socks for Fiona I decided to knit the Honey Cowl which I have had in my queue forever. It is another easy knit and I am enjoying the mindlessness of it, because honestly most days it is all I can muster. I am lucky to get anything done, I am so pooped out every day. Growing a baby is hard work!

Knitting

wool diaper covers

baby sock

baby sweater

My knitting has slowed down a bit, I believe this stuff has taken me a couple weeks to knit. I have made a couple wee tiny wool diaper covers that are so super cute and soft, I am so looking forward to putting the new baby in them. I started and finished up a wrap sweater, BUT decided to not do the wrap part and just add buttons. I like it a lot with the buttons. And finally I started another pair of socks because, well I love knitting baby socks. Fiona has requested another pair of socks, as has Cae and Rowan would like me to knit him a pair so I think I will be sock knitting for a bit which is fine with me, I do enjoy making socks.
I have been slugging through multiple childbirth, pregnancy, and parenting books for the 13 book reports I have to do for my certifications. After almost 20 years of parenting I have read so many of them that, to be honest, I am a little burnt out on reading them all again. Still, I guess it is a good refresher.

Weekending and Gratitude

I get a bit sad from Thanksgiving to New Year that we are not up to our armpits in snow, and then January 2nd hits and I am ever so grateful for our lovely, mild winters here in Arizona. 30's at night upper 60's during the day. Sunshine, parks, lovely breezes... perfection!

I am so grateful this week for:

~ Dear friends having some of my boys over to hang out over night and get serious "dude time"
~ Watching a silly comedy/horror movie with my honey late one night
~ Having a freezer full of crockpot meals waiting for us when the baby comes
~ Having a friend help me with a stitch that was making me nuts for three days
~ Lovely days at the park
~ Journey on the record player
~ Trader Joe's GF Joe Joe's
~ Slowly getting stuff together for our new little due in the next couple of weeks

This weekend was fabulous. I have been having such a good time with my main man, it seemed for so long we just were not connecting, but lately things have been going so smoothly. Maybe we are finally figuring each other out after 20+ years. haha Or maybe it is that we are both feeling good at the same time?? After a year of tag team yuckiness, it is nice that we both feel healthy, strong(ish), and happy. It makes the days run so much smoother. I have to admit I was happy that 2013 has gone, and I am so much looking forward to this year.
I try to find a word(s) for the year instead of a list of things I will probably forget about 2 months in. This year the word is HEALTH, both physical and emotional.

Joining Amanda from The Habit of Being and Taryn from Wooly Moss Roots.