Some mornings come earlier than others.

This morning I was roused at 5am. Usually, it's closer to 6:30. Getting pissy over 90 minutes is probably petty, but it's early, and I'm tired, and she won't stop whining!!! I'm reasonably certain it's because she's tired . . . but she won't go back to sleep.

I shall begin . . .

. . . by apologizing for my silence with flowers.



Now that I'm back to work, I feel like there's a whole lotta nothin' to share. Just the gentle and sometimes harried rhythm of day to day life. Sure, funny stuff happens now and then. But is anyone aside from Sweet Pea, Mr. Wonderful and I going to find the thought of my little girl accidentally discovering blowing raspberries on mommy's tummy as funny as we did? Probably not. I'll get used to it, and get back into practice, and we'll all be happy again. For now, Knitting!

Sweet Pea's Strawberry Hill (I call it Smocking Jacket) is just about done.

I'm picking up the stitches for the button band tonight, actually.

So the end is very, very near for this one. I tried it on Sweet Pea, just to see if it would fit this morning. It fits! It's going to make a great fall jacket. (Hell, given how cool this summer has been, it will be a great morning jacket!)

While the pieces for that one blocked, I cast on for another project. This one is good work knitting. Lots of stocking stitch.

It'll be adorable when it's done! For now, I'll let you wonder and imagine.

Exhausted.

Sweet Pea's been sick :(
We don't know what, we don't know why . . . She's been running a very low grade fever off and on. Friday she was the clingiest she has ever been. Spent 6 hours napping on me over the course of the day. (I had booked it off).

Seems the napping paid off though!


Does this girl look sick to you?!



Can't even get her to stand still long enough for a picture.

Of course, because she's been sick she currently has Mr. Wonderful and I jumping at her every whimper. I admit it, we're baby whipped. And it's exhausting. Tonnes of cuddles, reading books over and over, nursing constantly, walking around hand in hand, 'pick me up, pick me up, pick me up!', 'put me DOWN!', 'pick me up!!' . . . Lordy.

Since my anti-climactic return to work, I've been doing some knitting.
Stuff you haven't seen yet:
Sunset Pommel Sheep
I had some Cascade 220 left over from the rug. Not a lot in any one colour - just little bits here and there of almost every colour I had used. So I thought toys don't take much yarn, generally speaking. Pommel sheep really don't take much yarn. And then I made this little lady.


Whisper Cardigan (IK Spring 2009):
I don't have good photos of this one yet.
After casting on and frogging over and over, I finally selected a different yarn for my Whisper cardi - and it was the best decision I could have made. I used Rowan Cashsoft - a cashmere blend . . . YUM!


Accidental boob shot! Don't my legs look funny??
I made a size medium, and I have a 35 or 36 inch bust - I would say to anyone making this sweater stitch count is really unimportant. Pick a size for cast on purposes only, then work in custom sizing. The medium is a bit snug on me . . . fortunately the yarn relaxed a bit, so it's more comfortable now.
I finished this sweater at work. :)

And currently I'm working on a sweater for Sweet Pea.
Strawberry Hill.
I'm working it up from some yarn I bought at Rhinebeck, the day before I learned I was pregnant. It's been hanging around for nearly 2 years now, looking for the right project.
I love that this sweater taught me how to twist stitches without a cable needle.


All of this just in the last 3 weeks (plus a birthday party, and my return to work). No wonder I'm exhausted.

I don't want to talk about it . . .

. . . because really, for the most part, the return to work has been anti-climactic.

Wednesday: First day back. Super emotional morning. Sniffles galore. I even packed a box of tissues for what I felt was an inevitable snot-fest.
Dropped the girl at daycare - scooted the hell out of there as fast as I could before I had the chance to fall apart. Shed maybe three tears on the way to work.
Get to work, learn that my LAN id is borked, my phone log in still works (huzzah), spend the day killing time and wishing I was with Sweet Pea.
Get home to an amazing reception - Sweet Pea RUNS across the living room, arms outstretched, clearly aching for a hug. Awwww!
Thursday: Not as emotional. Shed three more tears over leaving the girl at daycare. LAN id is fixed - spend the day reading updates, policies, familiarising myself with our new products, etc, etc.
Get home to . . . hell. Screaming baby, frustrated husband . . . So. Not. Good.
Friday: No tears. Spend day reading again. Additionally, spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about Sweet Pea - was last night's meltdown the exception, or the new rule? Crunch numbers, consider part time employment, agonise, fuss, worry. Parking ticket.
Get home to a very mellow scene. Feel much better.

The weekend has been some good re-connecting time. Sweet Pea obviously misses her momma time, and spent a few hours each day nursing. I don't really mind. I'm certainly a little concerned that the meltdown might happen again and again. We'll cross that bridge if we come to it.

T-minus 11 hours.

Oh god. In 11 hours, I'll be at work.

I'm having a really hard time with this right now.

Sweet Pea's Big Birthday Party.

Wow. What a wonderful day we've had!
Tomorrow is Sweet Pea's first birthday. Actually, 5 hours from now will mark one year since her arrival. We held her first birthday party today, and it was amazing!

There was a lot of careful planning and prep work involved, but I think it's safe to say we pulled off a rather successful birthday party.
There were friends. There was family. There was music, and food, and fun for all. I like to think (and hope it's true) that even the few people who didn't know anyone else there found common ground and something to do/talk about while they were there.

In preparation, we finger painted


There may have been some body painting going on as well.

We inflated a metric tonne of balloons

We also baked a fabulous cake and did a lot of shopping and decorating.

And when the time to party was upon us . . . oh, we so did!!

Sweet Pea 'rocked out' on her brand new toddler rocking pony. (So did some other guests!)
She got super sandy in her new sand and water table.
She was snuggled and loved and wished happiness every which way she turned.

And then, we got the cake out.

After all was said and done - the food was eaten, the gifts opened (and they were spectacular! Every one of them has been played with and adored already) and guests had started wandering off, I remembered this dress. It was given to us by an elderly lady from our old apartment building. She and Mr. Wonderful kept in touch after we moved, and when she heard about Sweet Pea's arrival, she went out and bought her this gift. It was a very kind sentiment. And while I never intended these pictures to see the light of day - except to be sent to the woman in question - this one is too precious to hide away.


You can dress her up in ribbon, and roses, and lace -- but that girl is my daughter, through and through!! She will not be giving up her 'boy toys'!

Wow.

http://operationbeautiful.com/