Quickie Friday

No, not *that* kind of quickie, sheesh.

Although, as married business goes, I think planning a day a week to engage in the sacramental act of matrimony gives both parties involved something to look forward to. Just sayin'.

Randomness:

** I have finally joined the sleeves and body of the sweater that will never die, aka The Husband Sweater, all on one needle. 15 stitches from each sleeve and 30 stitches from the body have been placed on waste yarn to graft the underarms later. That leaves 470 stitches on the needles. Four hundred seventy. Each Round. Howy cwap.

** Today is the first official day of me having all-day-sickness of this pregnancy. I am trying to look at the bright side (yes, there is a reason for "morning sickness") which is that my body and my baby are doing extremely well if I am feeling sick. It is a sign that the hormones are all turned on and the baby is growing well. Oh, that and I am now in for a 15 lb. weight loss over the next two months. I've got it to lose, so I guess it's fine. Although in a "professional" opinion, one should not be losing weight AT ALL during pregnancy. Previous pregnancies tell me I will anyway. I always do.

** I hate to share this, but maybe it will help someone else feel more normal if the truth is out there in print.

I have not showered in 6 days. I look like hell. While I was sleeping last night, I finally realized that there is a very special smell about me. I didn't even bother getting dressed yesterday and even though it is noon today I still have yet to get dressed today.

Having toddlers does not help. I cannot get 1/2 an hour just to run some hot water over me and be alone. Someone always needs something and it seems my needs, no matter how basic, are getting ignored.

** I have not left my house, even to walk outside, in 5 days.

This is probably a good thing if you consider the previous point.

** Okay, honestly, while in the midst of typing this my husband requested some food at work. So now I have left the house. But it wasn't pretty. Let me paint you a picture:

I made his food and packed it up. I called and informed him I would not be entering the building and he would be required to venture to my vehicle to retrieve his lunch/dinner.

My first time out of the house and I have on: a pair of winter boots, calf length, untied with no socks; a baggy pair of cloth black pants; a tie-dyed men's 2XL Hanes V-neck undershirt (I can't believe I just typed that); and a dried-snot-covered, machine-knit, too small to button over my boobs cardigan/sweater. Really. Oh, and hair that had been unbrushed for 6 days. But I pu it in a pony-tail. That's like a shower? Right?

AND I have to get a pack of diapers out of my husband's truck (that he was supposed to bring in before he left).

I get to the county building my husband works in and pull up to his truck. I look awful. I put my car in park, take out the keys, and approach the truck. Of course, OF COURSE, one of the county maintainence guys who plows the roads or something is standing RIGHT THERE, shoveling snow off the walkway. Ugh. Great. But I need the diapers. He smiles politely and waves. I smile back. I think he's trying to hide a laugh. I hope he doesn't know who's truck this is.

I drive around to the other side of the building and park in between the cop cars. Geez there are a lot of them here today. I call my husband and he says he'll be right out. Mr. Polite snow shoveler is now on this side of the building. I avoid eye contact at all costs.

My husband finally makes it out, takes his lunch, kisses me, and says, "Oh my Gosh! Get the heck outta here. You look like hell!", cracks a crooked grin, and laughs while taking a look at the guy shoveling the snow. I laugh and say, "I told you so," kiss him back and drive off.

Totally embarrassing.

** If I had a D-cup bra before my first pregnancy, was a DD pregnant, nursed in an F, started the next pregnacy (#2) in a DD, was an F pregnant, and nursed in an H-cup, got pregnant with #3 while still nursing, was an I-cup while pregnant, and am currently nursing him in an L-cup and am pregnant again (#4) --- I ask you, are there any letters in the alphabet left for me???

What was I thinking??

When I wrapped my mind around our wonderful news last week, I was all too thrilled and excited (and surprised!). "Wow," I thought. "He chose me again! He must really think we're doing a good job! What a wonderful blessing and testament to our marriage!"

I thought of itty-bitty-knitting, cuddling a newborn again, the warm nuzzle of nighttime with a babe at my breast...you get the picture. I daydreamed about a beautiful labor and a glorious, hormone esclated post-partum period. I wondered at the love my children would have for this new helpless sibling as they carefully covered us with blankies when we fell asleep on the couch.

Now, as I sit here typing with one thumb while I nurse my baby through the pain of his molars, I can't help but feel, well, helpless. What was I thinking?!

"God thinks I'm doing a good job!" Yeah?! Right?!

This isn't what I wanted. I was just begining to enjoy the occasional 1/2 spent in my bed alone with my husband. We haven't even had a real "date" since the last baby has been here.

And My Lovey. I really wanted more time for just he and I. Me and him (yes, bad grammar, I know). He's just a BABY, for Pete's sake. How am I supposed to explain this all to him?

And really, who am I kidding about doing such a great job? I have the shortest temper ever lately. I feel completely overwhelmed just trying to care for the children outside of my womb now, let alone when this baby increases their ranks on me. I don't have the slightest idea *what* I'm doing, let alone how to accomplish it all.

The never ending assault of laundry, dishes, and diapers is making my head swim. Not to mention the constant voice in my head reminding me to "eat right", which I just don't have time for, but which I know I need.

I am obsessing and worrying about everything. I know too much about pregnancy and giving advice that I am literally bursting with information that I know I am too stuck in my ways to follow, even though I will probably feel better if I do.

My children are bouncing off the walls, just tempting me to raise my voice at every turn. My kids depend on me for everything. My husband depends on me. I've got midwifery school, patients, homework. A house to run, homeschooling to manage. In the next few years, I am going to be completely reaponsible for teaching a real person to read.

I bet my older ones and husband are expecting a meal when they come in from chopping wood all day. Who is going to do all the cooking? I'm just going to get tired and sick.

My hands are already going numb at night, and I threw up the other morning.

My Flower sits at my feet and says, "Mama - I need jew."

Who is going to comfort me?

What *was* I thinking? Sheesh.

Um, Pee First

And then go check out Poop and Boogies. Seriously. Funny.

Just what crack dealers need

Extreme Sheep Hearding

Extreme Sheep for Extreme Yarn

In which God asks me to submit to His will.....

.....again.

Time to think of names again.

if I have to...

...change one more popcorn poopy diaper, I am going to scream.

Yarn Whore

I have an incurable need for knitting. And talking about knitting. And writing about knitting. And thinking about knitting. And dreaming about knitting (yes, I dream about knitting, usually when there is a complicated pattern I need to work out). And blogging about knitting.

Do I need a blog devoted just to knitting? Am I boring my dear, non-knitting readers every time I talk about yarn, gauge, yarn, needles, and yarn? Do you feel like it just doesn't pertain? Is it distracting you from my Catholic, stay-at-home-mom, catching-catching-babies-on-the-side, pro-life, hate Obama, new conversion, Harry Potter loving blog?

Crack Dealer

https://sockclub.bluemoonfiberarts.com/

This is that which I COVET. If I had the money I'd totally do it.

And remember, that's for a whole year. A WHOLE YEAR. $235. That's less than $20/month. Less than $5/week. Less than $1/day. Less than 5 cents/hour - for pure, uncut, blissful, wonderful therapy/entertainment/crack. I mean, you just can't beat that. (Therapy is at least $2.50/minute.)

Really. It's a bargain.

Quiet Here

I realize it's been a better part of a week and I have not posted, despite my continuing promises of knitting pictures and a conversion story.

I am still here, just not getting to the real internet with a real computer.

In fact, I am typing this post at a wayside on a back highway road, with my blackberry (sorry for those typos), waiting for my husband's ex-wife to show up with our daughter.

I am a bit angry, irritated, and mad. I do not know why I let this sorry excuse for a mother bother me. But I do. I try to be grqcious. I think, "I should pray for her.". I do sometimes. But I still feel like killing thing everytime I have to interact with her.

It's as though all the puppies have lost their cuteness. Her stupidity has sucked all the sparkles out of the rainbow -they've deflated to little dried up pieces of fruit snacks, the generic ones where they all have they same crappy flavor even though they're all different shades of yuk.

Not to mention that she's late and she thinks she's doing us a favor.

She is a piece of mashed up kid chewed pig guts.

Can you tell I don't like her?

Oh! Here she is. Yeah.

Is it too early to be exicited...

...for the next Harry Potter film?

I just finished watching my very own copy of Half Blood Prince (the most awesomest Christmas present in the world! Thanks Ma!). On the "extras" disc is a sneak peak at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 &2. They come out Nov 2010 and July 2011 respectively.

I almost peed my pants with glee and am full of so much anticipation I feel like I used to before my secular Christmases as a kid. Hee hee!

Did I mentiom that the only 2 movies I have bothered to see in the last 4 years of baby-rearing are HP V and HP VI? Yep. I am a HP geek.

Now if I can just get my Griffondor House Emblem bag and Griffondor Quidditch sweater knit before the next movie...

Knitting On

Update:

The first Mitt is done, except for the thumb. I tried doing it and it came out with holes next to the gusset. I ripped it out and will try again when I have the brainpower to wrap myself around that problem-solving issue. Other than that, I LOVE it!! It came out just the way I wanted it to. And I think I may publish the pattern (humbly) when it is done.

The little twists are so pretty. The sizing is much better. It's warm and soft and cozy. And while I prefer the look of gloves to that of mittens, I think these will be infinitely warmer, especially on those below 0 days (we had LOTS of those last year). I am very hapy with my decision.

While my brain relaxes, I have been working on the Rainbow Hat. Plain stockinette in the round is mindless and enjoyable - a wonderful change from all the thought and effort I put into the mittens, writing down every details as I knit and reknit.

*sigh* And I am still hard at work on the Husband Sweater. One sleeve done, about 5/6 of the body completed too. The lace shawl is again on hold, but what's new?

Oh, new!! I have been commisioned to finish a pair of socks. Ok, my friend was given this pair of socks to finish for HER friend like a year ago. She still has them. They are toe-up and my friend has worked them both past the heel-turn. She just had a baby and is feeling guilty about them not being done. She asked me if I would/wanted to finish them and I accepted.

The yarn is so pretty. I think she said it was Cherry Hill Yarn, or something like that. They are being knit with a nylon thread held together with the yarn. I am supposed to knit the leg with a lace pattern (after I decrease the gusset stitches). Any ideas? She just wants something "lacy". That's all the description I got.

Pictures will come when I can get my laptop to some wi-fi, promise.

Comment response, Blackberry style

I have been trying to get back to you, La Gallina. Blogger, or maybe it's Blackberry, will not let me comment after your comment on my post.

So you get a whole post to yourself. :)

I am working (and by working I mean "seriously thinking about it a lot when I think about blogging") on my conversion story. I am a little crazy about attention to detail so it would ebd up being a rather long post. But since I have recently propsed the same request to another blogger (Hands to War, I am speaking of you (and I can't hyperlink on this dang phone so see the sidebar)), I feel it prudent that I honor your request. I just can't promise when.

As soon as I can, I'm going to check out your Catholic Birth Center links. How cool! Although I don't know anyone off the top of my head who would work for free...I do know someone going to another college who may have some classmates interested.

And my spanish (I'm 1/2 Puerto Rican, raised in TX) is not as good as it once was. What is "la gallina"?

Feel free to email me: ta2ems (at) hotmail (dot) com.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Oh, almost forgot. Knitting (crack). I am just an untalented beginner also. It has almost been a year since I started knitting. What got me over my beginner fears was Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Knitting Without Tears" which my very crafty friend over at Giggles and Goofballs (see sidebar, again) bought me as a gift right after she taught me how to knit. Really awesome!

Dear Advent,

I am so sorry. I tried. Really, I did. I tried so hard to get into you and the Joyful Anticipation of Our Lord this year.

I know I did a much better job last year. I put up the Jesse Tree to celebrate Christ's lineage from the beginning of time and actually read the readings with the children. I decorated my house. I dressed my children appropriately in liturgical colors for each Sunday Mass.

I scourged the internet and YouTube for messages to share with my bloggy readers about the wonderful coming of Our Savior. I sung "O Come Emmanuel" so much that my husband asked me to stop. I pondered the Mystery that He is, both in the silent places of my heart and in this public venue with my peers.

Advent, you have been a wonderful companion to me in years past. I have no reason to abandon you. And yet, I have.

It doesn't help that we were *asked not to come to Mass* (twice). Or that I had to learn the hard way that being a Catholic homeschooler does not automatically make someone a decent person.

Not having regular internet access makes those wonderful renditions of Advent music so needed here on this blog a thing of the past.

Having to ask *my mother* for money to bail us out of a financial pinch is the icing on the cake this year. (Not to mention that she also made Christmas real for our kids this year - Thanks Ma!).

Nary is there a Christmas Tree shining it's lights in my home. Those candy canes purchased for decoration and Reindeer-making crafts are still lumped up in a plastic Walmart bag awaiting their shining moment.

No Advent, I have not been joyful or welcoming to you this year. Perhaps if I had embraced your spirit I would rightfully feel more "Christmassy" about now.

Today is Christmas Eve. There is one day left for me to redeem myself with you. I fear you will have to simply be patient and wait for me again next year.

I bid you farewell. Until we meet again...I'll enjoy our last hours together as I find a place to sit at Midnight Mass.

~H.A.M.

Something only a Knitter would notice...

I have seen Disney's "Lady and the Tramp" at least 100 times (probably more) in my life. Lady and the Tramp and Cindella are my favorite Disney flicks.

My Flower recently discovered Cinderella. We have watched it no less than 6 times per day for about a month. She loves her "Cinna-relly".

A few days ago the unthinkable happened - we lost Cinnarelly. We moved every piece of furniture, every toy, every cup, bowl and spoon, tearing the house apart for this movie. Gone.

So I did what any sane parent would do, I cried. Then I picked up "the puppy movie" and introduced her to Lady. She loves her Lady, but covers her eyes at the scary rat.

Seeing this movie now, as a knitter, I notice things in more detail than before. Darling, the "mom", is knitting some baby items. But not only is she shown reclining in a rocker, needles and yarn in hand - she is knitting with DOUBLE POINT NEEDLES.

The first time I saw a sock in progress on a set of DPNs, I told myself, "Now that is why I can't knit. Look at how complicated that is." I never imagined I'd actually *enjoy* working on them or ever understand how they work.

Needless to say, I thought it was rather spiffy the attention to detail in the movie. Pretty neat.

And now we are doing 4th-trimester abortions....

Investigators tell WSLS the baby’s airway was still blocked. They say the baby was under bedding and had been suffocated by her mother. Investigators say because the mother and baby were still connected by the umbilical cord and placenta, state law does not consider the baby to be a separate life. Therefore, the mother cannot be charged.

“In the state of Virginia as long as the umbilical cord is attached and the placenta is still in the mother, if the baby comes out alive the mother can do whatever she wants to with that baby to kill it.“, says Investigator Tracy Emerson. “She could shoot the baby, stab the baby. As long as it’s still attached to her in some form by umbilical cord or something it’s no crime in the state of Virginia.“

The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office worked unsuccessfully to get the law changed after another baby died in the county in a similar case. Emerson says they asked two delegates and one state senator to take the issue up in the General Assembly. He says the three lawmakers refused because they felt the issue was too close to the abortion issue.

Um, really guys?!! WTF! Come on....

So now the question remains, what will the pro-death people be doing with this information? Are we now going to be seeing legislation being pushed at the federal level quoting this(these) instances as an argument for killing your already born baby? How completely frakked up is that?

I was also under the impression that the whole point of "partial birth" (but full death) abortion required the child to be killed while the head was still in the mother's vagina was because as soon as the baby's head passes outside the mother's body it is considered to be a legitimately existing person.

Hat tip to Digital Hairshirt.