Afternoon Snack

Ainsley's Half Birthday... 6 Months Old!

Our little Froggy is 6 months old today. 

Here she is with Hedwig. 

Happy Anniversary...

While Ainsley and I were hanging out in Orlando I took some photos of her in front of where we got married... She was just learning how to sit up on her own this week.

 

Bed Time...

For the past month I have had the internal struggle about our little one's bed time.  She has always slept in our room... and the week we moved to the new apartment (back in October) marked the time she started sleeping in our bed. Say what you will but I was getting to sleep for the first time since coming home from the hospital.  I loved it!  Not to mention Lillian (the real baby of the family) took over the bassinet and claimed it for her own.  It's not the best situation... But who am I kidding?  I love cuddling with Ainsley.  I love waking up to her smiling face.  It's like rainbows and sunshine in the morning.  I love holding her while she falls asleep in my arms.  I know this time is very short lived.  I am holding on to it as long as I can. Oh... and I love SLEEP! 

But... (and yes, there is a but) there is also the part of me that does not want her to be sleeping in our bed till she graduates college.  (OK, I know that's a bit extreme)  

So I made it a goal that by her 6 month "birthday" she will be sleeping in her own bed, in her own room.  

Baby steps... right?  I set a goal. Yay! The next step - - sleeping in the crib.

Tonight, I thought I would start trying.  This would give me a week.  (A WEEK?!?! I am insane... this is never gonna work!)  

First thought? Mistake #1: I am doing this solo as Daddy is driving back from Key West.  Where would be my support to tell me it will all be ok when she cries?   

I pulled up my big girl pants and prepared for game day!  I felt like a football player preparing for battle.  I had my plan... Mentally I said to myself "Ok Mom... we got our offense.  Bath, followed by pjs, and when we are 4th and inches we'll pull out the sleep sheep and story time.  Moms go on 3!".  Break!

We took a bath, put on our pjs, turned the lights down low, put on her sleep sheep and seahorse, and I nursed her one more time.  (Mommy is on a roll. I'm in her end zone!)

I put her in the crib and walked away.  (Score!) (?)

That's when you would say Defense sacked the quarterback! 

Because coming from the crib was nothing but... Whimper, whimper, whimper! 

The whimpers still break my heart.  Trying to remember all the advice I had been given on how to put her down... I went back in set on not picking her up. (Mommy game face) I rubbed her back, talked to her, and gave her the pacifier.  Nothing worked.  It's like she could smell the fear of a night time breakdown.  That's when it happened... the whimpers went right into a full out meltdown. (Interception! Ugh!)

I re-group, pick her up, and try nursing.  All I can say is her team is fierce! She's tough like the Raiders!  (Maybe I should have gone in with  a MMA game plan.)  

And then... she started to drift off in my arms.  I waited a few minutes... got up... laid her down (4th and inches again)... she started to whimper again (block, again)... I gave her a pacifier... silence... I step back... and more silence... and .... GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! (ok I know thats soccer but TOUCHDOWN just didn't express the excitement I was feeling!) 

I did it!  I really did it!  (High Five, High Five!) 

She's a big girl! And I am sad... let's see if I let her stay in there all night or if I break down and go in and get her.  :) 

** Update: 12am.  Daddy Arrives Home.  Baby hears. Waaaaaaaaaaa! Now she is sitting on the couch with him having a good old time.  Starting to think Daddy is playing on her team!

Bit by the Knitting Bug...

So last Christmas I was bit by the knitting bug... again. 

Four years ago I had learned to knit when my sister was expecting my nephew Jayden.  My teacher? Our dear friend Gina.  She was an awesome teacher and even inspired me to make a blanket for my family's new addition.   I work so hard on that blanket and after five long months it was complete.  I don't think I had ever been proud of anything I had ever made...  but this time was different.  I would stare at it in amazement as I would look at it and think... I made that! 

Now I'm the first to admit that Jayden's blanket was the furthest thing from perfect.   It has holes, a few dropped or picked up stitches, and I'm sure there is a salsa stain from a late night knitting episode... I too was amazed after finishing it that it ended up having four even sides. 

But to me that blanket was (and continues to be) the best thing I have ever given my little nephew.   

Jayden's Blanket

Sadly, I put my needles down after that and didn't pick them up till a year ago. 

I had just found out that we were expecting and was starting to "Nest".  Gina suggested knitting.  But only being a few weeks I was hesitant to start knitting for our little one.  So... I started knitting for our friend Faride.  At the time Gina and Faride were both expecting little boys in March.  After taking 3 years off it was kind of hard to remember what to do but (like riding a bike) I got the hang of it again. 

I remember riding back from Kevin's Aunts house in Jacksonville knitting and being so happy.  With each stitch that I knitted I said a little prayer for Faride's little boy.  By the time we made it home I had made some major progress.  I continued to work on that blanket all throughout "Jack and the Beanstalk".  I would knit on the train to the theater, before the show, backstage during the show, and on my way home.  My goal was to have it done before he was born.  I was doing so well... and then I hit a snag.  Well, more like I ran out of yarn and I couldn't find more that would match.    

* Note to self - buy more than one if doing a blanket.    

   

Well, to make a long story short... my mom finally found some yarn that sort of matches but poor Faride's little boy is still without his blanket.  

Good news is that I have still been knitting in the process.  

After Ainsley was born our friend Alisha (Jack's mom) asked if I knew anyone who knew how to knit and could teach her.  I of course suggested my knitting mentor Gina.  Seriously... what can't that woman do?  :) But after telling her that Gina taught me Alisha just said "well why don't you come over and we will have a knitting day".  Why not!  So Ainsley and I headed up to Broward and I taught Alisha the basics of knitting.  And like the two nesting moms that we were we sat there on a Saturday night knitting.  

       

When we were at Michaels getting knitting stuff for Alisha I found these two fun colored yarns.  I thought they were a change from my baby blues... and I was inspired to make a Stroller Blanket/ Burp Cloth for Jack.  (The green matches his Monkey room)  

I came up with a basic pattern and within no time I had a little blanket for Jack.     

Jack's Stroller Blanket

 I liked it so much that I decided to make one for Ainsley...

Ainsley's Stroller Blanket

After finishing these two stroller blankets I started working on a new blanket for another new mommy.  (I can't say who because it's a surprise).  I am kind of doing the same pattern but every other row is 10 instead of 5.  And it will be a little bit bigger than the other two.    

I can't believe how much I am enjoying knitting.  I love to sit there and knit while Ainsley is sleeping in my lap.  Not only is it something that I get to do for myself but I feel like I am able to accomplish something on the days where the baby will only allow me to hold her.  And I am proud to say I have become a pro of knitting and not stabbing the baby with my needles. 

But now it feels like I have knitting on the brain.  And thanks to an article in Knit Simple I am now addicted to the works of Susan B Anderson.  I even rushed out to Borders and bought another knitting magazine: Knitting Today.  I am inspired to knit other things like: baby hats, toys, Christmas items, etc.  

I have also found these great books by Susan that are just perfect for the new knitting crazed mom that I am.  There are so many neat things that I would love to make but have no clue on how to knit them...  All I can knit is a blanket....

I just need to set up another teaching session with Gina.  Hummmm... maybe I should set up a little lunch for us moms... a Knitting Lunch... cause I have the Knitting Bug!