OP helps me cook. And since she started helping, our meals have tasted even better (if that’s possible). She’s going to be a chef when she grows up. A triathloning chef.

Since I have a few moments I thought I would post a couple photos of charity pieces I made in 2009 for Made by Hand. I did not run Made by Hand this year so I’m not sure about any of the stats so don’t ask. I mean you could ask I guess but then I’d have to make things up. Anyway, both pieces are my own patterns and both extremely simple.

Pattern: Twisted Drop Stitch Scarf
Yarn: Crystal Palace Yarns Deco Ribbon
Needles: US 10

I bought this yarn ages ago when I was more inclined to buy yarn because I thought I could possibly use it maybe someday. I have a huge stash of yarn now so see where that thinking got me? The yarn could fall on top of me and I would die, die people, and while it would be a happier way to go than say, being eaten by piranha, it still wouldn’t be fun.  Anyway, so I bought the yarn on clearance because I wanted to work with ribbon someday and I was so sure I could come up with something. Five years later I finally threw together this charity scarf. It actually came out really nice.

I think I really like ribbon yarn but I’m going to not buy any for a very long time. Besides I still have some novelty yarn in my stash that I um bought because I knew I could make something with it. I am reforming my yarn-addicted ways, I swear.

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Pattern: my own unpublished Twisted Cowel pattern
Yarn: Hip Hop
Needles: US 10

I can honestly say I did not buy this yarn so there! It’s not part of my disease. This was actually donation yarn from a local yarn shop that is now closed.

The pattern knit up in a weekend. To be fair, the bulk of it was knit while waiting for the Husband to do a triathlon. I hung out and just knit. I even walked around and knit but sadly each time the yarn would fall out of my overstuffed bag and on to the ground whereupon I wouldn’t notice and just walk with an ever-growing tail until I turned around and saw. *sigh* Not my finest hour. Anyway, I wish I had one more skein of this yarn because it’s not as long as I would like. I did turn out nicely however so I’m more or less happy with it. I hope whoever receives it will be as well.

I have a few minutes while OP’s Aunt and Uncle are around helping to share her birth story. It’s not terribly riveting. I mean, there’s no water breaking or hours of labor, neither is there no harrowing car delivery or emergency problems, just a trip to the hospital and surgery, but whatever. It’s my journal so there.

We left the house at 8am and drove for the last time as a family of two to the hospital. Once we were checked in and in my room for the next four days (ugh), they came to gave me the IV. I should point out that I hate needles. I can’t stand them. Don’t show them to me on TV, don’t talk about them, don’t think of them, just don’t. As long as I can pretend that needles don’t exist, all is right with the world. Of course, that reality isn’t going to work when surgery is on the agenda.

So, the nurse took a Buick-sized IV needle and thrust it into my wrist/lower arm. Did it hurt? Of course it hurt! I give her credit though, she tried to make it easy. She failed. Miserably. To add insult to injury, I stood up a few minutes later to take off my socks and as I looked down I saw a lake, nay an ocean, of blood on the floor. The tubing had come apart and I was bleeding through the IV. IVs suck. Fortunately, she just hooked it all back up and then I got to watch as I re-ingested my own blood through the tubing. That was kind of cool.

After an hour or so, I was given some nasty liquid to prevent vomiting,  taken back to the OR, given my epidural (*shudder*), and began shivering as I waited for everything to begin. I was pretty calm. A few days before I just stopped worrying about the surgery and being awake while I was being cut open. In fact, I was sort of wanting to see the surgery in progress. I did think better of that because I’m not sure what sort of counseling would be needed after watching someone cut into you and muck about in your insides. It would have been cool, though. The Husband was wheeled in in his hospital gown and booties (very chic) and everything began.

I felt tugging and pressure. Then I felt sick and threw up the anti-nausea liquid. It tasted much worse on the way out, but once I was given more meds through the cursed IV, all was good. All things considered, the surgery wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was kind of cool. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be extremely happy to never ever have to do that again, but for what it was I kind of liked that part. And no, I didn’t look.

One of the things I was looking forward to experience with this birth was to cradle my little girl right after she was born. She would stare up at me and I would look lovingly down at her. She would think, “Oh crap, this sucks. Why’d I have to be stuck with her?” and I’d think, “Oh crap, what have we just gotten ourselves into? Can I take her back?” It would be magical. Unfortunately, I had to wait a while with the C-section. Once she came out, the nurses whisked her over to a cleaning area, then presented her over the curtain, took her back to do her apgar scores (9/9 if you are wondering) and other mysterious things, and then gave OP to the Husband to hold. I lay there the whole time staring at her in my husband’s arms, craining my neck to see, and just wanting to hold her. Unfortunately, they took her away to the recovery room and wheeled out the Husband before I got the chance. Not that I could in that position. I began to cry (stupid hormones). I just wanted to hold my little girl.

Not the beautiful moment I wanted, but after a few more moments I was sent to recovery where I got my hands on her. It wasn’t long enough but I like to think I’m making up for it every day. Although, I don’t feel like I quite get to hold her enough even now. The important thing is OP was healthy and is reasonably happy so long as you don’t change her diaper, and that’s all I can ask for.

We stayed at the hospital for 4 days. She lost 10% of her weight and we had to supplement her feedings with a small amount of formula. There is a debate on what she weighed at check out. I thought it was 7 pounds. The husband thinks it was 7 pounds 4 ounces. I think I’m right. She does weigh 7 pounds 4 ounces as of yesterday’s first well visit and we are back to a normal feeding schedule. Things here are going well. We have a lot of help and are starting to get the knack of things. Until she throws us another curve ball which I’m sure will be any day now.

If you are still reading this (wow, are you crazy to do that), here are some photos of her getting ready to come home and here is her first attempt at Tummy Time. Unfortunately, there are no photos of me. That’s because I’m always the one behind the camera. The Husband doesn’t really take pictures so she’s not going to believe that I ever existed, but I guess that’s just the way it is.

I have a few minutes before OP’s next feeding so I thought I’d post the hospital pictures while I had a chance. She was born on Monday via C-section at 11:04am. OP weighed an even 8 pounds and measured 19 inches.

Since this is still a public (WordPress) blog and she deserves some privacy, I won’t be giving her real name here so she will still be OP. At least until I change it when I come up with something better or change my mind.