Saturday, March 20, 2010

around here

:: i am quilting up a storm... the quilt top for elisha is almost pieced completely.

:: anna will walk holding one of our hands and will let go and balance on her own some.

:: andrew has been clearing vines and brush from our yard like a pioneer (and hopefully will come out unscathed by poison ivy- his arch enemy).

:: otis has been chasing squirrels like mad and hounding the chipmunks in the wood pile (while they, no doubt are laughing at how incapable he is at catching them).

:: our dear elisha--- well, he has been running rather high fevers off and on since thursday evening... asking to go night night at 6:00!!! ... refusing to eat most of the time (until he discovered pediapops)... having his first Saturday visit to the dr. where he not only had a 104 degree temp. but also threw-up curdled dairy {we learned the important lesson that diary doesn't mix well with fever... the fever causes it to spoil in ones tummy --- learn from our mistake!} he doesn't have strep or mono or chicken pox... not really sure what kind of virus, but we are now fueled with pediapops and he seems to be on the mend... stayed up until his usual 8:15 tonight.

:: the crib in elisha's room--- empty! he took his first nap in his big boy bed this afternoon... he took a break from his illness to sing and dance, capering about while we put it together in his room this morning. i looked everywhere for our video camera to catch the excitement on film, but it was nowhere to be seen. he said, " i a big boy, sleep in a big boy bed, but not a very big boy, i still need some people on my bed, (as he got 'chick' and 'lamby' and of course, 'duck' out of his crib and put them on his bed before i had even put the sheet on) and bwee bwee (his paci).

:our house-- a complete and total wreck... who really needs a clean house anyway?

Monday, March 15, 2010

the long overdue knit sweater(jacket) post

way back in the summer i started what felt like an incredibly ambitious knitting project... a sweater! but as it was a tiny baby sweater, and the easiest pattern the knit shop sold (just flat rectangles that you then seam together), i felt like i could at least give it a good try... and maybe finish it by winter.

i think the best thing i did was choose wool that i adored. i LOVE the malabrigo brand and especially the mineral red color of this sweater. it isn't your typical baby sweater, but it was something that i was excited enough to want to finish... and the wool was so beautiful and soft that it made the process so enjoyable.
i love that when anna wears this sweater i am reminded of the warm afternoons during our family's 4th of july trip to the mountains... i sat in the rocking chair on the porch and knit away while andrew's parents rocked my baby to sleep on the swing... i remember knitting in the car on the way home... and getting home and realizing that one of the sleeves fell out of the car 1.5 hrs north of the city when i hoped in the backseat to nurse anna... and i remember thanking God when andrew's parents found that lost sleeve on their way home ;-)

in our culture clothes can be so... disposable, we can get them for cheap and then get rid of them when the style changes... but i have really enjoyed the few pieces of clothing that have been expensive in the time invested in making them. so many memories are associated with the article before it is even worn... then it is worn more often b/c it is already a good friend. i may sound a bit crazy speaking of clothes in this manner, but i know some of y'all are nodding your heads!
when i made this i thought of it as a sweater, but now that we have gone whole winter and i have only just washed it for the first time ( after been worn almost every single day!) i think of it as a jacket... you don't wash jackets as often as you wash sweaters ;-) and as it is a fairly thick wool for a baby in the south it has been a wonderfully warm outer layer over whatever she has worn... and with our long cold winter this year-- it has been welcome indeed!
* i will highlight the skirt in a later post--stay tuned ;)
a sweater that just buttons at the top works well for sitting babies w/ chubby bellies and big diaper bottoms. since i'm her mother it is my job to think she is the cutest thing i have ever seen--- right?
ta da!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

flannel love

thanks to the warm weather that is (i hope!) just around the corner, this dress will be hanging out in the closet for a good while. if you are in our area you may have seen enough of this little dress to know that it is one of my favorites! it is a simple "scrappy skirt" sewn into a onsie.( i made the mistake of using a Gerber onsie-- they are just plain crappy) ... the fabric is sooo lovely and snugly. it is anna marie horner's new line of flannel --"folksy flannel"... you may have already heard me mention her name... we aren't friends... yet.... but i'm sure it will happen! i just can't say enough about how thrilled i am with her fabrics and book(s). i will be showing off more things lately made with her fabrics soon.i didn't get a close-up of the dress, which is a shame b/c you will just have to believe me about how cute the tiny orange house applique is on the front. and you should also note the lavender rick rack along the hem... i love rick rack! the shoes are also from anna maria fabric- her home dec. line "drawing room"... i did make them... and with her busy crawling she is destroying them :-(

Thursday, March 4, 2010

our yoguru

here is another breakfast scene. elisha could live on yogurt alone... but we try to keep him to one a day. and i just got the chobani? brand of greek yogurt at sam's... so healthy!

he had 'donuts with daddy' at school tuesday morning and daddy was so surprised -- he said that elisha is so quiet and shy at school... those of you who know him well probably share our surprise!

i am painting a big boy bed for ole e... i finally found a jenny lind spooled twin bed and am painting red... now if i can make some major progress on his quilt... my goal is to have it finished as a 3rd birthday present at the latest!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

tooth 2, month 10

happy ten months to you anna! and happy (well, mixed feelings right now i'm sure...) 2nd tooth... speaking of, we have enjoyed the homeopathic teething remedies that have chamomile-- they are good for calming!this is a familiar morning scene... winter may not offer as many hours of sunlight, but we are so thankful for the heaping dose we get through our window during breakfast-- a great way to start the day! and we are so pleased with our hook to the table high chair-- very space saving!
late as usual- here is a moment captured on anna's 9 month birthday.