Baby Sister's Afghan

The finished product - just need to tie up the loose ends

Edge detail

Center detail

Some That Didn't Make The Cut

We are taking multiple versions of Abby's first Christmas picture so that each of her handmade afghans appears in a picture. Here are a few of the different versions that weren't quite adorable enough to beat the finalists (which will not be revealed until you open your Christmas card). Thanks to Great Grandma Jennie for the white afghan (in the first two shots), to Sharon VanKoevering for the perfectly pink afghan (in the second two shots), and Arlene Shock for the pink and white afghan (in the last shot)!

Tonight we are planning to put up our Christmas tree and take a family photo to finish our Christmas cards. We just have to keep our fingers crossed that the snow will not get to heavy after Steve gets out of work. We love snow, but we really want our Christmas tree!

Afghan - Check, Carseat - Check, Baby - Missing in Action

Home Alone Day 2 - The Afghan is Almost Done

Maize and I have just about wrapped up day two of being home alone. I didn't sleep well last night (mostly because a very odd basset hound is having her own pregnancy problems, including frequent use of the outdoor facilities and throwing up and restless sleeping). So... because Maize didn't let me get very comfortable last night and because I never sleep well alone anymore, I am basically wiped out. I spent most of today working on Sparky's afghan - I am so close to being done. All I have left to do is 1/4 of the edge, which I am making scalloped. Steve told me I am not allowed to finish it tonight, just in case finishing the afghan results in eviction of the baby.

Steve's conference went well today and he is relaxing and getting ready to fly home tomorrow. He had a few questions about his poster and research and was able to sit through some presentations. And, luckily Sparky and I gave him nothing major to worry about.

So tomorrow... Steve will be home around 3 or 4 pm. By then Maize and I should have the afghan done and ready to wash before the big day. So we've survived (basically) our home alone stints. Now we just have to figure out when and/or how to evict this big baby.

The Doctor's Visit

Steve joined us for Sparky's visit to the doctor's office this week. It wasn't really a very eventful visit for Sparky and I, so I'm sure Steve found it much more interesting than we did. We heard Sparky's heartbeat and we were measuring at the right size for 33 weeks. The doctor said we have been doing so well monitoring my sugar level that he thinks we can probably go all the way to week 39 before inducing labor. I was not too excited about that idea - I was thinking 37 or 38 weeks sounded just fine to me. Of course, that is why he is the doctor and I am not.

We are scheduled for an ultrasound next Tuesday to check Sparky's height and weight. I am really excited to get another peek of her. We're also going to be sure to have the technician confirm that Sparky is a girl - if she's not then she will be a little boy with a lot of pink and purple clothing. But they were 99.9 percent sure Sparky was a girl at 20 weeks, so I'm sure we won't have any surprises.

We have continued to have an uneventful pregnancy. Sparky is moving a lot, but it is a very different movement now that she is so big. We've started to get things washed, set up, and assembled for her big arrival. Last weekend we created a baby first aid kit just in case our little girl needs a band-aid or has a fever. My afghan is coming along well - I have 2/3rds of it sewn together.

Steve is taking his licensure boards this weekend, so Sparky, Maize, and I will be cleaning and catching up on rest.

Another Trip to the Doctor

Sparky and I made our weekly trip to the doctor's office this afternoon. The wait is much longer when you have to go during the afternoon. I got bored waiting and Sparky got the hiccups. It was entertaining to watch my belly wiggle with each hiccup. According to Dr. Sammarco we are doing really well managing the sugar levels, so that may be pointing to a later delivery (like April 11 or 18). Fairly soon we will have an ultrasound to check in on the size Sparky has achieved.

Yesterday, in spite of the terrible headache, Steve and I washed all Sparky's smallest clothes so she would have something to wear in the hospital and when we all got home. It was so funny to be folding dozens of shirts that all came from the same load - we are so used to washing our clothes which fill the machine quite quickly. We are starting to feel ready to add this little girl to our family. This weekend will be another weekend of little projects and trying to finish Sparky's afghan so it is ready to bring her home in.

We all hope you are having good weeks and that you haven't come down with the mystery virus I've had.

The Last Quarter - Week 30

Well, week 30 is off to an eventful start. Sparky is about 17 inches long and should be weighing in around 3 pounds. We say should, because yesterday we got the results of the glucose tolerance test and the waffles were not the cause of the high reading. Unfortunately, I have gestational diabetes. On the bright side, if we can control the diabetes there are minimal risks to Sparky, the biggest risk being excessive weight gain by the little squirt, which may make a early c-section necessary. Hopefully the doctor will be able to answer most of our questions this morning at our appointment (which will now be a weekly event to make sure the diabetes is under control). My waistline went up to 45 inches, so I am sure she is growing well and she is getting quite a bit stronger (we can tell from her kicking).

I've made it to the last third of the baby afghan, so hopefully we will have that ready in time for Sparky to use it. We've also started to get our hospital stuff around, just in case. Other than that we are both growing bored with pregnancy and the aches, pains, swelling, and discomfort. Steve's been wonderful at helping me deal with it all (so has Maize by being remarkably calm most days).

Hoping you all are having a good week. Needless to say we've been a bit overwhelmed with the influx of information and the major changes that the next 10 weeks will hold, but we are deciding to remain positive and trying not to stress over things we can't change anyway.

Week 25 - Only 105 days (and then some) left

Things are "growing" or going nicely for Sparky. My waistline expanded by a whole painful inch (up to 43 1/2 inches). All week I've felt like my belly was going to split right down the middle. Sparky is up to about 13 inches and is around 1.5 pounds, but after walking all around Ann Arbor tonight she feels more like 1.5 tons.

Not only is my belly getting big, I've also started retaining extra fluids in my legs and I've got some extra weight in my face. Other than that I've been feeling pretty good, except for leg pains during the night and waking up a whole lot (5 or 6 or 7 times each night). I guess it is good training for all of those late night feedings that we will be doing soon.

Steve and I are taking Sparky on her 3rd trip to the Upper Peninsula this week. We are leaving Thursday morning for Sault Ste. Marie and Steve's second interview with the Chippewa Tribe for the open dental position. We've been assured that the job is his if he wants it, so Sparky and I are going to focus our efforts on finding suitable housing while we are up there. We may also try to catch the Lake Superior State hockey game on Friday night. Sparky's favorite dog Maize is already safely in Hastings - so we will have to make a stop there on the way back on Saturday.

Below are samples from the baby afghan that I'm making for Sparky - I have 4.5 of the 9 squares done. 5 of the squares are going to be different and 4 are going to be solid yellow. Hopefully we will have this done before Sparky's first appearance.

Week 17

Steve's out of town again this week - so no photographs again. Maize, Sparky and I are trying hard to entertain ourselves as best as we can. I've popped all the way out to 41 inches around this week and added a couple pounds. Sparky has also decided to make himself (or herself) very well known to me this week. I've been getting lots of internal pounding, but so far neither Steve nor I have been able to feel any kicks on the outside. I am certain that the internal kicking is Sparky - it is random, painful at times, and generally not related to any other internal discomfort. Hopefully this child will begin kick outwardly and into the muscles, rather than my internal organs.

I've just about completed the second block of a 9 block, crocheted baby afghan for Sparky. I went with yellow yarn so that it would be gender neutral. It's beginning to actually look like something that may be finished on time.

Sparky, Steve, and I went up north to Sault Ste. Marie last weekend. It was Sparky's second up north experience so far. We had a great time checking out our potential new home. Steve's "interview" with the dentists seemed to go really well and we are going back in January for a second interview with the rest of the staff. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed a little free time on the way home.

Steve will be home late Wednesday night, so we will update with the photos hopefully on Thursday.