Mostly, I'm just impressed

I regularly go to the Craftzine blog to check on what is new out there in knit land. It's a fun little thing to do and often you have the leg up on the Ravelry world, like with the February Lady Sweater. I heard of it and cast on for it before it set the Ravelry world afire. (I still count my elf as being ahead of the curve on that one even though it's languishing in my knitting bag half done.) When I checked Craftzine they were featuring sculptural knits by Sandra Backlund. Here's a sampling of her work:











I admire the amount of work that was put into each piece she's designed and knit, the final production is, of course, gorgeous and something to behold. Would I wear them? Maybe the pom-pom one...maybe, but only if I had those legs. (In fact, I'd probably walk around in a long t-shirt and high heels all day if I had those legs.) Mostly though, I am impressed with Backlund's creativity and the way her knitting has translated into these stunning architectural knits.

Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow. ~ Unknown

Hello, there people. Things have been busy and a little stressful for me these days. About three weeks ago I had a quad-screen done to test for various things like spina bifidia, neural tube defects, trisomy 18 and downs syndrome. Well, they drew the blood on a Saturday and I got a call the following Tuesday. For those of you that aren’t familiar with ‘Jenn’s Medical Testing Theory’ (to be renamed something more awesome later), it goes like this: The longer it takes to get a phone call from the doctor, the less likely it is that there is something wrong and vice versa. Thus by my Theory, a Tuesday notification of a Saturday blood test is indicative of the fact that something came back in the test that raised a red flag. True to my theory, the midwife told me that my test came back with a higher than average chance that my baby would have downs. She explained to me that for my age I should have a 1/700 chance but my blood screen came back with a 1/180 chance. So she set me up for the following week for a level II ultrasound and an amniocentesis if I wanted it. She also explained that an amnio was the only diagnostic test, so the only way to determine for certain whether anything was wrong with the baby. Meanwhile Ry and I had to wait a week, in that time I cried in the bathroom at school and spent much of Halloween night in tears. I read information and did the math (a 1/700 chance equals a .14% chance and a 1/180 chance equals a .55% chance), and did my best to try to make myself feel better by reading boards on baby center and the stats in What to Expect When You’re Expecting that explained 90% of women who have positive blood screen results go on to have healthy, normal babies. It was helpful to some degree, but it was still just information unrelated to ME and MY baby. Ry, I found out later, was doing his best “I have to be strong for you” routine trying not to get too upset around me or too worried. Although I appreciated it, I told him not to do that anymore. I prefer Ry as the loving and emotional person that he is, not the strong silent type. So on the 4th we wnet to the hospital for the ultrasound and in our anxiety, arrived an hour early. So we hung around for a half hour and then went in. They saw us right away and I went in for the ultrasound. The tech said everything looked normal for a baby at that gestational age, no abnormalities, but the doctor would have to look at them to be sure. Then we went to genetic counseling, the girl was very nice, but she kept saying over and over again that an amnio was the only way to know for sure about the baby. The doctor came in and said everything looked fine and perfectly normal and we told him that we weren’t going to get the amnio. Well, Ryan was pensive and quiet and we had a little talk and he told me he’d just feel better with the amnio, but he didn’t want to force me. I told him I would, because I didn’t want him worrying throughout the entire pregnancy. Let me tell you, it hurt. Not bad, but like getting an IV or drawing blood, except it was in my abdomen. It hurt more afterwards. I had muscle pain in my abdomen for a few days after the procedure, even with being on bed rest for two days. It was not fun and on the second day I was alone for a long time because Ry had to work. Being on bed rest and trying to take two dogs outside for a potty break is no fun and they proved to be wiled that day, chasing after another dog in the neighborhood. I wrestled them back into the house and then was terrified I had done something wrong and something bad would happen. It didn’t everything was fine, but it was a difficult week. On Friday we got the preliminary results of the amnio, everything came back fine, no abnormalities, and the baby is fine. Last week we got the final results which confirmed the preliminary ones and it has been a relief. Lately, I have been feeling the baby move around in there. Little taps and flutters, reassuring me that things are okay. In the meantime, I’m just so glad that everything thing came back normal. I know that for a lot of people that does not happen, so I am just happy to be counting my blessings and hoping that for those whose tests did not come back normal, that they will be okay.

Hope and Change, People, Hope and Change

I just want to take a moment to say that although I do my best to keep this blog free from any political ideology, I think this past election was far too momentous in our lives as Americans to fail to say anything. Whatever your political leanings may be, I hope you at least fell proud of this country for basing its political decisions not on race, but on qualifications. Not on skin color but on basic political ideologies and reasons. I know that some people out there did vote based on race, but I think its apparent that those who did were in the minority. considering that it was not that long ago that African Americans could not drink from the same fountains, could not ride the same elevators and could not even go to the same school as others, I think we can say, as Americans, we achieved something important this election year. To be honest, I wasn't sure this was something I would see in my lifetime, but I am so glad that I have been a part of history.

Then (1956):


Now(2008):


We had two outstanding presidential candidates this year, and for the most part they acted with grace and dignity throughout their campaigns. They are both devoted to our nation and devoted to getting our country back on track, even if it means they have to "reach across the aisle". I was unable to see Obama's acceptance speech on Tuesday, but I was able to watch McCain's concession speech. We should all be proud of the graciousness with which he delivered that speech and the kind and decent words he had to say. Congratulations to us all, Republican, Democrat, Independent, libertarian and the rest. We should all be proud of what we and our nation has achieved this election year.

Happy Halloween

Just a quick note to say Happy Halloween! Hope you have a good one, whatever you decide to do!

Apple Picking and Bun Baking

I told Ry a while back that I really wanted to go apple picking. Having lived mostly in the south and southwest, this is not something you participate in as a child, so I thought 'when in Rome...' and told Ry many times over several weeks that I wanted to put apple picking on our weekend agenda. Finally, I had a little let up in my school work and Ry was feeling less allergenic so we decided to go. I can't remember the name of the farm we went to, but it had a little stand with veggies and fruits and an inner store serving sandwiches and selling apple cookbooks and apple based goods as well as a deli with pork products from a nearby farm. It was all very quaint and very cute. I felt like those new yorkers that go the the general store in Baby Boom, kind of obnoxious, kind of admiring. The way it works there is that for something like $18.00 you get a bag and get to fill it to the top with your apples. So we got our bag and I commented to Ryan "Wow, that's a little pricey for apples..." and we went across the street to the orchard. There were so many trees at the beginning of the orchard that were just picked clean, as we went down the rows we saw trees with tons of apples, but they were all at the top and out of reach.


We got down a little further and finally there were some apples both of us could reach, so we started merrily picking away. We deftly avoided obnoxious college kids, annoying pre-teens and weird parents with kids named Kennedy and Reagan that refused to behave. We had a nice conversation with a man from Ohio about African Lady Beetles (thanks mom) and saw some cute families that had the apple picking process down. (Older kids climbed the trees for the top most apples and the little ones in carriers got to reach for apples at a grown-up's level.) Ry and I had a lot of fun and filled our bag to near overflowing before deciding to call it quits.

We put the heavy bag into the car and went into the farm stand for a sandwich and soda, both of which were thoroughly enjoyed. Then we headed home. When we got there the bag was so heavy I asked Ry to take it in for me and set it on the counter. It was only then that I noticed the bag is a half bushel size! I remember thinking to myself that a half bushel seems like a lot of apples so I looked it up, a bushel of apples weighs about 48lbs. We have TWENTY FOUR POUNDS of apples at my house people! I have made apple bread, apple muffins, apple crisp, apple sauce, I have been eating an apple everyday and I still have half the bag left! My Gramma suggested that perhaps if I parboil them I could freeze them , which I still have to look into, and I suppose, I could make some pies and freeze them for Thanksgiving. Still...that's a whole lot of apple. Next year I'm getting a smaller bag or I'm getting some basics so that I'll be able to can some apple sauce.

In other news, Ryan and I got married. Well, we eloped to be precise, with a wedding ceremony and reception tp follow for September of next year. There were a number of reasons we did it, the first was we just wanted to be married already, another was that he needed health insurance and we couldn't afford to not have it or to individually cover him through the state's insurance and that was the only way to get him on my insurance and finally when we were thinking about getting married in Mexico it was recommended that we marry before hand because the process for legal marriage in Mexico is very intrusive, expensive and ridiculous.

Now that I've got your head spinning a little, the other big news is that we're expecting a baby on March 31st.

It's okay, sit down, take a breath, I understand how you feel. This is a lot of information to digest.

I am 18 weeks along this week and starting to show.
(See? That's my bump.)

The first trimester was filled with nausea but no vomiting (thank the Lord) and I now have a well developed aversion to chicken. Not turkey, not duck, just chicken...and greasy food. I crave oranges like you'd not believe and fruit is my new best friend. (I love it!) I'm also not digging sweet desserts or any junk food. We decided on this wonderful place for prenatal care and will be going to their birthing center. I am so pleased we are using a midwife instead of the awful ob-gyn my doctor referred me too. The midwives take the time to get to know Ryan and I, and every time we go in there they are all smiling, pleasant and happy to be at their place of work. Such a change from the other place we went to, where they barely answered my questions and gave me a copy of a diet for pregnant women with heart and blood pressure problems (I have neither). The diet basically said all I could eat was boiled chicken and steamed broccoli with a dessert of air-popped unbuttered popcorn. Yum! So we heard about Cooley and decided to try them out. I've never been happier. Everything is progressing nicely and I have another appointment this week. It's absolutely shocking to think I'm going to be a mama soon. I barely feel capable of being an adult!

So, that's how things are going. I'm still attending law school and I still intend on finishing in May and taking the bar in July. It will be challenging, but so is everything worth doing. Well, that's it. That's my news. I'll probably start a baby blog for the out of town family & friends to keep up with, perhaps I'll start it by Christmas, we'll see how the demands on my time are. I may just keep putting baby updates and pictures here rather than a new blog. We'll see how things go.

Quickly

Quick post for your reading pleasure, many exciting things have been happening that I need to update you all about, but it will have to wait until next week. (Are you waiting in suspense? You should be.) Something I was thinking about the other day was how disappointed I am when some of my favorite bloggers don't post every day or even every week. I always think to myself "Hey, I'm trying to keep up with you and your creative life here. Throw me a bone!" Then I realized what a hypocrite I was being! I don't post weekly, though I try, and I definitely don't post daily! Who am I to judge? I always have a rationalization for it though, "I'm in law school, I'm busy" "I'm too tired to post after classes" "I'm always on the computer for school and work, I just want time to knit/sew/relax" So if those are all my excuses, what do you suppose a mother of three's excuses are? Or a photographer with baby's excuses are? Or anyone elses excuses are? Surely they are at least as good as, if not better than mine! In that vein, I have decided to be less of a judgy-judgerson until I can get my act together. No promises, but I will attempt to be a bit better about the old blog here. Even if it's just a quick update. Well, I'm off! Two big projects due for two big classes!

Why Hello There!

Oh my goodness! I can't believe I haven't posted since August! I will, of course, summarily blame school. Normally I wouldn't because I usually use class time to catch up on things like e-mail, blogging and ravelry. This year however, I've been shockingly engaged in my classes. Leave it to me, last year of law school and I'm finally taking classes that are engaging.

First things first, there's this young woman in one of my classes, she's well spoken, very pretty and as cute as a basket full of kittens. One day we were discussing a case involving arbitrary discrimination against women as corrections officers in jails and prisons. It was an arbitrary limitation not narrowly tailored for the particular business purpose. (Still following me? It gets better, I swear.) So this little Kitten speaks up and says that she feels the regulation is fine, and that she doesn’t believe that women should be corrections officers anyway. (WHAT!?!?!) When pressed why she thought that she stated it was because women are nton intimidating enough, nor are physically or emotionally equipped to handle the job. (Yeah, I know what you're thinking. I was thinking it too.) So when one of us suggested that perhaps, the state correctional facilities in question could impose rigorous strength and fitness tests, just as the fire department does, she said "I don't think women should be firefighters either." My school is very liberal and many of the women that teach and that attend are all subscribers to varying levels of feminism, but one of the mainstays is that nearly all of them believe at least, in equal pay for equal work and the right of a woman to have any job she can handle, regardless of her gender. So to come across someone that has had so much education and has even gotten to law school that feels that way is a bit, well, shocking. I'm not saying I would expect her to be a crazy left-wing feminist. I'm just saying that I would expect more from her than that.

Moving right along, Ry and I celebrated his 30-something birthday last week and one of his requests was a homemade yellow cake with berries, something light and summery. So I scrounged the internet and found a Strawberry meringue cake (I used a boxed yellow cake mix for the base. It was just a bit easier for me, this time.)
with homemade whipped cream frosting. Wow! What an endeavor, but I am happy to say that the meringue turned out and the whipped cream frosting was pretty easy to make. It was just a delightful cake.

I finished my Belle Cardigan, and I have to block it before I decide if I like it or not. I knit it in Rowan Spray, in a mottled red color way and it is very cute, but I need to see how it fits after blocking before I make my final decision. I'm still plugging away on the February Lady Sweater, although I'm a bit disenchanted with it at the moment. (Totally me and my yarn, not the pattern in the least.) I have to cast on for 3 pairs of mittens this weekend and I have a BSJ in the works as well. Whew! A lot of knitting to work on, it seems.

This weekend Ry and I are taking a trip up to Woodstock, VT for a special little outing and will be staying at a quaint little B&B. We are both very excited about this trip, and Ry's sister K will be looking after the dogs, so it'll be just us. It'll be a nice change to sleep in a bed that isn't full of dogs for a night!