A learning experience for all of us...

August 5th 2017 I was induced about 3 days early due to my baby being large and me not being able to go past my due date because I had been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.  While pregnant I researched everything I could find about labor and delivery.  I had no birth plan minus I wanted my husband in the room and I didn't want an epidural.  I felt prepared for labor, but realized after that all the research in the world didn't prepare me for my OWN experience.

The only part of my "plan" was I went into labor on a Saturday, because I was induced, I then had a 26.5 hour labor.  Yes i know other women had gone longer, but due to the placement of my baby's umbilical cord, I had an emergency C-section when I went, "IM DONE" after they couldn't keep his heart rate steady and I wasn't 10 centimetes,  I was barely 7.  He wasn't going to fit, even though the poor little guy did try to come out naturally, so I had to have a c-section, and I had to be knocked out because I wasn't allowed an epidural.

The 10 Things I learned during my first baby labor experience.

1. Induction = Bed Rest
They tell you when you go into labor that they want you up and walking and moving.  THIS does not apply when you are induced.  They actually get kind of annoyed if you want to get up and move around away from the monitor depending on your nurse because they have to unplug you each time.  We had one nurse who was like, "yea just page me when you get done and I'll hook you back up" and another who was NOT happy each time I had to pee... So try that natural induction stuff at home to get labor going because if they induce you, you're pretty much stuck to the bed...

2. The Water Breaking GUSH
They aren't joking about that GUSH of water when your water breaks.  Mine was broken by my midwife and it just kept coming, and apparently it smelled really bad.  My husband informed me of this recently.  I was too busy with labor pains to notice the smell.  My husband has a very sensitive nose though so I'm not surprised he smelled it.
3. Internal Monitors
If they have difficulty finding your baby's heart beat with an EXTERNAL monitor, they will give you an internal one.  Be very careful with this, it is attached to your baby.  They drape it around your neck when your go to the bathroom, and my husband would help me in the bathroom each time I went so I wasn't tugging on anything.  He also accompanied me to make sure I didn't trip or anything.
4. Talk to your specialty Doctors, not just the pregnancy ones
 If you want an epidural, you should probably talk to the anesthesia team BEFORE you go into labor, especially if you bruise easily and are short, and get things in writing from your OWN doctors too.  I decided at 3 in the morning to get an epidural after our nurse (who wasn't our favorite person...) kept telling me "the pain will lessen in you get an epidural" and "you'll stop thrashing around in bed if you have an epidural".  She called the Anesthesia team, got me all hooked up and turns out I COULDN'T have one.  I have Ehlers Danlos and bruise easily.  At 4:30 in the morning I was informed by the Anesthesiologist that I had a high probability of being paralyzed if she gave me an epidural due to my EDS and how short I am, which my genetisist had told me wouldnt happen, but they refused to give me one.
5. Ask about pain management and drugs, Even if you don't want them
DISCUSS IT with your midwife or doctor beforehand.  I had not wanted drugs and I didn't know my options besides an Epidural, and was dead set on I didn't want anything.  I was given an IV med to start, and when I couldn't have the epidural, my midwife called the doctor she is associated with and was given Morphine so that I could sleep because I was having contractions every 2 minutes but wasn't dilating any further.  Also, the Demi (I forget the full name) doens't work as well the SECOND time they give it to you, thus why I had morphine..
6. TEAM WORK!
If your baby is in distress, EVERYONE gets on board.  My baby's heart rate started dropping because his umbilical cord was going from his belly button up over his one shoulder and down the other.  While he was trying to get out of me and I would have a contraction, it would put pressure on his cord and he wouldn't get an oxygen.  No joke, 4 people rushed in my room, and my husband noticed it before they were in the room yelling for me to get on my hands and knees and shoving an oxygen mask in my face because he was watching the monitor, even though they told us not to... My midwife in the morning turned it for us saying, "I know you like to watch it"
7.  Things go quick
An emergency c-section is the quickest surgery I have ever experienced.   Due to my inability to have an Epidural, I had to be unconscious for my cesarean, and my poor husband who had wanted to cut the cord and was excited to do skin to skin while I was recovering, wasn't even allowed in the room because I was unconscious.  SO, no cord cutting, no skin to skin.  BUT he got to watch his first bath, and hold him before me.  My husband claims it felt like 15 minutes from the moment they took me to the moment the doctor said, "you have a son!".  I could have sworn it was a half hour... but that may be from the moment they all came running in to his birth time.
8. If your mother wants to be there, let her be there.
 My mom asked constantly, "do you want me to come over?" and we were like, "everything is fine, you'd just be sitting here..." and about 20 minutes before I went in for my cesarean, she texts me again, and I said the same thing.  Looking back, I wish I had said, "sure, come on over and hang out with us, given hubs a break from rubbing my back" because she would have been there by the time everything happend and hubs wouldn't have been alone when I went into surgery.  Everything went so quick, that if the rolls were switched, I wouldn't have known what was going on if I was him... thus I yelled to the nurse to explain it again to him.
9. Stay calm, and breathe
 Lots of people try to tell you alot of information at the same time.  Try to stay calm because you won't hear any of it.  I literally told my midwife, "I don't care what the risks are, lets just get him out", as she tried telling me what was going on half way through me having another contraction and trying to keep an oxygen mask on my face.
10. You need that birth partner
Finally, you don't realize how much you need your spouse, or birthing partner until you are in it.  I could not have gone through that alone, and my husband really pushed through it.  He doesn't function well on little sleep, and by the time we had the baby, we had that contraction relief down to a science.  He'd hear me groan, and immediately sit up and start rubbing my back.

They tell you that you forget the pain when its all over.  Frankly I am not forgetting ANY of that first birth experience, but I did learn alot from it.  Especially the hour and a half wait to find out I couldn't have an epidural, my new found hatred for pitocin, and a new found love for pain killers in a pinch.  That said, it was all completely worth it for my little handsome guy

winter coats to spring coats...

...and all that in between.

So here in PA we literally went from crazy snow storm where we all had to be cooped up in our homes and it being like 10 degrees outside to 50-60 degrees and sweat shirts... I'm ready for picnics and there is snow on the ground... nuts.

During this lovely cooped up in our home weekend, my hubs had a birthday, which he and I originally planned to go away for the weekend, but thanks to the snow, that didn't happen so we ended up sledding with my sisters and my nephew instead.  Note to self, nephew is not the biggest fan of snow.  He did not enjoy the snow flying up in his face.  I think I'm safe in saying my family is a family of beach people... we like warm weather and sand beneath our toes, and the occasional 70 degree breeze that requires me to wear a light jacket... why we all live in the northern middle east coast of the US baffles me...
BUT! we took baby bear (who is now 2 by the way.  Crazy right? I did a whole entry on my sisters baby shower for him and now he's 2!) sledding and he preferred making snow balls.  Hubs tried to get him to throw a snow ball at me going, "here, I'll make  you a snowball to throw at your Aunt Kelly."   Smarty pants that baby bear is turns to me and goes, "Aunt Kelly, make me a snowball to throw at Uncle Dylan"  love it.  I am severely out of shape and the boots I was wearing were not good for ice.  I ended up having a hard time walking up the hill after sledding down the long hill, then even had a hard time walking up the "baby hill" because it was so packed down from us sledding on it with the baby bear.  One little girl tried walking up a certain spot and baby bear goes, "YOU CAN DO IT!'  to the little girl, lol.  My sister (not his mother) goes sledding down one long hill by herself and he continues to shout at her, "WATCH THE TREES!!! WATCH THE WOODS!!!" from the top of the hill.  When baby bear said, "Mommy, I don't want to walk up this hill anymore" I immediately went, ME TOO! and we all went home.  To prevent him falling on the ice, I was asked to carry him, big mistake.  My slipper boots slipped on the ice and I went tumbling down taking baby bear with me.  Thankfully I like tugged my head down trying to keep my nephew from smacking his head, and we were both ok.  Two like teenage girls shrieked and the one went, 'OMG ARE YOU OKAY!"  My sister immediately said the same thing, whereupon my husband picked up my nephew from me (who appeared unharmed) and went, "more important, are you okay bud?"  He was and is fine by the way.

Got to knit during the cold too.  Nothing is more comfortable than some hot chocolate and a little yarn while you watch the snow fall.  Working on a baby blanket for someone.  Not me, I also apologize again to the friend I showed it to who thought it was my way of going HEY IM PREGNANT!  Little Lohkempers are coming!  Nope, no baby yet!

Change of topic! Hubs and Me are Catholic, so we've been limiting how much meat we are taking in and since its Lent and we can't eat meat on Friday's anyhow we just decided we wouldn't include meat in the grocery list, at least until Lent is over.  We had bacon in the freezer from before Ash Wednesday and knew it was going to go bad, so we cooked that for breakfast on the Thursday snow day thanks to Winter Storm Thor.  This lead to me making soup for dinner that night as I had already cooked the veggies meant to go in it.  I had potatoes I needed to use, so I made loaded potato soup, and just kind of added carrots and broccoli... it was pretty good.  I had the remainder of it for lunch today.  I feel a piece of Italian bread would have gone well with it.  Ironically, my mother made soup tonight, and I ended up with soup as two meals today.  I had to stop there to pick up stuff and she was like, 'take soup!'  I didn't mind, I got to relax for some time before the hubs got home from work so.  yay!

Thats all for now people!  Enjoy the coming spring!
taxikab

Hurricanes and yarn

So due to the fact that I live on the east coast, I was one of those lovely people who got to experience the Frankenstorm, Hurricane Sandy.  Thankfully I live just outside a major city and not in New Jersey... so I was not hit bad, we never lost power and we only had a rain gutter fall, my dad called it a Down Spout... no idea what that is, but I'm sure after Dylan and I have our own home I'll find out...

The wind was CRAZY!  My mother, sister and I were sitting in our living room watching television to pass the time and keep from getting cabin fever.  This worked slightly as we watched just about 3 hours of Long Island Medium.  I was going to bake cookies, but then my whole family informed me there was a high chance I would not have work again TODAY (which I don't! thanks to PennDot closing every major roadway I could possible use to get to work...and Septa shutting down til like noon today....)  So I will bake cookies for work later today, because I have a funny feeling we will have work tomorrow (seeing as we almost didn't close Monday....) and I will have to have these pumpkins ready for my clients... still need icing and ziplock bags...  I'm trusting them to decorate their own "Pumpkin" cookies.  I've been dying for a reason to use my Pumpkin shaped cookie cutter lol.

Yarn! I spent all day knitting while watching television.  I worked on my sock, my blanket and a scarf I forgot I was working on.  The scarf keeps getting tangled and I'm slightly angry at it for doing this.  I will try to work on it when not baking today.  I KNOW I won't have the blanket done by December, no way.  I will have to work on that every day for the next 2 months to do it... not going to happen.  I tried tho!  I may just make something little for my nephew to be the 12th project.  I did make him two blankets... so I'm good on the blanket category, lol.  I did NOT make a sweater for myself, I hate making sweaters, they never turn out right for me... I think I'm going to start a sweater when the Blanket is done and just have that be my 2013 project... see if I can actually do it.  Just a big comfy sweater to wear around my house, maybe brown or black or something.  I'll figure it out.

Was browsing Etsy the other day (I don't do that enough now that I've found Pinterest...) and I found THIS!

ITS A BEAN BAG CHAIR!  Seriously the things people come up with...

Heres the link to buy it if you feel you want to

Bear Bean Bag chair  Seriously, so cool...

I think I'm going to start browsing Etsy again for Wedding stuff.  I'm in love with some of the things people put on there for head pieces and veils.  I really love it.

House hunting... biggest pain in the ass I have every experienced.  No joke.  HGTV lied to me... they make it look fun and interesting, its not... its really not.  My sister told me if we were taking our time finding a house (we=Dylan and Me) then it would be more fun.  I disagree... I really think its annoying looking at house after house and awkward to go in peoples houses... AND! Every freaking house we LIKE! we can't get because its a damn short sale (don't have the time for it with our Grant) or it gets sold... ugh...

In other awesomeness.  As we all know, I'm an Artist type person.  I can't do math... I hate it... I could never be a doctor because I like the awesome parts of science, not the facts part.  I fiance informed me that he believes I am a smart individual.  I was like, 'WELL THANK YOU!'  I know I'm creative... but intellectual not so much...  I was then informed that he enjoys having intellectual conversations with me and if I don't understand something hes talking about, I calmly inform him of this, I don't go, "UGH! DYLAN! I don't know what youre talking about, nor do I care..."  This is totally me tooting my own horn here... because my fiance is a fountain of useless knowledge and very smart, where as I'm next him going, "I knitted you a sweater!  Look, is blue!" (I know the grammar is incorrect, that's the joke...)  Its fun to know my finace loves me for a brain as well as my knitting skills, lol.

All for now knitters!  Happy knitting!

taxikab

long over due

HI EVERYONE!  Life has been CRAZY since my last post, thus the lack of posting... LET ME UPDATE YOU

First and most important I have 11 projects started, and 8 done!  I have to finish the gloves, the socks and the blanket.  I also have to start either a sweater, or another hat for my nephew.  He enjoys my hats they keep his little adorable head warm.  I made him 2, and the second one ALREADY is too small... so I have promised my sister another one for him.  She then complained he has hoodies to wear, but no sweater, and she wants a little jacket for him without a hood.  I may find a like 12-24 months pattern and make him a sweater so that he can keep wearing it through winter.  Hes only like 2 months old, but hes a big baby already.  He's tall and growing fast, hes not a fat baby though, that has to be specified because I think my sister would be upset if I was telling people she had an overweight child... hes tall, NOT fat lol, tho of course he has little chipmunk cheeks like me :)   So like I said, we will see.  I'll probably make the hat because I need to finish the other 3 and I've only got 2 months left!

Second!  I GOT ENGAGED!  My awesome wonderful and handsome man Dylan proposed to me on September 22 2012, ironically on my friend Bobs birthday so I won't forget!  Love my ring, love my fiance.  I had been waiting for this to happen, because I knew it was coming, lol.  I'll do a picture post to update on everything later because I don't have a picture on my computer of the ring, just my phone.

What else has happened... OH! Dylan and I are trying to buy a house, I'm trying to lose weight for this wedding, and we're also trying to save money to pay for said wedding... going to be an interesting and frugal year 2013...

Been going on Pinterest ALOT again... this has resulted in Dylan telling me I should make the foods I see on pinterest for him... I went, "yea and I'll make it a blog like my knitting blog" and was very sarcastic about it... and he went, 'DO IT! We'll make a video blog! I'll tape you cooking for me, then I'll eat the food" 'and then you'll get fat...'  We'll see what happens.

I have choir soon.  Sister is bringing the baby to church to see the organist, who I love dearly and have known for like 15 years now... and she taught my sister and me piano and she has seen COUNTLESS pictures of the baby, but no actual BABY, lol.  SO my sisters going to try and bring him today.  See how it goes.

Going to knit today!  I need to get my stuff done before the end of the year.

Happy Knitting!!
taxikab

theres a post coming...

I SWEAR!   I haven't been posting because I've been SO busy getting the blanket for my sister done, and then helping my mother with stuff for the shower...  I took TONS of pictures (well not tons...) of the stuff for the shower tonight and will post on Sunday because my big sister can not see any of it before tomorrow!   So excited for her.  Picture post on Sunday!

Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Fathers Day to all the Daddy's out there!  Rather than wake up and begin knitting, I helped my Daddy with the garden in the front yard.  What did you do?

Speaking of Fathers, for brother in law, who's soon to be a father himself, I show you a picture of Baby Bears Christening blanket.  Cables that intertwine.  I tried to take a decent picture but it was difficult.  I gave you one yesterday of it though.  Yes I am aware that there is less footage on this picture than the one yesterday, I took this picture a bit ago and had to go out and couldn't finish the post, so I'm using it now, because it was a pain to get the picture, lol

My mom keeps reminding me this baby is coming and the baby shower is soon and I need to knit faster, lol. She's even gotten into the habit of sewing only when I'm knitting, and if she's sewing I should be sitting in the room as well knitting, lol.  HOWEVER if she doesn't like what I have put onto the television, she goes in the other room an sews... and watches a different station... thanks mom...
             


Fixed the ears on baby bears hat!  The one is kind of square... but looks better in my eyes than the
pointy ears looked, lol.

There was a general consensus at work that this hat is more adorable than before, so yay!

So I have another post where I show you things that aren't "knit" but I find interesting...

I personally am not a big floral print person... BUT! I love giant sewn flowers and knit flowers, and love them as headbands, however, I work in a place where we need to be not so flashy with my head bands... so I make them and put them on my clients at work, and everyone ooo's and ahh's at how adorable the headbands are.  I'm satisfied with that.  My clients need to look adorable too!

Anyway!  So I'm always looking for crafty things for making flowers and such.  Heres one I found and was like, "LOVE IT!"

http://news.holidash.com//2010/04/23/mothers-day-corsage/

The website says that its a "Mothers Day Corsage" thus the babies picture on the back.  My mom would need one picture of all of us... or just her grandchildren (when Baby bear gets here!).

I truly am fascinated by the things people can come up with.  I mean seriously, how creative are some people that they can make all this stuff!   I think I'll quote my mother on this one 

"It's just how your mind works" - My Mommy

I tried explaining cables to her yesterday and how simple they are once you do them a few times, and its really just putting some stitches on a needle to hold, knitting the next ones not being held, and then knitting the ones being held.  She told me that's too complicated, and when I said it was easy she said it was just how my mind worked, that I can see that as simple and figure it out, where as she can't, and other people can't.  Frankly I think if you work hard and put your mind to it, you can do almost anything.  I've been knitting 7 years, so if I can't do cables by NOW I never will.   Now if I could only learn how to make socks!

Happy Knitting!

taxikab

Looking good...

Got a foot of the blanket done. My mother told me i should make it about 3-4 feet so my sister can wrap the baby in it. It's not very wide but I've been knitting all day only stopping to go to church.
Enjoy the picture update.

Beehives and Baby Bears

So i had the Beehive pattern written... and then left it at work...  I can't post on here from work, so I have to write them down and then type them when i get home.  I'm in the process of writing the bear hat, because I have to remember how I did it.  I am going to try and find a new way to make the ears... because frankly I think they look like pointy wolf ears rather than round bear ears... but the baby won't care, haha.  Plus I can always take them off if I can find a better way to do it WITHOUT crocheting the ears... which I may HAVE to do, but I wanted this to be a completely knit pattern... who knows I'll figure it out.  Whip out my books and find something similar.


This is the Beehive.  I found Fabric on my desk at work and laid it there so It would make the hat stand out. :)

And the teddy bear hat.  Like I said, I need to fix the ears.  Maybe i put fuzzy yarn around the edge of the ears to make them more round...

I posted on the last entry that I have 5.5 projects done, and then 2 started, I completely foot about my scarf I am making, so technically I have 3 started... I have a habit of starting projects and not finishing them.  I'm proud of myself that I HAVE finished 5 projects so far, and one glove...
Still need to make socks (which I am making the baby to match the hat :) but will make an adult size too...), a christening blanket for the baby, a blanket for myself, I want to spin and dye my own yarn at some point this summer.  If I am diligent I may end up making more than 12 projects... Which will be awesome... Lets do a head count!

1. Beret Hat (no picture... sad face)
2. Moms Scarf (short blue one)
3. Kids Scarf (Purple One)
4. Baby Bear Hat
5. Beehive hate
6. Gloves (half done...)
7. Taxi's scarf (MINE, partially started...)
8. Christening Blanket
9. My Blanket
10. Socks for me!
11. Socks/booties for baby (may make more than one pair... and some more hats)
12. Spin and dye yarn, make into SOMETHING.  Maybe some gloves

I am also working on trying to make FINGERED gloves, not mittens.  I had a client at work help me design these gloves by him telling me what colors to use.  They're blue, red and grey.  My boyfriend told me, "You should name them after the client, make a bunch, and then donate half the money to a Special Needs organization (like the Autism Awareness, or the Special Olympics or something).  I would do the same thing with the Beehive, but that was so easy to make and I'd want to put something extra on it for it to be sold for stuff like that.  I just don't think people would buy the beehive like they would these gloves...  WHO KNOWS.  Leave opinions, leave comments.

Happy Knitting.

Done

So when I posted yesterday I looked at that tiny ball of yarn and was cursing at it going, "WHY WON'T YOU END!?" and then I'm sitting at work during movie day, knitting with my guys... and realized, this tiny ball was very deceiving... because I didn't have enough left to bind off.  SO! I sat there and carefully took out the last row and have no bound off the blanket AND ITS DONE!
Because I'm lazy, its Saturday and in my mid 20's, I haven't gotten out of bed yet and I finished it last night before going to bed.  I'm crazy excited its done, and so proud I'll be able to give it to my sister when she has her first little one.

I'm going to count the stitches my sister originally cast on, she kind of eyeballed it and went, "that looks wide enough..." and began knitting lol. I'm just gonna post it Bear's way

Baby Bear Blanket
Supplies:
36oz of yarn, devided into 6oz of three colors from light to dark
I was forced to do this part because I ran out of the original color.
I used all simply soft yarns
6oz bright yellow
6oz dark yellow
6oz gold
(those aren't the names, I just lost the sleeves...)

Cast on 150-200 stitches (it depends how wide you want it) of color A
1. Knit all stitches to the end of row.
2. Continue until all 6oz of color A is gone.  Must end at the end of a row
 - If you think you won't make it to the end, stop with Color A even if it leaves a large tail
3. Begin knitting with Color B.  If you have Color A still left, knit both together to make a more secure joining, and you don't have to sew the ends in... just cut off any edges that seem ugly looking
Repeat steps one and two
4. Begin knitting with Color C.  If you have Color B still left, knit both together to make a more secure joining
Knit until Color C has enough yarn to bind off.

DONE!  That seems so simple, but took me forever... I'm just slow I guess.
PICTURES TOMORROW!