stash, knit, repeat

Sorry about that, folks, and thank you SO MUCH for all of your well-wishes and congratulations. No time at the moment to reply to each individually, but I read and cherished them all. They really got me through a rough couple of first-days-home. As to the long silence–in addition to the general craziness, there was a very strange bug with my wordpress installation that took some time to track down. We’re all still here, and well, and stumbling our blind way through the newborn phase again.

I wish I had more fibery goodness to share with you than I do. The baby is putting a predictable strain on our finances, so all that crazy yarn-club joining I did back in February is it for yarn acquisition around here. Which is fine–I have plenty of yarn, after all, and it’s nice to get little pick-me-ups in the mail every so often.

(Jacob enjoys it, too.) Life with a three-year-old and a newborn is having a predictable effect on my knitting time, too. We’re taking plenty of pictures, though. So how about I distract you with a few of those while we all wait for regular knitting content again?

Jacob took this one, actually. I had the tripod set up, and he figured out how to locate us through the viewfinder and click. Toddler-proof digital camera for Hanukkah, maybe?

Here’s a better look at Daniel, from last week. Since then, he’s gotten a terrible case of baby acne. (Poor thing.) Finally, a sneak peek of the little knitting I’ve managed to accomplish.

You can see more pictures of the baby and the family, if you’re so inclined, on flickr. I’ve been doing a self-portrait project since Daniel was born, and I’m enjoying it. I’m sure knitting will return here eventually, but until then: Who’s going to Rhinebeck? Other than Daniel and me, I mean.

He juuuust managed to be an August baby.

August 31, 2008. 9 pounds, 14 ounces. 22″ long.

Welcome home, little buddy. Nice to meet you.

Well, in case you’re wondering, a newborn isn’t the reason I’ve been away.

On the contrary, he seems plenty comfortable in there and I may well have to waddle like a manatee through a few more weeks.

There are worse things than a healthy-but-tardy baby, and we’ve been dealing with some of them, but I hope life will return to something vaguely resembling normalcy soon. Until then I hope you’re all well!

Yeah, yeah, there’s another FO to share, but hasn’t it been awhile since we just chatted? Life has sure been busy, and it seems like I have lots to tell you.

First of all, the wee beastie is doing just fine. Unfortunately, the swelling that plagued me for so much of my pregnancy with Jacob is back with a vengeance (good-bye, wedding ring!). I don’t think I’ll ever actually enjoy being pregnant. But all in all, 22 weeks isn’t as bad as it could be. At least I’m able to stomach coffee again.

Both my knitting and my yarn-buying are going well. Faced with the prospect of at least a year without practical sweater-for-myself opportunities, I’ve gone a little crazy with the cheez whizyarn clubs. After another shipment of Sundara’s club, and a general diminishing of the raging hormones, I’ve decided the club is both enjoyable and good for me. Unable to decide which season appealed to me most, I chose both Summer and Autumn this time around. As if that weren’t yarn enough, Madelinetosh came out with a club of her own. Her yarn is definitely a contender for #1 favorite, so I joined up. I guess my needles will be plenty busy, and hopefully I’ll be too focused on the luscious yarn to notice the lack of sweaters!

My secret knitting du jour involves what is probably my most favorite cable ever.

Also, it’s purple. How could purple be bad?

And finally, things seem to have gotten settled enough for me to share that we’re making a big move back to our house in the Boston area this summer. We have lots of good reasons to leave CA, most of them boiling down to family and culture. I’m so excited to go back that I can hardly stand it. We’ve been renting out our place, and I love the thought of being in my very own house again–although I’m daunted by the toddler-proofing challenges! The last time we were there, Jacob looked like this:

Now, things are a little different.

(Yes, he’s hiding something in my shoe.) What do you all like most about the place you’re living?

I wasn’t quite sure when I’d write this post. The miscarriage I had in October has made me jumpy, more secretive, more nervous that maybe this time when I go to the doctor, something will be wrong. But, my friends, the time has come to fess up. Because I got the cutest gift in the known universe this weekend, from the lovely and wonderful Sarah.

(I have a hard time knitting for babies not yet born, but I’m so glad others don’t share my neurosis.)

So! I’m in the middle of my 16th week, finally past the 24-hour nausea. Able to knit again. Sitting in the living room, in fact, enjoying the sunshine and turning the heel on my Conwy sock while Jacob reads his book. (“I do it all by myself, Mommy.”) Although Jacob is as enthusiastic-sounding about our upcoming change as he is about everything, I’m pretty sure he has no idea what will be happening some months from now.

What’s it like for me, this time around? Well, I’ll tell you one thing. The stomach muscles pretty much just rolled over and played dead starting the second I found out. I’m in my beloved Gap jeans a full two months earlier than with Jacob, this time.

Wish me luck at my doctor’s appointment next week, okay?