t-shirt recycling

As soon as we knew our baby was a boy, Jay handed me some t-shirts to turn into onesies (to be fair, I had suggested the idea to him but the whole "boy" thing made it an instant good idea). I've been having a hard time getting into the sewing room, but over at least six 10-15 minute sessions, I finally got one done.

This t-shirt had already been cut down into the graphics from the front and back so I had to use other jersey to make the shorts and edging. I left the connection at the waist rough because it seemed to suit the shirt's style. And I tried to maximize the "Groo" graphics as much as I could, working some into a sleeve too. The onesie fits Milo really well and I agree with Jay - it's totally his coolest outfit. Now, only 3 more t-shirts to go!

road tripping

It wasn't anything like our vacation last summer, but road trips are always fun. And I can say this even with an 8 week-old and a car that seems no bigger than a Radio Flyer wagon.

For 3 days and 2 nights we covered a lot of Ontario ground, though it's pretty funny where we spent our nights. Yes, we live in Toronto, and yes, we stayed at a hotel in Kitchener. But they had an awesome saltwater pool and in-room movies, plus we didn't have to clean up after ourselves...which helped with the whole faux-vacation vibe.

As for the ground we covered: we checked out the Aberfoyle Market near Guelph, the undeveloped beaches and Heritage Main Street in Bayfield, the Bayfield Berry Farm, the manicured beaches and hexagon-shaped downtown of Goderich, the amazing Farmer's Market in St. Jacobs, the covered bridge in West Montrose, and we drove through the cute towns of Elmira, Elora and Fergus. We stopped at a few thrift stores, random antique shops and made the one stop that sent us on this journey in the first place - Elmira Stoveworks (we wanted to check out the retro fridge we've been debating for over a year). With all these stops it felt like we'd been gone for days.

Oh, and don't let the photo fool you - both kids had a great time. I think.

underachieving

Eight weeks has already gone by and like every mother before me, I wonder where the time has gone. Milo is wearing 6 month size clothes and is a solid, happy guy. Sadie is home with us full time and I'm slowly learning how to manage Milo's naps. But somehow this is all that I do, if you throw in a load of laundry a day and making sure we're all fed. Nothing else is getting done and I'm really itching to be creative.

Don't get me wrong - I'm savouring every moment of this babyhood, and I'm so much more relaxed this time around. And I love the funny little moments with a baby, like when Milo finishes eating and uses my boob as a pillow (officially the best use of a boob, second only to actually feeding offspring). I haven't had blue days or any sleep anxiety, I simply wish I could knit a little more. Sew a bit. Read something. Write thank you cards. That sort of thing.

Admittedly a tiny bit of knitting is happening, thanks to some car rides. The proof is in the final photo, and I really hope to have this cardigan finished tomorrow. I don't intend for the blog to become all about my kids (oh my god, I have "kids") so a finished project would be nice. As an added bonus, it also means I get to start something new.

market loot

Thanks to a post over at the lovely Needlebook blog, Jay and I were reminded of the Sunday St. Lawrence Antiques Market here in Toronto (funny how you forget the things that are the closest to you). With a small break in the torrential downpour last weekend, we finally made it down there, and were we ever glad we did, even though the rain caught us right at the end.

Sadie and I spent most of our time at one jewelry and button booth...I seem to have acquired a real soft spot for buttons these days.  But the booth had so many great picks, and I had a hard time stopping myself. By far my favourite are the enamel coated W.L.H.B. buttons - besides the great colours, the abrreviation stands for "Women's League of Healthy Babies". How very British, and how very wonderful, plus I think they could be used to make a great little series of...something. The red-headed doll is from the 60's.  We saw her from afar and just loved her colour and style, and the seller gave us a real deal for her and a pine chest from 1874 which is now housing all of our extra shoes. And by deal I mean $45 for a wooden chest, and that's right here in the city. Somehow we keep thinking we need to leave the city for those prices, but that's what is so great about finding the market again. Jay even grabbed a flip calendar to add to his collection, so he's so stoked by the market we're probably going again today. It's stroller friendly and a great outing. And seeing as I'm up with Milo at 6:38am, we could use an outing to look forward to.

pebble

This is the cutest pattern ever. I've heard that boy patterns are much harder to come by, but this was a nice start to the search. Inspired by brooklyntweed's Cobblestone sweater, Nikol Lohr has made this pattern available on her website. It is very easy to follow and was a quick knit - even though I was knitting in roughly 5 minute chunks (this is all Milo really allows me right now). And this is officially my first knitting project post-birth.

I used up my remaining Luxury Donegal Tweed yarn, though I promise to never be the woman who wears her vest at the same time her son does. I knit the pattern with a 5mm needle, hoping to make a 6 month old size, which I think I got (Milo can't model it just yet, so here's hoping he doesn't explode in size before fall gets here). Overall I just love it...so much so that I think there will be another in Milo's future. 

dear dad, a month later

(I started this post while having comtractions on Father's Day...and am just finishing it now.)

While Jay is on the cusp of being a dad again, it's time to celebrate my own dad.

Years ago my mom sent me this photobooth photo, and I instantly remembered all the details of when we had it taken. I was 6 years old, and my family of 4 was traveling by train to Chapleau, Ontario. We boarded the train at Union Station around midnight, but my Dad and I needed candy. Yes, candy (and now at 35 and 65, some things never change). So we set out into the station to track down treats for the long trip ahead. And although this part surprises me, I distinctly remember getting these photos taken. Spending money on candy is easy, but my Dad isn't one for frivilous expenses like photobooth photos. But this night he was and to my great luck, I have the photo and memory to always remind me of our candy run.

My Dad is ice cream, chocolate raisins and Coke. My Dad nurtures us with food and practical advice, and taught us that making a house a home is important and possible wherever you are (my parents have lived in 13 houses the last time I counted). He is the best gardener I know and he is the first person I ask whenever I have dilemmas around the house. He is Santa with a hint of Mrs. Claus, because there is nothing more fun than starting Christmas morning with cheese biscuits and chocolates at the same time. On the day I got married, in an uncharacteristic move just like the photobooth photo - my Dad picked out the most perfect pair of stud diamond earrings as a gift and made sure he gave them to me while I was getting dressed (I should mention, I never wear jewelry yet my Dad knew exactly what I would like). And two of the most important life lessons have come from my Dad: one, he taught me the value of money by explaining things like mortgages and taking me grocery shopping as soon as I could talk, and two, never go to bed angry. My own marriage benefits from these lessons each and every day.

So, happy belated Father's Day Dad. I'm a lucky, lucky daughter. And thankully I've learned a thing or two about hairstyles since we had our photo taken in 1980.

score

What's a girl to do when she is told not to carry anything heavier than her baby for 6 weeks, but she passes these two awesome chairs on the street? Forget the medical advice of course - I mean, look at these chairs!

I was on my way to pick up Sadie from her day camp (which is an almost one hour walk round trip, I'm certainly getting exercise) when I saw these chairs being put out on the curb. I didn't even hesitate - I asked if they meant to get rid of them and then promised I'd get both on my way back with Sadie. So the plan I devised was this: Sadie would push Milo's stroller and I would carry the two chairs.  And it worked, although my incision might not be too happy about it.  Who cares - look at these chairs!

thank you

You know how there are friends that, without question, will go above and beyond to help you? Well, we have a friend like that and she was a lifesaver around Milo's birth. So, as a token of our thanks and with a little help from Sadie, I made these name mini-quilts for her two boys. (Sadie is responsible for the colour and fabric choices and I've heard her choices were spot on!) 

With Sadie I had a tough time staying positive in the first few weeks, but this time I've learned quickly that having small hand projects really helps my mood. Embroidery and knitting are made for the early weeks with a newborn - easily picked up and put down, they allow for a little "making" satisfaction and give me something else to focus on other than how long Milo is sleeping...or not. And really, there's nothing like having a baby dozing peacefully in your lap while you make a stitch or two. It's downright heavenly.

(And P.S.: thank you so much for the wonderful and welcoming comments for Milo.  You guys are great!)

the official story

I won't make it graphic, and I will try to make it brief. But I will explain how the little guy came into the world, despite my best efforts at a VBAC.

Unlike Sadie's birth, the initial labour was quick. Contractions started around 5am Sunday morning, and we got to the hospital by 8:30 and I was 5cm dilated. The next few hours were spent getting to 10cm, which was more painful than last time, as every contraction was in my back and they were doubling up so that I only got relief before every 3rd contraction. I asked for an epidural near 8cm, my midwife broke my waters to see if baby's head would drop more, and the epidural finally arrived just as I had hit 10cm. Needing the relief and knowing the head was still in the same position (which was starting to sound awfully familiar) I was given the epidural - a fairly light dose - and allowed to rest as my contractions kept coming (they didn't give me anything extra because my contractions were strong and were not slowed down by the epidural). Two hours passed like this and still the baby's head was in the same position. Next step? Real pushing. The OB gave me one hour to push, hoping to see some advancement in the baby's head position. With the excellent help of my midwives and the L&D nurses, I pushed for that hour and not a minute less. But when the hour was up, the baby's head was still in the same spot. Deja vu really, because this is just what happened with Sadie. No matter how hard I tried or how strong my contractions were, my babies just don't get past a certain point in my pelvis.

The medical diagnosis with Sadie's C-Section was CPD - meaning, my pelvis is too small (or abnormally shaped, oh my!) for delivery. But this diagnosis is used all the time, and 65% of women go on to deliver their next child the old fashioned way. I figured I had a good chance of being the norm, but as my midwife now tells me, I'm only the second woman in her experience to truly have CPD. And I have been told flatly - if I have another child, it's straight to the operating table for me.

At least now I know. Recovery is the pits, but Milo is happy. Thank goodness it's 2009 (and 2004) as Jay likes to mention. As for me, I figure there's no point dwelling on what would have happened if we lived 100 years ago. I'll just focus on the fact that my body can incubate healthy babies and feed them once they arrive (and feed they do - Milo has gained 2 ounces a day since he was born, I kid you not).

So that's the story of my little Gemini. Obligatory cute photo and all.

the solstice with the mostest

June 21st: Summer Solstice, Father's Day, and our 6th Wedding Anniversary. But the most important of all? It's the day Milo was born.

I'll save the labour story for another time (it involves another c-section) because all that matters now is that we're happy and we're home. Milo is a healthy little guy and looks just like Sadie did as a baby. He was by far the best Father's Day present Jay could ever get. I think the 3 of us are still in shock that we have a little boy, but we are so excited to start this adventure. Speaking of adventure, Milo just squealed. Gotta go kiss the newest love of my life.

Milo Lamb Kronenwald. Born June 21st, 2009, 5:11pm. 8 pounds, 4 ounces.