Category Archives: kids

One year ago today, our lovely Knittybaby made his appearance.

I had spent the day in rehearsals at Orchestra Hall and was beat. The Skeptic was at a gig that night and I came home exhuasted, stuck with getting an overactive Little Man fed and to bed on my own. After a few days of false alarms I was sure Knittybaby wasn’t going to do me a favor by showing up a week before his due date. So, I plowed through the evening, kind of feeling like I ate too many enchiladas but nothing else.

Around 9pm I called the Skeptic: “So I’m not really having contractions but I feel weird. Just so you know to hurry up after the show, just in case.” Then I went to sleep.

Around 10pm I called our doula: “So I’m not really having contractions but I feel weird.”

“Take a nap and call me later,” she said. So I did.

Around midnight the Skeptic came home. “I’m having some contractions. Maybe I am really in labor, do you think? ”

We called our doula. “Sounds like it. Have a snack and get some sleep, she said. Give me a call when you think you need me.”

So we did. An hour and a half later I woke up: “Hey, contractions! Big contractions! Two minutes apart! Let’s go!!”

So my brother came over, we told our doula to meet us at the hospital and off we went. We got there, registered, got into our room and before I knew it my water broke and it was time to push. Sixteen minutes later, there he was, another beautiful boy, another easy labor, another natural, gentle birth. What a blessing. (For those of you keeping track while you’re reading, yes, it was less than four hours from when I decided I was probably in labor to the time he was born. I am a lucky, lucky girl.)
So a year later, we celebrate.

Knittybaby enjoys his first cake at his party on Sunday.

Little Man decided that instead of the card he was going to make his brother, he would feed him a pile of hot chocolate mix for his birthday instead.

Knittybaby thinks eating hot chocolate is a great idea. Knittymama, who was busy online doing preschool registration at the time, wasn’t so sure.

Knittybaby did receive his gift. He found it to be very exciting, despite the fact that it is missing it’s ears, arms and legs. I gave up at midnight last night when I couldn’t stay awake anymore. I reminded myself that as wonderful as handmade gifts are to give, occasionally reality sets in and you have three nights of cuddling a sick baby rather than crocheting a bear. I know Knittybaby would much prefer the cuddling and since he’s just turning one, won’t be too concerned with a “bear in progress.”

Knittybaby thinks his bear is cool, and was thrilled to hear that the bear will be magically growing ears, arms and legs while he sleeps. Not many bears can do that.

I entered the playroom to clean up tonight to find this:

Upon closer inspection I found this: (You might want to cover your eyes if you’re sensitive)

CUT!!!!

The weapon:

An oh so cute and very tempting flower cutter.

More grisly evidence:

And more:
Multiple cuttings!!

The main suspect unfortunately was asleep at the time of my discovery so I was unable to question him. However, my instincts suspect this is a case of “busy parents/bored child/cool new tools” syndrome. I returned all evidence to the knitting bag for later repairs, as it was too dreadful to attempt tonight.

Anyone know how much it would cost me to add a studio onto the house? One that locks?

I think what amazes me the most about having children are the sudden changes. For the longest time, they seem to stay the same: same games, ideas, routines, even the pants that they wear. Then all of a sudden, you wake up one morning and the pants are three inches too short and it’s a totally different child standing in front of you.

We’ve had these giant blocks now for about two years and they are a constant favorite. The play, however, has changed. When he was two, Little Man would watch us stack them up, then immediately knock them all down. We’d do this over and over. As he turned three, he started to have have ideas: “Let’s build a house!” “Let’s build a tunnel!” He’d pretty much just watch us build it, helping just a little, use it for a bit, then knock it all down. Yesterday I saw this:

Little Man’s idea; it’s a parking ramp. What’s amazing is that he built it all on his own. He didn’t ask for help, he had a specific plan, and he went for it. Even more amazing? Not only did he not knock it all down, but we had to leave it there for tomorrow. I just sat there watching him, wondering, “where on earth did this child come from? Where’s the boy who needs me to show him how, to help him figure it out?” The four year old is emerging.

The one year old is emerging too. Look who’s cruising around! I’m predicting first steps by his first birthday, as this kid is seriously on the move. You can see he’s trying to climb up the box.

Now, to keep from getting too sentimemtal and to keep up the knitting portion of this blog, I will now answer the question that you are all thinking, that the Skeptic asked when he came home from work: “What the hell is he wearing?”

I give you the close up:

We’ve been in the below zero range in Minnesota lately and we’re all about keeping warm in our drafty old house. So Knittybaby is wearing his soaker, knit in the Picky Pants pattern from Little Turtle Knits, in their hand dyed yarn. To complete the look he’s got on his Babylegs to keep those little legs nice and toasty. He actually wears pants over the whole ensemble but he mucked them up a bit. I have to say, this outfit cracks me up. Love it.

It’s going to be birthday season for the Knittyfamily soon. Four birthdays in five weeks. With that will come the new improved blog, contests, and prizes. Oh yeah people, big plans are brewing, I’d say! It’s getting time to celebrate.