Knit Post #4 (The last numbered knit post)

I'm signing up for the big Secret Pal 9 tomorrow. "SP9" is for knitters and/or crocheters with a blog and as you may have guessed, involves secret pals. You can go to the SP9 blog and sign up for your very own secret pal, agree to the terms and from October to January you get goodies in the mail and you get to send goodies in the mail. Some of the main terms are agreeing to spend $60 not including postage, having a blog with at least 10 posts, making sure from Oct. to Jan. you have 1 post per week about knitting, and that you thank your SP on your blog. So, I have decided to stop numbering my knit posts because I'll be posting at least one per week soon.

Yes, I'm excited to get goodies in the mail, but I must admit I'm really excited about sending out fun in the form of wool and needles to someone else out there. This makes me think of my pen pal from so long ago and makes me giddy as a school girl. So, anyone else gonna sign up with me? The fun begins tomorrow!

*Gromit picture found on google-dot-com on this blog. Thanks!

Silly Donkey

Everytime Buttons goes to the zoo, she finds a new animal to talk about until the next time we go to the zoo. On Wednesday, she found a new animal to love. The donkey. An animal I have never thought too much about was her belle of the ball that day. (Actually his name was Franklin, so I guess he would be her beau of the ball?) Anyway, she can't stop saying "silly donkey" now which actually sounds like "seey DON...keee".

Other news....
Buttons is getting older. I know, aren't we all! Her afternoon nap, which has provided a nice respite/get things done time, is fading and I'm not happy about that. However, in some things she wants to remain a baby. The girl loves her bottle of milk. Actually, she loves her bottle of formula. Yes, we're giving her the 9-24 month milk-based formula because every time we've tried her on cow's milk, she winds up vomiting after about a week. Her 2 year doctor visit is coming up soon and I just know I'm going to get put in detention for not having weaned her from the bottle. What about mothers who breast feed for a long time? Is this so different? Am I just kidding myself? Ok, I'm obsessing a bit and will now tell myself to chill. This too shall pass and if she has buck teeth, she can get braces like everyone else. Wait... donkeys have buck teeth, don't they?

CONGRATULATIONS to Mary Mia and Rod at "Do They Have Salsa in China?" Funshine is twins!

Knit Post #3 (aka Woman of a Thousand Projects)

When I first started knitting, I just knew I wouldn't have more yarn than the project I was working on currently and maybe one future project. Heh. That plan failed miserably, but me likey yarn very much, it inspires me and it's nice to have around. The second thing I couldn't even imagine was having more than one project going at one time. Yeah, you can guess the rest. I mean, it's in the title of the post, right?

Here are 3 projects I'm currently working on, although I have a few more that are waiting patiently for me.

The one in vintage purple acrylic is an afghan square with a pattern called Ripple that my local knitting group (LKG) is putting together. This yarn did not come from my stash, but from Jan, a friend of my friend P. Jan passed away and gave her entire stash to P. who brought the knitting group together to share Jan's stash. Jan liked to knit for charity, so P. asked us to take a skein of the acrylic no one claimed and make a square with it. We will put together this afghan of many colors and give it to charity.

The second project is taking me forever even though it couldn't be easier and the bonus it's from my stash (albeit given to me by my neighbor). My friend Marsha asked our LKG if we would each do a dog blanket for a friend of hers in another state who needed samples to teach a knitting class. These new knitters would donate these blankets to the local Humane Society. Charity...good. Knit every freakin' row forever...bad. Well, boring at least. You do get to slip the first stitch which I know I forgot a few times.

The third project is actually two projects. I'm making these mittens for two people who will get one pair of matching mittens. This is a two needle mitten pattern found in this book using this yarn. I've worked in the round, but haven't attempted socks or mittens in the round. I really want to get started on a Christmas stocking for Buttons, but I can't decide which one to do. Any great suggestions for stockings?

So, am I alone in being the "Woman of a Thousand Projects"?

Caution!

Kids, enjoy your peas but please don't put them in your nose or else you'll give your parents angina. Oh. Yes. She. Did. Apparantly, the first stuck pea wasn't enough to make her stop. She's onto other things as well, like keys and my fingers. From now on, I will have to stare at my daughter while she's eating anything. What's up with this?

COWWWS!!!

We visited our local creamery this evening. When we told Buttons where we were going she was filled with glee. I betcha think she was excited about the ice cream. Nope. COWS!!! The girl loves cows and she went on and on about moo-ing, eating grass, going to the barn for water and food. There was excited declarations of "COWS" and "MOO" for a good 5 minutes punctuated by "YES". Then she said "ceam" (ice cream) and nodded a subdued approval. She began to think about the cold treat a bit and then rubbed her tummy and became a little more excited and then said "yummy". Once at the creamery, she entertained the crowd with her excited discussion about these black and white bovines. She just cracks me up and hopefully I'm not boring you with this, but I just think she's the greatest and I can't help myself.

Ok, ready for just a smidge more sweet? My hubby and I usually bring Buttons into bed with us when she wakes up for a bit more snoozing or just a snuggle. Well, the other morning she gave me a big hug and I said "mmm, thank you Buttons" and she said "Baba too" and gave her daddy a hug, then she said "Buttons too" and preceded to give herself a big ol' bear hug. I love that she loves herself and I hope she always does. I know I always will.

All this cuteness deserves a post with a wee bit more edge, but I'll save that for next time. Go have some ceam!

Broadway Virgin

I'm going to my first Broadway show. I'm sooo excited. I've seen shows in other cities, but this is gonna be the real thing. I can finally hold my head high around my community theater friends who have been to like a million of these things. The friend who's coming with me has already seen this show twice before! (This is a gift from hubby for mother's day...isn't he sweet?! He's going to stay home with Buttons.)

I don't really have anything profound to say except....wheeeee! I'm very excited, but it's over 2 months away. I'm not super at delayed gratification.

What did you see on Broadway the first time?

The Dream of the Blackberries

During our homestudy, I asked our social worker what were some of the ways people could screw up an interview, since it all seemed so easy to me. She told us that one of her clients wanted her child to be a baton twirler when the SW asked about any expectations she had for this child. The SW asked her what would happen if the child didn't want to be a baton twirler. The woman talked about what fun she and her mother had during those times and this child would be a baton twirler. Apparently, this woman did go through some therapy before they approved her for adoption. I thought the only expectations I had were for Buttons to be happy, healthy and successful in whatever she wants to do. (As long as it doesn't hurt her or anyone else.)

Of course, when we were waiting for our referral we used to dream and talk about the things we'd do with little Buttons when we met her. My hubby wanted to take her to the beach after having a dream where he saw her very vividly running along the sand, except he couldn't see her face. I thought about walks, cooking together and taking her to her first movie. Plans, not expectations. Well, we held her in our arms just a few months before her first birthday and we planned a party for her. A wonderful friend of ours made a truly amazing cake (it really deserves its own post) and I remember wanting Buttons to dig in the cake and get it all over and just eat it all up and that didn't quite happen. The day was wonderful, but I must say I really wanted that whole cake thing to happen. Oooh, an unfulfilled expectation.

This weekend we went to visit some friends (we'll call them Rocco and Rita *) and we went blackberry picking. We didn't know we were going to do this, but it was the best time! It was the kind of day that I would have dreamed of having when we were waiting to see her face, only it was sooo much better. We were with friends, picking these wonderful berries in the sun and Buttons was having the time of her life. After showing her a few times, she understood to pick only the black berries and not the red ones. She loved holding the basket and made a big "oooh" sound whenever we found several berries together. Then, without anyone coaxing her, she started to eat them. She had a purple mouth and purple hands and couldn't have been happier enjoying the fruits of her labor (all pun intended). She walked and ran and laughed. I never dreamed of this Blackberry Day but here it was, mine for the picking (it's getting bad, huh?). So the lesson here? I need to enjoy the moments as they come...plan and give them room to happen, but try not to have expectations. It's hard for me sometimes because I do think back to good times in my own childhood and I want those for Buttons. What I really need to remember is she needs her own good times in her own good time.

Well, birthday #2 is fast appraoching and we have planned a party at a local creamery where the milk for the ice cream comes from the cows on the farm. We'll go for a hayride to get pumpkins, we'll eat some yummy vegetarian grub, we'll have ice cream sundays, we'll see cows, we'll sing "Happy Birthday" and maybe we'll have cake. Perhaps she'll get very excited about some of those things or maybe she'll find one of the children's books they have there and just want us to read it to her again and again. I hope I will be able to live in the moment and enjoy whatever makes her happy that day. Plans, hopes, wishes and expectations are pretty tricky territory and I'm trying not to force a baton into her hand. Wish me luck!

*Rocco and Rita informed us this weekend that they are planning to attend some informational meetings with different Adoption Agencies. I remember this first step and it's a big one, am I right? Anyway, they sometimes read my blog so if you have any words of wisdom or support, you're welcome to comment here. They are terrific people and really care about the world. They have been really sweet with Buttons and she really gets a kick out of them. Rocco and Rita, if you're out there, please know that we think you're gonna be great parents!!!

It Starts Early

So, the other day I was just minding my business and doing a bit of e-mail while Buttons sat next to me reading books. She very innocently brought me a book that had been torn. I was pretty certain she had done it, but I thought I should ask first since I hadn't seen it happen. When asked she replied, without missing a beat, "Baba" (her daddy). Wow, I wasn't ready for fibbing yet and I was more amused than anything else. So, I decided to wait until my hubby came home and we would ask him together. Well, when we confronted him with the book, he said he hadn't done it and then we posed the question again to Buttons. Her instant reply? "Nanie", which is her grandmother who lives 12 hours away. It was all we could do not to break out into laughter. I'll have to figure this out soon, but right now it just tickles me! I'm sure I won't feel the same when Buttons is 15.

Vegetarians Beware

Well, her first word was "Baba"(for daddy), her first phrase was "Mama, too" and now for something completely different and non-fuzzy. Her first sentence? "Buttons wants more sausage, too". (It was turkey sausage and my plan is to start buying veggie sausage, but there it is.) I was a bit stunned and asked her if she just said what I thought she said. Her reply? "Yes, please". It was at that point that I melted on the floor from cuteness. As I was in the midst of composing myself, she burped. Buttons followed that by saying "burp" and then...wait for it..."'scuse me". I'm still not recovered.

The Nursery

I've seen so many pictures on blogs of the nursery. I'm a little late to the game, especially since we'll soon look for a toddler bed, but here are some pics of the nursery. It's a small room, and, believe it or not, used to be the guest room. After so many years of wanting a child, it was wonderful and scary to actually decorate using all our hopes and dreams (along with lotsa help from Ik*a). I remember going into this room and looking in the empty crib and imaging Buttons sleeping in there before I even knew what she looked like. These pictures were taken before we went to China and it was in pristine condition. However, I much prefer it now with the rumpled blankets, the toys misplaced and last night's pajamas on the floor after a quick diaper change in the morning as we're getting ready for the days activities. The photos in the frames no longer contain her referral pictures, but pictures of her on the bed in Guangzho smiling, all of us on her first birthday party, and one with the biggest smile I've ever seen on "just another day" with the amazing Buttons.

She is our bright shining star and luckily she's in our skies to stay. This is not the guest room anymore. There are times when I miss some of the freedoms I used to enjoy so cavalierly, but I remember looking into that empty crib and the ache of my heart was bigger than anything I could imagine. Now I know there is something bigger than that ache and it's the love she's brought into my life.

When we decided to have children, I wanted to make sure I was doing it for non-selfish reasons. I didn't want to have a child to take over any unfulfilled dreams from my childhood. I didn't have thoughts about what she should be when she grew up except happy and healthy. I'm aware that there is always some self-centric reasons for having children and I'm not immune to them, but I wanted my reasons to be as pure as possible. What I didn't realize is that no matter how pure my reasoning was I still find I gain so much from her. No, that's probably not selfish, but in so many ways she has healed me. No, I wasn't broken, but we all are a bit wounded, right? I worried about being a good mother especially when all signs were flashing "no baby for you" in big red neon letters for a LONG time. Yeah, I still worry about being a good mother, but when I see her imitate me I can see the good in me through her. I still have so much to learn and I know she still has so much to teach me.

I love to sit in this rocking chair with her and have her snuggle into my neck and hold my hand and know she feels safe and comforted. I loved the nursery before she ever came and thought it was very well equipped. What I didn't know was how her love would fill it even more.

(Today is a special day for 2 reasons. It's my mom's birthday and it's the anniversary of Buttons' U.S. citizenship / the day she arrived in America. My mom loved her present last year, but I don't think I can top that one!)

Nerd Test

Ok, I scored really low on this, but I think my hubby may score much higher. It's good to have balance, right? (I don't really despise nerds!)