Celo Baby Shower

Thank you to my mother in-law Marilyn who organized a baby shower for me in Celo. Even though we don't live there it is still such an important and supportive family of people to us. It is so special how many people have known Gabriel his whole life and it is so exciting to see so many of his peers from childhood now also having children of their own. The shower was over the 4th of July weekend which was while my dad, Carolyn and Addie were still in NC so it was fun for them to meet the greater Celo family.

My dad is never afraid to be surrounded by a bunch of women.






Mimi and Jerricho who was born at the end of March. Love you guys!




Gabriel and his knife getting ready for present opening



Gabriel and the frog try on the Baby Becco





This face and the laughter that was the laughs so hard it hurts brand was due to the present gifted in the photo above this one. We were given a set of Pee Pee Tee Pees. Things I guess that come in handy when you have a baby boy. The instructions on the label read "place the pee pee tee pee on the wee wee." Totally laugh worthy.




The lovely sweater knit by Sarah House pictured in tye dye above.



I had to put this photo in because of the expression on my dear sister in-law Emily who is in the right side of the photo hiding her face in shame because she just couldn't control herself buying the most adorable things for her first nephew.



Gabriel taste testing the cutest little hoodie from Emily that is made out of soy.

Hello From 30,000 Feet

Hello there from 30,000 feet. Our airplane has free wi-fi so I thought I would try to stay up to speed a bit on the old blog. Trying to have better blogging habits to see if there is any chance of keeping the world informed of the goings on of Oliver when he arrives. Well, we shall see. Right now we are flying to California to visit with family and friends and have a baby shower out there. It has been so strange to be away from so many people that are so important to me through pregnancy. I just had to come out, I couldn't imagine just showing up this Christmas with some magical baby that came from nowhere. This whole pregnancy thing has been such an event in my life, I just had to come and share it with my grandparents and oldest friends.

I have hit 30 weeks today so now we slide down hill toward really getting Oliver here. He is busy in there, constantly moving around, getting the hiccups and so on. The last couple of weeks have been challenging for me with new back pains. Mostly bad sciatic pain which has been so not fun. I have a whole lot of new sympathy for people living with chronic back pain. It is so cruel to have every step be painful.

Well, I was going to add photos to this post from my baby shower in Celo but I already attached them all once on this flight and had a really great post all finished and then lost the whole thing so I will wait until I land and have some time soon to add these photos. I will add just a couple though of Gabriel putting Oliver's crib together and some baby knitting that has been going on. Finally the little man is getting some knit wear!

Ice cream at Mapple View

We are very lucky here in Chapel Hill to have a local creamery just outside of town. At almost all of our grocery stores here, both chain and local, you can find milk and other dairy products in glass bottles for sale from the Maple View Creamery. In the summer they also open an ice cream store in town as well as having a wonderful ice cream store with a wide porch and rocking chairs on their farm land just 5-10 minutes outside of town. My good friend Noelle moved from Chapel Hill to the mountains just about a year ago. I taught her daughter Leia for two years. When she was passing through town a few weeks ago we had to hit the old favorite for some ice cream on a hot day. Fun to share with Carolyn and Addie too. This actually fell on Gabriel's 31st birthday and so he took a little time away from his studying to join us.

Blackberry picking with Addie and Carolyn

Another thing that kept me busy for a couple of weeks recently was a visit from my family. My sister had been to see us in Chapel Hill last summer but my dad and Carolyn have never been to Chapel Hill! Hard to believe now that we have been there 3 years. Anyway, we had lots of full days and here are some snippets from our adventures. We spent a few days in Chapel Hill and also came up to Celo for about a week. Here is blackberry picking at Busy Bee farm in Pittsboro.

WIth These Hands Booth

I have been super busy lately but have lots to report. About a month ago I was busy getting my business ready to have a booth at the Lavender Festival on my in-law's farm in Western NC. Lot's of label making, price choosing, banner ordering, getting set up to accept credit cards and on and on. The festival was a big success and I was really happy with the response to the products. It was fun to tell the women's stories and to talk about Tanzania the whole weekend. Here are photos of the booth and also some fun shots of the rubber stamping madness to get the first run product labels produced.

22 Week Belly

Well I am now 23 weeks today so sorry that these photos are already a few days old. Everything continues to go well. Can't complain, well at least out of the ordinary range of small grumbles of tired and achy.

Sweater for Ava and Onesies for Ollie

Here is the sweater that I knit for baby Ava Rose. What a cutie that little peach is. I helped her lovely mummy out today and drove the two girls to their second doctors appointment because Kathryn still can't drive after her C-Section. Oliver isn't so sure about me spending time with other babies. He was extra kicky in there while we were with Miss Ava!

Pattern: Ribbed Baby Jacket by Debbie Bliss
Source: Special Knits: 22 Gorgeous Handknits for Babies and Todlers. Also for free here.
Size: 6-9 months
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran
Colorway: 13
Yardage: hmmmm 3-4 balls? 4 balls including the hat that Gabe is working on.
Needles: size 8
Other: I used 2 snaps for closure and used a fabric flower that my stepmother made as decoration.

After hosting people to paint onesies for Ava a couple of weeks ago, I felt inspired to start some for Oliver. These were done with some leaf printing and rubber stamping. SOOOO FUN!

It's going to be a hot one today!

I am glad that we had an early morning vet appointment today that got me up and going early because it is going to be one of our first really hot summer days. Walked early, watered the garden and now time to hunker down and probably turn on the AC. I hope my tomatoes and peppers will be happy! If I get brave it may be time to figure out what the pool schedule is and go for a swim this afternoon. Still haven't figured out the maternity bathing suit thing but I think I could brave my bikini a couple of times more.

Yesterday was my monthly midwife visit. Everything was right on target. Blood pressure, weight, Oliver's heartbeat, check check and check. They handed me my orange sugar drink to be had before my next visit for the glucose test for gestational diabetes. Fun to hit the hurdles that I have spent so many months reading about. Oliver kicks more and more, I can even see my belly moving sometimes now when he is active.

Here are some belated photos from Spring that I wanted to squeeze in. The first photos are from the Piedmont Organic Farm Tour which is ever so fun.

Seedlings at Eco Farm

Cows at Chapel Hill Creamery.

Farmer John at Eco Farm demonstrating how shitake mushrooms are grown.

Gabriel with goats.

My baby bump a while ago, maybe 16 weeks?

Spring walk with Gabriel and Rumi. Dogwoods are my favorite.

Sorry guys!

Sorry that it has been so long since posting last. I guess I got a little overwhelmed with where to start that I just held back. No lack of exciting things going on in our lives. Trips to South Africa, growing a baby boy in my belly, beautiful Spring adventures outside....Oh, and of course knitting.

So today I am 19 weeks pregnant and we found out last week that it is a boy. Looking like he will be named Oliver Fox. Last name is still up for debate. Gabriel and I kept our last names when we got married which we have been perfectly happy with but we always knew it would become an issue when we had kids and now here we are. Things are going really well. First trimester wasn't so bad, just felt lousy and hungry, yet picky, and tired tired tired. It only lasted maybe 3 weeks though so I will count myself lucky. Now I am enjoying the part that most seem to enjoy, the glorious second trimester. I have my energy back and feel generally good but now I also have the added joy of growing a little belly, knowing there is a boy in there, and also starting to feel little fluttering movements. Very fun and exciting!

Here is a photo from last week and also some images from our ultrasound. Sorry that they aren't clearer. It was hard to scan an already not so great image.

Knitted things for new babes

With lots of little ones popping up here and there there has been a lot of small sized knitting going on. Best part is that again Gabriel is doing his part as well. He has really been the baby hat pro. The pink and purple hats went to my cousin's twins. Gabriel made one and I made the other. This is a super cute pattern and I can hardly think of a pattern where the yarn that they suggest for it couldn't be more appropriate and really added to the final product. The rugged nubbiness of this yarn is so cute and it comes in great soft colors for baby stuff.

Pattern: Children's Cotton Hats
Source: Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Cotton
Colorways: Foxglove 408 (pink), Phlox (405) purple
Needles: US 7 dpns

This blanket is for a very special little bean due at the beginning of April. Honestly this will be the first baby of a close peer of mine. Gabriel and I lived with Mimi and Jon in the year before we got married and it was Mimi and Jon's first year of marriage. So, for a very special baby, a warm and snuggley blanket to be wrapped up in. The little hat was improvised by Gabriel so I won't put any of the stats on it.

I totally loved this yarn fyi. It is super soft and spongy. You could just squish it in your hands for ever. Plus it is 100% merino and machine washable (dry flat). I also did a modification that many on Ravelry had done of a garter stitch eyelet border. The border alone took an entire ball of yarn!

Pattern: Pinwheel Blanket
Source: Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran
Colorways: Natural (201), Moss (210)
Needles: size 8 dpns to start and then increasing sizes of size 8 circulars