Betcha Didn't Know I Could Crochet!

During the last few months of my pregnancy I had four or five ultra-sounds to measure Jack's head. The doctors were concerned that it was too big (measuring in the 90th percentile) though I kept assuring them, "All Kaihoi heads are big." Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) I had a c-section due to low fluid levels and I was unable to show them that delivering a Kaihoi baby naturally could be done.

Also during those last months of my pregnancy I crocheted a hat for Jack. The pattern for the hat was for 6 months, so I thought surely it would fit. Apparently I underestimated the size of a "Kaihoi head" and that cute hat was way too small. I tried to make him another one right away, following the pattern for 18 months and this is what it ended up looking like:


He looked like a little Elf! (the brim is supposed to be folded up an inch or so)

This year, I decided to try again. I gave both my friend Ann and my cousin-in-law Jamie (also delivering a Kaihoi baby) hats as shower gifts.I used different yarn, added a couple of rows, and I think a different hook size. I was so nervous they would be too small and told them to let me know they fit. They both said, "I hope his head is smaller than this!" Don't we all... Thankfully, Ann's hat fit! (I haven't heard from Jamie) Here's Beck modeling it at two days old:


When the weather suddenly turned cold here in Denver a two weeks ago, we were not prepared. Encouraged by my success with Beck's hat, I decided to try again for Jack (whose head still measures at 70% while his height and weight are around 40%). Today, I finally finished a hat for Jack this winter. I modified the pattern I used above to make it.



I think it's pretty cute, don't you? Here's another because he's so cute.



Last night I was reading another mom-blog I started following. Beverly from A Baby? Maybe... was showing off some super cute patterns she found on Etsy. Inspired, I started looking on Etsy.com and ended up finding some cute booties I want to make to go with Jack's hat. What do you think? Which pattern(s) should I buy?

I was thinking these basic booties by Mamachee could be a nice way to ease into a new style:

Or maybe some Australian Uggs by crochetroo:


These loafers by sylver made my heart melt:

If I could knit I would have made Jack these booties when he was younger:


And I'm tempted to try making this doggie for him!


I could show you tons more projects I found, but you'll have to go to Etsy.com and check them out yourself. There are a lot of projects that can be purchased already made, you don't have to know how to crochet or knit to have cute handmade clothing! I think many of the sellers are moms - who else would spend so much time with baby clothes?

Expecting the Unexpected

If you start counting Jack gets excited. By the time you say the number two there’s a huge smile on his face and he is more than ready to erupt in giggles when he is tossed in the air, spun in a circle, or tickled. The anticipation is half the fun for him. And us.

I wish someone would give me a countdown whenever something unexpected is about to happen. I guess then it wouldn’t be unexpected, but I really don’t deal with surprises well. And this week has been kind-of full of them.

Monday, Tim was two hours late from class because his motorcycle ran out of gas – unexpected for him and me.

Tuesday… well I can’t think of anything Tuesday.

Wednesday we decided to visit my friend Ann in the hospital and her brand new baby Beck. That was a fun unexpected thing.

We got home Wednesday night to find our downstairs toilet was bubbling and overflowing while the washing machine ran. Today I woke up to find the toilet water had receded, but left behind a film of sewage in the toilet bowl. The bathroom reeked and I called our manager demanding immediate assistance as I watched the water begin to rise again before my eyes. “Don’t overflow!!”

Plumber shows up and unexpectedly runs a very loud machine for an hour in order to unclog the toilet, causing a strange smell to permeate the apartment and Jack to wake up from his nap.

Plumber leaves behind a fully functioning toilet, but the nastiest mess in our bathroom and kitchen that I spent an hour cleaning. Actually, I want to clean it again tomorrow. It was that bad.

I didn’t get the things done today I wanted to.

I’m beginning to think this is the norm. Am I right?

Square Peg, Meet Round Hole

Have you ever felt like you were doing a job that didn't quite fit you and instead of thriving you find yourself tired at the end of each day? While I love being a mom and spending my time taking care of Jack, I hate the housework that comes along with being stay at home mom. I shouldn't say I hate it. I struggle with it. It is hard for me. That feels foolish and silly to say, but some housework exhausts me.

I thrive in the abstract world of ideas and relationships. I am passionate about reading, writing, brainstorming, and dreaming. I love deep relationships and mentoring others. I crochet and bake, but that's about all I like to do with my hands. And yet, here I am, surrounded by a concrete world of diapers, cooking, and cleaning.

While I know most people don't necessarily enjoy housework, I often am drained after one or two chores. The very thought of trying to organize our junk at times gives me miniature anxiety attacks. As a result, the buildup of housework leaves me feeling stressed out, inadequate and depressed. What makes me feel worse is hearing my neighbor vacuum her apartment up to three times a week! (yes, our walls are that thin)

I am learning to make it work though. I like having a clean house, so I have been motivated to figure out a system in which I can get some chores done without wearing myself out and with ample time to spend doing the reading and writing I love. After several months I think I finally have a solution. Every day, before Jack's morning nap, I spend just ten minutes doing simple chores. That way, once Jack is asleep, I can get straight to the things I want to do rather than putzing with the stuff I have to do.

This may not seem like a big deal to you, but for me it has been life changing! I have finally figured out a way to work with my weaknesses in order to let my strengths shine! It’s not perfect (for example, today I put our sheets in the wash and completely forgot about them. Now it is nearly 9:00pm and I am waiting for them to dry so we can sleep in our bed), but I feel so much more joy in life.

Oh! Remember my domestic disaster last week with the soufflé? Check out the omelet I made myself for dinner last night.

Go ahead. Drool.

Spinach Soufflé

Last week I went over to my friend Ann’s and she made us a wonderful spinach soufflé. I loved it and she said something to the extent of, “I just threw it all in a blender and here it is!” That idea excited me because I’ve been using my blender a lot lately making peas, sweet potatoes, carrots… Inspired, I thought to myself, “Even I can do that!”

So today I did.

Except my soufflé looked nothing like Ann’s. Hers was a wonderful mixture of greens and yellows and whites. And mine looked like… well, mine looked like this:

I must’ve put the blender on liquefy because that’s what happened to the spinach. Maybe I shouldn’t have put the spinach in the blender? I don’t know. What I do know is how to make nutritious green eggs and ham without food coloring.

At least it tasted decent.

Ann, where did I go wrong?!