The One About Inori

I’m still around!

I have been very very tired lately though. And there are 1001 things to do! Housework is never ending and the house seems to be in continual state of mess, to my dismay. Especially after Tornado Sunshine goes through a particular room, that room will be messy. – I’ve been finding oranges hiding in corners lately. Some behind the dining room curtains. Some in the study! Urgh. And her toys are strewn all around! I even slept on her building blocks without knowing. >:-(

Nothing new so far except that I’ve been trying my hand at a completely new craft; not knitting and not sewing. Tee hee hee. I may post some pictures of it tomorrow. Woot!

It’s also getting cooler now, thank God.

Oh. I have been experiencing stronger and more persistent Braxton Hicks Contractions. 2 or 3 nights ago, they were 5 minutes apart and lasted for more than 2 minutes at a time. They weren’t very painful. More like a dull menstrual cramp pain. It was rather irritating since I was trying to sleep. It started at around midnight and I was talking to a fellow pregnant friend of mine on MSN. She was admitted recently into hospital for threatened premature labour as she was having strong contractions and the baby’s due date is in June! Poor girl had to stay in hospital for 2 days on drip to stop the contractions and to be monitored.

I didn’t think my contractions were as strong as hers though, so I went to bed.

At 6.30am when Nad woke up to go to work, I was STILL having contractions. I told him to keep his mobile phone handy. I tried to ring the hospital’s Fetal Assessment Unit but no one picked up the call. I just went back to sleep after that.

The contractions stopped around 8am I think.

Now I still feel them occasionally and they are not as persistent as that night. We went for a check up today and everything seems okay (although it felt like Chubbs was pushing against my anus/tata this time round – I felt like pooping and also something ‘hard’ pushing at my groin from the inside when I walk).

I thought he had engaged but the midwife felt around and he was nowhere near there! In fact, he was lying slightly sideways now with his head on the right of my tummy. Sigh.

Sunshine was a happy baby, walking around the ward, greeting strangers and midwives with a casual, “Hi!” and smiling her megawatt smile. They always say she’s such an angel and they cannot believe that she throws tantrums. Hah! She just threw one big screamy fit before she was shooed off to bed. If only these people can hear her scream (think Dakota Fanning in War Of The Worlds – same thing, prolonged).

Since our car was sent for servicing (and they checked the car late and couldn’t fix the stupid auto windows in time so we have to send it in on Wednesday AGAIN!!!), we took the public transport today and went to town after the appointment. Town was the usual. Boring. The only interesting thing that happened in town was that I took a dump in Borders’ toilet. Maybe THAT was causing my discomfort. Duh.

When you are pregnant you no longer know if you want to poop or if you’re having contractions. Then you want to pee 98% of the time. We might as well just wear diapers.

It’s only 11pm now and I’m exhausted. Will go to bed now.

Bye-bye, shee yew! (This is how Sunshine says her goodbyes!)

Sunshine’s hair has been growing and her fringe is starting to poke into her eyes. Nad wants to keep her hair long (including her fringe!) and so I whipped this headband up for her.

As Mr. Nikon is in Nikon Hospital (costing me a bomb at the same time), I will have to ask you to pardon the low quality, camera-phone, grainy, out of focus pictures for the time being.

And you know, 18 month olds, with jiggly beans in their bodies, will never keep still for a photo. So ALL her photos are a blur.

She kept asking me, “Done??? DONE??? DONE????” when in the first place she had never kept still for me to snap any proper shots!!!!!!!!!!

Uh. She’s not used to the headband and so will tug it off her head after a few minutes. Have to get her to wear it more often so she doesn’t feel uncomfortable.

I miss Mr. Nikon although I’m also pissed off with him for being corrupted. He will only be back with us in about 3 weeks time. I wonder if he will be in time to capture Chubbs’ first few moments.

And oh… where has everyone gone? I got no comments on me posts past few days. Yous alls donch loves me?

First of all, I have to write that I received a very lovely package – a huge box of goodies from Debra.

I took photos of all the stuff in the box (Sunshine was standing beside me and “WOW!!!!!”-ing at everything I took out. And she kept saying, “NICE!” – uh huh… I don’t know who taught her that?)

I then packed all the goodies away.

Then my trusty little Nikon Shite threw a spaz and corrupted my CF card. This is not the first time it’s done it but this time it caught me UNAWARE. ARGGHH! I will never be able to show the package that Debra and her daughters put together for me! There were so many goodies! Including:

- A cook book

- Chubbie’s baby socks

- Chubbie’s new suit and mittens and booties set

- Hand knitted hankies by Debra! All BLUUUEEE!!!

- A soft blankie

- Sunshine’s socks

- A jigsaw puzzle for Sunshine

- Some yarn to knit Elmo with

- A packet of double ended clothes pegs (lol)

- A sign for the car ‘Baby on board!’

- A picture and a card drawn by Debra’s daughter, Bree.

- An alphabet set for Sushine (which she loves!)

I think that’s it. I might have left some stuff out. Stupid camera….

ANYWAY……… the alphabet set also meant that I had 26 new things to pick up after. So last night I whipped up this drawstring bag:

It now holds the alphabet set and Sunshine will have to learn to put all of them in after she plays with them.

Thank you, Debra. This came at a great time – she enjoys ‘naming’ the alphabets and will aid her in her learning!

Now to show you what I made for the Ravelry Project Bag swap.

I will only show you the bags for now as the extras would give the recipient’s identity away.

One Japanese Knot bag and one teeny pyramid pouch.

I added a closure for the knot bag as well as an internal zipped pocket.

This is how it looks like when you carry it:

I’m sending them out today. Hope my swappee likes them!
I’m done with all the swaps I signed up. Well, I only signed up for 2. Hahhaa. And it’s time I started to sew and knit for myself and my own family. I’m not planning to join swaps until at least 2 months or so later – and that’s only because the Ravelry Aussie Rainbow swap would be ‘BLUE’ by then and how can I resist a blue swap!??!?!

I’m also trying not to and resisting the urge to cast on new projects for other people now. Only knitting for my own family/ myself from now till……. further notice.

I managed to crank this set up for Chubbs in just 2 days. Which is quite a feat for me considering I’m a very slow knitter.

Name of project: 2 Day Baby Sweater

Yarn: Patons Merino Totem DK in Light Blue

Needles: Knitpicks 5.5mm

Cast on date: 18 March 2009

Cast off date: 19 March 2009

Learned: Nothing

Modifications: Knitted 4 more rows of garter at the bottom hem. Used DK weight and 5.5mm needles for newborn size.

Mistakes: None that I know of.

I know the pattern says it takes only 5 hours. But it’s hard with a screaming toddler around. Haha.

I have no idea what buttons to use or where to place them. Might crochet 2 or 3 chains and attach them to the front. It’s a little late for buttonholes now eh? If only the pattern had it stated that you have to add your own buttonholes.

Name of project: Koru

Yarn: Patons Merino Totem DK in Light Blue

Needles: Ivore 3mm DPNs and Addi Turbo 4mm DPNs

Cast on date: 19 March 2009

Cast off date: 19 March 2009

Learned: Nothing

Modifications: Used 4mm needles instead of 4.5mm. Was afraid that 4.5mm might make the hat too big for newborn. I also did 2×2 rib instead of 1×1 rib for a snugger fit.

Mistakes: I may have missed out 1 or 2 decrease rows because I had more stitches than the pattern states. But it’s okay. I decreased to the correct number of stitches after realising the mistake.

I love this hat pattern. Really hope Chubbs will be able to fit into these items when he’s born.

These will be going into the hospital bag. Am still contemplating washing them. Hahaha. I’m so lazy!

I’ve completed the Aussie Favourite Colour Swap on Ravelry and waiting for Monday to come to post it out. Here’s a peekie:

I made a project bag, a teeny bag, hand dyed silk/wool lace yarn and that skein is Malabrigo Silky Merino in colourway Nocturnal.

The two soaps are from TheSoapDish. I’m currently using the Sandalwood soap (concurrently with Honey Oatmeal and sample pieces of Green Apple and Lemon) and I loveeeeeeeeee it! The Sandalwood soap smells sooo strong and aromatic that my entire living area where my sewing desk is, smells of it! I cut it into a few small blocks and will sew some organza pouches for them and will hang them in the bedrooms as room scenters. Hope that works!

I thought the package was a little bare so I decided to add this:

Some body lotion with bath liquid.

Hmm, come to think of it, my swappee would have at least half a year’s supply of bath/shower products!

I’m having a little performance anxiety now… most of the other participants knitted or crocheted something for their swappees. I didn’t want to as I would have taken way too long do knit anything and I hate knitting with a dateline – takes the joy away and adds stress!

I normally work very well under stress but knitting is not work. It’s a form of relaxation for me.

I’m almost done with the Project Bag Swap too. Just have to sew the little pyramid pouch for this swappee and the package will be ready to go. Perhaps on the same day as the Favourite Colour one.

I wouldn’t be able to post a picture of that until she receives the package though as it contains a couple of items that would be a dead giveaway as to who the recipient would be. I will, however, post the picture of the two bags I’ve sewed for her once I’m done sewing the small one. Hopefully by this weekend!

On an unrelated note, I’ve been experiencing Braxton Hicks Contractions. I don’t remember having it with Sunshine although Nad said that I had. Probably a much milder and at a lesser frequency I guess.

It makes me feel like I want to poop sometimes. But most of the time it just feels like a mild menstrual cramp.

He’s still kicking and moving violently in there. He’s much worse than Sunshine. At least Sunshine didn’t make me feel so BRUISED. This is Mummy-Abuse, I tell you. Sometimes he can make violent movements for up to half an hour non-stop. Rest for a little while, and start again.

I can’t wait for him to be in my arms. He can kick all he likes then.

Ok. Time for bed. *Yawn*.

Nad and I bought a few pairs of stainless steel chopsticks today and this is the instruction elucidation found on the back of the package.

Seriously. Huh?

Okay, off to go to the dirty liquid cleaning washing off my body have the dirty marks. With Toothpaste. Violences washes!