A Stitch in Time

I wish that I had taken pictures of all the different cross stitch creations I've made over the years. In large part, the things I stitch, I give away--birth samplers especially. I learned to cross stitch from my next-door neighbor in Colorado Springs when I was about 8 years old. I did it a lot when i was younger. The last thing i remember making (in my youth) was a cheerleading bear on a sweatshirt (it was awesome) for my best friend in 9th grade (she did not stay my best friend for long as she had aspirations of popularity and boyfriends and I really didn't care that much about either). Anyway, I stopped cross stitching for a long time, until September 11, 2001.

I used to be such a news-junkie. I was always up-to-date on current events. After 9/11, the news was so horrible and distressing that I couldn't watch without busy hands. So I started stitching again. I started with Lady Liberty, which i thought was very appropriate and I was pleased with the results. I have a partially finished "Families Are Forever" in my craft area and I did some other fun, easy projects (like one I just now realize I haven't seen since the move...hmmm?...).
When I was put on bedrest with Bode at 20 weeks, I started working on a daunting Noah's Ark pattern that I'd had for years, just waiting to be pregnant and have a reason to stitch it. I would lay or sit down in the basement and stitch all day long. It was totally addictive and kept me busy and sane with 3 1/2 months of bedrest. It was a very intricate pattern and included beading that I'd never done before and was afraid to do. Beading ended up being really fun and a nice change from the stitching. I had intended to put the finished Noah's Ark in the nursery but once it was finished I didn't want to hide it away so I display it for all to see in my home.
Then there's Bode's birth sampler. I found the pattern while I was pregnant and loved it but didn't buy it for some reason I don't recall. I assumed I'd be able to buy it when I was ready to stitch it, I guess. Well, when I was ready to buy it, it was discontinued and nowhere to be found. I was totally bummed. BUT!!!! Thanks to EBAY, I found it two years later and bid like crazy, paying 6 times what it was worth (but it was worth it to me!). I love it and think it's perfect for Bode.
I have one for Keegen that I started while I was on bedrest with him. I like it but don't love it. It's hard to find a good birth sampler--they are often too cutesie. I'll have to pull it out soon and reevaluate and decide if it's what I want for him. I stitched Christmas stockings for both boys. I need to have Keegen's finished (have someone make the actual stocking around the stitching) and then I have the patterns for mine and Doug's. Fun to have something made by my own hand hanging in the house (and not just "Made in China" like a lot of my Christmas decorations ;)).

Work (creative title, eh?)

Today was my first day at work as an actual nurse. I went to the downtown location to orient to the outpatient surgery unit and was really surprised at how instantly comfortable I was. Granted, I didn't take a full patient load and it was a slow day (perfect for learning the paperwork). The nurse precepting me is the nurse I will be job-sharing with so it's nice to get to know her. She even commented at how quickly I was getting things, especially since I haven't worked for so long. Sooo, that was nice. I'll work again tomorrow in the GI lab. The hospital I'll be at is supposed to open April 25th. Feels surprisingly good to be back in the swing!

A Very Blustery Day

We ventured outside to the little stream by our house. It's really just a part of a run-off pond, but they've made it look nice with all sorts of rocks around it. It was freezing out! So cold and windy--it reminded me of the wind and cool weather at the Outer Banks, which was a pleasant thought. Bode had a great time. He ran up and down the hill, gathering rocks and hucking them into the water. Being outside with rocks and water makes him so happy!

Keegen wasn't as impressed with this activity as I didn't put him down in the mud to enjoy himself. But we did call our friends Kole and Joss and they met us there for a bit. We didn't stay long since Keegen was ready for his nap but we had a good time while it lasted and I enjoyed catching up with K and J's mom Krista.

I love Keegen's litte puffy vest! Keegen and Joss--born just 4 days apart!

Blame it on the Rain

I guess this can be a sort of "flashback Friday" (although it's Tuesday) since these are pictures of Bode when he was about 8 months old...I showed him these on the computer and he was adament that it was NOT Bode, but baby Keegs...Anywho...

I used to pride myself on being outdoors with Bode in all kinds of weather. He was a hardcore gotta-be-outside baby/toddler and other than naptime, we spent the majority of our days outside. It was really easy in Columbia, surrounded by numerous tot lots, Lake Elkhorn and the playground at Owen Brown. We'd step outside our house, get on the path and walk to and around the lake. We'd spot blue jays and orioles, bunnies and squirrels, the heron on the lake, ducks, geese. Rain, snow, sleet--we were there. I remember during numerous walks taking mental pictures of everything because I just loved that lake and the people we passed and the animals and thinking to myself how much I cherished it. I'm so glad I consciously appreciated it while I lived there. It's interesting to me that now that we are away from that environment--the green and wet of it all (it's very arid here--arid with few trees and the majority of the trees we do have are evergreens and just not the same!) I now realize how connected I felt to nature when surrounded by the trees and animals. I assumed the mountains would be a fair exchange for the trees and water. I love the mountains, but it's just not the same. Proximity, for one thing. Maybe I need to make more of a connection with the mountains and then they will be a better replacement?

It's been awhile since we've really spent a lot of our time outside. It's been a very harsh winter, it's super windy here (the one thing I really can't stand), and, well, I'm tired! I've realized I need to embrace the weather here, wind and all, and make the outdoors a priority once more. Bode and I have better days together when we get outside. It's raining today. I so very much miss the rain! Except, the rain here? NOT like the rain on the east coast. It reminds me of the rain in Utah--I was so excited my freshman year at BYU that it was finally raining. I went out in it with a friend and was shocked by how cold it was--unlike the bathwater warm of Virginia rains! We got a great rainstorm here last night--heavy rain and thunder that woke Bode. I enjoyed going in and out of sleep to the music of the storm. Bode has already been outside to wipe down his Tonka trucks in the backyard but came running back in after a few minutes because it is really cold! (as a side note I was totally impressed that he willingly wiped down the trucks without complaint. Usually anything wet or messy just puts him over the edge so I was excited to see that!). Maybe today we'll go explore the "stream" on the edge of our neighborhood, now that it might have some water in it! Rock-throwing anyone?

Bode at 3

Click here to go to the post I worked on in February on Bode. It's been in my "drafts" for awhile.

Keegen 11 months

Holy cow! Eleven months?! Next thing you know you'll be celebrating your first birthday!!! Well, let's see what's been going on this month...

You:

• are a crawling and cruising maniac. You can't get enough of moving moving moving



• get into anything and everything. Certainly not the bins full of toys, but mini-DVDs, files, the bathroom; etc.



• are a dancing fool. Turn on some music and watch you bounce to the beat



• are eating more real food. Mac and cheese and peas seem to go down well



• are already very opinionated and LOUD about it



• make the sign for "bottle" (and are incredibly impatient about it)



• wave at people whenever we are out



• have five teeth--the second one on top finally popped through and a third one on top is just peeking through



• refuse to stay remotely still for a diaper change. Heaven forbid I slow you down for one second!

Birthdays have always been a big deal to me and Doug. We have a tendency to over-celebrate. It's not just the day, it's at least the week that we make excuses to celebrate, i.e. "Oh, let's go out to eat tonight--it's my birthday" or "Ya, let's have that cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it's my birthday." As time marches on, I've just recently realized that my birthday and Doug's, really aren't that big a deal anymore. This is not a complaint or any source of sorrow. Just a realization. I will be 32 (GULP) this year. THIRTY-TWO! I can remember when that was O-L-D. And now that we have two small children, their birthdays and Christmases are what matter more.

I especially realized this today as I did some things at work. With this job I have, I am required to take call--be on-call if needed on some weekends and holidays and the occasional weeknight. I'm switching around to take a co-worker's weekend (as i would prefer to take an extra weekend as opposed to the inconvenience of a weeknight if I'm called in and Doug happens to be out-of-town). Anyway, what it came down to, was, I would take her weekend but I would need to take Weds, May 30th and Thurs, June 14th. No biggie, right? Well, May 30th is my birthday. Do I care about this? Surprisingly, no. Doug and I used to make a HUGE deal out of my birthday in particular because it usually falls right on Memorial Day weekend. We'd go to the beach or camping. Once we spent a fantastic weekend in New York City. This year, I'll be happy to hunker down at home with my boys and some yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Sitting by the phone, of course, just in case...