No knitting, just McKenna

This picture was taken today and I love it SO much that I had to share!

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

McKenna is leaving the hospital tonight!!!!!! We are all so relieved, happy, excited, etc. This sweetie is finally going to sleep in her own home with Mommy and Daddy. YAY!!!!

ps... that's the latest new hat from me :-)

Blanket of Love

I started this blanket soon after finding out Kim and Drew were expecting. It was a "stop and start again" kind of project, with lots of other knitting going on in between. When McKenna was born early, I had to get the needles clicking again to finish up her blanket ASAP!

Kim's second shower is tomorrow, and I just took the blocking pins out of the blanket and wrapped it. I am very pleased with how it turned out. Such a difference from pre-blocking. It was a rumpled blob ... and now it's a thing of beauty, if I do say so myself. I can't wait to see McKenna wrapped in this blanket. Each of the 55,772 stitches are filled with Grandma love!

ps... McKenna is doing great, and will be leaving the hospital very soon! Yay!

Apple Blossom Cardigan

I knit this sweet little sweater for McKenna this week. The pattern (available free on Ravelry) called for worsted weight and size 10 needles, but was going to be too big. I used DK weight, and size 6 needles, and it is more her size. I'm hoping it will be perfect for her to wear home from the hospital (which we are hoping is VERY soon!) I am going to use the lace pattern at the bottom of the sweater to make a matching hat, and will whip up some booties too. I can't wait to see her wearing this!

Sweet McKenna

Words are not really necessary. This face says it all!

McKenna continues to do very well. She's reaching milestones, gaining weight, and we are all hoping her stay in the NICU will be over soon. She has changed SO much since she was born, looking better (and cuter!) every day! She is loved by so many. Thanks again, everyone, for your continued prayers. They are working!

I am one proud Grandma!

Sizzlin' Sunday

A quick update, and I'll try to post pix very soon.

McKenna is now 2 weeks old and doing great. I am going to go see her in just a little while. I have not seen her since Monday, which breaks my heart, but it was all I could do to pull things together for the baby shower (yesterday). Thanks to many good friends and wonderful family members, it was a beautiful day for Kim and Drew. So much love was in that room, and we had McKenna's photos on a digital frame slide show, so she was with us in spirit.

Kim is doing great. Her blood pressure seems to be under control and the symptoms of preeclampsia are all but gone. She is exhausted, understandably, from all the trips to the hospital, catching up on her class for her Masters, phone calls, paperwork, and just getting things ready for McKenna to come home. Now with all that extra LOOT from the shower, she'll spend a lot of time getting everything set up in the nursery for her. How fun!

Happy Sunday! I'm hitting the pool when I get home! It's a hot one!

Welcome to the world, McKenna!

My grand-daughter McKenna was born Saturday evening, more than 9 weeks early. She weighs 2 lbs. 5 oz. and though very tiny, is doing very well! She came out crying and breathing on her own, and is full of spunk. Of course I fell in love with her the minute I saw her. I am hoping to be able to hold her tomorrow.

The way things happened made for a wild ride, and even though it's not what any of us had planned, it looks like it will all be ok.

I missed out on 2 months of knitting time... I'd better get moving on finishing up that other project, and making a few preemie hats!

McKenna's arrival put a wrench in my plans to go to Sock Summit, and while I'm disappointed, HERE is where I need to be...where I want to be. Kim is going to need a lot of help in the coming weeks. I want to be the one helping her.

I can't believe I'm a grandma!! Squeeee!

May I present to you....

the new addition to our yard...



After much delay, swimming 2009 has commenced. I thought the new (bigger) pool would never get put up and filled, but here it is. Oh swimming, how I have missed you! Now, if the weather would just warm back up again.... I can't believe we are expecting highs in the 60s and 70s this week after the sweltering week we just had. Can it please be summer and stay summer?

And here, just as a little bonus, is a picture of the little baby robins that hatched this past week or so. Mama Robin built her nest in my philodendron that was hanging out on the porch. They are getting pretty crowded in that little nest!

Food as art

This post is for you, Lynn!

I saw the colors blended in my pan as I was stir-frying tonight, and thought "Well, isn't that pretty?!" and ran for my camera.

I wish I had caught it while the red onions were still colorful, but along with them, there was orange pepper, broccoli, celery, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. The meat was strips of turkey breast. Sooo good.

And to cleanse the palate, a small dish of homemade Lemon Ice.

Jake did most of the prep work. He cut and juiced the lemons, measured out the other ingredients and mixed them together. It was certainly delicious and he's already said we need to make it more often. This was our first time. I ended up mashing my strawberry in while I ate it, and decided next time we make it, we'll add some chopped strawberries to it before the final freezing.

GO WINGS!

Jake's first meal of the day... we are SOOO excited about tonight's game, hoping that the Wings beat the Penguins again in game 6. 

Repeat ... so sweet!

The Baby Bump

I can't get enough of looking at Kim's belly. Isn't it cute? I know there are pregnancies everywhere, but this one is most special!

Here's what I've got on the needles for the baby bump right now. It's a little more than half done. Easy garter stitch short-rows. Good mindless knitting for hockey games.

GO WINGS!

Kaitlyn has graduated!

Yesterday, Kaitlyn, and 400+ classmates, graduated from Romeo High School. Commencement was held at Freedom Hill, an outdoor concert venue, with a covered pavilion. It was on the chilly side to begin with yesterday, and being in the shade, with a stiff wind, made for a somewhat uncomfortable couple of hours. I neglected to wear anything warmer than a short sleeved shirt, (well, yes, I WAS wearing pants) and believe me, I was sure wishing I had a hand-knit shawl around my shoulders! What was I thinking? Mike, Kim, my parents... they all had jackets. Jake had a long sleeved shirt over another shirt. Me, I wore goosebumps. I really felt bad for the girls graduating.... they all had dresses on under their skimpy little white gowns, and I'm sure they were freezing!

The ceremony was quite nice. Kaitlyn graduated with High Honors and we are very proud of her! Congratulations, Kaitlyn!

We will be throwing a big graduation party for her in July. I really need to get to planning that.... and a baby shower..... tick tock tick tock....