Where DOES the time go?

Just popping in with a little note to wish everyone a happy holiday season. Things are in full swing around here, throwing in Kim's birthday today for good measure. McKenna should be so much fun this year when she gets to open her presents (and probably play with the paper and boxes more than the toys themselves, as all kids tend to do) We are SO looking forward to seeing Christmas through the eyes of a toddler once again.

Here's our little McKenna the Red-Nosed Reindeer, getting ready for the festivities.

Holiday reading material:

Sweet girl dressed in her Christmas finery:

To all of you who stop by to check in on my corner of the world, I wish you a safe, joyous, wonderful Christmas. May the new year find you healthy and happy and bring you pleasant surprises.

On Christmas morning, pretend YOU are the toddler and see the day through new eyes.

HO HO HO!

Leaving on a jet plane

I'm off tomorrow morning for a long weekend in Omaha for a knitting retreat. My dear sister and I have not seen each other in WAY too long and so I am so happy to meeting up with her (and Becky, a non-knitter) to do this. I wish it was going to be a longer visit, but we will be together, doing something we both love to do. Knit, and hang out with other knitters!

The setting is going to be lovely. We'll be at the Mahoney State Park in Omaha. The link is to a quick youtube video of the park's features. There is a huge lodge where the retreat will be, but we have a private cabin so we can catch up on our sister time in private when we want to. There is so much to do at this park. I am hoping to convince Mike to make a trip out there next summer to camp, and have Diane and Becky come too!

Coming with me on my long weekend is my new Kindle, which is an early birthday present. I treated myself to a really cute skin (from DecalGirl) and sleeve with some amazon gift certificates I had gotten with bank rewards. I'm looking forward to getting acquainted with it on my flights tomorrow, and then waiting for Diane and Becky to get off work and drive to Omaha to retrieve me from the airport about 3 hours after I arrive. I don't mind the wait though... I'll have my Kindle, my iPod Touch, and my knitting. Isn't she cute?

And speaking of cuteness.... McKenna has gotten her third tooth and started walking in the past few weeks. Oh my goodness, she is really so much fun these days. Learning words, the fun way she plays with her toys. Here is a picture of her and her friend the llama at the petting farm on Sunday.

In the blink of an eye

Tomorrow is McKenna's birthday. I can't believe it. A year ago we were getting ready for her very early arrival. It was stressful, worrisome, yet exciting, all rolled into one. We were worried about McKenna, but also about Kim, who was having a rough time due to severe pre-eclampsia and also HELLP syndrome. The 45 days that followed were also filled with many emotions while McKenna grew stronger in the NICU. But once she came home, things were better and better all the time.

McKenna is doing GREAT! She is still small for her age (wearing mostly 6 month sized clothes right now, though she can still fit in some 3 month size!) but has packed on some weight the last month or so and now has chubby thighs and a buddha tummy. She is catching up on more milestones and is only slightly behind on a few things.

We will have a small celebration for her tomorrow. We'll start out at the zoo, weather permitting, and later we'll have cake and ice cream with just Kim and Drew, Mike and I, Drew's Mom, Kaitlyn and Jake, and my mom and dad. Her big party will be in a few weeks. That will be quite the celebration of how far she's come over the past year.

Which brings me to the time warp thing that has happened. It just doesn't register in my mind that a year has gone by already. We certainly have enjoyed watching her grow and all the fun things she is doing now. I wish it didn't go by so fast. We have to remind ourselves to enjoy each and every moment of every single day.

She's gone from this little peanut

to this grown up girl who takes pix

and plays peekaboo

Happy Happy First Birthday, sweet McKenna! Grandma loves you SOOOOOO MUCH! Mwah!

We're going to play this song a few times today... one of my favorites from Raffi, and it's perfect for today!

Mommy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow
Mommy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow
We can stay all day

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Look at all the monkeys swingin' in the trees
Swingin' in the trees, swingin' in the trees
Look at all the monkeys swingin' in the trees
We can stay all day

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Look at all the crocodiles swimmin' in the water
Swimmin' in the water, swimmin' in the water
Look at all the crocodiles swimmin' in the water
We can stay all day

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Yes, Mommy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow
Mommy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow
We can stay all day

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

Hi everyone! I've got my accessories picked out, now I just need a cute outfit. Anyway, I wanted to stop by and wish everyone a safe and fun-filled holiday weekend!

Thank you!

McKenna won the Model Search for her age group! If you voted for her, thank you very much! It was a close race during the last 90 minutes of voting. She fell behind for a short while, but we all rallied and pulled her back to the top! Kim is so excited! I'll post pix here of McKenna in her custom-designed Halloween costume when she gets it, and point you to the website where her pix will be featured modeling the costume. Thanks again!

A few moments of your time please?

I'm going to hijack my blog for some shameless begging.

McKenna is in a Model Search for the Three Little Princesses company. She is just a few votes away from first place in her age group at this time, and voting ends tomorrow (Monday June 28) at 7 pm.

I am going to ask for anyone who has a Facebook account to go to the Three Little Princesses Facebook page. The first thing you have to do is click the "LIKE" button at the top of their page, and then click on "LIKE" on McKenna's photo in the 0-18 Months Album.

The prize is a custom made outfit from Three Little Princesses, and photos of her wearing it featured on their website. Please help us put McKenna in the spotlight. Thank you so much! It just takes a few seconds to vote!

Can you even believe that her first birthday is just over a month away? How far she has come from the day she was born...

March For Babies

It's finally here, the Weekend of Walking! Please consider a donation (large or small, every dollar helps the babies!) in honor and celebration of McKenna, born 10 weeks early at 2 lb. 5 oz. You can donate by clicking on the banner below. There is more information in the post below.

With many thanks to all of my readers, and a huge thank you to all donations to Team McKenna Faith. We are closing in on $6,000 for our team, and hope to surpass it by day's end. Can you help?

They are still forecasting rain for both days (BOO! HISS!) but we are still planning on having a powerful (and I'm sure emotional) experience. Here's hoping for a miracle that keeps the rain away! (Many families of premature babies have experienced miracles already... let's help many more with our donations)

Hugs,
Trish

(update: I will walk part of the time and be pushed in a wheel chair when I've had enough... thankfully physical therapy over the past month has done wonders for my sciatica and I am feeling 97% better! I don't want to overdo it and have a relapse. That would not be good)

Another message from McKenna

Hi everyone, it's me again. I asked Grandma to put up another post on her blog to remind everyone that we could still use a some help if you are able.... Please help us help the little babies! The March of Dimes March for Babies walk is coming up in 2 weeks. Grandma is very sad that she is not going to be able to walk for the babies, because of that dumb sciatica stuff... it makes her leg hurt a LOT when she is on her feet for very long at all. It would make her feel a little better though, if she could get a few more donations for the M.O.D.

To remind you, my mommy, Kim, has done the March of Dimes walk the last few years. She had no way of knowing then that I, her very own baby, would be one of the babies born prematurely... one of the babies that she was walking for and didn't even realize it.

As you can imagine, the March of Dimes has now become even more important to Mommy and Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa, and our whole entire family and circle of friends. My mommy has gathered a big team of family and friends to raise money and walk in the March for Babies. I will be in my stroller, which will be all decorated with balloons and signs. It's going to be a fun weekend (we will walk two different events in one weekend in 2 different locations) It's a lot of walking, but it will be great! Don'tcha think?

anyway.... since we all went through the experience of me being born before I was done cookin' in the oven, we definitely want to help prevent other families from going through the turmoil and emotional struggle that premature birth can cause, as well as the added financial burden, possible birth defects, etc. (Grandma put those words in... my vocabulary is not quite THAT good yet!)

Some of those babies in the NICU with me were not doing as well as I was. I wish every one of them could be as strong and healthy as I am now. I wish all of us could have stayed in our mommy's wombs a little longer so we could grow inside and not in the NICU. It was not a fun place to be for any of us, but those wonderful angels (nurses and doctors) helped me get bigger and stronger so I could go home to be with my mommy and daddy.

We have already had a team fundraiser, and everyone on the team has been working very hard on their own to raise as much money as possible for the preemies. Our team has raised well over $4,000.00 so far and I am not shy about asking for more! We only have 2 weeks left to get more donations and we are hoping to make that number grow even bigger! (for the babies! for the babies!)

I know you can't come walk with us, but please consider a donation for our team, for a very worthy cause, in honor and celebration of ME! Just click on the banner below. Easy-peasy!

Every donation, big or small, is appreciated SO much and I will be so happy that you helped us help the babies!
Thanks a bunch!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO,
McKenna
(my grandma, the Bloomin' Knitiot, thanks you too!) Mwah!

PS... just a little reminder....

this is me on the day I was born. I only weighed 2 lbs. 5 oz.

and me now, at 8 months, about 12 pounds, and doing great!

It's been a while....

I fell off the face of the blog-world (as I've been known to do numerous times before) This time I basically was removed from life as I normally live it by a horrible case of sciatica that left me unable to walk or stand, and sometimes even sit, for the better part of 5 weeks. I spent so many hours laying on (only) my right side that I thought I might develop bedsores. Ugh. Finally after stronger and stronger painkillers, muscle relaxers, and starting physical therapy, I am finally on the mend and can see that there is hope I may one day be healed!

Luckily the 3 sessions of PT last week started me along my way enough that I was able to enjoy the weekend of Easter festivities. McKenna was making her spring debut after a winter of isolation, and the family was so happy to see her and be able to interact with her after all these months. We wondered if she would be overwhelmed by so many people after having such a quiet first 8 months of her life, but she took it all in and entertained everyone with her cuteness.

Saturday we spent with Mike's family, and then had brunch with my family on Sunday morning. Here are a few photos from the weekend. I whipped up the ducky in about a day, and McKenna liked chewing on it.

My big girl with her little girl

Me and my little hunny bunny

McKenna and her new ducky

McKenna trying on Auntie Kait's Ugg boots.

Maybe next year she can borrow them :-)

McKenna and her Uncle Jake

4 Generations:

Great Grandma, McKenna, Mommy and Grandma

Aunt Kaitlyn and McKenna

We're not sure, but these might just be

the longest eyelashes in North America!

OMG!

The Easter Bunny brought me PEACHES?!?!?

My FAVORITE!

OMG!

2010 Olympics, I will miss you

I love the Olympics. I'm sad they are over, but sure did enjoy the thrills of victory, and the agony of defeat (especially that hockey game... but what an exciting nail biting game it was)

I took part in the Knitting Olympics this year, and squeaked in my last bind off stitch mere moments before the Olympic torch was extinguished. I thought I had til 10:30, so good thing I went gangbusters for that last hour or so. Here are the Skew sox that don't fit me, so Kaitlyn is modeling them, and will hopefully enjoy them. I want to make another pair, for me, once the math is figured out for my size. What a fun knit! It really boggles my mind that Lana came up with this very unusual construction!

Here are my gold-medal socks

Here a mitten, there a mitten, everywhere a mitten mitten

Here is what I've been sewing on the old Singer treadle machine. It's got the "get up and go" needed to get through all the layers of felted wool. I've got a few more pairs almost done.

I've bought so many thrift store sweaters lately that I keep saying I may need an intervention. It's fun to find just the right ones for the mitten tops, and then pick from the many plain sweaters for coordinating palms, and cuffs. I am using cashmere for the linings.... yummy... and warm!

PS... how cute is this face?

Sewing

On the last day of 2009, I brought this Centennial (1951) edition Singer treadle sewing machine home.



A local lady had it on Craigslist for a price I couldn't pass up. My Kenmore sewing machine was a gift from Mike for our first Christmas as husband and wife. It has been giving me trouble lately, and I went on Craigslist to see what I could find. I had no intention of buying a vintage treadle machine, but the price was right, it was local, and It works great. It only sews a straight stitch, so I will still need to get my Kenmore fixed or get another machine for other sewing purposes. But for now I'm treadling away. It did come with a ruffler attachment and a few others that I will have to play around with. I'm still getting used to the treadle and some of the quirks of this older beauty, but here's the play mat top that I've put together for McKenna.


There are a few loops of ribbon inserted into some of the seams. She can finger those (as babies love to play with ribbon tags on their toys, etc) or they will be used to hook toys onto the mat with those plastic rings. I just got the backing material on Thursday so need to sandwich everything together with the batting, etc and decide if I'm just going to tack it at the corners of the pieces or do more quilting on it. For now it's been draped over the back of the couch where I feed and play with McKenna a lot and she loves looking at it.

I bought the "workhorse" Singer for a purpose which will be shared here soon, after the recipients of my labors have gotten their items. I don't want to ruin the surprise here.

The lady I bought it from also had a few other treadle machines for sale. They were much older, and had beautiful oak cabinets with lots of flair. But the machines themselves used weird barbell-shaped bobbins that fit into a bullet-shaped case, the needles needed to be longer than what you can normally find these days, etc. While I would have loved one of the more beautiful looking cabinets, I wanted something I would feel more comfortable with, since I was going to be using it and not just looking at it.

I haven't decided where it will end up in the house, but for now it's in the family room where I can sit down and sew a bit when I have a few minutes while McKenna sleeps or plays.