Sea Borders

Sea Borders
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist.

LOOK, STITCHING! I finished this little guy yesterday. He is a freebie called Sea Borders found a long time ago on a french website http://www.lilootes.com/, But I can seem to find it there now... I also got a whole seahorse alphabet with it . The photo is muted but it came out really nice . I stitched it on 28 ct ivory evenweave using one of the Dye is Cast colors (I think it is called Storm). I think it would also look great stitched in white on a blue fabric.

I have been debating what project to tackle next. since I only get about an hour a night to stitch. I have a Sam Sarah Spookline, that is half done. Or I can start the Sampler book by Erica Michaels. I want to that for A. I think it would be a cool book to learn the alphabet by, and a neat heirloom. but then I wonder if all the hard work I put into it would be worth it in the long run. Would she just puke on it at some point and ruin it?

Bellastitch asked me how I got A. to sleep through the night. The first night she did it was the day after I got back from Montreal. I woke up in a panic at 7 thinking something was wrong because she didn't wake up at 4:30/5am for her usual feeding. Well there is no secret, I totally attribute it to her finding her thumb at about 2 months old and that enables her to self soothe. That and I am really lucky. She has always been a champion sleeper. She was pulling 4 or 5 hour naps from the first few weeks. I know they said to wake her every 3 hours to eat, but it took us an hour past that to wake her up enough to eat, and even then she was still too grumpy to eat well.. We quickly determined that she ate better if we just let her sleep as much as she wanted.

And look ...Happy Baby:

Smiles
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist.

This fist is tasty and you can't have any!

Tasty Fist
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist.

Where have I been?

Short answer: Montreal/work/pumping/not stitching
Long Answer:
I headed out to Montreal last thursday for a total of 48 hours to present my thesis (for the last time I hope) at the SIL conference. The good news is that this will enable my thesis to be published in their proceedings (a 3 volume set that is put out every three years). I also found out while there that the 2 people who will review my paper are 2 of the most noted researchers in my field...that is better than random reviewers at any old journal. I was worried more about finding places to pump while I was gone than about A. (my mom came to care for her) or even about my presentation. But it ended up being ok, I only had to pump once in a bathroom at the airport. Mostly I was able to wait till I got to the hotel room, or used an inactive room at the conference center (Which is HUGE, bigger than New Orleans). I ate 3 fabulous meals while there and only got to see a bit of Chinatown and Old Montreal. Some day I wouldn't mind going back and seeing more.

School started this week and no problems there (I am teaching the same classes I did last fall, so minimal prep). A. spent her first day at Daycare yesterday (she and I did OK thank you) However she drank 12 oz in 7 hours. This has produced quite a bit of worry from me since I only produced 8 oz, I had to break out 2 bags of frozen milk to send her with 17 oz today for 10 hours. If she drinks it all I will definately have issues keeping up. I had built up a decent supply of frozen milk over the past 2 months but alot of it was used while I was in Montreal (40 oz) I am currently tring to figure out how much effort to put into keeping her on pure breast milk (take supplements/try to pump more -ha when?), or to ease off of the pressure I will put on myself and just mix the expressed milk I can pump with formula. I have about 20 oz frozen left to figure that decision out.

As for cross stitch I am working on something small right now, but I only have about 30 min a night. After putting A. to bed and preparing all the stuff for me and her, I head to bed early so I can get up early and not be dragging ass in the am...and my kitchen floor is still filthy. You all will have to forgive me but I have stopped reading your stitching blogs....seeing all your stitching just depresses me right now cause I want to do more, and I have all these ideas.....

OH I forgot the good news--as of Sat (11 weeks), A. is sleeping through the night 9pm-7am. She has discovered her feet and will watch them for 15 minutes at a time. Although she sucks her thumb(s) to soothe herself, she has yet to "find" her hands.
I will post some more pictures soon, just haven't had the time

My RR is home

My RR is home
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist.

This was my RR, and since it was so easy It cruized through everyone, and got home before I have even seen the last one I have to do. Everyone did a great job! It is the monthly kats, I think I will be stitching the rest of them (or maybe if I have some time put it in another rr). My dad has been here this weekend and I have been able to do more on Fredrick, I only have 2 colors to go.

A. is sleeping 6 hours a night now pretty consistantly, the evenings are still very fussy. A couple times now I just have to let her cry herself out, because my back hurts from bopping her around the house. I feel like a bad mom for the 10 minutes or so till she is asleep...

RR work

Beths rr
Originally uploaded by Stitching scientist.

Here is the RR I am working on right now. As you can see it is the DImensions Fredrick the Literate. She broke it into 6 sections and unfortunately one of our rr people dropped out so I am only the second person to work on it. The bottom left corner is mine. (everything below Fredrick). I don't have to backstitch anything and I only have 4 books to go. It would go faster if I wasn't milk on demand for baby girl. Speaking of that...naptime is over.... more blogging later.