Now for the most important thing… Sean.

Sean rolled from his tummy to his back last night, with everyone in the family watching!  I couldn’t believe it.  He hasn’t been reaching for things, he hates being on his tummy (unless he is sleeping) and so, I thought he isn’t even close to rolling over.  But he did it!  I’m so proud.  He has been eating his bib and drooling quite a bit… He is super cute. 

I think tomorrow we will be going to the mall and trying to get his picture taken.  I wanted to do that on Friday, but I couldn’t walk.  One week late for his 3 month portrait isn’t too late, is it?

There has been a bunch going on, so I’m going to put things in separate entries.

I finally went to the doctor about my rotating joint pain.  Not that I wanted too, but it got that bad.  I’m looking back and I haven’t mentioned having rotating joint pain… Honestly, I’m trying to figure out when it started.  I know it was at least a week before May 17.  It moved from joint to joint, never going to the same one twice, ending with taking out my entire left hand on May 17.  So, I went to have a blood draw, and they finally read the results today.  I have an elevated rheumatoid levels.  I also have scleritis in my right eye.  I was diagnosed with that on Thursday… That day my left knee started to hurt, and it was so painful by that night, it woke me up.

Needless to say, I’m falling apart.  I saw the rheumatologist today, and she doesn’t think I have rheumatoid arthritis (although I do).  She did another blood draw, looking for other inflammatory diseases, and I should get the results soon.  It’s scary, having this little baby to take care of, and losing joints on a regular basis.  I just hope we can figure out what is going on. 

All I can say is last week freaked me out.  I so missed my laptop.  I spent the early week trying to figure out if I was going to buy a new machine or get the old one fixed.  I looked at ads, I asked for friends advise… Finally, I went out on Yelp, and they saved me.  Yes, I found a place that fixes laptops to the component level.  Can you believe it?  AND they were 6 miles from my house.  I drove over, dropped it off, and less than a week later, here it is back in my loving arms!

So, what was wrong?  It simply wouldn’t turn on!  So, they replaced 3 parts, and charged me $189.  That’s right, only one hundred eighty nine dollars!  And it has a 90 day warranty on the work and parts.  I am simply ecstatic!  Go Gwen, go Gwen!

And I am so bummed.  I’m trying to figure out if I should just buy a new one, or have this one fixed.  I may be quiet for a day or two.  Just wanted to let you know what was up.

My little man slept from 9:30 pm to 4:30 am again last night.  He then slept until almost 7:30 am.  It’s really too bad that I couldn’t go back to sleep at 4:30… I would have gotten like 9 hours of sleep!  Can you imagine?  I can’t. 

However, if I had gone back to sleep, I might have missed the loud sounds of the garbage truck coming around the corner.  I thought to myself, I bet John didn’t take the trash out… We had been out to dinner with friends the night before and then we watched the season finale of LOST… Anyway, John had just gone into the bathroom to get ready, I think it was like 6:50 am.  So I got out of bed and asked him, did you take out the trash?  He said, “uh, NO,” so I said, “Don’t worry I’ll take care of it.” Now, I’m wearing, well, a pretty short nightie, and my nursing sleep bra (which is a bit big and leaves me quite saggy).  I couldn’t get to my robe, because it was in the bathroom, and besides, what do I care, it’s the garbage man. 

So, I walk outside, and the garbage truck is still two houses away, and I know there is plenty of time for me to get both cans to the curb.  So, I start with the most important one, the one filled with the 5 poopie diapers I changed yesterday.  I’m half way down the drive when John comes RUNNING out of the house in his boxers, I start laughing, he starts laughing and gets the recycle bin.  Thats where it gets even better, he starts running with the recycle bin (which is quite large), gets to the street, and then the bin and John tip over at the edge of the driveway.  Recyclables fall out of the can, John hurried and put them back in and gets the can to the curb, just as the truck gets to our house.  I was just watching in awe, and I just couldn’t stop laughing.  John was so funny… I even wondered if he wasn’t working blind.  He didn’t have his glasses on, and I thought he was on the toilet when I asked him about the garbage.  So, I’m not sure if he had those contacts in or not. 

Anyway, the garbage man took our trash and recycle, and I got back inside the house, laughing for a good 5 minutes afterward.  I almost woke Sean I was laughing so loud in the hallway.

So as I have now learned, there are many, many benefits to taking the trash out late.  And no, I don’t think the garbage man even cracked a grin.  He must not have found it as funny as I did.  Poor guy, he must get that kind of thing so often that he is numb to the hilarity of the situation.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love to knit with wool and alpaca.  I also like mohair.  I don’t really like cotton nor do I like acrylic.  Wool blends are good.  I’m also not afraid of scratchy wools.  They are great to felt with.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I store them in a plastic container in their original packaging. 

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
Longer than I let on.  I’ve been finding receipts from 1997 from where I was buying yarn for this “bout” of knitting.  I knit in the early eighties for a bit, and I learned in Girl Scouts when I was 10.  I don’t think I’m advanced as I have problems with lace, but I don’t have problems with cables.  Go figure.  I’d say intermediate, for right now.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I do, it’s over to the right.  Think “wishing”

5. What’s your favorite scent?
Vanilla.  I’m allergic to most perfumes, as well as roses and jasmine.  It’s easier to not have smelly things.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Chocolate, chocolate, and chocolate.  Milk please with peanut butter, or crispy things, or toffee.  Not with almonds though.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I don’t spin, but I’d like to try.  I am scrapbooking with my mommy group every other Friday.  I also sew.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I’m a big REM fan, and Counting Crows, and Lisa Loeb… and Christmas music!

9. What’s your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can’t stand?
I love pink, brown and green.  I’m not really a bright neon kind of girl, or jewel tones.  I’m more of a muted kind of girl.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I’m married with a 3 month-old baby.  We have one dog, Daisy, and one cat, Girl.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes, yes and yes!

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Felted purses, and baby cardigans with Shaefer Elaine!  I also make a lot of scarves.

13. What are you knitting right now?
A Pick Up Sticks Felted Ripple Tote.  I’m enjoying it.  I just finished a baby surprise jacket (it’s butt ugly).

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
I love handmade gifts!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Circular Bamboo please!

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I own both, and LOVE them.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
It is a baby sweater that I’ve had for over 5 years.  I don’t even know where I am with it anymore.  I really should get rid of it.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas is my favorite holiday. 

19. Is there anything that you collect?
I collect Tickled Pink and Heavenly Days china by Vernon Ware.  You can find it on eBay.  I’ve also started collecting Alphabet flash cards for Sean… I have one by Paul Frank and another that focuses on French words.  Oh yeah, I collect Christmas Music.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Not right now, not books anyway.  I’m finding more and more need for 16 inch circulars (I have 10, 10.5 and 11).  I get Vogue Knitting, Interweave Knits and Creative Knitting.  I love British knitting magazines.

21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?
Hmm, I’d like to be more patient for lace knitting.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Nope, I can’t stand those little needles, and yes I’ve tried.  Maybe I should try again… I don’t know my measurements but I wear a size 8.5

23. When is your birthday?
November 27

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what’s your ID?
I am on Ravelry, although I have trouble spelling it.  daisydo will find me!

That is my boy Sean.  Poor kid has green flowing out his nose and he slept from 9:30 pm to 4:45 am.  Then he went back to sleep until almost 7.  Insanity I say, insanity!

I, of course, woke up at 2:30 am, and then 3:30 am.  Then I waited, and waited and waited for him to wake up.  Yeah.  I’m sick too.  So, I’m blowing my nose, trying to go back to sleep.  It really didn’t work.  Mom says it’s because I took an almost 4 hour nap on Monday afternoon.  It’s interesting.  All three of us have the cold.  Sean has a very mild version, as does John.  I have the worst of it.  I always do.  My nose is running… I need the humidifier that is set up in Sean’s room.  It’s a penguin, btw, very cute!  Anyway, I think it’s really unfair.  I got the cold from Sean, not from John.  Sean has been drooling so bad, and I’ve been cleaning his mouth, and not washing my hands every time.  Anyway, let’s hope that I get better soon.  Sean and John are doing great.

On a knitting note, I have been knitting like a fiend.  I’ve finished my (VERY UGLY) baby surprise jacket.  I think it is yarn choice that makes it ugly.  I just have to sew up the two seams, and it’s done.  I’ve finished the linen stitch scarf for Emi at work, and now I’m working on a felted purse.  I’ve also joined Secret Pal 12.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to do another one… Not because I didn’t have a great experience last time, but because of all the sh*t talk on ralvery.  I mean really, some people just love to whine, and make others feel bad.  I’ve had good pals, and honestly, I’ve had really bad pals.  I think it’s the luck of the draw, and I just try to be the best pal I can be. 

Anyhoo, I have new pictures, I just need to get them uploaded.  Hmm.  How long is that going to take me?  Maybe I can get John to put them on Flickr tonight… That might help.