A Summer of Changes

The last time I posted was just June 10th.

Since that time...

• John and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary
• Dottie celebrated first first year living with us
• I took on a client for sewing work
• I danced in the Ballet School's annual production
• Oh...and I got pregnant

So, nothing too crazy or anything. 

Our first anniversary was nice. My parents watched Dottie so John and I could go to Ojai for the evening. Ojai was boring, but we did attend a local wine fest. Being surrounded by a couple hundred drunk baby boomers was pretty awesome. It was Tommy Bahamas and Harley Davidson wear as far the your eyes could see. By 2pm they were all wasted and we were just starting. 

Dottie is doing great! She's 1.5 now and much more calm. To celebrate we bought her doggie cupcakes. She liked them very much. 

Yep, I took on a client for some wedding sewing. It turned out more involved than I planned (surprising right?), but in the end I was really proud of my work. I altered a wedding dress, embellished two bridesmaid dresses, added straps to the bridesmaid dresses, and constructed a lace edged shrug for the bride. Seriously, everything looked so wonderful and I cannot wait to see pictures from the wedding. 

As I mentioned above...I had my triumphant return to the stage. Well, maybe not triumphant since I was only a gypsy in one scene in a very long production. But really it was fun to get dolled up and dance in front of people. I only wish there were more opportunities for adults to perform more often. Plus rehearsing was really fun with the other gypsies. The hardest part of the performance was keeping my big secret that I'm pregnant. Found out two days before the show,but didn't dare tell anyone until after I got confirmation from the doctor. It was killing me to keep it from my Mom, but I did it and survived.

And so...now its baby time. 15 weeks 3 days today with a due date of February 26th. Will it be a leap year baby?

Being pregnant hasn't been easy so far. I've spent more time in a bathroom than I ever care to, I basically stopped eating for a few months, I'm tired all the time and get all kinds of strange aches. But at the same time I'm very excited about this baby.

At our appointment yesterday the baby was wiggling all over the place. So the only picture we got was this.

 That's a top view of the head. Not the most excited photo, but getting to see the spine and heart at work was pretty neat. No gender though. Little peanut wasn't interested in showing the goods. I don't want to know if its a girl or a boy, but John REALLY wants to know. So he can find out and torture me.

I'm also starting to show. Did I mentioned the upper arm spread? Sweet!

Next up...how to clothe my growing belly as I enter the busy season at the museum. I have both Halloween and Christmas events coming, plus regular tour guiding and I'm afraid my current outfit just isn't going to work.

So you're married? When are you having a baby?

As John and I come to our 1 year anniversary, there is a question popping up with increased frequency...

When are you having a baby?

That's a very personal decision. One left between John and myself.

But, as I've been chatting with my girlfriends, I discovered some alarming issues we all seem to share when it comes to family planning. 

All of my friends are in the same spot as me. We've all married men who have careers in creative fields and work freelance. Meanwhile all of us ladies are working steady jobs with benefits. 

What does this have to do with having babies? A lot. 

Our husbands are business owners, artists, and working in careers. They are actually using their degrees in their fields of work. 

The ladies are all working jobs. None of us are using our specific degrees or working in a field we feel passionate about. 

Our husbands bring in more money, by a lot. But, and this is a big but, its all freelance. So there is no guarantee the work/money will be consistent. 

The ladies all make substantial less money on average, but its a consistent paycheck. 

None of the men's jobs offer insurance. 

All of the ladies jobs offer insurance. 

So when it comes to having babies, what do we do? 

Do we keep working? Full time? Part time?

None of us want to totally stop working. I like working. I like my job. I like my coworkers. 

But, childcare is so expensive it would eat up almost my entire paycheck. 

But if I quit and stay home John will be solely responsible for supporting our family, and bringing in enough income to pay for our health insurance too. 

Is that fair?

If John's not working steady, he can stay home with our children, but my paycheck is not big enough to support the family. Also I know I'd be jealous. I already get a little jealous sometimes because I must go to work 5 days a week, 50 weeks of the year. John only works about half the year and spend the rest of the time surfing the Internet, playing with Dottie, brewing beer, napping, etc. 

There's also the travelling element of the husband's jobs. 

John travels a lot when he's working. So will he be jealous that I'm home with the kids, while he's missing all their ballet recitals and soccer games? And will I survive having to be the sole parent a lot? And how will I work full time for insurance benefits and be a 24/7 single parent?

But besides all the financials, there is also the issue of passion. One thing all the ladies have in common is sacrifice. In some ways, we all have put some of our own passions aside so our husbands can work towards their dreams. We're sold our souls for money and insurance. When is it our turn to follow our passions? Something tells me kids are not the answer, so I'd better get off my ass and work towards my dream now, while I still have free time (even is its not much after my full time work week).

So ladies what should we do? And when will/can we have babies? And will socialized health care ever come through, so the ladies don't have to work full time just for insurance? 

Home Again

Today John returns after an entire month away from Dottie and I. Its been a long month, but in many it was also easier than when he was gone for a week.

Let's start with Dottie...

Dottie has been battling parasites the entire month. She woke me up in the middle of the night vomiting three times. We've gone to the vet with bloody stools. I've figured out a way to feed her really bitter tasting pills, and a way to force cherry flavored antibiotics down her throat. She's woken up early more times than she's slept in.

But she also learned how to walk on a leash better thanks to her new Easy Walk harness. She also only had one accident in the entire month. (It was while I was at work.) She also started doing tricks for her medicine thanks to the invention of pill pockets. I think John's going to be surprised with how mature Dottie has become.

I also did a lot of knitting.

I finished a short-sleeved cardigan for Kristin's birthday.

...a short-sleeved sweater for myself (that I then gave away to my aunt Jennifer)

...I've been working away on the Mata Hari sweater

...and lastly started a new spring weight cardigan.

Dottie and I also started our garden for this year. So far we have arugula, kale, two types of tomato, green peppers...

and strawberries and cucumbers.

Tomatoes are for John. Cucumbers for me. Everything else is something we both enjoy. I'm just hoping I get a few of the strawberries this year. John's such a berry loving freak and I don't think I got a single berry last year. 

Next time he goes away I'll try to learn a synonym for the word 'also'. 

Good Husband...Bad Metro

So...I tweaked my calf muscle a couple weeks ago during ballet class. It was feeling 100% again at class on Monday, but during the second jump exercise I started to feel the twinge.

Nothing that a little rest and stretching won't cure, so don't worry. However the one thing that makes it hurt is climbing stairs.

So Metro...I am unhappy with you!

The station I use to get to/from work is 5 stories under the ground. It has two exit/entrances. Each is about 1 block apart. The entrance closer to me job only has stairs and escalators, no elevator. So imagine my dismay when I found this sight this morning.

Noooooooooooo!

That's right, 4 stories of stairs to climb with my bum calf. (There is a smaller escalator right next to the tracks, knocking 1 story off my climb.)

Wouldn't be too bad except I then have to climb two steepish hills and a few more staircases to reach my office.

My calf is not happy with you Metro, and neither am I. 

I am happy with my husband though. Look what he found for me...

Pliny is for him, but that Scotch Ale...Yum!

Saturday Night Fun

John and I hit up the Eagle Rock Brewery this weekend and I was tickled by this group of guys next to us.

Hot Saturday night with the guys? Can't leave home without your vest, plaid shirt, and beard, right?

Oh and the center vest...it had this on the back.

Sorry for the camera picture, but I just couldn't pass on capture this jewel. I freakin' love it.

John and I enjoyed sampling the brews, though I'm still sad John got the last Highway 78 Scotch Ale. Especially since he totally talked me out of ordering it the night before. He said I wouldn't like it, and I believed him...then the next night he went on and on about how good it was. Jerk. (John totally believe he did not talk me out of getting this beer, but I choose to interpret the event my way).

Anyways, it was a lovely weekend. Very relaxing.

I also finished this sweater finally. Turned out really nice, though I have a couple gripes.

Again, camera photo pictures. I lost the charger to my camera, so I'm making due for now.

Love: The detailing at the sleeve and neck opening. The wash-ability of the yarn. The color...Purple Mystery...Yum!
Hate: The yarn is a little thick and warm for Los Angeles. The pattern called for this to be knit in pieces, then sewn together. Good for knitting on the go (like when I was in Colorado), but bad for completing the project. It sat in my sewing room for a month while I tried to find a day when I had both time and daylight to be able to see all those stitches in such dark yarn. Also the pattern called for you to sew a little hem into the bottom. This make a nice finished edge, but also makes the sweater twice as thick right around my hips.

Pattern: Greenaway
Yarn: Malabrigo Rios in Purple Mystery
Yardage: 1092 yards
Timeline: December 23rd-February 26th

Quiet Rainy Day

John came home last night after more than a week away. He was in Mobile, Alabama working, and while the work is good I do get a little lonesome in his absence. Dottie's good company, but she doesn't snuggle the same way John does.

The good news was that John and I got to celebrate Valentine's Day. Just slightly belated.

I got him Cupcakes

He got me port.

Not a bad combo, right?

But today was back to the reality of life. Dottie awakes with the sun. Rain pouring down and causing too much traffic. Work taking me away from Johnny so soon after his return.

But there's only a few more hours of work before I can return home to my little girl and my husband. That's a very good thing.

Home Alone

This past week John and I experienced a trial of our marriage. No we didn't fight. There was no sickness (except my lingering cold). No, not even money issues. Our first test was...John leaving town for a week to work. I was home alone. 

Unlike Kevin I didn't have a bb gun for protection, I had Dottie. 

Doesn't see look threatening?

I would never post something like this while he is gone. My imagination is way to overactive. I would have visions of a stranger viewing my blog and some how finding my home at 3am and well, you can see where this would head. I'm paranoid enough as it is. I spent the entire week avoiding any TV that might add fuel to the fire. CSI was almost too much for me. 

However, I made it through the week and so did John. Poor boy spent his week working in Florida. He watched wildlife get rescued, went fishing, and ate said fish the same evening. I'm pretty sure he didn't hate his week, much as he missed Dottie and I. 

I didn't hate my week either. This past week showed me I can do it on my own while he is gone. I can be a single mother to Dottie, I just need to adjust. So I can't knit for hours on end, oh well. Playing fetch with Dottie is more fun. I can also cook dinner and play fetch at the same time. And when bed time comes, just leave the bathroom light on, turn on the fan, and go to sleep. Let your mind rest. 

I'm glad we had this short trial. John has traveled a lot since we meet 4 years ago and there is a solid chance he will need to travel again. I think its the hardest part of marrying John, but its a reality I can handle and I'm just glad I have family and friends nearby to support me when I need it. 

And our ferocious guard dog...