Honey, We're Home!

Phew! I'm back! So...many...changes... this year.... My husband got a new job, we had a(nother) baby, and at the end of the summer we packed up the big brick house and moved our family to town.  

The time we spent at the big brick house was so special. We kept it simple. And quiet. We kept warm in the winter with wood, cool in the summer with ice cream.  We grew from a family of three to a family of five. My husband and I said goodbye to our twenties and hello to our thirties. We learned how to grow and eat food straight out of the ground. We met new friends and joined a new community to call home. Erik learned how to kill a bat (while I curled up in the fetal position on the floor of the closet in a puddle of sweat and tears). Sophie learned how to read, say her R's, climb trees, and ride a two-wheel bike. Charlie learned how to walk, run, and get exactly what he wants through charm and wit. Caleb learned how to open his eyes. I started a little business from a stash of yarn, and discovered my confidence in sharing my creativity (I also discovered my paralyzing fear of flying rodents). 

We walked out the door a completely different family than when we first walked in. There will always be a little bundle of sweeteness in my heart for that house, the time we spent there, and the memories we created on that little piece of land.

So here we are-walking through the door of our new house- this one made of wood, with french windows, glass knobs, and plenty lots of closets. We love it here, and can't wait to find out who we will become while we're here. More to learn, and more changes to come. 

Stay tuned... xoxo

His Name Was Henry

...until about 12 days ago when for some reason it was decided that the world needed another Caleb.

He's 7 days old today. He's the definition on contentment. He's the piece to our family puzzle that we didn't even know was missing. He's like the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. If you need me I'll be smooching him to bits. xoxo

Click...click...click...click...

You've waited in line (for almost a year). You knew eventually you'd get to the front of the line and it would be your turn. Looks like they're ready for you. So you pick a seat, and buckle up. You're a little excited, probably giggling and chatting. You've got a buddy next to you. Everyone around you is excited too. And then you slowly start moving. And then you realize what's actually about to happen. And then you hear it: click...click...click...click. You're going up. Your excitement has suddenly turned into fear.

WAIT! I'm not ready! I think I want to get off.

You grab a hold of your seat, and maybe your buddy's hand. You look to the left and then to right and you begin to wonder why you decided to do this in the first place.

Maybe this was a bad idea. Is it too late? Will they stop the ride for me? What if it gets stuck? I'm not sure I can do th... Why did the clicking stop? OH BOY! HERE WE GOOOOOOO!

It's out of your hands now. You're not in control. You bear down, you scream a little (or a lot), and your hair gets all messed up. You're thrilled and terrified at the same time. When it's all over you're elated, and you're so glad you did it.

No. I'm not heading to the amusement park. I'm scheduled to be induced tomorrow morning. As you know, this ain't my first rodeo (my first two were also inductions...both were fantastic, BTW) but I still feel the nerves. There's no doubt my chin will be chattering as I'm gowning up tomorrow. My teeth actually tap together like a cartoon character, I'm not kidding. It happened before both deliveries, when I got a tattoo, and it happens every time I get on a roller coaster.

PS: I unethically swiped this photo and have no cred to offer... it's from one of my Pinterest boards and the source led to nowhere. If I find it, I will certainly share it. 

Cue the Fanfare!

So my Royal Baby Knitting Pattern has been getting a lot of attention lately.

Apparently the world is on pins and needles (knitting needles!?) waiting for a baby to arrive. Yeah, me too, but it's my own baby, and honestly... my heart goes out to the Royal Family, especially sweet Kate. Can you imagine having every news outlet in the world outside your hospital room? Her post-baby appearance will be front page. And HOLY MOLY the pressure of raising that child!
If that's not bad enough, there's all those wackos out there capitalizing on the birth of an innocent child. Woops, that'd be me, huh? Shame shame. 

I Take That Breath

I keep catching myself taking a long, deep breath in through my nose, and then gently and quickly exhaling. If you were to see me do it, you might think it's an expression of frustration or trying to stay calm. But it's the opposite.

It's more like a breath of gratitude for the present... a reminder that our life is changing, and the breath is my effort to soak in the moments that are quickly flying by.

I feel that Little Wonder do what feels like a somersault in my belly and I take that breath. I wonder what he will bring to our family, what he will look like, how we will adjust, and what it will feel like to know that our family is complete.

When that magnificent girl with the big round eyes asks me those big round questions, I take that breath. Just this week I was faced with questions about the judicial system, mental illness, and why that boy working at the grocery store looked and sounded like a girl. She asks important and intelligent questions, one after another. She wants to know so much, and she's looking to me for the answers, and I'll  answer them all day long if I have to.

And our sweet goofy Munchkin Boy. When I think about how he is going to make the switch from the being the baby in the family to the middle child, I take that breath. The middle child sometimes gets a bad rap, and I can't imagine him being anything but the most flawless little goosh of baby sweetness that ever lived.

On a daily basis I'm reminded of our fortunate circumstances: our good health, our peaceful life, our exciting future. I'm reminded that these things aren't guaranteed, and they may not last forever, and I take that breath.

I just don't want to miss anything! Or take anything for granted! I don't want to have that dreaded "looking back" moment where I wish I would have been paying more attention. I'm paying attention, I'm thankful for this moment, and I'm hopeful for the next moment, each time I take that breath.

Mr. Universe

If you are 9 months pregnant and it's super hot and humid and mosquito-ey outside, and you don't want to be in bed by 8 on Friday night, but you don't want to leave your living room, have your husband/SO/BFF pick up a take & bake pizza and make a stop at the movie machine to grab Jim Gaffigan, Mr. Universe.

But don't blame me if you laugh so hard that you die (I thought I was going to), or your water breaks (I grabbed a towel to sit on!), or you end up laugh-sobbing with your mascara all over your face (me), or your pizza on your shirt (husband).

I know, I should review movies for a living.

They Don't Make'em Like They Used To...

Rockstars, that is. I just heard Fleetwood Mac on the radio and totally geek-jammed in front of my daughter (already embarrassed of her mother at the tender age of seven and a half). Then I found this pic and decided that these guys look some kind of cool that we just don't see anymore. Artists/performers/celebrities "these days" look so over-groomed. It's no secret that they all have somebody telling them what to say, what to sing, what to tweet, what to wear. We hear their song on the radio 100 times a day for a month and never hear it again.

Do you think Mr. Buckingham was TOLD to wear those brown socks with his platform sandals? Yeah, I doubt it. But 40-some years later, I'm groovin' in my mommy-wagon to his song that came out before I was even born (in Sophie's defense, it really was embarrassing). 

 

 If you need me I'll be double checking that that is a piece of hair Ms.Stevie has in between her thumb and her index finger (this is a family blog).

Thoughts on Pregnancy (from people who have most likely never been pregnant)

Long time no see. Hey listen, I've been busy. I've been knitting, and writing patterns, and nesting. And eating. Ok?
So I'll make it up to you with a BlogSpot exclusive.

There's a long list of things I don't do on the internet. One is Bump Shots. Another is Self Portraiture. I have nothing again seeing other people's, it just not something I do. BUT JUST THIS ONCE, to prove to you that I am pregnant (36 weeks!), and to go along with my theme for this post, I will divulge the bulge:

 Trust me when I tell you that objects in mirror are larger than they appear. So large, in fact, that no matter where I go, I get to hear about it. If you are or have been pregnant you know that having that belly might as well be a flashing sign that says: PLEASE! TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE THINKING, HONESTLY! Most of the time, it's questions about due date, gender, names, how many kids you already have... sometimes women want to tell you all about their own pregnancies or their daughters, etc. Totally fine, quite expected, always well intended.
Other times, um, it seems like people forget to process their thought before it comes out of their mouth, and I've accumulated a list of faves from all 3 of my gestation periods.

Two of the best came from my very own sweet little freckle face, during this pregnancy.
  OOOGHK! Mom! Your belly button! That's disgusting! ...uh, I mean, it's really big. Sorry?

 She asked me to sit down with her at our child size table and chairs, as she pulled out the chair she said:
Here ya go, don't break the chair! I mean, because you're big. Because you're pregnant.
(Can't say the girl doesn't know how to back pedal.)

First PG, I was HUGE. Like GI-NORM'. And my Grandma (bless her soul) who had no filter, and unintentionally offended her loved ones on a regular basis said:
Oh, Honey Girl... how are you going to loose all that weight?
(I don't know, Grandma. Love you though.)

The question 'when are you due?' is sometimes a tricky one if you're a tad on the large size early on in the game.
During my first PG, this big ol' friendly guy (with his own bulging belly, I might add) asked when I was due. Upon my response, his eyeballs popped out of his head and he said:
GEEEEZE!! Ya' havin' TWINS!?
(No sir, thank you, are YOU?)

A lady at the gas station asked me the same just a couple weeks ago and when I to her I wasn't having twins, her response:
OH! Well, you look great, actually.
(Thank you ma'am. Thank you for your opinion. You look great too.)

Chatting at a small town festival during the 3rd tri of baby #1, a sweet young girl said:
I bet you are excited to be able to wear cute clothes again.
(Because apparently you think my big maternity shirt is ugly.)

At a party about a month ago, while getting together for a group picture, the lovely person taking the photo said:
Hey, stand next to Jami, you'll look small!
(Don't stand too close, I might eat you!)

And maybe the strangest, most inappropriate, during PG #2, I was minding my own business pushing my cart in the Target parking lot and an old man yelled out across the row:
 Excuse me, ma'am? God Bless you for not having an abortion.
(Say what? I just looked at him and blinked with my mouth open ready to respond, but to this day I still haven't thought of one. Bizarre!)

I know, people are funny. I really never take offense. If anyone has ever put her foot in her mouth, it's this girl. Maybe that's why my daughter has become so good at back-pedaling?

Just wanted to share and check in. I'll be back soon (ha!). If you need me I'll be having a snack and then I'll probably organize a cupboard, and maybe after that I'll have another snack.
xoxo




 

Pattern Specs

As promised...

Below you'll find the yarn specs on my current patterns. At this point the main yarns used in my shop have been Lion Brand: Cotton Ease, and Michael's exclusive Loops and Threads: Impeccable. After my first few dozen hat sales I discovered I had to use yarn that was a good value, easily accessible, and available in colorways that I love. As I continue to create more patterns for you, I'm looking forward to working with a greater variety of yarns.

For the Knubby Girls Hat with Flowers (infant sizes):

 and for the Ribbed Boys Beanie with Visor:

This post will have a link on the right side of the main blog page (if I can figure out how to do that...) and will be updated as more patterns are added. Oh, and there are so many more to come. xoxo

UPDATE* 7/16
Okay, so I haven't been updating these specs as often as I planned! If you're wondering what type of yarn I used on the samples, so far it's mostly been the Lion Brand Cotton Ease. I have a huge stash of it, and I just love it (and I haven't had much of a chance to do any good yarn shopping). Check it out at Joann's online, or knitting-warehouse.com for the best price.

If I can answer any specific questions for you, please don't hesitate to contact me. My Etsy Conversations are most frequently checked, and I have no problem sharing "secrets" or offering help/advice.

HAPPY KNITTING!

Sunday Signage: Create a Life

Source: french-voguettes.tumblr.com via Jami on Pinterest

I love love love this so much.

 



K, I did it...

If you were to sneak up on me about 5 minutes ago you'd find me at my computer with my head down, scrunchy face, shaking my hair, and flapping my hands back and forth. Apparently it's the final step in my creative process. Complete and total butterflies the minute I'm ready to present something I've never done, that I'm proud of, and that I've worked really hard on.

I just listed my first patterns!

I have boat load more launching soon, which won't be so hard on me. The water is still a little cold, I just have to get warmed up. Wink.

(If you've come to find details on the materials and supplies, I'm heading off to work on it for you right now! Stop back!)

E.B. Comes Clean

 

"Mom, tell me honestly."  She said as she turned off the vacuum. She has a thing for cleaning. I don't make her do it. When she has down time during the day and starts to feel like she might want to stir up some trouble she starts cleaning. Yeah, I know.

I'm thinking,  Uh-oh... she's been vacuuming in for a while (she even took off the cushions and did the inside of the furniture. I KNOW!), this must be serious. I hope it's not what I'm thinking... it is going to be what I'm thinking... quick... should I tell her, and if so how... quick Jami, THINK!

"Is the Easter Bunny real, or who is doing that? Is it you?"

THINK! Poker face! Get it together, Woman!

"Well, what do YOU think Sophie? Do you want to believe or do you not want to believe? Because you know what happens when you don't believe..."

Nice, that will buy me another couple seconds to decide if I'm going to lie straight to her sweet, freckled  face and keep her little a little longer.

"I don't know, I just want you to tell me. Tell me the truth, please."

What am I supposed to DO?

"You want to know the truth?"

Shoot. [Insert nervous giggle]

I feel like my face is made of Jell-o and it's jiggling out of control, I can't make it do anything, and I think I'm starting to lose feeling in my legs.

Should I tell her, is she going to cry? Am I going to cry? Yes and most definitely YES.

"Because I feel like it's not real."

"Well, the Easter Bunny is real. But I am the one who puts the candy out."

Did I just say that out loud? I think she's confused. Good, that will buy me some more time to back out of this and keep her innocent. [Insert a momentary black-out]

"So YOU are the Easter Bunny?" I hear her say as I regain consciousness. She's smiling with her face, but frowning with her eyes, so I have no idea what's going on.

Do you remember that show from the 80's where the girl put her two index fingers together and it paused time? WHAT WAS THAT SHOW? I'll figure that out later, but in this moment I was wishing for that skill. So I could get my act together and handle this in a manner that won't scar her for life.

"I put the candy and everything out, but technically I'm not the Easter Bunny. The Easter Bunny is sort of an idea that parents help bring to life for their kids."

My giggles fade into tears.

I was just looking at her, not even seeing her in the moment, it was like I was watching the little baby version of her growing up and up and up, and out of my reach like a balloon that somehow slipped away.

"I KNEW IT!" ...and tears for her too. She sort of stomped away to a spot where I couldn't see her.

"This is a big deal, Sophie. Come here, we can talk about it."

For the next hour she asked a ba-jillion questions surrounded by long pauses. She admitted that she wished she hadn't found out, but she decided she was glad to know the truth. She was happy most of all to know that E.B. would still be showing up, and that she'd still have a fun surprise waiting for her on Easter morning.

So do I have advice for you, if this day is in your future? I'm no expert, but I highly recommend having a plan in place before your face turns to Jell-o and you're touching your finger tips together trying to pause time. What will you say when your little sweet one asks for the whole truth and noting but the truth? Are they ready to hear it? Are you ready to tell it?

This one was a little tough on all of us, I have to tell you. One less innocent childhood sparkle in her eyes, but in its place is a mark of maturity. She stands a little taller in the world.

And my personal favorite: she's gained an understanding that she can count on us to tell her the truth.

 

Happy Easter!

Sneak Preview: Calling All Knitters!

Hey Friends! Ohhhh-ho-ho, busy busy busy at it working on my next little project...

Sweet gracious goodness, I love them. But you can't just buy 'em. You gotta be crafty. You gotta be knitty. You gotta wait just a little bit longer.

I've been racking my brain for a while about what I should do when Baby #3 arrives. I thought about taking a big long break (we know that's not really an option). I thought about selling only already made items, rather than sticking with my trusty made-to-order system.

I thought about selling patterns. And then I made up a thousand excuses why that wouldn't work:

I've never done that before. I don't know how. It will be such a hassle. I'm not an expert.

I could probably come up with a few more excuses right now.

But instead, I decided to go for it, and I am freaking out with excitement about it. I just can't wait to get them in the shop! Soon! Very soon...

xoxo

 

First Pub!

There ya have it... I'm in print!

Check out the April 2013 of Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine, and catch a glimpse of my sweet stitches in action. To celebrate the monumental occasion I'm offering 25% off this hat in my shop. Coupon Code: PNMAG

If you need me I'll be tending to all of the pregnant women and newborns beating down my door. Wink.

Sweet Baby Boy, Volume 2 (!?!)

Check him out, it's Klehr Baby #3! And it's another boy!

I think I told you last time I found out I was having a boy that I wasn't sure what to feel. I was thrilled for the experience, but hadn't even considered what to do with a boy. Would it be possible to love him as much as I loved our little girl? I have to tell you, the biggest and best surprise of my life was discovering how much I could love a little boy.

 And here to shake things up is this Little Guy (those are his hands up by his face, they are blurry because he's waving at us)... Will it be possible to love HIM as much? We'll find out, and I'm sure we'll discover that my suspicions about parenthood are true:
Just when you think your heart is so full it will burst, it stretches and finds room for even more love. Even more joy. And even more surprises!

So 2011.

Hello, my name is Jami and I JUST stumbled upon the source of "put a bird on it." I kept hearing/seeing it, and sort of got the idea, but I always wondered where it came from. But thanks to our lame cable package offering a free month of IFC, and our trusty DVR, the fog has lifted.

The dots are connected. The clouds have parted.
Thank you and good night. 

I Want Candy

I have this weird compulsion to want to bite into jewelry with big bright pretty beads. Glass, acrylic, vintage... it doesn't matter.

 I will pick it up and say, "Oh! I want to EAT it!"

To which any person within earshot will give me a strange look and slowly back away.

"What? Don't you want to eat it?"

"No, I really don't." They say.
Take a peek at some super sweet baubles that I'd love to sink my teeth into...

nest pretty things on Etsy

silver lining decor on Etsy

 

urban peach boutique

Tell me your mouth isn't watering?!
xoxo

Sunday Signage: Max Ehrmann Sums it Up

Source: google.ca via Susie on Pinterest

Can you dig it?

Ok, it's January and completely frigid today so naturally I feel like planting something. Getting dirt under my fingernails. Or even just seeing something green. I decided to blow off a little steam on Pinterest...

Source: bonnietsang.tumblr.com via Jami on Pinterest

Source: mommytoabeautifulfive.tumblr.com via Jami on Pinterest

Source: kellyoshiroevents.com via Jami on Pinterest

If you need me I'll be waiting by the mailbox for the seed catalog.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year from Sweet Baby Dolly! I wish I could report on my resolution(s) for 2013, but I don't really make them. Not because I think I'm already perfect, it's because I think that any minute of any day is the perfect time to resolve. I DO love the idea of a new year, and I CAN tell you that this year will bring many changes for our family, and for my shop.

Ch-ch-chang-es!

However, I can't tell you what those changes are because I don't exactly know yet. But they're-a comin'.

I'm off to knit. Something new. Just... for... you...

xoxo