Chatiryworld

32+3

Hello! Anyone still reading? I am now in the third trimester, the joys of heartburn, indigestion and general aches and pains are kicking in, but as you can see, I do now have a bump.  Yes, it is quite neat but that's what weeks and weeks of throwing up does to you!  We had a growth scan last week because I was measuring a bit small at my 28 week appointment.  Measuring your bump with a tape measure is notoriously unreliable (but great that they do send you for checks if in any doubt) and Bagl is the right size for dates etc.  We'll have another one at 36 weeks to double check though.  I had been led to believe that we wouldn't see much at the scan as he would be quite squashed up but we got a really good look at his face and saw him waving (I hope!) a finger. His spine looked amazing too!

Still knitting stuff, but mainly concentrating on a traditional blanket with lots of colourwork so it's taking a while.  The mums are both knitting lots too, which is lovely to see.

Hope you are all well!

The year in Chatiryworld

1. New hat, 2. Ellen's birthday beret, 3. Emily's 4th birthday cardigan, 4. Travelling Woman shawl, 5. My first quilt, 6. Mother's Day shawl, 7. Moor shawl, 8. Gooseberry hat, 9. Bressay hap shawl, 10. Strawberry tea cosy, 11. Baby's first blanket, 12. Bagl's first hat, 13. Bagl's first mittens, 14. Bagl's first booties, 15. Leaf hat, 16. Isabella's hat, 17. Baby's first cardigan, 18. Bunny blanket, 19. Baby Bunting, 20. Clothkits jacket, 21. Sleepy Monkey

Normally I do separate 'year in knitting', 'year in sewing' and 'year in Chatiryworld' posts but I'm feeling tired and lazy so going to combine them in one.  Also I barely blogged for the second half of the year!

In the first half of the year however, I blogged about Edinburgh's independent shops (already out of date...), the worth of libraries, a trip to the Black Isle, a quick trip to South Wales and the Forest of Dean, making my first proper quilt, seeing my brother perform with the National Youth Orchestra and visiting one of our favourite museums, moving to Fife and having a fabulous view, my craft spaces and the demise of Habitat.

Then I got pregnant and then I started being very sick and didn't really blog much. I've not found pregnancy very easy, in fact it's pretty much the hardest thing I've ever done. I know that sounds melodramatic and people pop babies out all the time but I can only go on my own experience. I cannot wait for our baby boy to arrive next year (due end of March) and to get my body back, even if it's battered and very tired!

I seem to have got plenty of knitting done this year, there was a dry patch in the early days of pregnancy when, to be blunt, I was worried about being sick on it so didn't do anything. I've made three gorgeous shawls but my favourite item is most definitely the monkey blanket I made to welcome baby Caius into the world. I didn't do as much sewing as I intended to, but loved the quilt course I went on in Glasgow.

It's been a funny old year, but we did manage to achieve our two big aims for the year, move house to Fife and get pregnant. Who knows what next year will bring, apart from a small person who will totally change our lives, exciting!

A blanket for the boy

It's a boy! The radiographers always say that they aren't 100% certain, but ours did say that it was 'most definitely a boy', confirmed by Jon.  I'm not much good at spotting stuff on scans to be honest, although I did think that our son looked a bit liked a kodama from Princess Mononoke (it was the eyes).

I've finished my first knitted project for him too, this was a special one.  It's Anne Hanson's Cradle Me using BC Garn Semilla DK.  I searched for the right yarn online for a couple of days, back when I was still feeling pretty crap.  I wanted something special but that wouldn't break the bank, and I really wanted a green/blue/grey colour.  I found this yarn at Loop, it's organic and very soft and the perfect colour.  I haven't blocked the blanket, I quite like the texture and it's going to get washed a fair bit and probably end up out of shape or something. When it's finished being a baby blanket I think I might use it as a lap blanket.

I am much better sick-wise, but sadly it's left me anxious and panicky, apparently this is quite common if you have hyperemesis, especially if you've a history of anxiety like I have.  I managed to get back to work for a few days but have been signed off again. Pregnancy is not quite the experience I thought it might be and I was quite disappointed by this, I do actually like my job and my colleagues and if nothing else it would make the time go quicker.  Ah well, have to do what is best for the baby.  He's fine, despite me not eating properly for weeks on end he got what he needed and is growing well, as well as moving around a lot.  I reach 22 weeks on Thursday so I am definitely over the halfway point.

Still here!

Oops, another weekend gone by without blogging, thought I should let you know I'm still here, 19 weeks pregnant. Morning, noon and night sickness seems to have finally subsided and I'm trying my best to live a normal life again. Turns out that feels a bit harder after 3 months of puking but hopefully the real me will turn up soon! Thank goodness for my amazing husband.

We have another scan on Tuesday, we hope to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl.

It's oh so quiet

Oh, hello there, anyone still bothering to read?  I didn't expect to be away from blogging for this long and I haven't been spending my time enjoying the sunshine.  I've been listening to lots of Radio 4, watching daytime TV and throwing up.

The same weekend that I last posted, I took two pregnancy tests and discovered that there was a little Nagl on the way.  Hurrah!  Except quite quickly the anxiety that I thought I'd long said goodbye to returned, along with all the delights of first trimester pregnancy symptoms.  Especially throwing up.  I've tried just about every remedy I can and only a couple kind of work. I have been signed off work for weeks and am getting quite frustrated, hopefully the end is nigh for these symptoms though.  I miss doing normal things, I miss going to work (really) and miss my knitting group.  I miss good food.

We had our scan this week and it was as amazing as everyone says it is.  Rather than get really emotional I just cried out 'woah, it's real!'.  Despite the overwhelming evidence that I was pregnant I think there's a part of you that still thinks you might have made this up, friends have said similar things.  Jon and I can't stop looking at the photos.

Hopefully I'll start blogging a bit more but I don't really feel like sitting in front of the computer for long.  My iPod Touch has been fantastic for letting me keep up with other people, via Facebook, Twitter and Google Reader.  Even if I haven't commented on your blogs I have been reading them and it's been lovely to feel a connection to the outside world.

Of course there will be knitting and sewing for the baby, I haven't done anything crafty for weeks due to lack of energy/lost craft mojo/not wanting to throw up on it.  I have a lot of baby things in my Ravelry queue and I can make stuff without worrying that the recipient won't like it.  For example, I think these would look ace on a baby girl with a plain denim dress but I'm not sure many other people would agree (apart from my mum, and she's had her children).  I may also indulge the baby with some expensive and not-so practical yarn.  Whilst I wouldn't want to force handwashing on a gift recipient I think I can cope with it (you can remind me of this when I haven't slept for weeks!).

New view

This is the view (with a teeny bit of zooming) from (what will be) my craft room in our new house.  We signed the lease and picked the keys up today but we don't move over properly until next week.  Can't wait!

'more Fife, less faffing'

Rose made that comment on my new year post where I explained that we were hoping to move to Fife in 2011, and that I wanted to faff about less.  Well I certainly feel like I'm faffing less at the weekend and not annoying myself with this anymore, but in more exciting news, we're moving to Fife!  We will be a short walk from this very beach in Aberdour.

We've been looking for a house in that area for several months and finally all our searching has paid off.  We're still renting but should be in a position to buy in a year or so.  We're unlikely to be able to afford anywhere similar to the place we're going to rent so we're going to make the most of having a lot of space, sea views, a balcony...  To be honest just having a kitchen with a window is enough!

Happy birthday Chatiryworld

I've been adding crap to the internet since 2004.  Happy birthday also to my sister Ellen, who doesn't add crap to the internet.  We celebrated with cupcakes from Bibi's Bakery.

Happy new year!

Hope 2011 turns out to be an amazing year for you all.  We're hoping to move house over the Forth and I personally am aiming to use my time more efficiently.  I often find myself getting annoyed because I've not done something (usually something nice, like read a certain book or something) because I have been faffing about online or just faffing about generally or even worrying about all the time that I have been faffing about.  I've downloaded swissmiss's Teux Deux (because if you're going to use a productivity app you may as well use a beautiful one) to help me with this. 

I've already been going through my sewing books and marking down things I want to make, that's another aim for this year, to make more from all the sewing books sitting on my shelves.  I'm choosing one project from each book as a starting point.  I also plan to knit more for me this year.

Who knows what else 2011 will bring...

Happy new year!

I achieved all my aims for 2009: had a wonderful wedding and honeymoon without turning into a bridezilla, and got a new job.  This year's aims:

1) Visiting our friends in Brussels, probably later in the year when they've had a chance to get used to being parents.

2) Having another holiday in Orkney and getting Jon's wedding ring resized.

3) Improving our French to help with said trip to Brussels.

4) Making more preserves, especially elderflower cordial and tomato passata.

What about you?

The year in Chatiryworld

1. Wedding invites, 2. The Magimix arrives, 3. Gullane Beach, 4. Hen tea party, 5. Mr and Mrs Nagl, 6. Fowey, 7. Racing, 8. Living the dream, 9. Kneading dough, 10. Lunch at The Kitchin, 11. More food, 12. Union Canal at Harrison Park

Choosing 12 photos for the year seemed harder than usual, but here they are.  It was a year of food, the seaside, oh, and getting married.  2008 wasn't always so great, but 2009 was rather fine.

January - I celebrate 5 years of blogging and muse on the domestic life.

February - The Magimix comes into our lives, and I use it to make Jon's birthday cake.

March - Our love of East Lothian begins, a weekend in Yorkshire, and Emily explains quantitative easing to Jon.

April - Wedding preparations, we finally get round to visiting North Berwick and a hen tea party.

May - We got married!  So did Croila!

June - Started off fantastically as we were still on honeymoon in Cornwall.  We came back to reality and I blogged about the wedding.

July - I started a new job and we didn't move house.  We enjoyed summertime instead.

August - I blogged about our honeymoon and we lived the seaside dream for an afternoon.

September - We love tomatoes and I have an accident.  We also enjoy cupcakes.

October - Using our wedding bowl and dining at The Kitchin.

November - I had a think about comics and celebrated my birthday.  With lots of food.

December - Upside down houses and flying through space, snow and christmas.

Phew!  2010 may be a bit calmer. 

32 years

It's my birthday today, although I started celebrating yesterday when Emily and her family came round for lunch.  I got some Very Hungry Caterpillar cups and plates because I like them even though I'm 32  to amuse Emily.  She helped me blow my candles out and then dived straight in to the sprinkles on top. Jon made this amazing cake, you can't really tell how massive it is from the photos but if anyone wants to come round to help us eat it, you're more than welcome. (well, you know, as long as I know you in real life).  It's from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook.

Today we had lunch at Henderson's Bistro, which was gorgeous.  I'll come back and tell you about the birthday food another time, we put on quite a spread yesterday.

Finger update

After deciding that the likelihood of my finger bursting open again on removing the paper stitches was small, I checked on it properly this evening and removed said stitches.  It was actually very easy and I needn't have worried. Just needs a bit of protecting still, and I'm sure I'll have a scar.

I really do need to work on writing some more interesting content...

Me vs a Magimix blade

Oops.  I spent most of last week trying to fight off a cold that kept doing impressions of flu.  Finally perked up and decided to help with household chores by doing some washing up, first of all I needed to dry and put away the things in the draining rack.  One of which was a grater/cutting blade from the Magimix.  And whilst I took care around the grater bit, I totally forgot about the massive blade and hacked into my finger.  And had a bit of shock.  Not having ever cut myself this badly before I wasn't sure if I needed stitches, so whilst following the old rules of pressure and elevate I called NHS24, who directed me off to the minor injuries unit at the Western General.  Thank goodness I had remembered about that place because they wanted me to go to the main A&E at the Royal Infirmary.  On a Saturday night?  With a non-life threatening injury?  Yeah, that would have been a fun time.  Don't believe me?  Follow that link - it says 'Scotland's busiest A&E department.

So I was seen by a lovely nurse within about ten minutes of getting there who patched me up with paper stitches and the large dressing you see above.  Brilliant service.  I had, in a moment of wooziness, considered calling Kal, but just because your mate is a paramedic it doesn't mean that they are your personal medical service.  Plus he would either be dealing with real patients or having some well-deserved time off.  I just kind of thought it might be easier if a friend sewed my finger back together in the comfort of my own living room.  Then I remembered I was 31 and needed to sort myself out.

Big love to Jon who's having to do pretty much all the cooking and washing up at the moment, in addition to washing my hair and making sure I don't have any more accidents.

In other medical news, it's been a Very Big Day for Emily as she has had her tracheostomy tube taken out.  I understand it was all pretty traumatic but hopefully things will settle down soon. Very, very brave little girl.  And very brave parents too.

Moving, not moving, leaving...

It's been an odd week, first we were moving and getting very excited, then we weren't moving, then we might have been moving and then we decided definitely not to move.  It was all to do with money and sums and mortgages and other really grown up stuff.  On top of that it was my last week in my current post (I start my new one tomorrow, hurrah!) and whilst I have really been wanting to get out, I will really miss the people.  So an emotional week too.  Here's some photos from our honeymoon in Cornwall, I'll blog about that another time, but just thought I should check in.