2025 is the Year of the WIPs and UFOs

Pattern: Ice Bridge Headband by Celeste Knitwear - Yarn: Red Heart Soft in Watercolors - Needle: US 6

  The more I work through my yarn the more I want to keep going.  I have a bunch of of WIPs (work in progress) that keep taunting me.  I also have a large bin of UFOs (unfinished objects) that I haven't touched in so long.  It felt so good to finish that scarf I had hidden away, so I want to keep that going as well.

  Doing that will be a bit tricky, but I have a plan.  The bin with my older WIPs somehow got pushed into a corner of my craft room.  It got pushed because other things got put away in the same area.  I need to clean that area out and reorganize it.  In the meantime, I can start clearing out old project bags I have laying around the living room.

  We went to brunch at Bourbon Boulevard and there was a book club sitting behind us.  I couldn't quite get what book they were reading, but there was a character named Kelly who cooked a lot and there was a detective who may or may not be attractive.  Miss Spud kept trying to get to Bill's Croque Monsieur and his grapefruit mimosa.  He jokingly offered her some of his drink and she went to grab it and opened her mouth.

Pattern: Granny Hex Bucket Hat - Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Stripes in Motion Stripes & Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Peace and Love in Groovy Green - Hook: 6.5mm

  Usually when you change colors in crochet you work the last loop of a stitch with the new color.  When working a slip stitch, you only get one to work with, so the whole action is performed using the new color.  It might just be this yarn, but I found my joins getting loose when I did that.  Instead, it worked better to join the round with the old color, work a single chain and tighten the old color before starting the new row.

  I was curious how much yarn these used.  On this one I used 52 grams (92.3 yards) of the green and 58 grams (103 yards) of the pink.  I could have used one less row on the brim.

Yearly Yarn Tracker:

Yarn In: 0 (0)
Yarn Out: 3 (3)

Total: -3

One Whole Hand's Worth of Spud Snuggles, Month 5

Week 17: First Christmas

  At one point on Christmas Eve, she got very fussy.  She wanted to be able to look around but didn't want to have to work at holding herself up.  I tried to have her use the Boppy to sit on the couch, but she kept wiggling and kicking, so she would slide unless she had something to press against.  I then tried putting her Boppy into her wagon.  It wedged her in enough that she could stay mostly seated without any effort from her but she also could have her legs free to kick.  She ended up taking a supervised nap in it.

  She impressed everyone after we all had dinner.  She got hers once we were all done.  My dad was holding her after he finished feeding her and she let out a burp loud enough that she interrupted everyone.  We all congratulated her on her big burp.

  She has started needed a "smile break" when she is eating sometimes.  She will look up at you and smile, then she goes back to eating.  When she is nursing and needs to take a smile break she will pull herself off and then need to find it again.

  During Christmas dinner she kept eyeing everyone's plate.  She kept smiling and moving her mouth like she was chewing while we were eating. Bill let her smell his wine and she tried to taste the glass.  She got really smiley and leaned in intensely when we got to dessert and she saw Bill's pumpkin pie.

  After dinner we played a fun game where we would put a cloth coaster in front of her on the table.  She then would claw at the table, kick, and try and pounce on it until it got knocked down.  Then we either picked that one up or put a new one down for her.

  She has definitely left the innocent stoneground mustard poops stage and have moved on to the more stinky ones.  They are also a lot smoother in consistency.

  She definitely enjoys having more people around.  She also likes to go places and look around.  All that means she gets more attention, but it also means she doesn't want to nap.  We can fix that with a bit of time on a boob or a trip in the car.

Week 18:

  She has a bad case of the FOMOs (fear of missing out).  She has to be able to see everyone when we are eating and doesn't like laying in her wagon unless she can see someone.

  I attached a towel and a piece of a highchair belt to see how she would like getting pulled around on it.  She kept grunting with frustration when she can't get herself to move on her own, so I figured I could help.  She liked that a few times but then got grumpy.  It's possibly because I wasn't taking her in the directions she wanted to go in.

  One of the nights we all stayed up late playing a game.  Mary helped to get her to sleep but then she woke up when we were finally done and I went to put her in her bassinet.  She somehow stayed asleep going out in the cold.  It didn't take too long before she was out again.

  On New Year's Eve she really liked trying to stand "on her own."  She is getting good at keeping her feet flat and her legs straight.  Balance is nowhere near where it needs to be to hold herself up.  She also liked bracing her butt on the table while putting her feet on someone's legs and trying to stand that way.

  When we got home from the cabin and I laid her down on her playmat, she showed the "other baby" how to blow raspberries.

  She has become more interested in her hands and feet.  She will hold her left hand perpendicular to her face and cross her eyes to look at it.  She has also started wiggling her toes when looking at them and grabbing at her toes to feel them.

  After her 4 month appointment on the 3rd we were in the basement when she wanted to be held against me on her tummy.  She then leaned over, put her mouth on my arm and blew raspberries against my arm.  I know Bill has tried to do that on her tummy a few times.  She smiled really big when I laughed at her and she did it a few more times.

Week 19:

  She is making use of the knowledge that if she holds both of her hands together when she rolls onto her tummy that she won't have one trapped under her.  She will also sometimes fling an arm to the side if she wants to roll back onto her back.  A few times I've seen her roll onto her stomach, reach for a toy, and drag it back towards herself.

  I saw her trying to use blowing raspberries to self sooth.  It was pretty funny to watch her go "Ahh *pbbt* aaahhh *pbbt* aah".

  We took her to Bourbon Boulevard to meet Karin.  I'm glad she was awake for that.  She was a big hit with all the employees we saw.  She helped me pick out what to eat by grabbing at and hitting the menu.  It was hard to tell if she picked the duck or the steak with lobster tail.  I went with the duck breast.

  She is very regularly grabbing and holding onto her own toes.  She is also getting better at sitting but still can't support herself.  She will lean forward and will sometimes hold herself up with one hand, but will lean too far forward when she wants to use that hand and will complain.  She is really good at using her legs to stand.  She has no balance, but is strong enough to hold herself up.

  Her poop is starting to become thicker.  Her doctor told us that we should be seeing her poops condense and happen less frequently.

  On Tuesday she started to figure out that she can roll places.  I put her on her play mat with her legs facing the center of the room.  I went and made a bottle for her and started my lunch.  While mine cooked I took her bottle upstairs to see if she was still hungry.  She had rotated 90° and was on her stomach.  That's fairly normal now.  While putting my drink and her bottle down on the side table she proceeded to roll a few more times in the same direction and was over 2 feet from where she started.  I heard her crinkling the bag to my pretzels.

  She still hasn't figured out crawling, but she is getting better at getting around on her own.  She will roll and rotate to get to a toy, or most of the time roll and rotate until she stumbles upon a toy.

  She will sometimes give us a shy smile.  She will smile and then look away while still smiling.  Starting to practice early to break all those hearts in the future.

  Her raspberries have been getting juicy.  She sometimes has a mouth full of spit and it just all comes out when she blows her raspberries.  She is also trying to combine them with her pterodactyl squeals.

Week 20:

  She has decided that to fall asleep while nursing at night, it has to be on the left side.  During the day it can be either side, but she gets fussy and refuses to eat before her last feeding of the night unless it's from the left side.

  On Bill's birthday we all went to go watch Moana 2 in the theater.  She was mesmerized by it at first, then she enjoyed watching us eat popcorn.  After a bit she also got hungry so I mixed up a bottle.  When it got to the really exciting part of the movie she pooped.  That was fine until she used her diaper again and I felt a warm and wet spot.  The theater doesn't have a place to change her, so I took her out into the hallway.  After a quick diaper and outfit change she was hyper but then fell asleep once Bill was holding her again.

  She is getting closer and closer to being able to sit all on her own.  She is learning that if you put your hands on the ground and push back you won't just fold forward.  It does, however, making reaching for things more difficult.  She has sat on the floor by herself for several seconds multiple times now.

  She's started adding longer strings of sounds when "talking" to us.  She will tell us "a-hoo-who-hua-hoo" a few times a day.

  I thought she had pushed her soft spot in while eating.  She is now as tall as the chair is wide.  I sat her up and her soft spot was visible, I ran my hand over her head and it felt dented on.  I took her into our room to see what Bill thought, but by the time we got down the hallway her head had rounded itself out again.

Week 21:

  As per usual, she charmed everyone at Rocky Horror.  She slept through most of the movie, so she had plenty of energy to smile at everyone backstage and even talked with Mickey for a short while.

  She goes between having days where she is good at napping and days where she doesn't want to nap at all.  I try and give her at least one contact nap because I know she will be out for at least 45 minutes that way.

  Rotating is getting easier for her.  She is still unhappy that she can't crawl forward yet, but the rotating has been helping some.

  She is back to really enjoying bath time.  She has started kicking the water more and bracing herself with her feet on the end of the tub.  She was fascinated when I had the shower head spray onto her hand.

  She is getting more and more interested in food.  She was watching my hand and opening her mouth when she was laying on my lap and I was eating some peanuts.  She is also reaching for our plates and bowls more and trying to put them into her mouth.

  It might have been a coincidence, but after I came back upstairs from making her a bottle she kept fiddling with the area near her hip.  I've been trying to show her to tap her diaper when it needs to be changed.  She did indeed have a full diaper.

  She always gets a huge smile on her face when she sees Tank.  She will look at him and kick to get his attention and show how happy she is to see him.  He is unimpressed with her, but has sat on the arm of the chair when I've fed her and let her touch him a few times.  He will also climb onto the Boppy when she is asleep so he can also get some lap time.

Are We Losing Another One?

  It feels like it wasn't that long ago that we lost AC Moore even though it was back in July 2020.  There was talk that Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts was filing for bankruptcy.  It was also pointed out that AC Moore did the same, but didn't close until they did it multiple times.  The company has been around for such a long time!

In 1943, German immigrants Hilda and Berthold Reich, Sigmund and Mathilda Rohrbach, and Justin and Alma Zimmerman opened the Cleveland Fabric Shop in Cleveland, Ohio. After further expansion, in 1963, the name was changed to Jo-Ann Fabrics. The store's name was created by combining the names of the daughters from both families: Joan and Jacqueline Ann.

  I know I would joke that I would work for another company that went under, like Ink Stop, but I figured it wouldn't actually happen.  I assumed they would get more business because of AC Moore closing and so many people's strong opinions on Hobby Lobby.

Pretty much preparing for shut down. The same company that bought out Big Lots is the only bidder. We have 2 months (March 15th) to find a bigger bidder or else that company will buy and liquidate. Not sure if March 15th will be Joann's last day or not but that's when it'll be purchased by the liquidators.

- manager from one of the stores posted on Reddit

  I recently went in to look for yarn for my Best/Worst series and noticed that they have expanded their house brand of yarn.  A lot of it looked really nice.

  It feels so strange that they could be having money problems because of how popular crochet has become recently.  There are also many big crafting YouTubers who make fairly large orders multiple times a year.  I know a few people won't be able to keep such a large company open on their own.

  I know I would love to join in on the panic buying, but I already have so much yarn.  I'm also not attached enough to any of their house brand yarns that I feel like I really need to stock up.  I wonder if PassioKnit Kelsie will find another place to buy the Juicy Couture yarn she uses for scrunchies.  They are her most popular item.

Granny Stitch Sleeve/Bolero/Cropped Sweater

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Plum Perfect - Hook: 6mm (6.5mm for cuff)

  When I was trying to figure it out how many clusters I needed I kept confusing myself on the math.  I did a gauge swatch and figured out about how many clusters I would need for the bottom.  I then figured out how many rounds I would need to do to get it as tall as I would like.  I then tried to apply knitting raglan increase logic to my math and ended up with a totally wrong number.  For a granny square you add one to each side per round, not one per side as you would in knitting that gives a similar increase effect.

  I then was trying to troubleshoot the neck area.  To get the fit I wanted for both the body and the sleeves I would need to start with a wide and shallow opening.  Most of these seem to have that.  I didn't want that look, so I then tried adding some extra stitches when separating the body and the sleeves to keep the sleeve from becoming too big.  I also found out that my gauge swatch lied and I needed to work the math again.

  To work out the pattern I figured out how big I wanted the body and the sleeves to be.  I then figured out how many rows I had to do that in.  I wanted mine to be 13 rows tall to where the arm-pit area would be.  I played around with having the diving row have a chain so that the body could get one more cluster than the sleeve.  I had row 13 have a chain three when joining so that I could add two clusters on row 14 and one between those two on the first row of the sleeves.  I kept ending up with too many on the body that way or having the neck opening be too small.  I took the chain 1 spaces out of the body until I got to the clusters, but left the chain and skip in there for the sleeves.  I may also start the sleeve section of the neck opening a bit larger next time, but I don't want to risk the sleeves becoming way too big.

  If I make another I might have the row start be on the front or corner so I could work some short rows.  I would keep the row start near the center and start and end the row with one stitch in a space, working back and forth instead of all the way around.  I would keep doing that while still working the granny square corners.  That way I could make the back longer while keeping the front shorter.

  I have never worked a crochet ribbed edge before.  I tried a single crochet rib at first, but it didn't sinch it in enough for how I wanted it to.  I then worked a slip stitch rib and it was exactly what I was looking for.  I found marking the front loop of the first stitch of each row was really helpful.  By the time you get back to it, they seem to always have tightened up and you can use the marker to pull the needed loop up some.

    21-13= 8 x3 = 24 (no spaces)

    19-13= 6 x4 =24 -1= 23 (with spaces, the last one doesn't get a ch1 on both sides)

Granny Stitch Bolero

Gauge: 3.2 clusters x 8 rows = 4"

• Foundation single crochet for 94 stitches, join
• Single crochet one row
• 12 dc, (3 dc, ch1, skip 1)x5, 3 dc, ch 2, 24 dc, (3 dc, ch1, skip 1)x5, 3 dc, ch 2, 12 dc
• For the body add a cluster between each 3 dc, and add a granny cluster in every ch1 space on the sleeves, and a corner in the ch 2 spaces
• Continue as you would for a normal granny square for 10 more rows
• On last row separate the body and sleeves by working on cluster in the corner, chain 1, then add a cluster in the next corner
• One additional round for the body before working three rounds of single crochet 
• Join the yarn in one of the ch2 spaces for the sleeve
• Turning every row work a total of 31 rounds
• Work one more round without the chains between the clusters to start to pull the sleeves in
• Ch 8 and work  slip stitch ribbing cuff to finish sleeve, repeat for the other side

  I mostly followed the How To Add Crochet Ribbing To A Project by The Snugglery on how to join the cuff once done.  I joined the rib and then slipped into one more stitch before turning my work because I wanted it to really pull in dramatically.

  The back was gaping a bit more than I wanted, so when I added the short rows I did not work a ch1 between the clusters.  That brought it in enough so that it was still loose fitting, but not wavey.

  When working the three rows of single crochet around the bottom of the body I worked two stitches in the double crochets and one in the top of each double crochet.

  If I were to make another one, I think I would make the cuff 10 or 12 stitches wide/long.  I would also consider starting the short rows before the division of the sleeves from the body.

2024

Here is a quick list of everything I got done in the year of 2024

Crochet: 21

~Hats:

Quick & Easy Granny Stitch Bucket Hat: 1-2, 3, 4, 5

Granny Square Bucket Hat: 1-2, 3-4

Side To Side Ribbed Hat: 1, 2

All in one OCTOPUS: 1-8, 9, 10

Knit: 19

~Hats/Headbands:

Jason's Cashmere Hat: 1, 2

Seafield Headband

aMAZEing Dice Hat: 1, 2

Textured Cat Hat: 1-2

Ear Fap Hat

Bun Hat

Pennyroyal: 1-2, 3

Ruffle Party Hat: 1-3

Lucky Bamboo Hat: 1, 2

Woven Lattice Hat

Grapevine Headband

Worry Worms:

     1-28, 29-41, 42-69, 70-119, 120-189, 190-316, 317-334

Yearly Yarn Tracker: -13

Yarn In: 24
Yarn Out: 37

Merry Tanksmas and a Happy New Spud

Pattern: Grapevine Headband by Celeste Knitwear - Yarn: Red Heart Soft in Watercolors - Needles: US 4

  The pattern worked up interestingly.  I had to go all way down to a size US 4 needle to get gauge.  I'm usually a tight knitter and need to use a larger size needle.  I worked the i-cord edging as written, but after a bit I remember the last time I worked one I had more success in keeping it more even by slipping the first stitches instead of the last few.  I'm also not a fan of working a 1x1 cable, so I just worked a leaning increase and the corresponding leaning decrease.  It doesn't look the same, but I thought it was an interesting effect.

  I was so inspired from how well the fox hat came out that I decided to try and make a bear hat as well.  I used a different cast on, so it fits a bit tighter, but I really like how it turned out.

  We got to the cabin a bit later than originally planned on the 23rd, but it wasn't as late as we have in the past.  Tank enjoyed the ride a lot more in the back seat, even though we had a badly timed hairball and he needed to poop.  On our way home last time he kept getting nervous and panting while in the front seat.

  During the night I thought I heard mice running around, but it turns out that a bat had gotten in some how.  We were too sleepy to think fast enough to close the doors to the room and open the one to the outside before it flew into other parts of the cabin.  We checked the flue on the chimney, but it was closed, so I have no idea how it got in.  I'm hoping that we can safely get it outside before our trip is over.

  Bill made his Grandpa's Christmas punch for everyone.  It got put on in the back porch to stay cool, exactly where it goes.  He remembers being able to grab a ladle, open the back door, and fill his cup.

  On Christmas morning we had a slow start; one of us slept in (me), one of us wanted to eat a few times (Spud), one of us threw up (Tank), and the others just wandered off to get something done while waiting for the whole thing to get started.  She got out into her Christmas outfit and we all opened presents.  She liked the wrapping paper and tried to eat some of it.  Once we were all done, she ate a bit more and took a nice nap, the best one she has had in a while.

  It was a day late, but Miss Spud gave us a really nice Christmas present.  She started blowing raspberries/making farting noises.  She is getting really good at it in a short time and likes to add them in to her regular conversations.

  On Friday we went to The Buckhorn Tavern and Inn for dinner.  My parents have been a few times, but Bill and I haven't gone since the first time we all went for brunch.  I thought it was interesting that we all shared a side dish as the person next to us: Bill got the mac n cheese and Brussels sprouts, I got the Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes, my mom got the mashed potatoes and rainbow carrots, and my dad got the rainbow carrots and the mac n cheese.

  Mary and Denver tried to stop in at White's Wayside on their way to the cabin but got there right as they closed.  We all decided to go there for lunch the next day.

  On the Monday before the new year we got our tractor, UTV, and tractor accessories.  The delivery guy called beforehand to make sure his GPS was taking him the correct path.  It was going to try and take him down a super windy road.  Bill give him better directions.  When he got to our driveway he couldn't make the turn, so he parked the cul-de-sac and drove the UTV up.  I got to see Bill drive the tractor when they were moving all the stuff to the barn.

  Everyone loved Miss Spud's New Year's party dress.  Before the ball dropped we played our own version of Hot Potato.  She likes being with one person for only so long before it's time to play on the floor or be handed to the next person.  She was having fun tracing the letters on my dad's shirt.

  We tried to put her to bed around 11pm, but she didn't want to.  Mary tried to put her down twice, Bill tried a few times, I tried a few times.  Around 2am I tried changing her diaper, putting her in PJs, a bit of a late-night snack, and she was finally actually out.  Each time we had gotten her fully asleep, but then she would worry and cry when we would put her into her bassinet.  Here's to a new year and seeing what all Miss Spud brings to it!

Yearly Yarn Tracker:

Yarn In: 24 (0)
Yarn Out: 37 (1)

Total: -13

Spud Is Up To Month Four

Week 13: 

  During Boppy tummy time she managed to figure out how to have her legs beneath her to push herself forward.  I may have helped her by pushing them under her a few times, but she figured out how to use that information.

  We have noticed that sometimes when she is tell us that she is very hungry that her voice sounds deeper.  She is also starting to get louder sometimes with her baby babble.

  When she looks around her mouth hangs open.  That leads to a lot of drool dribbling out.

  She was pretty hungry after we all finished shopping for Turkey Day.  When we got home I got ready and Bill "flew" her in to nurse.  As she was eating I started talking to her.  She startled so hard that she unlatched herself.  When she saw me she smiled and started babbling.  I knew she hadn't had enough to eat, so I tried to get her to relatch.  Every time she looked up at me she smiled and wanted to talk.  I told her that it was okay if she ate and that we would talk later.  Only then did she latch again and keep eating.

  On our Turkey Day trip she got to meet her Great Aunt Lesley.  She was being very smiley and though she wasn't too talkative the first day, she was on the second.  They also had a dance party while I was knitting.

  She is starting to find different sounds to make with me and Bill.  There are still overlapping ones, but she makes a more "a-hoo" sound with him and a "khuuue" white noise/static sound with me.

Week 14

  At the cabin our neighbor Tom had an after Thanksgiving party.  Miss Spud was a hit of the party.  She and Cheyenne became very good friends and watched Tom cook for a while.  They hung out most of the time we were at the party.  She once again got complimented on how calm and friendly she is.

  It might be the fresh mountain air, but Miss Spud has been giving us the best night sleeps so far.  She has given us 8-9 hours, which we had heard that doesn't happen until they start eating solids.

  We took the truck through a carwash after we got home and I was excited to see her reaction.  Unfortunately she got hungry before we left the house and slept through the whole thing.  We will have to go again when she is bigger or at least more awake.

  She is becoming more and more fascinated by her feet and hands.  She will kick her legs up and move her toes around.  She's still not totally understanding how to reach out to grab something, but is learning that a lot of her toys make noise if you shake them while holding them.

  I've started Miss Spud on baby sign language.  I know she's not fully making connections yet, but when I show her "eat" she then gnaws on her hand, so she's not wrong 

Week 15: Spud Tour '24

  On the way to get some antique furniture from one of Bill's relatives, we took the first insert out of Miss Spud's car seat.  It works for up to 11lbs of weight.  She was acting cramped with the insert, but looks so small without it.  Her head was a bit too floppy without the insert, so we put it back in.

  After we got to Ohio, she was a bit overwhelmed by meeting her Aunt Amanda's dog Mimi.  It wasn't a bad reaction, she just wasn't sure what to make of the dog.  She was also having a fun time just being held by her Ohio Grandma and looking around at her house.

  She got to meet some of her Great Uncles and Great Aunt during our trip.  She was smiling for everyone and showed them how she was trying to figure out how to crawl.

  Bill's mom got a lot more baby snuggles and Miss Spud was being very smiley.  She was still fascinated by Mimi and smiled at her when they got face to face.  She did a happy squeak when she got her hand licked.

  Mimi's cat, Cujo wasn't sure what to make of a happy squealing Miss Spud.  Yes, the dog has her own cat, he is orange.  He wasn't sure if he should keep an eye on the strange wiggling creature or avoid eye contact.

  Bill's mom noticed that she likes to grab things with her left hand first.  She might be left handed for all we know.  She has also added a lot more "words" during our trip to Ohio.

  On our third night of the trip she had a very unenjoyable moment.  She was probably still a bit overstimulated from the day and getting back to the hotel, so she wasn't committed to eating her last meal of the night.  Bill gave her a single pat on the back, like burping but only once like he has before, but it was oddly loud.  She has sometimes yelled because of it, I think it sometimes startles her.  This time she yelled super loud and wouldn't calm down.  I took over rocking her and saw that she had so many tears, normally we only get one per eye at the most.  She was also breathing quickly between yell/cries.  I finally got her calm enough that making hungry sounds was her only complaint.  After she finished eating some more she was asleep.  She woke up momentarily for Bill when he put her down and gave him a smile.  We both agree that we have never heard her crying that loudly or for that long before.

  We all took her to the library where her OH Grandma and her Aunt Amanda work at.  This was her first time ever in a library.  There was also a knitting group going on while we were there.

  A few times during our visit we went out for a drive.  It was fun seeing all the places that Bill used to go to.  Miss Spud slept through most of both drives, so we will have to take her on the tour again.

  Our next stop on the tour was Bill's Aunt Fern.  She was so excited to see Miss Spud and Miss Spud was happy to meet her.  She smiled at her and really liked the toys she got.  That evening we introduced her to Young Indiana Jones, because Aunt Fern had recorded them on VHS tapes for Bill back when they were played on the TV.

  We went out for lunch at The Lansing Brewing Company, last time we were in town we had eaten there.  Of course Miss Spud was a hit.  She loves watching all the people walk by until the food arrived and then had fun kicking in her wagon while we ate.  Some of the historical photos that Aunt Fern found are enlarged and up on the walls still.

  When we got back to the house she was hungry, but just kept smiling at everyone instead of eating.  She also wanted to chat.  She stuck her tongue out and was trying to get her hoodie's zipper in her mouth.  It was the first time we've seen her try that.

Week 16:

  During one lunch she managed to snag her Great Aunt Fern's plate, drag it towards her, and tried to put it in her mouth.  She impressed all of us with how strong she is.  She then spent the rest of the meal looking at everyone's plate.

  After she was fussy we took her for a drive because it's been a while since she got a really good nap during the day.  She didn't understand what was happening, but we drove out to where some of her Great Grandparents are buried.

  We rewrote the Itsy Bitsy spider for her: The itsy bitsy spider went up the Liliana, down came the drool and washed the spider out, out came the smile and dried up all the drool, and the itsy bitsy spider went up the Spud again.

  We had a little sing-along evening.  She kicked and wiggled while smiling really big.  She liked the music from The Music Man more than the music from Grease.

  On the way home she kept trying to put her soft chain toy in her mouth.  It didn't give her any milkies, so it was a bit frustrating.

  She has started trying to help with her bottles.  Most of the time she ends up pushing it away though.  There are times when she pushes it away from her mouth straight back, upwards, or to either side.

  She is getting a lot more confident in her rolling skills.  Most of the time when she goes from her back to her tummy she still traps an arm under her, but she is starting to figure out how to free it.

  There was enough salt from the road on our trip that Bill wanted to get the truck washed again.  She was awake for it this time and was looking around during the whole wash.  She was mesmerized by it.

  In a very short amount of time she went from being able to clumsily roll from her back to her tummy to being very good at it.  She has figured out how to slowly inch-worm herself, but hasn't quite gotten crawling yet.  She's getting close and closer by the day though.  She also thinks that kicking faster will get her places faster.  She will also smile on her tummy now, where she used to just have a blank or frustrated expression.

  During her latest bath she decided that she didn't like the showerhead raining down on her.  Every time it was on her she would she would whine about it.  At the end she finally liked putting her right foot into the stream.

  I swear she said I Want Boobies at one point.  It was closer to Eh Uh Nah-Nee, but I understand what she was saying.

Week 17: 1st part

  It was the combination of the winter holiday show and Shane's mom being in town that lead us all to be at Rocky Horror once again.  We stayed for the whole show this time.  She fell asleep some time during the creation and only stirred a few times.  She was wearing her Let's Do The Time Warp Again onesie, so she was paraded down the aisle before that.  Ryan was Santa, so I held her up to him when he was handing out presents to some of the audience near the end, everyone around me loved that part.