If I go away for over two months, the least I can do is start with Erasure.

I MISS YOU GUYS!

And look at THIS:

and this:

and this:

I mean, have you ever? My best girlfriends MADE IT. The top has the moon and his name on it. How cute are those animals? I LOVE IT. The Bug will love it. Thank you, thank you Alison, Courtney, MJ, Jenny, Steph, Petey, and Schmoo McGee. I love you peeps. You all are the best!

AND!

Courtney also gave the HEB this adorable book and this adorable soft bunny to go with it! Awwww!

Or so you think:

Little Bunny, you are tasty.

All baby all the time.

So, in the two+ month absence, the Bug has grown and grown. Lord, I'm in love with my kid. It's kind of embarrassing. I miss him every minute when I'm gone. He's so much fun. He laughs and laughs. He smells good (most of the time). I just truly enJOY him. It's so WEIRD. I never thought I could love anyone with the intensity I love High Energy Johnny, but there it is.

For you new mommies, those first few months are really hard. And if you have a colicky refluxy preemie, they might be even harder and are certainly longer. But I can tell you with total conviction, it's all worth it. It's the best thing ever. I am so lucky to have my little family.

Enough schmaltz! More baby pictures! You know you want them!

Hey!

Working... on... our... thumbs...

Shhhh. I'm a Sheep.

I might be asleep. You don't know, cause I'm so cool.

Mason Dixon Bib!!

Alrighty then. You have indulged my mommyness once again. I have been knitting a bit here and there, some sewing, and some Ravelry. I miss all the crafty goodness, but I know it won't be forever.

We are taking the bug to California next week, so I'll be gone again, but shorter this time. I have some little things to show for next time. See you then!

I asked my husband what song I should use for this entry, and he said, "Something by Rod Stewart." We ARE sleep deprived. He'd never suggest Rod otherwise.

All Knitting! Knitknitknit!

Look at this!

Finally, Bridie is done. It took 14 weeks to make the final band and sew on buttons, but done it is.

Pattern: by the fabulous Anna, soon I think in a book so no longer available to buy singly. I am glad I bought it when I did!

Needles: US 6, my first time with Rosewood circular needles. I like 'em!

Yarn: Karabella Margrite. Gorgeous.

Here's some more pics. I'm pretty pleased.

Better run. Things remain difficult with the Bug. Forty-five minute naps suck. Breastfeeding every two hours sucks. Reflux sucks. And let me tell you, colic REALLY SUCKS.

But!

Smiling rocks. So we are making progress. ;-)

For those trying to leave comments, but can't, I am sorry! I'll get my technical guru on it.

Note: There IS knitting! Keep scrolling if'n you want to skip the baby news.

I've been wanting to use those 5th Dimension lyrics ever since the HEB was born. And for the most part they've been true. However, last night I think I got THREE HOURS in a row! WOW! That's enough to make me feel like a new woman!

Almost.

We are working on sleep over here. See, I love sleep. Love love love it. I am happiest with 9-10 hours a DAY. I am highly jealous of people, like the HE Husband, who can feel decent on 7 hours. I can't do it.

When I was pregnant, sometimes I slept like 12-14 hours! At a time! Zowie! I loved it.

But, the HEB doesn't seem to have inherited this love of sleep. Oh no. If I was a baby I'd do nothing but sleep and eat. But apparently things are INTERESTING. Like lights. Or ceiling fans. Or things are ANGER producing. Like being cold after a bath. Or being overstimulated. Or rubber ducks. Or books with hippos. Or the wrong onesie.

But I digress. The little man does sleep some, so I cannot complain. But let me tell you, 1.5 hours ain't 10. So we have had many talks about why sleep is good, important, and healing.

I'm sure he'll change his mind soon. He'll come around.

Thanks!

Thanks for all the ideas about baby wraps and slings. Ultimately I decided to get a Moby, because right after I posted I was able to try one on at a breastfeeding group, and I liked it. The HEB likes it too, for the most part.

Here's a view of it in action:

And my view:

So. Sleepy. Maybe.

KNITTING! Are you KIDDING?

Yes, there was some knitting. Ok, most of it was done before the HEB. And the rest mostly finished while he was in the NICU and I did a lot of waiting around, but Still! Knitting!

This is a baby sweater I never even got the chance to blog about, really. It's for my friend Rachel's new daughter, who is bee-yoo-ti-ful, I might add.

And a close-up:

Specs: Debbie Bliss Wool Cotton. STASH YARN. (Gasp!) On US 3 and 4. Pattern from Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. Size 6 months (and of course it's still huge).

I love DB Wool Cotton. I am so sad that it was discontinued. It was truly a joy to knit with. I really enjoyed this little project, and it was great to finish something.

I get by with a little help from my friends.

I need a sock pattern to knit for my dad. It has to be able to use Koigu yarn, which is a fingering weight, and the yarn is a slightly variegated (but only just a little bit) dark blue. The criteria? Not fancy or cabley or too interesting. Not GIRLIE. But, the last time I made him 2x2 ribbed socks and I thought I'd stab myself with a dpn to allay the sheer boredom. And since I have very little knitting time right now, if any, I'd like it to be a little interesting.

Your thoughts?

Just a quick update, cause I only have a second! The HEB is keeping us BUSY. But he's doing so well, we just can't complain!

He had his one month birthday yesterday. Can you believe it? And he came home at 4 lbs 15 ounces, and weighed in yesterday at 6 lbs 9 oz! What a chunk!

Here he is, with my sister's old gloworm for scale:

He looks like a larva when he's all swaddled. Love the swaddle. Very important for soothing the HE Beast.

There has been a little bit of knitting! But, it's a secret, so I can't show you until it's done. Which hopefully will be very soon.

I then will try to finish seaming the husband sweaker - the Phildar one that is almost done. Here's where we were before the HEB:

Actually, it's past that, because I have both sleeves done. I need to sew in the other sleeve, and it will be done! Of course, it's been extremely warm in Georgia, so it's not as if he could really wear it anyway. So I don't feel so bad. ;-)

A bit of advice, please.

First, a huge shout-out to my buddies Karma and Rachel who have helped me so much by email when things have been really hard with the HEB.

Second, the question. The HEB hates his sling which is a Hotsling. HATES it. He only marginally likes his Baby Björn. Any mom's out there have slings to recommend?

He's little, so it has to be something he can fit in safely, and preferably something that won't kill my back. I could just really use something that he will like and either hang out or sleep in so I can use my hands part of the day. Thanks!

Once again, thank you all so much for your comments and sweet emails about my little HEB! Your support is amazing, thank you all! I'm sorry I haven't been able to write back individually, I really am. Things have been super busy, because:

Look who's home!

No, that's not a Clapotis. But it kind of looks like one.
And that's one of his proud Grandmas.

He turned in to a real little boy!

Today we weighed him and he has regained past his birth weight, he was 5 lbs 1 ounce.

I have to say, this is the hardest most overwhelming thing I have ever done. I thought residency was bad. But it was nothing like this.

Breastfeeding and caring for this little boy is so HARD! How do people do this? How do SINGLE mom's or dad's do this? Or how do you do it with other children??? Wow.

I don't know. But I am doing this best I can. We just want to give him the best. He has surpassed all physical expectations for his gestational age - we are so happy. He would have been 36 weeks old tomorrow if he hadn't been born yet...

Please forgive the lack of posts and knitting for the next little while. We're gonna rest up on this end, but you know we'll be back. You can't keep the High Energy's down...

Oh my goodness. You all truly are so awesome. A heartfelt thank you from our High Energy Family to all of you. I truly believe your thoughts and prayers have/will make a difference. I'm sorry I can't thank all of you individually right now, but know that we love each and every one of you.

And speaking of our High Energy Family - here he is!!! In this corner, High Energy Baby, weighing in at a fighting weight of 5 pounds even! 17.5 inches! 34 weeks 3 days!

Hello. I have just been born.

This is my "I look a bit like a troll doll" face. So Squinchy. What just happened to me?

So, I started labor about 6 am Saturday am with the help of some pitocin, which I quickly didn't need. I delivered the tiny man at 12:24 pm. I got at epidural at about 8 cm dilated, and it was a GOOD idea.

At first, HEB cried really strongly and looked pink. But, he did quickly get tired and got a little blue and worked hard to breathe. So up the NICU (Neonatal ICU) he went with dad.

There he got a bunch of tubes and wires, is on CPAP, which is a way to help him breathe. It's more than just some oxygen, but it's better than being intubated, which he hopefully will not need.

He is getting stronger all the time, and looking better and better. He won't get to eat until he is off the CPAP, which we hope will be a few days. We can touch him and talk to him and changed his diaper today. So we feel like parents a little bit more all the time. And hopefully we can hold him soon!

He will probably need a few weeks in the NICU, because babies this little often have trouble learning how to eat - sucking, swallowing and breathing are hard for them to coordinate. But if he is doing well once he can eat and is gaining weight he can come home!

Here's a progress shot from today:

I look like a boxer!

Poor smashed up face. The CPAP does that but it will all even out. We think he's beautiful and we love him so much. He's our little fighter. He has already pulled out his orogastric tube THREE FOUR times, and he is only 33 35 hours old!

We'll update soon. I go home tomorrow, and I hate that it's without him, but we are so lucky to live five minutes from the hospital, and our NICU is state of the art. He could not be in better hands.

Thanks again, you all. Love, the HEJs and HEB.

Well. There were sweaters to finish that are SO. CLOSE. And there were posts to post about all kinds of things to entertain you.

But then today, the HEB decided time was up. The buzzer went off. And my water broke.

SIGH.

I would be joyous, but I am 34 weeks and 2 days. And that's early, especially for a caucasian male baby.

He won't get to go home with us. He will probably be intubated, and I can't breast feed him, I'll pump and hope they can feed it to him.

And we just hope he will be okay. Please Lord let him be okay.

We are in Labor and Delivery now in our high tech room with wi-fi, and as I can't sleep I'm blogging.

No pics yet, sorry. But please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We'll likely have birthed us a teeny person by sometime Saturday...

We have been listening to the new Decemberists album over and over. It's sooooo goood.

SHOWER FUN TIMES!

I am so lucky. I can't tell you.

I never had girlfriends, really. I grew up friends with boys almost exclusively. I had no use for most girls. They didn't understand me, I didn't understand them. They seemed to all want to get married and all that stuff, and I wanted a career.

Then, in my professional training, I had a few girlfriends, but there was a lot of competition, and I still connected more with men.

A few years ago, I developed my first real girlfriends, and it was because of knitting. It sounds so cliché now, on a knit blog, but it's for real. By the time I moved here to Georgia, because of knitblogs, I had already met Carrie, AM, and MJ. I have been so lucky since to have met many more girlfriends, and in fact have very few male friends here. Don't get me wrong, I have loved my guy buddies, but it's so nice to have my girls here.

Those girls threw me an awesome baby shower. It was just what I wanted. A bunch of girls, hanging out, lots of food, fun times. I can't thank them enough.

Here are the domestic goddesses in question:

They cooked all day, seriously. And that food was so good. They had little pumpkin and pecan pies that HE John later dubbed, "pielettes." He ate several.

And they got me the best cake:

Note that it's in the High Energy Palette of colors.

And here we all are!

Fun times!

Knitting Goodies!!!

And of course, I got so many good presents for the HE Baby - lots of super cute clothes and very useful presents. For this blog, though, I know what you want.

You want the handknits.

One of my favorite unit secretaries, Astrid, crochetted the softest blanket:

And here's a close-up:

And the most awesome Jodi made STR baby socks.

SO. CUTE.

And my friend Rachel - who I didn't even know knitted!! - made this adorable baby cardi with airplane buttons. Awwww!

In other knitting news:

1) I am reknitting the band for Bridie. You knew I would.
2) I am SO CLOSE to the front neckband on hubbie's swecker.
3) I am making a hat for a 6'5" ~220 pound African American man. It's a substantial hat, alright.

Updates soon!