Progress

Slowly making progress. I took a friend's advice, and switched from making a crib size to a twin. She said that she made quilts for her children and they still use them! She pointed out how fast they grow out of the crib, so I made the switch. I've been making strips width-wise, and working my way down. I like the horizontal pattern, and so far it has been pretty simple. I'm using 4 inch squares, 14 across, and will be 23 down. I think I might add a contrasting border as well. Not there yet though. I've been listening to Pixar soundtracks...it's quite soothing! :) In fact, this whole process has been very soothing...I might start whipping out quilts like crazy, if I can rustle up enough fabric!

I'm thinking about making a bear to match this quilt. I decided I will make another in more gender neutral tones, too. I honestly just picked a fabric I liked and found coordinating fabrics. So maybe I'll go yellow next time. We'll see. I'm rambling now. Sorry this isn't a well-written entry. Just wanted to share how it is coming along!

Have a great Thursday!

Spring is in Bloom!

Hello Readers! I hope you're enjoying the beautiful spring weather that has finally arrived! I can't tell you how much I've been wanting to go to the Boston Public Garden lately...maybe I'll make it out there sometime soon. Spring is my favorite time of year...all the flowers are in bloom, the sun is shining, but not yet scorching, and everyone leaves their states of hibernation (at least here in New England) to be outside once again. 

For me, I got the urge to visit my favorite fabric supply store, Gather Here, to pick out fabric for a quilt. Once again, I find myself turning to sewing to ease some stress. We are now going into our 7th month of trying to conceive, and I have no happy news to report yet. Seven months may not seem like long, but it is much longer than my doctor had wanted us to take. It is sort of a balancing act while I go untreated for endometriosis, because the longer it takes, the more the disease grows and makes it difficult to have a baby. Luckily, my repeat laparoscopic surgery is approaching (just 6 weeks away), and I'm hoping it will be a helpful step in relieving my pain, as well as give us a fresh start. For those who don't know, endometriosis can cause infertility, by not only damaging vital reproductive organs (mainly the ovaries and Fallopian tubes), but by creating a toxic environment that makes it difficult to support and maintain a pregnancy. Hopefully this surgery will be just what we need. 

In any case, sewing is getting me through this tough spot, and making a baby quilt for a future little one is giving me something positive to work on in a process that feels very much out of my control. With my luck, I will never have a girl, and my choice of pink will seem silly. In which case...I'll figure out something. Who says boys can't enjoy a good shade of pink, huh??

How are you celebrating the return of spring?

Dino Tails for Toddlers

I finally gave my sewing machine a little exercise and made a present for one of the little boys I nanny. He turned 3 last week. He's been pretending to be a dinosaur quite a bit, and I had seen this great tutorial at Running With Scissors that looked PERFECT! So I gave it a try...and it was AMAZING! So amazing, in fact, that I whipped up another one! 

I mean, he couldn't be the only dino at his birthday party, right? It's way more fun with two! (Sorry for the poor picture quality...I was in a rush and only had time to snap a picture with my iPhone). I used minky fabric to add a texture to the dino skin, and patterned cotton for the spikes. This tutorial was super easy to follow, and it turned out great! I really want to whip out a few more, maybe with some changes to make more variety. I definitely recommend you head on over and check it out. They're really fun and quick!! The kids spent most of their time wagging the tails back and forth...it was hilarious! :)

I've been focusing a lot of my extra time and energy on my health, and it is really helping. Not only am I feeling a little bit better (more sleep, less stress, time for yoga and meditation), I am able to devote more time to doctor's appointments and procedures that I need to have done. Last year, I never would have believed anyone if they had told me this is what I would be doing, but I'm learning to take life as it comes, and as long as I have support (namely from my wonderful husband), I can make it through all this hubbub. 

The biggest "news" is that I am having a second laparoscopy in June. We will be traveling halfway across the country for that. I spent a great deal of time researching the best endometriosis surgeons in the country to find just the right one. I am actually really excited about it! I've been having near constant pain, some a dull ache, some far worse than anything I've had before to the point I can barely breathe. I believe that this doctor has the skills and techniques that will give me more time without cysts and major problems, and will also give us the best chance as we move forward trying to conceive. Hopefully everything goes well. 

Hope you're all enjoying your first few weeks of spring! Hopefully I'll have more projects to share soon. :)

A Little Update

Thanks to Hannah Cohen Photography

It's been 4 months, and quite a bit has happened. Most of it has been hectic, and stressful, and filled with some tears. One day was really awesome...our reception. I'll post more when I get back photos of all the details and the entire night, but for now I want to thank Hannah Cohen, a Boston-area photo journalist who we came to know through my husband's photography group. She was absolutely incredible, and got some amazing shots for us. I can't wait to see the rest of the shots! 

I finally used my sewing room for its intended purpose yesterday...I did a quick mending job on a pair of my husband's pants. About 10 minutes of work. But I will hopefully be using it more. I'm taking a medical leave from graduate school because of some complications with my health. I had another complex cyst that ruptured right before the reception, which seems to have exaggerated my endometriosis, so I'm going to be having a repeat surgery this spring. The medical leave allows me to do a lot more resting, because the more I get up and move around, the worse I feel. It's a bit reminiscent of my back injury, since my physical abilities are a diminished. I know that I go a little crazy not being able to be productive, and I can only rest and lay in bed for so long before I start going stir crazy! I'm already getting into my old sleep pattern...being awake until the wee hours of the morning unable to sleep because of inactivity. I'm thinking of starting some very gentle yoga...any suggestions? I'm sure I'll be getting reacquainted with my sewing machines before long. Simple projects...but something to keep my mind and body busy with something other than endo research.

Hoping all of you are gearing up for spring. Any projects on your horizon? 

Might Not See Me Until Summertime!

This might not be a shock to anyone, but I am in a hiatus...and for good reason... 

I got married!!!! 

:)

We found out from our doctor that my treatment for endometriosis, for whatever reason, isn't working...and I also have some endo growing in my incision (which was our big clue that the meds weren't working, since of course we could actually SEE the endo! Weird and totally scary!)

The good/surprising/exciting/nerve wracking news and silver lining out of all of this is that we need to start trying to have a baby (right away!) as part of my treatment (pregnancy = no period = no endo growth!). Then, if I need to have my reproductive organs removed, I'll be free to do so. I'm trying to see the beautiful rainbow at the end of this storm, and a baby would definitely be a BIG rainbow for me! :) So, with that in mind, we had a small wedding earlier this month, and are in the throws of planning a larger reception in the New Year. 

I'm also finishing my graduate degree (graduating in May!) while all this is going on, and it's so sad, but my beautiful sewing room hasn't seen a stitch since...I can't even remember! So it's time to throw in the towel and admit that the site truly is in hiatus until further notice. I'm sure I will be back eventually, and I hope you will all still be around! You know I'll be checking out your blogs and sending you well wishes from time to time. Keep up the crafting/sewing/blogging, and I hope to reunite with all my online friends in the near future! 

Happy Holidays everyone!

In Loving Memory

My Grampa passed away a couple weeks ago. He developed an infection while he was at the hospital getting a transfusion. He was able to go home and be with family in his final days. I wasn't able to be there because I was in my two week intensive courses, but last weekend I went home for the funeral. It was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do, emotionally, especially the viewing. He was so thin, he just didn't look like Grampa. I made an album for him with pictures of his family, and put it in the casket with him. I didn't want him to feel alone. He was like a father to me.

I'll miss you, Grampa.

Grampa with a chain he whittled from a single piece of wood

Grampa and Me making a snowman...he was an expert!

Love you, Grampa!

Bananarama Said It Best...

It has indeed been a Cruel Summer. Hello all! I've been having a rough day, but before I go on about that, please enjoy these lovely pictures!

All of the flowers have bloomed now, and three of them are still blooming! It's made the occasional evening on the porch that much nicer (that is, when the heat has died down enough!) 

We found some really inexpensive throw pillows at Kohls (just $8 a piece!) that matched the decor. Makes the bench much more comfortable. 

I've been waiting for my lovely larkspurs all summer and they finally bloomed this week. They are just so delicate and lovely. :)

The palm is still hanging in there too, and even sprouting some new shoots. 

As promised, here's Slinky checking out the plants. I'm glad she didn't poop in there!

She was surprisingly cautious climbing on the table. 

Cars on the highway and wind...totally new sights and sounds!

Finally calming down enough to enjoy it. :) She's so chubby and cute!

And here's Little Kitty...inside. Because SOMEBODY tries to jump off the balcony. 

A peaceful place to relax. Which is good. It's been a very stressful month. 

Here's Little Kitty snuggling with me after my surgery. They found pretty extensive endometriosis. I've been diagnosed with Stage 3 Endometriosis, due in large part to a lot of adhesions on my left side. I had endo on my left ovary, in my cul de sac, on my pelvic lining, and my bladder. I had several small, normal cysts on each ovary, and the endometrioma on the left. The biggest news was that my colon was attached to my pelvic wall, left ovary, and the back of my uterus. I have pictures, but I'm sure you wouldn't want to see them! My colon was pulled off to the left in an almost S shape, when it should have connected straight down to my rectum. Explains a LOT of the stomach problems I had for years. The surgeon cleaned everything up and now my colon and my ovary each have their space and I should be feeling a lot better. Now that we have an official diagnosis, I have started treatment again!

I went in for my 3 month dose of Lupron today. Man, IT HURT! The needle is massive and it burns like no tomorrow! I had to sit for a few minutes because I thought I would pass out, and the nurse gave me an ice pack for the soreness. Not as bad as the lower back injection though. I'm also on add-back therapy, which should help with any side effects, like bone loss. I'm just hoping it won't be a difficult round. Some people have a lot of problems with it, but I need it, so I guess it's a moot point. My recovery is still a work in progress. I took two weeks off from work and stayed in bed for a week. The second week I worked on being able to get up and move around. I had to splint my tummy with a pillow to get around. Now I am in my fourth week of recovery. I'm back at work and able to do most things, except lift anything, and I can't take a bath or go swimming for another week. The three smaller incisions are healed, but my belly button (the major incision) just healed completely two days ago. The weird part is that I have a new belly button! It's much more shallow (I couldn't see the end of it before...the surgeon said it was the deepest belly button she'd ever seen, and she fixed it), and is very, very strange for me. Maybe that's TMI...sorry!  

The bad news is that my Grampa is not doing well. He's in the hospital and is in what they believe are his final days. They said if he went home, he would likely only have about three days left. He's requiring lots of blood transfusions, and the chemotherapy is not working. So we are all trying to spend time with him. I unfortunately have class for a week solid starting Saturday, then a weekend off and another week of solid class. I was able to talk to him today on the phone, but it is really hard to not be able to be there in person. I am just glad that I was able to visit in May. I'm sure he would appreciate any prayers or thoughts of comfort and peace. 

That's all for now. Thank you for reading! I know it's been a bit of a disjointed blog, but I find that it does help to do a little writing from time to time. I still read all the blogs I follow, even if I don't always comment!