Before we get to knitting, let’s get a little business out of the way – shall we?
Bruce. I’ve listened to the new album, and how shall I put this with all the love and respect and adoration in my heart – I’m very UNDERwhelmed. I’ve been reading my favorite fan site for months now and these people seem to love it – they make me look like a casual fan – but I’m not sure I get it. The “wall of sound” did nothing but give me a headache. There are some good ones on here, no doubt, but I’m reserving my final judgment until I hear them live. And no, we don’t have tickets yet. But I have faith in my man.
Baby. Let’s start with the things that are improving: I don’t have to eat every thirty seconds. In fact, I can go an hour or two sometimes THREE without food passing my lips and I don’t get sick. I call that progress. I’m also (most nights) sleeping better and I have more energy during the day. Like I don’t have to all of a sudden crawl into bed because if I don’t I’m going to die. I’ve been getting up at my regular time in the morning (about 7:30 ish) and at around 8 I have to crawl into bed or I’m going to die, but during the day I’m pretty okay. My appetite has branched out as well. I can eat more foods and every day I get a little bit more adventurous. (Pizza for dinner last night! YAY!)
Okay – the bad news. I’m still puking every single fucking morning! I wake up. Eat my breakfast. Puke. Then eat another (different!) breakfast. Fun times. Although that’s it. I’m pretty much okay the rest of the day. I mean, I get bouts of nausea every now and then, but definitely not all day. The other bad news – headaches. I pretty much get a headache every day now. I’ve read this is very common and my sister got a lot of headaches when she was pregnant. Yes I’m drinking enough. Yes I’m eating enough. Ditto sleeping, peeing, and whatever else you’re going to tell me to do. I’m thinking it’s a combination of eye strain (I have an eye doctor appt today), allergies, and just regular old pregnancy fun times. As Kay told someone at Spin Out – if there’s a symptom, I’ve got it.
Whew! Now onto the SOCKS!
Here is a spectacularly craptacular picture of (almost) all the socks I’ve knit!
Turns out, including the 2 sockapalooza pairs I’ve knit, I’ve only completed 21 pairs! Doesn’t that seem too few? I don’t know – I was thinking I’d knit at least 30. But I counted a bunch of times and 21 seems to be the magic number. We’ve got two pairs of finished knee highs, ten pairs of jaywalkers, five pairs of monkeys, and two pairs of stockinettes. I’ve also knit seven single socks. And off the top of my head I have about six socks in various states of being knit. Hmmm.
Here’s the first pair and the last pair I knit:
The first pair were plain stockinette knit with Regia Cotton Surf. The last pair were STR monkeys.
Believe it or not, I also started a new sock!
It’s a nice mod on garter rib that I found over at Ravelry. I’m calling the socks Chawne’s Rib because Chawne‘s the one who came up with it! So far so good!
I think I figured out my problem with knitting these days. In my mind and my heart I WANT to be knitting. I see patterns and want to make them immediately. I miss the old days of knitting for hours on end like you wouldn’t believe. The problem is I have a limited amount of time to get things done during the day – and I have to get those things done or I won’t have clients anymore. By the time I’m done my work, the time I would normally spend knitting the night away, I’m so exhausted that after a round or two I can’t take it anymore. And I’ve had A LOT of eye strain, so that doesn’t help any. Add in the headaches and voila – NO KNITTING! It’s so sad. Knitting was my main source of relaxation and it really sucks that it’s such a struggle for me. I’m hoping that the puke to knit ratio will improve everyday and I’ll at least be able to finish a sock. Although I’d really love to be knitting a sweater. For me.
Thanks for reading! Have a great day!
L, C
You are so having a girl. Boys don’t make you puke! I only lost it 4 times between both my pregnancies – both boys.
and you shall call her …… Ann.
I’m sorry you’re still throwing up but I’m glad to hear it’s improved a tiny bit. I’ll be hoping it gets even better really soon.
Boys don’t make you puke? Hm, but I respectfully disagree. 🙂 One of the more interesting pregnancy symptoms I’ve had is a 6 month stuffed nose. I don’t have allergies, it was hormones.
Oh, but even 21 years later the end game makes it all so worthwhile!
You could knit something with thicker yarn to save your eyes. Knit a gol-darn garter stitch scarf, just to keep your hand in.
I had heard a while ago that there was a good chance that Bruce was coming to town. I checked Ticket Master often but never heard anything. I let it slip for a while and then Sunday I was driving and heard on the radio that he’s coming October 14th! The tickets went on sale just three weeks before the show and now I can’t afford them! I swear to god that every time I put on the radio or my iPod on random it plays him. They’re mocking me in utter disdain for my fragile mental state.
Hey Cara, do you have this Friday free? I have two tickets for Philly Wachovia center. Section 207A.
Let me know and they are yours at face value!
–Heather
I love the new album. I’m having a hard time deciding which is my favorite. I’ve been wondering what you thought so thanks for sharing!
Magic seems a bit ‘over produced’…it just doesn’t have the edge, the rawness, of past efforts. Maybe Bruce is getting soft.
It’s so good to hear you’re feeling better.
i hear ya on the knitting. i’m in the same boat. wish i could knit more but the peanut takes up a lot of time and by the end of the day i’m lucky if i can knit a row! it’s tiring but the whole mothering thing is worth it.. all of it will be worth it. i promise!
My eyesight was lousy at the beginning of my first pregnancy. It got better around the same time my morning sickness finally went away (a few weeks into my 2nd trimester). I mentioned it to the eye doc the next time I was in, and he said it’s not uncommon.
Hope yours gets better soon, one way or another!
I know how you feel with the wanting to knit but needing to take care of other stuff. I’m teaching, and it’s my first year, so I’m up until 10 or 10:30 every night prepping for the next day, and by the time I actually get around to knitting, I’m exhausted and likely to fall asleep sitting up.
I have to disagree with the boys don’t make you puke. My friend was so sick her entire pregnancy. They had her on the anti-nausia meds and everything and nothing helped and she had a boy.
I am glad that you are feeling better. Hopefully the morning puke will go away soon. Have you tried eating something like cheese or what not to slowly raise your blood sugar in the morning?
That picture look like way more than 21 pairs. Heck I am only on my 5th pair. Most of those were gifts. I only have 1 pair that I have knit for myself.
I’m glad you’re feeling better! Noah made me puke my brains out for months, and then one day i woke up and felt great. The change was so big and so abrupt that I called the doctor in a panic, thinking that maybe something had gone awry with my pregnancy. All was well, and as you know, Noah is quite a wonderful boy. I take all those old wives’ tales with a big grain of salt.
I’m sorry you’re not loving the Bruce record. I’m quite smitten with it.
xxx!
I can’t say how I feel about it yet, but I agree that Magic is more produced than other albums. I do know however, that when Hubby turned it on this morning my 3 year-old said, that’s Bruce! He really likes it. I think it comes from being in utero during the Rising tour.
Hang in there with the sickness, it will either get better, or you will adapt and adjust to it. I should know, I got sick most every day with the first baby and just adapted to it. Knew when to expect it (UCK!), and to make matters more complicated, I was a senior in high school most of the pregancy, so I really had to adapt or drop out. Glad to say I made it!
I puked for seven of the nine months I was pregnant, and the only thing that helped was acid reflux medication. (Aciphex, if I remember right.) There’s no known interaction between the drug and a developing fetus, and my kid in particular was perfectly fine. Though I’d probably skip it until the second trimester, just on principle.
Good luck, hang in there, and all my sympathies.
I’m really glad to hear that the nausea is reduced, at least. Hopefully things will just continue to improve!
Not being able to knit sucks, but just remember: It’s temporary! Things will return to something more manageable. Hang in there, lady!
I’m loving that new sock…I’m going to have to go check out that pattern for my first pair of socktoberfest socks!!
Hope the pregnancy symptoms go away soon! Glad to hear you have more energy though, the second trimester is great for that!
Don’t buy into the boy/girl thing. I barfed every morning when I brushed my teeth for 4 months with my first one. He’s a boy. And he’s ALL boy!!
He’s 14 months and I’m 10 weeks pregnant with the 2nd. Today was only the 2nd time I’ve puked. I’m not getting much knitting done either.
I promise, it will get better. You will get your energy back. You will eventually stop barfing. Hang in there!
god- SO with you on the wishing for knitting. i’ve almost mastered knitting while nursing, but wouldn’t recommend this for a big sweater project. takes a lot of shoulder strength. much like this one-handed typing…
I’m glad to hear that the puking is only limited to the mornings now. I’m sure that puke:knit ratio will improve soon.
I’m sorry that I missed Spin Out, it was such a beautiful day. While you were all happily spinning in the park, I was in the subway with my son, stressing as we tried to manuver his new $$ upright bass from Canal St. to the Upper East Side. Fun times.
Happy Socktoberfest!
I find that taking magnesium supplements (mine come with calcium and vitamin D) really helps keeping down the number of headaches I get. Perhaps you need more magnesium due to your pregnancy?
Yep it was brushing my teeth with my BOY(S) as well, but more often at night. and then there’s the tale about heartburn and lots of hair. I’ll debunk that one as well, thank you.
I love hearing how you are doing. I remember telling the doctor my baby was going to come out asking for tylenol since I took it so often for headaches. Take care and I’m glad you’re doing better a little each day.
I love hearing how you are doing. I remember telling the doctor my baby was going to come out asking for tylenol since I took it so often for headaches. Take care and I’m glad you’re doing better a little each day.
What knitting you are doing looks lovely as usual.
It sounds like things are at least a little better. I hope that your ratio continues to improve.
WHOA PREGNANCY AFFECTS YOUR EYEBALLS!? Holy geez.
This blog is getting a little scary. Perfect timing for Halloween!
Glad you’re feeling a little better 🙂
Just sending some hugs!
Sending you hugs. My pregnancies were the same–so much puking. I had nice big healthy babies and weighed 10 lbs less post-pregnancy than pre-pregnancy, so it wasn’t all bad. And it’ll give you something to hold over him/her when they keep you up all night worrying 😉
But after 2 I called it quits. Being nauseous all the time is not fun. More hugs.
Here’s my take on knitting, PG, and also being Jewish/superstitious about getting ready for the baby: when I hit 12 weeks, I had a CVS. This was so nerve wracking to me that I decided to make the baby a spectacular blanket. Even though I didn’t have baby things in the house, and didn’t have a shower, I decided it was okay for me to create something for him/her because it was knit as my body was creating a new person. It was very wonderfully soothing, and all my love — and my worries — went into the blanket. (I made Kim Salazar’s Mountain Laurel Counterpane — from http://www.wiseneedle.com). But I added a new superstition — as the blanket was made in hexagons, I always cast on a new one before going to bed, so something was always on the needles.
Feel better soon! I also remember being so tired that Bruce was playing at the Staples Center opening, and we could have gotten tickets, but I couldn’t stay up past 7pm in order to go! I just bought a ticket to see him — by myself — at the end of the month.
Amy
Wow, Cara, I’m sorry you’re still feeling so poorly! (But very glad you’re feeling better enough to knit a bit – it’s a start!)
Your pregnancy so far sounds a lot like my step-mother’s when she had my youngest brother; about 3/4 of the way through, she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which apparently had been having something to do with her sickness and headaches. (It went away after she had Corbin.) Thought I’d mention it because, well, there’s so much info out there, you never know what might help.
I sure hope you start feeling better soon!
aww 🙁 Glad you’re feeling a *little* better! And those socks are WAY cute! I need new socks to knit…
Ahem… isn’t it about time for a baby bump photo? We wanna see how cute you’re looking!
Cara,
For me my pregnancies went in stages. The stage where I was awake for 2 hours at a time and then back to the couch. The stage where I could do anything and jumped my husband nightly (he loved that stage) the stage where I went crazy creative and was sewing and knitting and crocheting like I had some sort of deadline (which I did not). not all of these things happened at once, are there are more things that came and went.
just be patient. your knitting is hibernating. it will wake up soon.
Also, mix some castor oil w/ lavender essential oil and massage around your eyes w/ it. use your 4th finger to do this because it’s your weakest finger and you can’t press too hard w/ it. You may also want to see if you can find a herb pillow (it has yarrow and flax seen and lavender and mint and chamomile and all other sorts of good stuff) to lay across your eyes/ head when your head hurts. It always works for me. It keeps the light out for one and for two it is very soothing.
I’m liking those socks. I would have guessed you have made far more socks also but I was adding up how many I’ve done and I don’t even think I’ve cracked double digits. Maybe it seems like more since we have to make 2?
Hang in there! Did you have to change your deoderant yet? Mine stopped working with all 3 of my pregnancies and I had to switch brands. Weird. But not as bad as barfing.
I would have thought you had knit at least 50 jaywalkers!!!!
Everone has advice, no? So, here’s mine. Eat a cracker or two before you get out of bed in the morning. If you puke it, so what? You can enjoy your real breakfast then.
As for being tired and not having knitting time, hey, you are now like most of us!
Everone has advice, no? So, here’s mine. Eat a cracker or two before you get out of bed in the morning. If you puke it, so what? You can enjoy your real breakfast then.
As for being tired and not having knitting time, hey, you are now like most of us!
I know you’re probably so over baby advice you could…well, I won’t say it. But since you never know what hasn’t been said, I’ll leave you with this…my prenatal vitamins made me sicker than anything else, whether or not I’d remember to eat anything with them. By the fifth pregnancy, I had given up on their usefulness altogether and started doubling up on healthier foods to make for their absence. However, I hear they offer newer, better, less stomach-churning vitamins, but I don’t have first-hand experience with them. OK…I’m done…no more baby advice…cross-my-heart-hope-to-die.
I’m glad the puking is easing up, but geez, headaches too?? I hope they go away soon. I can’t believe you have only 21 pairs of socks! I thought it would be more. I only have 13, and I thought I had more, too… maybe it’s the 2 to a pair thing, it tricks you into thinking you have more.
I’m glad things are improving. As for the headaches, I wonder if they’re caused by the increased blood volume in your body? I remember reading about how much more blood is circulating in a pregnant woman’s body than usual and was pretty surprised. It also explains why pregnant women are usually warmer!
None of this solves the problem, though. Sorry. 🙂 These are, given the circumstances, good problems to have! xoxo
It will get better. At the very least, the baby will come out. Kidding – I’m sure it will get better before that! But it is really hard when thing interrupt your normal fun and relaxation routines.
Glad you’re feeling a bit better! Those socks – wow!
We are living parallel lives… or at least having parallel pregnancies. I put off eating my breakfast until after my morning puke, though. Usually right around 8:45 AM… love being punctual! Other things are slowly improving (knock on wood), but I’m still not getting too much knitting done.
Are you showing yet?
What’s your Ravelry username?
Ah, JanuaryOne. Duh. 🙂
I know you’ve heard this a billion times already, but since I’ve been MIA for quite awhile I’m going to say it again – congratulations! I’m sure the knitting will improve as the puking and sleeping decrease. Awesome bunch of socks you have there and I think 21 is a pretty good number.
Ok, this is really really weird I know and I don’t know if its been suggested for the nausea or not already. An old wives cure for nausea is to sniff newsprint. Just a regular newspaper will do. It works for me, but maybe thats because I believe in those sorts of things? I don’t know if it will stop the puking, because once I’ve had a good sniff usually I don’t feel that I need to puke. I do understand that it can lead to newspaper cravings (if you are pregnant) later, but I take that with a grain of salt because pregnant women have cravings in general. Just a thought because maybe it will help you too.
you might not be impressed by 21 pairs of hand knit socks but i am.
Glad to read that you’re starting to feel better – sucks you’re still puking, tho. Ahhh, kids. They’re pains in the arses from the very beginning. 😉
I can remember exactly how you feel. I had pretty much the same symptoms and I remember a lot of time spent in the tub to help my headaches. Hopefully you will figure out what works for you in terms of keeping food down, for me it was small meals no more than a couple of hours apart. Sorry I don’t have any “real” type of advice, but remember that the end result is soooooooo worth it.
So… I’m pregnant, too, but further behind you. I’m only 6.5 weeks. I saw the heartbeat on Monday, though. That was exciting 🙂 Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I totally understand not wanting/being able to knit. A couple of days after I found out I was pregnant, knitting began to make me nauseous. As if that doesn’t happen all on its own nowadays, the act of looking at my knitting and knitting itself makes it worse! It’s really a pain. It gives me hope to see that you’re doing better, because I want to be able to knit some baby things eventually!
I lost all knitting mojo when i was pregnant. I had no desire too knit at all. All I wanted to do was watch TV and eat pancakes. So I did. That’s the beauty of being pregnant- it’s liberating to let yourself do exactly what you want to without guilt…
i discovered near the end of my morning sickness that jolly ranchers helped. i also couldn’t knit during most of my pregnancy, it made me feel ill! i found the love again at the end, in time to spend the last several weeks on the couch doing nothing but. hang in there!
Glad to hear the puking is ever-so-slightly better. Just keep taking care of yourself the best way you know how!
Well, great. Now you’ve made me into a huge liar. I went and told the entire interwebs that you’ve knit 1,233 pairs of Jaywalkers alone! Surely your laundry has eaten several hundred pair?
That’s IT! Next year I’m braving the big scary city even if I have to do it ALONE for Spin Out! So you’d better have a Spin Out next year!
I hope the headaches and nausea clear up – I remember BAAAAAAD headaches on the migraine level the first and into the second trimester. My dr. put me on some medication that helped enough that I could actually get out of bed and stop whimpering like a kicked puppy.
Oh, and I sure don’t mean to rub it in or anything, but I’m going to see Bruce! I’m not a huge fan, but I’m totally excited! My hubby’s co-football coach got extras or something, so we’re going to see him! I have no idea what to expect, but I’m psyched!
During my last (4th) pregnancy, I was so sick that I could not even look at a pair of needles or yarn, it made me queasy. I was sick until 28 weeks. After the 18th week my doc finally put me on Zofran, which thank goodness helped! Good luck, it’s well worth it!
During pregnancy your fluid levels are up and your eye actually changes shape. Sometimes contact wearers have trouble keeping the lenses in! This can happen right before or during periods as well. I don’t know if that contributes to headaches, but it’s just interesting to know. DH (FP doc) broke down the 9 month weight increase for me once upon a time. The baby, placenta, increased blood volume, bigger breasts, etc. No, I did NOT keep to the 24 lbs. Bleah! Most interesting to me was when the ligaments softened up and it felt like my joints were coming unhinged! Weird feeling. Blessings to you!
Have you thought about a massage from someone who specializes in that for pregnant women? Who knows?
Girl, it’s all good. You can be just as much a part of Socktoberfest by enjoying the socks you have made in the past – they are all so lovely!
I am wishing you the best~