Emma's Dress

This post is long overdue, but better late than never! I finally finished knitting Emma's Fiona Baby Sundress. I started this project in April, and finished on June 26th, just in time for Emma to wear her dress for her 18 month pictures on June 27th. This was a hard pattern for me to get started on. I ended up ripping it out several times before I got it right. The pattern starts at the bottom of the dress, and you knit up. The straps gave me a bit of trouble as well. I ended up attaching them too far out and they barely sat on Emma's shoulders, so I had to cut them off and knit new straps, and reattached them the night before Emma's pictures. Nothing like waiting until the last minute! The dress was on the big side, and I was concerned it looked like Emma was wearing a sack. So I knitted about an arm's length of the brown yarn and then threaded that through two places on the back of the waist to make a tie. That helped gather the skirt a bit and made it fit better.

I also got creative and crocheted a little blue flower to match the dress that Emma wore in her hair. The dress really turned out great and I'm really happy with it. Emma hasn't worn it again. It's a bit hot with the 100+ degree weather we have been having, but I'm hopeful she can wear it more this fall. And it's pretty long and with adjustable straps, so I hope she can wear it for a couple of years at least.

Yarn: 4 hanks of Cascade Luna in color Sky, 1 hank of Cascade Luna in color Chocolate.
Needles: Size 7 US 16" circular needle, size 7 US double pointed needles, cable needle.
Gauge: 5 stitches/5.5 rows per inch

Shy little Lillypoots!

First ripe tomato!

So I actually have tomatoes to eat now, and Emma loves them!

Weaning Update

The last week has been a difficult one. I have completely stopped nursing Emma when she wakes during the night. There were some rough nights with lots of crying, from Emma and Mommy. One night (or morning really) she was up from 3-5:30 crying and wanting to nurse. I tried to rock her and walk with her, and offered her water. I tried to explain that at night everyone goes to bed, and there is no nursing. But I don't think she can really understand that yet. But the last two nights she has made it all night without waking up.

After we stopped the night nursing, a few days later we stopped the morning nursing too. Emma is getting up pretty early, usually about 6:45. I bring her downstairs and offer her a yogurt drink and other food for breakfast. I do miss snuggling in our bed with her, but I know one day again we can do that when she is older and won't associate it with nursing. She still asks to nurse every morning and at various times during the day. But now we are down to just naptime and bedtime.

I do hope that my body will notice the decrease in nursing and stop making so much milk. I am still feeling so full and of course my left side is still an overachiever in the milk production.

Overall I think that Emma is adjusting well. I'm sad and miss the extra quiet and cuddle time that each nursing opportunity gives us. I am not at all ready to cut out another nursing session yet. I don't even know how I would do that, I think she will be very opposed to stopping our before nap and bed time nursings.