I finished my legwarmers today after sitting up too late last night knitting while watching The Boy in the Striped Pajamas with Jonny. These are the “some cloudy day” legwarmers, whose pattern is available as a free download on ravelry. Since I am sort of new to knitting anything other than hats, I still have a lot to learn, one thing being that when you bind off 1X1 ribbing you do not get a flexible stretchy edge. I think it is necessary to do 2X2 ribbing which of course is what the pattern calls for and of course not what I did. So these didn’t turn out exactly how I envisioned them to, but they are soft and will keep my legs warm this winter. I am not super thrilled with the color, wish I had moved outside my color comfort zone and gone with a blue or a red, but there is always next time!
I really enjoyed this pattern.
And the cave in:
While we did give Beatrix a pacifier a couple of times many months ago, I really didn’t want her to take one and ended up throwing them out. I really hate pacifiers. Really only because I hate the concept of dependency on something like that and the freaking out that occurs when a paci addicted kid can’t find their paci, etc. I just didn’t find the whole addiction breaking thing to be very fun when we did it with Larkspur awhile back. My boys never took to pacis so the experience with Larkspur the paci fiend was a first and I really don’t want to go back there. BUT. Beatrix hardly naps and at night I get very little sleep. I am not good at sleeping with a baby latched on unless I drug myself with Benadryl and I don’t like taking drugs. Even with the Benadryl, the biting that has been occuring lately is enough that it would wake me if I were a user of more hardcore sleep aids. I have never had a child bite like this. Usually there are a couple of experimental bites when those first teeth come in and my cries of pain and stern “no’s!” put a stop to things. Beatrix thinks it’s funny when I scream in pain. Well, when it happens in the middle of the night and I am awakened by a bite and my own involuntary scream, she doesn’t like that. That makes her cry. And of course then I have to start nursing her again because she is upset, and the biting is so bad that it hurts to nurse her.
So what I am wondering is whether or not she might take a paci at night sometimes or even just to help her take a wee nap. Napping with baby (so she can nurse the whole time) ceases to be an option when said baby is the youngest of six. Of course, the answer is probably no. But it’s worth a shot, right? I went out today and bought two different types (BPA free!). I was super thrilled to find that Avent actually makes a clear pacifier. These things are so ugly in my opinion that I truly don’t understand why they come in so many bright colors. I always wished Larkspur had clear ones, but couldn’t find any. So I grabbed a pack of the Avents today along with the old MAM standby that Larkspur used. It was hard to find a semi normal looking one. Most of the ones for Beatrix’s age were hot pink with a skull and crossbones on them (What????) but I did manage to find a pack with a more age appropriate pattern. Of course it is still bright pink. And of course, Beatrix prefers the pink. She must have known that it matched her shirt.
Fioleta says
The legwarmers are beautiful. I love greenish colours, so to me your colour choice looks good.In my books there is nothing wrong with trying to use a pacifier if there is any chance that it will allow you to have more sleep.
godlover says
I Ginny, I've missed your emails but then I haven't emailed either. I had an excuse though. I was embarrassed because I had put aside the legwarmers and felt guilty about it. But I just kept making stupid mistakes. Such a simple pattern and I kept messing up. I will attempt them again when I feel a little more secure with them. Yours are beautiful and I like the color but do leave your comfort nest long enough once in awhile to choose other colors. Will your warmers pull up over your knees or is the bind off too tight? I was wondering how you were going to keep them up but they seem pretty secure there on your legs. They really are quite pretty and now I want to go back and get mine finished.I couldn't get either one of my boys to be interested in pacifiers. My granddaughter (the first one that I raised for 6 years) did take to one but she gave it up without fuss when I told her no. Guess I was pretty lucky. But then I think she did suck her first and middle fingers at nap time for a couple years. To be truthful I think sucking fingers is worse than sucking a paci. But if it gives them comfort (and gives mama some peace)I'm all for it. And I honestly don't think I could tolerate the biting. I'm afraid that my immediate reaction to having my nipple nearly severed would be a sharp slap upside the face and I certainly wouldn't want to do that. It would just be a reflex I'm afraid. I would never knowingly slap! Bea looks very peaceful sleeping there with that paci. I don't think you need to feel badly about yourself at all. And maybe she'll give it right up the way Jamie did. Sorry Lark had such a rough time of it. You'll be lucky if she doesn't start right up again seeing Bea with one. They do tend to mimic.
Christine says
Love the legwarmers!
Wife to the Rockstar says
Love the leg warmers! And you do not need to feel bad about giving in to the paci. Whatever gets you sleep my dear,
Aubrey says
Pacifiers can be obnoxious, can't they? Hot pink with skulls and crossbones!? Ick! Then there's actually keeping track of the dozen or so that must be kept.My first three children wanted nothing to do with a pacifier. Morgan sucked her middle fingers. Maddie sucked her first two fingers. Noah sucked his thumb. Isaiah was sooo colicky. If he wasn't eating or sleeping (in 45 minute increments) he was crying. The child would nurse to fill his tummy and then continue to nurse for comfort. Since my milk was pretty abundant, he would overeat, sit up, and spit up immediately after a comfort-nursing session. I was at a loss. One day, while wiping frustrated tears from my face, I stuck a pacifier in his mouth. It was like having a new baby. Now, two years later, I am beginning to wonder how to break this little habit. *sigh* I don't know that I would go back and change what I started, I just think I would have attempted to wean him sooner. Now Baby Five is on the way and I've got to come up with a new approach, I think. Hmmm….
Lori says
oh dang! those leg warmers are amazing!!! I love them!!
Diane says
Oh, Ginny. I'm conflicted right along with you. She looks so peaceful and content, though. (good but hard all at the same time.) Great outcome on the legwarmers; you can make me a pair anytime!
Anonymous says
Hey Jen, love your blog! I had one biter & he ended up being weaned at 8 months…he almost bit one nipple off he bit so hard. Good luck trying to break her of this…he never stopped either & after biting the other side & then re-biting the first side I introduced the bottle…he also started sleeping right after that! Funny how that works!Love, Cari