December 7, 2006

Where's your Christmas Miracle?

Wow. A pregnant blogger can't help but feel guilty as she starts receiving the "Whoa. Is everything okay?" emails when she fails to post for a few days. Gulp. What happened is this - I forbade myself from posting until I had accomplished a few things hanging over my head. Tonight's post is a little reward for me.

The past few days have been okay. Sunday was pretty horrific - I puked so badly that I had to change my entire wardrobe - including my socks. Still not as bad as when I was pregnant with Arun and threw up all over myself while driving in my car at 70 MPH on a major interstate known as I-35. That was still so much worse. I will say, morning sickness this time around is still bearable because of Arun - he is so damned adorable these days, it serves as a constant reminder of all the goodness this sickness will hopefully lead to. In fact, on Sunday when I went upstairs to change out of my urp-spattered clothes, I turned around while undressing to find that Arun had followed me. He chose that very moment to demonstrate his newfound skill at stomping his feet with unadulterated glee - Happy Feet, if you will. The look of pride on his face was priceless and made me feel better with Renewed Perspective.

Anyway, Innernets, I have an announcement. A Christmas Miracle! A sweater! Knitted, BY ME.

Dear God Almighty, I never thought I would finish this. I had knitted the pieces WAY back in early 2005, then started suffering the ill effects from morning sickness with Arun. Then, I sewed the collar together. Then, I sewed one arm on - badly, crookedly and just wrong, wrong, WRONG. I cried hot tears as I pulled all the seaming out. Then, I didn't touch the sweater for a good 6 months - I was paralyzed with fear. Gradually, this year, I picked it up again and again - slowly figuring it out. Anyway - I finally finished it tonight. It still needs to be washed and re-blocked. And please, if you ever encounter me on the street wearing this thing, do yourself a favor and avoid eye contact with my left armpit. Holey! Moley!

Okay, it's that time of year when people ponder their charitable donations - Dec 31st is just around the corner. We've already given our bit to Doctors Without Borders (they are near and dear to me because my eye doctor goes to Guatemala every year to give exams to kids there as a part of the program). However, we've decided to extend our charitable donation this year to something I just came across on QIR's blog.

QIR writes:
One of my friends went to the Congo and discovered that last year 2/3 of the kids treated in the hospital where she worked had been diagnosed with malaria. Because their families don''t have mosquito nets, these poor little kidlets get re-infected. Her solution? Give the kid a mosquito net upon discharge from the hospital.

First, QIR is a Real Live Person and the charity she links to Bed Nets for Kids was started by her friend, another Real Live Person. What, you say? REAL LIVE people in the blogosphere? Say it isn't so! Seriously though, I just point out that I know QIR is a REAL person because if one is going to start throwing money around, it's nice to know that someone with actual blood flowing through their veins is involved. Anyway, the upshot is this, if you go to Bed Nets for Kids and donate $5 through PayPal, that will provide 5 mosquito nets. X and I are going to donate 50 nets and I thought I would like to share this link in case anyone else is interested. I like giving my money directly to a source, and this seems like a good one. Malaria is pretty simple to prevent, yet 3000 people a day die from it. I know this site struck a chord with X because he remembered as a kid sleeping under a net himself.


Bonus Simian Snap

Just because.

12 comments:

Monkey McWearingChaps said...

I assumed you had been napping off the hormones and didn't want to disturb you.

I am in awe at the sweater. I got in 6 stitches at the Knitzilla on Monday and felt like I'd run a knitting marathon.

Monkey McWearingChaps said...

I will also vouch for the Real Personness of QIR as I have met her in person and have known her for...about 6 years now (holy crap!)

Anonymous said...

Congrats on finishing the sweater! One day in the distant future I may do the same.

Anonymous said...

Boo to the puking but I AM glad you're okay.

Arun, gorgeous as always.

I'll definitely check that site out when I'm back from le partner's Christmas party tonight.

Yawn.

Leah said...

Now I feel bad that I DIDN'T check on you. But I usually just assume you don't want to be bothered. :)

Anonymous said...

Congrats on finishing the sweater! That is quite an accomplishment. I just started teaching myself to knit and I'm hoping to be able to finish a hat by Christmas. I can handle a crochet hook, but holding two knitting needles still feels a little awkward to me.

MLE said...

QIR is real, I have lived with her and seen her nekkid.

I almost sent you an "are you OK?" email, but didn't want to bother you in case you were spending your time worshiping the porcelain god, which it seems like you were.

I love the description of the happy Arun feet. And I must say, I am highly impressed by your sweater-making prowess. I've been knitting for 6 years and I still haven't made a sweater!

Anonymous said...

That sweater is great!!!! Makes me wish I could crochet more than a straight line...sigh...someday I WILL learn how to crochet in a circle, dammit!

-qir said...

Oh you so rock for posting that my friend's project. I don't even know you meatspacewise and you posted it!!!! OMG, THEEES! THEEES is the Power of the Internets!

Sorry to hear about the pukeys, but really, the Happy of Little Feet Stomping, how can you possibly beat that???

Anonymous said...

So sorry to hear about the puking. I remember puking on myself while driving when pregnant with the little angel, and I remember exactly that feeling of morning sickness, like no other. I hope it passes soon.

Lisa said...

Congrats on the sweater. ANd so sorry to hear of the puking. I HATE barfing more than anything! Hope it goes away soon.

Anonymous said...

I'm loving watching Arun grow up. He's such a little boy now, and so handsome!

Also, I'll mention this quietly as you've no doubt had all sorts of suggestions re your morning sickness, and if I'm repeating something that's been mentioned to you several times already I'll slap my own self upside of the head to get me to shut up, but have you tried acupuncture?