No knitting, no spinning... more pediatric steroids

Well, the steroid event with our youngest has gone into double overtime. We've got five more days counting today. The first antibiotic was a bust. We saw the Dr. on Wed and purchased the second antibiotic. We were up three times overnight Wed into Thurs and we finally got some relief on Sat.

To add to the drama of the steroid event, we had the fight with the insurance company for three days straight to get my dad into a long term care facility (nursing home)that was reasonably close to my parents home and could take care of a respiratory patient with his extreme oxygen needs. Once I had that feat accomplished, then we had to drive the 2 plus hours from our house to take him all his supplies. He got a refrigerator, dvd player, tv, clothes, food, soda.... My husband made a lot of trips in carrying a lot of stuff. Dad's only supposed to be there for two or three weeks. Then we have to drive back and haul all the stuff to my parents' home. I was amazed that there is a nursing home that allows you to bring all that stuff. They also have a super cool black labrador named Buddy. He is the most mannerly dog I've ever come into contact with. He had no bad habits. I bet he's really tired at the end of the day. He goes from room to room visiting with the residents.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get back to knitting and spinning soon.

Thank you everyone...

for the kind comments and good wishes. We saw the neurologist this morning. I now understand a little better what we're dealing with. The little guy has "incomplete Bells Palsy." He has weakness on the entire right side of his face. We've only been able to see it in the lip droop, but apparently a trained professional can tell the entire nerve is affected. The eye droop, which is new with this ear infection, has improved with steroids, but we'll have to wait and see what we get. When we just had the lip droop, we weren't able to maintain the progress after the steroids ended. In two weeks he'll have another MRI under general anesthesia. The whole anesthesia thing is quite scary. I guess we make a plan when we get the results of the MRI. I try to remember that there are many children with much more serious medical problems and that we are very fortunate. I just hope that he is able to have a good attitude about it when he is older.

I think I left the knitting event...

and headed straight for one of those wild events where you throw yourself downhill at break neck speed and hope you land on your feet. This event is the "thirteen month old on steroids for ten days event." The little guy's bells palsy is worse than ever, it now involves a larger portion of the right side of his face including his eye. He has a "rip roaring" ear infection as described by his pediatrician. He sees the pediatric neuroligist in the morning.

For those of you who have never experienced a child on steroids, be thankful. These little people tend to develop huge appetites, sleep little, remain irritable and sometimes they even get plain mean. Some, including mine, rip through the house demolishing everything in their path. The little guy was moving the high chair around on the carpet tonight. We considered just taking him out in the yard with a crash helmet on, but it's really too cold for that in the midwest right now. Oh what I would give for a padded room. I considered putting a tally in the sidebar of how much stuff he destroys during the ten day event and keeping track of the replacement costs, but it would probably depress me. Maybe the kids and I can come up with a point system.

I may not medal in this event

My little guy remains under the weather. It's back to the dr. this afternoon. He had mastoiditis in August and has persistent Bells Palsy. This causes his mouth to droop. It's much worse when he is tired. Now his eye is not opening all the way on the same side of his face. It's worse when he's tired. Hopefully this is a temporary set back and not going to turn into another persistent problem.

Last night I only knit three rows and they all need tinked back today. Combine that with the worry about the little guy and the amount of rocking time he needs and my Olympic goals don't look reasonable.

Knitting Olympics Links

Kat with a "K" has put together a great list of links for the knitting olympics. I should probably quit blog surfing now and go knit something.

Another ball of yarn done!

Unfortunately, that's only two so far. My youngest is sick and needs held all the time. It's really cutting into the knitting time. My husband is a good sport and took about a 3.5 hr turn in the lazy boy rocking chair tonight so that I could knit. I'm still hoping to finish. I have 6 of the repeats finished. I'm not really sure how many it will take since I'm using heavier yarn and bigger needles.

Kiri Olympic Knitting

 
Day 1 went well, although I finished a little less than I had hoped. Day 2 I finished the first skein and started the second. Day 3 I ripped 11 rows from Day 2 and decided that lifelines were essential to finishing the project. Maybe I'll finish in time and maybe not. 

Odessa from the top, sort of

 
Okay, this is where I admit to being a bit on the short side. I was on my tippy toes trying to take a picture of the display and I cut off part of the side. Sorry about that. 

Odessa from the side

 
 

Knitting Olympics blog on blogspot

I sent an email to join this today.

Another picture of the wee little blanket.

 
Okay, it's miles of white, but I'm very pleased with myself for knitting it in one week. 

Wahoo!

 
I finished and gifted the wee little blanket today. The baby seems to have stabilized for the moment and we are all praying for the best. Now I need to make hats and booties. I'm trying to make multiples of most things since the baby will be hospitalized after it's born for quite some time. 

The wee little blanket

 
It's about doubled in size. Hopefully, I'll finish it tomorrow. I wanted to have matching hats and booties also. Unfortunately, tomorrow is Girl Scouts and I have to make the sample crafts and the kits up for the girls. There are never, ever enough hours in the day. 

Little Hands Making Little Gifts

 
This is going to be for my son's speech therapist who is expecting a baby. I thought a gift would mean more if I found something that he could make. I did all the cutting and then he did the rest. My daughter made a matching one. The baby is very sick and I thought it would be nice for the mom to have two. That way she could leave one at the hospital and not worry if it disappeared. 

No pictures again

I ran into my lys to buy a ball winder. My ball winder met with tragedy last week and I was afraid I would have a ball winding emergency during the knitting Olympics. So, I took Odessa with me in all her completed glory. She stayed behind in the shop. She's adorning a mannequin head in the front room of the shop. Sharon had me put a little tag on it and it tells where to get the pattern on the internet and what to buy before you go home so someone could go home and knit one right up. My project for the week is to make some really nice tags for the display items at the yarn shop. There just isn't enough room on the tags to put all the important information.

Went Shopping...

I couldn't wait to buy Pursenalitites Plus. The local knit shop had it and it's mine all mine. While I was at it I bought an Ann Norling pattern, a ball of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmarino for Odessa and 2 packages of beads for Odessa.

It's a start

 
I have 14" x 38" of baby blanket knitted so far. I would like to have it done by Wednesday at 12:30. You're not snickering are you?

The intended recipient of this blanket is not due for months. However, it is a very sick baby and there is concern that it may not make it to term. Even if this little person does make it to term, it's going to be a very sick little person. I thought I had more time to make it something soft and cuddly. Now, it's just a race to give comfort. I'm knitting as fast as I can. 

Very little knitting today

Instead, I worked on the taxes. I did go shopping and buy some beads for Odessa in the new Magknits. Pictures tomorrow.

Knitting Emergency

 
I need a baby blanket and I need it quick. I went to three shops to get super soft acrylic. I settled on Bernat Softee Baby. I did an extensive survey of my knit/crochet literature. (I will not tell you how many books I have!)I came up with a pattern. I then decided to double the yarn and use much larger needles. I started in on the swatch. The pattern said Rows 1-6: Purl. Why would anyone purl 6 rows. I went through the pattern and everywhere it said purl, I changed it to a knit. I then cast-on for a swatch. I figure I need 2/3 the amount of stitches that the original pattern called for and you can see my swatch. It's sideways for the artistic shot of it on my new knitting backpack my mother got me. The new backpack is quilted with pockets and zippers. Mom got it for $2.50, massively reduced, at Schnucks. 

The New Magknits is out

It has Grumperina's new pattern in it. It is a really cool beaded hat and I can't wait to try it.