Lately...

Night time photography: tripod, long exposure plus a just-off-the-boob Jimmy and resting Mum.

Lately I've been feeling a little meh... Can't explain why, but I've lacked the energy to write... Which is funny because last weekend was lovely, the week that followed was full and the weekend just gone has also been really good, plus I should be getting excited about all the visitors we're expecting, starting in one week - egads!

Jimmy staying still for a long exposure that includes lights from Michael's phone.

I think some of it has been exhaustion from the heat, which is being countered by an hour of cool in the early mornings. Oh, did I mention I have a bit of a cold? And Jimmy has a cold, but he's handling it with all the cheekiness he can muster. All the more reason to get on with my knitting (ok, so I might have been a little distracted last week too).

Swimmy-Jimmy and his Swimmy-Mummy pose for Photography-Dadee.

It's just down to the change in season. Yes, it's still hot, but as I mentioned on Sunday, the north wind is blowing a reminder that it was never really gone. Fingers crossed there are still a few more pool visits to come.

All photos taken by Michael.

Edited Aug 17 to include captions.

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"a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2014"

Jimmy: after only 5 minutes in the water, he decides it's time to get out and sit on the hot concrete. Done!

The early mornings are becoming cool, and while the days are still hot there's a northerly wind starting up. It's a cruel reminder of how fleeting the summer is here. We're going to make use of the pool until it's too cold or it closes for the year, even if we're only in the water for 5 minutes each visit. Photo taken by Michael.

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"a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2014"

Jimmy: with his favourite toy, at the Parents as Teachers Riley County Playgroup.

Every time we're there and he sees it, that's it, it's his, for the next hour or so. He discovered it at the end of our first time there, and it broke his heart when we were there next and another child was playing with it, meaning Jimmy was going to have to wait until it was free. He'll sit there and roll it and roll it. It doesn't matter what the other children are doing, he'll just sit there, because he was occupying that space first. Sometimes he even pretends to vacuum the playhouse.

Every now and then, he'll be distracted by something else, but the vacuum cleaner is the clear favourite. I'm hoping he likes vacuuming with a real vacuum cleaner, because I'm not too fond of it especially as I either have to wear Jimmy, watch to see that he doesn't get near the power cord or ask Michael to do it. If Jimmy does the vacuum cleaning, that's one less things I have to do, right?

On the needles: Striped Boatneck Sweater

I managed to finish this jumper for Jimmy, in time for his birthday!! It was fresh off the knitting needles 1 week before the big day, giving me a week to sew all the seams. Sewing seams is really satisfying. All it needs is to be blocked lightly and then we just have to wait until the seasons change, so that it's actually cool enough for Jimmy to wear it.

I'm really proud of how it's come out. The pattern is from a lovely book titled What To Knit When You're Expecting. I bought it in my 3rd trimester, which was a slight oversight on my part. Ah well... I cast-on the sleeping bag while in hospital but Jimmy grew very quickly, quicker than I could knit, so it's still unfinished...

Because of this, I was really worried that if I followed the pattern for the Striped Boatneck Sweater, it would be too small for Jimmy when it was needed, so I added a 2 stitches to every piece that was knitted. I had bought the yarn used in the book, it's lovely and light but it should be lovely and warm too, but I knit tightly so I had to check my gauge to see if I needed to go up 1 or 2 needle size. After checking my gauge, I went up 1 needle size, because the knitted swatch was too open, and then used instructions for the largest size. I figured that by going up 1 needle size and adding the extra stitches the sweater would be a little too large for a mid year winter but about the right size by New Years.

We were starting to pack up when I started the body of the sweater, and I finished the second body piece before leaving Australia. Once we were moved into our apartment I started on the sleeves and decided to knit both at the same time... It was slow going and some nights I didn't have the headspace for 4 balls of wool but it was worth it.

When it came to attaching the sleeves I couldn't use the measurements from the pattern, so I gently stretched out the sewn sleeves, measured the large opening, and pinned and sewed the side seams. Then I attached the sleeves. This seems to have worked and the sleeves sit well in the body.

While we're yet to see the sweater on Jimmy, it is nice and long, and roomy too. He's going to look so dapper!

A glimpse of the Riley County Fair!

At playgroup on Friday, I was talking to another mum and she mentioned taking her children over to the County Fair in the morning to see the animals, and I thought it'd be fun to head over there too. Michael agreed. We headed out on Saturday morning, early enough to head to uni first and then go to the Fair and be home before the day reached its predicted high and before the predicted storm.

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"a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2014"

Jimmy: Pooped. Asleep on the bus home from the Riley County Fair.

He stayed awake for all the horses, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, produce and craft displays, and lunch. And then we went home because it was going to be hot. Photo taken by Michael.

Pride before a fall...

We had Jimmy's 12 month checkup and vaccinations last week. I have to admit I was a little sad that we weren't seeing our GP in Brisbane. Ah well, the doctor we saw was friendly and we had a good chat. Of course Jimmy was weighed and measured by a nurse before we actually saw the doctor and another nurse administered the jabs, but at least the room we were in had windows and we didn't have to wait more than 5 minutes between seeing each of them, unlike our experience when I had mastitis.

Jimmy was really good while the nurse weighed and measured him - no squirming or fussing (win #1) - and