Baby En Route - Coming Up Rainbows

I convinced my sister at 41 weeks (today) to drink some castor oil (in hind sight I don’t think it took much convincing). She is probably checked into the hospital right now. I got a text about an hour ago saying they were on their way. I texted her 2 hours ago and said “Sup?” and she replied with “Not good” about 5 minutes later. I wasn’t sure what that meant but I found out 15 minutes later they were heading to the hospital.

The hugest part of me wishes I wasn’t 1300 miles away right now. I get the amazing experience of being present for many births in Montana but seriously debated trying to doula for my sister in spite of our distance. I tried to be there for Clara’s birth and that didn’t pan out quite as I’d hoped, so I think I learned my lesson. The catch(es) is/are that I have another sister (in-law) in Missoula that is due the 25th of October and I have 2 little boys in school and a husband with a sporadic work schedule. I couldn’t really leave my world for an undetermined amount of time to go to my sister’s world to be at her birth, even though at this hour after a few glasses of wine my heart is telling me that was a bad decision. I realize she is in good hands and she is made up of the same bits I am so she’ll be just fine and probably can feel my love from afar? I hope.

To tie it all in – I’ve spent the last month dreaming about baby William’s arrival and wondering how his story will unfold whilst knitting and knitting and knitting him a precious blanket. Back in the summer Melissa picked out the yarn and held it in her sweet pregnant lap. That lap is not the same size it was then, and that baby is not probably quite as cozy as he was this afternoon. Hopefully his blanket can keep him warm as the fall creeps in.

I used a pattern I found called the Forever Baby Blanket and I found out as I neared completion that another Mama I am doula(ing) for is knitting the exact same blanket for her baby due in February. I used Spud and Chloe sweater yarn in place of the yarn the pattern recommended. This particular yarn is a wool/cotton blend and delicious to work with. I used size 8 needles a bit different than the pattern but good for my yarn selection and circular needles as the pattern calls for. I got one skein of yarn that was a different brand (without knowing) and had to order more – this time I chose to order from Jimmy Bean’s Wool and I love the outcome of that decision. I loved my experience and would recommend it to anyone that might be wondering where to order yarn from. I got a free pattern when I ordered and got free shipping on my next order.

Back to that blanket…

I love how simple the pattern is:

Row 1: K3, *sl 1 wyif, k3, repeat from * to end of row.

Row 2: K1, *sl 1 wyif, k3, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, sl 1 wyif, k1.

And that is basically it. Over the course of the last month I took this blanket with me to Simon’s second grade orientation, watched/helped Gus learn to ride a two-wheel bike, sat on the front porch swinging chair and watched fall come, watched storms roll in, watched the wind blow, went to prenatals, watched about 8 horror movies (it is horror movie month at our house), hung out with baby Sloane, spent hours talking to family on our regular Friday night family night, knit on the beach in the sunshine, all the while wondering about William (Baby Bill).