new found freedom

The following post has been brought to you by "Nap Time."

"Nap time," where the house is quiet and the coffee is hot for at least one hour.
"Nap time," don't you want some time to yourself?

Naps are going so well, guys, thanks for asking!

Truth be told, the first week was brutal.

Bru-tal.

Everytime I'd put her down in her crib, little girl would just wail.
{Heartbreaking I tell you.}

I stuck with it. I didn't give in. If I knew she was tired, I'd nurse/sing/rock/put her in her crib, repeat. Now, she is either so tired that she immediately puts her head down or she looks up at me with a big smile, I blow her two kisses and she's on her way to Dreamland.

Every once in a while, I'll get a little cry, but it lasts two minutes tops. I turn on the monitor and hear her babble, make her sleepy sounds and she's ouuuuut.

Another "perk" of a nap schedule is Cecilia goes to bed early. As in between 6 and 7 o'clock early. Now, my husband and I have more time together and we go to bed at a reasonable time. One night we were in bed by 9:03. I couldn't believe it.
Cecilia used to "take a nap" at seven o'clock, wake up at 8:30 and then fall back asleep at 10 or 10:30. (New parent we-didn't-know-what-we-were-supposed-to-do problems.)

I digress...

Since I've had this new found freedom at naptime, I have been baking more and crocheting.

If you've been around since the beginning of my blog, you know that I like to crochet stuffed animals for new Mamas.

My repertoire is pretty lengthy.

I've made:
Owls and a bunny, elephants, giraffes, a panda, penguins, a fox, a zebra, a duck, teddy bears, flamingos, monkeys and a whale.

I just finished and mailed off a stuffed animal for a friend. She requested an elephant. I'd made an elephant in the past, but wasn't happy with the design. After looking on Pinterest and Ravelry, I couldn't find anything I liked.
Using some basic increasing and decreasing, I came up with my own elephant, that I think turned out really well.

 

I'm working on another stuffed animal, but you'll have to wait to see what it is and how it turns out. (It's a surprise!)

 

 

As the saying goes, "the shoemaker's children go barefoot," so "the crocheter's baby doesn't have a stuffed animal" or something like that...

 

I have yet to make a stuffed animal for Cecilia. I am planning to make one for her as a birthday gift. I haven't decided what animal to make. I once tried to make a cat, but it didn't turn out cute at all and I stopped halfway through. I was following a pattern. Maybe I should make up a cat pattern? A chicken would be fun.

 

What do you think?

Comment below on what animal I should crochet.

 

What projects have you been working on this Winter?

It's another cold one here in Northwestern PA. I'm definitely thankful for cozy days inside. And I may or may not be in my pajamas still...

 

Colleen <3