I might be a little biased on this but I am devoting a whole blog post to show off the cuteness of this little sweater and an even more adorable now "3" year old who loves her new sweater even more then I do!!

The sweater is the Springtime in Hollis pattern which I saw for the first time on Soulemama's blog. I fell in love with it and knew it had to be the birthday sweater this year! Never mind that I only had a week to knit it up......It was a great quick knit but looks like it took loads of work.....the details are so cute and I loved learning how to do the lattice work. The yarn was picked out by Hannah Grace and is plymouth  yarn worsted merino superwash. Everything must be purple or pink for this little girly girl!

She officially turned 3 on the 27th and I finished the sweater the day after. She scooped it up and has been wearing it ever since. Today we headed out to get some good photos of course for my ravelry project page. Hannah Grace told me she would be the doll model and I could take photos.....well the "doll model" barely stood still and then Loki decided to make it even more fun running in circles around us! 

We managed to get these in as we wait for what is supposed to be another snowstorm heading our way. I wonder if spring will ever show it's face around here.........

Get ready for photo overload!!













So there you have it ......the story of  the 3rd birthday sweater. This mama just wishes she would stay little like this forever! Happy Knitting!!

I've had these next few posts in my head but it's hard these days finding the time to get them posted.....but I am determined to keep up......especially with these notes to Hannah......

Well 3 weeks found us in a place I did not think we would be again........I took Hannah Grace in for her weight check on 3/18. Brian and I both thought she was looking a little yellow again but Dr. Chi was concerned and sent us for another lab work up to check her levels........she also had not gained any weight since she had left the hospital almost 2 weeks before........
We were shocked to haer that her levels were even higher then before! Elaina was with me that day and Dr. Chi sent us over to Morristown Childrens Hospital to go under the lights and have the specialists run tests as to what was going on. I thank God Elaina was with me........I was a  little upset and we had to drive from Hackettstown to Morristown and she really was a blessing as we talked and prayed on the ride over. I also called Brian and he left right away to meet us there.
We had to go in through emergency and that is when things started getting bad....We got there around 5 and for the next 8 hours we were in a little emergency room as they ran tests........tried to start an IV (yes, I did say start.....they never did get it in.....after 8 people tried and my poor baby screamed......it is something I'd rather forget!) They took blood and urine samples and all the while kept telling me we would have a room upstairs soon........she needed to be under the lights and yet that is about the only thing that was not happening.......I have very bad memories of that emergency room and I just thank God Hannah Grace is not going to remember it! I finally sent Brian home with Elaina and Garrett around 11:00pm......and I finally went upstairs at around 2am. And finally she was put under the lights....her poor little fists were bruised from the poking......and her heels from all the blood they took. I was just exhausted and sat up by her isolate most of the night. Her level was over 23 when we went in but immediately started coming down under the lights......I had to pump to feed her so she could stay in the lights......Through all this she was so good and mostly happy and she never acted like she was sick at all! They ran all sorts of other tests and everything came back negative! They decided it must be breast milk jaundice and we came home on Monday afternoon with a normal bili level and a weight gain of a few ounces.
So on your 3 week birthday you were in the hospital under the lights. Not the place I thought we would be and I am so glad it is over!
It was such a crazy weekend and I could not even bring myself to pray the way I wanted to.....all I could do was ask God to hold us and protect us.......looking back I had so much time just sitting there waiting and in the midst of it all I just found it hard to pray. I was lucky to have others lifting us up before God's throne.
We are so happy to be home and getting settled again.......the other kids are catching up on the hugs and love for Hannah that they missed all weekend. I love watching how all their relationships are forming and growing.....what a blessing to have a big family! There is always so much love!!!

A week has flown by and I've decided that these days are flying by too fast........

Our first week was full.........of sweet baby smells and cuddles and I felt cocooned from the world......just our family these first few days.......welcoming this new little person into our midst and learning who she is. I look at her and think it was not long ago she was inside me being fashioned by God and knit together perfectly......as the angels sang her lullabies. It is a wondrous thing to be so close to one so fresh from God!
Hannah nursed immediately after birth......for about an hour she just sucked and was content. She was also pretty alert right from the start. I think she knew she had to be coming into this big family of loud kids!
Her favorite thing to do is nurse.......and nurse some more. When she does fall asleep one of her siblings is always there to cuddle her and so it seems she is never put down.......I love seeing her older brothers and sisters taking her and loving on her.......it makes my Mommy heart so happy!!
Grandma arrived on Weds. to spend some time helping us out. It was great to have her and the kids really enjoyed it. It's great that my Mom can come stay with us and she really enjoyed the baby of course!!
By Saturday I had to admit that Hannah was looking really yellow and after talking to Jessica we decided to take her to Dr. Chi for a check on her billirubin level. All my other kids had to be under the lights and it looked like Hannah Grace would have to as well. Brian and Garrett drove us down and as soon as Dr. Chi saw her he sent us for blood work. He said she looked like a sweet potato! The rest of her check up was fine.
Turns out her level was 22......and off to the maternity ward at Hackettstown Hospital we went. I was sad to have to go as I was trying to avoid it but it had to be done. She got under the lights around 6 and by midnight her level was down to 20.......then by 6am it was 18. They kept us another night to make sure and by 6 am Monday morning it was 12! Yeah!! They took her off the lights and when we left she was 13 and holding her own.
One good thing was I started a sweater for her to wear on Easter and now it is almost done. So at one week old she is now 6 lbs. 6oz. and her color looks great.......she needs to gain back that weight she lost but other then that all is well!! This time is going by fast and I want to remember all of it.......enjoy all of it and savor every minute!!

I hope to keep up with this journal of her early days and then maybe go to a monthly update as she gets older.........I think this will help me with my scrapbooking later on as I go to journal on the pages I can just pull everything off the blog. As I am sure that my time for scrapping will be limited for a while!!