super top secret surprise announcement!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 12:09PM I've been promising for the better part of a week to deliver a very important announcement today. It is Valentine's Day, a day set aside for eating vast quantities of pink and red wrapped chocolates, delivering mushy cards, and secretly hoping for a flower delivery. (I am the lucky recipient of all three.)
So happy Valentine's Day to you. I hope it's filled with undying love, romance, cupid, restaurant desserts, happiness, etc.
OK. On to more pressing things.
I have a very important question to ask you.
Here's the question:
Which of these is a picture of me?
Option 1:
Option 2:
Option 3:
Option 4:
And because I'm a nice Yarnista, I'm going to just go ahead and help you figure this out.
Option 1: If I were an pudgy middle aged man -- and that is a big if -- I would not be wearing a speedo.
Or that crucifix. Do men think this is attractive to women? Men who are reading this, let me tell you: women do not think this is attractive. Ever. Under any circumstances. Ever.
Option 2: If I were a chocolate colored equine-canine -- and that is a big if -- I think I would have more modesty than this. Have some pride, girl!
Option 3: If I were Jillian Michaels -- which I am not, let's just clear that up -- I would call my workout DVDs something other than "Shred." Shredded is how I like cheese on my tacos. I do not prefer my humans to be put through food processors.
Option 4: Huh. Would you look at that. That looks suspiciously like the color of the studio wall from my Lookbook profile picture.
If that were me -- and at this point, I'm admitting that it is -- I would say that looks suspiciously like a new Irish baby is on the way. Like maybe, oh, about five months from now?
And because I know you're curious, as I am,
We don't know yet, but we will sometime in the next couple of weeks.
And because I know you have other questions like,
"Don't you already have a bunch of kids?" and "How are you going to run a company in this condition?" and "Will I still get my yarn?", I'll try to allay some of your fears.
Yes, I do already have three children. If my math is correct, this will be my fourth child. So by today's standards, four children is more than the national average. But this is not my 19th child, so let's not get carried away with the shock and awe. I know a woman who raised five sons to adulthood, and she likes to say, "One child takes all your time and money. Five children take all your time and money." And that is true enough.
When this little one comes along, my bigger kids will be 10, 8, and 5, so I'll have some built in helpers. (And they'll all be school age come September.) We did, however, give away every scrap of baby gear before we moved to Minnesota two years ago, so we must once again allow our house to be overrun with tiny clothes that need washing nine times a day, toys that rattle, and all manner of baby holding, baby safety, and baby carrying devices.
While it's been five years since I've had my own little one, I can remember through the haze of early onset dementia that I appear to be developing, that this necessary hemorrhage of money and space is very, very worth it.
Also, I am the official baby holder of Three Irish Girls, remember? (Here's a tip: Be extraordinarily careful about which titles you bestow upon yourself!)
I started this business when my first child was a toddler, and simultaneously worked dyeing yarn and teaching high school (you can read the story starting here, if you want) for years and years, so the fact that I will only be working one job this time is of great help.
Owning my own business also gives me the flexibility to work around the baby's needs -- I can bring him or her with me, they can nap in my office, they can spend half the day in a sling or on my back if they want to, and when they're big enough, they can stay home with daddy, who works from home.
The take away here is that I've successfully had (cute, healthy, sweet) children under much more challenging circumstances than this one. Besides, after three kids and over 1,000 babies held, I'm a veteran mama bear.
Yes to a few other things:
Yes, you will still get your yarn.
Yes, the spring collection is still coming shortly.
Yes, we are still publishing all the patterns we planned on.
I've been pregnant for a while, you just haven't known it. All is well.
So, there you go. My super top secret surprise announcement. Yay!
Closing my eyes and hitting publish...
Reader Comments (96)
Happy, Happy Day-Congratulations!
now... where IS that *love* button? congratulations!
Careful on the counting if twins run in your family at all! ;-) Honestly, I can't wait to find out who we'll be knitting for, since I love other people's children!!! Congratulations to you!!!!!!
I think we should have some kind of celebratory contest to guess the new baby's coloring. Since Chris and Sharon have a blue-eyed blonde, a copper-eyed redhead and a brown-eyed brunette, what could this little one be?
I hope to be the sixth person to hold him/her. :)
Richelle, the possibility of twins was suggested by more than one person, and I made sure to rule that out. Only one in there, thank goodness! ;)
Congratulations! I can't think of a better surprise! :D
Congratulations to Yarnista and Mr. Yarnista. Will the spring collection be full of pastel baby colors?
Congratulations! How very exciting for you and your family -- and yay for more baby knitting!
Awww!!! I am so happy for you! Another child to be loved and cherished. You are one lucky Yarnista...
Congratulations!!!! So happy for you!
Congratulations! That is so exciting!
Congratulations! Every baby is precious, and I don't think 4 is a tribe of kids at all, in fact, it sounds just perfect. Wishing you a magical 5 more months, I LOVED being preggers xxx
No one likes an odd number of children. Congrats!!!!
Congratulations!!! This is wonderful news!!! And if you're this far along, that means you're past the worst part (hopefully) and able to just enjoy being pregnant. Plus, now you have a reason to knit cute little baby things. : )
CONGRATS!!!!
That is SUCH wonderful, exciting news!!! YAY!!!! Tee-hee! I love babies! If it is a boy then you can be three Irish girls and three Irish boys. Although, I secretly think baby girls are the BEST! (Baby boys aren't too shabby either.)
I was one of six and my mother used to say "One was a lot of work, two was twice as much, after that you stop noticing." She also admitted that the older ones were very helpful.
I also just sent my youngest down the isle this past fall. Nevermind that she was my youngest SISTER - it felt like MY baby was getting married!
That is SUCH wonderful, exciting news!!! YAY!!!! Tee-hee! I love babies! If it is a boy then you can be three Irish girls and three Irish boys. Although, I secretly think baby girls are the BEST! (Baby boys aren't too shabby either.)
I was one of six and my mother used to say "One was a lot of work, two was twice as much, after that you stop noticing." She also admitted that the older ones were very helpful.
I also just sent my youngest down the isle this past fall. Nevermind that she was my youngest SISTER - it felt like MY baby was getting married!
Oh SQUEEEEEE!!! Mazel tov!!!
I love your baby bump! So cute :) When you announced something 'earth shattering' was going to be revealed my first thought...(I kid you not),was that you were pregnant! (however keep in mind I've had 7kids so it's kind of one of those "guesses" that pops to mind!). I'm so happy and excited for you and your family! One of my sister's also made this same announcement(expecting her 4th) recently. Her 3 older ones are 14,11,and 4. It was a total surprise for her! I'd love to know how you found out you were expecting!! Was it a total surprise out of the blue or did you suspect before you got the positive? What did your kids say? How did you tell your husband? Did you have to take a gazillion tests to be convinced it really was reading positive!? Do you get the "all day" morning sickness? Happy baby knitting!! I love baby knitting! Wishing you a healthy pregnancy,a happy,perfect baby with a quick and uneventful birth! This is soooo exciting!!
Congrats! What a fun way to share your special news!