My Brother Died

Yup, that's right, my sewing machine, that Josh got for me last Christmas. Kind of regretting giving away my old Kenmore now. I was really happy with a lot of things about the Brother machine, but I was also spending more time fighting with it than actually sewing. Turns out that I'm not the only one, and those machines just aren't that awesome. I took it in to the sewing machine repair place and the technician said it wasn't worth fixing (it would cost more than the machine), and that I shouldn't buy another Brother.

So I started researching sewing machines, and I told Josh that I really wanted a Bernina, but that they are just too expensive and I've never let myself even consider one. I've never been very good about buying expensive things for myself, and I really can't think of anything that I own (besides my car, and well, my bakery) that costs more than a couple hundred dollars.                    nn     ,                                 j m mdsf       r r u5555555 7n 7n  x  x c   z wz  l,
Ada just typed that last part, she's really good at the space bar.
Anyway. We went to this great little local shop today called Modern Domestic that sells Berninas and gives sewing classes. The owner was working and spent half an hour talking me through all the machines. I told her I'd like to spend under $1000 on a machine, and she of course immediately upsold me to the $2000 machine based on my sewing skills and what I'd like to sew. The bottom of the line Bernina (which is still an excellent machine) is $879, and it is kind of below my skill level. It actually does less things than my Brother, but it is a much higher quality machine. So THIS is the machine we decided would be best for me, to allow me to do what I'm doing now, plus some room to grow my skills. And of course it is $2100. Eek! It does come with a 20 year mechanical parts warranty, and I'm pretty sure that I will have it for 20 years.
The cheaper machine is also very nice, but I'm guessing that if I keep sewing like I have been, I'll want to upgrade in the next year or two. Everyone always says that you should spend the money on good quality, right? I need help deciding! I think we can afford it if we pay it off over the next couple of months. Josh is all gung-ho for me to buy it, but I'm having commitment issues. I definitely don't want to end up in a situation again where my sewing machine doesn't even last a year.
What do you guys think?

$2100!

$879!

vaccine reaction

Ada seems to be having a mild reaction to the vaccine this time, which seems weird to me since she didn't have a reaction to the first one. She has a low grade fever and some redness and swelling at the injection spot. She's also tired and grumpy, which is making me sad. Hopefully today will be the last day of it. Last night we gave her some infant tylenol to help her out, and she conked out about 30 minutes after the dosage.

I can't believe that today is October 1st. I had to stare at my phone for a minute today when I saw the calendar said "1". Ada will be 5 month old in a few days, and I really can't figure out where the time has gone. The next couple of months will be a whirlwind of work and holidays and suddenly it will be 2012. And then she'll be turning one. I guess that's just the way it goes - time passes and children grow up.

Next week I start going back to work without her. Josh will have her on Sundays, and we'll have a nanny take care of her on Thursday and Saturday. I've found someone who can take her on Thursday for right now, but I have to work on a permanent situation, because this person can't take her on Saturdays. I'd like to have one person who can do both days. Apparently it is harder to find a part time nanny than a full time one.

I'm going to miss her so much, but I'm also excited to get back to work without her. I've never felt so torn about anything. I'm sure I'll get used to it quickly enough.