Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Ive been trying to think of a title for this post since 4 am and cant come up with anything except..

I need to start this post off by first saying, I am the worst mother at night time. I NEVER get up to take care of the baby.

Early on we realized that nursing is just too much for him at night. It wakes him up too much and he doesn’t get enough to eat. That combined with his reflux when he lays down made it a pretty easy decision to give him only bottles at night. He doesn’t love to take bottles from me, ESPECIALLY at night.. So Aaron has always willingly fed him at night.

Now it has turned into Aaron takes care of him alllll night every night. I seriously don’t know what I would do without him. He is the BEST daddy EVER!!!!!!

(I do, however, wake up every time the baby wakes up to pump. And occasionally I will go change his diaper and give him a love while Aaron is heating up a bottle. So I’m not totally heartless! :) )

The other thing about our baby… He does not love to sleep. Never really has. He was never one of those newborns that just slept and slept and slept. He thinks if he sleeps he’ll miss out on something really exciting.

His day time naps consist of 2 maybe 3 20 minute naps. That’s it…

At night he is up every 2-3 hours on the dot!

We used to try keeping him up really late, hoping for just a little more sleep.

It never worked.. nothing we tried worked.

A few people recommended a couple books to me, So I got online and started researching them.

I found one that had some pretty good reviews.

and cut to the good news…

He slept for 7 straight hours last night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We put him to bed at about 8:30.. He didn’t wake up until 3:45…

Actually there is a good chance he could have slept longer..

I woke up out of the blue at about 3:40.. rolled over.. looked at the clock.. realizing I couldn’t remember the last time Aaron got up with the baby… I checked the monitor.. He was breathing.. everything looked fine..

I asked Aaron “When was the last time you got up?”

“ummmmmm…” He replied half asleep looking at the clock…

“Have you been up at all yet with the baby?”

“No.. I don’t think I have…” He said still asleep..

“Do you think we should go check on him?” I asked.. At this point he has already jolted out of bed realizing the baby had been asleep for 7 hours..

He ran into his room and put his hand on his chest. And bam… He was awake!

And MADDDDD… apparently he realized that that instant that he hadn’t eaten in 7 hours and he was not too happy about it! :)

I laid in bed in disbelief… He really slept for 7 hours…. OUR baby.. who’s previous record was something like 3 hours and 55 minutes…. He slept for 7 hours!!!!

It took Aaron less than 30 minutes to change, feed him and be back in bed.

We laid in bed amazed.. (and wide awake) for a good hour…. Trying to figure out why he slept so good.

Was it because he got two good naps?? Was it because it was cold in his room?? (Our handy dandy monitors informed us it was 63 degrees in there) Aaron said his diaper was clean.. Was it because he didn’t pee??? Was it because he snacked for 3 hours before he went to bed??? (Eating 1-2 ounces every 30 minutes..) or was it just a fluke??

Whatever it was.. We couldn’t believe it…

Granted.. He didn’t sleep much after that.. But every time he woke up.. Aaron just went in to change his diaper and he’s fall back asleep..

Until about 6.. Then he was up for the day. And ALLLL smiles..

He just laid in bed and smiled and talked until I left..

Can you believe it??? I still can’t..

Now if you’re reading this.. Please knock on wood for me… Let’s hope this wasn’t a fluke..

One of the last things Aaron said to me before we fell asleep sometime after 4 was..

“This will be really good to blog about!”

He’s well trained…

peel the art of the sticker..

Peel_art_of_the_sticker_boo

in 2001 dave and holly combs left their home in indianapolis, indiana to help in the relief efforts of the aftermath of september 11th. during their down time in nyc they explored manhattan and were inspired by the hundreds and hundreds of stickers they on the streets. it was because of this auspicious trip to the big apple that led them to create their zine dedicated entirely to street stickers; PEEL. well, a few yrs have passed and that black and white zine has become a full-size glossy mag distributed all over the world. it now takes it's place amongst many an important publication w/in the street art world. PEEL is proud to announce their first hardcover 160 pg book covering the past four yrs of the magazine's existence. pre-order your signed copy here.

Peelbook18

Sunday, September 22, 2013

if Im really being honest with myself

I would like to be pregnant right now.But my cycle isn’t back.Well, I thought it was back? Maybe? I don’t know, you don’t need the details, but suffice it to say I had reason to be confused and as more time passes it’s looking like it’s not in fact back (and that is enough about that).With OBaby we felt ready to try, we tried, and we got pregnant. Those events were all on a 4 week time line. But right now? This? I think they call this the waiting game.I’ve never played the waiting game before, and frankly, it doesn’t feel like a game. It feels like watching the calendar and doing the +9 months math and praying that this is the month it comes back. It feels like knowing I should trust God and His perfect timing but deep down wanting His timing to just fit my timing, ok?It feels like I have been lifted out of the darkness that is postpartum depression, that I have seen the light and beauty of motherhood, and that I want more of it. I want to have the feeling of not being alone in my body. I want more of these wonderful moments as a family. I want to see DanO holding our newborn baby again. I want to see OBaby as a big brother.It feels like we came to a decision on what was once a daunting thing to consider but then it turned out we were wrong to think it was our decision at all.It feels like impatience.And I know. I know that this is not that. This is not longing and trying and praying and hoping and fearing for months and years and decades on end. I am grateful that by grace I have not known that struggle. But that does not negate the spiritual tug-of-war going on in my own mind and heart over this matter.If I’m really being honest with myself, I am thankful that I cannot be the one to choose. This motherhood thing is big. God knows just how big it is. He knows me and what I am capable of more than even I do. I trust that. I wish it were different, but I am happy to lean on the Truth that His ways are better than my ways.What peace that gives me, even as I count forward the months and yearn.::sigh::

Video Peggy Honeywell..

Clare

As I mentioned below I took a few videos of Peggy Honeywell playing at the We They, We They opening last nice. She was modest, sincere and gracious. It was a beautiful set. Total warm fuzzies all around.

Clareplaying

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

that is not what working out looks like

There are photographs out there floating around the interwebs that are referred to as “fitspiration” or “fitspo”. They are pictures of fit, well toned women in athletic apparel seemingly in the throws of a hardcore workout. Their purpose is to inspire the viewer to work like the woman in the picture is “working” so that you can look like she does.K, but here’s the thing.THAT IS NOT WHAT WORKING OUT LOOKS LIKE.It does not look like this:or this:or this:(Seriously? Pushups with your hair down? Who do you think you’re fooling?)Working out looks like a bright red splotchy face.Working out looks like sweat circles on your armpits and yea, probably on your bra.Working out looks like blowing snot rockets into the bushes because it’s been an hour and a half since you could blow your nose.Working out looks like rocking unshaved legs with those running shorts because Mama don’t have time to shave AND run.Working out looks like forgetting that you were wearing non waterproof mascara until you get home and look in the mirror.Working out looks like taking a walking break with your arms above your head because you have a side ache.Working out looks like having a spray trail up your back because it just rained and the path was wet.Working out looks like this:Sure, it’s a horrible picture of me and not worthy of tagging as “fitspiration”, but that’s ok, know why?Because working out looks like not caring what working out looks like.

Clifton Burt X 20x200 Think-Make-Think..

Thinkmake

It is ideas like this that make me delighted to be alive. Clifton Burt's Think-Make-Think second edition over 20x200. Creative, warm fuzzies all around.

"In April of 2007, John Maeda quietly posted a haiku he had written tohis blog. It was entitled think-make-think, and to me it fulfilled thepotential of Maeda's simplicity. Over the next few months, that haikuoften found its way to the forefront of my mind. When our studioacquired the remnants of a discarded arrow sign, it was clear to methat think-make-think was a perfect fit, both in form and function."

Thursday, September 5, 2013

wildcatters..

Notears

Oh, this has got to be one of the cutest brooches I have seen in quite some time; No Tears Medal, get out of town! THE BEST. Check out Wildcatters, a new store on etsy. I bet you that brooch will be gone by the time you click here. It's too cute to last...luckily, I think they'll be more. They'll be adding new items all week.