hey fever

I think, because you are here, reading this little ol' blog post of mine, you must be wondering what a girl like me is up to these days.

I'll tell ya.

I'm sitting on my over-sized sofa holding my bundle of joy. That's all. Oh, and sometimes I get up to get the boy something to eat. But not very often.

There is nothing like being home. Finally, home.

Before we left Utah, my Dad forced me off his sofa and into the great outdoors. I was reluctant to leave my little Birdie behind in my mother's care. But my father insisted. It would only be for a couple of hours. He promised.

We took a little nature hike into the foothills.

The boy, having his father's sensitive genes, developed a raging case of hay fever. His left eye turned red and puffy and incredibly weepy. Always an opportunist, my son decided that what he desperately needed was an eye patch. You see, not only is Thom suffering from hay fever, he is also suffering from hey fever, as in "hey guys, what about me?"

Since this was the only manifestation of his desperation to reclaim his spot in the lime light, I decided to acquiesce. If an eye patch was going to smooth his transition to older brother, well, by damn, I was going to get the kid a patch.

Sugar Daddy took the boy to look for a patch that would meet his needs. They came home with a video game. It seems that video games can also cure hey fever.

I can hang with that. Eye patches can be a little scratchy anyway.

So Thom is playing his video game. Sugar Daddy is ordering in pizzas. And I'm playing with Amelie.

That's what a girl like me is up to these days.

first bubble bath

anatomy of a sweet pea

A mother's perspective

I so want to remember these first few days. I don't ever want to forget how soft her cheeks are. How at times I can't even tell if I am touching them or not.

Let me always remember how I feel when she grasps my finger or coos contentedly after a bottle.

I hope that years down the road I will recall her sweet scent and the way her wispy little hair lays against her pink neck.

I can never forget the downy fur that covers her shoulders or the feeling of her quick little breaths when I hold her close.

I know that these days are fleeting. The boy no longer smells sweet. Most often he brings in the tangy smells of outside play and I have resorted to smoothing his hair and kissing his cheeks mostly while he sleeps. He is no longer a baby.

I have been blessed with another child and I'm trying so hard to hold on to these moments. Please Lord, help me remember.

she had me at hello

Okay, I'll be honest.


I worried a little about how quickly I would bond with Amelie. It took me a couple of days after the boy was born to realized that I truly was his mother. He seemed such a strange little imp.


So I worried a little. Not a lot.


The Lord has seen fit to bless me with several humongous blessings in my life. The first of which was having amazing parents. That really set the stage for a great life. Then he sent me Ben. I never had to date much. We met in high school. After nine years of hoping and praying, I got to experience childbirth with Thomas who was a miracle in and of himself. And then, after much more waiting, he let me be present at the birth of my daughter.


I tell ya, it's really something to be on the other end of the birthing table, especially when it's your own child.


I fear I will never be able to articulate what it was like to be in that room when Amelie made her entrance. But I can tell you this.

From the moment her little head popped out, I was in love. Slobbery, gushing, head over heels, in love. And it seems to get more intense with each passing day.

I'm really quite a mess.


She had me at hello. And I don't think I'm the only one.

you ain't seen nothing yet

You may think you've seen some cute things here on Suaviloquy, but let me tell ya, you ain't seen nothing yet.


Ba ba ba baby, you just ain't seen nothing yet.



Amelie was born on Monday the 18th at 12:45 p.m.. She weighed 7 lbs 3 ounces. She is 20 inches long. She is the most beautiful baby ever born. I know you probably think that your kids were the most beautiful, and I'm sorry to burst that bubble, but the facts are the facts.


I want to bear testimony to you that placing a baby for adoption is an act of indescribable love. It can only be done right when the birth mother allows Christ into her life. Amelie was always meant to come to us, but without her birth mom's strength and faith she might not have found her way.

I stand all amazed.

bon voyage!

gabrielle kai

Well.

Evidently the Earth has been turning after all. Here we are, our bags are packed, we're ready to catch a jet plane to meet our daughter.

I feel as if I'm standing on a ship deck, setting sail for a great adventure. I'm waving goodbye to all my arts and crafts for a while. I'm waving goodbye to sleep. I'm throwing kisses to afternoon runs on the beach and long showers. And I'm wearing a really good hat.

Goodbye old life. We may meet again somewhere down the road.





And I will be a bit clandestine for a while. You may not see a new post until I have have fully recovered from the ugly cry and snapped some really great pics of my little birdie.




BUT.




I'm not leaving you high and dry. No, no. That's not my style.




I'm giving you a chance to win these precious little crib shoes which were recently featured in Parent Magazine, made by Laurie Minick of Old School Acres. Laurie is a retired reporter who lives on a farm in Iowa with her two daughters, her farrier (horseshoer) husband, 13 horses, 2 dogs and a bunch of cats. These little shoes are only available through The Baby Gardner.



I bought Amelie her own pair. They are so sweet they make my hair curl.






To win the shoes, you must leave a comment guessing how much Amelie is going to weigh. If there is a tie, I will put your names in a hat, or bowl or maybe call in a witchdoctor to read some chicken bones.




See you on the other side of life.

whisper

I meet the dawn with a new perspective this morning. I walked around my garden in my slippers and bathrobe inspecting and diagnosing. A little snail bait needed here. Some anti fungal needed there. The sun peaked over the ridge and warmed my face. The whole world seemed to whisper~ slow down now girl. Take a breath. Focus.

I went back inside and cleaned up my stamp carvings. I put away my inks.

I think today I will pack our bags. I will make sure Thom has plenty of clean underwear and pajamas to take. Finnigan is going to the groomers. I will make a run to Trader Joe's to pick up some items my little sister requested. Today is all about taking care of business. No more time for craziness.

However, if at the end of the day, I find an hour or two to create, I think I will finish this pair of earrings. You know, just a little something to bide the time. We leave tomorrow.

certifiable

My logical mind is able to step outside of myself and see that my behavior over the last few days is borderline certifiable. But I can't stop.

Must. Carve. Stamps.

The subject displays erratic and compulsive behavior pertaining to, but not limited to, art work. She can be found hunched over for hours on end carving stamps. She seems unaware of the goings on around her and if watched closely one can detect a slight rocking in her movements, which may or may not be attributed to the Ben Fold's music she listens to on her iPhone.

I am quite fascinated by the fact that I am responding to the stress of this week in this way. Poor Sugar Daddy doesn't quite know what to think. He has been very patient. The boy is loving the new found freedom he has with his distracted mother. At one point I emerged from my coma to find that he had helped himself to two Popsicles, a pixie stick and a bag of animal crackers.

I also found this.

If I hadn't been so busy being mad about the orange ink on the bar stool, I might have been able to appreciate the artistic value in his work.

Now, what can I make next?

nesting and other such endeavours

I can't quite believe that in one week I will have a daughter. The thought is so overwhelming to me I can't think about it for too long or I start to feel like I can't catch my breath.

It is amazing how similar it feels to my last week of pregnancy with the boy. I am officially nesting. And because I have already decorated the nursery, washed every stitch of clothing, assembled the bassinet next to our bed, sterilized the bottles and binkies, packed the suitcases, bought diapers and wipes and all things in the derriere department, I am left with art.

I have channeled all my energy into carving rubber stamps. Strange? I know. But I have to be doing something. My DIY ADD won't allow for idleness.

Here are the stamps I have made over the last few days.

Stamp carving is completely relaxing. I am trying to get Sugar Daddy to give it a go. If you can doodle a drawing, you can make your own stamp. Simple as that. Maybe someday I'll get the crafty chicks together for a lesson.

But for now, I'll continue to carve and wait.

a mother's day

We took the boy and the dog to the beach yesterday. I took my sketch pad along and doodled a little and played the game we always do when we go to Dog Beach. Name the breed.

After a while I wondered over to where Thom was playing. We laid on our stomachs and kicked our feet. The sun warmed our shoulders. We sifted through the sand in search of tiny treasures. Our heads bumped every once and a while. Thom's freckles looked exceptionally cute. I asked him to tell me a secret. He had to think for a bit before he said, "Zack's* breath still stinks."

A few months prior, the topic of Zack's breath had come up and I told Thom that it is important for him not to say anything about it because it could hurt Zack's feelings. Evidently, Thom took this to heart and stinky breath has become one of his deepest secrets.

I told Thom that I had a secret too. My secret is that I am a little sad that it won't just be me and my boy anymore. Our one on one time is over. That makes me a little sad.

My child looked me strait in the eye and said, "Okay Mom, don't be sad because from now on, I am going to wake you up early in the morning instead of Dad so we can be alone at breakfast time."

Fabulous.

* Names have been changed to protect the stinky.

lucky t-shirt people

Here are the winners of the Ando and Friends tees, chosen at random with my online number picker.

The cream t-shirt with the sun goes to Light and Writing North Carolina.
The black shirt goes to Corinne of Maya's Mercado in New Hampshire.
The pink one goes to Brittany of The Rest is still Unwritten in Calgary.
The red one goes to JoJo of MamaMarks in Australia!

Please contact me with your shipping info asap. I'm kind of busy around here and I want to get them out this week.

knackered

I'm too tired.

Too tired to write up the give away post. Too tired to pick winners of the t-shirts. Too tired to think.

For now, here is a photo of Sugar Daddy's crib shoes. Yes, he was small once.

And that thought makes me melt.

restless

At 3:15 am last night I was wide awake. I laid in bed listening to the night sounds of our house and looking at a red light in the sky. For about ten minutes I was convinced that it was a UFO. Then I realized it was the reflection of my alarm clock. Thus is the mind of the sleep deprived.

I walked out on the deck off of our bedroom and looked at the moon. I thought of our birth mom miles away. I wondered if she was also awake. The last few weeks of pregnancy have been hard on her and she is sleepless too. Maybe we were both looking at the moon. The universe has tied us together and little things like this are seeming more and more possible to me.

The truth is, I can hardly stand myself these days. I'm all fidgety and forgetful. I feel totally exhausted and full of creative energy all at once. I was thinking about how in the movies when people can't stand themselves there is quite often a montage of them running. They just run, I guess to escape life if only for a while.

So I thought I'd give it a try.

I dropped the boy off at school and drove down to the beach. I started running. I ran eight miles, which may not seem like a lot to some of you, but for me, right now, it was a pretty long run. In the movies they always sprint down the street, so when you picture me in your head, picture me sprinting, but the truth is I just jogged.

I took my iPhone along because I was waiting for someone to call me back. I ended up snapping pictures along my route.

Here's what I saw along the way.

Leucadia doughnut is Sugar Daddy's favorite doughnut spot. They sell doughnuts and Sex Wax. That's it. And they close up shop for the day at 11 a.m.. Only on the coast. . .

When I got back to my car I took off my shoes and walked down to the ocean. I let the cold water lap against my legs and I prayed. Right there in the ocean I thanked God for everything he has given me.

I stopped at a little fruit stand on my way home and bought locally grown organic raspberries and a tangelo that I swear to you tasted like candy.

And now I feel a little better. I think at least I will sleep tonight. I'm worn out.

Tomorrow will be busy and hopefully I will be preoccupied and the day will go by quickly. I plan on setting aside a good twenty minutes to make a pillow hut with the boy and remind him that he will always be my baby, even if another one is moving in.

I'll announce the winners of the t-shirts tomorrow and I also have another giveaway for you.

Y'all come back now ya hear?

call me mother teresa

Well the days continue to drag by at an excruciating pace. I'm in serious need of a distraction.

James M. Barrie once said, "Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves."

This got me thinking about this post and about the huge lollipop I have right now and how I really do want to share it. I don't know, call me Mother Teresa, but I really want to share my joy, even if it is to preoccupy me a little. So I thought I'd spread a little sweetness, a little sunshine if you will, to you readers and have a few give aways this week.



Don't you just love how I draw myself with super skinny legs and massive eyelashes? This is the artist privilege.

Ashley and Andy have four, that's right, four Ando and Friends tees for me to give away. The pink and black are size medium. The cream and red are small. Please leave one comment saying which t-shirt you would like.


And listen darlings, if you don't win, don't despair. You can always click on over to the shop and buy one. Also, if you didn't read yesterday's post, that was a very foolish mistake on your part and you should scroll down and read it immediately.

Everyone must enter. No lurkers please. I need all the distraction I can get.

ando and friends

Have you ever met someone and thought damn, we should have been friends years ago?

We hung out with the Davis family yesterday. Lucky us. They have an amazing beach house with an ocean view. When we walked up to their home all the doors were wide open and the ocean breeze was billowing the cotton drapes. We knocked on the door frame.

Their son, Noah, is about the same age as Thom. The boys spent the afternoon battling the plants in the yard with light sabers and giggling in the playroom. Thom asked me twenty times last night if I would please call Noah's mom and see when he can play again.

Ashley is a tiny little elf of a girl, but evidently she can really shred the waves. (I don't really speak surfer lingo so don't try that phrase out on your friends.) She also sews up a storm in her studio up stairs. She is reusing old clothing items to make funky handbags and pillows. She also has a passion for building furniture. I have been coveting the low red bench she made for her front porch ever since I laid eyes on it.

Andy is the fine artist of the family. He has worked for Toes on the Nose, Roxy and most recently, Patagonia. His style is free and hip and everything I want my art to be. He is modest and understated and a real family man at heart. Andy owns a clothing company called Ando and Friends. They have a slew of rockin' t-shirts and other sundries.

If only I was as cool as Andy and Ashley.

Does being friends with them kind of make me cool by association?

I was allowed to wander around their amazing home, snapping photos at will. Here's the result of yesterday's camera fun.

And you gotta check out Ando and Friends.

I am waiting with baited breath for their children's line to come out. My kids will be sporting some Ando attire.

"My kids". Plural. I like the sound of that don't you?

the mabel tour

Gladiolus sprouts by the garden hose.

Some of you, most loyal of readers, may remember this post from last year. If you are new around here, take a minute and click over and read it. You need to be in the know for this.

I decided that although my garden has yet to burst into full bloom, it is high time for another Mabel Campbell tour. Humor me folks, I'm hanging on by a very thin thread these days with the Earth's revolution slowing down and all.

I need these little things to keep me from eating obsessively and twitching.


Soooo...


Without much ado, I give you my garden in May.

Here we have my tootsies nestled next to some of my most favorite of flowers that I can't for the life of me remember the name. A lady once rung my bell and asked me what they were and I had to send her away without any information. I'm quite sure she thought I was being rude and not giving out the name like some old prune and her recipes.

The climbing roses are just starting their fireworks show that unfortunately only lasts a month or so, but happens three time a year.

The Hollyhocks are almost eight feet high by my estimation, and blooming like there is no tomorrow. I dream of buying an old corn field and planting it with row upon row of hollyhocks for the mere purpose of running through them.
And the succulents. They have been commandeered by tiny spiders, but for some reason, I don't mind a bit.

This little ball of popcorn is the very first hydrangea to burst forth. I have ten hydrangea plants sprinkled around the yard, and I'm looking forward to hydrangea arrangements in my kitchen all Summer long.

Last but not least, there is this happy little plant that has yet to show its brilliance. It is covered with red blooms and the dahlias around the bottom will be happy little colors of pink, yellow and peach.

So there you have it. You've survived another Mabel Campbell tour. I'm quite sure she is up in heaven smiling down on me and trying to channel good garden vibes.

Two weeks from today we will be in the hospital getting ready to welcome Amelie to the world. I'm worried about my plants while I am gone. Sugar Daddy will be home part of the time, but the guy never remembers to water my plants. I am worried about Finnigan and Thom missing school and my jewelry business and people starving in China.

I need a chill pill. What I really need is a good massage and two weeks to pass.

I'm pretty sure these things will happen. But just in case the Earth comes to a complete stop, pray for me.

i really can't sew but...

Yesterday while the boy was at school I made this little pilots cap for Amelie. I had a cap from Hanna Anderson that I used as a rough pattern. I cut up an old t-shirt of mine and sewed it all together in about an hour.

I must say, for a girl who stinks at sewing, I think it turned out pretty dang cute.

Please excuse the weird little potpourri ball I used to model the cap. It was the only thing in my house, except for a rotting grapefruit I found in the bottom of the fridge, that was about the size of a baby's head.

Now for a baby to put it on. . .

pink is bliss

photos by Janne Peters

That's all.