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You gotta love this genius blog I recently discovered whose tagline reads, “Proof from the wizened and silver-haired set that personal style advances with age.” I couldn’t agree more. I don’t understand how people fear aging. Certainly the more wisdom and experience we have, the more we come into our own. And best of all, the more we can get away with wearing whatever we want.
Like these darling ladies, sitting outside the New museum cafe, 85 and 92 years old!
Or Mimi, with her an elegant hat, pictured here with Mr. Advanced Style himself. Note to self: if I ever make it to my 90s, hats like this are a must!
What an awesome surprise to find this incredible feature about my work splashed on the front of Nylon Magazine’s website…! I especially love the mention of my latest creation… ☆ Thanks Nylon! ☆
Check out this nifty little formula to help you get in front of everyone’s favorite fashion photographer Scott Schuman, aka the Sartorialist, created by Refinery29. So brilliant! I think some laminated pocket sized editions of this are in order. And speaking of order… I already pre-purchased The Sartorialist book and cannot wait for it to arrive at my doorstep.
Okay, so maybe these aren’t completely relevant to all my creative readers, so apologies if you are looking for a post about art supplies and find newborn supplies instead, ☺ but we love how easy these thingies have been making our life!
Not only does this little swath of cloth with cleverly placed velcro create the perfect little baby burrito package, it calms and soothes little babe into the bundled state he was used to in the womb. We especially love using this at night for Eli’s bedtime, and at already a couple weeks old, he’s been showing us a nice solid stretch of Zzzs. Hallelujah! There’s a whole assortment of colors and fabrics and weights, but since Seattle is seeing a super heat wave right now, (ugh) we’re content with the lightweight cotton version to do the trick. There is no way for baby to bust his cute little arms and legs out of this little straitjacket, so clever it is. And before you think that sounds cruel, remember that newborns aren’t yet able to control their limbs so it’s really the nicest thing to do for them. Especially when he’s so tired and those frightening arms or legs just won’t stop flailing around him, he gets so cute when he’s wrapped up. I love how secure Eli feels in it, especially when he’s at such a fragile little size, even if he almost ten pounds. So great for cuddling. Last night Mars confessed that it’s his top pick of all our baby gear.
I had no idea when I picked this up that I would completely depend on this 24/7. I used to keep a feeding/sleeping/waking/what side did I last feed on anyway? journal when Max was a baby and boy was that yellow legal pad annoying to keep up with! Diligent as I was, I remember how exhausted I was fumbling around for a pen in the dark to record a three o’clock feed to make sure I was on the right track with baby. This is way easier. Basically, this helps you figure out baby’s natural rhythms and keeps him content because even though you might be totally sleep deprived and can’t remember what day it is (or in my case, you challenge the word EYE in a game of scrabble with your husband because you don’t recognize it as part of the english language…) Well, this gizmo has got you covered. You just push a button after a task has begun or been completed and it starts the clock – then you can see how long “itzbeen!” It slips into a diaper bag, stands up on a table, even has a clip for your belt if you don’t care being dorky like that and walking around a la 80s fanny pack style. You can even set timers for each of the functions, so if you’re busy you won’t miss a thing. With a dim nightlight, a clock, a back light, & four timers for feedings, diaper changes, napping/sleep and an extra for whatever else you might need to remember - sleep deprivation be damned – baby is happy because you can anticipate his needs by a little glance at this super gadget. And if that’s not enough to convince you, check out the glowing reviews at amazon. So genius.
Cloth Diapers.
These inexpensive cloths really are a multi-use baby item in our house, and something I remember well as the oldest in a family of five. We throw them over our shoulders or laps to protect our clothes from baby mishaps, for wiping up spit-ups, protecting sheets, as burp cloths and for little sponge baths. Washable, reusable and a nice thick 100% cotton, they are just the right size and easy to find in most baby shops. They remind me of home.
So there you have it – my top three items among many that I’m surrounded with lately.
I read this book over seven years ago when I was expecting our first, and I just picked it up again… I had to come back to this post and add it. (I meant to post it the first time, but as my new mommy amnesia made me forget.) Really, truly… it’s an essential! Both my babies weren’t/haven’t been fussy, slept long periods through the night right off the bat, have been/were good eaters… I have to wonder if we just blessed with great baby personalities and parent intuitions or do I have Tracy Hogg, the author of this book to thank for prefacing me with little gems of baby knowledge? I’m sure it’s really a combination of many things, but she has to be one of them.
Elias & I managed our first walk together at two and a half weeks old of teensy tiny-ness!
You are all so incredible, thank you.
I hope I don’t peak too much curiosity by posting such vague idea of what happened, I’ve really only told the story twice, and between all the changes of doctors, operating and exam and recovery rooms, nurses and procedures, I’m really the only one who rode through it all, who knows all the details in full effect – and yet even from this first person perspective I had, it was too surreal and so hard to believe that I don’t really know how to share it. Plus, it’s super gory. I’m a little faint just thinking of it. My eyes were swollen shut by the end of it from crying so much from the pain, the fear of the unknown, etc. So I feel like I didn’t even “see” every moment of it, but experienced it from some other level that I didn’t know I had in me.
Being home with Elias from day one, my first thought was LET’S DO IT AGAIN. (How many new Moms think that way, seriously? Hahaha.) And you know what? I still feel that enthusiasm. Making babies and art, it’s what I love in all chambers of my soul, it’s what I was made for. I am blessed to have such a connection with this new baby and able to anticipate and read his needs, he’s been so easy, the labor and delivery was so wonderful, I don’t think this aspect is a coincidence, after all, he is our miracle baby.
I posted about the traumatic experience here because it felt like I would be ignoring it if I didn’t, and from previous experience, repressing situations like this extends them for longer periods of time, and I don’t want that! But I do feel ready to move on now, I already am. I don’t want to dwell on it. I guess maybe others in my situation would take more comfort in retelling the experience as much as possible, but I feel like I’ve gotten that out of my system pretty quickly, hopefully not too quickly. Like all horrific things in life, my mind is already blocking it all out! I think that’s probably a good thing.
So I felt I needed to post here not to get everyone all curious, but to help me move on. There is a lot more writing going on, constantly, day and night, in my own journal, and it’s really getting me through this. And I can’t say it enough, a super thanks for all your words of encouragement and visits and notes and love, it means so much to me, you guys might not ever know how much. I’m happy to be in the moment, today, right now.
So next, onto more lighthearted, regular programming…
Somehow, I am finding a crack in time with a two week old baby to blog for a few minutes. This space being a place of my own, I feel like I can’t move on with regular posts until I do say a little something here. I have so many messages and emails to reply to, I thought it would be a bit easier to update all who were concerned and curious as to what happened to me after we brought little Eli home. The doctors and nurses encouraged me to talk through it to make recovery easier. I think most people would assume that having a baby was enough, but really, I felt so amazing after having Eli. I remember saying to Mars a couple days afterward that couldn’t believe I had just had a baby I felt so incredible. Invisible even. And then a few days later, all hell broke loose – and we had to rush to the hospital. I won’t lie, IT WAS HELL. It ended up being the most traumatic night of our lives. But the bottom line is that we are through it! The worst is over, now I am just on the mend. And considering all that I went through, I feel remarkable. I’m doing well!
We’ll just leave all the details out, since there are so many. Writing through all my emotions is really therapeutic, and leaning on my incredible husband is better than therapy. I don’t even know where to even begin explaining what went on in those operating rooms and hours through the night and into the next day when I was lying there, wondering if I would get through everything and if the doctors would be able to figure it all out. Poor Marcus may have felt like a helpless bystander, but he just doesn’t realize how having his big gorgeous eyes in close proximity got me through the most painful parts. It’s not something I can just quickly generalize, it’s still so totally surreal that all of this could happen to one person, lasting so many grueling hours, already running on so little sleep and no food and just having given birth and all.
I’ve only told most of the details to my family and a couple girlfriends, and that’s about all I can relive for now. After it was all over, a nurse who worked at the hospital for over twenty years told me that she had never seen or heard anything like it. A whole crowd of doctors all came into my room the next day just to meet me. People from radiology came in to thank me for giving them the more excitement than they ever get. My case was being shown at nearby hospitals the next day as a learning tool for other medical professionals. I lived through a real life episode of house with the screaming drama of ER. I lost half the blood in my body. I’m alive!
We have amazing family and awesome friends. I feel a great part of my spirituality that had been in hibernation has been restored, partly due to being able to hold a newborn for the first time in years… mostly due to the fact that he is ours! I credit God for much, if not all of what I am able to withstand. I am still processing things. I still have a hard time sleeping at night, there are ups and downs, sure. It’s somewhat like having the worst nightmare of your life and having parts of it come back to you over and over again. But as life in full beautiful effect continues, I’m feeling all the horror of it beginning to fade quite rapidly. And finally, crowding out all the difficulties I might have is this decision I’ve made to not let this become me. This is an event that happened to me, it’s not something that I am identifying with. It’s not me. I really don’t want to be one of those women who tries to outdo everyone with their most gruesome birth (in this case, postpartum) story, but I’m grinning as I type this because from all the whoppers I’ve heard, I now trump them all. Yay?
Born July 3rd, welcomed into the world with open arms and hearts! Our joy is boosted higher as an underlying sadness for baby desires long unfulfilled melt away with relief every second he is here. (Constantly playing in my head: We get to keep him!) Motherhood truly is an eternal privilege of cherishing the most beautiful work(s) of art one can ever hope to have a hand in creating. Nothing can top this. Thank you to family and friends for all the support and love, we can’t wait for all of you to meet him!
While waiting for the big news, I thought I would share some art related news. My jewelry recently accompanied the work of talented fashion designer Jennifer Evans, going down the runway at the London AIU 2009 Fashion Show in May. I’m so honored to have been a part of the show! And as you can see, her collection is absolutely breathtaking…
