Thursday, December 13, 2007

Time for a Break


Why the jazz hands?
Originally uploaded by m.Lee
For the first time in months I have gone not just one but two days without doing even a sketch.

Blee doesn't like to nap during the day and lately has slept about an hour between 7am and 7pm. Then she becomes miss cranky pants but goes down hard and sleeps for over seven hours, gets changed and eats then goes down another 2 or 3, then repeat. Taking little cat naps during the day that give me just enough time to shower, eat a bit and do some laundry and dishes. No art. And by the time night rolls around and she is exhausted I am too.

Monday it was bad enough that I crawled into bed and passed out at 8pm. I realized that this was my first day doing zero art in possibly two months as I have always found the time to do at least something. But I thought that because I was going to bed early I would be up early and do some stuff then. And I was up early, around 5am but my hands my poor hands were throbbing.

Well not my hands, more like the thumb and forefinger on my right hand. The rest were merely dry. I think some of the spice from dinner had gotten into the cracks of those fingers and made the problem even worse. Babies mean lots and lots of hand washing, purell using and bottle washing and that has ruined my beautiful hands. Moisterizer has not helped. So I slathered my hands in some Vaseline and went back to bed because not only did they hurt but one cannot do much with their hands covered in Vaseline. Better, but still not good. Picked up these gloves and wore them most of yesterday and through the night. Now much better.

But I am exhausted. Got plenty of sleep last night, did my Happy Light, showered had coffee and no good. All I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep all day but of course I can't. Thankfully it is not a depressive tired just an exhausted tired.

3 comments:

Meghan Henley said...

I am impressed you are able to do what you do!!!! Keep up the good work. I have done only about 10 paintings total (including quick watercolor sketches) in the 9 mos. Aneliese has been alive! Ouch.

Marissa L. Swinghammer said...

Has it really been nine months! Wow they grow so fast, I remember when you had her while I was very pregnant and not comfy. When things are difficult with her I always remind myself that it is never as bad as being pregnant!

I don't know if you have tried babywearing but it really helps me multitask. Obviously I can't carve while wearing her, maybe when I can have her on my back but certainly not front wearing. But it does free me up to do a lot while having her with me and close.

I suggest a pouch for starting and then the moby wrap for comfort. She is with me in the Moby now, but it has a bit of a learning curve to use but once mastered it is the best. She is sixteen or so pounds and weighs nothing because I can distribute her weight.

Contact me if you have any questions. I am hardly an expert but I am hooked!

lu summers said...

oh, i so remember those times...i always feel on the days i don't do anything creative that i've got a scratch that needs itching, but i can't quite work out where the itch is. does that make sense?
i've so much work to do in january that i really wanted to get a headstart on and i've done nothing but fill orders for the past two weeks. man, am i getting itchy! today is sunday, and i thought great, sam can have the boys while i get on with some work, but sam has woken up sick and is still in bed. argggggg!
going off the subject, i just read the comment you left on indie/pretty/perfect and i was so touched, i had tears in my eyes! i don't think i've ever been anyone's inspiration before, i was really choked, so thank you :)
i can't tell you how much i love your work, and how amazed i am that you get so much done with such a small baby. although, i remember feeling a greater urgency to create after i had the boys...maybe is the euphoria of creating perfect children, haha!
anyway take care...and keep on creating... :)