The Rejected One

Maeby in her winter coat
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

First, let me thank everybody for all the supportive comments these past days and months! I wish I could respond to each one, but I just can't. But I want everybody to know that we have both appreciated it very much. Also, if you want more of a blee fix her photoset has been updated and will continue to be.

We've been getting this look a lot from our dog Maeby ever since we brought home our baby girl on Tuesday night. And when Jon spent some time at home while I was in the hospital she was very concerned. This adjustment is very hard on her and we are trying our best to make sure that she knows that we still love her. The thing about her, and greyhounds in general (though based on talking to other owners she is extreme about it) is that they are very attached to their humans. Very emotionally needy. When the two of us go out she gets locked in the living room to prevent the total destruction of the house. The living room is at the front of the building and nine times out of ten she catches us coming and lets out this whine/ moan that can be heard down the street quite a ways. Now that is love! It took us awhile to get used to it and not rush out freaking out that she had hurt herself. She never is hurt just overwhelmed that we are back.

But she will be fine. She is the gentlest and most tolerant creature I have ever met. She doesn't even bark. The only concern we had was a small one with Laguna the punk who is territorial and moody. He's a sweet boy most of the time but I knew that we would need to keep an eye on him. Thankfully he is quite terrified of the baby so we can relax a bit about him while still being cautious. My aunt told me about how when I was a baby staying with my grandparents they found me sleeping in the crib with the two poodles curled up next to me. Cute, but very terrifying at the same time!



Everything is going so well I think there is a chance that I could be able to do some artwork next week. Maybe work on that block that I had to stop midway through during the end of the pregnancy. Maybe even print a bit. Who knows? I'm healing very well, getting a decent amount of sleep and Alexandra is a good baby overall. We've had difficult nights but nothing more than we can handle and they are getting better not worse.

I even took my Etsy shop out of total dormant mode and am encouraging sales a bit with a warning that it could take up to a week to ship items.

Bummer, the screen of my phone got busted at the hospital and the phone I want to replace it I need to order online it seems. My phone still works but I can't do a lot with it except make calls where I know the # or receive calls. It is pretty low functioning for a cell phone! I can't even check my voicemail.

Needs a Baby!

The blee corner
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

Good late morning to all. I just woke up not too long ago! Haven't even made myself a pot of tea yet. That certainly sounds like a good idea. I am loving having good light blocking curtains in the bedroom and I hope baby appreciates them while napping.

The waiting game continues.

Art is still happening after some time off and that makes waiting a little bit better. I carved quite a bit yesterday and I will probably carve today. Right now I am getting my studio nice and cool so I can be comfortable. I'm making some serious progress on the block and that is very encouraging. Granted it is just the outlines that I am carving, even when I am done with that I have a heck of a lot of clearing work to do. But this block has me excited and motivated to work on it and get it done as soon as possible without pushing myself too much.

We saw a midwife yesterday since I have to go in twice a week now. This one was a lot more relaxed than my typical midwife and didn't seem concerned at all. It helped that my blood pressure has dropped significantly and was out of the danger zone for the first time in about a month. Both numbers fell at least ten points! If is stays low the pressure to have this baby ASAP might not be strong enough to induce before my delivery date.

Mostly I am ready to have her out so we can meet her, but she's behaving herself so keeping her in has some advantages as well. And Jon does have some work to finish up.

Last night we were out late at our neighbor's house. First we took Maeby over to be social with other greyhounds and she was our sweet but socially awkward girl. Then we went over to our friend's house for a BBQ. All I ate was fruit, not really wanting BBQ meat at this time. We were getting bitten so we took it inside and ended up chatting for hours long after the kids went to bed and the other guests had left. It was nice but we crashed when we got home.


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Now playing: The Pogues - The Ghost Of A Smile
via FoxyTunes

I can still work! (a little)

Taking it on!
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

Morning to all! Another Tuesday and no baby. Last night we were convinced she was on her way and were even using the computer to time contractions. Then the power went out and we both fell asleep. I guess they must not have been true contractions after all. I'm sure we are not the only impatient one at this point.

After having a few slug days in a row I had a small burst of energy last night a couple hours before bedtime. It wasn't super hot out and I had the air on and the door closed and Jon was in the bedroom hanging curtains. (now our bedroom can finally be nice and dark when we sleep). At first I thought maybe I would do some printing, but I realized that is insane and way too much commitment once I have my inks out so I decided to start carving this puppy instead! I know there is no way it will get finished anytime soon but I might as well get it started. Normally I carve standing up because I feel I get a better angle that way but pregnant I try to sit as much as possible. But at times it just wasn't possible and as I bent over to carve my belly would press up against my lower body. Seriously not comfortable and i tried not to do that often! Don't worry I didn't overdue it and stopped after about an hour and then took a lovely cool shower.

I've been feeling like such a useless slug with nothing but wanting this baby out on my mind for days now. It felt good to let out some creativity even if it wasn't much.

And now i have a bedroom with dark curtains so me and the baby can sleep better. I then vacated my studio and he hung curtains in there too. We got curtains for the whole place but the ones in the bedroom and my studio are the most important because that is where she will be sleeping. And the studio corner with her pack and play bassinet has a window right there that didn't even have blinds. I think we need to get even more to block light in there.

For a couple of days we were thinking that we want to have this baby on the 18th, that way she can share the date with both of us! That and see Superbad in the theaters on Friday the 17th! But I have since changed my mind and want her out ASAP. The more time passes the bigger she gets and from her squirms I am thinking she is very big and cramped in there!

Making art, listing on Etsy and putting stuff on Flickr is becoming less important in my mind. Blogging is becoming more difficult as well. I'm so tired so much of the time. But I have discovered that people tend to jump to the conclusion that I am having the baby if I don't at least poke my head out once a day! I was thinking if the power wasn't back on by morning I would have to call somebody to post that I am not having the baby I just don't have power! I swear that other than my mother in law my friends and the people I know through Etsy are the most excited about her arrival. Or maybe it is just that my family tends to be very reserved.

We have plans for a BBQ at a friend's house and a play date for local greyhounds to run around in a fenced in area tonight. Jon is working on finishing up some major projects at work before he takes his leave. So probably she'll come sometime today! That is fine with me because I really would like to avoid getting induced or having a C section. Recovery for a C can be really difficult and I have a big art fair that I would really like to do at the end of September. It is very important to me.

P.S. feeling better after my emotional moodiness from the last post! Thanks for being understanding.

Where to Stick them?

I have moo!
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

I actually got these the other day but neglected to mention it on my blog because I always seemed to have so much else to fill up a page. I haven't been able to bring myself to actually use one yet, no task feels moo worthy quite yet. But I am thinking when my second (free) book arrives in the next day or two I will be more prone to use them. I am interested in trading sticker pages with other people with moo stickers. Maybe along with a business card swap? I enjoyed my free 10 pack of Moo mini cards awhile back and plan on making an order of those in the fall for Christmas season promotion. The are just as eye catching as the stickers.

On the first page of the sticker book are some standard promo stickers for Moo and some of their sponsors. You had better believe that I am going to snap a picture of blee with a Moo logo sticker on her forehead. Get her on the Moo homepage!

The doctor's visit was a bit disappointing, but I haven't given up hope that I will go into labor sometime this week yet. My acid isn't completely gone but it is a lot more manageable and along with that the baby hasn't dropped completely but she isn't high up either. Steps are certainly happening to get this party started. Saturday would be a good day. I do find it funny that no matter how scared of giving birth and of having a tiny baby to care for I am, and believe me I am, I am just so physically drained from this pregnancy that I welcome it all. I am so done with being pregnant at this point. It hasn't been 100% terrible but I want my body back now please. Right now I am getting some relief due to the acid reflux leveling out a bit. Before it seemed like no matter what I did to prevent it I would be up all night in serious acid pain, but now as long as I watch what I eat and what time I eat it I am actually able to sleep through the night. Last night I was asleep before midnight and it was just glorious!

The photographer from the Globe for the Daily Candy spot was over yesterday shooting photos of me in my studio. I think it went well, he was very nice while being very much the professional and he set me at ease for the photos. The whole time I had to lock Maeby up in the living room and she whined and whined like the big baby she is. She loves new people and wanted to check things out and get in the way so badly. He seemed to get a lot of shots of this piece, too bad promoting it is useless since it sold that day! Makes me tempted to push myself to print more of that dancing lady design instead of carving today. I will see how I feel after I get a few orders packed up. The upside of carving versus printing is I should be able to manage it sitting down so it isn't nearly as physically taxing as printing. The downside being it is unlikely that block will be finished anytime soon. But I still do need to take it easy and not get ahead of myself and go back to pushing myself into exhaustion. My blood pressure isn't exactly good and I also have a bit of a head cold.

I goofed up and thought my Showcase date was today when it was actually yesterday. I did get a sale, but I have no idea if it had anything to do with being on Showcase or not. If I had known I would have rotated my featured items up a bit. Oh well. Sales are great to have, but currently not super high on my mind. Getting this baby out and being prepared for it is tops.

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Now playing: Handsome Boy Modeling School - Sunshine (Featuring Sean Lennon, Money Mark, Father Guido Sarducci, Josh Hayden & Paula Frazer)
via FoxyTunes