happy thoughts needed!

Spring Ginkgos
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

Thanks to my wonderful pregnant body I have an early addition to this post. Before I get into anything else I just have to ask, why am I throwing up at 4am during the 8th trimester? I thought I was done with that hell! It was caused by and was nothing but stomach acid and it was just awful. Did I have a spicy meal for dinner? Is peanut butter and honey spicy? I had been awake on and off for hours with an itch in my throat and an upset stomach for hours when finally my body just couldn't take it. And the pain in the small of my back is unreal at night. Seriously body, thanks a friggin lot! I really appreciate all you are doing for me these past eight months. /gripe

I hope everybody had a great holiday if they had one and hopefully a day off of work at the very least! Really the only thing good about this holiday for me was that my husband was home with me and I like being around him.

I'm not all that into the forth of July or holidays in general really. But this one is probably one of my least favorites. Not just because I am not exactly proud of my country at this time but because I don't like the crowds, fireworks stopped doing anything for me when I was ten and I think it brings out the bad side of many people. And I can't even relax and enjoy a beer this year.

Last night a group of people across the street that are pretty well known for disturbing the area were lighting fireworks in the middle of the street for hours. A rather heavily trafficed street with lots of parked cars and houses. This kid would look for coming cars and if he saw none he would run out and place a firework int he middle of the narrow road. A number of times cars did appear and nearly ran over the firework! I called the cops but nothing happened of course. The lady on the phone was rude and kept insisting that the streets I gave her don't intersect. Yes, they do. I live on the corner of both of them. She asked me to go outside and check the address of the ouse so I could give it to her. First off if I go outside I could get hit by the sparks from the fireworks and I don't think the huge crowd of people would take to kindly for me asking them to move so I can see the house number on their door. Fireworks bring out the stupid in people.

To top everything off there was a Red Sox game at Fenway this afternoon. We went to see the Transformers movie at the Fenway theater. Nothing like drunk Sox fans at one in the afternoon. When we were coming back to our car one of them was pissing between our car and the one next to it. If a pregnant lady can hold it despite having a four pound weight pressing against her bladder so can this guy! There was so much piss by the drivers side (but not on the car thankfully) that Jon had to crawl through the passenger side to get in.

The Transformers movie actually wasn't that bad. That isn't true, it was bad but it knew it was bad and that really did help it out. At no point did it ever even attempt to take itself seriously. So it was stupid but overall I enjoyed it. Kinda like 300, just a bunch of dumb but action filled eye candy. I didn't go in expecting much so I couldn't be disappointed.

I carved a stamp with the white stamp material and Speedball cutting tool when we got home and while the stamp turned out pretty well I don't want to use that material anymore. It is just too crumbly. The stamp feels like it could break in half so easily. A non vital corner already chipped off. I'm going to stick with the more expensive pink kind for any future stamps. I would like to find a better source for it since it is not cheap at the Dick Blick store and they don't offer it bulk (or at all) on their website. I also made more stickers and probably will today too.

To counter my rather nasty mood I am placing this happy piece with its bright and bold fauvist colors. I'm really loving how flexible my ginkgo block is to printing in various sizes.

I see a different midwife tomorrow because mine will be out of town. Jon wants to come with so he can hear the heartbeat again and I am always thrilled to have him with me. I hope he puts together my oh so comfy glider chair tomorrow! My poor hips and ankles could really use it.

Hey, what happened to the weekend?

The bLee Nursery Begins
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

I hope everybody had a great weekend filled with beautiful weather like we had. We messed around the apartment on Saturday and went and saw Ratatouille yesterday afternoon. It was so good, I may have liked it even more than the last Brad Bird Pixar movie "The Incredibles". The theater was filled with kids that laughed hysterically at pretty much anything and I found that quite amusing. The previews were some of the worst I have ever seen, but I could unfortunately see how they could appeal to kids. It is insidious. I suggested that when we take blee to the movies we show up late enough that we miss the previews. But then we might struggle to find seats?

Not much art going on for me this past weekend. I fought with my Gocco machine trying to get it to work and failed miserably . Later today I am going to waddle down to the library so I can make a photocopy of my image and try getting a good burn using that as a master. If that doesn't work I don't know what I am going to do. A couple of people have suggested that my screens might be bad. If that is the case I am so ticked off I just want to get rid of it. I paid money for those screens and getting new ones that may or may not work is a huge hassle. And each time a screen fails to burn bulbs are wasted too. The thing just feels like a bottomless money pit at this point. I bought the supplies in February so I don't even know if I can get a refund at this point.

On Saturday we put together the crib and moved the changer/ dresser into the nursery. The room looks so sweet and I can't wait for it to be finished now! I didn't think we would ever have room but looking at the room cleared out with just the baby furniture in it I realized that a glider chair would fit. So many mom's have told me that having one of those is priceless. So we went out to get it. Jon will put it together for me tomorrow! mmmmmm comfy!

Our inlaws called us twice over the weekend while they were out baby shopping. My mother in law has really gotten into the whole idea of being a grandmother and just loves buying stuff for the baby. Not only is it very nice to not have to buy so much baby stuff, but I find it incredibly sweet seeing how excited she is! Since she doesn't live near us she does what she can to help us out and love the baby. They will be visiting, along with my brother in law and hopefully (crossing fingers) my dad and his family this Thanksgiving. I think all my inlaws have plane tickets and everything already, but of course my father is waiting until the last possible minute. I'm trying to be hopeful but at the same time I don't want to get my hopes up. Too bad because my little sister would get suck a kick out of a new baby and being an aunt. She'll be 8 by the time the baby is born. I don't care if my dad buys anything for the baby I just want them to come visit us.

At the very least it seems that blee is blessed with one very excited and loving set of grandparents!

Oh the mess!

Butterfly at Night
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

I want to go somewhere quiet, pretty and away from the city.

My studio is a huge mess that I must work on as with whatever energy I have today. I really need to print and right now that just isn't possible with this mess. My precious is shamefully buried in stuff. Sure it is not easy to do stuff now, but it most certainly isn't going to get any easy when the baby arrives!

Burrito is doing better, she is a bit perky and is eating again. We both have some hope for her now when we didn't have much of any before.

My new camera came yesterday, but so far I have only had the chance to use it for cat and studio pictures. Now that the light is good this morning I should be able to get some product shots with it. With no more memory card errors. It is quite lovely and very tiny. It is great! I've never had a camera that could be described as adorable before. As an added bonus I think I used it to convince Jon that we don't need a camcorder just yet. The 30+ minute high quality videos that this camera takes are more than enough for the baby. I don't think any of our friends or family would appreciate longer movies of baby crawling or baby smiling. The camcorder can wait until she is older. And I do not want any filming during the birth!

If the baby were to come now, at eight months, we would be ready to handle her pooping. Not much else but we have that part covered. On Saturday the two of us put together the baby's changing table/ dresser. I'm very amused whenever Jon tries putting together... anything because he is just so bad at it. I love him and think he is a brilliant man and that is why I find his inabitilty to read instructions quite humorous. He can build computers and do all sorts of complex stuff yet I have seen him struggle to put together a lamp. Whenever he gets stuck I take over and figure out what is missing right away. As long as the instructions are in english or have clear pictures I do just fine. We worked together and now we have a very nice place to change poopy diapers. Hurrah!