Cooperland

Progress

Well, I've made a little progress towards Sam's party, mostly the decorations side of things. 

Flag bunting

The flag bunting is now strung across the arches that separate the dining room from the living room.  I strung them up to make sure it was long enough and found I needed to make about one more foot.  I'm leaving it up because it was a pain and I didn't want to take it down and do it all over again in a few weeks.  I'm lazy and it looks cute, so I don't mind it staying up until then.  Sam hasn't really noticed it so I am not giving anything away.  Speaking of, Sam's presents came in today and how do I not give them to him immediately?  I don't want to wait.  

Lion Brand Yarn in Wildflower

I also made some pom poms from this beautiful yarn I bought at Michael's.  I used these instructions found via Aesthetic Outburst.  All of these pom poms were made from the same skein of yarn.  I bought it to string the felt flags together, thinking it would look pretty with all the different colors.  It just kind of looks like gray yarn on the bunting, but the pom poms turned out awesome! 

Handmade pom poms

I think I might string them together and hang them from the mantle.  I will probably clear off the mantle and put some pictures from Sam's first year also.  I was going to put together a video, but after some technical difficulties, that's off the table.  I'm not sure how to display the photos though.

For the menu, do you think I need a meal for a 2-3 hour party in the afternoon or would snack-type items be enough?  For finger foods, I was thinking of:

• cupcakes
• black and white cookies ("Look to the cookie!")
• fruit on a skewer, in rainbow colors, natch
• toffee peanuts
• curried pecans (thanks for the recipe, Mary!)
• fairy bread for the kiddos

I think I need at least one more savory item.  Chips maybe?  Colorful veggies and Ranch? 

Other progress...

Move books out of big bookcase and move that bookcase to Sam's room.

Jimmy and I moved the bookcase into Sam's room tonight.  Our books are still stacked on and under the kitchen table though.

Organize all of Sam's toys onto the bookcase.  Buy bins if there is time.

Sam's toys are fairly organized and in the bookcase.  I need to make a Target run for bins though.

Take down and re-hang Sam's framed pictures and shelves on another wall.

Pictures and shelves are down but not re-hung, except for one of the shelves that is now next to the changing table.  I wish we had done that a year ago.  Sam has been kicking and grabbing things from the changing table for months now.

Stain/seal boards for wall shelving in living room.

Boards are sanded and in the garage.  I'm hoping to get the staining done tomorrow.

Install brackets for wall shelving.

On the weekend to-do list.

Reorganize books and CDs on new shelves.

Have to wait for the shelves to cure first, so maybe next week?

Clean all the things!

Gradually trudging through it. 

Hang some pictures in the bathroom to disguise giant holes from the towel rack that fell down. 

This sounds like a last minute thing.

I also have one thing to add to this already intimidating list.  The flower beds are in atrocious condition now.  I wasn't planning to garden this year, knowing it would be another chore that was difficult with a little one.  I can't leave it the way it is now though.  Trust me on this.

 

 

Overwhelmed

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to get the house ready for Sam's first birthday party.  I thought making a list of things to do would help keep me on track. 

We're going to have a rainbow-themed birthday party and inviting close friends and family.  Our house has been a bit of a disaster lately while we've been moving furniture around and babyproofing the place.

Via

For the party:

Make, print, and send out invitations.

Cut out felt triangles and string together for flag bunting. (almost done)

Create party favors for the kids attending.

Plan a menu for the party.

Bake and decorate cupcakes.

Maybe make little signs for each food (or is that overkill?)

For the house:

Move books out of big bookcase and move that bookcase to Sam's room.

Organize all of Sam's toys onto the bookcase.  Buy bins if there is time.

Take down and re-hang Sam's framed pictures and shelves on another wall.

Stain/seal boards for wall shelving in living room.

Install brackets for wall shelving.

Reorganize books and CDs on new shelves.

Clean all the things!

Hang some pictures in the bathroom to disguise giant holes from the towel rack that fell down.  I wish I could do the mini-renovation of the bathroom before the party, but I think I have enough to do.

 

 

 

Painted Paintbrushes

I decided to DIY some black and white striped brushes that I saw a few weeks back.

Via

First, I tried taping them to a box and using some cheap craft paint I had.  That didn't work so well.  I put 2 layers of paint and I could still see the color through it.  I tried some primer too but that was even worse.  It was all lumpy for some reason.

My mom suggested I stick them in some styrofoam and then I dug out the spraypaint, like I should have in the first place.  I taped off the areas I wanted to remain white once they were dry.

Then they were taped to a board outside (Jimmy's idea) and spraypainted black.  The reason for the board is that all of the brush, including the tip that was stuck in styrofoam, could be painted at one time.

The results were a bit underwhelming.  Even though I went over it a lot with the black spraypaint, there are still areas that I missed.  I will probably touch those up with a Sharpie at some point.  Also, there were quite a few spots where the paint bled under the tape.  I'm okay with that though.  I wasn't expecting perfection.  Jimmy thought they felt weird because the white spraypaint was glossy and the black was matte (just using what I got).  It doesn't really bother me, but if I had it to do again, I would use glossy spraypaint for both colors.  Actually, if I had it to do again, I wouldn't do it.  It was a lot of work for not a lot of payoff. 

They do look pretty cool on my shelf though.

 

 

Craft Corner

Since showing you my dream art/craft space, I figured I should probably show you what I'm currently working with.  This is a corner of our bedroom where a lot of stuff got moved after the office became a nursery. 

2 bookcases full of art/craft supplies, photo props, and the vintage items I eventually want to sell in my Etsy store. 

The bottom shelf, where things get shoved that don't fit into boxes.

 

My favorite shelf, where I put the things that are recently acquired, like the vintage tiny seashell collection and flashcards, my wheat paste powder used for paper mache and the paper mache teacups I made next to it, some white acrylic ink that I'm looking forward to experimenting with, and a pointing hand stamp.

The set of drawers hold little collections like keys and bullet casings.

These boxes need to be stored...somewhere.

My dirty secret.  I put oversized supplies (cardboard for future projects, my cutting mat) and items I want to rehab and sell (wooden tripod to turn into a lamp, mirror to turn into a tray).   This space is between the bookcase and the window though, so it's kind of hidden.

Like my lovely new easel?  I bought it with some Christmas money (thanks again, Robin and Jeremy!).  I have no place to store this either, but at least it folds down into a compact size. 

Future projects - miniature furniture and wrapping paper scraps to redo my childhood dollhouse in a modern way.  I was inspired by an internet challenge (check out one here).  The dollhouse itself is huge and sitting out in the garage.  I also have pretty paper scraps and some vintage books that I want to do projects from the book, The Repurposed Library.  I have so many projects that I'm saving/collecting supplies for.  How many projects are too many?

Some mushrooms I made out of brown paper bags (more about that here).  I'm not sure why I made them or made so many of them.  They were easy and I already had all the supplies, so I just kept going.  How do you store such a thing?

Anyway, that's my craft corner, which is borderline hoarding.  I spend any extra money I get on books or art/craft supplies and I got a whole lot of books for Christmas, so...yeah.  There will soon be even more stuff.  My husband and I were talking about doing some furniture rearranging, so now I'm hopeful that we can move my craft table back in from storage.  That won't help with the clutter, but at least I'll have a place to work on projects without dragging all of my stuff into the dining room.  I think I should pack away all of the vintage items I want to sell too since they are just taking up space right now.  I doubt I will start the business up until Sam is a few months older at least.  I need to store things I actually use.

Oh, and guess what my boy was up to while I was taking all these pictures?

Eating balls.  I mean, supervising.  (I don't want to live in world where it is bad to make jokes at your baby's expense.)

 

 

Art/Craft Room

I have been dying for an art and craft room of my own lately.  I have so little free time now that when I do have a few minutes here and there, I would like to do something creative.  All of my art stuff is currently crammed into a corner of our bedroom so it always takes a while to set up my supplies and clean up afterwards.  It would be nice to be able to leave out a project and be able to pick it up any time I had a spare moment.  Anyway, this is my longwinded way of writing that I've been daydreaming about a room of my own and I thought I would share a few pictures of my dream space. 

Wall Color

I can't decide whether I would want the room to be kind of dark and moody, which inspires me (I'm so emo) or bright white, so that all the colors will be true. 

Via

I love this.  It looks like a chalkboard wall that has been used and erased many times.  It would be handy for jotting down ideas and reminders too.

Via

This studio is incredible too.  Black and white, when done right, doesn't read as stark, but as rich and layered.  Those paintbrushes are awesome.  I'm thinking about doing it to my own cheapies so that I can admire them in their glass container. 

Storage

For storing all my supplies, I would like to use vintage and industrial containers.  I have a lot of metal and white containers from IKEA, but I want to add a little more character with the items below.

Via

These cigar boxes are such a cool idea.  I have so many random art and craft supplies.  If I had a bunch of these, I could categorize all those little bits and bobs and that appeals to my organized collector side.

Via

Vintage suitcases could store my larger supplies and projects in progress.  I'm currently collecting lots of cardboard for a couple projects and it would be nice to be able to pack it all away instead of stashing it wherever I can find space.

Via (also has an awesome tutorial on how to age new crates)

I could use these crates for storing and displaying my photography props.

Via

Ah, so handy.  I could use one of these to organize all those tiny supplies, like stamps, embellishments, etc.  While I like the ombre effect this woman was going for, bright colors aren't really me, so I would probably label the drawers with brown kraft paper.

Via

Via

The ever useful pegboard, which I would use to store my frequently used tools and supplies.  I would probably also install a shelf above it and screw some baby food jars with more supplies underneath.  I have been hanging on to every baby food jar for just this reason.  By the way, if anyone needs any, I suppose I could spare a few...

Furniture

Via

I want to get some of these garage metal shelves for most of my supplies.  I like the industrial look (I won't be spraypainting like the above example) and they are heavy duty so I can really pack 'em full.

This is my desk that is currently living in the garage.  It's nice and big for spreading out with projects and I like the glass top for displaying inspiration pictures.

Of course, I can't forget to make room for my little guy to get his craftin' on.  He'll have his own shelf of supplies too.

That's really all I have planned for furniture.  There are plenty of other pieces I would like to have, like a table just for photographing items for my Etsy shop, another desk for a computer for the business end of things, maybe another project table like this awesome Pottery Barn one.  If I ever do get a craft room, it will probably be small and a shared space, so I don't want to get too grandiose. 

Anyway, I'm off to bed to dream of a glorious art and crafting space and buttloads of time to create things. 

 

Tattoos and Pixie Cuts

So, I haven't posted in a long while, but let's pretend I have so I can talk about trivial stuff instead of my awesome infant son.  I still haven't posted his 3 and 4 month pictures and I still need to take the 5 month one, so that will be for another day. 

First, since I wrote a quasi-mysterious Facebook post about my belated birthday gift...behold!

My ampersand tattoo

I got an ampersand tattoo because I love books, writing, and typography.  This seemed like a good symbol for all of that instead of trying to find a quote or something along those lines that I would get sick of 10 years down the line.  It took me months to choose a font, but I finally settled on Carousel, designed by Gary Gillot in 1966.  I love the contrast of the thick and thin lines and those curves are just luscious.  I'm a little embarrassed about how I got the idea for the tattoo.  One of my idols is Sibella Court and she has an ampersand tattoo on her wrist.  I know, so lame, but as soon as I saw it, my mind went, "Yes!".  I've been tossing around the idea of getting another tattoo for awhile now, but couldn't decide for sure about a design.  When I saw the ampersand, it was perfect.  Anyway, I had it inked by Ray Wallace at Dandyland Tattoo in San Antonio.  He did an awesome job and really took his time.  I might need to get a couple spots re-inked, but that is due to the healing process.  He said he would touch it up for free, so that was cool.  I am just so happy with it.  I'm glad this second tattoo is where I can see it too, because my first is on my back and I forget it is there most of the time.  Whenever I get a job interview (which probably won't be until Sam goes to school), I can just cover it with long sleeves or a watch. 

Tattoos are addictive though.  I'm already thinking about my next one, which I think I would want to base off of the opening sequence of woodcuts in the Watership Down movie.  That book and movie has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl.  I nearly shit my pants when I came across a first edition of the book last year for $2 at a Goodwill. 

 

 

There are some other tattoo artists' work that I really admire.  I would love to get something done by them, but seeing as how they are based out of state and country, I don't know how that would ever happen.  C'est la vie.

Another thing I was considering was chopping my hair off in a major way.  My hair has been so annoying for months now.  I barely have time to wash it, much less style it, so I would love a cut where I could basically just fingercomb it into place and it would look okay.  I've seen the pictures of me around the house with Sam and it ain't pretty.  I'm tired of the messy ponytail route. 

A recent pic of my hair when it is actually brushed and clean.  Yeah, not good.

I had really short hair once in college and I hated it.  I suppose it has something to do with the fact that I lost someone close to me later the same day I had cut it off, but it took me a long time to feel like myself again.  It was a bad association.  Plus, this time I plan to go to a professional instead of the hack at SuperCuts that butchered my hair.  What was I thinking?  Anyway, what say you, internet?  Should I go for the big chop?  My face is rounder now since putting on the baby weight, but I think it actually looks more feminine than when I was super skinny in high school.  These were the styles I was thinking of that hopefully would complement my face instead of emphasizing the roundness.

Michelle Williams is stunning with short hair and her hair is very fine and thin like mine.

Ginnifer Goodwin

Here are some random pictures from Fuck Yeah Girls With Short Hair.

By the way, my main Christmas gift this year is clothing due to the fact that I went up a size after Sam ruined my body.  My point being, I'm aware I need to dress a little more feminine to pull off this look and I plan to do so.  Still, my favorite sweater will always be an oversized gray cardigan with leather elbow patches.  I can't help it.

I'm Thirty!

Well, I turned thirty on the 11th, so let's revisit my 30 Before Thirty list.  I completed 14 out of 30 items.  That doesn't sound that great but most of the projects were pretty big jobs, so I feel good about it.  I'm going to keep working on it too and maybe complete all of them before I turn 31. 

1.  Blog at least once a week.

I was good about sticking with this one until the past couple of months due to the Potato.  Blogging one-handed is not for me.  Sam is currently enjoying his activity gym so I am sneaking in some computer time.

2.  Take a wheel thrown pottery class at the Southwest School of Art. (Done!)

This was fun even though I wasn't very good at it.  I have a ton of misshapen bowls now.  I think I would eventually like to have my own pottery wheel and small kiln, but that is for the next house.  

3.  Print digital photos and put in albums.

I'm in the process of working on this.  I've uploaded a bunch of my digital pictures to Snapfish.  I can't have them all printed at once though since it would be expensive to do a 1000 pictures.  I plan to do a couple scrapbooks for wedding and trip pictures and put the rest in regular photo albums.  With luck, my scrapbooks will look as good as this one...

  Perhaps not.

4.  Start a small home business.

I've made some progress on this but it will be put on the back burner for awhile until Sam gets a little older.  It's hard for me to find time to shower during the day so a home business is out of the question right now.  Still, I've set up an Etsy store, started gathering stock, and Jimmy designed a awesome logo for me for my birthday.   

 5.  Give birth to my baby!  (This should count for more than one.) (Done!)

The biggest change and love of my life right here.  He's also a big time suck so I have not gotten much done lately.  I'm lucky be home with him though and here to see all the little changes he makes each day.  

6.  Finish mini-renovation of master bathroom.  (Done!)  

This project took a lot longer than I liked to complete.  I hope the other bathroom reno goes a bit faster.  

7.  Start and complete mini-renovation of guest bathroom.

I'm hoping to get it done in one weekend this fall while my mom is visiting.  She's the best motivator to get home projects completed.

8.  Turn office into nursery. (Done!)

I still need to take pictures of the nursery, but it turned out really cute.  Sam hasn't spent too much time in there yet since he sleeps in our room, but he will soon once he is more interested in toys.

9.  Get and actually like a haircut.  (Done!)

I needed an easy one so that I could feel good about checking something off my list quickly.

10.  Clean out the garage and help my husband set up his workshop.

I feel bad that this didn't get done because now Jimmy is on his own with this one.

11.  Teach the dog to go to the bathroom outside (only paper-trained, which does not mix with future baby).

Okay, I have until Sam starts crawling to get Reeses trained. 

12.  Organize magazine tear-outs.

Another time-consuming job that will most likely be put off for quite a while.  At least I have all the supplies I need (big binders, page protectors, etc.), so once I get started, I won't have to stop and run out to Office Max.  

13.  Create another blog about the process of starting a home business.

I need to start the home business first...

14.  Dress more like an adult and less like a college kid (may need to wait until I lose the baby weight).

I have been dying for some new clothes.  I wore the same 5 shirts during my pregnancy and I have only been able to wear some of my bigger tees since having Sam since I'm still 20 pounds over what I used to weigh.  Hence, I'm sick of pretty much everything I own that I can actually fit in.  I can't even fit in my old jeans yet, so I'm really sad about that.  I have been buying some cool accessories lately though.  I actually managed to get all the shoes from this post  from saving for them and my mom bought me the Nikes, which are awesome and so comfortable.  I also got a new purse and a necklace for my birthday.  

J. Crew Darlington pursette.  I like it more than a friend.

15.  Create and actually use a planner/calendar. (Done!)

I was good about using this and schlepping the huge thing everywhere with me.  However, once Sam came along, carrying the planner made the diaper bag way too heavy.  I don't really have anything to put on my schedule lately anyway, except for pediatrician appointments.  

16.  Buy maternity clothes.  (Done!)

17.  Find the perfect, non-flaky, inexpensive mascara.  (Done!  Not really inexpensive, but perfect anyway.)

18.  Make a home index.

I've typed up all the information I want to keep in this binder, but I've misplaced the jumpdrive that it is saved on.  Once it's found, I can print it all up and be done.

19.  Organize and catalog contents of archive boxes in the office closet. (Done!)

I stayed up late the night before my birthday to finish this project.  I was regretting it the next morning, but at least it's done!

20.  Re-plant and expand vegetable garden. (Done!)

Unfortunately, the garden is dead now.  Extremely hot summer + no time to water = carnage.  Oh well, there is always next year.

21.  Transition my cat from living solely in the bedroom to living in the rest of the house. (Done!)

This was easier than I thought it would be and my cat seems a lot happier now, even though she does have to deal with the dog.

22.  Rearrange master bedroom and living room to accommodate everything that is moved out of the office/soon-to-be nursery.  (Done!)

This took forever and I'm glad it's done.  

23.  Take a small trip with my husband before the baby comes.

I'm sad that this one didn't happen.  

24.  Finish the kitchen by painting one accent wall and putting up curtains.

This should only take one weekend day, I just need to find the time.

25.  Catalog my rock/nature collection.  (Done!)

This one was fun for a nerd like me.

26.  Do creative projects more often - paint, draw, etc.

I did some creative projects for Sam's nursery, but not really for myself.  

27.  Finish the living room by painting one wall and all trim.

There is a lot of furniture to move around in order to do the trim, so this will probably be a long way off.

28.  Get all paperwork filed. (Done!)

This was the longest and most mind-numbing job.  Plus, I still have a pile of mail from the last two months to take care of.  

29.  Once all work is complete, submit my home for a tour at Apartment Therapy and DesignSponge.

I still plan to do this once the house is in better shape.

30.  Give soap making a try.

I would like to do this on my mom's visit in the fall.  Jimmy plans to make me some soap molds and I think I have all the other supplies already.

(I'll cross them off of the list as I complete them.)

Items that I finished that were not on the list:

-Organized coin collection.

-Projects for Sam's nursery, like stenciling the wall, making cardboard horses, and making the bat art.

-Organized kitchen pantry, cabinets, and spices.

-Started a compost bin.

-Did some canning.

 

2 Months Old

55 days old  08/02/2011 

Dear Sam,

You are 58 days old today.  You have changed so much in the last month.  Physically, you're gaining weight like a champ and finally got big enough for us to put you in cloth diapers.  This has helped us to save some money, which is good because you go through about $30 of formula a week.  Not that we're complaining.  We're just happy that you are a good eater.  You have gotten really good at holding your head up for long periods of time.  You enjoy being bounced on my lap with me just holding you under the arms and your dad and I enjoy not worrying so much about your head flopping around.  You still want to be held all the time, but we don't mind so much.  You have been good about dozing off in your swing during meal times so at least we are hands free then.  At other times, we take turns holding you while the other one does chores or just relaxes.

The biggest change has been your smile.  You don't smile all the time, but when you do...let's just say when we have had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, one smile from you makes everything right in the world.  It's so wonderful to have you interact with us in a positive way.  You definitely seem more alert and aware of your surroundings now.  You seem to enjoy our walks around the neighborhood more by looking around all over the place and when you're ready for the walk to be over, you stare right up at me with the grumpiest little face.  I think it has just gotten too hot for walks, even in the evenings.  We haven't really gone out on many walks this past week.  Speaking of, you do not do well on outings anymore.  You used to fall asleep in your carseat and then the stroller, but now you wake up once we arrive at our destination.  You do not like being in the stroller when we're out.  Usually I have to carry you around and then you still cry, so I've mostly been staying home and letting Jimmy run the errands.  That's been okay, but I hope it gets better soon.  

July 19, 2011  First smile caught on film, after we brought you in from experiencing your first rain shower.  A lot of firsts!

Your hair that fell out soon after birth is growing back now.  There is a little shadow up there and I can see your little swirly cowlick is coming back in.  I'm glad because it is adorable although you will probably hate it once you're older.  I have a cowlick on the back of my head that always sticks up.  Still, you mostly take after your dad, like in a clone sort of way, so at least some of my genetics are present.  You do have my blue eyes, for now at least.

My beautiful family

You have started to notice toys a little bit.  You will follow them with your eyes and clutch at them a little if we brush them across your hands.  My mother has been buying you a bunch of Fisher-Price Little People toy sets on eBay.  My brothers and I used to play with them when we were little and I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.  I can't wait until you start playing and laughing.  We're going to have so much fun together, Sammy! 

Love,

Mama

Eyeglasses

A while back, I wrote about ordering some glasses to try on at home.  I'm going to hopefully get some before the end of summer, so let me know which ones you like. 

This first set is from Warby Parker.  I was really impressed with their customer service and fast shipping.  The presentation was first-rate too.

A silky box with individual dividers

Here are the glasses I tried, ordered from my least favorite to most favorite.  Keep in mind that I was almost 9 months pregnant when I took these so my face is chubbed out.

Miles in Revolver Black

Bleugh.  Clark Kent glasses.  These are too nerdy, even for me.

Sinclair Greystone

This was the most disappointing pair.  I thought they would be my favorite when I ordered them, but they looked ridiculous on.  I actually have a tiny head so it is hard to find glasses that look appropriate.  The color of these were the most beautiful of all of them.  I might see if I can find a different style in that same color.  I want gray everything, except gray hair.  I dye that shit.

Webb Crystal Matte

This pair was okay.  I didn't like the clear frames, but the size and shape were nice.  I'll see if I can try this pair in a different color.

Langston in Whiskey Tortoise Matte

Totally acceptable and totally boring. 

Zagg in Revolver Black Matte

This pair was my favorite.  I thought the matte black color would be too severe on my face, but I really like them.  I wear a lot of dark clothing, so I think they would look fine.

Zagg in Revolver Black Matte (also)

I liked them so much that I took a self-portrait in the bathroom wearing them later that night.  They make me feel cool, as dumb as that sounds.  That bathroom is the last room in our house that we need to fix up.  I'm so sick of that awful lavender paint, spackle patches, and the holes left over from where the freakin' towel rack fell off the wall. 

The next set came from Classic Specs. 

The packaging was not as nice.  They came in a rubberized orange envelope and you can't tell from the photo, but it arrived with all this hair and gunk on the adhesive.  Ick.

These are arranged least to most favorite also.

Amherst in Gunmetal Fade

Too Harry Potter.

Exeter in Midnight Blue

Still Harry Potter with slightly thinner frames.  Pretty color though.

Coleridge in Slate Blue

Despite my dead eyes, this is my favorite pair.  Still, I like the Zagg and Webb pair from Warby Parker better, so I probably won't be ordering from Classic Specs.  Their selection just doesn't compare.

I think I might do one more home trial from Warby Parker before making my final decision.  They have a lot more models available now that they didn't have back in May.  In the meantime, which pair do you like best?

 

1 Month Old

I had fun documenting my pregnancy bump so I thought I would continue photographing Sam's growth outside of my belly as well.  I'm also going to write him a letter letting him know what happened that month and all of the progress he has made. 

34 days old  07/12/2011

Jimmy picked out this picture because it looks like Sam is doing "the sprinkler".  The dance is about midway through the video but the whole scene is hilarious.

Dear Sam,

You are 35 days old today and have already changed so much since you joined the world on June 8.  I'm not going to lie, these first few weeks have been difficult for your father and me.  Both of us were pretty clueless about how much work went into caring for a newborn.  Jimmy took 2 1/2 weeks off of work to be with you and we spend our time holding you and watching a lot of movies.  Your grandparents and your Uncle Joey all came to visit during that time too and they all admired how beautiful you are.  

Caring for you has gotten easier as the weeks have gone by.  We have a semi-routine down now that your dad is back at work.  You take all of your long naps at night, so that has definitely helped.  You either sleep next to me in the bed or in your swing.  You got tired of sleeping in your co-sleeper and crib at about 3 weeks old.  You and I usually lounge around in the bedroom between feedings and diaper changes until 10 or 11.  Then we get ready for your dad to come home for lunch at 12.  We either take turns holding you while the other eats or we put you in the swing, which you tolerate for about 20 minutes when you're awake.  If you start to fuss, I'll put you in a sling and eat one-handed.  I've had to learn to do a lot of things with one hand since you rarely want to be put down.  Once your dad goes back to work, we settle on the couch and I'll watch a movie or some tv while you nap on me.  If you managed to fall asleep in the sling, I'll get a little more ambitious and do some chores or update my blog (like now).  After your next feeding, we head back to the bedroom for a nap.  This is my favorite time.  You'll nurse or just sleep curled up next to me, your mouth slightly open and eyes shut so tight.  I just stare down at you in wonder.  I sometimes sleep then too or surf on my phone, enjoying having you next to me.  I used to try and get more stuff done during the day but you've gotten to where you wake up quickly if I put you in your crib.  I stopped fighting it and just keep you close most of the day now.  I'm going to enjoy it because I know once you're mobile, I'll probably lose my cuddly boy and you'll be busy exploring.     

We're more active once your dad gets home from work.  He takes over the feedings when he is home and he loves to play with you.  You don't really do much yet, but that doesn't stop him from blowing raspberries on your belly or waving your arms as he teases you.  We do already have a couple unflattering nicknames for you such as Pee Pants and 8 lb. Potato.  Don't worry, we'll stop calling you those before you actually remember it and are scarred for life.  We have dinner, again with you in the swing or in the sling on one of us, then we take a nightly walk around the neighborhood.  I have never met so many neighbors as I have in the last month on these walks and we have lived here for 3 years.  Everyone loves a new baby.  We watch a movie or a tv show when we get back.  I'll squeeze in a shower while your dad feeds you the last time before bed.   

You're very serious so far.  We have only seen you smile in your sleep but it is a really cute, wide smile.  I can't wait until it is directed at me.  You have a short temper and your face turns red in a matter of seconds when things aren't going your way.  You love nursing, being held close, your swing, and the geometric curtains in the nursery, which you stare at in wonder when you're being changed.  You tolerate car and stroller rides, slings, and baths.  You absolutely hate being burped, having your face washed, and diaper changes that take too long.  

Our lives have changed so much since having you but it has been worth it.  We love you very much and can't wait to watch you grow and change.

Love,

Mama