Sunday 30 November 2008

slack

whew, i feel like a whole new person after a relatively whole night of sleep - by whole, i mean that mae only got me up at 10pm (just as i was going to bed so that was okay), 12.15am (not so okay), 1.30am (even less okay) and 5am (she went back to sleep until 7.30 so that was good). i've been thinking of a recent post by sharilyn where she was pondering if her daughter's behaviour change could be a reflection of subtle changes in her own behaviour. i'm wondering if part of mae's new nighttime wake up schedule and the subsequent grouchy daytimes it sometimes produces could be in part a reaction to the stress she feels coming off of me. my mom and sister arrive for a month long visit next week and, while i am ridiculously excited to spend time with them both and share my delight in my little girl, there is always a little apprehension when you're about to undergo a bit routine upheaval, especially with a baby. and, of course, there is the stress of getting a million little things done in time for their arrival. so i'm going to spend a little extra quality time talking and playing with maesey each day, and try to chill the hell out a bit myself.

now, some of you may recall that i was going to put a bunch of quilted cushion covers and a quilt into my shop plus an option for custom cot quilts? and that i was going to be giving away some of my fabric stash and selling off a few of my japanese craft books? well, i've just decided that these are going to have to wait until after the holidays, probably late january, as i'm too lazy to figure shipping costs for every damn country for the quilt or colour correct all the images for the cushions, let alone listing everything on etsy with my crappo internet connection. january, i promise. and if anyone is really hanging out for the pink cot quilt ($100 USD or $120 AUD plus shipping), drop me an email and i can give you a shipping quote to your destination. sold! thanks, nat!

and in further slackness, i uploaded this image to flickr on SEPTEMBER 5TH and kept forgetting to write a post to go with it and it's been niggling at my mind ever since:

presents for mae

presents for mae from some of my best friends. a very, very belated and huge thank you* to sarah and tony for the amazing drawings (tony is an incredible artist, i have so much of his work and love every little bit) and to my other sara buddy for the gorgeous handknit blanket (look at those colours! it's lovely and thick and wonderful). sorry i'm so slack and for the amount of times i have to apologise for said slackness - it's one of the reasons you love me, right? right?


*i have said thank you to them personally already, i'm not THAT slack.

8 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:32 am

    the art is beautiful! I know how you feel...sometimes we just get so overwhelmed with our own ambitions, and we do need to just "chill the hell out". Have fun taking it a bit easier for the holidays:)

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  2. I feel your pain. I was totally opposed to sleep training until Hayden's sleep fell apart over a period of 2.5 months to the point where she was waking 4 times per night at 6.5 months old. I finally reached my breaking point, and bit the bullet, committing to a 5-night stretch. (Which method you choose isn't so much the issue, as that's personal; it's making the commitment to teaching her to fall back to sleep on her own that I think is the big thing.) I nightweaned her at the same time. By the 6th night, she was crying for only 2-5 minutes when she woke up, and she's been an amazing night sleeper ever since. (Though occasionally there was some brief re-training.) Naps, however, have always been a different and more difficult story for us ...

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  3. I am with you on the visitors coming to stay for extended periods - we do it every few years with my mum coming over for six weeks.

    I used to panic A LOT (am so not a natural housekeeper while she outMartha's Martha) but when I found myself trying to bend over and clean behind the toilet (boxed in btn a wall and teh bath) at nearly nine months pregnant I gave it up for a bad joke.

    Just chill and enjoy your baby.

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  4. Anonymous8:00 pm

    my 6 month old has a very similar sleeping pattern and it's driving me insane. i love your honesty about mae's 'behaviours', when i had my first baby i was sure all the other mums in my mothers group were exagerating how 'good' their babies were while mine was keeping me up all night! would have been great to read a blog likes yours then, as it is now.

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  5. They definitely can sense when you are slightly stressed whether it is in excitement or overwork. I always know when I get grouchy that it will be a long and hard day unless I try and cheer myself up! Take things a little more easily for a bit. I am sure once your Mum and sister are there that Mae will quickly get into the rhythm of things. In fact she will probably sleep like an angel and your Mum and sister will wonder what you have been complaining about!

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  6. Wow, I can't believe that your mom and sis are coming for a whole month - how exciting!!! That's going to be a pretty darned excellent Christmas holiday, with everyone together, sans snow! I hope you take lots of photos! By the way, I'm loving the quilts - my auntie Dianne was a big quilter, and I always feel that nothing is quite as cozy and comforting as a homemade blankie!

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  7. I so love your candid posts, the last one of sleep deprived, I hate the world was fantastic. As a mum of 2 littlies it was very relatable.
    With the family coming I think you just have to take the chance and unload a little and try to take a break while you can.

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  8. Anonymous3:11 pm

    i know this is old, but i wonder if mae was going through the 4 month sleep regression?

    http://www.askmoxie.org/2007/10/4-month-olds.html

    i think poppy's going through something like that right now, it's been happening for the past couple of weeks, and it's maddening. she was one of those babies that used to sleep almost all the way through the night, and now is waking up every two hours or less and never wanting to sleep...i keep reminding myself it's normal and it's happening because she's making huge developmental strides, but damn, i am so tired right now i can hardly think!

    anyway. i do hope things are better now and that you and little mae are finding some rest. hopefully your holiday recharged you! happy new year.

    ReplyDelete

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