Carnival Time; The Littlest Dragon

Well, its officially Mardi Gras time, and we will be celebrating our first carnival season with baby! It's traditional (both locally and at our house) to wear costumes on Fat Tuesday, and this first year with Nathan will be no exception.  I was at a complete loss about what theme to choose, so I hit the thrift store with no expectations and an open mind.  There were lots of Halloween costumes, and I was in for a rude awakening when I tried on a skeleton jumpsuit, and saw my post-pregnancy body illuminated by the fitting room's harsh fluorescent lighting.  I had to laugh, but it was painful laughter :/  Back to the racks.  About a half hour later, I stumbled across a gorgeous silk kimono-style robe, reversible, black with an embroidered dragon on one side, and bright red print on the other.  At a mere $6.99, it was a steal- I bought it with Lucas in mind.  The next costume piece I found was a ladies' silk blouse, Chinese-style with a mandarin collar.  I tried it on and, miracles, it fit! Now it was time to find baby's costume, and fortunately I was able to find a bright orange hooded cape with a dragon's face printed on the hood, and wings on the rest.  Feeling like I had struck gold, I brought everything to the checkout and left $16.00 lighter and with a complete family theme in tow: Chinese Food For Thought :)  We'll "Carnivalize" it with beads and our masks.  And while we won't be going out on Fat Tuesday- the weather reports are predicting all-day rain, and baby is still too young- we will dress up and have a photo shoot to document the day, and eat king cake, and watch parade coverage "front row" on t.v.  And I've planned a 2013 mask design based on the above shot of the king cake- an abstract translation. 

 

Life with Nathan is becoming a big adventure, now that the colic is almost over.  Now, we are in the beginning stages of teething! Never a dull moment ;).  In all seriousness, I love my baby so much, and he has transformed my world.  My life is all about taking care of his needs, and doing what I can to make sure he's not only comfortable but smiling and happy.  Some days, that's a bigger job than others! (Case in point- I'm rocking his baby seat with one foot while working on this blog- once the rocking stops, the crying begins.  It's a balance!)  These days, I'm starting to feel more confident in my parenting.  My biggest challenge is that balance- I'm performing my mommy chores and housewife chores with success, but at a frantic pace.  I would like to get to a point where I get everything done, without breaking a sweat.  Still not there yet! But every day is an adventure and a learning experience, and Nathan and I are on this journey together.  And baby is growing so much, both in appearance and personality! He is starting to really talk his "baby talk", and I can practically hear the exclamation points in his baby sentences.  He also has discovered a new, piercing shriek that grabs you by the hackles ( no idea where that came from, lol).  That shriek means business!

 

Another challenge is eating healthy.  I'm a big fan of chocolate and sweets, and its been tough to cut back due to breastfeeding.  I need more fruits and veggies in my diet.  We are looking for local and nearby farmer's markets to stock up on healthy, organic produce for our family's dietary needs.  It might be a good way to meet other young families in the neighborhood too. 

Now that the weather is getting milder, we are finally able to venture out of the house together, and have been taking strolls around the neighborhood.  I love the stroller, and the fact that it has a little "sunroof" that I can keep an eye on Nathan while we walk around.  I've been introducing him to our neighbors and the street where we live, and its been fun!  People stop us to admire li'l man, and when he's not sleeping on the walk, he's charming them with his big smile and waving hands.  And we're meeting other families with babies of their own.  The other day, we met a young couple with a five month old baby girl named Riley.  She was so gorgeous, and looked the quintessential baby fashion plate with her crocheted hat and pierced ears.  I couldn't help but wish we could set up baby dates and put the two little ones together- maybe develop a friendship, or find Nate's future girlfriend lol.

 

While we are on a "bedtime routine", a "feeding routine" and a few others, there are always new experiences tucked in each day.  We are working on exploring our world more, and not getting stuck into too much of a "routine".  I give Nate different toys to snuggle and play with each day, and have finally mastered the art of the burp.  And whoever said that girls are more fun because you can dress them up, obviously never had a baby boy.  This little man has a wardrobe fit for a prince, and I get a kick out of changing his outfits and dressing him up for our outings and visitors.  Almost makes me forget how much I miss my own fashion sense, lol. 

 

The big payoff of having a baby: it's gratifying when Nathan looks directly into my eyes and smiles at me.  Makes every drop of blood/sweat/tears worthwhile! And Beau, our furry son, has been so good with the baby boy- keeping a respectful distance but very sweet tempered when he is nearby. People are already asking when we'll have our next kid.  What next one?  We have a baby boy and a furry son, and as far as I'm concerned our family is complete. 

 

I have a baby calendar that has a block of space in each month for "dreams for baby".  It helps make me mindful of what I want to accomplish, and what to bring to Nate's life adventures each month.  This month's dreams are:  (1) Take baby to the park where we got married; (2) Dress up and celebrate our first Mardi Gras together; (3) Sort through and organize baby's clothes- he is slowly growing out of the "itsy bitsy" wardrobe and into the 3-6 month range.  And we are contemplating baptism, and Easter outfits, and age-appropriate toys to let Nathan play with.  I am also keeping a baby memory book and trying to document all of the important stuff along the way.  I don't think I'll forget a moment, but its good to have it in a safe place. 

 Life is awesome, no matter how hard the road.  I am honored to be the mommy of this special little person.  I look back at the ultrasound photo posted on my memory board, and remember when Nathan was just a wish, then a "li'l sprout" in the womb, and Lucas and I wondered and imagined what he would look like and how life would change with a new addition.  Then he was finally here, and he exceeded every hope and dream we ever had.  He is truly the light of our life, and every smile, every kick of those happy feet, makes my heart burst with love.   

"You are my sunshine..."

Nathan Luke Patterson was born on November 29, 2012 at 4:57 p.m. at East Jefferson General Hospital.  He was 7 lbs 13 oz, 21 inches.   His name means "Gift from God", and Luke is a derivative of his daddy's name (Lucas).  His birth story will follow in a separate post. This is our unofficial birth announcement :)

Update: This past Tuesday was Nate's 2 month milestone.  Here's an updated photo of what he looks like these days:

As a protective mom, I try to limit my posts on Nathan, including photos, out of an abundance of caution.  I have to rein myself in from oversharing, but I remind myself that there's too much craziness on the internet, and I have to protect my son from it.  But I like to keep friends and family informed of Nate's development and progress- so its a balancing act.  I'll keep my blog updated with Nate's month birthdays, and progress notes, so stay tuned. 

The Early Days

"You've come a long way, baby..."

Well, I've officially begun the long and exciting journey of parenting.  This is my first post since pre-baby days.  I'm finding that motherhood is going to be the cure for my being too prolific with my writings.  Due to a serious limit on time, I'm going to pare down to the meat of the story by posting the highlights from our journey, and focus on all the interesting things I've learned in the past two months.  Here we go:

Summary of Things Learned

(1)      Expect the unexpected.  Nothing will ever go according to how you think it will- which is sometimes good, sometimes not.  This point of wisdom was driven home in the labor and delivery room at the hospital.  As a first time mom, I read up on what was facing me in the early days, and I learned from the books that it is wise to have a "birth plan" which is a written plan on how I want my delivery to go.  A good idea, but not a practical one, as things never go as planned when it comes to having a baby.  It's good to have a sketch of a plan but its important to be flexible- you can only control so much before life takes over.  Originally I planned on holding off on getting the epidural, and I packed a bunch of snacks for my birth coach (hubby) so he wouldn't go hungry.  I had my cousin burn a mixed cd for me to listen to, thinking that I would "power through" the delivery part of the program.  Now, I don't know what kind of party I was planning on having here, that I was so focused on refreshments and the music list prior to the Big Event, but clearly I had something to learn.   Looking back, I laugh at my priorities.  For one thing, the epidural was administered in the earlier stages of my delivery (for the record, contrary to what most people I talked to said about the "E-guarantee", it HURT.  Worse than getting a tattoo).  Secondly, my hubby had zero interest in food during this momentous occasion.  Strangely enough, I had no interest in food as well.  I was thankful just to get the crushed ice they served up in a gigantic thermos.  Third, by the time I was pushing my child out into the world, music was the very last thing on my mind.  I am saving the awesome cd for my future workout sessions at home. 

(2)      Learn to improvise. Not an easy feat.  But problem solving is crucial in all the many stages of parenting.  For example- all the Huggies diapers that were given to us at baby showers had a funny (but not funny) way of leaking.  Baby would go through three in a half hour, and countless outfit changes as a result.  It was out of control.  So I had a lightbulb moment- I took the two boxes of nursing pads (liners for the breasts, to absorb milk leakage) and cut the pads up and made a makeshift lining for the diapers.  While this didn't completely solve the problem, it helped tremendously and we were able to cut back on diapers/dirty laundry considerably. 

(3)      The (super) power of organizing.  I've always been a neat and semi-organized soul, but after becoming a mom, I've learned to step it up.  Things have a way of going smoother when you have all the supplies you need on hand and have organization going on.  One big example of this is diaper changes- I can't tell you how many times I've juggled a baby, a dirty diaper, baby wipes and then been doused with pee-pee, simultaneously, because I neglected to stock the diaper table with extra diapers and supplies.  This morning I actually got "hosed" three times in a row because of my neglect.  Lesson learned.  When you have everything on hand, life is much MUCH easier!   Another time that organizing helps tremendously is in preparing for breastfeeding sessions.  There's nothing more obnoxious than settling in with a hungry baby on your lap, and realizing that you forgot the Baby Boppy, or the burp cloths, or things that are necessary when feeding the li'l sprout.  I've found that when I have everything ready and waiting, it is a win-win situation and turns a chore into a moment.

(4)      Know what works.  This one is trial and error. It's not always about buying the most expensive things on the market- as in the case of the diapers.  I've found that the Dollar General brand of diapers works much better than the name brand Huggies.  Who knew?  You find these things out the hard way.  Also, you don't need to buy everything brand new- I was lucky to have family friends pass on their children's clothing, which was incredibly helpful.  My friend's sister passed along her baby's bouncy seat, which I nicknamed "the babysitter" because it was like having extra help with comforting and entertaining the baby.  And Mom bought the baby's crib secondhand- a beautiful natural wood Simmons, from one of the local thrift stores.  All of these things were not only helpful, but they were environmentally-friendly choices to make. 

(5)      "If you're not in over your head, you're not really in"- self explanatory.  I think this was penned by someone in the same light as "look on the bright side"- however, it works for me.  

(6)       Babies love routines.  Routines are a life saver when it comes to baby.  They are good for sleep-deprived adults too. 

(7)      Multi-tasking is crucial in the war for Time Management. I've learned that its super-easy to have laundry going, and the bottle sterilizer working in the microwave, while feeding the baby.  Once he's finished and napping, I have knocked out three important to-dos on the never-ending list, and earned a break (and breaks at this stage in time are beyond refreshing!!!)

(8)     Appearances no longer matter.   Or more specifically, MY appearance no longer matters.  (Baby is another story- I've turned my style focus completely on him, and he's one stylish little man!)  I've always prided myself on being fashionable and fashion forward, but thanks to these in-between days of no-longer-pregnant but 15 lbs overweight, and sporting a bigger shoe size thanks to hauling that baby belly around, and the fact that my closet appears to have exploded due to my fashion identity crisis- all that matters is that I'm decently covered and comfy.  Sweatpants are my best friend, in that they cover all of the above.  And Mom bought me two awesome pairs of shoes- loafers for day, and fancy purple slippers to lounge in.  That's as stylish as it gets these days! And I strongly feel that as long as I'm not spending the day in pj's, I'm successful as far as fashion is concerned.  At this point in time, my favorite fashion accessory is the ever-popular "burp cloth".  Yay!  And you don't need 20 maternity bras- Wal-Mart sells a pack of two for $16.00, and you can supplement your nursing wardrobe with sports bras.  *Note: I can honestly say that the thought of fashion and dressing up again is exciting- but its still on the backburner, to remain there indefinitely.  When the extra weight comes off, and I'm able to juggle life better, I will be celebrating (and wearing) my style once more. 

 

(9)      Sleep deprivation is responsible for many things.  It's responsible for diminished milk supply; depression; lack of energy; poor mental health; poor physical health.  Case in point- I caught a basic cold around Christmas time, and it took me a month to recover what would normal take about a week to shake off.  The one time I managed to grab more than 3 hours sleep in a row (New Year's Eve) is when I discovered that my milk had come in, and I was able to nurse the baby successfully for the first time in weeks.  It was a lovely way to start 2013!

 

(10)     Everyone in this world was somebody's baby at some point in time.  Now, if that doesn't humble you, and make you look at your fellow man in a different light, I don't know what will. 

 

(11)      Breastfeeding is a labor of love.  Before the days of breastfeeding, I imagined tranquil moments rocking in the chair with the baby and bonding together as I nourished my child the way nature intended.  What a rosy picture! The reality was far more- for lack of a better word- "primitive".  First off, there are the same limitations on the mom as during pregnancy days- your food affects baby so there is a long list of what you can and cannot eat (it was hard to say goodbye to spicy foods, that's for sure!).  Obviously, you can't drink- although some moms get around this by timing their drinks so it doesn't interfere with the baby's feeding schedule.  Then there is the fact that you require about 15 or more 8 oz glasses of water per day, for good milk production (!) Then, there is the pain involved- and I don't care how many nurses and doctors admonish that "it shouldn't hurt".  It hurts.  It took me about two months to toughen up (physically and mentally) to productively feed my baby, and I supplement with formula because I'm not a super-mom and don't "express" my milk (use a breast pump).  By giving baby both forms of nourishment, I know he is getting everything he needs one way or the other (or both!).  A confession: I've found that, when it comes to getting my baby boy to sleep longer at night, the bottle goes a much longer way than breastmilk. 

 

(12)     A colicky baby affects everyone.  It is horrible to hear your child wailing and howling and observe him turning red as a beet (the dreaded "foonga face" as we call it), and know that absolutely nothing you do will "fix" it.  This knowledge doesn't stop you from frantically trying everything, from rocking, bouncing and pacing the floor simultaneously, gliding in the chair, going outdoors for a change of scene, driving around, playing music (although music therapy did seem to improve things!), changing the diaper for the 10th time in an hour, feeding until the baby looks rabid from the milk foaming at his mouth, making the most embarassing faces to distract and amuse.  Sometimes things work to alleviate the baby's problem, but its hit or miss most of the time.  The only thing that seems to help is routine (see #6) and time. 

 

*** Note: I think that things have taken a turn for the better, as far as Nathan's colic is concerned. We have him on the new sleep schedule, and he only wakes up twice in the night, due to feeding/diaper needs.  Hurrah!!!! My little angel is currently snoozing in his bouncy seat, allowing me to catch up on this blog.  Due to the gorgeous spring-time-feeling weather, I've opened up all the windows in the house, and managed during a previous nap to being doing serious Spring Cleaning around the house.  I even managed to pluck my overgrown eyebrows.  Ahhh, life is good!! Having a baby really makes you appreciate it all, every single little thing, and you never waste a spare moment in your schedule. 

 

**** I'll be posting the story of Nathan's birth, complete with photos, at a later date, due to time restrictions (that bane of motherhood!)

Milestones

 

 

In the midst of all the chaos of my pregnancy, three big milestones have come and gone, and this is a good time to capture them in my blog before things get crazy again. Here goes:

First off was my birthday last Wednesday. Like most women, I hate the idea of getting another year older, especially when my spirit feels frozen in my early 20s. But, as they say, "Consider the alternative." Despite being hugely pregnant and not feeling up to much activity, I had a very lovely time celebrating this year. Momma came in early that week to bring presents and treat to lunch at my favorite Thai restaurant. On the day itself, I took a break from all the baby business and housework and errands, and simply put my feet up, read, relaxed, dreamed and rested.  That evening, my hubby baked the most incredible birthday cake EVER, a double chocolate confection that was absolutely irresistable. Here's some shots from my special days:

Hubby and the Awesome Cake

Its okay to laugh....I know the cake has soooo many candles it appears to be on fire ;)





Lucas & the Birthday Girl

 



The Momma I got my smile from :)

 



Snuggle time with my furry son 

The next big milestone was Thanksgiving, which landed the day after my bday on this year's calendar.  This is the first year I can remember that ever happening, it was like being in a time warp. It necessitated our week becoming one big feast of food, nonstop yumminess!  Originally I didn't think I would be up to cooking the usual Turkey Day meal, but I had a surprising burst of energy and was able to prepare Cornish hens, rice and gravy, corn, stuffings and cranberry jelly for our meal.  For dessert? You guessed it- chocolate cake :)

 

My last milestone: the final days of this pregnancy. Finally, FINALLY I'm nearing the end of the amazing (and painful) journey, and things are slowly reaching the finish line. I wanted to keep track of everything online and did a good job documenting the first 6 months but have unfortunately neglected all of my blogs, including my pregnancy one on The Bump, because there's been so much do in the meantime: prepare the nest, go to weekly dr. visits, work on the nursery, handle family visits and finish a million and one things that have branched off to two million and one things.  As far as symptoms go, I had that great little burst of energy the past few weeks, which has helped handle all the ongoing madness and to-dos.  But now its clear that I'm slowing down again.  Which is difficult because I can't get my head in the same place as my body.  In my mind, I'm reviewing all the loose ends that need to be taken care of before our lives are turned upside down.  But in body, I'm slow and tired and heavy and unable to do all of these things I'm thinking about.  And recently I've been struggling with the worst low pelvic pain, which is exacerbated by moving, standing up or walking.  Basically any activity that doesn't involve standing or laying in one place.  There IS no walking anymore- its all hobble.  On the bright side, my bundle of joy has been extremely active and full of energy and movement.  Unlike his mama!

 

One thing I've learned in my pregnancy experience, which can apply to all of life: expect the unexpected, and be ready to change with the changing times.  I love to plan, but like clockwork,whenever I get the plans written down, everything changes.  I literally can't keep a calendar or appointment book because its like a magic spell- I write down a to-do, or appointment, or event, and within hours it all changes.  So I'm hoping to use this new outlook and stop planning so much, or at least to remember to be flexible and be ready for all the changes as they appear on the horizon.  Because I get the distinct impression that everything is going to be one big whirlwind once Happy Feet is back home with us.  There will be no stopping! :)

 

Hoping this finds everyone preparing for the holidays, and enjoying the moments that are unplanned and magical. 

 

~007

Autumn Bliss and Halloween Plans

Well, it's my favorite time of year again, and as promised I'm dedicating a separate blog to all the upcoming events in October.  The weather is starting to finally feel like autumn, and our sunsets have been earlier and earlier- a signal that nature takes care of the time change all on her own, without man's interference.  Updates for the month: our baby's nursery is about 70% finished (!!!!!!!) and we're putting the final decorative touches on everything.  School fairs are kicking in, and the pumpkin patch is back- although this year, due to time constraints, we will probably scoop our pumpkin up at Wal-Mart (and spend this weekend carving it and hanging up the rest of our creepy spiders/web outside of the house).  I volunteered last Saturday with my final animal rescue event of the year (till post-baby anyway!)- Delgado's Expo, with the Louisiana Boxer Rescue. I wasn't able to stay for the entire event but it was fun-filled, and the weather cooperated beautifully.  The highlight, of course, was our Boxer Kissing Booth- Cooper and his human mommy Vicki were handling that part of the program.  If there was a record for best Boxer kisses, Coop would have to take the prize, paws-down.  Here's a shot of the boy in his place of honor (the halo effect was unintentional but fun):

The big event on this month's list is....me and Lucas's 4th Wedding Anniversary! Traditionally the symbols are books, fruit and flowers (why they have three for one year I have no idea, but I'm fond of all three so it works, lol) and I'm brewing some ideas on how to incorporate all three.  Thinking about going to the bookstores and picking out books together; having dinner at a restaurant with a flower in the name; then hitting the farmer's market for the third and final fruit part of the program. Since our special day falls on a Thursday this year, we'll begin celebrating early (Sunday), with our annual picnic in the park where we got married, followed by a school fair.  Keeping fingers crossed that the weather cooperates the way it's been doing.

 

 

Something that has amazed me- this month is going by faster than all our other Octobers put together! It's that nesting thing hard at work again- I've lost complete track of time! After last weekend soared by on rust-colored leaves, I took a good look at the calendar and called it to Lucas's attention that we were officially halfway through October....and we HADN'T DECORATED OUR HOUSE FOR HALLOWEEN!!! Le Horreur!! This is a record for us- usually the Halloween festivities begin on exactly the first of the month and last until the end of the thirty-first.  Something had to be done, immediately! So we dug out our plastic storage boxes filled with Halloween deco- bypassing the costume boxes (this year is going to be a "little" different in the costume dept, lol) and got our pipestem spiders/paper pumpkins/grinning skulls out, and began making up for lost time.  I also made a new addition to our decorations- I borrowed a page from Martha Stewart and took a styrofoam mannequin head, covered it with that faux spider web material and placed one of the pipestem spiders on top as a "hat" of sorts.  The effect was fun, and I'll post a shot later.  Looking around the house, it is FINALLY starting to look appropriately spooky around here, at long last.

As far as Halloween costumes go, I've been scouring the 'net looking for ideas and inspiration but haven't come up with much to pique my interest.  There were some cute "mommy and baby" skeleton tee shirts, but nothing else really screamed "Halloween costume".  Eventually I came up with an idea on my own: cookie!<--(insert Cookie Monster voice here). It would incorporate the big belly, and I could either dress up my arms and head as Cookie Monster, or see if Lucas wants to play that role (either that or he could be 'the last cookie').  If I go the first route, all I need for this costume is to buy royal blue arm warmers/gloves, and make a simple cookie jar shirt or poster board cutout.  I already own a C.M. hat Lucas gave me a few Christmases ago, which would be the final touch.  For Lucas's costume I can design a shirt with the saying "The Last Cookie" with a Natalie-Dee-ish sketch of a chocolate chip.  A far cry from the usual scary stuff, but change can be fun sometimes ;) This year we won't be venturing out very far, and it would be a good year to dress comfortably to stay home and hand out candy to the kids/watch scary movies/nest some more.  And next year there will be three of us doing a family theme, for baby's first Halloween!!

This is what's going on in our corner of the world (the big stuff anyway).  Hope this finds my readers preparing for a spooky, scary, scintillating Halloween time!

~Jamie aka  "Cookie Monster"

September Updates

Hard to believe that we are into another month! September was the month of Hurricane Isaac- the storm that blew our "normal" everyday schedules into shreds, and destroyed the homes of so many poor people.  Every hurricane has its own agenda, and it seems that the people who do well during one storm will inevitably be stuck dealing with horrendous damage from yet another one.  People are still rebuilding and dealing with the aftermath.  Prayers go out to each and every one of them. 

As for us, we were incredibly blessed- the winds sounded like they would rip through our roof, and it felt like the gods were bowling outside our window- but we suffered little damage, and ended up enjoying time with our neighbors playing board games and visiting with our dogs.  The day of the storm was terrifying, but the afterwards was strangely, thankfully quiet and peaceful. And the day before the storm we saw the strangest "sign"- a giant bird was perched on our patio fence, his back to us, staring out at the weather kicking up.  Looked like a falcon or peregrine hawk.  I raced to get my camera but didn't make it back in time.  It seemed like a lucky sign, and gave us a little comfort before things got bad here with the weather.

The rest of the month was busy, and thankfully uneventful post-hurricane.  I experienced a BIG growth spurt with my baby on board, and now I'm in the phase of my pregnancy where I'm going to the doctor's office every 2 weeks for visits, so things are progressing quickly!

I'm thankful September is over- it was hot, humid, stormy and insane.  Now we're in October and the weather gave us our first "real" cold front of the season! This is my favorite month, and I'm going to reserve a separate blog to catch up on it. 

Hoping this finds my readers doing well and enjoying the change of season!

August Updates

There is so much ongoing in my life, and not enough time to share it on this blog.  I'm going to have to begin logging in the basic highlights at this rate! Here goes....

A few weeks ago we had the ultrasound done, and found out that we are having a baby boy!!! Biggest thrill EVER!! Yet, at the same time, I knew from early on in this pregnancy that it was a boy.  There was an energy, a visual in my head, that it was a little guy nesting in there.  I guess the instincts are coming out early- amen to that! The ultrasound experience was incredible- seeing how big our baby is growing, and watching him move and shift around, was fantastic! It was like watching a hologram, images popping out at random (or maybe that's the way my brain was processing the whole experience!)  We could hear the heartbeat again, and as always it was music to my ears.  Lucas was quiet and watchful and very very happy.  We got a dvd of the ultrasound, and a couple of photos printed out to share with family.  Funny thing happened: as I sat up afterwards, I got a weird surge in temperature and felt on the verge of fainting.  Arrghh! Embarassing, but I was told by the tech that its common for women carrying boys to be a little more unsteady.  Maybe its the hormones.  I mentioned it to Mom after and she said that the same thing happened to her when she was carrying my brother.  At least its "normal"! And baby has been moving these past few weeks- its something that always makes me stop what I'm doing and absorb the experience.  Small miracles.  Mini Zen moments.

Nesting: We are still in the early stages of preparing the house for baby.  Thankfully there are a few months left, and family is helping us out with the grunt work.  The studio is going to be converted into a nursery/baby room, and we are working on theme ideas.  For now, we've picked out the colors blue and chocolate brown.  Mom bought a beautiful 3-in-1 natural wood crib (Simmons), perfect for what we're doing with the nursery.   I am working on the rest of the house, and building bags of things to donate to the Louisiana Boxer Rescue Garage Sale at the end of September.  Also working on registries (Target and Babies 'r' Us)- it's an eye opener how much baby will need.  Trying to cut down on costs by shopping for secondhand furniture like a dresser, chest of drawers, baby changing table etc., and comparison shopping.  Also reading pregnancy books by the dozen- so much info, so little time!

Beau: About a month ago, my furry son started exhibiting strange behavior and aggression towards me, and every day was a battle between the two of us.  It got to the point that his "time-outs" were 5-7 times a day, which was very unusual and distubing.  It was a very difficult and depressing time that seemed to drag on and on.  I contacted every person in the dog business that I could find, and asking for help/advice/info on what to do.  The main concern is baby- we don't want Beau showing aggression towards our little one once he's home.  I've been working with him on a daily basis and trying to re-train him, with some improvements.  So far his aggression symptoms are improving a LOT, but he still barks at everyone when he's out in the yard, and still has issues (mainly, hardheadedness).  One day at a time...and considering crate training, along with a refresher course in "Beau-bedience" for the two of us.  The photo on this blog entry is very dear to my heart-a shot I call "My two sons", with Beau and the baby bump.  Beau has an affectionate and lovable side to him that makes me hang in there, despite the bad times, and this photo exemplifies that side of him. 

Photography: Until this week, my photography has taken a very dusty backseat to everything else.  But this week I started up again- took some great shots of Beau drinking water out of a hose- a series I call the "Dog Days of Summer".  I am reading up on photography basics, and in the process of learning how to use the lovely Canon camera that my Mom gave me several months ago.  Its a tool that can push my pictures from really good, to incredible.  Determined to learn it, and will be going to parks and outdoor events to practice and get familiar with it.  Especially want to know how to operate all the special features before the arrival of baby!

Another photo note: I entered the Hearst 8x10 Photo Contest.  Subject matter up to the photographer, and you can submit 16 photos.  Winner receives an exhibit opening in New York.  Ahhhh, the glory! Winners will be announced October 1st.  I wrote up a bio explaining my volunteer work with animal rescue groups and how my photography tied in to that, then selected 16 photos that, to me, exhibited both animal rescue and life here in Nola.  Regardless of whether or not they win, I sent them off with love and optimism and hope.  Stay tuned....