Something Else*

We’re getting to the point at home where Duckie and I can actually do things again.  Lily is getting better at entertaining herself, so I can work on a craft project that can be done a little at a time and Duckie can play around on the computer.  If this keeps up, we may actually be able to spend some time TOGETHER after Lily goes to bed instead of doing our individual things because we weren’t able to do anything for ourselves while she was awake.

10 months old man.  Time is flying by.  Of course, time always flies by in hindsight.  I still vividly remember those first few nights at home and the first several months just dragging by.  It felt like they were never going to end.  I feel like I keep looking ahead to what happens next.  "I can’t wait until she can sit up on her own.  I can’t wait until she crawls.  I can’t wait until she’s eating solids."  I’m making a conscious effort to stop doing that and to enjoy the current milestones. 

She started waving three days ago.  I was looking at her in the rear view mirror (there’s a mirror on the headrest of the seat her carseat is in so we can see her) and she raised her hand and waved.  At first, I thought it was a fluke, but I waved back and praised her for being such a big girl.  She didn’t do it again until we were leaving Mandi’s last night.  I’ve been saying "Can you say bye-bye" when we leave somewhere for a loong time now and moving her hand in a wave.  Last night, I said "Say bye-bye" and she waved.  She waved the wrong hand (the one away from Mandi), but when I noticed and praised her, she waved the other hand so Mandi could see.  Today, at the fabric store, she waved at all of the fabric.  It was super cute.

I am a single mom this weekend.  Duckie is on a Go-Live.  He left yesterday at noon and won’t be back until late Sunday night.  A day and a half and I feel more stressed out that I have in a loooong time.  Yesterday wasn’t a great day for Lily.  She was super fussy more or less the entire day.  Today was better, but she refused to take a proper nap, so there was a little crankiness.  She did go right to sleep without any fuss at bedtime, though.  I just feel so frazzled without any help.  I seriously doubt that I will ever take all the baby-stuff that Duckie does for granted.  I mean, I already appreciated it a lot when it’s both of us here.  But now that I am (again) reminded what it would be like to be a single parent, I feel like I should buy him something.

For Valentine’s Day, Duckie got me a 6 month subscription to .. something Box.  Oh what the hell is it called again?  Umba box!  That’s right.  The first package was seriously underwhelming.  Everyone gets more or less the same box every month, so I wasn’t expecting some awesome "Welcome!" box or anything.  Still…  There were 3 or 4 hand screen printed cards with envelopes, a necklace with an adorable tiny deer charm thingy (although the chain was super cheap) and a 5×7 watercolor of a pair of rain boots.  For the cost of the subscription, I really expected something better.  Oh well.  Some months are going to be awesome and some I won’t care for as much.  It happens.  Worst case, I regift the bits I don’t like because someone else will.

I picked up 4 boxes of quilting, cross stitch, and random crafts magazines yesterday.  I found them on freecycle and actually got picked for them!  Holy crap, there are a ton of magazines in my dining area right now.  I also got a point and shoot digicam from freecycle today.  The only issue it has is that the battery compartment won’t stay closed.  Nothing some duct tape or a rubber band won’t fix.  It’ll be so useful for getting spur of the moment shots of Lily or Sprocket or whatever.  I love love love my DSLR, but it’s just not convenient if you need to be quick.

I’m working on several craft projects right now and only taking up more!  My "take your time" project is a rag rug for Lily.

Example:

I’m also doing a stamped cross stitch quilt for my friend Nicole’s upcoming baby girl.  Oh, and I’m throwing her baby shower – for which I am making nearly all of the decorations by hand.  And did I mention the DIY Onsie thing we’ll be doing at her shower?  People will get to design a onsie using fabric paint, iron on transfers, notions, etc.  It’s going to be awesome.

I’m also going to be making a swim suit for an OD fave of mine.  Thanks in very large part to her, Lily’s wardrobe is well stocked until she’s 2T!  It’s the least I can do to thank her.  I hope it turns out well (especially because I want to make one for myself, too!).

What else?  Hrm.  Oh Jebus.  I just turned to look at the couch and noticed that Lily pulled all of the DVDs and all of the console games out and scattered them across the floor.  *sigh*  This place is SUCH a sty.  Still, I’d rather let it be messy (except the kitchen, the bathroom and the floors because, well, ick) and have some time to decompress.  I can always clean during one of her naps tomorrow – if I don’t take a nap with her both times.

June 15 is the vow renewal for my parents.  The wedding is nearly paid off.  I just need my sister to give me the last bit of her share, which she is doing shortly.  Then we just have to save money for the trip to GA, the after party, a bridesmaids dress and a tux.

Of course, before that, we have Jared’s wedding.  Have I mentioned how glad I am that he and Carly found each other?  They’re kind of sickeningly cutesy on FB, but I can remember when Duckie and I were like that (just not on FB).  They also met online and she moved to be with Jared.  Granted, she only moved from Michigan, but you still have to leave your family behind and friends and whatnot.  Anyway, they’re very cute together and she’s really nice.

Did I really just write all that?  Maybe I’ll renew my interest in OD after all.