Wine and Harvest Fest

My third show, and the best so far. Joe was my assistant for the day. We had a lot of fun just hanging out together. We split a bottle of Cedar Creek Cranberry and buttered up the customers. All in all, a great day. I think that I will take a break from shows for a while now...

Hadley and Joseph Sitting in a Tree...

We went to the Schwenzen's yesterday to watch the Packer game. As usual, Joseph and Hadley got along famously.

Rush for a change of atmosphere

At 8:20 pm last night Joe and I are about half a football field length away from Geddy as he says "There are those who think that life has nothing left to chance..." Gave us goosebumps. We left for home about an hour later.

On the drive from the Marcus back to Cedarburg where Joseph should have been asleep (at grandma and grandpa's) I say to Joe, "Next time we invest that much time and money in a concert it had better be a band that we really love." For me, I guess that would have to be (barring any resurrection of John and George) Simon, John, Nick, Andy and Roger. For Joe that would probably be Tool.

We spent most of the concert on the balcony just talking, and I think that that alone was worth it. There, we realized that it has been almost a year since we last went anywhere in the evening without Joseph. And we realized how much things have changed: at 25, blowing a chunk of change to see a band that you always really liked was not a waste, but our time and money is very precious to us now.

As we coasted down Silver Spring toward I-43 I began to feel a tug from the north. We pulled in the drive and walked inside to find the lights on, both grandparents up, and a very upset and thirsty little boy scrambled hastily in our direction. That about sums it up.

Some QT w/JJ

Joe and Joe got to spend a some quality time together last Saturday as I helped a local art gallery at the Blue Harbor Arts and Crafts Fair. Here are a few of the resulting photos...These two just crack me up!

Almost a Year (Meet the Uppers)

Joseph just turned 11 months on the 21st! So much has changed...

• The upper front two teeth came in about three weeks ago. They are prominent enough now to be photographed.
• No walking unassisted yet. Joseph enjoys "cruising" but not for long as he can gets where he needs to go much faster by speed-crawling.
• This week a new phenomenon: Gibberish sentences with inflection and everything. (glingawa-ah-lanuh-glub-lidda) Hilarious!
• Joseph understands: "No", "Come here", "Open", "Mommy", "Daddy", "Shimmy", "Diaper", and more. Though for the most part we understand each other even without words.
• Joseph loves being tickled, being chased (and chasing), mommy woofing like a dog, and he brings out daddy's goofy side.
  
• Joseph can feed himself a pretzel or cookie just fine, but when it comes to more squashy foods (ie. bananas and pasta) he gags?!
• Still nursing, but he also bites...
• He is amazing, goofy, lovable, and unique.
  

Door County Part 2

Cana Island Lighthouse near Bailey's Harbor (I don't know how to rotate pics, so you will have to turn your head to the right...)

We took two trips to Door County this summer. The first trip was a few weeks ago with some of the extended Finn family. We stayed in a beautiful log cabin near Egg Harbor.

This photo is from the second trip with the extended Myers family. This time we stayed on the lake side of the peninsula in Bailey's Harbor where we had some fabulous lake views.

Hopefully, we will get our hands on more pics soon...

Mr. Grumpy Pants

These pics were taken a while ago, but I thought I would share them with you since we haven't posted new ones in a while

A Shout-Out to Moi!

Please see one of my original pears featured on the blog of one of my favorite artists, Lori Marie of Pretty Little Things:

http://prettylittlethings.typepad.com/

te, he, he, he...

And here is my newest acquisition. One of Lori Marie's Daydreamers. Meet Aurora! Sheboygan Falls welcomes you!

*Lori Marie's Shop is www.prettylilthings.etsy.com

What Would Have Been a Very Lengthy Comment...

A good friend of mine had a baby about six months ago. She grappled with the very difficult decision to take proactive steps in returning to a healthy weight. When she told me of her decision, she almost sounded ashamed and defensive. Oh dear friend, I do not judge ye. On the contrary, I commend you for your decision to take a healthy path and set realistic goals for yourself! That said, I will relay a bit of wisdom I received from encouraging friends and health professionals alike. To all new moms, and moms just given birth out there, remember: it took nine months to put it on. (It has taken me almost a year to take it off)

All too often, women judge themselves not by the quality of their character, but by the amount of burden they can take upon themselves and still look like a centerfold (ie. I can be a mother, work full-time, cook a gourmet meal when I get home and keep my house looking spotless and Martha-esque meanwhile maintaining an acceptable size 0-6 frame and wearing fashionable heels!) I have fallen victim to this trap, too. I have to constantly remind myself that I am not wonder woman.

It is sad that we live in the kind of society that celebrates and reveres women in the spotlight who appear on red carpets only days postpartum down to their previous size 0 (yoga and vegan diet my a*%). Its not magic, it is $$$ and science.

Dear friend (and me) please remember just what kind of woman you really want to be. A reliable wife and friend, an attentive and patient mother...the kind of woman who makes it all look effortless not because she made a tremendous effort but because she really valued what is important in life: being present and available, and having time for the loved ones in her life.

GRRRrrrrrrr....

Joseph has taken to growling. I don't know where he ever came up with it, but it is just adorable. He growls when he is excited and happy, and he makes the cutest little scrunchy-faced smile!

*The first two are Joseph with daddy and grandpa M at the Port Fish Day Parade. The second was taken by me earlier this week when Joseph was just happy and...uh...growling!

Port Fish Day

KSH booth pre-show. My empty spot...and all set up and ready to go.

Yesterday was my first craft/art show ever, it was stressful, exciting, and fun. We had a lovely day weather-wise; a good thing since we were there for 12 hours! I met some very friendly and interesting people, I learned a lot, and I even made 10 sales. Naively, I expected to come home with only a couple of items left, but I understand that 10 sales isn't bad for a first show. I just might do this again!

Gumps Turned Teeth

Joseph's bottom two front teeth finally erupted about a week ago. I have been waiting, rather impatiently, for them to become more visible before photographing them for their big debut. I know that they are still hard to see, but here they are. This is the best I can do for the moment...and it seems that Joseph is rather shy when it comes to the inside of his mouth; he became rather impatient with me while I was trying to capture them.

At his last doc appointment we were informed that the upper two front teeth are very soon to follow.

I Want to Remember This Forever

Its 6:30 am and I am half-asleep in bed. Joseph is sitting and playing mere inches away from my face. He alternately blows raspberries on the flesh of my upper arm and attempts to crawl over my head to reach a book that I left on my nightstand. And every now and then he stops for just a minute to inspect my closed eye with his tiny fingers like a scientist inspecting a newly excavated artifact. All the while bouncing on his butt with his arms in the air and breathing little rapid excited breaths.

A Shout-Out to Hadley

This tee was a gift to Joseph (while still in-utero) from the Schwenzens as a way of telling us that they were going to have a little Hadley.

Just call me the Caffeinated Crafter

Denim hand embroidered and re-imagined. Hand painted OOAK original baby tees and a tea towel. All churned out yesterday afternoon (including some display implements for an upcoming show).

Joseph's First Fourth

We had an excellent time on the fourth. We spent the weekend in Cedarburg with our buds Mike, Jill and Hadley (the Schwenzens) and Marc, Christina and their crew. Joseph saw his first parade, and even took a nap in the park amongst the festivities!

On the Verge of a Tantrum

MY WORLD

First this:

I sometimes take for granted how lucky I am to have Joe as my husband, I guess not every woman has a husband who takes over as mommy when mommy needs a break...

Joe gets up with me every night, all three times (still) when Joseph wakes up crying for a feeding. He doesn't groan, or sigh, or complain. Without having to ask he just gets up and stumbles half-asleep into Joseph's room and brings him to me. Then he burps him and puts him back.

Joseph is going through a phase (at least I hear that it is only a phase) where he prefers mommy. But still, every evening after he gets home from a long day of work Joe feeds Joseph his supper, plays with him, and tries to put this screaming inconsolable bundle to bed (even though he won't without me) just to give me some time to myself!

Joe has made it his personal responsibility to ensure that we have a clean kitchen; 'nuf said.

I am still carrying around some baby weight. Most days I still don't have time to do my hair or put on makeup. I have traded my wardrobe of trendy, feminine, hip stuff in for cargos, jeans and tees (often decorated in baby food and drool). But he never forgets to tell me, every day, how beautiful he thinks that I am.

To a wonderful husband, father, and best friend: Sometimes I feel that I don't deserve you. Thank you so much for your patience, and persistence, and for putting up with me. Happy, happy, happy Fathers' Day. I LOVE YOU!!!

Next this:

It continues to hit me, day after day, how different my life is now that I am a parent. It wasn't so long ago that I would patiently struggle to take an interest and listen to my friends with kids as they would drone on and on about their children. I vowed never to be that kind of parent. I would maintain some semblance of my former self and would take care not to bore the childless with mundane details about my parenting life. But instead, now I find that often I just can't help myself. I spew minutiae about my son left and right to anyone who is willing to listen...and even more surprisingly I find that if someone doesn't care about my son, well, I plain don't care about them!

Maybe I am wrong, maybe I am mean?

All the same, Joseph and Joe are my world, my life, and everything that I live for. I can't imagine my life without them. I dont want to, and I don't know how I ever was such a selfish, self centered person before I had them in my life (that's not to say that I am not still selfish and self-centered in some ways). I just can't believe how much growing up just happens to you when you become a parent. I think I like it!

Big Bag, Little Boy