Crafty Friday: Going Mobile

Long before Baby A's nursery had any kind of definitive plan, even before I knew I was pregnant, I fell in love with Frazier + Wing's Confetti Mobile. I love how full and fresh and fun it is and I had daydreams of creating the entire nursery around the color scheme of this one mobile. The only thing I didn't love was the hefty $75 price tag. Though I knew I wouldn't be using a traditional, plastic, attach-to-the-side-of-the-crib, music playing mobile, I also knew I couldn't spend so much money on something largely decorative.

Then I stumbled upon the blog The Artful Abode at a time when Audrey was designing her nephew's nursery. She had found a mobile that she liked on etsy, but decided to make one on her own. It had the same feel as my Frazier + Wing dream, so I decided to follow her lead and make one myself.

This mobile was incredibly easy to make (if I did it, you can do it) and, even better, super inexpensive. I found everything I needed at Michael's for under $20.

Tools Needed:

• 2-3 foam craft brushes (you can get by with just one, but I don't like to rinse between colors so I bought enough for all the colors)
• 3 bottles of craft paint (I only used 3 colors but still wasn't sure which ones I'd use when I took this picture; that's why there are four. You could use as many colors as you like though.)
• a bag of pre-cut wood shapes
• clear string (I used fishing wire because that's what I had on hand, but Audrey recommended using bead jewelry string because it's easier to work with.)
• a 9" brass hoop (You could also use a stitching ring like Lovely by M did with her mobile)
• (optional) ribbon to cover brass hoop
• (also optional) hot glue gun

Step One: Lay the pre-cut shapes into three columns to decide how you want to vary the shapes and colors. Also be sure to vary the length of the three columns for added interest. Then brush the craft paint on one side, let it dry, then paint the other side.

Step Two: Take a nail (I used a very small nail to make the knot tying easier; Audrey used a large nail, so I guess use whatever works for you) and create a hole in the center of each wood piece. I followed Audrey's take and just hammered into a stack of magazines, which worked just fine.

Step Three: String the fishing wire through the wood pieces at varying lengths, tying a knot on both sides of each piece to hold it in place.

Step Four: Once all three strands have the string through them, tie them to the brass hoop, leaving a long strand of string at the top to hang the finished mobile.

Step Five: Like Audrey, I didn't love the look of the brass hoop, so I chose to wrap ribbon around the hoop to keep it more in line with the design of the nursery. Let me just say, this step will be much easier for you if you wrap the ribbon around before tying the strings onto the hoop. But I'm anal and wanted to use the ribbon to conceal the string knots, though it was definitely the most time consuming part of the process (it also didn't help that I used super thin ribbon, but that was the color I liked best; like I said, I'm a wee bit anal). Just wrap the ribbon around and secure it periodically with hot glue. I hung the mobile from a hanger, which was hanging from a table, to make the process easier; if you can convince someone to hold it for you, your life will be even easier.

And that's it. I just screwed a cup hook into the ceiling and tied the mobile to it. For now it resides over the rocking chair, but it might eventually move over the crib. I haven't decided for sure what to do above the crib yet, so for now, it stays above the chair.

As easy as it was to make, I really love this mobile. I love how, especially when the window is open, it very slowly turns in the breeze, creating even more movement and interest as it winds and unwinds. Hopefully Baby A will love it, too.

Of Schedules and Productivity

During the meet-and-greet portion of our first childbirth class this past Monday, we were asked what our favorite thing about pregnancy has been. Not wanting to be too cliche and go with the popular choices (feeling the kicks, becoming a family rather than just a couple, going through the process together, etc.), I said that I was grateful that pregnancy had forced me to slow down and give myself a break. I simply physically can't do everything on my own at the very moment I want to do it anymore. I have to allow myself to have down time, no matter how long my to do list is. And this, in turn, has forced me to take the time to appreciate the process of pregnancy and mentally prepare for what lies ahead.

And most of the time, that's true. I am grateful for the compulsory calm. It has enabled me to be more present in the moments than I would have otherwise been.

But then there are times that I would give just about anything to be able to do what I want when I want. And I don't just mean sleeping on my stomach.

Take this morning, for instance. I had an insane burst of productivity from about 7 to 8am. I got more done in that hour than I probably accomplished in all of yesterday. Heck, our dining room table is fully cleared off for the first time in about a month. That seems like a miracle in and of itself.

But after about an hour of this, I hit a wall. I made the mistake of sitting down to check something online, and as I fell to the couch, all of my energy fell with me. I was exhausted, after only an hour or so of hardcore work. I had been so pleased with myself, imagining all of the things I would get done before I left to teach. But when I tried to get up, I knew that none of those things would happen. Every effort, at least while my energy rebooted, was going to be strained.

And it has been. And I hate that.

I've never been someone who crams. In fact, I have never once pulled an all-nighter, despite my now 22 years in school. I just don't function that way. Instead I work in bursts of efficiency, getting an insane amount done one day and taking it easy the next. This method is much less effective when my uber-productive day is cluttered with hours when all I want to do is sit on the couch and eat fruit. It's frustrating to say that least.

But (here's me trying to look on the bright side), I think it's preparing me for parenthood by forcing me to adapt. In moments like this one, when I just don't have the energy to be running around or doing six things at once, I alter my schedule and take that time to read in preparation for next week's class. Then, tomorrow morning, when I feel like I'll fall asleep if I try to sit down and read, I'll hang the curtains in the baby's room or work on one of the craft projects still in store for the nursery. I can no longer look at my day as work/school until 5 and then home projects afterward. Instead, I do what I can when I can.

And maybe, just maybe, that's not such a bad way to be.

Watch Me Waddle

The time has come, friends. Nobody has said anything about it to me, but I can feel it. The Waddle. I just don't walk to way I used to. Not that I ever imagined myself to be someone with the kind of gait that made heads turn. But I at least walked...normally. But now, I waddle. Oh dear Lord, the waddle.

I'm not sure why I've been dreading it so much. I think it's because I've been trying very hard to keep my "pregnant self" separate from my "teacher self." Not that I've ever hidden my pregnancy from these students; I told them on day one. But I wanted that to be that. I don't mention pregnancy as an excuse when I have them do group work rather than leading discussion; nor did I mention it the one time I cancelled class just because I really needed a day to be off of my feet and recuperate. I wasn't sick, just pregnant. But I didn't tell them that.

I have minimized discussion of my pregnancy with them because I want to maintain some sort of teacherly distance, especially with this group that is hell bent on being "too cool for school." Also, too cool to talk in class, too cool to do the required reading, and to cool to care about it all. Seeing me as the giddy mom-to-be I feel like most of the time couldn't help that.

So I try not to touch my belly too much during class (though I think my hand has taken up permanent residence on the right side of my belly, where I'm thinking Baby A might try to kick her way out). I'm not naive enough to attempt to hide the belly with oversized clothes (nor am I willing to wear ugly, ill-fitting clothes); there's no hope in that. (And quite frankly, I love the belly. I'm not going to hide it!) But I do try to avoid wearing the clothes that are far too obviously maternity. You know the ones. They ALL tie in the back. And they just scream MATERNITY!

But the waddle...the waddle follows me into the classroom whether I want it to or not. It is followed closely by the heave I now have to employ to get out of chairs (though at this point I'm not even trying to sit in desks; I sit or lean on the table or I don't sit at all!). And the waddle, so clearly not my normal walk, somehow feels like a more obvious sign of pregnancy than even the belly itself.

Yes, I realize I'm over-thinking this. And yes I realize that all my students knew I was pregnant anyway. But I don't think it's any coincidence that the frequency with which students mention my pregnancy in class have gone way up since the waddle worked its way into my life.

But maybe, just maybe I'll learn to embrace it. As I move farther along in this pregnancy and the semester gets closer and closer to its end, I find myself clinging to a come ever what may attitude. It helps me deal with the clashing exhaustion of pregnancy and frustration at students who just don't care. I've let them take the lead (to an extent; I'm still far too Type A to give it up entirely), so if that lead leads them bringing up my pregnancy (of frequent concern is how my class on Trauma & Mourning in Contemporary Lit must surely be affecting the psyche of the baby), and that gets them talking, so be it.

Maybe the waddle is just what they needed.

(Though I still think I could live without it.)

The Weekly Update

How far along? 32 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? 14 pounds or so, which I was totally fine with. I spent an entire weekend in Kentucky listening to people say How small you are! and You can't have gained any weight! and, I'm not going to lie, it both felt pretty good and got me a little worried that I hadn't gained enough (a concern I have never in my life had before). Then I went to the doctor where he informed me that I had probably gained a pound or two more than he'd like, but he wasn't worried about it. A pound or two more! Thanks, doc. Way to pick me right up.

Stretch marks? No, and I don't like to talk about them lest they hear me and decide to pop on out.

Best moment of the week? There are a few to choose from this week. We've gotten a lot done on her room, which has all been fun and wonderful. We've gotten some bigger, much anticipated items (like the pack-n-play and her mattress), and we went to our first childbirth class. I also washed all of her clothes and put them in her dresser. But I think the best part was yesterday when Dave came home to find an unexpected package of Ohio State gear (Go Bucks!) for me, Dave, and the baby - including onesies, a baby toboggan, and a toddler cheerleading outfit. It was all adorable, but mostly it just reminded me how absolutely loved and adored this baby is by so many people even before she's here. She's so very, very lucky. And so am I.

Movement? Like I mentioned before, I fear she is attempting to tunnel out the ride side of my abdomen. She leans to that side constantly and there is regularly one body part or another protruding slightly. It really freaks Dave out, but I've just gotten use to it. I just kind of push it back in and go on about my day. (Pregnancy is weird.)

Food cravings? Not really, and happily the sweet tooth seems to have subsided some (which is kind of bad timing considering all of the leftover Halloween candy we have). Instead I'm back on a fruit kick.

Gender? Girl.

Labor signs? I do think I'm having Braxton Hicks with some regularity (as in I notice them once or twice a day), but you can have them as early 20 weeks and they don't start labor at all so I'm not worried about it. Other than that, no.

Belly button in or out? Still very in, but the cavernous hole that my belly button had become in my second trimester has shrunk quite a bit. I'd say I'm back to my pre-pregnancy belly button, but I'm no longer confident that it won't pop at some point.

What I miss? I really, really, really, really miss being able to sleep on my stomach. Or at least without a pillow between my legs.

What I am looking forward to? Tonight we're going to order the rest of our cloth diaper stash, which I am oddly excited about, as well as order a stroller. I love that everything is coming together!

Weekly Wisdom? Sometimes you just have to give into it. I really resisted sleeping with a pillow between my legs. It's just....awkward. And it makes changing position in the middle of the night quite the hassle. But finally I succumbed and though it is still awkward and a hassle, I have been sleeping much better and my hips hurt much less. So I guess it was worth it.

Milestones? The beginning of childbirth class. This week was mostly just introductory, so nothing terribly exciting to report. But next week begins the breathing practice and discussion of positions and labor and all of the painful stuff. Should be interesting (/terrifying).

Welcome, November

Obligatory observation of the day: I cannot cannot CANNOT believe it's November!

Everyone's saying it, but I have to admit that it's true. I was so pleased that my first trimester (and the summer) and, to an extent, my second trimester did not rush by me in the way I expected them to; they lingered, allowing me to take the process in and enjoy them.

Such has not been the case with my third trimester thus far, though it has nothing to do with the trimester itself.

October, simply put, was a big freaking crazy madhouse whirlwind of a month. School hit midterms, which meant making, giving, and grading exams and gearing up to deal with the 85 gazillion questions that come with the approach of the final essay. And of course I've since been dealing with the post-midterm haze wherein students decide that, truly, they've put in enough effort and it's time for them to stop reading or doing any work and just assuming that it won't matter. It's like Russian Roulette for Lit Students: which day will she find out we're not doing any work and decide to flip out like the crazy pregnant person she is? Not so fun for the crazy pregnant person, though.

Then, of course, there was the traveling. I was gone for two of the four (and a half) weekends of the month, and while both trips were wonderful and rewarding and completely worth it, the traveling itself, the being gone only to come home to have to catch up, and the sad state my apartment settled into because of the traveling has not been fun. Particularly when combined with the afore mentioned teaching-month-o-hell.

All this is to say that my shock at the beginning of November is not the same shock I usually experience. Usually it's an oh crap revelation that the next two months are going to absolutely fly ball in a stressful fury while I gear up for the (wonderful but) exhausting holiday traveling, not to mention holiday shopping in preparation for holiday traveling. But this year, with crazy October behind me and The Due Date a mere 8 weeks (8 weeks!) ahead of me, I am instead faced with the calmest two months of my semester.

Yes, there will be teaching stress (still with the papers and then with the final exam and the final grades and the panicked emails about how they're really good students that deserve an A despite having missed 17 classes and failing to turn in half the assignments) and there will still be holiday shopping (though I pretty much know what's on that list as luck would have it). Oh, and that minor thing of giving birth (I'm choosing not to think of that part right now...until we go to our first Childbirth class tonight...eek).

But there will be no traveling.

And as much as I will miss seeing our families, I will not miss driving 9 hours north and then trying to squeeze as much time with family and friends in three different cities into whatever little amount of time Dave (would have) had off of work. I will not miss always feeling like I should be spending time with whichever family I'm not spending time with at the moment. And I will not miss the 9 hour drive back, after which there is the unpacking and the laundry and the cleaning. Instead, I am really looking forward to a calm holiday season, one which (especially after the semester ends) will be filled with lots of time on the couch and holiday movies and decorating and taking big deep breaths before Baby A's arrival.

Which is why, when I turned the calendar to November yesterday, my reaction was a sigh of relief at seeing the beautiful, empty spaces on the calendar, rather than the traditional shock at how much I have to do with so little time left in the year.

Because this baby's coming...soon...and I think I could really use a relaxing month or two beforehand.

So, welcome November. It's nice to see you again.

Crafty Friday: Initial Art

One of my goals with Baby A's room has been to include personalized touches, whether they involve some kind of history (like an old t-shirt of my Dad's that I plan to frame) or more than the usual effort by being handmade (like the crib skirt). I want her to be able to grow up and ask stories about the things in her room, and I want to have stories to tell her.

And because I am a lover of the written language, I knew there would be an emphasis on letters and/or words in her room. If I had the time, money, and inclination, I would do an entire wall of alphabet letters like this one. Instead, I decided to include just one letter: Baby A's first initial.

I was inspired by the names spelled out in Lindsey's girls' room, but if I were to do another one I would go one step further and imitate Lovely By M's decoupaged J, which even adds patterns to the sides. I also like this simple, classic monogram.

But, because I want Baby A's room to be full of color and layered textures and patterns, I went with the first option. I had all of the supplies on hand except for the "M" (by the way, that's the baby's first initial; the "A" is for our last name, but I guess I can call her Baby M now? We'll see), which I got from Michael's for $3 and the scrapbook paper, also from Michael's for about $1 a sheet (I bought two, just in case, but only needed one).

Tools Needed:

• letter(s) of choice
• scrapbook paper of choice
• Mod Podge
• sponge brush
• pencil
• x-acto knife

By the way, this craft is seriously easy, so feel free to go about it any way that makes sense to you. It's pretty hard to mess up.

Step One: Trace the shape of the letter onto the back of the scrapbook paper.

Step Two: Use the x-acto knife to cut the scrapbook paper to fit the letter. (You could, of course, use scissors if you prefer or don't have an x-acto knife; I can't cut a straight line to save my life with scissors, so I stick with the knife.)

Step Three: Sponge a thin but full layer of Mod Podge onto the letter and carefully lay the scrapbook paper onto the letter. (I worked in sections, going from the top down, but I'm sure you could do it whatever way makes sense for you.) Be sure to smooth down the scrapbook paper as you go to avoid creases and air bubbles (a small metal ruler is handy for this).

Step Four: Put an extra coat of Mod Podge on top of the scrapbook paper. Not only will this help the paper adhere to the letter, but it also makes it just the teensiest bit shiny.

And that's it! See? Easy peasy.

This funky letter will eventually be part of the frame wall (if I ever get everything assembled and hung up), adding a pop of color to a wall full of white frames. I can't wait to see it all put together!

Slowly but surely this nursery is coming together. On the agenda for the weekend: making the mobile. Look for it in an upcoming Craft Friday.

I Wish For Her

I saw this over on a new-to-me blog, Was It For This?, and though Miller is talking about the end of life right before this paragraph, it speaks to me so strongly of what I wish for Baby A (and I wish so much for her) now at the very beginning of her life:

"And so my prayer is that your story will have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in a play. My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside of you, about learning to love a women or a man, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God. We get one story, you and I, one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it?"

Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and Beauty on the Open Road

Intentions

My New Year's Resolution for the past two years (I suppose it's now more of a New Year's Recommitment since I'll be re-upping it for 2010, too) has been to be intentional with my time. The first year I made it I wanted it to help me stop wasting time with meaningless tasks and to make the most of each minute, allowing me more time to relax and have fun with my husband, friends, and family. While I certainly won't pretend that I have not wasted any time since this resolution, I do think I've been more consistently thoughtful about what I'm doing, when, and why.

When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted the process to be intentional. I didn't want to lose focus on the pregnancy (and the amazing, shocking, beauty of this time in my life), nor did I want to get so caught up in what I thought I was supposed to be doing or what others were telling me I should do that I stopped focusing on what (David and) I thought was best for the baby.

Though there's still quite a bit of time left (though it feels like so little some days) until Baby A makes her grand appearance, at this point I feel surprisingly proud of myself (and David). We have been thoughtful pre-parents, thinking seriously about everything from what crib to buy to taking prenatal yoga to what pediatrician to use. And while some people might worry that we're over-thinking everything, the truth is that thinking through these decisions, big and small, has really helped me to exist in the moments of this pregnancy. Though I typically have a horrible memory, I feel so connected to the details of the last six months that I feel that, for once, I will remember both the minor details of planning and the amazing emotions I've experienced for a long time to come.

Let's hope I can remain intentional over the next ten weeks as the space in my belly becomes more and more cramped and sleeping becomes increasingly difficult. It might be the only thing to keep me sane.

The Weekly Update

How far along? 30 weeks (ohmygosh that seems so very close to the end)

Total weight/gain loss? 12 pounds, a number that I am surprisingly comfortable with. I wanted to stay under 10 until my third trimester, and I did.

Stretch marks? Thank you but no.

Best moment of the week? I have been surprisingly stressed about finding a pediatrician. The whole process has been more frustrating than I expected, but I was lucky enough to be able to schedule our first (of three) pediatrician interviews with the doctor I expected to like best. I was incredibly nervous heading into the meeting; it felt so grown up. We headed to our first interview today and it went exceptionally well. The doctor was exactly what we were looking for, a perfect mix of smart, confident, understanding, and personable. Somehow knowing we have a pediatrician lined up makes me feel much more comfortable with Baby A's arrival drawing so near.

Movement? I think that she might be trying to punch, kick, or claw her way out of my uterus. So, yes, there's movement, of the sharp, jabbing variety that, while still wonderful, is far less adorable than the soft, sweet movements of the second trimester.

Food cravings? Does it have sugar? Chocolate? Is it sweet and high in fat and calories? Then I'm probably craving it.

Gender? Girlie girl with a flair for ninja-like movements

Labor signs? No no no no no. (Can you tell I'm getting to that panicking phase where I realize she's coming relatively soon but I'm so not ready that I'd like to keep her in there as long as possible?)

Belly button in or out? Still very much in. In fact, I think it may be receding backwards.

What I miss? Being able to wear all of my lovely fall/winter clothes (go figure the one time Tallahassee actually gets fall weather, I can't wear my adorable fall clothes). Also, I might cause bodily harm to someone for the chance to sleep on my stomach.

What I am looking forward to? Seeing her in her crib. Also, next year, taking her to the pumpkin patch.

Weekly wisdom? Sometimes you really are damned if you do, damned if you don't. Sleeping has become an issue for me as sleeping on my side is causing me minor (to sometimes major) hip pain. When I sleep with a pillow between my knees, I don't have any hip pain but I sleep like crap. Without the pillow, I get solid sleep but wake up sore. There's no good solution.

Milestones? 3/4 of the way there! Holy moly!