End of Summer.

meow!

We are feeling the end of summer. The semester begins in just about three weeks. Eeeek. So we're trying to enjoy our free time while also trying to be as productive as possible before we get very busy.

This fall Aaron is in school full time and teaching two classes and I will be teaching a total of three classes. So we'll be busy. Meg will be helping watch Sam during our busiest days. I've been trying to get together my syllabi and assignments. Sometimes I'm really into this teaching stuff.

Also, I have a craft fair in Indianapolis coming up in October, and a solo show in November. So I need to be making stuff. I've started making baby and toddler hats. See one of my trial runs on Sam above. I like them! And they are super fast to make. A little derivative and not that unique, but cute and I think I can sell them at low price points because they don't take much labor. Most of all, though, they are fun and everything is fun if you have a cute little baby to put them on.

So, things are busy. But pretty good I guess. Here is Sam having fun on the playground.

OH: and walking update: He is not really ready to be walking on his own. He makes sure to grip our fingers tight so we can't slip them out of his little kung fu grip. It will come.

Talking update: He still hasn't said his first word, unless "Bye" counts. He does now try to make a "woof" sound that comes out "ppfooofff" and he also does a "shhh" with his finger to his mouth and that similar "pffff" noise when we are trying to be sneaky.

Working Mom

So we're figuring out our schedules for the new academic term. I have agreed to adjunct at the community college, and I had applied and interviewed for an academic advisor job (part time). I SOOOO wanted that advisor job, figuring it was reliable year-round employment and could be a great stepping stone into a career path of education administration. BUT ALAS, no call (even though I thought the interview went quite well). Sigh. Well the university has come through with a couple of classes for me, but two different classes (meaning three course preps in total). This would definitely be full-time work. Oi. I have asked to see if I can do just one of those classes. So I'd be doing three classes total, two preps. I think we could make that work.

While I'm still struggling to identify the ultimate career path for me, I suppose I am stumbling forward on one nonetheless. And I feel fortunate to have the opportunities that I do. But as I sit here questioning how to balance motherhood and academia, my friend sends me this link to this book called Mama, PhD ... read an excerpt here. This book seems pretty cool and I just might have to seek it out, if not for comfort than to commiserate. For now I will continue to stumble forward, one semester at a time, while I hope for the occasional "a ha" moment.

Family and the Big Lake

We went up to Michigan this weekend to see the family. My brother was in town (all the way from LA) visiting my dad, so we took the opportunity to get up there and see the whole crew. Sarah and Mike even were able to come up and join us! Saturday we walked, ate, and watched The Room (hmm). And Sunday we wanted to go to Lake Michigan but the weather prohibited such an outing. We had a nice time visiting indoors, and by evening managed to get in a walk and a nice dinner. Today, we left in the morning and stopped in Saugatuck/Douglas on the way home so that we could see the lake. Sam loved playing in the waves and the sand.

Please enjoy the photos from our lovely Michigan weekend!

Walking!

Sam took his first steps tonight! We were having a good bye party for our dear friends Nick & Ashlea (who are moving next week, boohoo) and our friend Nate took Sam under the arms and said "Shall we do some unassisted walking" And he basically let go and he walked!! We kept doing it throughout the night, letting Sam walk from Mom to Dad, Dad to Mom, Mom to Aunt Meg, etc etc. Right before bed he took about seven consecutive steps! It has BEGUN!!

Also, as a super cute side note: This morning he woke, rolled over, gave his dad a kiss and then gave me a kiss. Ahhh, bliss.

so sweet.

On a morning when Sam woke too early, couldn't sleep but wanted to, restlessly tossed and turned and cried until I nursed him, perhaps ever 20 minutes, I was pretty sure I was ready to start getting him to sleep in his crib. Then, once we finally agreed to simply get up, and we were still in bed, quietly playing and waking up, he crawled over to me and gave me a few kisses.


The documents the doctor sent home with us said that "sleep time is not bonding time, it's neutral time". I don't know. Maybe the actual sleep part is?? I'm not convinced. But the going to sleep and waking up is certainly bonding time. And if sleep time is not bonding time, then why do couples sleep together?

Happy Anniversary!

Just a quick post to acknowledge that Aaron and I have been married for SEVEN YEARS!
Yesterday was our anniversary and we had a very nice time blueberry picking with Barb, taking a long wagon walk and playing with a fountain on campus, and then Juan babysat Sam while we went out for Indian food. We ended the night by picking up some bargain bin DVDs, ate ice cream, and watched a bad romantic movie that we'll promptly donate to the library. I love you, Aaron! So nice to share these days together, and so appropriate to share our anniversary with our son. He is the embodiment of our love and partnership and that may never cease to amaze me.

One Year Doc Updates!

Sam is back from his one-year well-baby check up. He is doing great! Didn't get his vaccines because our doc told us of a cheaper (read: free) place to get them, but other than that she checked the normal stuff. He's a much smaller guy in some respects; here are the stats:

Weight: 23 lbs 12 oz (around 65%)
Height: 29.5 (don't remember -- maybe 35%?? kind of short)
Head: 48 cm (88%)

Doc said right now as he moves into toddlerdom he is finding his new percentile arcs to follow, so drops aren't anything to worry about.

Sam cried nearly the whole time. It ended up that we were there when he wanted to be taking his first nap, so he was on edge.

It is funny to me that at the doctor, questions from the nurses are posed in such a way as to suggest the assumption that we (as I suppose all other parents?) are using formula and taking our child to day care. I do not mean to suggest that either of those choices are bad choices, but it sort of makes me sad to think that they are indeed the more common or "normal" choices, or I suppose, situations. Though I'm ready to figure out how to cut back/out the nursing, I am so happy that I was able to nurse my son all these months, and I feel so very blessed to have been able to be home with him as much as I have.

Aaron and I are back to questioning sleep habits and are feeling like we should work to get Sam in his crib. It will be two weeks of rocky sleep and lots of crying, but it might ultimately be worth it? I'm sure we would/will both be sad to see the bed-sharing days end, but we both sort of feel like it's important for Sam to be able to sleep in his own bed. When the appropriate time is is always so unclear, I guess. For example, the literature the doc gave us said that if we are still bed sharing, we will probably share a bed until Sam is 3 or 4 years old. I think this is true, based on the stories other parents have shared with us. That doesn't seem like something we want. However, maybe that's actually a natural and healthy time and way for sleep habits to change? I don't know. We'll see. In some ways now seems like the best time to suffer through the two weeks of "sleep training" since we have time before the semester starts.

And for the semester: I guess I've confirmed and agreed to teach two classes at the community college this fall. I'm excited for it. I have that interview for the Academic Advisor position on Thursday. I would like to do both, if offered the second job, but then I'd be working full time. Hmmm. But the Academic Advisor job would be reliable and consistent and may even come with benefits. Hmmm. I could back out on teaching, but I don't want to do that and I would feel bad doing it. Well, once again, here I am worrying over what ifs when i do not even have an offer for the advisor job. So, I'll interview and take it from there. Hmmm.