It's a Weird World

It's a weird world right now.  My toddler told me that she thinks she's scared of Coronavirus.  It was an innocent confession, fraught with concern, made during the second time my husband and I had discussed the topic several weeks ago before much of the pandemonium began.  Much to my heart's dismay.  It was the first big news coverage of the virus in the US.  Being a sensitive family in this time is not easy, but there is a silver lining in this articulation of fear.  The silver lining, I believe, is in voicing our thoughts, our ideas for living in this weird period of self-isolation.

I've read so many accounts from parents who are trying to make things work, to continue on with life now like it was pre-Covid-19.  It cannot be done.  In truth, we have come to another historical era deeply steeped in reality.  With this pandemic, I believe we are unlearning our unproductive ways of thinking that revolved heavily on self-promotion and superficial social interaction and networking.  The magic now lies in more introverted, sensitive ways of doing, of being.  We are now teaching our children via how we manage daily life while physically sequestered away from others; learning is now hands-on and more spontaneous.  In theory, at least.  I like to think that in our boredom we find new ways of seeing.  More empathy and compassion in that we are staying in to protect the most vulnerable in our population.  And honestly, I'm loving it. 

My husband sent me an article from The New York Times about how children don't need traditional academic instruction during this time, but rather, engaged and loving parents:

For those who are lucky enough to have a stable home life, this period won’t be easy — on them or on their children. Children who are prone to anxiety may find this period especially challenging. But all the experts I spoke to emphasized that routine and simple affection are important.

I want to add that parenting means different things to different people.  We are just trying to survive and we will.  We will and are trying our best in the eyes of fear.  It terrifies me that the only tangible reference point we have to compare this worldwide upheaval to is: WWII.  We need to remember that with this virus, we are at war with a virus - not with people.  That, I think, is vital to our mindset as parents and as a collective society when it comes to raising our children during Covid-19 and beyond.  

Awareness is our lifeline.  Hate has no place here. 

Work of the Heart

Hello blog, it's really been awhile.  Motherhood will do that to you.  You blink and your child is now three years old.  You blink and your Etsy shop, once a quiet vessel of life, is semi-busy again with orders after a long, long drought.  Life has currently been on less of a time warp and more on an ebb-and-flow continuum, as life goes. 

I recently sold these tiny labors of love: book-page phrase gift boxes.  Each box top features tiny words cut by hand and a pair of scissors from a copy of Jane Eyre, my favorite book.  I then rearranged the words and made poetic or thoughtful phrases.  I had made these boxes years ago when I wanted to stand out from the mass-produced crowd, when I wanted to be creative in my own resourceful way.  So happy they have found a perfect home! 

Is it weird to talk about one's work in that respect?  As if the work themselves are, indeed, real?  

Toddlerhood

Deanna

@ectiwshop

Motherhood is fast, volatile, complacent. Foot in mouth, covered with kisses, love. Emotions multiplied by infinite hugs, feedings, sleepless nights. Foggy mindedness and giggles, a little one's voice in your ear calling, "Mama, mama." Fast, so fast, that baby smell now gone.

 (From when I was inspired and a little less sleep-deprived.)

New Shop Banner

It's a rainy day, my toddler is actually napping and mama cat-napped for a bit, even after two cups of coffee.  It's been a long day.  And I realized that this blog is in dire need of an update - so here it is.  Recently, I've added a few items to the stamped spoons and talismans section of my Etsy shop.  I'm excited about this new direction in my work.  As a result, I've decided to clear out my handmade jewelry line, so you'll find unique pieces at hugely discounted prices.  Each piece of jewelry is never remade and is truly one of a kind (especially my conceptual pieces).  My destash gem collection has yet to be sorted through, but once I have the time to sort and photograph I'll be adding these to the shop as well.

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My toddler is now reading, fiercely and intensely, and has her very own library card.  Yet she's definitely still a toddler in many ways (the occasional ear-splitting meltdown, anyone?).  We all read all these overarching romanticized narratives about motherhood - plus the ones that we can relate to - about the numbing exhaustion, toddler (and mama...) meltdowns, and the permeating nature of mama brain.  Making three food choices and your kid saying no to each one.  But that smile, when she chooses to do so, warms my mama heart.  Again and again.  That I can wholeheartedly relate to - even as I roll my eyes while scrolling through Instagram's deluge of happy smiley mama and kids.

Mama, I Got You

I got you, mama.  You got this.

Mama talisman pendant for sale in shop.  

Autumn

Happy first day of autumn.  Baby A.'s napping, but never in her crib since she was 3-4 months old.  The sound of construction is in the distance, the leaves are already turning color.  Fall is in the air despite the excessive heat wave we had a few weeks ago.  Thank goodness that's over and done with.  I'm hoping October will be a relative heat-free month.

Baby A. is a fall baby, as some of you know.  Thinking about this, I'm becoming sentimental.  I want to memorize her facial expressions, her already expansive vocabulary (40+ words) and how she says certain words, and the baby chub that is fading with every step she takes.  I want to remember it all.

August

With the end of summer fast approaching, I've been searching for glimpses of autumn in the world around me.  A sharper gust of wind, a cooler shift in the air, an early golden leaf.  Baby A. is my constant companion in these outdoor jaunts, peeping over my shoulder and looking high up into the clouds from her vantage point in the carrier.  I have to try pushing her around in the stroller because she's getting bigger and bigger - where does the time go?

Motherhood has become a sort of coming-of-age story for me, an awakening.  If I could go back in the past I'd tell myself to be kinder, to cut out the incessant worrying and the frustration because it's all happening for a reason.  The reason may be elusive in the moment, but there is always a point being made.

As the verdant colors of summer shift to those of autumn, I look forward to sharing my favorite season with my little one.  The golds and browns and oranges and reds.  The cozy sweaters and the hoodies.  I also look forward to celebrating her first birthday, helping her take her first steps, and taking road trips with her Daddy and her.  She already says 10+ words on her own; reading/studying books is her favorite pastime.

Our First Family Trip

A few weeks ago, we went on our first mini family vacation.  We drove up to the mountains.  The drive was fine until the windy ascent into the mountains, but baby A. was a trooper who only got carsick once.  Still, as a first-time mother, I was nervous and kept the throw-up baggie in hand.  The entire trip!

We took baby on a leisurely paved walk to a waterfall in the area.  She slept in her carrier for most of the hike, but awoke toward the end of it to vibrant green trees and cloudless blue skies.  (One of her favorite pastimes is to watch leaves on trees blow in the wind.)  She loved it.  Above is a photo of the creek that leads to the waterfall, which was abundantly filled with snowmelt.  I'm glad that the years-long drought we've been experiencing was broken this year.  It made for beautiful hiking scenery and a healthy forest.

Overnight trips with a baby, even a short one like ours, are stressful.  Is she cold?  Hot?  Hungry?  Going to sleep through the night, or wake the neighbors?  And in my case: Is she going to throw up, and when?  But new situations force you to reexamine what you can handle and more importantly, what your baby can.  (And yes, she handled things much better than I thought she would.)  We slept little, ate when we could, stressed continuously, and got out into nature for a bit.  Our reward was baby A.'s awe-filled laughter and smiles.  It's the little joys that matter, always the little joys.  Parenthood is quite a trip.

It Takes A Village

via Etsy

June

via Instagram

It's been three weeks since my last blog post.  Goodness.  In baby time, that's a lot of developmental growth.  However, in mama time, three weeks has slipped through my fingers; I've forgotten how crazy life has been lately with a teething almost-there crawler.  (I am amazed at how mamas of more than one baby manage work and family life, especially those who work from home.)  

As for my Etsy shop I am still shipping orders as time permits, usually twice a week.  Lately, my writing services have been inquired about the most, which has been a wonderful surprise.  I've also noticed that there's been a clustering, an ebb and flow if you will, of specific shop item inquiries - that only my jewelry work is asked about one week and only my writing services the next.  It's as if we're all connected somehow in this amazing vast universe.  And I love that.  I like to think that positivity perseveres over the negativity in our society, our world.  That goodness and kindness are more commonplace than we know.  It's my hope to pass this on to my daughter who is becoming more and more observant as the days go by.  More importantly, it is my steadfast hope to be the best mother I can be.  Mamas out there, I feel you.

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In jewelry news, I hope to unveil new jewelry designs this autumn!

Mama Life

Are you following me on Instagram and/or Twitter?  I tend to post more on those social media outlets, especially now that I'm a mama of a little one.  Mama life is intense: life is quicker but the days are infinitely longer.  Sometimes the days are painstakingly long.  I'll often dream of a big mug of caffeinated coffee (as opposed to decaf), would love to switch from herbal to green and black teas.  I now see why mama-saying shirts are popular.  That being said, baby A. is an amazing little one - a breath of fresh, unpredictable life in this control-freak mama's heart.  Patience, patience, patience.  I'm learning each day how to be patient and go with the flow, sometimes the hard way, but I'm learning.

To my night owl baby, I love you.  Thanks for being patient with me.

Motherhood Humor

3 Buggas Design

Lately

I have to admit that it's all about baby A. lately.  Jewelry has not been made, shop orders have shipped a few days later than usual, and product inquiries have been answered at all hours of the day.  And I believe this is how it should be.  At least for now.  Babies don't have on-the-dot wake and sleep times.  Mine doesn't nap much (or at all) during the day, and sleeps at strange God-forsaken hours.  But oh, her Cheshire Cat grin.  Her silly, quiet laugh; the sweet sparkle in her old-soul eyes.  For now, it's all how it should be.  When I'm ready to start making jewelry again, I will.  Until then, I'll be knee-deep in the crazy love that is motherhood, knowing full well that the long days, weeks, and years of childhood will, in truth, be short-lived.

New Year Thoughts

via impressus

Ah, 2017.  It still feels like 2016 to me, probably because last year was when all-wise little baby A. came into our lives - but back to the present moment...

My goals for 2017 are to enjoy family time (I often forget to take pictures!), make new jewelry when time allows, and begin again on expanding my writing services in shop.  I'm of the mindset that family comes first, so I'm continuing to accept custom orders on a case-by-case basis.  As I look at all the changes being made on Etsy and in our world, I'm astonished by the money-driven nature of it all - at the expense of creativity and ingenuity.  And need I mention old-fashioned integrity?  This I think about as I'm now a parent.

This I now realize as the first month of the new year unfolds.