sounds

I love how the sound of the dishwasher always makes Arie fall asleep.

And speaking of sounds, my parents were telling me yesterday about a story they saw on the news the previous night.  apparently, a personality/pet peeve/quirk I've always had is actually a real thing.  We always just thought it was a "me" thing.  It's called misophonia.  I can't stand hearing other people chew.  And i know, you'll say that no one likes to really hear another person eat.  but we're talking, even polite eaters.  chewing with their mouth closed.  The noise of them chewing just stands out and is LOUD to me and I CAN'T STAND IT!  it makes me ill.  If I'm eating at the same time, i have to stop eating.

Poor Josh--If I'm sitting next to my husband during dinner, then the TV has to be on to drown out chewing noises.  Otherwise, I get physically angry and annoyed and shoot him very angry looks for just chewing his food like a decent human being.  It's 100% an anxiety thing.  Always knew it was, just didn't know it had an actual name!  If we're having a snack in the living room..we sit on different sofas until snack time is over. 

Oh, and don't get me started about listening to people drink hot coffee.  I freak out in movie theaters--listening to people crunch popcorn.  i just focus in on those mouth sounds and can't distract myself away from listening...it's all i hear.  I usually end up clamping my finger nails into josh's arm if he's nearby.  Fortunately, Josh has always been very understanding of this trait of mine and knows that i can't really help it.  he tries to help me just 'chill out'..but it does lead to some crazy moments (switching seats with me in the middle of "Wicked" when were in London, as the lady next to me was slurping her ice cream she bought during intermission.  Making me get liquored up on a trans-atlantic flight so that I didn't strangle the person eating next to me.  you know.  silly things like that).  as you can see, it inflicts a kind of rage response from me.

mommy's little thumb-sucker!

 I know.  I'm weird.  I'm an artist, that's all i can say.  So how about some cute baby pix to help show that I can be normal (for what it's worth, i like hearing my nephew and my Arie eat.  I find their eating sounds reassuring. 
don't ask why)









Arie turns 12 weeks in a couple of days...and he's around 9lbs now.  Pretty honkin' huge compared to his 5.75lbs at birth!  He's doing so, so well.  Despite having such a fun job, it's still a job--and so i have a bit of contempt for it at the moment as I'd rather spend all day playing and cuddling with Arthur!  At least I get to work from home and get to at least be around him all day.

a whole new ballgame...

In my last posting on this blog, i was not yet officially a mommy....and today I write this as the mommy of a 2month old!

here are the highlights

-Arthur Alan Clough was born on 6/20 (1 week early)
5lbs 11oz, 20.5" long....yup, a long skinny guys!
-labor was just 8 hours--fast and intense.  Oof.  A little scary, too.  Arie's heart rate kept dropping with each contraction.  so alarms kept going off.  turns out, it was becuase his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck.  we didn't know this until the very end, so an emergency c-section team was on standby in my room in case Arie didn't tolerate the pushing well.  but he did.  Just 5 sets of pushes and he was out!

-the first 2 weeks of motherhood are quite the experience and adjustment.  week 3 felt better.  by week 6 i was starting to see how I'd be able to juggle being a mommy while also taking care of the house and getting back to work

-nursing takes a lot of time.  and breast fed babies like to eat a little several times a day.  even now that he's 2 months old, he's still eating about every 2-3 hours during the day time.  At night, he's starting to really do well.  I nurse him, then he gets a bath and then Daddy (Josh) gives him a bottle I've prepped.  so that really stuffs the kid.  Just this past week we're finally getting into a 5-6 hour stretch at night.  after his 1st wake up at 3 or 4am, though, he's up every 2 hours after that.  but I can handle that for the most part.  better than every 2 hours the whole night like it was for the first month...

-Arie loves going on walks in his stroller.  and he loves sitting in his little chair out in my workshop and watching me while I work.  fortunately, he likes the sound of the engraver (it's like white noise to him).  but he doesn't get to be out in the office when i'm soldering metal.  I do all that kind of work first think in the morning while he's still asleep.

-i would not say that arthur has colic--but he does get the grumps in the evening.  cuddles, eating, and walks outside seem to do the trick.  Oh and he loves bathtime :)

i love my little man more than I ever thought possible.  can't imagine life with out him!

Arie's Churching 3 weeks ago

almost like music

The sound of nearly10,000 little glass seed beads falling to the ground is almost soothing...and quite a pretty effect...Until you realized that you have to clean them all up.  and that while you were mesmerized by the waterfall effect of them, they bounced all over the woodfloor and scattered into a dozen different nooks and crannies. 

movin' that up a tad....

Sorry folks, I know I had said June 8th...however my increasing discomfort with all things pregnancy related have really been taking their toll.   June 3rd is the new cut off date.

My work doesn't stop on the 3rd...I have to finish making all the orders that I receive during this week. and based on the kinds of 'practice contractions', the massive heat wave the midwest is experiencing right now, my lack of sleep (so hard to get comfy!), and just all things needing to be done to get ready for baby, it's all just feeling a little overwhelming right now. and I need to limit my stress at the moment. and I would rather upset a few people now by moving up the cut off date than taking an order, but not being able to fill it. My very sincere apologies is my date change is going to inconvenience you in any way.

thanks for understanding!

Last Call!

THE LAST DAY to get your orders in before I start Maternity leave is June, 8th!!!

Once I finish up those last orders, then I will officially be on maternity leave until the end of July.

I hope to get back to work on August 1. NOTHING WILL SHIP WHILE I AM ON MATERNITY LEAVE. I will keep this website updated with all pertinent info. Please no phone calls during my leave. You are always welcome to continue emailing, and I will respond when I am able. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience my time away may cause. I appreciate your patience and understanding during this wonderful time in our lives. I promise to return to work as soon as I can.

My Due date is June 27th....so I'm just past 34 weeks along, but this kid is measuring in at 36 weeks along (for those of you who don't know, 40 weeks is "Full term").  and his current measurement does not necessarily mean that he'll be early..but it does show you just how uncomfortable I'm starting to get.  and Just plain exhausted.   No one would want me working on their crowns a full month from now, trust me!  Depending on the health of the baby and myself, I may shorten or extend my leave.  Keep checking back for updates on either this site, or the website.