I’m Still Alive

Is something wrong she said? I have to whiz. Your bladder’s full she said? Do I deserve to pee? Is that the question?…

Yes. Yes I know it’s been well over a month since I last posted. I know. This hasn’t escaped me. I have the best of intentions to write. To craft. To photograph. To write about crafting. To write about photographing the crafting. Alas, most if not all of my time lately is spent with a ten pound human attached to my boob, on the couch watching really crappy TV because I’ve already read everything TMZ has to give, my iPhone is dying, and there is little else I can do with one hand while held captive on a couch that is slowly developing a dent the size of my ass. That’s a large dent. My daughter could probably disappear in that dent. The Grand Couch Canyon.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my daughter, and I don’t mean to complain. I just sometimes would at the very least like to take a piss without feeling guilty because she’s screaming like she watched me kill her puppy. Don’t judge me for my high levels of selfishness.

Anyway, with Mr. Jennysold taking three more weeks of his paternity leave (thanks, Large Internet Company Employer!) during December, that will jump start my getting back to it crazy-style. And allow me to pee with the door shut. That’s the plan, or at least the hope. :)

Until then, I will be at the Haverford High School Holiday Bazaar. Come visit!

Event Information:
Haverford High School Holiday Bazaar
November 17, 2012
10:00AM – 3:00PM
200 Mill Road
Havertown, PA

The Fog of War, or Rather, We Had a Baby!

From Wikipedia:
“The fog of war is the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants in military operations. The term seeks to capture the uncertainty regarding own capability, adversary capability, and adversary intent during an engagement, operation, or campaign.”

If that hasn’t been our life since September 14th, 2012, I’m not sure what has. What was the 14th you ask? Well, the most intense day of my life thus far: I finally met my little Baby S. Her name is Anne (for her Nana) Elektra (for my Nuna). She is both insanely adorable and insanely hungry. Which, well, is of course a good thing for her growth, my confidence in my ability to actually nurse her, my calorie burning, my wallet, etc. But not so much for that whole sleep thing. They tell you that you’ll never sleep again – they being people who must secretly want you to be as worn out as they were – and they’re right.

Holy shitballs, man.

I have never been so excited to see my bed at the end of the day, but take note that the end of the day is now 2am, and my respite is short before Annie starts all over again, usually at 5am. It’s like my boobs turn on the ugly lights at last call, and Annie stumbles to a friend’s dorm room, passing out for a few hours before waking up to rally bright and early before the big homecoming game. Every day. You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.

I can’t tell you how my brain has basically melted in the past two weeks. Let’s leave out for minute (or for a few posts, maybe someday, maybe not) the actual “birth story” and all the physical effects of the whole shebang and stick with what I like to call “baby-onset Alzheimer’s”. BOA has led me to put the butter in the pantry, try to recycle a poopy diaper, spend too much time talking about a poopy diaper, and to think “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” is a good idea, amongst other transgressions.

But then, you look at that little face and you can’t not “awwwwwwww” in endless pride. Especially when she poops all over her daddy. Way to go, champ!

 

Annie at one week old

 

Annie at two weeks old, at Linvilla Orchards. I’m stoked she was born at the height of Pumpkinland time :). Clearly she was enamored….

I’m Baaaaack!

So, Mr. Jennysold and I got back a few Fridays ago (I told you I was slow with travel photos) from our last (for awhile) baby-free vacation and, sadly, my last trip on an airplane for the forseeable future. For someone who inexplicably LOVES going to the airport, and lives for planning her next international adventure, this is somewhat torturous. Yes, I know, new baby, way more important, bigger adventure, all that. And you’re right. Besides, it may not be too bad, as I have done my research and found that most airlines will let a newborn fly as young as 7 days old. And there is a good chance Mr. Jennysold is going to have to go to Europe and/or Australia again for work post-baby: hellooooo tag-along! All hope is not yet lost. Luckily, he took his boring middle-of-nowhere Canada trip next week, past my self-imposed third-trimester “ok to fly” cutoff date. Good that he wasted that one now; I used the time home to watch all those “My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding” episodes that were piling up on the Tivo. It’s like a misogynistic Redneck Jersey Shore – awesome!

We were in Seattle for the first two nights and spent a day doing the whirlwind “must-sees”: a good meal, Pike Place, the Original Starbucks, the Space Needle, and the EMP museum (which, bonus, still had the Nirvana/punk exhibit up). Touristy, I know. But tell me which of you coming to Philly for the first time won’t: A – go see the Liberty Bell, B – run up the Rocky steps at the Art Museum; C – slide a greasy (read: real) cheesesteak down your maw. Yeah. That’s what I thought too.

The rest of the time was spent in Maui, save the overnight stop in Seattle on the way back. This was the third time we have gone, and it was pretty awesome to recognize everything from having been there a few times before. It was like that when I went to visit my sister’s place in Belgium – the airport was familiar, driving the road to your home for the trip is like second nature, you have a favorite restaurant already, that sort of thing. It just feels, I don’t know… good. Though I must say I was a little upset that the gigantor blow-up gorilla wasn’t by the gas station with the broken credit card system. I was looking forward to that gorilla. Ah well. All in all, the trip was awesome (as it usually is); so much so that I hormonally started to cry when we were dragging the luggage down the hall to go check out. It was kind of pathetic, really, but what can a girl do when pregs but let it out? And do more research on where to go next. I am thinking Munich, Prague, Vienna? Unless Australia creeps up again, in which case, sausages and beer will have to wait :)

Below are a few photos from the trip; there are more of Seattle since we hadn’t been there before. Anyway, enjoy!

 

Starbucks, a touristy must.

 

Pike Place Market

 

Yummy looking produce at the Pike Place Market.

 

There were some surprisingly colorful skies there. A little credit to Lightroom, of course…

 

“The Space Needle is impressive.”
“That’s what she said.”

 

Experience Music Project.

 

The Chihuly Garden and Exhibit that I drug – and I mean DRUG – Mr. Jennysold to.

 

A few scenes from the Four Seasons Maui, including the shuffleboard piece with which I FINALLY beat Mr. Jennysold. At a game, not, like, in a spousal abuse way.

 

The death stare I gave Mr. Jennysold for being able to drink when I couldn’t. See that glass with the lime he’s holding? Seltzer. That’s how exciting I am these days. Livin’ it up!

 

Some scenes from around Maui, including the sunset as viewed from Mama’s Fish House. MMM… Mama’s…..