MaternityShare

It has been over two months since I have last blogged. I have twittered here and there and been active somewhat on Facebook. But here is the real meat. The longer deeper posting realm.

I keep struggling with what it means to blog, why do it and how much to reveal.

Writing is therapeutic and it records. I like that. But, I don’t want to write things that make me uncomfortable knowing that others may read this. I think that is the long and short of it.

The real (in a nutshell) problem seems to be my self confidence which is related to wondering “who am I really?” and the silly questions that I ask myself a lot like “why do I do what I do?”.

I find blogging to be not only therapeutic and a way to record events, thoughts, and such, but also a neat way to “be” in the world. The act of blogging is a path. It takes you somewhere just like anything else in life. You act and the world reacts to you. Even if no one reads this I still am having an experience outside of myself because am recording this and, it has the potential to be read.

One of my favorite bloggers is Heather Armstrong also known as “dooce”. She made #26 on a list of 30 of the most influential women in media by Forbes Magazine of which Oprah was #1. Heather’s blog is at dooce.com. Reading her experience of life and the way she chooses to share it is funny as well as inspiring. She has shared things that most people would not have. Most would be embarrassed, ashamed, or afraid of hurting others by sharing personal things about them. I think this is what makes her so compelling. She breaks taboos and, she has a funny writing style.

I might define dooce as “having or indicating such grossness of mind as precludes delicacy and discrimination” (this also happens to be the Merriam-Webster definition of “crass”)

Until my next post, join me in celebrating transparency by doing what you say and saying what you mean.

It is official: Will waves and says “hi”… well, more like “heah”.

I read about a week ago on the website “What To Expect” that if you teach your baby to wave and say “hi” at about nine months that they will learn to do it. So I began waving and saying hi to him now and again and he picked it right up. At first it was subtle and not unlike him dancing (because he waves his hand in a cute little way when he dances). His new talent is the strongest when I am holding him and we are both looking in the mirror.

Darn, babies are cute!

We went to Tilden Park up in the Berkeley Hills two weekends ago to celebrate our friend Brandon’s birthday. It was our first time there. Will was given the gift of a huge can of bubbles. Here is our little family photo playing the bubble game followed by Will chilling by the lake (Billy and our friend Allison approach in the distance), and Will and Dad playing bocce ball.

Last night I was crouching down on the floor in “squat pose” while eating my enchilada while Will played on our new wood floor cuz I wanted to hang out with the little fellah on his level and get a good stretch in at the same time. Then, moments later, Will inched forward a little bit. Then he inched some more. Then he had the bottom drawer handle in his hand (he likes shiny objects… this is probably what enticed him to crawl) and then he began opening and closing the drawer on his face! He was very pleased with himself.

Billy is the great Oz behind my blog. And one of the things I love that he added to it is this “you might also like these posts” thingie by Outbrain to the bottom of my posts here on maternityshare.com. I have actually been finding some interesting content. The last one I read was good writing and had a catchy title: “A slap in the boobs by Dr. Sears?” She talks about this moo moo looking cover that moms can wear while breastfeeding that hides boobs, kid and all!

Will is 9 months old! He loves watching the big kids play and thinks he is one of them. He is so eager to touch and feel and play. He gets so excited when we take him to our local bookstore and he plays with the train set. That table filled with trains and their tracks is showing its age and with wear and fading paint and is a dirty germ pool but Will loves it so. It is his “precious”.

I have come a long with with my mild case of germaphobia. Will’s and my life is better for it. He has fun! And I am more relaxed. Oh yah, and dad is relieved. I did however wash his hands when we got home :}

Will has he two bottom teeth, loves to pull himself to stand, claps, grooves to music and much much more. I love this little guy. He has now been out of the womb longer than he was in.

Photo taken March 19th — Will at 8 months old.

Dear Dulc,

Thanks for the note :}

We moved back into our place on March 13th. The construction company is doing some good work and a lot of poor work and is taking forever to finish. It has been so stressful dealing with them as well as everything with the being displaced these past months.

I am broke and feeling stressed still. BUT, I won’t let that get me down. I am working to get this place unpacked and organized when I am not caring for Will or doing other things. When I keep getting so stressed-out from day to day I realize this is no way to live and I turn my mind to things I have learned in yoga or from other people who deal with a multitude of stresses good and bad.

The greatest silver lining of it all in this flooding of our home is that we met some awesome folks in the sub-lets we stayed in as well as here in our loft building and for that I am very grateful. I have missed having a local supportive community of folks who are just good people.

I am so close to setting up my flower making station again and plan to create a bridal line. I am excited about that. So if you know of anyone who would be interested in some foxy flowers send ‘em my way!

I am also going to meet with this awesome guy, Lev, who creates his own kombucha (Lev’s Original Kombucha) in a even more healthy way than others do and the way you serve it is on tap to keep it as full of goodness as possible. I want to look into being a sales rep for him. He wants to set me up with one account to “see how it goes”. We shall see how that meeting goes.

I am also in negotiations with two moms who have children’s clothing businesses (one new, locally designed line in the Temescal district of Oakland, and the other a consignment used clothing store in Bernal Heights of SF. There may be some business and community building opportunities there.

How do moms do it? I feel like on top of it all I am a full-time housekeeper? Well, this grand adventure is pushing me hard and I aim to glide gracefully through it and not fall down… or, if I fall down to get up and keep on ‘ on.

I miss you on a regular basis. I miss the community and great times we had there in Portland. But I know you are still there… just a email, phone call, or plane ride away.

I would love to hear how you are doing, what you have been up to. I am curious how motherhood was, is and, continues to be for you.

Big hugs,

~Christine