Thoughts from the Past Week

• My sister is pregnant with her second child! Since she was pregnant with her first while I was pregnant with Pearl and we constantly compared notes and chatted about it all, it seems strange for her to be pregnant and me not. I am excited about being able to focus on the Aunt part this time around.

• I had a marvelously fabulous time with friends and my husband at the Cloud Cult concert, which in itself was completely awesome. We got all tipsy at a fancy nightclub and got to chat with the band before and after dancing and singing along with our favorite songs. Pearl had fun with her Grandma and the rest, too. Everything went a little more smoothly this time around for them, though she missed us, and us her.

• Mr. Peach & I's wedding =anniversary is coming up - we will have been married three, and together five. It seems weird, having been married for the greater part of our relationship.

• Sitting alone in the dark on this night as the Autumn Equinox approaches, I am excited and looking forward to the changes coming: cozy clothes and a change in the seasonal menu, slow-baked food and warm soups... getting outside more and watching the leaves change colors.

• I have started taking belly dancing classes and am really enjoying them. I am finding it very challenging, having never really done anything that requires coordination and athletic ability.

• I'm looking forward to seeing a movie with my husband. Usually I'd much rather watch a movie at home but occasionally one will come out that I don't want to wait around for the dvd release of and so we hit the theaters. We love Wes Anderson movies.
  

Happiness

First of the Autumn Sewing

I started on sewing some clothes for early Autumn a few weeks ago, looking forward to the change of seasons.

And now cooler weather has arrived: clear bright days mixed in with cool rainy ones, and nights that are already chilly.

First I made Pearl this tiered skirt out of a dark red floral fine wale corduroy that I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby for $2 a yard - can't beat that!

Then I made her an autumn-hued patchwork twirly skirt - same way I made this dress a few months ago. It's made from bold & bright cotton prints with a few patches of soft brown corduroy from an old skirt of mine thrown in.



I used the same fabrics on the owl applique I put on an organic cotton tee (I used the corduroy on his wings and head, and he has two big wooden button eyes). It was my first time to do applique and I am quite proud of how it turned out. And Pearl loves it!

And I am proud to announce that I made something wearable for myself! It is a tiered skirt made from brown, fine wale corduroy. I followed a tutorial I found online and have since lost that conveniently fit my own measurements, plus a few little embellishments like the extra ruffle at the bottom.



You can't tell from these photos, or in some lights, but I totally goofed up and put a few pieces of the skirt together with the nap going in the opposite directions... but by the time I realized this, the dress had already been topstitched and the seams finished, so I said, oh well!





More Autumn projects to show coming up, as I finish them!

First Night Apart: A Success.

Pearl's first night away from me went well! She didn't go to bed until midnight (the same time Mr. Peach and I hit the sack in a bed and breakfast a few miles up the road) and my mom had to put on a 5am showing of My Neighbor Totoro to keep her happy and get her back to sleep, and when she woke again at 8:30 she called out for me but then started reading books and was fine.

We stayed at a cabin rather than going back home after dropping her off last night so that we would be closer to my parents' house if she wasn't handling it well and needed us, and so that was a nice little change for us. It was strange (but good) to not have to keep eyes and ears attuned to a toddler or the baby monitor, and boy was it nice not having to go through the bedtime/sleep shenanigans.

And though I cried a little when I packed her bag and I thought my heart would break when we left her playing happily with my mom, I did okay as long as I was occupied... though I must admit I got tearful sitting out on the back porch swing alone while Mr. Peach showered and I realized I was rocking out there by myself when usually at that time of night, I would be rocking Pearl to sleep...

And goodness, were my breasts overly full of milk in the morning! Ouch. I nursed her as soon as we were reunited after being served a nice breakfast.

Now, she is taking a good nap recovering from her rather sleepless but thankfully not traumatic night, and I am relieved that it went well and extremely happy and excited to be finalizing the plans for our concert trip.

One Day/One Week

The sky is temperamental today; doesn't know whether to be gloomy and overcast or giddy with sunshine. It happens to be quite an appropriate representation of how I am feeling today.

Tomorrow, Pearl will be spending her first night away from us. She is going to stay the night at my mom's as a test run before we go see a Cloud Cult concert three hours away next Thursday.

I know my mom (and my dad and my siblings) will take good care of Pearl, and do everything in their power to keep Pearl happy. But, oh, am I nervous. I think she'll be fine during the awake hours; it's night time I'm worried about. She still sleeps with us and some nights she wakes a lot, and usually wants to nurse. So I can't help thinking, what if she needs me, and I'm not there?

I've talked about it with her a lot throughout the week and she is excited to be going to sleep with Grandma and her Aunt, but less responsive about other parts of it... it's hard for me to know how much she understands.

I think it will be okay. I think it will be fun for her. I didn't think I'd want to leave her overnight so soon, but then this opportunity came up... and so hopefully this will go well, because I am really looking forward to this concert.