bits

They did the second part of the tooth extraction on Friday.  I remembered the tea bag advice and the bleeding stopped much earlier than last time.  I went to work on the postal route on Saturday, and even brought some groceries home.  I've eaten a lot more than I did last time, but I am still tired enough that I've crashed early and slept as late as possible both days.  Mark made a pork roast starting early this morning, and we've had that for lunch.  I've done an assortment of lessons on my language accounts, Russian, Chinese, Danish, Catalan, French-to-Spanish and Japanese.  I've played a lot in Minetest Luanti, and made a couple of quick-and-dirty computer graphic scrawls to avoid going directly to sleep last night.

 

This morning I pulled a third white scallop squash out of the little front garden - that was the plant I started in a yogurt cup this year because I really wanted one of them - and it has come along very well.  Not much else to report - back to work tomorrow.  Next month they will do an impression for making the denture - and then after that has been made, they will pull out all the smaller teeth in the top that are left and put the denture in - and I expect that will actually be the hardest one.  These two last appointments they were pulling out the largest two molars in the back on each side - that were leftover AFTER they took out my wisdom teeth many years prior.

 

 

Lyffan's nose is cold

 

Lyffan says her nose is cold.  She's curled up at the foot of the bed here.  Mark and Esme made lots of fudge today - chocolate and cashew flavors.  They're thinking of doing a white chocolate/maple version tomorrow.  I ran lots and lots of post office packages today.  My left hand is telling me just how much.  Of course that is after yesterday plus today on top of that.  And I started at 8 this morning and ended at about 4 both days.  Have to get myself into the office job to work tomorrow, and sometime find a way to look at the brake fluid in the little car when it is 1.) daylight and 2.) I am not at work.  But it has now been the Winter Solstice and the days should get longer, right?  

Time for me to curl up in the bed as well, if Lyffan will make some room for me.  Catalan (section 2 version) and French (phone version) today.  I dreamt of an incredible artist studio visit last night - went through sketchbooks, and listened to a lot of people talking about their work and saw them working on things.  But then of course, just a dream.  I would like to sketch some things but I haven't actually picked up pencils for more than phone doodling in a few months.

this is how we do it

 

 

the spider plant I brought to work in September as a tiny clipping - it is growing well at work and I am remembering to keep it watered

My theory of 'triage' alarms - which I know just look 'insane' to anyone else -  where I keep myself in check for what I should be doing and when.

I have a few extra ones for clock-in time at post office on Saturday and Sunday as well, which are not shown.  Several of the ones above are designed to wake me up so I don't sleep all night in one position or without drinking some water - because both of those things are very bad for me.  

When you are hypermobile and really fall into sleep, things seem to 'migrate' joints wise and I have woken up before and realized that I was sleeping with an ankle or knee bent completely wrong and it didn't hurt at all until I tried to move it.  Waking up and turning over a lot during the night keeps things from overstretching or falling into 'sublux' and staying there too long (as long as I keep in 'near sleep' and don't like get up and bake a cake or play a video game for hours etc. (turning on screens generally isn't great)).

I begin to turn myself over back and forth and check elbows and shoulders and knees and ankles etc at 4:45 although I usually don't actually get all the way up until about 5:15.  Every time I sleep five or ten minutes on the snooze alarm and turn over something else goes CRACK/CLICK and eventually it centers back where it should be to function.  The one bad thing about having this routine is that the dogs and cats know it and actually will try to wake me up a minute or so before the alarm - which can make it hard as they want me to get up out of bed immediately and go let them in or out (or out, then in) and I do have to be careful especially on the stairs especially if that left ankle is the one being 'uncooperative'.

All of this operating an uncooperative skeleton also really tires me out and I do good by myself when I can and just fall asleep when it is possible, instead of waiting for when it is 'proper'.  So sometimes I might fall asleep before I complete some of the important tasks, or be too tired to remember to do them until I've slept a few hours.  And if I wake up at 1:45 and realize my phone isn't plugged in, or I didn't start the dryer, or don't remember where the keys are - that gives me that much more time to right that problem before it is 'crunch time' of actually getting to work on time.  And then, even then, I leave more than a half hour early beyond the time I think it will take to get to work, just in case.. or I plan to, but sometimes I still have that 5 more minutes that needs to be done, feed chickens, unfreeze water dishes, etc.. and that built in cushion helps a lot.

I worked all through last weekend at the post office, helping out with Amazon Sunday for the first time in weeks, and they want me to do that again this weekend.  We went out for our groceries and got Christmas dinner items tonight after I got home from the office job.  I haven't paid so much at the grocery store in years... although we did some stocking up.

Languages : mostly Japanese, a little Czech.  I am still a bit annoyed with the Czech voice app but if I can get a bit more 'brain' I might do some more on it.  I really like the Japanese reading/story app still. 

sleep schedule, snails, and pancakes

 I'm thinking back to that big storm we had where the dogs had me up three times during the night, and then all the postal route, and trying hard not to fall asleep when I got home, but still going to bed 'too early', ending up waking in the middle of the night anyway...  I tried really hard not to go to bed too early last night, and still was up for a few hours around midnight.

 

My husband made this 3D model (and the pencil cups, and the extra large paper clip, as well) and here it is in action.  It is Deco Desk Snail at printables.

 

desk snail and Extra Large Paper Clips

 

Pancakes, to use up a bit more of my blackberry syrup

Esme was still asleep, and Mark doesn't eat breakfast

but the dogs were very happy I made food, as they usually get some

Mark assisted some with helping me figure out the cord routing on my television up here - so it works again.  It turned out to be one loose plug in the back of it.  It gets no reception, but I can see the collection he has downstairs and pick from it - which I can do from my computer, as well, but it's not as comfortable to knit in the desk chair as it is in the bed.  Then we got Esme a game on Steam I'd been looking at, but didn't think it would work on my computer.  He asked why - and I have been having driver issues with two of the other games I did used to play.  

So, based on his 'you shouldn't be having problems' *sigh* I went and looked up the error codes and found the right commands to put in the user interfaces and finally, yes, got both of those games running.  I don't really play games that often, though.  I've been tuning in to Stardew Valley a bit more since their update, just to see the new crops and because I find catching all the fish a worthwhile challenge while juggling all the crops and animals every day.  I'm also playing it in French.  One of the first things I asked Esme about the new game was 'Can you play it in Spanish?' since she starts Spanish class next month in school.  I hear Mark let out a huge guffaw from the other room that was one of my first questions about it.  I went and found a tutorial on how to change the language (from the Options screen, under the Play, then pick español)

If we hadn't had that strange issue with the truck yesterday (I put it back on the charger down here, but it is likely to need a new alternator) these next two days, today and tomorrow, would have been nice and restful.  I felt like I was on a good roll, except for the sleep thing - which can only work out with time and mindfulness about it.  

Hoping Saturday will not be an issue, or the mechanic will finish up the last bits on my mail truck and it will be driveable while he replaces this part.  If we can get it started with the charger here it can get to work for me - (getting home is maybe need a jump, maybe it will start, and no stops on the way home etc.) or definitely get us down to the mechanic to exchange vehicles.  Not a worry I wanted on my brain but as I told Esme sort of it's not one thing it's another and you just have to figure out how to work with every item as it comes up.  She was a big help yesterday walking some of the cords and things up with me to the vehicle, which was a ways up the driveway and around the corner and almost in Grandma's yard.  Then she learned how to test the voltages, and how to untangle the extension cords, and how to hook the charger to the vehicle, how to take it back off, and what the required voltages were that we were testing for.  She said she enjoyed getting some more car knowledge.

 

Duolingo: did Welsh, French, Spanish, Greek, Danish (one round each) and Portuguese (mobile, full 50xp) , then put a border on and tied up this dishcloth

 

It's 9:30 am... off to do my rounds on two Duolingo profiles (computer and phone) and decide when to do the Russian program, tie up the dishcloths and weavings that I had made the past few days.. garden, clean up my art supplies desk perhaps, but probably also get sucked into Stardew Valley again for a bit as I planted a bunch of summer squash seeds (courge d'été in French) and that is a new crop.  In my real garden I was going to start putting to rights those back two beds that I couldn't use before the long garden hose was bought.  But, that was yesterday, before the truck issue took up the entire afternoon.  I don't know how much I'll get to, or if we are going to try to do anything with the vehicle this afternoon, either.

bits of a Monday off

We had a good night's sleep last night - Esme was in her room with the lamp on, and she stayed there (as far as we know) all night and was still asleep in her bed at 7:30 am. We went to the store this morning to get Grandma milk and bread and a few other things. Esme had talked to me last night about wanting a DreamLites unicorn she saw on TV - but I told her I couldn't find that at the store, but we would look. They didn't have it but we found a bear in the toy section that has a light-up belly - and she said that would work.

I have worked on the winter quilt a bit more, and cleaned up the linen shelves in the bathroom and our bedroom area. With Esme's linens in the black rolly cart in her room now, there is more room in ours - and a LOT to sort through in general. Because of all the moves and changes my sewing area is a wreck, but that happens on a regular basis, so it will be something to sort out later.

I am about to go see if I can coax her down for fish sticks. She is watching cartoons with Grandma after delivering the milk and bread. I am hoping for a better mood for the rest of today, but we will see. I work at ten tomorrow.

//Alarm clock// I bought Esme an Elgin analog alarm clock as part of the order with the chair and bookcase. I put it in her room last night and she saw it immediately, and took it to her bedside table. I told her how it worked and that I would set it for 8 am and it would beep. If you push the button on top the nightlight comes on so you can read the time. She had a grand time with that, but I think she altered the time as well playing with it. She was already up and in the bathtub when it finally went off this morning at 8:30 bathroom-clock time. She pushed the snooze button and turned it off for four minutes. Then it came back on and out she comes from the bath again. I reminded her to turn the alarm 'off' on the back of it - and she did. But, she came and told me that specifically that she pushed the button and it went off, but the 'brown bears and zombies' made it beep again, and by turning it 'off' they couldn't make that happen again. *roll eyes*

The kid has been holding out on us...

Kid's been holding out on me - last night I was writing out words from our bedtime books on the magnadoodle and not saying anything. If she didn't know it she would ask 'whats that?' or look around the book for something. BUT - if did know the word she would roll around and giggle and fidget and/or try to hide her face - then if I continued to say nothing she would say the word. Little monkey knows more than she is telling.

I made sure she knew it was a 'good job' to know the word, and she really liked that - so maybe she'll stop the monkey business now.

She read:
red, cow, tree, stop, in, out and I already know she knows 'cat', 'dog' and 'go' and from something the other day 'on' and 'off'.

I tried 'tree' because I was sure she didn't know it... and then she did.
We continued to read 'Go Dog Go' and 'Hop on Pop' and if she asked me to draw I would write a word out of the page and tell her what it was and then keep going with the next page etc.

She curled up next to me watching all of this and fell asleep so easily and quickly it was amazing. I didn't even get tears when I got up to go back to my own bed - just a 'fist bump please' sign, which is the last thing we do each night before I go to sleep - she reaches out her little hand - I touch it, and then go to my bed and lay down.

Extra Note: We have no idea how she got the black chairstool over the babygate and into her bed yesterday. She did it when Mark didn't see her - but she was very proud of it, and didn't want to take it out. Apparently it was quite difficult to get there!

when she NEEDS to go to bed, she won't ask

She just gets more and more unreasonable and 'not like her', but going to bed is punishment so she doesn't want to ask. She had been over here hopping in and out of my lap with markers for a half hour - trying to get me to come draw - but when I did go draw she didn't want to anymore. Same thing with other things - she wanted to participate and then she didn't. She wanted to play the physics game with me but I hit a hard place where I couldn't get the ball to go where it should -- and she wanted me to fix it and I couldn't... and then more drawing, and more skirting the edge of a tantrum (on the bed, get off the bed, want milk, won't drink it etc...) Mark said she should go to bed, but I didn't want her to go to bed -- just wanted her to act better. It's funny because this all sounds like a normal toddler but it isn't usual for Esme. She's usually 'reasonable' unless she is very tired or hungry or coming down sick. She was up before seven this morning and had not taken a nap despite being so active all day. She ate well so I hope she was just overly tired again. Very good chance she is hitting another growth spurt.

I asked her if she wanted to go to bed - and she said NO. Of course. I told her if she didn't get off the floor and stand up she would be going to bed anyway... and then she laid back down on the floor! What clearer sign is there - Mark said. He's right. *sigh* So I put her to bed. I didn't want to - because I wanted to give her a bath and give her some ice cream downstairs. I have to work tomorrow and won't be able to here. She was very unhappy when she heard that - but not enough even to stay awake and complain. She fell asleep almost immediately when her head hit her pillow.

*sigh* again.... so I went and cleaned in the kitchen some.
It's rare she falls asleep so early, seven o' clock!

24/7 Esme

We interrupt your craft blog with a baby post:
She is keeping me really busy, but she is also so sweet and alert. Well, I caught her sleeping here ;) I'm pretty sure I couldn't ask for a better baby :) I'll have details on the birth at some other time, but that was also amazing and went 'surprisingly' well by the comments of the nurses, doctor and midwife at the birth center/hospital.


3 days old
As you can guess, we've been '24/7 Esme' since she was born, and that is a wonderful thing. I'm getting used to taking care of a baby, which I was pretty worried about. The last baby I 'took care of' was my sister's when I was eleven years old. She was eighteen, and upset/anxious about everything. She got angry really easily with everyone, even angry at the baby - so it wasn't a good experience. But Esme is ours, and that makes a world of difference.

Sleep? It is really difficult to sleep now that Esme is born. And I don't mean she is waking me up crying... sometimes she barely has time to make a noise before I'm there. Mark is helping a LOT. I admit I'm kind of 'hogging' her, though - my instincts are to always have her in sight, keep her safe and keep on the alert to take care of her next need. I keep jerking awake when I try to nap, even when she is settled. I'm surprisingly alert most of the day (and night) for a total of about three or four hours of 'jerky' sleep. All that with no caffeine involved -- which is hard for even me to believe. Mark has made sure I can get a few hours here and there to _try_ to sleep, which really does help.

I'm up and around the house, taking care of her and myself, keeping up dishes and laundry when she takes short naps - but everything else was at a standstill and might (might) pick up a little more in the next few days, but maybe not for a while. Now that I have more milk to give her she is sleeping longer at a whack - which helps on all fronts.

Jeanne's zebras were finished last Friday before Esme was born, but I have yet to take good pictures or do anything else with them. Lynn's package arrived from Canada, (THANK YOU!) and I did get to open it last night. More on that later as well. I've been asking questions on a midwifery bulletin board since we found out we were pregnant, and have been tapping away at our birth story for the ladies there but haven't gotten a good draft yet. This post itself took me all day to write in tiny pieces :}

Breastfeeding for the First Time

---

We are breastfeeding, and that was quite a bit of anxiety for me but today especially things worked out much better. I learned a few things between yesterday morning and today that I'll list here just because they really helped.

• Continue drinking two teacups of Red Raspberry Leaf Tea a day to help bring in milk.
  
• Drink LOTS of water - if you're dehydrated there won't be any/enough to give baby.
  
• A very warm (not hot) washcloth before feeding for the first few days. Place it between the collarbone and the breast you'll feed from next.
  
• Feed as often as she makes the 'rooting instinct', don't wait for a certain time interval to pass. (Baby gets confused, you lose precious practice time)
  
• Aiming to make sure she has her tongue DOWN and not curled or raised up.
  
  Specific to my experience:
  
• If I swing her back and forth in my arms she throws her arms onto her tummy - which gets them out of the way. She has LONG strong arms!
• I can rub a finger behind her ear (not just on her cheek) to get her to turn that way.

Excellent breastfeeding articles:

• Storage and handling
  
• Lots of info, including breast care
  
• Nutrition for Breastfeeding mothers

As new parents we had a few questions we went to look up:

• telling if baby is too hot or too cold
  
• preventing SIDS
  
• SIDS more prevalent among infants with American Indian blood.
  
• pH of breast milk is 7.2, slightly basic or alkaline this science article says why that's important.
  
• General overview of infant healthcare
  
• Babies have 'soft spots' on their skulls. We went to find a page with a diagram of these soft spots, also called 'fontanels.'

Pogo-ing at 50%, check back later for full recharge...

Baby Update: I could swear she has my thermostat on call in there -- in the morning I am freezing cold and sweating, and by the afternoon I am hot enough to strip. She is also MUCH more active the last few days - in frequency and strength. I can see her send the side of my stomach out about an inch when she gets a well-placed kick. I'll probably regret saying this later - but her kicks don't hurt yet, just feel like a hiccup going the wrong way.

My friend from high school suggested this is a good time to start reading to her, so for the past few days I've waited for her to be active and then read a chapter or so out of Little Bear. I've also been walking more than a mile every morning, weather allowing. It's a nice evenly paced walk - no pushing, and I'm not even tired when I get back, just warm, no matter what the temp is. I got an ankle brace for walking with today, hope it works - I have that one ankle I broke as a kid that has went out on me three times so far. No serious falls, and the ankle doesn't even hurt after it bends back the right way, but I end up with a bloody knee and a bit of worrying until I feel Bazooka kick again. Soon enough here, I'm going to have so much scar tissue on that other knee it just won't bleed!

Thanks for all the comments on the little shoes! I have plans for a few more small pairs (with alterations to the pattern) for back-ups :) They are so easy and fun to make!

Sleeping is getting to be an adventure

Sleeping is getting to be an adventure in creative pillow use lately. I've read online that there are all sorts of 'pregnancy pillows' they make to provide all-in-one solutions. They look like modified body pillows that curl up between your knees and back to support your spine. The only one I thought looked interesting was out of stock :( So I recommissioned one of the really beaten up regular pillows we have for extra support between my knees and under my hip bones. I think that will work for a while until my belly gets bigger :)

I've been sewing some more creatures - here is one that didn't quite make the cut. She is a prototype, and if you look closely her arms are sort of mismatched. I don't like opening the seams of my toys after they're done, so I'll save her for a while.



We also have some female alien monster dolls arriving. It appears the males were just scouts. I'll be working them up here and there. Last year I would push myself to stay up all night and sew a batch - now there is so much else to do, work and non-work.

Dream Bag Weaving, old and new

The weaving for the dream bag is continuing along. Here it is compared with the old (and well-used) dream bag, that usually resides under my pillow, so as to lie just under my ear as I sleep.



So, what is in a dream bag? It would be different for every person. I put in special items that I feel are important. My items are symbols representing links to certain people, qualities and structures that are either important to who I am, or to what I am seeking to dream about. Some items stay in the bag for years, while others come in and out depending on the topics most important to me at the current time.

I think dreams are important, especially 'strong' dreams. When I have those 'pay attention - you're here IN this dream and things are happening around you in real-time' lucid-type dreams, I do pay attention - and see what they might be telling me. Sometimes I get an idea of what is important, or wrong, or needing attention in my waking life - that I have been forgetting or trying to avoid. I view the whole dream experience as a subconscious experiment - another way of gathering and sorting information with my subconscious. (For those of you who have read a little bit about my ink art - you will see this connection in their purpose, as well.) The dreams are rich in symbolism and often 'wacky' in their structure -- but usually upon waking I have a 'Oh Wow' moment - where I understand what my brain was saying and what I need to do with this information while I am awake.

So, do I really think this bag, or the things inside it, makes a difference? In other words, why do this? I think, at the very least, it helps make a focus point, putting things together in my mind just before I sleep that carry over, psychologically, into the 'dream world' of my subconscious. I have a very visual mind, as well, so making a visual symbol with attached meanings helps me personally, to carry over, better than simply thinking 'I want to dream about X.'