Esme's first Podcast

Let me know if you can hear this - I worked hard converting it from our voice recorder!!

I caught Esme's squeals on tape, well.. in digital bytes at least ;)
Click here for the Link to the MP3
I hope you can hear it!

Heads Up!

Esme has been practicing her 'push ups' during tummy time. She doesn't like it much though - and these are the first 'happy' pictures I've been able to get of the process ;)

Mark's parents went to visit his aunts in North Carolina last week, and came home with a bunch of baby clothes and other items for Esme that had been waiting out there for her :) Very nice of them indeed!

That set me to going through all of the clothing we have for Esme, that has come from so many of you (thank you!), our relatives and the flea market. Esme has already grown out of at least a dozen items she fit when she came home from the hospital! They're all too short lengthwise now. It amazed me! The best of those I think I'll pass on to Elizabeth as she will be getting about that size soon.

The other thing I noticed is that sizing is very crazy in baby clothes. There are 6 months clothes I had put away that already fit Esme and things that say 3-6 months that are still obviously too big. There was even a dress that said 18 months that looks like it will fit her and a dress that said 6 months that looks like it is for a toddler! I sat on the floor and pulled things out, holding them over her body and putting them in three piles 'now', 'soon' and 'later.' That made plenty of room to put the new items the aunts had sent as before that all the 'later' was pretty disorganized.

//Note: Yesterday Esme weighed 11 lbs, 10 oz.

Our Anniversary

Today is a first anniversary for Mark and I. It was one year ago today that I came to him to stay. I wanted above all to be able to say honestly I had come to stay - and no one was going to be able to make me leave again against my will. This is the day I told him 'I'm here and I'm yours' and meant it completely.

We have our wedding anniversary later in the year but this feels more like our real anniversary, and it is the one I'll commemorate.

**happy sigh**

Dreaming in Stormy Weather

I had the strangest feeling when I woke up early this morning. It was just after dawn - and I had been dreaming I was in a round swing chair that was sucking me in and I couldn't get out. I woke up like 'can't breathe' and the air around the house just 'felt strange.' It was exactly like being wrapped up in a sphere that was slowly pressing in on all sides.

For about a minute I sat up in bed wondering if I should get up and check the weather report. It felt like the air could break at any moment. Then there was a huge crack of lightning and the world did break - out into sheets of rain on all sides of the house. It rained heavily for quite a while, and that satisfied me enough to go back to sleep for a few hours. It is still raining and thundering and lightning...

Mark looked at our weather radar and it just showed little 'hot spots' of severe activity all around us. I'm wondering if there is a tangible weather phenomenon that caused that 'charged sphere' feeling or if it was just my sleepy brain overreacting to the sounds of the storm.

KnitOwl toys stepping up

Aliens for 2008

I'm making what I hope will be a lasting committment to keep small toys in production for the shop. I've been lacking there in favor of our Ebay store and custom orders - and well, of course, Esme ;)

If I want the handmade toy shop to be successful, I need to be putting things up every day or every few days to draw people's eyes. For that, I need to be working on a small handmade baby toy, softie, bird pincushion or some other project at all times. Unlike the Ebay store where we need to buy inventory to host in our store - I can sit down with a few materials and make inventory for the Etsy store.

I emailed a lady who wanted me to send a batch of Alien Monster Dolls to her shop in England last year. I asked her if she is still interested, and we'll see if she gets back. I'm open to other suggestions for promotion as well. I wish I had more connections for knowing where to sell or promote!

I'm also a giddy mommy over some really simple things. I've been waiting for Esme to start grabbing things beside my hand. It's an important step towards her exploring the world around her. She has begun to wrap one of her hands around the little lamb toy Jeanne gave to her. She then squeals with delight and rubs her fingers back and forth in the fuzzy surface. I also took out the Baby Einstein blocks Susan sent back before Esme was born. She spent time staring at them on the bed yesterday and also making lots of noises when I would rattle one, or change what surface was facing her. Simple things, but I'm very happy about them :))

More Giraffing

I think the dark pink one with longer legs is the way to go. The green one is cute but the neck was extremely hard to pull the head through because it was too skinny. I'm on to the larger version tomorrow.

It is raining and storming here and there is a Tornado watch that is almost over.